Netflix has embraced Korean dramas. Korean dramas are all the rage right now and it does not look like it will be slowing down anytime soon. The global audience is now consuming Korean content like never before. One hot trend is the adaption of popular webtoons into live-action Korean dramas. Korean Dramas based on Webtoons really started to take off in 2018. This is because popular webtoons already have a core built-in audience. Therefore, this can be a double-edged sword. If the webtoon is adapted poorly, loyal fans will voice their outrage. However, because Korean webtoons already have a loyal fan base, they will get more views.
Many fans of a particular webtoon call for it to be made into a Korean drama. Therefore, in order to keep up with demand, Korean webtoons are being turned into Korean dramas in all-time record numbers. It is only a matter of time before some of the more mature Korean webtoons are also taken into consideration. We have gotten requests to do an article on the best Korean dramas from webtoons. This is why we have gathered a list of the best Kdramas adapted from Webtoons so far!
All of Us Are Dead
All of Us Are Dead is based on a Korean webtoon by Joo Dong-geun called Now at Our School. It takes place in a local high school that becomes ground zero for a zombie outbreak. A group of high school friends must work together to combat both zombies and bullies. The cast is massive and a lot of focus is on their relationship with one another. It is worth watching especially during covid to let us all realize that things could be much much worse.
Genre: Horror
Hellbound
One of the most popular Korean webtoons turned into a Korean drama series is Hellbound. It beat out Squid Game as the most popular series on Netflix in late 2021. The drama is about mysterious dark figures that kill people and send them to hell. These people were decreed to die by an angel beforehand. A religious cult called The New Truth and their chairman tell the worth, sins are the season people get decreed to die. A lawyer ends up supporting those persecuted by The New Truth and The Arrowhead. One is a woman who has been decreed to die and the chairman of The New Truth wants to televise the event so the world can see.
Genre: Religious Fantasy
True Beauty
One of the most romantic Korean dramas of recent times makes #1 for the top Korean drama based on a webtoon. True Beauty is a teen romantic comedy based on the webtoon of the same name. It is about a high school girl named Ju-kyoung who is bullied due to her “ugly” face. However, she learns how to apply makeup from YouTube and is able to change her look. Once she transfers to a new high school, her classmates think she is a true beauty. The only one that knows her secret is the handsome Lee Suho. While the webtoon focused a lot on the central love triangle, the drama focused more on Ju-kyoung’s school life and her relationship with Suho. Many consider the Korean drama better than the webtoon as it was more well-rounded.
Genre: Romance
Sweet Home
Those that love scary Korean webtoons will love watching Sweet Home. It was adapted from the webtoon of the same name and it is something different from any other Korean drama. It is thrilling, suspenseful, and has a touch of comedy. The webtoon had 140 chapters which made to be fit into a 10 episode Korean drama series. The story takes place in an apartment complex called Green Home. It is filled with people who want to escape from their problems or longing for something that is out of their reach. There are monsters that look very similar to zombies which brings a lot of “jump scares” but what makes this Korean drama great are the inner stories of the residents are they deal with loss and redemption.
Genre: Horror
What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim
This was originally a novel by Jung Kyung-yoo. Later it was adapted into a webtoon. In 2018, the webtoon was turned into a Korean drama. It is one of the best Korean dramas based on a webtoon. It is a story about Lee Young-joon who is a rich vice president at a large company in Korea. However, he has a secretary called Kim Mi-so who has worked with him for many years. However, she suddenly decides to quit her job and Young-joon wants to know why she is quitting and try to make her stay. This Korean drama/webtoon is considered one of the best romantic comedies of all time. In addition, this Korean drama is the closest to the material when it comes to the characters in the story.
Genre: Romance
Itaewon Class
One of the best webtoons around is Itaewon Class written by Jo Gwang-jin. It is available on Netflix and stars the popular Korean actor Park Seo-Joon who had a small appearance in the famous Korean film Parasite. The story is about a man named Park Sae-ro-yi and his friends. Sae-ro-yi lost his father in an accident caused by the son of a rich man who is the CEO of a major food service company. Therefore, he is looking for revenge by first becoming rich and after being released from prison, he decides to make lots of money by opening a restaurant/bar in Itaewon. Later he becomes the CEO of a company called Itaewon Class.
Both the Korean drama and webtoon do a great job of showcasing the struggles many Koreans face as they struggle to get ahead. In addition, Itaewon Class has one of the best Korean Drama soundtracks around!
Genre: Drama
Extraordinary You
The Korean drama is based on the webtoon series called July Found by Chance. It is written by Moo Ryu and is a high school fantasy romance drama. The story is about Eun Dan-oh who starts to realize that she is in a manga. She wants to change the fate that has already been written for her by the author. However, in the manga’s ending, she gets engaged to someone that does not love her and she ends up dead. The Korean drama adds a lot more character depth than the webtoon and really does a great job of driving the story. Furthermore, this Korean drama stars Kim HyeYoon who broke out for her role in the popular hit Korean drama SKY Castle.
Genre: Romance
My ID is Gangnam Beauty
This Korean webtoon was written by Kee Maeng-kee and really made an impact in Korea by bringing up social issues related to Korean beauty standards. In addition, the webtoon deals with not only beauty standards but also dealing with insecurities and revenge. The story is about Kang Mi-rae who is starting her university life after having done plastic surgery. At the university, she meets her old childhood classmate Do Kyung-Seok who likes her for her inner beauty. The drama is a bit more reserved and has a lot more characters than the webtoon.
Genre: Romance
Love Alarm
The webtoon for Love Alarm is called Ringing If You Like. It was written by Chon Kye-young. This is one of the few webtoons that has its own YouTube channel. It was turned into a Korean drama in 2019 and can be found on Netflix. In addition, on the YouTube channel, you can find a few chapters that have been uploaded and translated into English. The webtoon is about an app that allows people to know if someone likes them if they are in close proximity to them (a 10-meter radius). The main character is Jo-jo and she uses the app and gets involved in a love triangle. Netflix recently picked up the drama for their streaming service. Therefore, for those interested in watching Love Alarm, the second season is available on Netflix.
Genre: Romance
Hell is Other People
This Korean webtoon was written by Kim Yong-ki on Naver Webtoons. Some of the darker webtoons like be found on Korean webtoon sites like Naver webtoons. Hell is Other People has a dark plot and is done in black and white. Therefore, those that are not into genres that are dark and scary should avoid this particular Korean webtoon drama. The story is about a man named Yoon Jong-woo who has come to Seoul from the countryside. Moreover, he lives in a small rental unit where he ends up meeting strange residents. This rental unit in Korea is called a goshiwon, a place where many students live to focus solely on their studies.
The Korean drama is available on Netflix under the title Strangers From Hell. It is one of the shorter series with only 10 episodes. Those that are interested in a scary Korean drama that is pretty creepy will enjoy this.
Genre: Thriller
Mystic Pop-Up Bar
This Korean drama was adapted from a webtoon called Ssanggabpocha. The webtoon was written by Bae Hye-soo. In addition, it was published as a webtoon back in 2016 and was turned into a Korean drama in 2020. Furthermore, it can be seen on Netflix! The story is about Wol Joo who owns an outdoor bar where she talks with her customers over food and drinks. She helps them with their issues by entering their dreams! Her goal is to help 100,000 people with her gift by the end of the month. Therefore, every customer brings a new adventure!
Genre: Comedy
Cheese In The Trap
This is a 2016 Korean drama that was adapted from a Korean webtoon written by Soonkki. It is one of the most popular webtoons around. Furthermore, it took Soonkki close to 7 years to fully finish the webtoon. Cheese In The Trap has 4 seasons and over 180 chapters. The story is about Hong Seol who has returned to college after taking a year off. Moreover, a popular rich student named Yoo Jung who has treated her badly in the past starts to pursue her. Therefore, those that like Korean dramas about love triangles will love Cheese in the Trap. The Webtoon’s ending is different from the Korean drama ending but overall the premise is the same.
Genre: Romance
Memorist
Those that like action Korean dramas will like Memorist. It is adapted from a webtoon written by Jae Hoo. The story is about a character named Dong Baek. He is a detective and he works with a criminal profiler named Han Sun-mi to solve murders in Korea. In addition, it has a lot of great chase and action scenes that are better represented in live-action than in a webtoon.
Where can you read Korean Webtoons? Check out our article on Korean Webtoon Sites.
Genre: Action
We also have a separate article for the Best Korean anime.
