Teenage Mercenary webtoon receives anime adaptation

Teenage Mercenary webtoon has been green-lit for an anime adaptation, LINE Manga, the Japanese subsidiary of Naver Webtoon, confirmed on Thursday, June 19, 2025, via its official X handle. However, pertinent details concerning the anime's release date, cast, staff, or production studio have not yet been disclosed.

Written by YC and illustrated by Rakyeon, the Teenage Mercenary webtoon has been serialized on Naver Webtoon since November 2020. It began distribution in Japan from April 2021 on LINE Manga.

As of May 2025, the webtoon has garnered 1.86 billion global views, making it one of the most successful webtoon series of all time. Undoubtedly, the announcement of the anime adaptation adds another feather to the series' cap of excellence.

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A TV anime adaptation of the Teenage Mercenary webtoon has been confirmed

On Thursday, June 19, 2025, the official X account for LINE Manga (@LINEmanga) confirmed the television anime adaptation of YC and Rakyeon's Teenage Mercenary webtoon through a tweet. Since its launch, the original webtoon has consistently ranked first in LINE Manga's annual rankings for 2023 and 2024.

However, the staff has yet to announce a release date or provide other relevant information about the cast or crew. LINE Manga's official X handle has urged fans to look forward to further updates.

Additionally, comments from the original author, YC, and the illustrator, Rakyeon, have come in. YC remembers how nervous they felt when they first started planning for the Teenage Mercenary webtoon (Gyugaku Mercenary) and when the webtoon launched.

The author feels it's thanks to the fans that the series reached the anime stage. Similarly, Rakyeon remarks that they never expected so many people would love the series. Rakyeon is thrilled and grateful to meet fans worldwide with the series' anime adaptation.

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A brief synopsis of the Teenage Mercenary webtoon

Yu Ijin, as seen in the webtoon (Image via YC and Rakyeon)

According to Naver Webtoon, the Teenage Mercenary webtoon centers on Yu Ijin, who loses his parents in a fatal plane crash at eight and becomes stranded on a foreign island. With grit and resilience, Yu becomes a child mercenary to survive in this unfamiliar land. Ten years later, Yu returns home and reunites with his family in Korea.

It's a different place from the island altogether, with an abundance of food and shelter. However, Yu Ijin soon discovers that life as a teenager isn't easy. With only a year of high school left, Yu is forced to master new strategies to maneuver his way around the school's "Battleground."

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