With all the amazing webtoons-based dramas that have been released in the past couple of years, we have only become more excited about upcoming K-Dramas linked with webtoons.

The webtoon "The Mermaid I Loved" is a special case because the story was first written as a script for a drama production. The drama production is on its way and the webtoon was pre-released. The drama's production company, Group Eight, thought that in releasing it first as a webtoon they could showcase some of the various deep sea adventures of the story and also help garner attention for the drama.

The romance fantasy adventure webtoon “The Mermaid I Loved” ("내가 사랑한 물고기," literal translation, “The Fish I Loved”), written by Cosmic Bom Bom and Bubal (우주봄봄 and 부발), tells the story of a man whose intermittent transformations into a mermaid become increasingly uncontrollable as he experiences the emotion of love and spends time with a woman who he finds himself more and more attracted to. The season 1 of the webtoon ended on March 13th with 31 episodes.

Given the webtoon’s popularity, Group Eight is looking forward the positive effect the webtoon will have on the upcoming drama’s viewership. They have built a solid portfolio with dramas based on webtoons like "Taxi Driver", "My ID is Gangnam Beauty" and "A Good Day To Be A Dog". Among their awaited projects is the reboot of the popular drama "Princess Hours" (2006).

Currently, there are no actors cast for “The Mermaid I Loved”. Fans of the webtoon are waiting for the announcement of the cast. We can already think of actors and actresses who would be perfect for the roles!

We at Kpopmap have thought up a cast of actors who would suit this drama amazingly.

 

1. Sim Kai (심카이), a mermaid and 3rd generation chaebol

Sim Kai is the lead male character. He discovered he was a mermaid 12 years ago and he pretends to be a human.

When he shares physical touch with a woman, his fish scales begin to appear and he transforms back into his mermaid form. Because of this, he avoids all contact with women and has been single his whole life.

But due to his handsome looks, he has a lot of girls chasing after him, so he hired YaNa to pretend to be his girlfriend. However, he can’t help himself from having physical contact with YaNa even if it means he won’t be able breathe.

Kai is the son of the jewelry brand Inoroo, or 3rd generation chaebol, but he is not interested in the family business and instead prefers performing as a mermaid at the aquarium.

The actor must possess features suitable for long hair and a muscular physique to be able to portray a mermaid. He should exude charm and look dazzling in a suit, while also being capable of conveying a mix of cynicism, cuteness, and panic in his expressions. Comfort with underwater filming is also mandatory.

Moon SangMin, WEi's Kim YoHan, Baek SungChul, Kim MyungSoo (INFINITE's L), and Chae JongHyeop could be a good match.

Not only would they look stunning with long hair and looks amazing in suits, but their facial features would perfectly match the character's. Beyond their physical attributes, all five actors possess the talent and ability to convey Kai through the right facial expressions. The genre of fantasy romance suits them impeccably. Each actor would bring their unique colors and charms to the character, making him stand out on screen. Additionally, we can anticipate excellent chemistry with the lead actress.

Vote for your pick in the poll below!

 

2. Jung YaNa (정야나), an easy-going part-time student

Jung YaNa (24 years old) is the lead female character. She is a student who works a part-time job and has an easy-going personality.

She accidentally kisses Kai when she meets him for the first time, and shocked to see him suddenly fall very sick, she calls the ambulance. She ends up more shocked when she sees him put his face into a dirty bucket of water used for cleaning.

The actress should possess a mix of cuteness and strength, capable of expressing a wide range of emotions, and especially comedy. The character experiences rapid and extreme changes in emotions, so the actress should be able to show these transitions convincingly. Additionally, she should look just like a regular student, but be able to become a stunning lady with expensive clothes.

Kang MinAh, WJSN's Bona (Kim JiYeon), Chae SooBin, Girl's Day's HyeRi, and Seor InA could be a good match.

All five actresses have demonstrated their talented acting and are well-suited for a character like YaNa. Each of them possesses the ability to portray the youthful, cute, and fiery vibes of the female lead character. Comedy and expressive acting would not be an issue for any of them, so it would be a smooth portrayal of the character without overdoing it and making viewers laugh. No need to mention that they would all bring great chemistry with the lead actor! Being a romance, it is crucial.

Vote for your pick in the poll below!

 

The webtoon is not available in English officially yet, but you can read it in Korean here.

Let us know who you want to see cast!

Note: The aim of the vote is for Kpopmap readers to share their opinion about their preference for the cast. It is not affecting the cast of the production team.

Summer is here and it's time to switch up your style! One of the best ways to do that is by changing your hairstyle. So, you must be wondering - what's in these days? Well, you've come to the right place! Let us introduce to you the hot new trending "it girl" Korean hairstyle that's taking the internet by storm - antenna bangs!

You've heard of microbangs, curtain bangs, wispy bangs, blunt bangs, and several other variations of bangs before. However, antenna bangs are the current hot trend, especially in Korea.

This Y2K-inspired hairstyle involves pulling out the thinnest little strands of hair from the front section of your hair where you'd usually cut your bangs, and...that's about it! You can pull them out on one side of the face or both and they can be as short or long as you'd like! Anyone can do it, and it looks good on virtually everyone!

While the antenna bangs can give you a bold and striking look (as seen on Hailey Bieber below), Korea's version of the antenna bangs is more delicate and subtle.

After all, Korea loves the "effortless" look, so antenna bangs in Korea are also softer, more natural, and more inconspicuous but add a touch of feminine elegance to the face. Antenna bangs are much lighter and sparser than face-framing layers but still do a great job of enhancing the facial features.

Recently, Song HaYoon sported this hairstyle in the K-Drama "Marry My Husband", which contributed to the popularity of the antenna bangs even more. You may have also seen actresses like Go YounJung, Shin SaeKyeong, Suzy, Jeon YeoBeen, Shin HaeSun, Lim SeMi, and Kang MinAh sporting this trending hairstyle.

The antenna bangs are a quick and easy way to keep up with the current K-Trend without having to make a drastic change to your hair. There's almost no chance of them looking bad on you, and if you happen to think they do, you can just tuck them away, and no one would even know! We love that!

Then, are you going to try the trending Korean "it girl" hairstyle - antenna bangs too?

At Kpopmap, we list up all the dramas and web dramas based on webtoon. After 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 dramas based on webtoon, it is time to have a look at 2022!

Here are the dramas based on webtoon that aired in 2022.

Stay updated for 2023 and the following years here:

 

1. "Business Proposal" / Schedule status: From February 21

The web novel and webtoon "Business Proposal" also called "The Office Blind Date" (in Korean "사내 맞선") by HaeHwa, Perilla, and Narak is adapted into a drama. It tells the story of an ordinary office worker who disguises herself and goes on a blind date with her attractive boss in the place of her friend with the goal to end this unwanted marriage blind date after her request.

Ahn HyoSeop and Kim SeJeong are the leads. The drama airs on SBS from February 21.

To find out more about the drama and webtoon, check the cast and summary here.

Read 5 differences between the webtoon and K-Drama here.

Webtoon links: Korean / English.

 

2. "Tomorrow"/ Schedule status: From April 1st

The fantasy webtoon "Tomorrow" (in Korean "내일") by RaMa is adapted into a drama. It tells the story of the job seeker Choi JunWoong who fell into a coma due to an accident and entered the Special Crises Management Team of the underworld. The Special Crises Management Team was created because there have been too many suicides leading to an unexpected situation in the underworld. Their duty is to take care of humans with a high risk of suicide and to make them want to live.

The drama was produced by SuperMoon Pictures, who previously worked on "My Strange Hero" and "Goodbye to Goodbye", and StudioN. SF9’s RoWoon, Kim HeeSun, Lee SooHyuk, and Yoon JiOn are cast. The drama aired from April 1st on MBC.

For more information about the drama and webtoon, you can check here.

Webtoon links: Korean / Not officially available in English.

 

3. "All of Us Are Dead" / Schedule status: From January 28

The webtoon named "Now at our School" (in Korean "지금 우리 학교는") by Joo DongKeun is adapted into a drama. It is a zombie related webtoon restricted to readers under 18 years old, written in 2009. It tells the story of those isolated in a high school where a zombie virus has been spread, and those who are trying to save them.

The drama is a Netflix Original Korean drama under the title "All of Us Are Dead". The PD of the drama is Lee JaeKyu who worked on dramas such as "The King 2 Hearts" and movies "Intimate Strangers", "The Fatal Encounter", and "The Influence". Yoon ChanYoung, Park JiHu, Cho YiHyun, Lomon, and Yoo InSoo are the leads.

For more information about the drama and webtoon, you can check our cast and summary here.

Read 6 differences between the "All of Us Are Dead" webtoon and K-Drama here.

Webtoon links: Korean / English.

 

4. "Island"/ Schedule status: From December 30

The manhwa (manga) and webtoon "Island" (in Korean "아일랜드") by Yoon InWan and Yang KyungIl is adapted. It is about the monsters of Jeju Island who have been looking for opportunities to get rid of the human world for a long time, and their story when they started to target a chaebol heiress who arrived in Jeju Island.

Kim NamGil, Lee DaHee, ASTRO's Cha EunWoo, and Sung Joon are the leads.

Find out more about the drama and webtoon in the cast and summary here.

Webtoon links: Korean / Not officially available in English.

 

5. "Cherry Blossoms After Winter"/ Schedule status: From February 24

The BL webtoon "Cherry Blossoms After Winter" (in Korean "겨울지나벚꽃") by BamWoo is adapted into a drama. It is a romance drama about the friendship of two youths and their search for true love.

Super Five’s Ok JinWook and Kang Hui (Kang Hee) are the leads. The drama was released on February 24.

For more information about the drama and webtoon, you can check our cast and summary here. For a complete introduction to the characters, check here.

Read 6 differences between the webtoon and drama here.

Webtoon links: Korean / English.

 

6. "Again My Life"/ Schedule status: From April 8

The revenge webtoon "Again My Life" (in Korean "어게인 마이 라이프") by Lee HaeNal is adapted into a drama. It tells the story of  Kim HeeWu, a hot-blooded prosecutor who is murdered and gets to travel back in time after meeting with the Grim Reaper. He is ready to take revenge on a corrupt politician named Jo TaeSup.

Lee JoonGi, Kim JiEun, and Lee KyungYoung are the lead actors. The drama aired from April 8 on SBS.

If you want to know more about the webtoon you can have a look here.

You can check our cast and summary here for the full details about the drama.

Webtoon links: Korean / Not officially available in English.

 

7. "Kiss Sixth Sense" / Schedule status: From May 19

The romance webtoon "Kiss Sixth Sense" (in Korean "키스 식스 센스") by Got W and Jocobong is adapted into a drama. It is about the story of a woman who sees the future of someone she kisses, and their love triangle.

Yoon KyeSang, Seo JiHye, Kim JiSuk, and Lee JuYeon are cast in this Disney+ drama.

To know more about the webtoon, its plot, and its characters, click here.

For more information about the drama and webtoon, you can check our cast and summary here.

Webtoon links: Korean / English.

 

8. "The Sound of Magic"/ Schedule status: From May 6

The webtoon "Annarasumanara" (in Korean "안나라수마나라") by Ha IlKwon was adapted into the Netflix drama "The Sound of Magic". It tells the story of Yun Ai who lost her dream of becoming a magician and is living in difficult circumstances. She meets a magician and gradually starts to want to realize her dream.

The director Kim SungYoon who worked on "Love in the Moonlight" and "Itaewon Class" was in charge of the Netflix adaptation. Ji ChangWook, Hwang InYoup, and Choi SungEun are the lead actors.

Have a look at the webtoon and the main characters here.

For more information about the drama and webtoon, you can check our cast and summary here.

Webtoon links: Korean / English.

 

9. "Semantic Error" / Schedule status: From February 16

The BL web drama "Semantic Error" is the adaptation of the web novel "Semantic Error" (in Korean "시맨틱 에러") written by Jeosuri in 2018. The web novel was adapted into a webtoon in July 2020 (still ongoing with the illustrations from Enji). The campus BL "Semantic Error" tells the campus romance about the inflexible SangWoo and his encounter with the campus’ most popular student, JaeYoung.

Former KNK member Park SeoHam and DKZ’s JaeChan are the lead cast. The drama was released on February 16 on WATCHA.

For more information about the webtoon, check here.

You can check the cast and summary here for more information about the drama.

Read about 6 differences between the webtoon and the drama here.

Webtoon links: Korean / Not officially available in English.

 

10. "Jinxed At First" / Schedule status: From June 15

The fantasy romance webtoon "The Jinx’s Lover" (in Korean "징크스의 연인") by Han JiHye and KooSeul is adapted into the drama "Jinxed At First". It is a story about a man who adapts himself to his life full of misfortune, and the goddess, who jumps into the unknown world to lift the curse.

For the drama, the director Yoon SangHo is in charge. Na InWoo, SeoHyun, and Ki DoHun are the least cast. The drama started on June 15 on KBS.

Check out more about the webtoon here.

You can check the cast and summary here for more information about the drama.

Webtoon links: Korean / Not officially available in English.

 

11. "Internal Medicine Director Park" / Schedule status: From January 14

The comedy webtoon "Internal Medicine Director Park" (in Korean "내과 박원장") by Jang BongSoo is adapted into a drama. It tells the life of a doctor who dreamed being acknowledged but his life turns out different.

Lee SeoJin and Ra MiRan are cast in this TVing drama which started on January 14th.

Webtoon links: Korean / Not officially available in English.

 

12. "The Golden Spoon" / Schedule status: From September 23

The webtoon named "The Golden Spoon" (in Korean "금수저") is adapted into a drama. It tells the adventures of a kid that became a golden spoon (meaning from a rich family in Korean or a silver spoon for English speakers).

The drama was announced to be produced back in 2019 and was finally aired in 2022. BTOB's SungJae, DIA's Jung ChaeYeon, Lee JongWon, YeonWoo, and more was casted.

To find out more about the drama and webtoon, check the cast and summary here.

Read more about the characters and the plot in this introduction.

Webtoon links: Korean / Not officially available in English.

 

13. "Superior Day" / Schedule status: From March 13

The webtoon "Superior Day" (in Korean "우월한하루") by Team GetNam is adapted into a drama. It is a thriller about an ordinary father facing a situation where he has to kill a serial killer living next door to save his kidnapped daughter.

The OCN drama stars Jin Goo, Ha DoKwon, and Lee WonKeun.

You can check the cast and summary for more information about the drama here.

Webtoon links: Korean / Not officially available in English.

 

14. "The Forbidden Mariage" / Schedule status: From December 9

The historical romance webtoon named "Joseon’s Ban on Marriage" (in Korean "금혼령-조선혼인금지령") by Cheon JiHye and SanChaek is adapted into the drama "The Forbidden Mariage". It tells the story of King Lee Heon, who lost the crown princess 7 years ago and issued a marriage ban, and Ye SoRang, a marriage scammer who appears and says she can be possessed by the spirit of the deceased crown princess.

Kim YoungDae, Park JuHyun, and Kim WooSeok are cast for this MBC historical drama.

You can check the cast and summary for more information about the drama here.

Webtoon links: Korean / Not officially available in English.

 

15. "Spring of Crush" / Schedule status: From May 18

The BL historical webtoon "Spring of Crush" (in Korean "‘춘정지란") by Noh MyoungHyi is adapted into a web drama. It is the BL historical romance drama of three men that takes place when the lead character pretends to be a woman and marries to take off his status of slave.

Yoo YoungJae and Kim Sung are the lead roles.

You can check the cast and summary here.

Webtoon links: Korean / English.

 

16. "Gaus Electronics" / Schedule status: From September 30

The webtoon "Gaus Electronics" (in Korean "가우스전자") by Kwak BaekSoo is adapted into a drama. It tells the joys and sorrows of office workers at the multinational Gaus Electronics.

Director Park JoonSoo was in charge of the adaptation. Kwak DongYeon, Ko SungHee, Bae HyeonSeong, and Kang MinAh are casted for the drama.

To find out more about the drama and webtoon, check the cast and summary here.

Webtoon links: Korean / Not officially available in English.

 

17. "Summer Strike" / Schedule status: From November 21

The webtoon "I Don't Want To Do Anything" (in Korean "아무것도 하고 싶지 않아") by Joo YoungHyun is adapted into the drama called "Summer Strike". The webtoon tells the growing pains experienced by a 26-year-old girl named YeoReum. The drama will tell the story of YeoReum who declares she will lead a strict life at the age of 28.

GT:st (a subsidiary of Studio Dragon) and director Lee YoonJung ("Coffee Prince", "Cheese in The Trap") are in charge of the adaptation. Yim SiWan and SeolHyun are the leads of the drama.

To find out more about the drama and webtoon, check the cast and summary here.

Webtoon links: Korean / English.

 

18. "Unlock The Boss" / Schedule status: From December 7

The comic webtoon "Unlock The Boss" (in Korean "사장님을 잠금해제") by Park SungHyun is adapted into a drama. It tells the story of a boss trapped into a smartphone, and his new employee who found the phone. The story revolves as they dig to find the truth.

It is a KT Studio Genie original series. Chae JongHyeop and Seo EunSoo are cast into drama.

To find out more about the drama and webtoon, check the cast and summary here.

Webtoon links: Korean / Not officially available in English.

 

19. "Weak Hero Class 1"  / Schedule status: From November 18

The webtoon "Weak Hero" (in Korean "약한영웅") by Seopass and Razen was announced to be adapted into a drama. It tells the story of an ordinary-looking high school boy who becomes the best fighter in a high school full of bullies.

Jaedam Media signed a co-production contract with PLAYLIST. It is a Wavve Original drama. Park JiHoon and Choi HyunWook are cast among others.

Find out the cast and summary here.

Check out more about the characters and vote for your dream cast here.

Webtoon links: Korean / English.

 

20. "Oh! Boarding House” / Schedule status: From February 22

The BL webtoon named “The Fifth Boarding House”  (in Korean “하숙집 오!번지” ) written by Penguin is adapted into a web drama. It tells the romantic relationships of the tenants who are living in a boarding house together.

Im SungKyun and Shin YongSeok are the lead actors of this drama.

Find out more about the drama and webtoon check the cast and summary here.

Webtoon links: Korean / Not officially available in English.

 

21. "Blue of Winter” / Schedule status: From March 15

"Blue of Winter" (also known as "Judo Boys") is not based on a webtoon but a webtoon is released along with the web drama. It tells the story of three protagonists who meet at a judo competition in high school and become intertwined in an interesting fate as they build their respective futures.

Jeon YuBin, Min InGi, Lee JeongMin, and Yoo YoungMo are the leads of this BL web drama.

For more about the web drama, check our cast and summary here. For more about the webtoon "Blue of Winter", have a look here at its introduction.

Webtoon links: Korean / Not officially available in English.

 

22. "Blueming” / Schedule status: From March 31

The BL webtoon "Who Can Define Popularity?" (in Korean "인기는 무언가 잘못되었다?") by Tak Bon is adapted into the web drama "Blueming". It is a campus romance between two film department students, which started when SiWon, the student who tries hard to gain popularity, meets DaWoon, who is naturally popular around everyone.

Kang EunBin and Cho HyukJun are the leads.

Check out the cast and summary here, for more about the drama and teaser.

Webtoon links: Korean / English.

 

23. "The Director Who Buys Me Dinner" / Schedule status: From December 15

The webtoon "The Director Who Buys Me Dinner" (in Korean "밥만잘사주는이상한이사님") by Toesa and Yang EunJi will be adapted in a drama. It tells the story of a new employee of a company thinks his director is crazy because he said he has lived 3 lives and that they must date or they will die.

Park YoungWoon, Park JeongWoo, and W.O.W's YooSung are cast in this web drama to be released in 2022.

Webtoon links: Korean / Not officially available in English.

 

24. "The Law Cafe" / Schedule status: From September 5

The webtoon "Love According To Law" (in Korean "법대로 사랑하라") by IlLi and No SeunGa is adapted into a drama. It tells the story of former Miss Korea and lawyer Kim YuRi quit the big law firm she was working at and set up her own "Law cafe". She thought her dreams were brilliant until she met the owner of her cafe's building for her rent contract - her old friend from high school JungHo. What could be the true feelings of this person who sways her heart?

Lee SeungGi and Lee SeYoung are cast in this KBS drama.

Check out the cast and summary here, for more about the drama and teaser.

Webtoon links: Korean / Not officially available in English.

 

25. "Connect" / Schedule Status: From December 7

The thriller webtoon "Connect" by Sin DaeSung is produced as a drama by Disney+. It tells the story of a man  who lost his eyes to a organ hunters. He gets connected to the person who received a transplant.

Jung HaeIn, Go KyungPyo, and Kim HyeJun are casted into the drama.

For more information about the drama and webtoon, you can check here.

Webtoon links: Korean / Not officially available in English.

 

26. "Seasons of Blossom" / Schedule status: From September 21

The high school romance webtoon "Seasons of Blossom" (in Korean: "청춘 블라썸") by HongDuck and Nemone is adapted into a drama. It tells the love and friendship of 18-year-old high school students who are just starting their youth.

So JuYeon and Seo JiHoon are casted into the drama. The production company Playlist is in charge of the adaptation. The webtoon is popular in and out of Korea with more than eight languages available.

For more information about the drama and webtoon, you can check here.

Webtoon links: Korean / English.

 

27. "The New Employee" / Schedule status: From December 21

The BL webtoon "The New Employee" or "The New Recruit" (in Korean "신입사원") by Jake (first published as a web novel by Moskareto) is adapted into a web drama. It tells the love story of a company team leader and an intern at an advertising company.

Kwon Hyuk, Moon JiYong, and Choi SiHun are the lead actors. The drama is a Watcha original.

For more information about the drama and webtoon, you can check here.

Webtoon links: Korean (need to over 19 years old) / English.

 

 Season 2

28. "Work Later, Drink Now 2" / Schedule status: From December 9

The season 2 of the drama "Work Later, Drink Now" based on the webtoon "Drinker City Girls" (in Korean "술꾼도시 처녀들") by MiKkang is confirmed. It tells the stories of 3 women of 30-year-old who drink alcohol as their life religion.

Apink’s EunJi, Han SunHwa, Lee SunBin, and Super Junior’s Siwon who were cast for the first season, are also cast for the 2nd season.

Check our cast and summary here for more about the drama and the characters.

Check out the 4 differences between the webtoon and the drama here.

Webtoon links: Korean / Not officially available in English.

 

29. "No, Thank You 2" /  Schedule status: From January 8

The webtoon "Daughter-in-Law" (in Korean "며느라기") by Soo ShinJi was adapted in 2020 into the web drama "No, Thank You". A season 2 is released in 2022. It tells the episodes that happen to the ordinary daughter-in-law Min SaRin after she got to meet her in-laws.

Park HaSun, Kwon Yul, Moon HeeKyung, and Kim JongGoo are the lead actors of this Kakao TV web drama.

For more information, pictures, and teaser of the drama and webtoon, you can check our cast and summary here.

Webtoon links: Korean / English Instagram

 

Stay updated for 2023 and the following years here: