I Think I've Figured Out What Manhwa's Next Big Anime Adaptation Will Be
With Solo Leveling Season 2’s success, it's to be expected that more manhwas will get an anime adaptation soon. Among the webtoon confirmed to have an anime in production, the announcement of The Beginning After the End and Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint didn’t surprise fans as much, as their eventual adaptation was guaranteed due to their global recognition. This has fans wondering exactly what Manhwa will get an adaptation to follow suit. However, there are enough clues, at the moment, to make an accurate prediction about the next anime based on Manhwa.
While there’s a possibility of The World After the Fall getting animated if Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint anime becomes a hit and The Remarried Empress is one of the top-earning works in Japan in 2024, there is another series whose impact may be the signal that fans shouldn’t wait too long to see it get animated, Teenage Mercenary.
Teenage Mercenary Is Currently The Most Successful Manhwa In Japan
The Webtoon Has Surpassed Popular Titles Like the Remarried Empress and the Dragon King’s Bride
With a premise that might remind viewers of other works like Full Metal Panic! and after the adaptations of fighting manhwas like Lookism and Viral Hit, Teenage Mercenary has the best prospects of getting an anime adaptation soon based on its popularity in Japan. Written by YC and illustrated by Rakyeon, Teenage Mercenary has built a reputation and has ranked first in Webtoon's Japanese sister platform, LINE Manga’s annual rankings, for two consecutive years, in 2023 and 2024.
Also known as Mercenary Enrollment, the series also became the first webtoon to surpass 1 billion yen in annual sales in LINE Manga in 2023, setting a record for the highest annual GMV since the launch of the app a decade ago. Furthermore, a pop-up store for Teenage Mercenary opened this month in Japan, being the first manhwa-related event since the Line Friends Square Shibuya opened in June 2024.
If You Haven't Checked Out Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, You Need to Catch Up ASAP
Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint is next in becoming an international manhwa hit, and readers have plenty of reasons to jump on the hype train ASAP.
The pop-up store has been well-received, with Teenage Mercenary’s authors even traveling to the country and being blown away by Japanese fans' reception. This reception in Japan and the fact that Teenage Mercenary has an I.P. with more than 1.3 billion cumulative views worldwide, could signal it would become the next manhwa to get adapted into anime.
Why Teenage Mercenary Will Be a Great Anime
Teenage Mercenary Could Appeal to Fans of Solo Leveling
Teenage Mercenary follows the story of Ijin Yu, who became a young mercenary after surviving a plane crash and who reunited with his family after almost a decade. Ijin has to adapt to being a normal high school student while also protecting the family that he has just reconnected with, a difficult task for him due to the presence of high school bullies and local criminal gangs.
This way, the manhwa mixes everyday situations with exciting fights since Ijin is a living weapon in the same style as John Wickbut lacks proper social interactions after growing up in a war-torn environment. Moreover, the story has the perfect balance between blood-popping action and funny and heartfelt moments of Ijin being with his family.
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Line Manga is Japan's hottest manhwa reading platform right now and these are its top-selling series that Japanese fans can't get enough of.
Moreover, Teenage Mercenary is perfect for Solo Leveling fans, asit also knows how to use cliffhangers, has a simple yet well-executed premise elevated by its great action and dynamic art, and has a level-headed, overpowered protagonist of few words with a fearsome aura and willing to do anything to protect his family. Nevertheless, as nothing is certain, there's also a chance that Teenage Mercenary won't get an adaptation as soon, but due to its immense popularity, fans should anticipate that it's only a matter of time for this masterpiece manhwa to have its own anime.
Source: Oricon News.
