▲ This cover image of "Unplugged Boy," the hit romance comic by cartoonist Cheon Kye-young, is provided by Naver Webtoon. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, July 28 (Yonhap) -- "Unplugged Boy," the hit romance comic by cartoonist Cheon Kye-young, is returning as a webtoon nearly three decades after its original publication.

 

Naver Webtoon said Tuesday it will release the first episode of the webtoon adaptation at 10 p.m. on Naver Series and other platforms. The 16-episode series will be updated every Tuesday night as part of its Wednesday webtoon lineup.

 

Originally published in 1997, "Unplugged Boy" is one of South Korea's best-known romance comics, remembered for its famous line, "When I'm sad, I dance hip-hop." The story follows Hyun-gyeom, a free-spirited and unconventional boy, and Ji-yul, a model student, as they gradually grow closer to each other.

 

The original work was also praised for capturing the spirit of 1990s Korean popular culture by incorporating hip-hop and idol culture into its story.

 

The webtoon adaptation has been reformatted into a vertical scrolling format optimized for mobile devices, with color added to the original black-and-white artwork.

 

"The original series was published in black and white, but I always imagined it with vivid colors," Cheon said. "I was delighted that the webtoon adaptation allowed me to freely bring those colors I had envisioned to life."

 

Oh Jeong-min, comic service leader at Naver Series, said, "'Unplugged Boy' is a work whose appeal transcends generations. We hope readers will experience its charm in different ways, whether through the new color webtoon or the original collected volumes."

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]