<p>There seem to be a couple of related issues when it comes to this.</p>

<p>While there are a large number of Korean animation studios (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_animation#Animation_industry" rel="nofollow noreferrer">~120</a>), a lot of those studios do largely work contracted from Western companies.</p>

<p>Animated Korean characters have also been becoming <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_animation#Market" rel="nofollow noreferrer">more popular</a> in recent years (particularly since about 2010, when the market share was about 28%). By 2014, the market share of domestic characters was 40%, which shows a massive increase. However, that still shows less than a 50% market share of domestic characters, indicating that within the country domestic animation is not as popular as Japanese and Western animation. A few Korean animated shows <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_animation#History" rel="nofollow noreferrer">did become popular</a> in East Asia in 2011 when the animation technique was improved, meaning that if that trend continues we may start seeing more animated adaptions of manhwa when demand increases for it.</p>

<p>Another thing to consider is that manhwa are still being adapted, just not generally into anime/anime-like shows. Instead, K-dramas and movies have been made from manhwa, and their success likely encourages Korean companies to continue making live-action adaptations rather than attempting the riskier shift of switching to animated adaptations. Should there be some major successful animated adaptations, that may change.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-23T15:00:39.453Z
2018-02-23T19:17:43.187Z
2018-02-23T19:17:43.187Z
kuwaly
<p>I notice there's some really good manwha out there on par with manga's: <em>Ares</em>, <em>Witch Hunter</em>, etc. (I realize the books I've stated maybe opinion based but in general there has to be a few out there that deserve animation).</p>

<p>Furthermore, South Korea is where the American companies normally go for their animations, e.g. <em>Last Airbender</em>, <em>Korra</em>, <em>Transformers</em>, so I know they have skills and the people to do it.  </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-24T17:43:45.737Z
True but that just adds to my point that they don't often make their own work while having skills to do it.
Quikstryke
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-25T00:05:44.967Z
In my view, popularity. Before a Light Novel/Visual Novel/Manga gets turned into an Anime (or vice versa) it needs to be popular enough in which when an adaptation is made people will buy it covering the production costs....which kinda sucks, i wouldn't mind seeing Halloween animated and see if her voice will be as cute as she looks when she has her hair down and that ragged dress (strangely enough, her WH uniform is kinda reminiscent of Mordred from Fate/)
Memor-X
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-26T08:50:13.040Z
Related to http://anime.stackexchange.com/q/11446
Peter Raeves
<anime-production>
Why are manhwa not animated more often?
# Why are manhwa not animated more often?
Posted by: username_0 on 2014-07-24
I notice there's some really good manwha out there on par with manga's: *Ares*, *Witch Hunter*, etc. (I realize the books I've stated maybe opinion based but in general there has to be a few out there that deserve animation).

Furthermore, South Korea is where the American companies normally go for their animations, e.g. *Last Airbender*, *Korra*, *Transformers*, so I know they have skills and the people to do it.
**Tags:** anime-production
> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: True but that just adds to my point that they don't often make their own work while having skills to do it.  
> **username_1**: In my view, popularity. Before a Light Novel/Visual Novel/Manga gets turned into an Anime (or vice versa) it needs to be popular enough in which when an adaptation is made people will buy it covering the production costs....which kinda sucks, i wouldn't mind seeing Halloween animated and see if her voice will be as cute as she looks when she has her hair down and that ragged dress (strangely enough, her WH uniform is kinda reminiscent of Mordred from Fate/)  
> **username_2**: Related to http://anime.stackexchange.com/q/11446  
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## 1 answers
### Answer by username_3 on 2018-02-23. Score: 2
There seem to be a couple of related issues when it comes to this.

While there are a large number of Korean animation studios ([~120](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_animation#Animation_industry)), a lot of those studios do largely work contracted from Western companies.

Animated Korean characters have also been becoming [more popular](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_animation#Market) in recent years (particularly since about 2010, when the market share was about 28%). By 2014, the market share of domestic characters was 40%, which shows a massive increase. However, that still shows less than a 50% market share of domestic characters, indicating that within the country domestic animation is not as popular as Japanese and Western animation. A few Korean animated shows [did become popular](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_animation#History) in East Asia in 2011 when the animation technique was improved, meaning that if that trend continues we may start seeing more animated adaptions of manhwa when demand increases for it.

Another thing to consider is that manhwa are still being adapted, just not generally into anime/anime-like shows. Instead, K-dramas and movies have been made from manhwa, and their success likely encourages Korean companies to continue making live-action adaptations rather than attempting the riskier shift of switching to animated adaptations. Should there be some major successful animated adaptations, that may change.
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