The Beginning After the End is an American web novel series written by TurtleMe and illustrated by Fuyuki23. It began serialization on Tapas in January 2017. A webtoon adaptation, also illustrated by Fuyuki23, began serialization on Tapas in July 2018. Yen Press is publishing the webtoon in English; as of August 2026, eleven volumes have been released. An anime television series adaptation produced by Studio A-Cat aired from April to June 2025, while the second season aired from April to June 2026.

Premise It follows the life of the late King Grey after his untimely and mysterious death. Reborn as Arthur Leywin, he seeks to correct his past mistakes in the vibrant new continent of Dicathen, a world of magic and fantastical creatures. Equipped with the knowledge of a powerful king at the age of 38, Arthur navigates his new life as the magic-wielding child of two retired adventurers and gains purpose through each of his new experiences—something he lacked in his previous life. When a kind dragon sacrifices her life to protect him, Arthur resolves to live a sincere, kind, and courageous life with those he loves. With the help of a lost elf princess and the Elven Kingdom of Elenoir, Arthur begins his long journey to find his true place in the world.

As the years pass, Arthur becomes more and more comfortable in this world, positioning himself as a young, but respected figure. However, deja-vu strikes as a war brews between Dicathen and the Vritra, a clan of banished deities now ruling over a faraway continent. Arthur must rise as a leader, despite his fear of becoming the war-hardened monster he once was in his past life. As the war rages on, Arthur discovers that he was not reborn to this world by chance...nor was he the only one.

Characters Leywin family Arthur Leywin / King Grey

Reynolds Leywin

Alice Leywin

Eleanor Leywin

Sylvie

Twin Horns Jasmine Flamesworth

Durden Walker

Adam Krensh

Angela Rose

Helen Shard

Indrath Clan Sylvia Indrath

House Helstea Tabitha Helstea

Lilia Helstea

House Eralith Tessia Eralith / Cecilia

House Glayder Curtis Glayder

Kathyln Glayder

Media Novel Written by South Korean-American writer Brandon Lee, better known as TurtleMe, and illustrated by Fuyuki23, the web novel began serialization on Tapas on January 18, 2017.

Volumes

Webtoon A webtoon adaptation of the web novel, also illustrated by Fuyuki23, began serialization on Tapas on July 7, 2018. Fuyuki23 ceased illustrating the webtoon in June 2023. An executive of Kakao Entertainment, Tapas' parent company, said the webtoon adaptation was specifically created for the North American market. At New York Comic Con 2021, Yen Press announced that they would be publishing the webtoon in print. As of August 2026, eleven print volumes have been released.

Seasons +SeasonEpisodesPremiere dateFinale date125July 7, 2018April 20, 2019237July 31, 2019March 20, 2020323May 29, 2020November 27, 2020440January 1, 2021October 15, 2021550December 31, 2022January 24, 2023Jasmine: Wind-Borne (side story)10November 4, 2023December 30, 2023640May 11, 2024July 3, 20257TBAMarch 12, 2026TBAOverall229

Volumes

Anime An anime television series adaptation was announced at New York Comic Con on October 19, 2024. It is produced by Studio A-Cat and directed by Keitaro Motonaga, with Takamitsu Kōno writing series scripts, Masami Sueoka designing the characters, and Keiji Inai composing the music. The series aired from April 2 to June 18, 2025, on Fuji TV's +Ultra programming block. The opening theme song is "Kingsblood", performed by Kala, while the ending theme song is , performed by Seiza. Crunchyroll streamed the series. An English dub was produced concurrently, which premiered on April 16 of the same year.

The first season was initially planned to air in two cours with a total of 24 episodes. However, after the broadcast of Episode 11, Crunchyroll announced that the season would conclude with Episode 12, with the second season airing from April 2 to June 24, 2026 on the same programming block. The opening theme song is performed by Six Lounge, while the ending theme song is performed by 22/7.

Episodes Season 1

Season 2

Reception Mel Lake of Multiversity Comics praised the main character's journey, particularly its psychological aspects. Lake also praised the artwork, particularly its fight scenes, backgrounds, and faces. Vanessa Piña of Screen Rant compared the series to Solo Leveling, while also describing its aesthetic and storytelling as "distinct".

Alex Trent of Game Rant reported that 40,000 fans have signed a petition demanding the anime series be remade due to disappointment with the animation quality of the series.

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