‘Baby Shark’ Universe Expands with ‘Moon Shark’: A K-Pop Teen Short Drama on the Horizon

The universe of the globally sensational ‘Pinkfong Baby Shark’ is set to expand with a new K-pop-based teen short drama titled ‘Moon Shark: Born to Be a Star Shark’.

Thehanri Media announced on the 19th that they will produce a short drama based on the webtoon IP ‘Moon Shark,’ which is a spin-off from the ‘Baby Shark’ universe. The story follows ‘Sid,’ a shark princess from an underwater kingdom, who falls in love at first sight with a K-pop idol on land and unexpectedly debuts as an SNS celebrity, chronicling her growth.

Designed to resonate with Generation Z, the narrative will center on a teenage protagonist striving for her dreams, weaving in the elements of fandom culture inspired by the passion and love directed towards artists. Based on the web novel ‘Moon Shark: How That Princess Debuted,’ the project is a co-production with The Pinkfong Company and M-Story Hub.

‘Moon Shark’ has already garnered a significant fanbase among female readers aged 10-20 on platforms like Naver Series, Line Manga, and Kakao Page. Thehanri Media aims to differentiate itself from typical short dramas by offering a warm and exciting new genre that fuses K-romance, K-emotion, and K-pop, rather than focusing on sensational or melodramatic plots.

Furthermore, Thehanri Media plans to continuously develop short dramas in genres where Korea excels, such as romantic comedy, teen, and human drama, starting with ‘Moon Shark.’ They are also building their own platform, ‘ZIPPYBOX,’ which is expected to serve as a key channel for supplying original K-short dramas to global and Chinese markets.

Industry insiders predict that ‘Moon Shark,’ by combining the globally recognized ‘Baby Shark’ IP with K-pop culture, could open new horizons for K-short dramas and significantly elevate their status in China and the global market. The actual production of the short drama is being handled by the specialized short drama production company, Romantic Panda See Co., Ltd.

The 'Moon Shark' webtoon has already achieved substantial popularity among young female audiences, paving the way for this short drama adaptation. The fusion of K-pop culture with the established 'Baby Shark' IP promises a unique and engaging narrative. Thehanri Media intends to leverage this project to solidify the global presence of Korean short-form content.