Webtoons and manhwa have been popular sources of wonderful Korean dramas that have captivated the hearts of viewers. Part of the success of these adaptations is casting the perfect actor to play the perfect counterpart to beloved webtoon and manhwa or manga series. Failing to find a perfect match for the role is a disastrous recipe and this is why networks are careful in making sure that the actors who get the part are accepted by the viewers.
Playing a role that has a huge following form their webtoon and manhwa origins can be quite tricky. Because fans already know the characters so well, they can spot a mistake from a mile away. Because they love the characters so much, they are quite protective of these characters and would feel resistant to actors who will not do justice to the part.
In a recent feature on tvN's "The List," the show listed down Korean actors who absolutely nailed their portrayals of webtoon roles. We also did our own research for the most memorable potrayals for manhwa adaptations.
Among those who made it to the list is "Cinderella and the Four Knights" star Ahn Jae Hyun. While many would remember him from his recent roles in the series and in "Blood," he started out in the webtoon sdaptation of "Fashion King" where he played the role of Kim Won Ho.
Lee Joon Gi's portrayal of a vampire in the Joseon era in "The Scholar Who Walks At Night" also earned a thumbs up from webtoon fans. Kim So Hyun's portrayal in "Bring it on, Ghost," endeared her to viewers and made her one of the most memorable characters in the series.
Actors Ma Dong Seok and Kim Sung Kyun also earned high praise for his portrayal in the live action adaptation of "Neighbors." They were credited with faithfully adopting the looks and personalities of their characters from the webtoon.
While many fans had some issues with "Cheese in the Trap's" faithfulness to the webtoon, there is no doubt that Park Hae Jin and Kim Go Eun delivered on their roles as the enigmatic Yoo Jung and the suspicious Hong Seol. Park Hae Jin will also be reprising the role in the big screen adaptation.
Also listed down as the best performances was that of Im Siwan and Lee Sung Min in the live action adaptation of "Misaeng", Kim Soo Hyun's portrayal of a spy disguised as the village idiot in movie adaptation of "Secretly, Greatly." Top honors of course, went to Park Hae Il's portrayal of a corrupt cop in "Moss," which critics and fans have credited as flawless.
Meanwhile, memorable portrayals of manhwa characters could also be given to Yoon Eun Hye and Ju Ji Hoon for portraying ordinary girl turned princess Chae Kyung and Crown Prince Lee Shin in "Goong." Who can forget Rain and Song Hye Kyo in "Full House"? Lee Min Ho also shot to superstardom as Gu Jun Pyo in the Korean version of the Japanese manga "Boys Over Flowers" and his "Boys over Flower" co star Jung So Min also did justice to the role of supergenius Baek Seung Jo in the Korean adaptation of "It Started with a Kiss" or "Mischievous Kiss", Hello Kpop reported .
This may come as a surprise to many but Super Junior's Donghae and Choi Siwon also appeared in the Taiwan drama adaptation of the manga "Skip Beat." They were also well received in Taiwan as well.
