A turbulent week for manhwa and webtoon fans. Tapas, Kakao’s English-language comics platform, is shutting down and taking readers’ purchased comics with it. Meanwhile, manhwa The Blue Road got a Netflix date and webtoon The Mafia Nanny is getting a live-action Hulu series.
Quick facts
| Story | Details |
|---|---|
| Tapas shutdown | Ink sales stopped October 1, 2026; closes after March 31, 2027; no refunds for purchased comics |
| The Blue Road | 8-episode Netflix series, November 20, 2026, based on a 2002 Korean-Japanese manhwa |
| The Mafia Nanny | Live-action series in development at Hulu, Charlize Theron executive producing, no date yet |
Tapas shuts down: purchased comics don’t come with you
The shutdown was first reported by Korean media on September 22, and Tapas posted its official notice on October 1, 2026. Tapas stopped selling Ink, the currency used to unlock chapters, on October 1. Remaining Ink and unlocked chapters stay usable until 11:59 p.m. PDT on March 31, 2027.
What upsets readers most: after that date, purchased comics can no longer be read, they will not transfer to KakaoPage or Kakao Webtoon, and Ink is generally non-refundable. By contrast, Kakao Webtoon users in Korea are expected to carry over their reading history, balance and unused passes when that service merges into KakaoPage at the end of 2026.
Kakao Entertainment bought Tapas in 2021 for about $510 million, along with the prose platform Radish. Radish closed in 2025, and now Tapas follows as Kakao moves all its content to KakaoPage.
The biggest series affected is The Beginning After the End, which recently got an anime adaptation. Author TurtleMe, on Tapas for about eight years, wrote on X: “I'm still trying to understand what exactly is going on, but suffice to say, I'm still in shock.” TurtleMe intends to continue the series but has not said which platform it will move to. Other series such as Let's Play are also affected.
The Blue Road: a 2002 Korean-Japanese manhwa comes to Netflix on November 20
Netflix has set November 20, 2026 for The Blue Road (Korean title Purungil), a crime series based on the 2002 Korean-Japanese comic by writer Keishi Edogawa and Korean artist Kaya Kwon. It has 8 episodes and premiered three of them at the 31st Busan International Film Festival.
The story follows two detectives, one Korean and one Japanese, hunting a serial killer across borders. The first case happens in Tokyo with a dying message written in Korean, then a similar case in Korea leaves a message in Japanese.
| Cast | Role |
|---|---|
| Son Suk-ku | Seoul police detective |
| Eita Nagayama | Tokyo police detective |
| Kim Shin-rok | Korean-Japanese businessperson |
| Choi Sung-eun | National Intelligence Service agent |
| Jung Jae-young | Mysterious powerful figure |
It is directed by Han Jun-hee, the director behind D.P. and Weak Hero Class 1, itself a webtoon adaptation.
The Mafia Nanny: Hulu develops a live-action webtoon series
Webtoon The Mafia Nanny by Violet Matter and artist sh00 is in development as a live-action drama at Hulu, Deadline reported exclusively on September 17. It follows Davina, an elite nanny whose first client is Gabriel Angelini, a Venetian mafia underboss, and who must protect young Mikey.
Charlize Theron executive produces and Max Gill writes, alongside 20th Television and WEBTOON Productions. Deadline says it is believed to be the first English-language live-action series adaptation of a WEBTOON IP. The project is in early development with no cast or premiere date. Deadline cites 420 million global views; other sites list a lower figure.
OtaHub’s take
The Tapas news is an uncomfortable reminder that “buying” digital comics really means renting access: when the platform goes, so do the comics. If you own comics on Tapas, use the time until March 31, 2027 to reread them, and follow your favorite creators to see where their series move.
On the other side, manhwa and webtoons are increasingly in demand on screen, from Netflix to Hulu. The Blue Road stands out as a 2002 series and a rare Korean-Japanese collaboration, while The Mafia Nanny shows Hollywood starting to look at English-language webtoons.
FAQ
When is Tapas shutting down?
Tapas stopped selling Ink on October 1, 2026. Remaining Ink and unlocked comics can be used until 11:59 p.m. PDT on March 31, 2027.
Will purchased Tapas comics be refunded or moved to KakaoPage?
No. According to the notice as reported by Anime News Network and ComicsBeat, unlocked content will be inaccessible after the shutdown, will not transfer to KakaoPage or Kakao Webtoon, and Ink purchases are generally non-refundable.
Is The Beginning After the End ending?
Unclear. Author TurtleMe says they are still trying to understand what is happening and intend to continue the series, but has not said where it will move.
When and where does The Blue Road premiere?
November 20, 2026 on Netflix. It has 8 episodes according to What’s on Netflix and is directed by Han Jun-hee (D.P., Weak Hero Class 1).
Sources: Anime News Network, ComicsBeat, Anime Corner (citing IT Chosun), What’s on Netflix, Netflix Newsroom, Netflix Korea (YouTube), Deadline, AV Club, GeekTyrant.