Kakao Entertainment has solidified its position as a global studio, presenting a variety of well-crafted content that stole the hearts of audiences worldwide in 2025.
“When Life Gives you Tangerines,” “Karma,” “Nine Puzzles,” “Queen Mantis,” and “You and Everything Else” ― this stellar 2025 lineup by Kakao Entertainment gained both artistic and commercial success, bringing attention to the company’s winning formula. Simply put, based on its robust multi-studio system, Kakao Entertainment maximized synergies with its subsidiary production houses and management companies while reinforcing its creative capabilities. These combined efforts resulted in a broad range of high-quality titles.
Moreover, Kakao Entertainment adapted many of its popular story IPs ― including webtoons and web novels ― into dramas on its own, drawing on expansive knowledge and experience. Amid the global K-content boom, all eyes are now on how the company will continue to leverage its powerful IP value chain to create more must-watch releases.
Synergy from powerful IP value chain
The Netflix series “You and Everything Else” highlights the IP value chain synergy between Kakao Entertainment and its subsidiary management company, BH Entertainment. This heartwarming, therapeutic series was produced by Kakao Entertainment and featured Kim Go-eun of BH Entertainment. “You and Everything Else” portrays two friends – Ryu Eun-jung (Kim Go-eun) and Cheon Sang-yeon (Park Ji-hyun) – who share an enduring, complicated love-hate relationship as their lives become intricately intertwined through various phases of life. Thanks to its deep narrative, emotional directing, and nuanced acting, the series secured the No. 5 spot on Netflix’s global TOP10 TV Show (non-English) chart.
The Netflix series “When Life Gives You Tangerines” – another big hit of 2025 – underscored the synergy between two Kakao Entertainment subsidiaries: Baram Pictures and EDAM Entertainment. The series was co-produced by Baram Pictures and starred IU of EDAM Entertainment. “When Life Gives You Tangerines” depicts the adventures of Ae-sun, “the remarkable rebel,” and Gwan-sik, nicknamed “unyielding iron,” through four vibrant seasons on Jeju Island. IU played the dual roles as Ae-sun and her daughter Geum-myeong, earning global acclaim for her versatile acting.
The series’ touching plot, finely crafted directing, and realistic performances created an artistic harmony, leading it to rank 1st on Netflix’s global TOP 10 TV Show (non-English) and remain on the chart for nine weeks in a row. “When Life Gives You Tangerines” also bagged several trophies at multiple prestigious awards in Korea and beyond, including the Baeksang Awards, while grabbing No. 1 on the global drama review platform “MyDramaList” among 5,000 other works as of Dec. 1.
The Netflix series “Karma” is another shining example of Kakao Entertainment’s synergy-boosting IP value chain. Based on the Kakao webtoon of the same name, “Karma” was crafted by Kakao Entertainment, Moonlight Film, and Baram Pictures. Actors Park Hae-soo and Lee Hee-joon from BH Entertainment, as well as Lee Kwang-soo from KINGKONG by STARSHIP, elevated the series with their dexterous acting. Kakao Entertainment and its production houses contributed their own strengths – genre-driven thrills and solid storytelling – to the series, adapting the webtoon’s unique characters and story with some creative variations. To increase audience engagement, they reconstructed some of the story’s tricks as well.
Creative hits with exceptional planning, directing
Kakao Entertainment also delivered some of the year’s biggest creative hits, marked by outstanding planning and directing. One of them is the Disney+ original series “Nine Puzzles,” produced by Kakao Entertainment and its subsidiary Moonlight Film. It is the second series by director Yoon Jong-bin, which stars Kim Da-mi and Son Suk-ku. Thanks to its plot full of unexpected twists and immersive directing, the series garnered rave reviews as a prime example of a well-made mystery thriller. Upon its premiere, “Nine Puzzles” immediately ranked as the most-watched Korean content worldwide.
The SBS drama “Queen Mantis,” produced by Mega Monsters, also made headlines at home and abroad. Based on the French drama “La Mante,” the series follows a serial killer nicknamed “The Mantis” who unexpectedly partners with her detective son to track down a copycat murderer imitating her past crimes. Thanks to its shocking, unconventional mother-son dynamic and nail-biting storyline, the drama made it onto Netflix’s global TOP10 TV Show (non-English) chart for two consecutive weeks. Kakao Entertainment’s films also made a remarkable splash in 2025, with Lee Byung-hun’s “The Match” and Song Hye-kyo’s “Dark Nuns” captivating viewers worldwide.
Future plans
Looking ahead, Kakao Entertainment has more to offer. IU and Byeon Woo-seok’s “Perfect Crown” – available on MBC and Disney+ – will premiere in the 1st half of 2026. “The Rat (WT,)” a Kakao webtoon-based Netflix series starring Ryu Jun-yeol and Sul Kyung-gu, and “Notes From the Last Row,” another Netflix series featuring Choi Min-sik and Choi Hyun-wook, are currently under production amid high anticipation. The company is also developing numerous other projects across genres, and premiere dates will be confirmed soon.
Source: Press Release
