How to watch dramas and films based on webtoons

Why so many webtoons get adapted

A webtoon is a story whose reader response has already been tested, and because characters and scenes are already drawn, there is plenty of reference material when bringing it to the screen. It also comes with a fanbase built up during serialisation. That has made webtoons a major source for drama and film production. Yoon Tae-ho's Misaeng became a tvN drama in 2014, and Jo Kwang-jin's Itaewon Class aired as a drama in 2020. Having a source is an opportunity for viewers too, because you can compare directly how two media handle the same story.

Adaptation is rewriting

Adaptations are often marked down simply for being different from the original, but when the medium changes, the same story works differently. In a webtoon, readers set their own scrolling pace and fill the gaps between panels with imagination. On screen, emotion has to come through actors' faces and voices and music within a fixed time. Long monologues or exaggerated expressions that worked in the webtoon easily look awkward in live action and tend to be changed. Thinking about why something changed, rather than just what changed, makes adaptations far more interesting.

Five things that often change

When comparing source and adaptation, the points that change are fairly predictable. Keeping the list below in mind makes the differences easier to see systematically, and lets fans talk in specifics rather than a vague "it's different".

• Length: a long serial is trimmed or merged to fit a limited run or running time
• Characters: supporting roles are merged or new ones added to tidy relationships
• Order: events are rearranged so each episode has an ending
• Ending: rewritten if the serial hasn't finished or the ending doesn't suit the medium
• Tone: comedy or fantasy elements are reduced and realism raised

Differences in length and rhythm

Bringing a long-running webtoon into a single drama season or a single film inevitably means cutting a great deal. A webtoon breaks each chapter to make you curious about the next, whereas a drama episode needs its own arc and a film must wrap up its story within one screening. So relationships that build slowly in the source may be compressed into a few scenes on screen. Most of what fans feel is "rushed" comes from here. Conversely, a scene that passes quickly in the original sometimes stretches out on screen and gains new weight.

Judging casting and visualisation

Every time a webtoon adaptation is announced, whether the actors look like the characters becomes the talking point. But more important than physical resemblance is whether the character's personality, voice and movement work convincingly within the story. Rather than asking whether an iconic scene was recreated exactly, it is fairer to ask whether the emotion that scene gave in the original was rebuilt in the language of film. Matching hairstyles and costumes exactly to the drawings can actually look odd in live action.

When the original creator is involved

Sometimes the original creator takes part in writing or development. In the case of Itaewon Class, the creator Jo Kwang-jin also wrote the drama's screenplay. With the creator involved, you sometimes see bold changes made for the medium while the core of the characters is protected. When the creator is not involved, the production team's interpretation shows more strongly. Checking the credits for what role the creator holds helps you guess the direction of the adaptation.

Source or screen: which first?

There is no right answer to which to start with, but you can choose by situation. Whichever comes first, you will know the story by the time you reach the second, so focusing on differences in expression rather than plot keeps it from getting dull.

• For twist-driven thrillers, the first version gives the surprise, so start with whichever appeals more
• If the source is very long, get the main line from the screen version and fill in detail from the original
• If you have already read the original, focus on the adaptation's choices rather than the ending
• If the webtoon is still running, remember the adaptation may reach a different ending

Common mistakes when comparing

The most common mistake is declaring an adaptation a failure just because it differs from the source. A faithful adaptation does not automatically make good television or film, and heavily changed adaptations are sometimes better received. Fans talking among themselves should also take care not to reveal the original's ending in front of someone who hasn't watched the adaptation yet. Enjoying each as an independent work first, then adding the pleasure of comparison, lets you get the most out of both.