Kakao’s Piccoma digital publishing platform announced on August 9 that a TV anime adaptation of the Korean webtoon Villains Are Destined to Die is in production.
This coincides with the series’ main story reaching its conclusion after nearly five years of serialization.
The webtoon, created by writer Gwon Gyeoeul and artist SUOL, ended its main story at Chapter 214 on Kakao Page in South Korea in July.
The creative team will return for a spinoff following a break, while the announcement of the anime adaptation came through a message from the series’ creators timed to the final chapter’s release on Piccoma on August 8.
No confirmed details yet
No studio, staff, cast, release window, or format has been confirmed for the adaptation.
The decision to greenlight the project ahead of those basic production details signals confidence in the property’s audience.
Prospective viewers have little to anchor expectations beyond the source material.
The series is based on Gwon Gyeoeul’s original web novel, with the webtoon adaptation illustrated by SUOL.
Villains Are Destined to Die follows a university student transported into the otome game she had been playing.
She awakens as Penelope Eckhart, the villainess of the game’s hard mode setting.
She must use her insider knowledge to navigate relationships with the male characters while avoiding every death ending the scenario offers.
Strong readership across formats
The franchise has accumulated substantial readership across formats.
The original novel has surpassed 1.7 million views and 145,000 likes.
While the webtoon recorded over 14.8 million views and 1.5 million likes.
Piccoma publishes both the manga and the novel in Japan.
It won the SMARTOON category at the Piccoma AWARD 2026.
It is published in print by D&C MEDIA.
The English-language version is serialized on Tapas.
The story’s official synopsis captures the premise:
“Love is easy as the heroine, but as the hated villain, I’m trying very hard not to die… at the hands of my brothers… the prince… a fork… every possible ending is death!
This world is stacked against me, but can my wits and insider game knowledge score the affection of these male characters? Or the reset button???”
Print expansion and genre trends
Kadokawa published the manga’s first compiled book volume in March 2022.
They will release the 12th volume on November 17.
Ize Press is handling the English print edition.
The ninth volume is set for release on August 18.
The novel series is being released in five volumes across print, eBook, and audio formats.
A category that has produced a string of adaptations as publishers chase crossover hits.
Villains Are Destined to Die is now positioned to follow that pattern.
A finished main story provides a complete narrative runway for an anime run as production gets underway.
The Tapas serialization has reached Chapter 210 in English.
Leaving a modest gap with the Korean original’s conclusion.
The publisher will likely close that gap in the coming months.
With the source material now complete and a spinoff on the horizon, the franchise enters its anime phase from a position of established audience demand.
The announcement confirms adaptation plans; the specifics will follow.
P. Angus covers anime and music for The Pop Reporter — new shows, season announcements, studio and staff news, and the artists and releases people are talking about. He knows the space well enough to tell a real update from a rumor.
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Aug 10, 2026
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3 min read
