Line Digital Frontier, the Japanese subsidiary of Naver Webtoon, announced on the 1st that the Japanese studio Dandelion Animation will produce the animation 'Elexid.'
Dandelion is a skilled studio that produced 'The First Slam Dunk' and the Academy Award-nominated short animation 'Alsa Candy.' It has collaborated with the Japanese Toei Animation for capital affiliation. This project will feature a production team representing the Japanese animation industry. The direction will be led by director Hiroshi Nishikiori, known for 'Theatrical Version of Idolish Seven' and 'Honey Lemon Soda.' The series composition will be handled by Yosuke Kuroda from 'My Hero Academia,' and character design will be provided by Minami Sakura from 'Gridman Universe.'
Originally serialized on Naver Webtoon since 2018, 'Elexid' is an action fantasy webtoon depicting the ability battle and growth of high school student Seo Jiwoo, who conceals his awakening abilities and meets the world's strongest awaker, Kaiden, who has transformed into a stray cat. It currently serves in a total of 10 languages, including Korean, English, Japanese, French, and Spanish, gaining substantial popularity globally in the action genre.
Kim Shin-bae, Chief Growth Officer (CGO) of Line Digital Frontier, noted, 'Elexid is a work that possesses both fast-paced action and a solid storyline. With this animation adaptation, we hope to showcase the charm of the original work to global fans,' and added, 'We expect this to be a turning point that accelerates the global expansion of Naver Webtoon's intellectual property (IP).'
To celebrate the announcement of the animation adaptation, Dandelion Animation Studio will introduce the behind-the-scenes of 'Elexid' at the 'LA Anime Expo 2025' taking place in Los Angeles, USA, on the 6th. During the event, a special video commemorating the animation adaptation will be screened exclusively for fans at the webtoon entertainment booth at the expo.
Naver Webtoon is intensifying its animation projects aimed at global expansion of its original webtoon IPs. Line Digital Frontier has previously announced the animation adaptation of 'Entrance Mercenary' and is currently developing a total of 20 animations. Among these, 'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint' will be co-produced with Aniplex, Crunchyroll, and Redice Studio for the global market.