The Manhwa community has been going through a rough patch as of late. In September, one of the biggest Manhwa platforms in the world, Tapas, officially announced its shutdown. With such a massive Manhwa online platform closing down, readers have been left frustrated, and the current events have affected creators even more.
The creator of the extremely popular Manhwa Isekai series, The Beginning After the End, has been forced to go on hiatus due to the shutdown. It’s unclear at the moment what their next move is, but hopefully, the story can find a new home to be hosted on after the sudden Tapas closure.
The Beginning After The End Announces Indefinite Hiatus After Tapas Shutdown
Many manhwa series have managed to reach global fame ever since the massive boom in popularity over the last few years. The most popular manhwa series at the moment is Solo Leveling, but it isn’t without its rivals and competitors. One of the most popular series of the last decade to come out of the medium is ‘The Beginning After the End.’ The series falls under the Isekai genre, and it’s created by Korean-American author Turtleme, also known as Brandon Lee. The novel first started its serialization in January 2017, and its story ended on November 7, 2025. Its Manhwa adaptation, illustrated by Fuyuki23, started a year later in 2018, and is continuing strongly. Since its debut, The Beginning After the End has been serialized via platforms of Kakao Entertainment.
For North American readers and English fans in general, the Kakao Entertainment platform they were able to read The Beginning After the End on was Tapas. This platform has had a long history of over a decade, but unfortunately, on September 22, 2026, it announced its closure. This was definitely an upsetting moment to many fans, but to Manhwa creators, the situation was even worse, as it is now affecting even large creators like Turtleme of TBATE.
After a month of silence, Turtleme has finally come out with a new message regarding the closure, and it’s terrible news for any fans of the franchise. He announced on October 22, 2026, that regarding the Tapas shutdown, he will have to put his story on hold for the time being. In other words, The Beginning After the End is going on an indefinite hiatus. This hiatus is set to start on October 29, 2026, the upcoming Thursday. The final chapter to mark the beginning of the hiatus will be chapter 259. This is definitely a disappointing moment for fans, especially as the series had only recently come back from a break.
“With Tapas’ announced closure affecting all original productions, The Beginning After the End will be going on hiatus after Chapter 259 on 10/29.
I wish I had more information to share, but the honest truth is, I don’t have answers yet about what comes next. I’m still working to get them, and I’ll keep pushing until I do.
I know this isn’t the first time we’ve been here. TBATE has definitely had more ups and downs than any of us would like, and every time, you’ve stuck around. Your patience means more to me than I can ever express. This is just another hurdle, and I’m confident my team and I will overcome it. Please know I’ll keep doing everything in my power to continue the comic.
And thank you to everyone who has been spending their remaining Ink on TBATE these last few weeks. It means more than you know. If you have any left, I’d encourage you to use it on your favorite creators to show your support during these difficult times.
Thank you for your patience and support. I’ll update you as soon as I have something to share.”
— TurtleMe, the Creator of The Beginning After The End
Why Tapas Is Shutting Down And What Series It Affected
The Tapas shutdown came as a shocker, not only to readers but also to creators, who were left in the dark until the final decision was made and announced publicly. The reason why Tapas is shutting down after 14 years of operation in North America isn’t exactly clear-cut.
Technically, neither Tapas nor the main company, Kakao Entertainment, has revealed why the closure is happening in the first place. However, we can all assume it is due to a financial burden. It is likely that Tapas is simply not bringing in as much money as expected. It must be mentioned that, in general, Kakao Entertainment is undergoing a major restructuring, and the changes aren’t unique to Tapas.
To be clear, at the moment, Tapas is still operating mostly as normal. The shutdown will only take effect in a couple of months, on March 31, 2027. This gives fans some time to enjoy their favorite series on the platform and spend all their remaining Ink.
What has upset many is that not only is Tapas closing down, but fans are also losing all series they have already paid for using Ink. No transfers will be allowed, and no refunds will be made, as confirmed by Tapas on October 1, 2026, in their most recent report. It’s a frustrating moment for fans, and it’s even more concerning with many series being exclusively published on Tapas and other Kakao Entertainment platforms. The Beginning After the End is only one of many series to be affected, and this closure will especially impact creators not based in South Korea.
The Fate Of The Beginning After The End
The shocking turn of events with Kakao Entertainment, and specifically Tapas, has caused a lot of outrage from fans and dedicated users who have spent years on the app, spending ink and supporting their favorite creators. Fans are specifically worried about the fate of the popular manhwa series, The Beginning After the End. At the moment, it seems that the creator himself, Turtleme, doesn’t know what will happen. He states that, at the moment, he has no answers or further information that fans might be unaware of. He adds that he will do anything he can to continue The Beginning After the End.
Likely, Turtleme and his team are looking for a way to transfer the series. However, doing that might be easier said than done. That’s because, while Kakao Entertainment, and in turn, Tapas, doesn’t own the IP rights of the series, it still has exclusive publication and licensing rights. In other words, they are allowed to distribute the series and profit off of it. Because of that, a transfer could bring a tough legal fight.
TBATE, however, is also at a bigger advantage compared to other series published on Tapas. As previously mentioned, it’s a massive IP already, with a dedicated fanbase and also a popular anime adaptation. It’s definitely unlikely to see the series end here suddenly, but it’s a given that the series will go on a break for quite a while. Legal conflicts could take a while to resolve, and the author himself is known for going on long hiatuses every once in a while. The issue is unlikely to be resolved until, at the earliest, 2027. For now, at least, fans can look forward to the release of the final Chapter 259 on Tapas on October 29, 2026.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
