Webtoons are digital comics containing stories of multiple genres that, can be accessed from anywhere and anytime. Originating in South Korea, the distinguishing factor of these comics is their vertical, scroll-down reading feature. Over the past decade, several webtoons have been adapted into Korean dramas, some of which have even appeared on popular streaming platforms like Netflix, Hotstar, etc. These dramas have not only increased the popularity of the webtoons but also won the hearts of fans worldwide. Let's look at some of the top 10 Korean Web-Toon adaptations:
1. All Of Us Are Dead
This drama is a thrilling Netflix adaptation of a webtoon named ‘Now at Our School’(Jigeum Woori Hakkyoneun) which focuses on an apocalyptic, viral outbreak at Hyosan School due to an experiment that went wrong. The entire story showed the journey of a group of students, trapped inside their school, which was now a hunting ground for the zombies. This Kdrama kept the viewers hooked to the end and created a huge fanbase, with the release of its first season itself.
2. Sweet Home
This drama is another apocalyptic webtoon turned K-Drama that was released in 2020 and adapted from a webtoon with the same name. The central focus of the plot is a young and lonely, high school boy, who is trapped inside his new apartment along with a few tenants. The reason for this was an attack by a pack of gruesome and deadly monsters who were trying to wipe off the existence of humanity. This drama spanned 3 seasons and attracted fans from all over the world with its advanced cinematography, VFX, and attractive cast; including actors like Lee Do Hyun, Song Kang, and more.
3. True Beauty
This 2020 drama was an adaptation of a webtoon named ‘The Secret of Angel’, which focused on a high school girl, who was insecure about her face since childhood and used makeup as her saviour, from her bullied past. This drama was a cute mixture of drama, romance, comedy, and of course a love triangle! It was a much-awaited drama for the fans because of its most attractive cast of actors like Cha Eun Woo, Moon Ga Young, Hwang In Yeop, and more.
4. Itaewon Class
A highly acclaimed drama, of 2020, Itaweon class was a K-Drama adaptation of a webtoon with the same name. This slice-of-life story revolves around its central character, Park Sae-ro-yi, and his friends, who sail through the sudden changes of life. Through thick and thin, they journey through hurdles like his father’s death, bullying, and running a street bar alone. The bowl haircut of the lead, Park Seo Joon, was a great attraction for the fans. This drama was nominated for awards like Baeksang Arts Awards, Seoul International Drama Awards, and more.
5. Business Proposal
This office rom-com was adapted from a webtoon of the same name, which was written by Haehwa, and was a popular hit, even before it came to the screens. The Business Proposal was released in 2022. The story followed a cute office romance, that bloomed when Shin Ha-Ri, the protagonist, replaces her friend for a blind date and that person, later turns out to be her CEO. A mixture of romance, comedy, drama, cute second-lead romance, and more, made this drama a complete must-watch package for the audience. The lead actors were Ahn Hyo-Seop, Kim Se-Jeung, Kim Min-Kyu, and Sol In-Ah who won the hearts of audiences worldwide.
6. Extraordinary You
This 2019 K-Drama was adapted from a webtoon named ‘July Found by Chance’, which was penned by Moo Ryu-yee. This drama was one of a kind because its plot followed a webtoon story within itself. It revolved around a terminally ill, high school student Eun Dan-oh, who realizes that she is not a real person, but rather a supporting character from a comic book. Desperate to change her role in this fictional world, she works tirelessly and overcomes a leap of difficulties. This drama gained a lot of attention due to its unique and highly creative plot.
7. Cheese In The Trap
This webtoon adaptation marked its name in history, as the only one to be adapted as a K-Drama and a movie as well. This romantic thriller was released in 2016 and revolved around a third-year college student, Hong Seol with ambitious goals of earning money and settling. Things started changing after the return of their mysterious friend, Yoo Jung, who constantly finds reasons to trouble her. This drama is a rollercoaster of emotions and the realism of the characters. A star-studded cast of Park Hae-jin, Kim Go-Eun, Lee Sung-Kyung, and Seo Kang-Joon, brought many glories to this drama.
8. Love Alarm
This webtoon adaptation, based on ‘Ringing If You Like’ was Netflix’s first original drama and it was released in 2019. This drama revolves around an app called ‘Joalarm’, which used to indicate to the users whether someone liked them within a radius of 10m and it was a buzz amongst the high school students. A love triangle, cute romance, and relatable financial struggles of the characters made it a binge-worthy drama of two seasons.
9. The Uncanny Counter
This gripping and widely popular drama was based on a webtoon named ‘Amazing Rumour’ by Jang Yi. The story revolves around a disabled, high school boy, So Mun who encounters a group of people who fight against evil spirits who hunt humans. This plot further connects the audience to different layers of the characters’ past stories. Actors like Kim Se-Jeong, Yeom Hye-ran, and others were the cherry on the cake. This show has already come out with 2 seasons, with a third one in making.
10. What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?
This popular drama was released in 2018 and was originally based on a webtoon, created by Kim Myeong Mi, with the same name. Success with a huge fanbase, this office romance revolves around a wealthy CEO and his secretary of 9 years, who suddenly decides to resign from her job. This puts the CEO in a stifle, which eventually leads to a cute, chaotic yet, a mature relationship. A mixture of comedy, romance, and understanding between the characters makes this drama an absolute delight to watch!
