Webtoon-based dramas are increasingly gaining popularity. Their imaginative and fresh settings, characters solidified through interaction with fans, and stories that naturally capture people’s attention are advantages that translate well into video content. Now, with the power of K-content, webtoon-based dramas are attracting attention domestically and globally. Here, we will look at webtoon-based dramas that are either about to be released or have just started airing.
Jeongnyeon
The webtoon Jeongnyeon is set in the 1950s after the Korean War. It follows the growth of a girl named Yoon Jeongnyeon, who has a natural talent for singing and joins a female traditional music group. Actress Kim Tae Ri plays the lead role, portraying a pansori genius girl who moves to Seoul alone from Mokpo to become a national music actor. Shin Ye Eun, Ra Mi Ran, and Moon So Ri are also set to appear, with Shin Ye Eun playing Yoon Jeongnyeon’s rival Heo Yeong Seo, Ra Mi Ran as the head of the Maeran National Music Group, and Moon So Ri as Yoon Jeongnyeon’s mother.
Light Shop
Disney+ has teamed up again with Kang Full, the writer behind the hit series Moving, to present a new Light Shop series. Based on the fifth installment of Kang Full’s Mystery Psychological Thriller series, Light Shop dramatizes the stories of people between life and death. The cast lineup includes Ju Ji Hoon, Park Bo Young, Bae Sung Woo, Uhm Tae Goo, and Kim Seol Hyun.
Study Group
Webtoon studio YLAB is producing the long-form drama Study Group, which has received over 10 billion won in investment. The drama is based on the company’s website, the same name as the one on Tving, and will be aired on the OTT platform. It is a collaboration with Studio Dragon, a drama production company affiliated with CJ ENM, and will consist of 10 episodes. The story revolves around a boy who wants to study well but only excels in fighting, forming a study group in Yuseong High, the worst school.
Mercy for None
Netflix has confirmed the production of the noir action series Mercy for None, revealing a cast lineup that includes So Ji Sub, Heo Jun Ho, Ahn Gil Kang, Lee Beom Soo, Gong Myoung, Chu Yeong Woo, Jo Han Chul, Cha Seung Won, and Lee Jun Hyuk. Based on the Naver Webtoon The Square, it features a hardboiled narrative where the protagonist, who had severed his Achilles tendon and left the underworld, returns after 11 years following the death of his brother, the organization’s second-in-command, to seek revenge.
S-Line
The webtoon S-Line is being adapted into a drama. S-Line explores the story that unfolds when a red line, known as the S-Line, appears over the heads of people who have had sexual relations, regardless of time or place. Actor Lee Soo Hyuk will play a detective chasing the truth behind the S-Line, with actress Lee Da Hee as a high school teacher. Arin from the girl group Oh My Girl will also appear, playing a high school student who can see the S-Line from birth.
Karma
Netflix is currently producing the thriller Karma, a crime thriller that narrates the entangled story of characters caught in an inescapable web of bad karma. Based on the Kakao Webtoon of the same name, Karma aims to depict the cyclical curse of repeated misfortunes vividly. The cast includes Park Hae Soo, known for his performances in Squid Game and Narco-Saints, alongside Shin Min Ah, Lee Hee Jun, Kim Sung Kyun, Lee Kwang Soo, and Gong Seung Yeon.
A Competition of Goodness
A Competition of Goodness is an original Tving series based on the webtoon of the same name. After the sudden death of her father, who was a college entrance examination committee member, the protagonist, Seul Gi, transfers to a prestigious girls’ high school in Seoul. As she befriends Jay, the school’s power figure, she discovers the secrets behind Jay’s facade and her father’s death in this mystery psychological thriller. Hyeri, formerly of Girl’s Day, has confirmed her appearance in the drama.
The Eight Show
The drama The Eight Show, produced by Lotte Cultureworks, will be released as an original Netflix series. It is a big-budget production with an investment of $202 million, featuring actors Ryu Jun Yeol, Chun Woo Hee, and Park Jung Min. It deals with the story of eight individuals trapped in a space divided into eight floors, unfolding over time. The series is an adaptation of the webtoons Money Game and Pie Game by writer Bae Jin Soo, directed by Han Jae Rim, known for The Face Reader, The King, and Emergency Declaration.
Wedding Impossible
Wedding Impossible is a romance drama about a struggling actress who decides to have a fake marriage with her male friend to become the protagonist of her life, against the opposition of her brother-devoted prospective brother-in-law. Starring Jeon Jong Seo, Moon Sang Min, and Kim Do Wan, the drama achieved number one in 100 countries upon its release. Based on the famous web novel of the same name, which was also adapted into a webtoon, it is being aired on tvN as a follow-up to Marry My Husband.
Pyramid Game
Based on the webtoon of the same name, Pyramid Game is the only Korean content invited to Series Mania, the largest series event in Europe, drawing attention from the English-speaking world even before its broadcast. The story revolves around a girls’ high school where students are divided into bullies, victims, and bystanders, increasingly sinking into violence through a secret vote to pick a scapegoat each month. The series will be available globally through Paramount+ and will consist of 10 episodes, which will be available on Tving.
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