The Childhood Connection: The Psychological Reason K-Dramas Are Obsessed with This Trope

Hello! This is Sunny from K-Music Note.

What do the global mega-hits 'Moving,' 'Sweet Home,' and 'Kingdom' all have in common? They all started as webtoons. Today, webtoons are no longer just online comics; they are the roots of the massive tree we call K-content, the primary "source code" for the entire industry. So how exactly does a simple digital comic transform into a multi-million dollar global project? Let's follow that secret journey together.

Why Are Production Studios Obsessed with Webtoon IP?

Making a new drama or movie requires a staggering amount of money. For a production studio, a box-office flop is the ultimate risk. This is where webtoon IPs come in as a "verified bet," significantly reducing that risk.

• A Built-in Fanbase: A popular webtoon already has millions of loyal fans. These fans become a built-in audience for the adaptation, providing a powerful foundation for its initial success.
• A Proven Storyline: A story that has been serialized over several years and refined by reader feedback is a solid narrative backbone. It's far more reliable than creating a brand-new story from scratch.
• The Perfect Visual Blueprint: Every panel of a webtoon is essentially a pre-made storyboard for the director and crew, detailing character expressions, camera angles, and settings. This dramatically cuts down on time and costs during pre-production.

Thanks to these advantages, countless production studios in Korea are scrolling through Naver Webtoon and Kakao Webtoon right now, hunting for the raw diamond that could become the next 'Squid Game'.

The 3-Step Process of Webtoon IP Expansion

The journey of a webtoon from comic panel to live-action content can be broken down into three key stages.

Step 1: Discovery & Planning

It all starts with spotting potential. The IP business teams at webtoon platforms (like Naver and Kakao) or drama production studios constantly analyze data. They look at cumulative views, payment data, comment sentiment, and even the age and gender of the primary readership to select works suitable for adaptation. They focus on key questions: 'Is the story original?', 'Are the characters compelling?', and 'Will this be visually exciting on screen?'

Step 2: The Deal

Once a suitable work is found, the production company proposes an adaptation deal to the original creator (the artist) and the rights holder (their agency, studio, or platform). This stage involves a contract for the "secondary creation rights." The terms vary wildly based on the IP's popularity, but they typically include:

• License Fee: An upfront payment for the rights to adapt the work.
• Running Royalty / Revenue Share: A condition to pay an additional percentage of the revenue generated after the show airs (from VOD, international sales, etc.).
• Creator's Rights: Defines the extent of the original creator's involvement in the adaptation process and how they will be credited.

[An Insider's Advice] The key to a great IP deal often lies less in the size of the upfront license fee and more in the running royalty and creator's rights clauses. Structuring a deal that fairly shares the profits of a massive success is what benefits both the artist and the industry in the long run.

Step 3: Adaptation & Production

With the contract signed, professional screenwriters and directors are brought in to "translate" the webtoon into the new medium. This is the adaptation phase. The long-form narrative of a webtoon is condensed to fit a 2-hour film or a 16-episode series. Sometimes new characters are added, or the ending is changed. The key to a successful adaptation is preserving the core charm and message of the original while adding new appeal that leverages the strengths of video. After this process, the project moves to casting, filming, and post-production, finally emerging as the dramas and films we know and love.

Key Takeaways in 3 Lines

• Production studios love webtoon IP because of the built-in fanbase, proven stories, and ready-made visual references.
• A webtoon's journey to the screen follows a 3-step process: Discovery & Planning → The Contract Deal → Adaptation & Production.
• The secret to success lies in a skillful adaptation that respects the original while creating something new and exciting for the screen.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How involved is the original webtoon artist in the drama's production?
A1: It depends on the contract and the artist's wishes. Some artists are deeply involved as consultants on the script, while many prefer to entrust the adaptation to the professional production team.

Q2: Do all popular webtoons get turned into dramas or movies?
A2: Not necessarily. Even if a webtoon is popular, it might be deemed unsuitable for adaptation if the story is too sprawling or if the CGI costs for a sci-fi/fantasy series would be astronomical. It's always a business decision based on budget vs. potential profit.

Q3: If a drama is very different from the original webtoon, is it considered a failure?
A3: Not at all. While there's a risk of alienating original fans, many adaptations have achieved even greater success by adding new elements that surpassed the source material. What matters isn't the change itself, but how compelling and well-executed that change is.