Watch some of your favorite book characters come to life! Here's a list of dramas based on novels!

Based on Novels

Im Sol (Kim Hye Yoon) is devastated by the sudden and tragic death of her favorite star, Ryu Sun Jae (Byun Woo Seok), a former swimmer turned K-pop idol. But in the midst of her anguish, she magically time slips back to 2008 – when Sun Jae is still only 19 years old! Delighted that she has a chance to help him avert his unhappy future fate, Sol makes it her mission to change the future... and maybe find love along the way. Will her efforts to divert the course of the past prove successful – or could they have unexpected consequences? This 2024 South Korean drama was adapted from a web novel named “The Best of Tomorrow” by Kim Bbang and was directed by Kim Tae Yeop and Yoon Jong Ho.

Lovely Runner

✨ The Marvellous ✨ team

Born blind, Hong Cheon Gi (Kim Yoo Jung) is a gifted painter who miraculously regains her sight and earns an unprecedented position at the prestigious royal art school during the Dan dynasty. In contrast, astrologer Ha Ram (Ahn Hyo Seop), despite his ability to see the future, lost his sight in a childhood accident. Fate brings Cheon Gi and Ha Ram together, and they quickly fall in love. However, their budding romance is threatened by political machinations of the royal court. Is their love fated to last or was it doomed from the start? Adapted from the novel of the same name by Jung Eun Gwol, this 2021 South Korean fantasy romance series was directed by Jang Tae Yoo.

Lovers of the Red Sky

For Your Eyes Only 👁‿👁  

Tencent Video

Zhou Fei (Zhao Li Ying) is the granddaughter of a national hero who was forced to become a bandit to serve the greater good. For 20 years, her grandfather, then her mother, were charged with running a secret fort, staffed by bandits.

The fort’s role is to protect the world against strange, otherworldly warriors intent on bringing their unique brand of chaos to the mortal realm.

However, the fort has fallen in status in recent years, and Zhou Fei is sick of being confined to the place of her birth. She longs to escape, and makes repeated efforts to get away.

But her life changes forever when she almost drowns, and is only saved by a free-spirited young material arts expert named Xie Yun (Wang Yibo).

The duo forms an unlikely friendship and decides to hone their fighting skills together – a timely decision as malevolent forces are now plotting fresh trouble.

The pair begins on an adventure. But as time goes by, they begin to unearth secrets…including that of Xie Yun’s true identity.

This drama series was adapted from a novel named “Bandits” by author Priest.

“Legend of Fei” is a 2020 Chinese drama series that was directed by Ng Gam Yuen.

Legend of Fei

The Flying Legend Team

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In a small city on the outskirts of Seoul, lives Josée (Han Ji Min), a unique young woman who lives life by her own set of rules. Abandoned as a child, Josée has spent most of her life on her own. Living in a rundown house, surrounded by an odd collection of rescued books, Josée has come to interpret the world in her own way. Spinning magical stories as a way to cope with the harsh realities of life, Josée’s lives in a world more of imagination than reality, but when fate brings Young Seok (Nam Joo Hyuk) into her life, things begin to change.

A university student nearing graduation, Yeon Seok has spent his entire life living by other people’s rules. Ever the loyal son, he has always tried his best to live up to the expectations placed on him by others. It was this sense of duty that compelled him to help the woman who had fallen from her wheelchair in the street, and his sense of obligation which compelled him to help her back home. But after sharing a meal with this woman, who introduces herself as Josée, he begins to see that there is more to life than simply doing what you’re told.&nbsp;

Intrigued by Josée’s unique view of the world and her incredible imagination, Yeon Seok finds himself drawn to her. Stopping by for visits more and more frequently, Yeon Seok hopes to give Josée a way to tether her imagination to the real world. As the two grow closer their hearts begin to entwine, but is their love fated to last?

Based on the short story, “Josee, the Tiger and the Fish” by Seiko Tanabe, “Josee” is a 2020 romantic film directed by Kim Jong Kwan.

Josee

💕 With You, Always 💕

Tencent

Born a concubine’s daughter, Shi Yi Niang (Tan Song Yun) was very well aware of her low status and lack of social connections. However, her low rank never once stopped her from speaking her mind or pursuing her dreams. Believing women should be free to pursue a life outside the home, Yi Niang hoped to someday use her embroidery skills to secure her freedom. But destiny had something else in store for her.&nbsp;

With the once esteemed Luo family now in a shocking state of decline, the only hope for salvation must come through an advantageous marriage alliance. Selected to be her family’s savior, Yi Niang is promised to a great general, the Yongping Duke, Xu Ling Yi (Wallace Chung). Now the wife of a man she hardly knows, Yi Niang finds herself entering an unfamiliar and unfriendly world. Scorned by the Xu family, Yi Niang must use every ounce of her strength to win their trust without betraying her own dreams.&nbsp;

Facing challenges on every side, Yi Niang and Ling Yi come to realize they have an ally in each other. Learning to depend on each other, an unexpected love begins to bloom, their strengthening relationship giving each a renewed strength to face the challenges ahead. But will their combined strength be enough to save the Xu family from impending ruin?

Adapted from the novel, “The Concubine-born Daughter’s Strategies” by Zhi Zhi, “The Sword and the Brocade” is a 2021 historical romance drama directed by Wen De Guang.

The Sword and the Brocade

⚔ Jin Xin Si Yu ✾ Team

Oh Yoon Seo (Yoo In Na), a famous actress, gets caught in a scandal with a son of a rich family. With her career declining quickly, she looks for one last hope to get back on the screen and lands a role playing a secretary in a drama written by a famous screenwriter. In order to get into character, Yoon Seo starts working as a secretary for 6 months under Kwon Jung Rok (Lee Dong Wook), a lawyer who is notorious for being a perfectionist.

"Touch Your Heart" is a 2019 drama directed by Park Joon Hwa.

Touch Your Heart

Sincerely, Yours Team

KBS2

During the Joseon Dynasty when women were not expected to be smart or allowed to be educated, Kim Yoon Hee (Park Min Young) was both. 

After her father passes away and her brother becomes ill, Yoon Hee disguises herself as a boy and takes on her brother’s identity to get odd jobs and help support her struggling family. When she realizes that there is good money to be made, Yoon Hee begins to take the entrance exams in the place of other students who want to get into the prestigious Sungkyunkwan University. 

During one such test, Yoon Hee is discovered to be perpetrating the illegal activity by the morally upright Lee Sun Joon (Park Yoochun), who threatens to turn her in. 

But believing that Yoon Hee is a boy, Sun Joon encourages her to take the test herself (with her brother’s identity). Both pass the exam and get into the university and become roommates. As Yoon Hee is now enjoying the glories of getting a higher education, she befriends the playboy Goo Yong Ha (Song Joong Ki) and the rebellious Moon Jae Shin (Yoo Ah In) and starts to develop feelings for Sun Joon – all the while trying to keep her true gender a secret from her new friends and the other male students. 

Can she keep up the charade long enough to get the education she desires and keep her emotions at bay? 

“Sungkyunkwan Scandal” is a 2010 South Korean drama series directed by Kim Won Suk and Hwang In Hyuk. It is based on the bestselling novel The Lives of SungKyunKwan Confucian Scholars by Jung Eon Gweol. The series won numerous drama awards, and Park Min Young and Park Yoochun received numerous Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Couple awards.

Sungkyunkwan Scandal

JSTV

A struggling student, desperate to find a way to make enough money to cover the cost of attending university in Shanghai, Xiang Yuan (Victoria Song) was willing to do whatever it took to make her dreams come true. When the Ye family offered to pay for all of her university expenses, Xiang Yuan accepted their offer without hesitation. Little did she know that in so doing, she would alter the course of her life forever.

Smart, dedicated, and determined to make a better life for herself, Xiang Yuan excelled in school, so much so that by the time she enters the workplace, she’s well on her way to becoming financially independent. Nearly free of the debt she owed the Ye family, Xiang Yuan found herself falling for the family’s eldest son, Ye Qian Ze (Ou Hao). Little did she know that the family’s second son, Ye Yun (Xia Ning Jun) had already fallen in love with her.

Caught up in an unexpected and messy love triangle, Xiang Yuan must find a way to overcome the obstacles of life and love, while holding onto the one thing that has always driven her forward... Her dreams.

Based on the novel by Xin Yi Wu, “Love Under the Moon” is a 2019 drama directed by Yu Chun.

Love Under the Moon

Moonlight Lovers 🌙

Wang Xuan (Zhang Zi Yi) is a 15-year-old noblewoman whose life is turned on its head when she is forced into an arranged marriage with Xiao Qi (Zhou Yi Wei), a powerful but low-born general.

Despite these less-than-promising beginnings, the two form a tight bond as they attempt to navigate a series of bitter power struggles and plots that threaten to bring the Imperial court (and the realm) to its knees.

Their exceptionally effective partnership helps them thwart damaging attempts to spark uncontrollable civil unrest, but also brings them to the pinnacle of political power: Wang Xuan and Xiao Qi have effectively become the joint emperors of the realm.

But the rest of the Imperial family has no intention of relinquishing power to this young couple so easily – with its most devious members planning a deadly scheme that could do away with the benevolent Wang Xuan and Xiao Qi for good…

This drama series was adapted from a popular novel by Mei Yu Zhe.

“Rebel Princess” is a 2021 Chinese drama series that was directed by Cheng Yuan Hai and Hou Yong.

The Rebel Princess

The Emperor’s Conquests

As a high schooler, Eun Ha Won (Park So Dam) loses her mother in a tragic accident, and her father remarries. When her cruel stepmother moves in with them, she steals Ha Won’s college funds, leaving Ha Won forced to take on multiple part-time jobs to meet her college downpayment. One day, Ha Won meets an old man who sees her fiery disposition and her no-nonsense personality.&nbsp;Convinced that this is exactly what his three grandsons need, he persuades her to move into a mansion, where she will stay as the housekeeper, with three other young men who happen to be billionaire cousins.
&nbsp;
There’s a middle cousin and lone wolf Kang Ji Woon (Jung Il Woo), a rebel with a cause with a sad past, who might have shared a moment with Ha Won years ago.
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Eldest cousin Kang Hyun Min (Ahn Jae Hyun), an arrogant playboy with a penchant for smooth-talking, and a money machine used to getting whatever he wants.
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The youngest cousin Kang Seo Woo (Lee Jung Shin) is a top singer-songwriter, who is easily the most affectionate with Ha Won.
&nbsp;
What sort of adventures can come out of living with three dashing, spoiled rich men, and who will Ha Won choose in the end?

Cinderella and Four Knights

✨ Cinderella's Knights ✨

Eun Chan is a licensed taekwondo instructor who parts time as a delivery woman. One day, she comes across a delivery order that leads her to Han Gyeol, an heir to a conglomerate. Her boyish appearance deceives everyone into thinking that she's a strong man with a petite figure. Han Gyeol, on the other hand, being relatively close to men leads his grandmother to think he's gay. Eun Chan and Han Gyeol's entanglement lead to them working in a cafe, which soon brews a different kind of love story. They face multiple problems along the way that bring themselves closer and their love stronger than ever. Alongside them would be Han Gyeol's cousin Han Sung and his ex Yoo Joo who happen to be dating as well. Their love triangles bring excitement as they test another level of friendship and family.

Coffee Prince

JTBC

Cellist Hae Won (Park Min Young) is warm-hearted but has closed the door to love after a number of unhappy experiences.

She lives in the capital but has grown tired of big city life – so one day decides to return to her hometown, a small village in the countryside, far away from the hustle and bustle of Seoul.

Returning to the countryside helps her regain some inner peace, but when she meets small, independent bookstore owner Eun Seop (Seo Kang Joon), her life – and outlook on love – begin to change bit by bit.

Eun Seop lives his life at a much slower pace than most of the people Hae Won knew in Seoul. Little by little, the two find themselves attracted to one another...

Will Hae Won find room for a little intimacy in her life? Can she learn to trust Eun Seop? And can the pair find love in the idyllic South Korean countryside?

“I'll Go to You When the Weather Is Nice” is a 2020 Viki Original drama series directed by Han Ji Seung.

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