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Manhwas Turned Into K-Drama!
This list will mainly focus on manhwas or webtoons with the romance genre that have been successfully adapted to a South Korean drama series. Most, if not all, of these manhwas/drama I have already read and seen, so this'll be a review, too. I will put in a separate list the ones which I have not watched/read yet, and those that are still in talks/production. Enjoy the links of where you can find these!
Read-and-watched
Author: soonkki
Seol Hong is a hard-working student, who has returned to college after a long break. Jung Yu is a senior at the college known as Mr. Perfect. Seol feels like her life took a turn for the worse since she got involved with Jung. Is Jung intentionally turning Seol's life?
Starring:
Male Lead: Park Hae Jin as Jung Yoo
Female Lead: Kim Go Eun as Hong Seol
Second Male Lead: Seo Kang Joon as Baek In Ho
Second Female Lead: Lee Sung Kyung as Baek In Ha
Seol's best friend: Park Min Ji as Jang Bo Ra
Seol & Bora's lackey: Nam Joo Hyuk as Kwon Eun Taek
Probably my favorite manhwa adaptation of all time. The cast was PERFECT! From the leads to the villains, to the extras, they had the perfect chemistry. Excellent acting and cinematography for a small-screen adaptation. I was so into this that I even downloaded the Original Soundtrack and background music (they're perfect for studying bgm).
I read the webtoon months before the adaptation was announced, but since it was ongoing there were scenes which I think weren't based on the author's work, which is sad and horrible but I got over it eventually. The story around the characters, and even the characters themselves, are so complex. It was going soooo well at first, then the director/scriptwriter decided that since everyone was having the second-lead syndrome anyway, might as well change the tides of the later part of the series. Even though the drama took the wrong turn, and second syndrome or not, it didn't spoil the adaptation for me. I didn't give a shit who ends up with Seol because I loved both Jung and Inho. They were both good for Seol for different reasons.
To make up for the angry response, they decided to make a movie version with the same Male Lead but different people for the rest of the cast. I COULDN'T ACCEPT IT so I didn't watch altogether. I just couldn't let go of Kim Go Eun's rendition of Hong Seol...she was made for that role. Fun fact: the role was offered to Suzy Bae, too, but the fans protested lol I was one of them.
This manhwa and drama is good for the mature-minded. It's unlike most romance stories where everything is just exaggerated. Cheese in the Trap depicts realistic hardships of people. It will capture your attention and make you want to read/watch it again and again just to understand all the undercurrents going on in the story. And since it is situated in a college setting, this will be good for those who will soon venture into college so that they can see what's going ahead of them, and those who are in the higher years because they can relate to elements stirring in the settings.
Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
Start watching the movie ←
2. My ID is Gangnam Beauty (2018) [manhwa name: I am Gangnam Beauty]
Author: Gi Meng-gi or KMK
The ugly girl who was able to be reborn as a beauty, Kang Mirae! However, I feel like I've seen you somewhere?
Starring:
Another perfect cast! Although the acting is a bit mediocre (tbh at times it was horrible), the actors are the embodiment of their respective characters. I loved the values in the story: anti-bullying, true beauty and friendship, two sides of a coin, labels, attention, etc. I fell in love with the production, the bgm, the editing, and the effects. The OSTs in this one are great for good-vibes playlists. And this one has a college setting, too.
The main concerns about the casting was that the FL, Soohyang is older than the ML, Eunwoo. I had prejudice about it at first, too, but it was swept away somewhere in episode 2. No problems with the supporting cast, they did very well. The actress for the villain being "hated" meant that she portrayed the character so well, but I still feel sorry for her. And some warnings! The second male lead syndrome on this one is super strong... so viewers might get frustrated watching him be let down.
If you read the webtoon after you watch the drama, you might get a whiplash so I suggest you prepare yourself. I say whiplash because you'll have great expectations for the manhwa after watching the drama, but the art style may not be your cup of tea. That didn't stop me from reading, but I wanted to give you a heads-up!
Male Lead: Cha Eunwoo as Do Kyungseok
Female Lead: Im Soo-hyang as Kang Mi-rae
Second Male Lead: Kwak Dong-yeon as Yeon Woo-young
Second Female Lead: Jo Woo-ri as Hyun Soo-a
Mirae's best friend: Min Do-hee as Oh Hyun-jung
Mirae's best friend: Min Do-hee as Oh Hyun-jung
Another perfect cast! Although the acting is a bit mediocre (tbh at times it was horrible), the actors are the embodiment of their respective characters. I loved the values in the story: anti-bullying, true beauty and friendship, two sides of a coin, labels, attention, etc. I fell in love with the production, the bgm, the editing, and the effects. The OSTs in this one are great for good-vibes playlists. And this one has a college setting, too.
The main concerns about the casting was that the FL, Soohyang is older than the ML, Eunwoo. I had prejudice about it at first, too, but it was swept away somewhere in episode 2. No problems with the supporting cast, they did very well. The actress for the villain being "hated" meant that she portrayed the character so well, but I still feel sorry for her. And some warnings! The second male lead syndrome on this one is super strong... so viewers might get frustrated watching him be let down.
If you read the webtoon after you watch the drama, you might get a whiplash so I suggest you prepare yourself. I say whiplash because you'll have great expectations for the manhwa after watching the drama, but the art style may not be your cup of tea. That didn't stop me from reading, but I wanted to give you a heads-up!
Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
3. What's Wrong With Secretary Kim? (2018)
Starring:
Y'all can relax when watching this one. A rom-com with over-the-top chemistry between the leads and the cast, high quality production and cinematography, and best of all, no second-lead syndrome inducing scenes! For sure, you'll fan girl over this.
This story has everything all in one, actually. It has thriller/suspense + psychology + great fashion sense + diabetes inducing scenes + abs + humour + perfect ending. What more can you ask for?
After enjoying the drama, I went on to read the webtoon to see what they added and cut off the resource. However, I was pleasantly surprised. They followed the webtoon almost to the point of perfection! They did add scenes, mostly about the office workers, but that's understandable/reasonable because they do need fillers. The story would've been too short for a sixteen-episode drama otherwise. I wish they found a more suitable actor for Youngjoon's dad, shot the extra chapter after the leads got together, shot the scenes between Miso and Youngjoon's dads, and shot the scenes for ML's best friend reuniting with his ex-wife..because these scenes were seriously so hilarious in the webtoon. They don't change the course of the drama but having these on the screen would've been so fulfilling.
Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
4. The Bride of Habaek (2017) [manhwa name: The Bride of the Water God]
Author: Yoon mi-kyung
Starring:
Start watching the K-drama ←
3. What's Wrong With Secretary Kim? (2018)
Author: Jeong Gyeong Yun, Kim Myeongmi
Handsome, loaded, and arrogant Youngjoon is the VP of a major corporation. Miso has been his perfect secretary, practically legend for surviving her narcissistic boss for 9 long years. But now that she's quitting, is there really nothing -- or no one -- that can stop her from walking away? "Please don't quit, my perfect secretary!"
Starring:
Male Lead: Park Seo Joon as Vice President Lee Youngjoon
Female Lead: Park Minyoung as Secretary Kim Mi So
Second Male Lead: Lee Tae Hwan as Lee Sung-yeon/Morpheus
Y'all can relax when watching this one. A rom-com with over-the-top chemistry between the leads and the cast, high quality production and cinematography, and best of all, no second-lead syndrome inducing scenes! For sure, you'll fan girl over this.
This story has everything all in one, actually. It has thriller/suspense + psychology + great fashion sense + diabetes inducing scenes + abs + humour + perfect ending. What more can you ask for?
After enjoying the drama, I went on to read the webtoon to see what they added and cut off the resource. However, I was pleasantly surprised. They followed the webtoon almost to the point of perfection! They did add scenes, mostly about the office workers, but that's understandable/reasonable because they do need fillers. The story would've been too short for a sixteen-episode drama otherwise. I wish they found a more suitable actor for Youngjoon's dad, shot the extra chapter after the leads got together, shot the scenes between Miso and Youngjoon's dads, and shot the scenes for ML's best friend reuniting with his ex-wife..because these scenes were seriously so hilarious in the webtoon. They don't change the course of the drama but having these on the screen would've been so fulfilling.
Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
4. The Bride of Habaek (2017) [manhwa name: The Bride of the Water God]
Author: Yoon mi-kyung
When Soah's impoverished, desperate village decides to sacrifice her to the Water God Habaek to end a long drought, they believe that drowning one beautiful girl will save their entire community and bring much-needed rain. Not only is Soah surprised to be rescued by the Water God - instead of killed - she never imagined she'd be a welcomed guest in Habaek's magical kingdom, where an exciting new life awaits her! Most surprising, however, is the Water God himself... and how very different he is from the monster Soah imagined.
Starring:
Male Lead: Nam Joo Hyuk as Habaek
Female Lead: Shin Se Kyung as Yoon So-ah
Second Male Lead: Gong Myung as Bi-ryum
Second Female Lead: Krystal Jung as Moora
Honestly, I don't like the drama adaptation very much, or at all. I persistently watched it solely because of (1) I read the manhwa way before this was up for the screen so I was curious; (2) it had Nam Joohyuk & Krystal Jung; (3) it supposedly had good chemistry. But I was sooooo disappointed! It didn't follow the manhwa at all! It seemed like another story altogether. And Shin Se Kyung's poor acting! Gah, it was so taxing just to get through her scenes.
The manhwa has a style which is very different from other manhwas you'll find out there. It's not coloured but it's not like the typical Japanese shoujo manga style either. It's more of a mix of style from Josei mangakas Ohmi Tomu and Maki Miyako, which would make sense; it is kinda Josei too (?) because of its mature and historical themes. Heads-up if you want to read the manhwa: IT IS HELLA LONG. The English translation is still ongoing at 154 chapters.
Too bad, really. I was so looking forward to this drama because I loved the manhwa. They just butchered the story so bad. But I will still put it here, I can only hope you watch/read it with no bias.
Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
5. Extraordinary You (2019) [manhwa name: July Found By Chance]
Author: Muryu
This rom-com is the ideal idol drama. Young and pretty visuals, great chemistry, okay-acting, interesting plot, awesome effects, and hilarious scenes. I didn't develop a second lead syndrome on this one, maybe it's because I've already read most of the manhwa before I watched the drama. I've already seen how much of an asshole he really was to the female lead before he had been amended by the dramalol.
I have noticed something though. They didn't follow the manhwa entirely. I'm not ranting but Dan-oh in the manhwa is very different from Dan-oh in the drama. Hye-yoon's acting is fabulous but Dan-oh is an Ice Queen in the manhwa. She had that resting bitch face, which I didn't see on Hye-yoon. We're talking about appearances here but that is a big take-away from the character since it would make perfect sense why the second ML had such a reaction to her.
The story had me on my toes. I couldn't see where the story was going in to. It was a refreshing thing because most Kdramas and shoujo mangas had cliche plot lines. The plot twists had me rolling. I very much liked both forms of the story.
Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
6. Princess Hours (2006) [manhwa name: Goong]
Author: Park So Hee
Starring:
Honestly, I don't like the drama adaptation very much, or at all. I persistently watched it solely because of (1) I read the manhwa way before this was up for the screen so I was curious; (2) it had Nam Joohyuk & Krystal Jung; (3) it supposedly had good chemistry. But I was sooooo disappointed! It didn't follow the manhwa at all! It seemed like another story altogether. And Shin Se Kyung's poor acting! Gah, it was so taxing just to get through her scenes.
The manhwa has a style which is very different from other manhwas you'll find out there. It's not coloured but it's not like the typical Japanese shoujo manga style either. It's more of a mix of style from Josei mangakas Ohmi Tomu and Maki Miyako, which would make sense; it is kinda Josei too (?) because of its mature and historical themes. Heads-up if you want to read the manhwa: IT IS HELLA LONG. The English translation is still ongoing at 154 chapters.
Too bad, really. I was so looking forward to this drama because I loved the manhwa. They just butchered the story so bad. But I will still put it here, I can only hope you watch/read it with no bias.
Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
5. Extraordinary You (2019) [manhwa name: July Found By Chance]
Author: Muryu
Starring:A week ago Danoh started noticing “Something is wrong.”; she loses memories intermittently and sees the future like hallucinations.. Accidentally she found a comic book which’s exactly all about their school life! -- They turn out to be characters inside this comic world and she’s just the extra with terminal illness. Their lives are under restriction of the creator/author. But at least she wants to find her first love by herself..
Male Lead: Rowoon as Number 13 / Ha-ru
Female Lead: Kim Hye-yoon as Eun Dan-oh
Second Male Lead: Lee Jae-wook as Baek Kyung
This rom-com is the ideal idol drama. Young and pretty visuals, great chemistry, okay-acting, interesting plot, awesome effects, and hilarious scenes. I didn't develop a second lead syndrome on this one, maybe it's because I've already read most of the manhwa before I watched the drama. I've already seen how much of an asshole he really was to the female lead before he had been amended by the drama
I have noticed something though. They didn't follow the manhwa entirely. I'm not ranting but Dan-oh in the manhwa is very different from Dan-oh in the drama. Hye-yoon's acting is fabulous but Dan-oh is an Ice Queen in the manhwa. She had that resting bitch face, which I didn't see on Hye-yoon. We're talking about appearances here but that is a big take-away from the character since it would make perfect sense why the second ML had such a reaction to her.
The story had me on my toes. I couldn't see where the story was going in to. It was a refreshing thing because most Kdramas and shoujo mangas had cliche plot lines. The plot twists had me rolling. I very much liked both forms of the story.
Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
6. Princess Hours (2006) [manhwa name: Goong]
Author: Park So Hee
Monarchy ended long ago in Korea, but there are still other countries with Kings, Queens, princes and princesses. What if Korea had continued monarchism? What if all the beautiful palaces which are now only historical relics were actually filled with people? What if the glamorous royal family still maintained the palace customs? Welcome to a world where Korea still has the royal family living their lives! But for Che-Kyung, a high-school girl, this is a tragedy, since she has to marry the prince who turns out to be a total jerk!
Starring:
Male Lead: Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Lee Shin
Female Lead: Yoon Eun-hye as Shin Chae-kyeong
Second Male Lead: Kim Jeong-hoon as Prince Lee Yul
Second Female Lead: Song Ji-hyo as Min Hyo-rin
This has to be the first KDrama I have ever watched. Watching it again as a college student myself, 10 years later, this drama really invoked so much nostalgia. My sister was a big fan of this when it hit the national television in my country back in 2006 and convinced my parents to buy the DVD version of it in exchange for studying college away from home. When she left, I snuck in her room and played it on our TV when my parents were busy with work, as I was the only one left with my siblings all away for college.
I never knew that it was actually based on a manhwa until I re-watched it. Similar to The Bride of the Water God, it has that old, Josei style, unlike most manhwas. As you might notice, colourful strips of comic is the trademark of Korean webtoons, so these two are really easily distinguishable. The manhwa is 142 chapters long, and has a different ending from the drama.
This would be a first but I gotta tell you: I like the drama adaptation more than the manhwa.
I think they've only loosely based the drama on the manhwa, which is a wise decision. They both induce the same emotions in you: fun, laughter, sorrow, hate, frustration, love...but the manhwa took sorrow and frustration to a whole new level. I don't want to spoil, so you read, watch and compare them yourself.
Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
This has to be the first KDrama I have ever watched. Watching it again as a college student myself, 10 years later, this drama really invoked so much nostalgia. My sister was a big fan of this when it hit the national television in my country back in 2006 and convinced my parents to buy the DVD version of it in exchange for studying college away from home. When she left, I snuck in her room and played it on our TV when my parents were busy with work, as I was the only one left with my siblings all away for college.
I never knew that it was actually based on a manhwa until I re-watched it. Similar to The Bride of the Water God, it has that old, Josei style, unlike most manhwas. As you might notice, colourful strips of comic is the trademark of Korean webtoons, so these two are really easily distinguishable. The manhwa is 142 chapters long, and has a different ending from the drama.
This would be a first but I gotta tell you: I like the drama adaptation more than the manhwa.
I think they've only loosely based the drama on the manhwa, which is a wise decision. They both induce the same emotions in you: fun, laughter, sorrow, hate, frustration, love...but the manhwa took sorrow and frustration to a whole new level. I don't want to spoil, so you read, watch and compare them yourself.
Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
Haven't read or seen
These are the ones which have been successfully turned into a Kdrama but I haven't read or seen yet. I won't be saying anything about it but I'll put the links of where you can read and watch them.
1. Her Private Life (2019) [novel name: Noona Fan Dot Com (2007)]
Author: Kim Sung-yeon
Jo Ara is 30 years old and she is a huge fangirl of idol MinJun member of Shooting Stars. She runs a famous Korean restaurant in Gangnam. She is looking to hire someone that can manage the restaurant more professionally. It is MinHyun who she hires but he is actually MinJun’s older brother. Ara has two faces, the one of the fangirl and the one of the well-mannered boss of a Korean restaurant. When MinHyun who looks like his brother MinJun arrived at her restaurant, her heart started to beat.
According to KPOPMAP, the story is slightly different from the drama and the novel was adapted into webtoon in 2019, too.
Start reading the novel ←
Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
2. Orange Marmalade (2015)
Start watching the K-drama ←
3. Love Alarm (2019)
Start watching the K-drama ←
4. The Fairy and the Woodcutter (2018)
Start watching the K-drama ←
5. Clean For Passion For Now
Start watching the K-drama ←
6. Scholar Who Walks the Night (2015)
Start watching the K-drama ←
7. Method to Hate You
Start watching the K-drama ←
8. Housekeeper
Start watching the K-drama ←
9. Tales of Nukdu (2019)
Author:
Start watching the K-drama ←
10. Moonlight Drawn By Clouds (2016)
Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
11. Welcome (2020)
Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
12. Memorist (2020)
Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
Start reading the novel ←
Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
2. Orange Marmalade (2015)
Author:
Start reading the manhwa ←Start watching the K-drama ←
3. Love Alarm (2019)
Author:
Start reading the manhwa ←Start watching the K-drama ←
4. The Fairy and the Woodcutter (2018)
Author:
Start reading the manhwa ←Start watching the K-drama ←
5. Clean For Passion For Now
Author:
Start reading the manhwa ←Start watching the K-drama ←
6. Scholar Who Walks the Night (2015)
Author:
Start reading the manhwa ←Start watching the K-drama ←
7. Method to Hate You
Author:
Start reading the manhwa ←Start watching the K-drama ←
8. Housekeeper
Author:
Start reading the manhwa ←Start watching the K-drama ←
9. Tales of Nukdu (2019)
Author:
A romantic comedy set in Joseon that tells the romance between a man who is disguising as a woman to infiltrate a community for widows, and a girl that hates the idea of becoming a gisaeng.Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
10. Moonlight Drawn By Clouds (2016)
Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
11. Welcome (2020)
Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
12. Memorist (2020)
Start reading the manhwa ←
Start watching the K-drama ←
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