Just like movies, our favorite Korean dramas sometimes gain inspiration from novels and other written and illustrated works. In fact, several of the most popular K-dramas originated from webtoons!
What Is A Webtoon?
Webtoons are a kind of online comics that originated in South Korea. They're released regularly (sometimes weekly or monthly). Some of the most popular websites for these comics are Naver Webtoon and Daum.
What sets webtoons apart from regular comics is that each episode or chapter is published in one long, vertical strip for easier viewing on phones or computers; they will most likely be in color instead of black-and-white since they aren't really published in physical form; some of them feature music and animations that play during each chapter!
Earlier Korean dramas based on webtoons, manhwas (another term for Korean comics), or Japanese mangas include Full House (2004), Goong/Princess Hours (2006), and Boys Over Flowers (2009)!
Here are 22 of the most popular K-dramas based on webtoons or manhwas that you should watch ASAP.
1. Love Alarm (2019)
The plot: Based on the webtoon by Cheon Kye Yeong, Love Alarm tells the story of an application that tells people who likes them within a 10-meter radius. Season 1 of the drama aired in 2019 and the second season is set to air in August 2020! It stars young actors Kim So Hyun, Song Kang, and Jung Ga Ram.
What the OG characters look like:
2. My ID Is Gangnam Beauty (2018)
The plot: My ID Is Gangnam Beauty is about a college student named Mi Rae (Im Soo Hyang) and her journey through living a "new life" after she undergoes plastic surgery. She was deemed "ugly" by her classmates before, and when she enters university, she encounters Kyung Seok (Cha Eun Woo), an old classmate who remembers her from high school.
What the OG characters look like:
3. What's Wrong With Secretary Kim? (2018)
The plot: Derived from the webtoon Why Secretary Kim, it tells the story of a narcissistic chaebol named Young Joon (Park Seo Joon) and his hardworking secretary Mi So (Park Min Young). After nine years, she announces that she's quitting. He urges her to stay in the company and does all sorts of grand gestures to convince her—until they realize it's not just about the job anymore. The 98-chapter webtoon was written by Kim Myeongmi and Jeong Gyeong Yun.
What the OG characters look like:
4. Cheese In The Trap (2016)
The plot: Jung (Park Hae Jin) is the rich heir to the Taerang Group and seemingly has a perfect life, but he also displays psychopathic tendencies! This causes Seol (Kim Go Eun) to take time off school to get away from him. When she returns through a scholarship, he is unexpectedly nice to her and asks her out on a date. They begin a really awkward relationship which is further complicated by the arrival of Jung's childhood friends.
The drama adaptation has met with controversies because fans felt like the show changed the original storyline and characters too much. The director and scriptwriters also apologized to the original webtoon writer, as the show was nearing its end.
What the OG characters look like:
5. Moonlight Drawn By Clouds (2016)
The plot: Based on a youth romance web novel by Yoon Yi Soo, Love In The Moonlight is about a courageous girl (Kim Yoo Jung) who disguises herself as a boy to *counsel* men on dating. Things take an unexpected twist when she meets the Crown Prince (Park Bo Gum), who takes an interest in her! She ends up in another disguise: this time as a eunuch in the royal palace. This drama was a massive hit across Asia, with six nominations at the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards!
What the OG characters look like:
6. Scholar Who Walks The Night (2015)
The plot: Based on the manhwa of the same name written by Jo Joo Hee and illustrated by Han Seung Hee, Scholar Who Walks The Night
What the OG characters look like:
7. Orange Marmalade (2015)
The plot: It's set in a fantasy world where humans and vampires coexist, and vampires no longer see humans as food! Orange Marmalade tells the story of Baek Ma Ri (Kim Seol Hyun), a shy teenage girl who's hiding her vampire identity. Driven away from several neighborhoods, she is eager to settle down in her new city and live quietly. Things change when she accidentally kisses the neck of Jung Jae Min (Yeo Jin Goo), the most popular guy in school, and falls in love with him.
What the OG characters look like:
8. Extraordinary You (2019)
The plot: What would you do if you found out you were living INSIDE a webtoon and that you're just the supporting character? That's what happens to Dan Oh, a high school student with a heart condition who feels like she's the leading lady of her life. Her world ~falls apart~ when she discovers the truth about her world, which is actually in a comic book called Secret. Extraordinary You is based on popular webtoon July Found By Chance.
What the OG characters look like:
9. Itaewon Class (2020)
The plot: Park Saeroyi (Park Seo Joon) is determined to get revenge on the family who caused his father's death. He teams up with "a band of misfits" and establishes a small pub called Danbam to defeat the conglomerate Jangga Co. owned by CEO Jang Dae Hee. Guess what? Jo Kwang Jin, the author of the popular webtoon, also wrote the script for the drama!
What the OG characters look like:
10. True Beauty (2020)
The plot: Adapted from the webtoon of the same name by author Yaongyi, True Beauty is about a high school student (Moon Ga Young) and her many insecurities because of her appearance. Eventually, she found two guys (Cha Eun Woo, Hwang In Yeop) who made her feel the prettiest—who also gave us a hard time choosing which side we are on!
What the OG characters look like:
11. Sweet Home (2020)
The plot: The Netflix drama makes for a thrilling, good watch as the characters, led by Song Kang, finds ways to survive after humans became monsters in the form of their desires. In an article by The Korea Times, Sweet Home topped the streaming platform's ranking in 11 countries, proving its popularity across the world. Daebak!
What the OG characters look like:
12. The Uncanny Encounter (2020)
The plot: From the webtoon Amazing Rumor by Jang Yi, Netflix describes The Uncanny Encounter as a K-drama where the characters are "Noodle shop owners by day and demon hunters by night." Sounds interesting, 'no? Apparently, the storyline also fascinated most of its Korean viewers, and is now the highest-rated OCN drama!
What the OG characters look like:
13. Dinner Mate (2020)
The plot: Were you also surprised to know that the Seo Ji Hye and Song Seung Heon-led TV series is actually adapted from the webtoon Shall We Have Dinner Tonight? The MBC drama follows two individuals who met in a resto and have then decided to become dinner partners. Sweet!
What the OG characters look like:
14. Mystic Pop-Up Bar (2020)
The plot: Mystic Pop-Up Bar is derived from the webtoon Twin Tops Bar by Bae Hye Soo and chronicles the life of a part-timer (Yook Sung Jae) in a pojangmacha (a street stall in South Korea) who has a special skill: He can discover the secret of anyone he touches!
What the OG characters look like:
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15. Backstreet Rookie (2020)
The plot: Also called Convenience Store Saet Byul, this webtoon-based rom-com drama revolves around the romance of a convenience store owner (Ji Chang Wook) who meets a part-time employee (Kim Yoo Jung) that he couldn't take his mind off. Backstreet Rookie faced some issues when it was aired, including appropriate scenes that aren't deemed fit for younger viewers.
What the OG characters look like:
16. Meow, The Secret Boy (2020)
The plot: Fancy watching a K-drama about a ~special~ cat who can transform into a human being (Kim Myung Soo)? Then Meow, The Secret Boy from the webtoon Welcome is definitely for you! The cat-turned-human is called Hong Jo, who grew fond of a graphic designer. But since he's a feline, you know what happens next: He must keep his identity hidden.
What the OG characters look like:
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17. Her Private Life (2019)
The plot: Park Min Young stars in yet another webtoon-adapted (Noona Fan Dot Com) drama that fangirls will surely love! As Seung Dok Mi, she tries her best to keep her ~other~ life as a hardcore fangirl secret to keep her professionalism at work. But as we all know, that's super hard to do!
What the OG characters look like:
18. Strangers From Hell (2019)
The plot: Based on the manhwa of the same name by Kim Yong Ki, Strangers From Hell will scare the wits out of you with its mysterious plot about an intern who moved into a cheap dorm in Seoul, only to realize he's living in hell. The characters here are terrifying AF, including a gorgeous yet creepy dentist (Lee Dong Wook) who likes pulling out molars without anesthesia. Need we say more?
What the OG characters look like:
19. The Tale Of Nokdu (2019)
The plot: A historical drama adapted from the webtoon by Hye Jin Yang, The Tale Of Nokdu tells the story of a man in search of his identity. He disguised himself as the opposite sex in order to pursue his goal and met a woman with plans of revenge for her family.
What the OG characters look like:
20. Clean With Passion For Now (2018)
The plot: Starring Kim Yoo Jung and Yoon Kyun Sang, Clean With Passion For Now is based on the popular webtoon of the same title by Aengo. This cute love story is about a cleaning company boss with a fear of germs, who fell in love with his employee who can endure the dirtiest area in the room.
What the OG characters look like:
21. Taxi Driver (2021)
The plot: Who do you call when you want to plot revenge on those who hurt you? The Rainbow Taxi Crew! Lee Je Hoon plays the titular character in this drama as Kim Do Gi, whose own share of traumatic past pushed him to seek vengeance. Joining him are Esom, Pyo Ye Jin, and Kim Eui Sung. Taxi Driver, which is adapted from the webtoon The Deluxe Taxi by Carlos and Lee Jae Jin, will take you on a ride with its action-packed scenes and episodes that are based on true stories.
What the OG characters look like:
22. Nevertheless (2021)
The plot: Looking for a mature kind of romance that will make you ~feel things~? Then Nevertheless is perfect for you! This series revolves around two art students named Na Bi and Jae Eon: One doesn't believe in love anymore after a toxic relationship. while the other is a bright red flag that makes flirting his hobby. Fun fact: According to the show's main leads, Song Kang and Han So Hee, they both look a lot like the webtoon version of their characters!
What the OG characters look like:
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