6 Webtoons That Should Be Adapted Into K-Dramas
Many popular K-dramas originate from online webtoons (e.g., True Beauty, A Business Proposal, What's Wrong With Secretary Kim), and as an avid webtoon reader and K-drama watcher myself, I feel that it is only my duty to share ✨ manifest ✨ to the universe a few of my favorite webcomics that I believe would make fantastic Korean dramas.
Webtoons, also sometimes referred to as webcomics or manhwa, are digital comics that originated in South Korea and have skyrocketed in popularity globally the last several years.Unlike traditional manga which are read right to left, webtoons are read vertically as they're meant to be read on a smartphone or computer, and they're usually fully colored instead of black and white.
In 2020, I fell down the webtoons / webcomics hole and have never been able to get out. I shared 3 webtoons that I loved last year on my personal blog, and since then, I've only fallen deeper and found more to love. One of the webtoons I shared, A Business Proposal, was actually adapted this past month, so it's only a matter of time before one of these get picked up next!
Positively Yours by Lee Jung & Kang Ki
Synopsis:
To Hee-won’s dismay, the BFF she crushed on and her other BFF are now dating! Seriously bummed, Hee-won decides to go wild just one time, and find solace with a handsome stranger. A very satisfying one night affair has now turned into more — she’s pregnant! Fate brings them together again, and now the regimented Doo-joon is determined to do the right thing and marry her. But they’re basically strangers! Except… their bodies have been very intimately acquainted. What’s this mother-to-be to do?
Of all the webtoons on this list, Positively Yours is without a doubt the most popular and the most likely contender to be adapted into a K-drama. This was actually my "hangover" webtoon after finishing A Business Proposal, but I would actually argue that the romance, side-couples, and plot line are actually...better. *gasp* Even if you're not a fan of the accidental pregnancy trope, you'll no doubt fall in love with watching these two soon-to-be parents fall in love. The best part? This webtoon is ~completed~.
An Hour of Romance by Kim Myeongmi
Synopsis:
Joo-Ahn and Do-Jin couldn’t be any more different at work. She’s a perpetually single career woman who takes everything too seriously and rules with an iron fist. He’s a modelesque klutz with a heart of gold who lucked into an entry-level marketing job.
But when a company trip to a mysterious temple starts an inexplicable soul swap, they end up switching bodies for an hour each day. To avoid utter embarrassment and keep up their reputations, the unlikely pair will have to cooperate and bide their time. Will Joo-Ahn learn to sympathize with the pretty boy who can’t do anything right? And will Do-Jin see the softer side of his boss’s spiky persona?
The grumpy x sunshine trope will always reign supreme, but this webtoon elevates the trope by featuring a badass grumpy female marketing manager and a sunshine himbo love interest who is absolutely in love with her. An Hour of Romance follows two office workers with completely polar personalities who learn to work together after switching bodies once a day. You already know this webcomic is going to be top tier because it's from the same author who wrote What's Wrong With Secretary Kim?
Bom's Espresso by Gwondohee & Dolchenabi
Synopsis:
Coffee-loving Yoon Bomsol has been struggling ever since her beloved business, Cafe Bom, went under. When she lands a job as assistant to Jake K., an arrogant but sought-after barista, she has no idea that he is really Kim Jaehee, a customer of hers who proposed to her almost a decade ago. Reunited once again in the world of coffee, will Bomsol see Jaehee for the man he’s trying to be? Or will this second encounter be a “latte” to handle?
I don't know what it is...but romances where the male lead falls in love first are simply *chef's kiss*. After high schooler Kim Jaehee is turned down by a coffee shop worker, he spends the next few years refining his skills to become an expert, world-renowned barista. When Yoon Bomsol is forced to close her shop due to relenteless competition from larger coffee chains, she takes on a job as the assistant to the boy she once rejected...I can already picture beautiful aesthetic shots of coffee making transformed into a moving K-drama montage(!!)
The Lady With A Mask by Min & Merin
Synopsis:
By day Viola Lim is a secretary, but by night she’s secretly a children’s storybook author under the pen name Violet. Too talented to be just an office worker, she created The Child with A Mask to escape her terrible boss, Harrison Kwon. Sure, he’s attractive, intelligent, but he’s also super rude! And now, he wants to find the creator of the book. How long can she keep her identity secret? And why does her boss want to meet her…
What do you get when you have 1) a secretary whose secretly a children's book author, 2) an adorable young boy who loves a particular picture book, and 3) a CEO whose determined to find the author of his nephew's favorite book? TONS. OF. FUN. I'm personally a big proponent of adorable children in webcomics, and the hilarious scenes between Viola Lim and Harrison Kwon are perfectly balanced with the touching moments between Harrison and his nephew.
My Boss's Special Request by Jina & Hanna Park
Synopsis:
Soohyeon’s dreams of prosperity fall short of reality when he finds himself working as a secretary with an average salary. On top of that, his boss is Choi Jungwoo, nicknamed “Satan” due to her unyielding personality. One day, she requests something unexpected: she asks him to marry her. Just as he’s about to resign, she hands him a contract with conditions he can’t resist. If he marries her for one year, he’ll have all the money he needs to give his parents a better life. But… can he do it?
Most office K-dramas feature the male lead as a stoic CEO and the female lead as a bright and upbeat secretary. My Boss's Special Request flips the script by starring a no nonsense female President and her right-hand man whose worlds are thrown upside down when they agree to a contract marriage. (Think: The Proposal starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds) Because what's better than fake dating? A fake marriage.
Seasons of Blossom by Hongduck & Nemone
Synopsis:
Oh, to be young and in love. Oh, to be wild and carefree. The springtime of life is intense, tumultuous, and at times, oh so confusing. Spring, summer, fall and winter -- love blossoms in all seasons.
If you're looking for a sweet, slice-of-life webcomic that will undoubtedly make you cry, look no further. Seasons of Blossom is a series of 4 stories, each capturing the longing feelings of the four seasons throughout the year. Amidst the light-hearted storylines of watching the characters fall in love, we also explore deeper issues of depression, anxiety, and bullying. If this webcomic were to be adapted, I could envision the aesthetics to be similar to Our Beloved Summer and Reply 1998.
Of course, all of these webtoons come highly recommended by yours truly! I would love to see any one of them all of them adapted into K-dramas one day, but until that day comes, take this post as a sign from the universe to fall in love with a new webtoon. And if you've already read all of these and want more recommendations, stay tuned because there's much more to come.
