K-dramas have taken over streaming platforms like Netflix thanks to their gripping storylines mixing drama, comedy, romance, action, and even a touch of horror to spice it up and some of the K-dramas started out as webtoons.
Some of the K-dramas based on webtoons faithfully follow their original source. However, this is not always the case, as sometimes changes are necessary for narrative reasons. Some long-running K-dramas even surpass the plot of their webtoon predecessors.
1- Nevertheless
“Nevertheless” tells the story of two art students who work with very different sculpting materials and who have had very different experiences with love. Their relationship begins uncertainly after a chance meeting one evening. They have friends in common but don’t really know each other. She’s been hurt in the past and doesn’t believe in love anymore, or so she thinks, and he doesn’t want anything serious. Despite this, the chemistry between them is undeniable and impossible to ignore.
Although the K-drama is not award-winning and does not have a particularly original concept, the love story and the actors’ performances are sincere and touching. K-drama stars Han So-hee (“The World of the Married”) and Song Kang (“Sweet Home”) star in the lead roles, and the intriguing theme of butterflies that runs through their relationship makes the story even more captivating. However, fans of the original webtoon should be warned: the series does not have the same ending.
2- Dinner Mate
It took almost a decade before the webtoon “Would You Like To Have Dinner Together” was adapted into the K-drama “Dinner Mate.” The story is about the chance meeting of two people who end up having dinner together. These strangers, who often eat alone, decide to become dining partners so they don’t have to try new restaurants alone, meeting up regularly to share a meal in new places.
The nature of their encounter will make even the most inexperienced K-drama fans realize that “Dinner Mate” is actually a romance rather than just a restaurant discovery story. It is a tender story that allows two people to become closer through their common interest, getting to know each other little by little. Although the series was nominated for a multitude of MBC Drama Awards, unfortunately, it did not win any awards for the cast and crew.
3- Pyramid Game
Inspired by Naver’s webtoon of the same name, “Pyramid Game” takes viewers back to school. In this series, a young woman finds herself at the bottom of the social pyramid in a competitive school and is constantly bullied by her classmates. To put an end to these persecutions, she decides to climb the social ladder and lead a revolution among the students. The K-drama contains elements of “Mean Girls” and “Pretty Little Liars,” but offers a dark view of the social hierarchy in high school.
Jang Dah-ah was nominated for Best New Actress at the Blue Dragon Series Awards for her role in the series. The series itself was named one of the best K-dramas of 2024 by British magazine NME, even before the end of the year.
4- Business Proposal
“Business Proposal” is a great example of adapting a webtoon into a K-drama. This romantic comedy was able to transform the clichés of the original story, making the series more burlesque than most South Korean romances, which greatly worked in its favor.
The plot follows a woman who agrees to go on a blind date in place of her friend, only to discover that her date is actually her boss, who now mistakes her for someone else. Hiding his professional status, he decides they should get married to avoid his family continuing to pressure him to date, leading to a series of comical misunderstandings.
“Business Proposal” was so successful during its initial broadcast in South Korea that most episodes actually saw ratings increase over the course of the series, unlike what usually happens. The K-drama’s most-watched episode was the tenth, and the finale only dropped 0,2%. The series won five of the seven SBS Drama Awards for which it was nominated and also won Best Original Score at the MAMA Awards.
5- Vigilant
Originally planned to be adapted into a film, “Vigilante” began development from its webtoon of the same name in 2019. However, in 2022, it became a K-drama.
Viewers who enjoy shows like “Arrow” or “Gotham,” where someone decides to punish the city’s criminals when the police can’t get to them, will love “Vigilante.” The series isn’t really like a superhero show, as it follows a police academy student who begins to enact his own vigilante justice on the city’s criminals. Of course, the police begin to investigate his activities and a journalist is also on his trail.
The K-drama takes a more realistic approach than most vigilante superhero shows, making it very enjoyable to watch. “Vigilante” was nominated for the Best K-drama award at the Seoul International Drama Awards. A second season of the series has already been ordered.
6- My Roommate Is A Gumiho
The 2021 K-drama “My Roommate is a Gumiho” is a fantasy series that follows a 999-year-old Gumiho taking the form of Shin Woo-yeo (Jang Ki-Yong). Initially a nine-tailed fox, Shin’s dream is to become human one day and live a normal life with someone he loves. In most myths, it is a beautiful woman who is the Gumiho and her goal is usually to seduce a man and then eat his heart or liver. Here the approach is totally different, because this Gumiho is a man who wants to fall in love.
The live-action series, composed of 16 episodes, is originally an original webtoon. Although the K-drama only has 16 episodes, the “My Roommate is a Gumiho” webtoon has over 150 episodes. The stories are the same, with a 24-year-old woman named Dam Lee moving in with 999’s Gumiho. years after accidentally swallowing one of his pearls. This means she has one year to extract it from her body, otherwise she will die and he will never become human.
7- Aftermath
“Aftermath” is a South Korean supernatural web series that follows Ahn Dae Young (Kim Dong Jun), a quiet high school student involved in a car accident. Following this event, he develops the ability to predict who is a killer and who will die based on the changing color of their eyes. If a person’s eyes turn red, from Dae Young’s perception, he knows they are going to die. Furthermore, he realizes that he can intervene to prevent these deaths.
The plot of “Aftermath” unfolds almost like a comic book story. Ahn Dae Young decides to become a hero and save lives with his new powers. He also has an enemy with the same powers, but obsessed with murder. “Aftermath” is a streaming K-drama consisting of short episodes of around 10 minutes each. It aired in two seasons in 2014, totaling 11 episodes. The series is based on a webtoon by Kim Sun-kwon.
8- Itaewon Class
This K-drama released in 2020 is based on the webtoon of the same name. This 16-episode series tells a revenge story where a man named Park Sae-ro-yi (Park Seo-joon) tries to kill Geun-won (Ahn Bo-hyun) after his father dies in an accident. Park’s girlfriend, Oh Soo-ah (Kwon Na-ra), has her college fees paid by Geun-won, then gets a job at his company, Jangga Group. However, when Park gets out of prison, he tries to start his life again but still wants to avenge his father’s death.
Park then joins forces with new friends to try to succeed once and for all. The webtoon “Itaewon Class” on which the K-drama is based lasted for 81 episodes, compared to 16 for the television adaptation. It ended in 2021, the year after the series aired. The K-drama was very faithful to the webtoon and respected the story throughout. However, one problem concerns the character of Jo Yi-seo (Kim Da-mi), whose live-action version seemed, according to many online reviews, to betray the independence and strength that her character in the webtoon displayed .
9- Memorist
Based on a webtoon of the same name by Jae Hoo, “Memorist” became a very popular K-drama airing in 2020 on tvN and is one of the best webtoon-inspired K-dramas. This crime/mystery K-drama tells the story of a main character with the ability to read people’s memories. With this power, Dong Baek (Yoo Seung-Ho) solves crimes as a detective.
In this K-drama with a serial killer plot, a series of gruesome murders occurs, and Dong Baek (Yoo Seung-Ho) teams up with a criminal profiler to find the culprit. As they investigate, their troubled pasts resurface, and the murders prove far more complex than they imagined. “Memorist” stands out for its thriller elements and gripping plots. The series maintained steady viewership over its 16 episodes and, interestingly, saw actors Yoo Seung-Ho and Lee Se-young reunite after their appearance in “Missing You.”
10- Mystic Pop-Up Bar
“Mystic Pop-Up Bar” sparked widespread interest when it became available to stream on Netflix to audiences around the world. The webtoon, titled “Ssanggabpocha” by bae hye-soo, was first released in 2016. This webtoon was later adapted into a series and released in 2020. “Mystic Pop-Up Bar” features fascinating supernatural elements, and Although the series only has 12 episodes, it has received very good reviews from both audiences and critics.
The K-drama follows three main characters whose lives are mystically linked. A mysterious food cart owner runs a rooftop bar, open only at night, and she has a story to tell. Condemned to atone for her past actions, she must listen and help her clients overcome their internal struggles. At his side are a young man capable of making people confess and the bar manager who was once his former love.
11 True Beauty
“True Beauty” was a huge success on streaming platforms upon its launch in 2020. This romantic K-drama tells the story of Lim Ju-kyung (Moon Ga-young), a teenager who is often mocked for her appearance. When she has the chance to change schools, she takes advantage of the opportunity to transform herself. Now full of self-confidence, she becomes a very popular beauty in her establishment.
The series has captivated fans with its gripping love triangle, featuring two former best friends who develop feelings for the main character. This K-drama is adapted from a webtoon by Yaongyi. The creator shared in a YouTube video that seeing her work adapted into a series was a dream come true. Additionally, “True Beauty” was nominated for an Indonesian Hallyu Fans Choice Award and won K-Drama of the Year.
12 love alarm
The highly acclaimed and discussed K-drama, “Love Alarm,” started online and is definitely one of the best K-dramas adapted from webtoons. Chon Kye-Young has created several other popular webtoons (Unplugged Boy, Audition), with “Love Alarm” being the first Netflix original. Viewers were captivated by this story of young love and the fascinating love triangle. In all, “Love Alarm” was nominated for four awards at the Seoul International Drama Awards.
The series also contains a hidden message about society’s addiction to social media and apps. “Love Alarm” follows a young student who begins using a popular dating app, alerting her when someone who likes her is within 10 meters. The series focuses on the relationship between the two main characters, but there is also another person with feelings. The success of the K-drama led to the making of a second season.