Webtoon Manhwa ‘Teenage Mercenary’ to Receive Anime Series Adaptation

Teenage Mercenary, the well-received action thriller on Wattpad’s Webtoon platform, is in the process of being adapted into an anime series by Webtoon Entertainment’s Japan-based Line Digital Frontier (which operates Line Manga and ebookjapan). Since its debut in 2021, the manhwa created by YC and Rakyeon has accumulated over 1.8 billion views and is available in 10 languages. The series held the No. 1 spot on Line Manga’s charts in both 2023 and 2024.

“Teenage Mercenary is one of those rare series that hits every note — action, emotion, suspense, and style,” stated Sinbae Kim, Chief Growth Officer of Line Digital Frontier. “It’s a global sensation that has made its mark across various regions, and now it’s finally receiving the anime adaptation fans have been eagerly anticipating. We’re thrilled to share this incredible story with new fans around the globe.”

Webtoon Synopsis:

At the age of eight, Ijin Yu experienced the tragic loss of his parents in a plane crash and ended up stranded in a foreign country, where he was compelled to become a child mercenary to survive. A decade later, he returns home to reunite with his family in Korea, where resources are abundant and life appears peaceful. However, Ijin will discover that navigating teenage life presents its own set of challenges. With only a year of high school remaining, Ijin must develop new strategies to navigate the school battleground. Can he endure a year of high school? Or will the school manage to survive him?

“I still remember the early days of planning Teenage Mercenary and my apprehension about how readers would react once the series debuted. This anime adaptation wouldn’t have been possible without the remarkable support from our fans,” expressed co-creator YC. “I’m incredibly thankful and excited to share this milestone with them.”

Rakyeon shared, “When we first launched the series, I never envisaged it would garner such immense affection. I’m deeply touched and grateful to engage with global fans through this new form of storytelling in anime.”

Teenage Mercenary joins a diverse anime development slate at Webtoon Ent., which has already introduced popular titles like Tower of God (in two seasons), along with Sempai Is an Otokonoko, True Beauty, and Viral Hit, all available for streaming on Crunchyroll. Webtoon is actively developing an additional 20 titles, including Omniscient Reader in collaboration with Crunchyroll and Aniplex.