Web-based novels ride tide of popularity as sources for webtoon, drama adaptations
The cover of the web-based novel, “The Office Blind Date,” left, which was adapted for the small screen in February under the title, “A Business Proposal” / Courtesy of KakaoPage, SBS
By Park Han-sol
Web-based novels, which are typically serialized online in a pay-per-read format, have been riding a strong tide of popularity in recent years, as they have become one of the go-to literary sources for webtoon and drama adaptations.
The market for web fiction has shown remarkable growth within less than a decade, transforming itself from a 10 billion won ($8.23 million) industry in 2013 into a 600 billion won one in 2020, according to estimates by the Korea Creative Content Agency. This figure comes close to the market size of the print book industry, which stood at 713 billion won in 2020.
Some of the megahit web-based novels include “Omniscient Reader,” a fantasy action series that has accumulated over 200 million views in Korea alone. The story revolves around Kim Dok-ja, an average office worker whose favorite apocalyptic web novel comes to life. Now, he is tasked with shifting the course of the story to stop the world he is stuck in from meeting its ultimate demise.
Another popular fantasy action series is “Solo Leveling,” also translated as, “Only I Level Up,” which centers on a weak hunter's struggle for survival in a world full of humans with supernatural powers, until one day, when he is given the rare ability to “level up” and comes to possess unmatched strength.
One of the contributing factors to this new renaissance being enjoyed by web fiction is that such works of literature, where the narrative structures and characters can be easily visualized, have a high potential for being adapted into webtoons, films and dramas.
The webtoon version of “Omniscient Reader” is currently being published on Naver Webtoon in nine different languages and is scheduled for a cinematic adaptation, while “Solo Leveling,” published in web novel and comic format, has surpassed 14.2 billion views worldwide as of the beginning of this year.
“The Office Blind Date” has become the most recent success story of a web-based novel's adaptation into other entertainment genres.
The romantic comedy series, which started out as online fiction and subsequently turned into a digital comic, has exceeded 450 million views globally as of February, according to Kakao Entertainment.
The narrative focuses on the romance between two couples who cross paths with one another after an unexpected blind date. In February, the series was brought to the small screen under the title, “A Business Proposal.” Starring Ahn Hyo-seop and Kim Se-jeong, the show is currently airing on SBS and Netflix.
The drama series portrays a typical “Cinderella story” while incorporating cartoonish visual elements reminiscent of the source material. As the show has progressed, its viewership has continually risen, with the latest episode garnering an 11.6-percent rating. It has also topped Netflix's Global Top 10 list of most-watched non-English shows for the second consecutive week.
Other recognizable dramas originally based on web fiction include the rom-com “What's Wrong with Secretary Kim” (2018), as well as the historical romance dramas “The Red Sleeve” (2021) and “Love in the Moonlight” (2016).