Tappytoon
- 2016 (English)
- 2020 (German, French)
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
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[update], 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
Paperback editions
- 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:
- A Returner's Magic Should Be Special[9]
- Daughter of the Emperor[9]
- Solo Leveling
- The Abandoned Empress[10]
- The Reason Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion[9]
- Who Made Me A Princess
TV shows
What's Wrong with Secretary Kim? and Cherry Blossoms After Winter were adapted into live-action dramas in 2018[11] and 2022 respectively.
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "Tappytoon". SOSV.
- ^ a b Lazic, Tamara (December 23, 2022). "Interview: Tappytoon Founders on the State of Webtoon Industry, Piracy, Fans and More".
- ^ a b Leung, Hilary (December 27, 2022). "Tappytoon Reveals Why Villainess Stories Are Popular in Webtoons". CBR.
- ^ a b MacDonald, Heidi (December 6, 2022). "Syndicated Comics".
- ^ Reeves, Ciera (January 13, 2023). "[Exclusive Interview] Co-Founder of Tappytoon Ernest Woo on Webtoon Connection to K-pop, KDramas, and Beyond". KpopWise.
- ^ Leung, Hilary (December 27, 2022). "Tappytoon is Reaching Out to Female Readers Neglected by Marvel and DC". CBR.
- ^ a b Suzuki, Miki (November 20, 2022). "Maximum Ride Artist's Manga Bloody Sweet Announces English Print Release". CBR.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Mateo, Alex (April 23, 2021). "Yen Press Licenses 5 Manga, 4 Light Novels for October". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ^ "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?". MyAnimeList.net.