Hybe Corp., the Korean firm behind BTS, is launching an original cartoon series “Dark Moon: The Grey City.” It tells the story of nine werewolves who join forces to protect one another against a hostile world.
The concept was created in collaboration with Hybe’s Japanese boy band &Team and will launch as a webtoon (a comic story optimized for mobile access) and a web novel on Wednesday. Distribution is in conjunction with Naver’s Webtoon and Wattpad, the online story company that Naver acquired in May 2021.
The story will be available in ten languages and will be updated with new episodes on a weekly basis.
&Team is a nine-member band that consists of K, Nicholas, EJ, Taki, Fuma, Yuma, Jo, Harua and Maki. The first four members were recruited from Mnet and Hybe’s K-pop competition show “I-Land” in 2020. The remaining five hail from the Japanese and Korean competition show “&Audition – The Howling.”
A new version of music video, “Under the skin” (Extended ver.), of &Team’s debut single was also released on Hybe Labels’ official YouTube channel on Tuesday.
“The story reflects &Team’s message of nine members with diverse characters becoming one team with a motivation to connect various worlds as one. The webtoon and web novel are created based on the ‘artist collaboration’ system which employs artists’ depiction of the fictional characters, further bringing the story to life,” said Hybe.
“Dark Moon: The Grey City” is the fifth original story from Hybe, following “7Fates: Chakho” with BTS, “Dark Moon: The Blood Altar,” “The Star Seekers” and “Crimson Heart.”
Hybe, previously known as Big Hit Entertainment, is a stock market listed group that has grown from a Korean talent agency into a “global entertainment lifestyle platform company that seeks boundless expansion. Last year it acquired Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings which encompasses acts including Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande.
Patrick Frater
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