▲ This poster of TVING original series "The Legend of Kitchen Soldier" is provided by the OTT giant. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, May 20 (Yonhap) -- A growing number of readers are revisiting the original source material of the hit TVING original series "The Legend of Kitchen Soldier," which is based on a web novel and webtoon.

 

According to Naver Webtoon on Wednesday, views of the original web novel of the same title surged 170-fold during the seven days following the series' release (May 11-17), compared with the seven days before teaser footage was unveiled (April 2-8). Views of the webtoon also jumped 61-fold over the same period.

 

"The Legend of Kitchen Soldier" is a military fantasy series that follows private Kang Sung-jae, who wields a kitchen knife instead of a rifle and an apron instead of ammunition belts. After gaining cooking abilities in a game-like manner, he grows into a legendary military cook.

 

The story first debuted in 2017 as a web novel by writer J. Robin, before being adapted into a webtoon serialized from 2019 to 2023 with writing by J. Robin and illustrations by Lee Jin-soo.

 

▲ This poster of Naver webtoon and novel series "The Legend of Kitchen Soldier" is provided by Naver webtoon. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

The series was recently adapted into a TVING original starring Park Ji-hoon, who became a box-office star after attracting about 16.84 million moviegoers with director Jang Hang-jun's film "The Man Who Lives With the King." The drama is also airing simultaneously on tvN.

 

The live-action adaptation has shown strong momentum after only four episodes. According to Nielsen Korea, nationwide viewership ratings rose from 5.8 percent for the premiere on May 11 to 7.9 percent for the fourth episode aired on Tuesday.

 

On TVING, the series ranked No. 1 in paid subscriber contribution during its first week of release. Among TVING drama content released over the past three years, it also recorded the platform's highest first-week subscriber contribution performance.

 

▲ This still from TVING original series "The Legend of Kitchen Soldier" shows its lead actor Park Ji-hoon. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

The show's popularity has been attributed to the lively performances of its cast, including Park, who sheds his previous tragic image associated with King Danjong to play an ordinary private soldier, as well as its direction that embraces the charm of B-grade comedy.

 

Viewers have also responded positively to the drama's realistic fantasy elements, which blend military life with game-inspired settings such as status windows and quests.

 

Critics say the series successfully satisfies both fans of the original intellectual property and newcomers through its strong source material and meticulous live-action adaptation.

 

J. Robin and Lee Jin-soo told Yonhap News Agency that they were "having endless fun" watching the status windows and elaborate dishes from the web novel and webtoon recreated through the drama format.

 

"We are amazed by actor Park Ji-hoon, who plays Kang Sung-jae, for bringing even greater vitality to the character than the original work through his immersive portrayal of the character's growth narrative," they said.

 

They added, "As creators, it is an incredibly meaningful and rewarding experience to see an IP that communicated with so many readers through digital platforms expand with such tremendous synergy. We hope viewers who discovered 'The Legend of Kitchen Soldier' through the drama will also visit the web novel and webtoon platforms to enjoy another layer of fun created by the original writing and artwork."

 

J. Robin also said, "At a time when content imbued with uniquely Korean sentiment is gaining empathy around the world, this moment feels unbelievably moving as a creator. It is deeply rewarding to know our work can bring laughter and comfort to audiences."

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]