"Villains are Destined to Die" Pop-Up in Seoul
The series may be over, but the fandom lives on.
I don’t get to visit many webtoon in events in Korea because… well, because there aren’t many, frankly. On the other hand, there are plenty of manga or anime related gallery events to keep me occupied in the meantime.
Recently though, I happened on a pop-up aggregator site that listed one nearby and had the chance to check out a cafe pop-up for the ever-popular “Villains are Destined to Die” webtoon in the Mapo-gu district of Seoul.
Cafe pop-ups are common in Seoul, especially those for K-pop bands or singers. But whereas those are often fan events, webtoon pop-ups are usually hosted by the studio or publisher which means official branding and, most importantly, merch.
Coffee Fit for a Villain
The menu at most pop-ups is usually just an entry fee. Rarely do cafe pop-ups require the food and drink to be… good. The real star of the show is the offering of merch, books and limited edition photocards.
And in this case, it’s not much different. The menu itself was very basic, but each menu item did come with a photocard and coaster. Of course, there are a variety of photocards and coasters meaning the only way to collect all of them was to order each item at least once.
And, if that weren’t enough, there was yet another set of three special photocards that could available through a stamp rally event. You could only receive one special photocard per visit which means… you’d have to visit 3 times to receive all 3.
Absolutely diabiolical.
“Who would possibly do all that?” you might wonder.
During my visit, I saw one patron literally order one of everything on the menu along with multiple items from the merch shop. I assumed they were waiting for a friend until I later realized she was taking sips of every drink at her table. That’s four drinks, an afternoon tea set and bread.
It turns out, the real villain was capitalism all along. Just kidding. Sort of.
Distinctly Korean Merch
As it turns out, D&C holds a “Villains are Destined to Die” pop-up every year, or at least they have been for the past 3 years. Also interestingly, the merch list, posters, banners and photozones all change with each iteration.
For a series that ended in 2024, there was a decent variety from photocards to keychains, bag charms, pins, and, of course, acrylic standees. There were a few smaller A4 sized posters available, but most of the merch was something you could fit on a desk or carry in a bag.
Noticeably from this event? T-shirts, jackets, sweaters, or even full-sized posters.
It’s not surprising considering those items are exceedingly rare to find at any webtoon pop-up. But it’s a direct contrast to how similar events in the geek/nerd fandom are handled in western markets.
It’s a strange phenomenom that I’m still trying to understand. Afterall, there is the consideration of space as Korean homes tend to be smaller than their American counterparts. But that can’t be the only reason that most of the goods on sale could be displayed discreetly rather than out in the open like a t-shirt or sweater.
Overall, it was a good experience. I’ve always liked the “Villains are Destined to Die” webtoon and it’s one of the few Kakao exclusive titles which has gone non-exclusive in the western market (Tapas, Tappytoon, Manta).
But I’d be more curious to know whether or not any of this merch will find their way to overseas markets where, I’m sure, there are throngs of fans waiting.
For more details like the exact location or how long the pop-up will be available, checkout this blog post here.