WEBTOON is turning 6 fan-favorite webcomics into microdramas

Microdramas are a popular type of short, vertical-format shows that have taken the mobile entertainment world by storm. The genre, which includes soap operas, billionaire fantasies and revenge plots, typically runs for just a few minutes at a time, making them perfect for consumption during short breaks between other activities. WEBTOON, a digital comics platform, is now getting in on the microdrama action, releasing a collection of six romantic live-action series adapted from popular webcomics.

Fred Lee, an executive at WEBTOON Entertainment, explains that microdramas share many similarities with WEBTOON webcomics in terms of storytelling structure. Both formats rely on episodic storytelling, cliffhangers, and familiar tropes to keep viewers engaged. This similarity has made WEBTOON well-suited to the microdrama format, as the company already has millions of readers accustomed to consuming serialized stories on their phones.

The first six Short Dramas produced by WEBTOON will be romance-based, as this genre has proven to be particularly successful in the microdrama format. These stories, which include vampire werewolf pairings, a marriage of convenience between childhood friends, and other fantasy elements, are designed to appeal to a wide range of audience demographics. By launching with romance, WEBTOON is leveraging its existing fan base and built-in emotional hooks to attract viewers to its vertical video platform.