10 Best K-Dramas Based on Webtoons & Manhwa

K-dramas have been gaining global popularity for a while. Squid Game, a show about a deadly series of games where survival means money, definitely has had a major role to play in this. The show draws inspiration from popular manga like Liar Game and Battle Royale to create a truly unique experience for the audience.

In fact, taking inspiration from or straight up adapting webtoons and manhwa has been a rising trend in the K-drama industry of late. That doesn’t mean that they all do it well, though, since adapting a graphic series is never an easy task. Still, there are some K-dramas that beautifully translate the emotions and themes of a webtoon to screen. 10 of the best of these adaptations are listed below:

1) Business Proposal

Released in 2022, this K-drama features Kim Sejeong, who immediately went on to become a beloved new industry talent, as Shin Ha-ri. To help her friend escape the clutches of an arranged marriage, Ha-ri agrees to go on the blind date her family has arranged and scare the rich guy away. She puts on a bold attire and decides to try everything in her power to deter the man in front of him from falling for her.

Except that the man, Kang Tae-moo, turns out to be the CEO of her company. He makes her a proposal that has her living a double life even as they start falling for each other. Romantic, funny, and endlessly entertaining, this K-drama is based on a web novel by HaeHwa and is definitely worth a watch.

You can read A Business Proposal on Tapas, with its K-drama streaming on Netflix.

2) Marry My Husband

Released last year, Marry My Husband has 16 episodes and features Park Min-young in the role of the protagonist, Kang Ji-won. It’s based on the concept of rebirth, a theme that is currently being explored a lot in recent webtoons and light novels. In this story, Ji-won, a terminal cancer patient, is murdered by her so-called best friend and husband, who are having an affair. She dies heartbroken and bitter, only to find herself reborn and transported to a time before she got cancer and when she and her would-be husband were still dating. She quickly realizes that her friend, Soo-min, has been ruining her life since their school days.

Min-hwan, meanwhile, is a shoddy partner determined to use her to live a cushy life. Determined to escape her sad fate this time, Ji-won plots to make Soo-min marry Min-hwan in her stead. It’s horribly satisfying to watch Ji-won, brilliant and bold, impeccably pull off each step of her revenge. The drama is fast-paced and well-written, and the acting is top-notch, making this one a must-watch.

You can read Marry My Husband on Webtoon, with its K-drama streaming on Prime Video.

3) True Beauty

A heartwarming high school drama about the “ugly” Joo-kyung, True Beauty came out in 2018 and immediately started winning hearts. Based on a webtoon by Yaongyi, the story follows the ugly duckling, Joo-kyung, who is endlessly bullied and nearly abused by her schoolmates because of her looks. After a particularly painful episode where she is degraded by her crush along with her bullies, she changes schools. She treats it as a new start and trains herself to use makeup to make herself beautiful so no one in her new school would hate her.

The plan works, and Joo-kyung’s new schoolmates start regarding her as some kind of star. Inside, she’s the same “ugly” comic book nerd, though, and she lives in constant fear of discovery. Till she meets a boy who likes her just as she is. The show is lighthearted, often silly, and sometimes cringey. As long as you don’t take it very seriously, the show makes for a great one-time watch.

You can read True Beauty on Webtoon, with its K-drama streaming on Netflix where available.

4) Extraordinary You

This 2019 K-drama seems like a typical high-school romance, except it really isn’t. The series is about a high-school student, Dan-oh, who realizes she and her world are fictional. She is, in fact, a character in a romance webtoon. She is not even the protagonist but one of the supporting characters meant to help the protagonists fall in love. Determined to lead her own life and not let her fate be written by a webtoon artist, Dan-oh sets out to tweak the plot to suit her needs and maybe even find love while at it. The show is clever, full of sci-fi elements, and has quite a unique plotline. 

You can read Extraordinary You’s original manhwa, July Found by Chance, on Webtoon, with its K-drama streaming on Rakuten Viki.

5) All of Us Are Dead

If you’ve watched Train to Busan, you know that South Korea takes its zombies seriously. All of Us Are Dead has one of the most unique depictions of a zombie outbreak in recent years. Based on a webtoon by Joo Dong-geun, All of Us Are Dead was released in 2022. It tells the story of a school full of students who become trapped inside when their school becomes ground zero for a zombie outbreak.

To survive, the kids must band together to fight off the infected, rabid creatures their schoolmates were turning into. For a show with so many characters, All of Us Are Dead does the job of exploring each character’s arc and development extremely well. The series is emotional, thrilling, and often downright horrifying, making it a must-watch for fans of zombie media and gory tales in general. 

You can read All of Us Are Dead on Webtoon, with its K-drama streaming on Netflix.

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6) Nevertheless

Featuring fan favorites Song Kang as Jae-on and Han So-hee as Na-bi, Nevertheless is based on a webtoon by Jeongseo. The first episode of the show came out in 2021. Almost from the moment it came out, it found itself a loyal fanbase that would wait eagerly for the release of each new episode. Its popularity dwindled a little toward the end, but overall, it remains a well-loved adaptation of a manhwa.

The story follows the flirtatious Jae-on and the cynical Na-bi as they find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other. Jae-on isn’t one for romance, and Na-bi doesn’t believe in love. Their outlooks on life and love are different. They even have vastly different art styles and take on creativity. Still, they find themselves in a situationship that either one is reluctant and unable to leave. 

You can read Nevertheless on Webtoon, with its K-drama streaming on Netflix.

7) My ID Is Gangnam Beauty

Im Soo-hyang and Cha Eun-woo star in this 2018 K-drama based on a manhwa by Maenggi Ki. The story follows Mi-rae, a girl who is constantly bullied because of how she looks. She finally saves and gets plastic surgery, except it opens up a whole new can of worms. Struggling to stay strong through it all, Mi-rae finally meets someone who sees her for who she is.

However, one of Mi-rae’s batchmates really doesn’t want to see her succeed. While some always try to be the center of attention, somehow, it’s always Mi-rae who takes the spotlight. Driven by jealousy, she plots to take Mi-rae down. But she has her own skeletons in her closet, and she’d go to any length to ensure no one discovers her secret.

You can read My ID Is Gangnam Beauty on Webtoon, with its K-drama streaming on Netflix.

8) What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim

Based on a webtoon of the same name, What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim? is about a young and successful executive and his extraordinary secretary. One day, she declares her decision to resign, much to the amazement of her colleagues and the bafflement of her boss. Lee Young-joon, played by Park Seo-joon, is not like others. He is handsome, smart, and successful. He is also a raging narcissist.

Determined not to let his capable secretary, Mi-so, resign, he is ready to give her anything, money, company, and perhaps even his heart. Little does Mi-so know that her past is connected to Young-joon’s in dark, irreversible ways. And the latter needs to fight his own demons to find his way to her. 

You can read What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim on Tapas and TappyToon, with its K-drama streaming on Hulu.

9) Itaewon Class

Itaewon Class is a K-drama that aired its first episode on January 31st, 2020. Based on a webtoon by Kwang jin, the show follows a rag-tag group of misfits as they try to build a bar together. But the bar is only the beginning, and they each have their own dreams and quests to chase. Sae-ro-yi, played by Park Seo-joon, is the male protagonist who is at the center of it all. He is the one who binds the group together.

As a high school student, Sae-ro-yi suffered endless misfortune at the hands of Jang Dae-hee, the founder of the Jangga Group. He was expelled from school, lost his father, and finally found himself in jail. While in jail, Sae-ro-yi plots the downfall of Dae-hee. The show follows him on his journey to build his own business and self-identity from the ground up. It is a tale of perseverance, friendships, and, of course, love. 

You can read Itaewon Class on Tapas, with its K-drama streaming on Netflix.

10) Lovely Runner

Released last year, Lovely Runner follows Im-sol, a disabled fangirl, as she goes on a quest through time and space to prevent her idol from committing suicide. She travels 15 years into the past with the help of Sun-jae, her idol, specifically his old watch. Once there, she resolves to protect Sun-jae from things she deems can be the causes of his depression.

What Im-sol doesn’t know is that her idol has his eyes on her too, and while he doesn’t always understand what she’s blabbering about, he’s still charmed by her. Meanwhile, Im-sol realizes that there may be more to their shared pasts, and Sun-jae’s apparent suicide might not have been a suicide at all. 

You can read Lovely Runner on Tapas, with its K-drama streaming on Netflix where available.