Written by: Pooja Vishwanathan, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh

Edited by: Jayati Bhardwaj, Delhi

Brace yourself and get ready to be enthralled by these webtoons as you embark on an exciting journey into the unknown.

Are you a hopeless romantic? Do you read webtoons and wish you were the main lead? Some of these well-known and famous webtoons recommended below have been adapted into K-dramas, garnering fame and attention worldwide by fostering possibilities and the extraordinary in our modern yet traditional lives. These stories can whisk one away to the whimsical realm, where they can make their wildest dreams come true. If you are someone who believes in getting shivers in your body and butterflies in your tummy, then look no further than these five webtoons, which are not only lighthearted but also filled with bold romance catered for dreamers like you who love to escape the world with some wilderness and lots of romance.

True Beauty by Yaongyi

True Beauty, you must have heard this name. It’s a popular and superhit webtoon that garnered attention for its quirky and out-of-the-box storyline released in 2018 on Webtoon’s official site. During the high point of COVID-19, the webtoon was adapted into a K-drama starring Cha Eun-woo, Moon Ka-young, and Hwang In-yeop in titular roles. The webtoon/drama revolves around Lim Joo-Kyung, who, after binge-watching several beauty videos on YouTube, decides to try her hands on makeup and suddenly becomes an overnight divine goddess and beauty sensation of her school. In most cases, it has all the elements that one wishes for it to be—spicy revelations, jealousy, and some cannon funny moments as things slowly move forward and take place. If you haven’t read this webtoon or watched the show, start today and get swooned by the male leads. * wink wink *

To You Who Swallowed a Star by ARI

This webtoon is for you if you love simple and cutesy stories with a cheesy love story and romance without too much melodrama. Then To You Who Swallowed a Star is for you. The webtoon revolves around Jiu Seo, who moves from her childhood best friend’s mansion into a small one-bedroom apartment. It’s almost the end for her, but things start getting in the doldrums when Jiu meets two neglected kids, Hajun and Hayul. As the story progresses, a scouting offer comes for Hajun to participate in a survival program; she encourages him to try, wondering how things will take shape or change the whole trajectory around them. If you are looking for something fresh with unexpected twists and turns, give it a shot.

Secret Playlist by 2F

Secret Playlist is another tempting webtoon adapted into a K-drama with the same name and released in 2023, while the webtoon dropped in 2021. Starring Kim Hyang-gi and Shin Hyun-seung as the main leads, the story revolves around Hanju, a 24-year-old ordinary university student who appears as a hard-working yet struggling job seeker. But little does anyone know that she is also an upcoming Metube star, PLII, who aspires to become a famous singer. Things start taking turns when Levi, a member of a popular boyband, approaches her for collaborating on a project in hopes of going solo. Hanju must conceal her identity, and Levi, eager to uncover it, becomes closer to her while working on their project. This one should be on your reading list if it’s not already. It already looks promising, and I am sure you’ll not get bored as the story progresses.

Act Like You Love Me by XUANN 

Imagine you are the boss, and suddenly, someone starts controlling you out of nowhere like they own your Voodoo dolls. It was pulling and piercing. You heard it right. Act As You Love Me is based somewhere on this trope, except it’s only a doll, not an actual voodoo one. It revolves around Ji-eon, who is 25 years old, filled with stress, worked up, and penniless. Fate plays with her as a sudden mix-up at a temporary job leads her to a famous actor, Doyun Nam’s house, where she acts as his personal assistant for a day. It turns out she vents all her frustration at a doll placed there, which has that magical ability to control Doyun whenever it wants with all whims and fancies. Also released in 2021, this has funny, comedic, romantic, and other exciting tropes in almost every other story.

Subzero by Junepurrr

If you enjoy clichés or corny romance, Subzero is the ideal webtoon to satisfy your craving for enemies-to-lovers. Readers love it because of its unique plot and political implications, including conflict and bloodshed. It’s a story of sacrifice, doing the unthinkable, and making life-changing decisions. Clove, the last princess of a Dragon clan that is almost extinct, must wed Kyro, her worst-sworn enemy, to bring peace to her land. To save their native lands and end the war between the two Dragon clans, they eventually decide to get married. It’s impossible not to drool over Clove and Kyro’s romance, and the male protagonist, in particular, is extremely possessive, but that’s all because we all revere possessive men, don’t we? If you enjoy dark and gritty webtoons with a dash of romance and other cliches, you might love this as well.

I’m confident that these recommendations will inspire you to explore more comics, books, novels, or webtoons—whatever you prefer—whether you enjoy romantic, cheesy, corny, or dark stories. I hope these suggestions satisfy your desire to read and encourage you to pursue various genres.

Have you read any of the recommended webtoons? Let us know in the comment section below.