Tiger-themed webtoon starred by BTS is ready for production

A webtoon or web novel about a South Korean traditional tale on tigers will be starred by global K-pop star BTS members.

HYBE said in the 2021 HYBE Briefing with the Community streaming on YouTube on Thursday that four productions based on “HYBE Original Story” will be released on Jan. 15 next year via Naver Webtoon’s global platform.

One of the most intriguing stories is “7Fates: CHAKHO” based on a South Korean traditional tale about a military squad against tigers in the Joseon Dynasty. “The story tells you why seven boys (BTS members) are deeply destined to endure adversity and grow stronger together,” said HYBE. “A dynamic storyline unfolds to highlight what destiny is about.”

Members of Tomorrow X Together, another boy band produced by HYBE, will turn into main characters in “The Star Seekers,” a fantasy story about a magic island and imaginary animals. ENHYPEN will star “Dark Moon: The Blood Altar,” a teenage romance-themed fusion fantasy with vampires and werewolf boys. “Crimson Heart” is centered on stories of girls with fantasy and adventure features added to the plot.

As HYBE has made such novel attempts, it seems to intend to move toward business expansion to the story industry combining fandoms and intellectual property rights. It plans to appeal to young audiences who enjoy K-pop music, games, webtoons and webnovels in collaboration with Naver Webtoon – a rising global platform which has recently teamed up with DC Comics to release the Batman series.

HYBE also announced that it will forge a global partnership with South Korean blockchain business Dunamu. Bang Si-hyuk, the chairman of HYBE, said that the day will come soon when fans collect, exchange and display their artists’ photo cards or goods by using non-fungible tokens (NFT).


imi@donga.com