In Studio N’s first appearance at Series Mania, the studio will debut the upcoming “The Legend of Kitchen Soldier” series
Studio N CEO Mikyung (Michelle) Kwon will discuss the growing influence of webcomics and Korean Content in a panel at the Series Mania Forum, commemorating Korea as the forum’s inaugural Country of Honor
WEBTOON Entertainment Inc.’s (Nasdaq: WBTN) Studio N is bringing webcomics and K-content to Series Mania (March 20-27 in Lille, France), Europe’s biggest TV festival. Studio N, a subsidiary of WEBTOON Entertainment, will co-host the world premiere of The Legend of Kitchen Soldier with CJ ENM, in the only Korean content to screen at this year’s event. Separately, as a leader in K-content and webcomic adaptations, Studio N CEO Mikyung (Michelle) Kwon will join programming at the Series Mania, where Korea is featured as the forum’s first-ever Country of Honor. As part of the program, Kwon will participate in a Korea Special Session organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), highlighting the global expansion of Korean webcomics.
Based on the WEBTOON webcomic with 650 million global views, The Legend of Kitchen Soldier tells the gripping story of Kang Sung-jae, a “plastic-spoon” underdog who enlists in the army to escape a harsh reality, only to find himself on a path to becoming a legendary military cook. His life takes a surreal turn when a mysterious virtual “Quest” system appears, guiding him through the kitchen, dormitories, and training grounds. As he unintentionally clears one mission after another, what began as a series of coincidences evolves into unexpected solutions for the unit’s hidden issues. Armed with nothing but knives, pots, and spoons, his wild and unpredictable military quest begins. Starring Park Ji-hoon (Weak Hero) and Yoon Kyung-Ho (My Daughter Is a Zombie), the series is produced by Studio N and CJ ENM’s Studio Dragon, and will stream on Korea’s TVING as a TVING Original series in the first half of this year.
Discussing The Legend of Kitchen Soldier, the rise of K-content, and the expanding influence of webcomic adaptations, Kwon will participate in the Series Mania Guest of Honor Session, “WEBTOON to Series: Adaptation and IP Expansion” on March 25. The session is organized by KOCCA to commemorate the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France, showcasing the strength of Korea’s creative industry at this year’s Series Mania. Kwon will join Lee Dong-geon, the creator of hit WEBTOON title Yumi’s Cells (adapted into a TVING Original by Studio N and Studio Dragon), and Studio Dragon’s Chief Producer Hyeyoung Lee. The session will further illustrate how WEBTOON IP has become one of the most influential Korean cultural exports, building massive fandoms and fueling global franchises.
WEBTOON Entertainment and Studio N have emerged as leading producers of K-content and Korean dramas, developing a string of hit Korean webcomic adaptations from WEBTOON. Studio N’s film My Daughter is a Zombie, based on the WEBTOON webcomic with over 500 million global views, was one of the most popular film releases in Korea last year, becoming the highest-grossing Korean film released in 2025 and the third highest-grossing film overall in Korea for the year. WEBTOON Entertainment recently celebrated its first Emmy® Awards nomination with Studio N-produced series Chicken Nugget nominated in the Comedy category of the 2025 International Emmy® Awards. Additional popular K-dramas and webcomic adaptations from Studio N include the upcoming second season of Netflix’s popular series Bloodhounds, True Beauty on Crunchyroll, Vigilante on Disney+, and additional Netflix hits including The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call, Sweet Home, The 8 Show, and more. With its US-based Hollywood studio, WEBTOON Productions, and Studio N in Korea, WEBTOON Entertainment is bringing fan-backed webcomic adaptations to global fandoms all over the world.
Based in Lille since 2018, Series Mania has become the biggest event dedicated uniquely to television series in Europe. The festival offers exclusive world premieres of the greatest international series, delivering eight days of screenings, celebrations, and masterclasses with some of the most renowned personalities in the series world.