Top 10 Webtoon-Based K-drama To Watch in 2024

Korean drama or K-drama is among Korea’s major exports. In 2022, these shows helped the country earn $1.7 billion from exporting Korean-language content, including music and videos. These shows appeal to viewers because of the variety of available shows, from thrillers and romance to slice of life.  Moreover, webtoon-based K-drama already has established audiences that look forward to seeing stories come to life on screen.

Korea continues to produce K-dramas based on the rich source of webtoons and novels from local storytellers. At CCC, as professionals in the localization industry, we recognize the work and payoff involved in making these stories available to global audiences. Thus, we collected 10 webtoon adaptations 2024 has to offer that you might want to add to your watch list.

Key Takeaways:

• Many webtoon adaptations 2024 has in store are available to read in English on platforms like NAVER WEBTOON and Tapas.
• Webtoon-based K-dramas are popular among established fans of their source material and famous cast members who secure main roles.
• Webtoons adapted into dramas involve meticulous translation and localization work to ensure faithfulness to the source material.

Table of Contents:

• Upcoming Korean Drama Adaptations Based on Webtoons
• Ongoing K-drama Based on Webtoon Series
• Completed Webtoon-Based K-drama Shows
• CCC Professional Webtoon Translation and Typesetting Company

Here are six titles that are either scheduled or expected to premiere in 2024.

One of the most awaited webtoon-based K-drama is the action comedy thriller Study Group. Based on the ongoing webtoon of the same name, this story follows Yoon Ga Min, a student who fights better than he studies. He joins a study group hoping to boost his grades but never seems to improve despite his efforts. Once his groupmates get bullied, he makes use of his fighting skills. New episodes are available every Sunday on WEBTOON while fans expect the drama adaptation by the second half of 2024.

Another widely anticipated show is the K-drama based on webtoon trailblazer Kang Full’s work, The Witch. Previously, fans of the webtoon (currently only available in Korean) expected the drama adaptation to arrive in 2022. However, multiple sources cite COVID as a reason for production delays. Nevertheless, fans eagerly await the K-drama adaptation, which will star Park Jin-young of the Korean boy band Got7.

Note: The Witch concluded on Kakao in 2013. There have since been announcements of live-action adaptations, including a film. However, the film turned out to leave out the romantic premise of the original webtoon. Meanwhile, fans hope the K-drama adaptation will arrive by November 2024. This release would coincide with Park Jin-young’s discharge from mandatory military service.

Spirit Fingers is another title without an official release date. Although we only expect it to premiere in 2024, it remains a highly anticipated title. Its original webtoon is available in English on WEBTOON with 17 episodes. Meanwhile, the drama cast includes Park Ji Hu from House of Hummingbird and Choi Bo Min from A-Teen Season 2.

If you’re a fan of female-led series, add Jeong Nyeon to your watch list. This upcoming coming-of-age musical drama set in 1950s Korea follows the life of the Jeong-nyeon. Kim Tae-ri from The Handmaiden film and Mr. Sunshine series plays the titular role. Meanwhile, she co-stars with contemporaries and veterans, including Music Bank host Shin Ye Eun and award-winning actor Ra Mi Ran. The original webtoon is only available in Korean on NAVER WEBTOON.

Another show that features female characters is Pyramid Game. Its original webtoon is available in English on WEBTOON. It has been completed since 2021 while the drama adaptation will premiere on February 2024 and stream on Paramount+. This psychological thriller is about an all-girls high school that ranks students by popularity.

This supernatural thriller mystery will premiere on Netflix in February 2024. Its story follows a college student who develops superpowers after accidentally murdering a serial killer. Choi Woo Shik from Parasite plays the main role along with Son Suk Ku and Lee Hee Joon. Meanwhile, ten English episodes are available on WEBTOON.

Are you looking for titles that K-drama fans are watching right now? Consider these two popular series.

One of the highest-rating K-dramas right now is Marry My Husband. Based on its eponymous web novel, which also has a webtoon serialization, its plot captivates viewers every week. Essentially, it’s a fantasy revenge drama where a murdered woman goes back in time and relives her life. This series consistently garners the highest household viewership ratings in South Korea. Both nationwide and in Seoul, this show consistently holds the top position. When it’s in second place, it’s behind televised live sports events. Tune into Amazon Prime Video to get into the hype or read all seven episodes on WEBTOON.

This ongoing historical mystery drama has a touch of comedic elements that capture viewers every week. Originally, people know this show by its Korean title which translates to “Flower That Blooms at Night.” It’s about a widow (played by 2006 Miss Korea Lee Hanee) who lives reclusively as the daughter-in-law of nobles. At night, she sneaks out of her prestigious family’s house to help those in need. Full of action and romance, you can watch this show on Kocowa or Viki. Meanwhile, the original Korean-language webtoon is only available in Kakao.

If you like binging shows in your free time, check out some titles that concluded in 2024.

Pro tip: Subscription-based streaming services offer several upcoming and ongoing K-drama with English subtitles. Most of the time, these platforms offer free trial periods. Watching a completed series is a great way to maximize your subscription while you keep up with weekly premieres.

Based on a webtoon of the same name, Death’s Game is a fantasy action horror epic with themes of reincarnation. Seo In-guk of Reply 1997 and High School King of Savvy stars as the main character, Choi Yi-jae. This hopeless man dies and gets reincarnated 12 times at the ruling of Death. Park So-dam from Cinderella with Four Knights and The Priests plays the titular character. This show star-studded show premiered in 2023. However, it concluded in early 2024, so it’s not too late to catch up with the hype. Stream all eight episodes on Amazon Prime Video or read all seven episodes on WEBTOON.

Capping this list of webtoons adapted into dramas is the eight-episode fantasy romance series Love for Love’s Sake. Although the show is completed, the original webtoon is ongoing. This show is about a 29-year-old who gets transported into a fantasy world as a 19-year-old student. In that world, he must bring happiness to his depressed classmate by navigating the “love supremacy zone.” You can watch Love for Love’s Sake with English subtitles in iQIYI. If you want to read the webtoon, the official English release is available on Tapas under the title Love Interest Zone.

Webtoon-based K-drama series are some of the most anticipated media exports of Korea. In addition to the popular actors and idols who secure lead roles, the source materials already have fanbases. Adapting a story from one form to another is a challenge in its right. Moreover, making these adaptations accessible to a global audience comes with unique drama and webtoon translation challenges. That’s where professional webtoon translation and typesetting companies like CCC come in.

As industry professionals, we ensure that the final translated product reflects the intentions of the source material. To achieve this goal, we have language experts on our team to oversee manga translation and manga typesetting.

Our skills in these areas apply to other media, including webtoons and games. If you have a project that you want global audiences to experience, we’re here to help! Contact us to maintain your source material’s culture while reaching broader audiences.