Tappytoon

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Tappytoon
Type of site
Webtoon platform
Available inEnglish, German, French
OwnerContents First Inc
Created byErnest Woo and Sun Bang
URLhttps://www.tappytoon.com/en/comics/home
CommercialYes
RegistrationOptional
Launched
  • 2016 (English)
  • 2020 (German, French)
Current statusActive

Tappytoon is a South Korean digital webtoon platform that was developed and is operated by Contents First Inc., a venture-backed media and entertainment company founded in 2013.

In 2018 it was ranked the number 1 Android Comics App in both North America and Europe, and in the Top 5 iPhone app in the Book category.[1] Tappytoon surpassed 7 million registered users across 241 countries in November 2022.[1]

Content[edit]

Tappytoon offers English, French, and German titles licensed from Korean and other Asian publishers, such as Kakao Entertainment, Mr. Blue, Jaedam, Haksan and Comico.[2] The platform also hosts comics that tie into other media like K-drama, K-pop, and games.[2] Tappytoon may also consider titles depending on reader needs and requests.[3]

Its Tappytoon Studio imprint, which allows creators to publish original works, began July 2021. A month later, Tappytoon launched its webnovel service. According to Tappytoon co-founder Sun Bang, "having both the novel and webtoon versions creates a synergy so that readers from one version can easily try out the other format, and they end up enjoying both."[4]

As of December 2022, 78.6% of Tappytoon's readers were from the United States,[1][5] and the most popular genres of content with them (Americans) were romance (at 57%), Boys Love/BL (at 17%), action (at 12%) and "other" (at 14%).[4][5]

In interviews with co-founders Ernest Woo and Sun Bang, Tappytoon felt that female readers were overlooked by American superheroes and comics, and so made a conscious effort to attract that demographic to their platform via quality, female-centered stories whose main leads "are out to take charge of their life and love, protect someone, and right some wrong, whether personal or a more significant issue....Empowerment, inspiration, catharsis, and even humor, it's all there, and it resonates with our female readers."[3][6][7]

Adaptations into other media[edit]

Paperback editions[edit]

  • The Legend of the Northern Blade,an adaptation of Woogack's Buk-geomjeon-gi novel series, was published in Korea in book format by Seoul Media Comics (서울미디어코믹스).
  • Bloody Sweet, was published in paperback format by C&C Revolution, Inc. Two volumes were financed via Kickstarter campaigns.[8] C&C Revolution, Inc. has since been acquired by Tappytoon.[1] In November 2022, Yen Press announced that they would be publishing the title in paperback as well.[8]
  • Yen Press, as well as its Ize Press imprint, has collected and published in paperback format some of Tappytoon's other titles as well. These include:

TV shows[edit]

What's Wrong with Secretary Kim? and Cherry Blossoms After Winter were adapted into live-action dramas in 2018[11] and 2022 respectively.

The aforementioned Solo Leveling and Who Made Me a Princess will receive an anime adaptation premiering 2024.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Tappytoon Surpasses 7 Million Members as US and Global Audiences Embrace Korean Webtoons and Web Novels". www.businesswire.com. December 5, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Tappytoon". SOSV.
  3. ^ a b Lazic, Tamara (December 23, 2022). "Interview: Tappytoon Founders on the State of Webtoon Industry, Piracy, Fans and More".
  4. ^ a b Leung, Hilary (December 27, 2022). "Tappytoon Reveals Why Villainess Stories Are Popular in Webtoons". CBR.
  5. ^ a b MacDonald, Heidi (December 6, 2022). "Syndicated Comics".
  6. ^ Reeves, Ciera (January 13, 2023). "[Exclusive Interview] Co-Founder of Tappytoon Ernest Woo on Webtoon Connection to K-pop, KDramas, and Beyond". KpopWise.
  7. ^ Leung, Hilary (December 27, 2022). "Tappytoon is Reaching Out to Female Readers Neglected by Marvel and DC". CBR.
  8. ^ a b Suzuki, Miki (November 20, 2022). "Maximum Ride Artist's Manga Bloody Sweet Announces English Print Release". CBR.
  9. ^ a b c Mateo, Alex (October 8, 2021). "Yen Press Licenses MonsTABOO, Lost Lad London, Re:Zero: The Frozen Bond, Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple Manga, More". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  10. ^ Mateo, Alex (April 23, 2021). "Yen Press Licenses 5 Manga, 4 Light Novels for October". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  11. ^ "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?". MyAnimeList.net.