High school student Seo Jiwoo knows nothing of the hidden world around him. Terrified of his own mysterious powers, he lives quietly, concealing his abilities from everyone.
But everything changes the day he rescues what he thinks is a battered stray cat.
“YOU IDIOT. CHECK WHAT ON ME? PUT ME DOWN ... NOW.”
To Jiwoo’s shock, the injured cat talks.
The stray is none other than Kayden – the most powerful awakened being alive.
So goes the storyline of Eleceed, a South Korean webtoon written by Son Je-ho and illustrated by ZHENA.
A global action hit, Eleceed has been serialized by Naver Webtoon Corp., the digital comics and novel platform unit of South Korea’s top online portal Naver Corp., since October 2018.
Eleceed, a global action hit from Naver Webtoon, is set to be adapted into an anime by DandeLion Animation Studio, the anime house behind The First Slam Dunk A mix of fast-paced combat and coming-of-age narrative, the webtoon, with 340 episodes, has been published in 10 languages, including English, Japanese and Spanish. It has amassed over 1.42 billion views globally.
ANIMATED TV SERIES IN 2026
Now, the webtoon will be turned into an animated TV series.
Tokyo-based Line Digital Frontier, Naver Webtoon’s Japanese content production subsidiary, said on Tuesday that the project, set for release in 2026, will bring together an all-star production team, drawn from some of Japan’s most renowned animation franchises.
The anime will be produced by Oscar-nominated studio DandeLion Animation Studio Inc., known for its work on The First Slam Dunk and the short film Magic Candies.
The script is overseen by Yosuke Kuroda, the long-time series composer for My Hero Academia, while character designs will be handled by Minami Sakura, known for Gridman Universe, according to Line Digital Frontier, the operator of comics market leaders LINE Manga and ebookjapan.
ZHENA, the illustrator of Naver Webtoon's Eleceed, releases a teaser visual in a congratulatory message for the webtoon's adaptation into an anime Hiroshi Nishikiori, whose credits include IDOLiSH7 the Movie: LIVE 4bit - BEYOND THE PERiOD and Honey Lemon Soda, will direct the series.
TEASER TRAILER & VISUAL
The adaptation of the webtoon into an anime underscores Naver’s broader ambitions in global entertainment, as it seeks to translate the popularity of its online comic properties into multimedia franchises.
While showcasing a teaser trailer and key visual on Tuesday, original creator Son and illustrator ZHENA released a congratulatory message and illustration.
Naver Webtoon Korean artists autograph signing event “It feels like a dream to finally share the news that Eleceed is getting an anime adaptation! This is all thanks to our incredible readers who have loved and supported the series. I hope the anime allows even more people to enjoy the world of Eleceed!” said Son.
Kim Shin-bae, chief growth officer of Line Digital Frontier, said: “Eleceed delivers the perfect blend of high-speed action and a tightly woven storyline. The upcoming anime adaptation is a chance to introduce this dynamic series to a broader global audience, and we believe it marks an exciting new chapter in our global storytelling journey.”
BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK
To celebrate the announcement, DandeLion will debut a behind-the-scenes look at Eleceed’s adaptation process at the Anime Expo 2025 in Los Angeles on July 6.
Naver Webtoon's Japanese service unit Line Digital Frontier Kazuhiro Nishikawa, president of DandeLion Animation, is scheduled to appear at the expo to share behind-the-scenes details about the production.
An exclusive video celebrating the adaptation will also be available at Webtoon Entertainment’s booth during the event, according to Line Digital.
Going back to Eleceed, the unlikely partnership between Jiwoo, a kind-hearted boy who’s never found his place in the world, and Kayden, a reclusive powerhouse with a short temper, draws them into a web of powerful Awakened organizations and dangerous conspiracies.
Together, they may just change the world, as the synopsis goes.
Write to In-Soo Nam at isnam@hankyung.com Jennifer Nicholson-Breen edited this article.
