We all love when ‘Life imitates Art’ especially when our favourite webtoon characters come to life. There’s a long list of things that make a K-drama successful, but nothing tops a webtoon adaptation stamp on it. K-drama fans know the undeniable appeal of those brushstroke 2D characters making their way onto their screens, and let’s be honest, we have all fallen in love with animated characters at some point in our lives. The best part of enjoying such K-dramas? There are many entertaining titles to pick from because the list is always expanding. If you flip through the catalogue, from True Beauty to Business Proposal, most well-known K-dramas have been attributed to digital comics.
A plethora of these adaptations have covered a wide spectrum of genres, including historical, romance, horror, comedy, fantasy, and other works. For the last few weekends, the K-drama space was on the edge, with Marry My Husband taking over the trending charts. This show revolved around revenge and second chances, which kept the audience hooked, making it 2024’s first big K-drama success. This hit-making train won’t stop here; 2024 is going to pump up more and more webtoon adaptations with some very apt casting choices.
Scroll down to learn some of the most exciting names you should bookmark this season:
1. Love Song for Illusion
This webtoon is originally called Fantasy Sonata by Vanziun, which is being adapted with the name Love Song for Illusion. This story revolves around a king who has a dual personality and a woman named Yeon Wol who is seeking revenge for her family. Yeon Wol comes from a noble family within the Yeon clan. She pretends to be someone named KyeRa and tries to assassinate the King. However, something strange happens, and she loses her memory because of a mysterious scent. When she wakes up the next day, she finds herself as the king’s concubine and can’t remember her past.
2. Cinderella at 2AM
Aigome’s popular webtoon Cinderella at 2AM is all set to be turned into a K-drama. The protagonist of the tale is Ha YoonSeo, who has been dating Seo JooWon for the last three years. But two months have passed since she learned that JooWon is a conglomerate’s youngest son. After learning from JooWon’s mother that she need to end her relationship with her son, Ha YoonSeo takes payment. JooWon is unwavering in his attempts to win YoonSeo over to his way of thinking, even in the face of her calculated attempts to separate herself and end the relationship.
3. Wedding Impossible
Adapted from the webtoon of the same name, written by Song Jung Won and illustrated by Lee Chung, Wedding Impossible is a 2024 Korean drama directed by Kwon Young Il. A fun-filled romantic comedy, Wedding Impossible shares the story of struggling actress Na Ah Jeong (by Jeon Jong Seo) who agrees to a contract marriage with her lifelong friend, Lee Do Han (Kim Do Wan), the eldest grandson of the LJ Group’s chaebol family. In exchange for payment, she helps keep her friend’s biggest secret from his overbearing family. The only hitch? Do Han’s younger brother, Lee Ji Han (Moon Sang Min), refuses to accept her as his brother’s fiance and challenges her at every turn. With Ji Han determined to sabotage their marriage from the beginning, how long will it take for the truth to be revealed?
4. The Impossible Heir
The plot narrates the story of high school student Han Tae-O, who first met Kang In-Ha as a classmate at his new high school. Han Tae-O comes from a dark background. His father killed his wife, which caused Han Tae-O to be mocked by people. In contrast to Han Tae-O, Kang In-Ha comes from a wealthy chaebol family that runs the Kango Group. Nevertheless, Kang In-Ha is an illegitimate child, and he is looked down upon by his own family. Although Kang In-Ha and Han Tae-O come from completely different backgrounds, they have certain things in common. Due to this, they became friends. Now, as adults, Kang In-Ha wants to ascend to the throne at Kango Group, and Han Tae-O wants to succeed in life. To achieve his goal, Han Tae-O decides to make Kang In-Ha’s dream come true. Meanwhile, Na Hye-won is a smart and beautiful young woman, but her life isn’t easy due to the debts that her mother carries. She gets involved with Han Tae-O and Kang In-Ha.
5. Boys be Brave
This Korean BL drama, Boys Be Brave will be based on the BL webtoon titled Roommates. The story revolves around three close friends who catch feelings for each other but are unable to confess them to one other. This drama is set to be directed by Lim HyunHee, who has also directed last year’s one of the most successful drama Our Dating Sim. The cast includes of Kim SungHyen, Nam SiAn, Jung YeoJun, and Ahn SeMin.
6. Haesi’s Shinru
The webtoon Haesi’s Shinru, written by MyeongRan and Yoon LeeSu and illustrated by INUS, is announced to be produced into a K-drama. The drama follows the love story of Crown Prince Yihyang, a genius scientist during the Joseon era who loved to watch the stars at night, and a mysterious girl, Haeru, who could see the future. The story takes place during King Sejong’s reign (1418–50). Yumi’s Cell’s Ahn BoHyun is reported to be reviewing the casting offer.
Also, read: 7 Visually Stunning K-Dramas Where Cinematography Was The Main Character
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