TurtleMe is the pen name of Brandon Lee, a Korean-American author and creator best known for the fantasy series The Beginning After The End. Born in South Korea, he moved to the United States at the age of three and grew up in Los Angeles. He later attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned a degree in psychology before working in the corporate finance sector. Seeking a creative outlet, he began writing what would become his debut series, initially publishing chapters anonymously online. His writing career began in earnest when he left his job in finance to focus on writing full-time. He currently resides in the Greater Seattle Area in Washington state. His pen name, TurtleMe, originated as a simple username that he adopted when he first started publishing and chose to retain as his career progressed.

TurtleMe is the sole creator and author of The Beginning After The End, an epic fantasy series that began as a web novel. The story follows a powerful king who dies and is reincarnated as a baby named Arthur Leywin in a new world of magic and monsters, using the wisdom of his past life to navigate a second chance at existence. The web novel was first serialized on the digital platform Tapas in January 2017. Due to its popularity, a webcomic adaptation was launched on Tapas in July 2018, with illustration initially by the artist Fuyuki23 and later by the studio Rise Entertainment. The print edition of the webcomic is published in English by Yen Press. The series has been translated into multiple languages, including Korean, Japanese, French, Spanish, and others, and has been released in countries around the world.

The adaptation history of The Beginning After The End represents a significant milestone in the creator's career. In October 2024, an anime adaptation was announced and premiered in April 2025. It was produced by the animation studio Studio A-CAT in collaboration with Slow Curve, with Keitaro Motonaga serving as director. The series aired on Crunchyroll for international audiences and on Fuji TVs +Ultra programming block in Japan. For this adaptation, TurtleMe took on the role of executive producer, a position that allowed him to collaborate with the production team to maintain the fidelity of the storys core themes and characters. The 24-episode series is scheduled to be released in two parts, with the second season slated for spring 2026. This adaptation is notable for being the first instance of an American web novel and webcomic being developed into an anime series.

The artistic identity of TurtleMe is characterized by a blending of Eastern and Western fantasy traditions. He has cited a wide range of influences, from Western epics such as The Lord of the Rings and the Inheritance Cycle to Korean manhwa, Japanese light novels, and Chinese cultivation web novels. This cross-cultural foundation allows his work to incorporate elements like structured mana core progression systems alongside classic high fantasy world-building. His background as a Korean immigrant provided him with early access to storytelling trends that were not yet widespread in the United States, which he credits as an advantage in crafting a narrative that felt distinct. His writing process has evolved over time from an improvisational approach to a structured one involving detailed outlines developed in collaboration with his editors. Recurring themes in his work include the challenges of a protagonist with the mind of an adult trapped in a childs body, the importance of personal growth and relationships alongside the acquisition of power, and the idea of forging a new path while contending with the consequences of a past life.

TurtleMe holds a significant place in the evolving landscape of digital and adapted media. As the creator of The Beginning After The End, he achieved a notable milestone with its anime adaptation, marking the first time an American web novel and webcomic series was adapted into a Japanese anime format. This achievement reflects the growing trend of globalized media production, where successful digital properties from Western platforms are being adapted within the established Japanese anime industry. His work, which began as a self-published web serial written anonymously in coffee shops, has grown into a multimedia franchise with a substantial international following, demonstrating the potential for creators working outside traditional publishing and animation systems to achieve mainstream success.