‘My Reason to Die’: Sizzling Romance Webtoon Would Make a Perfect K-Drama Adaptation
Multiple well-recognized K-dramas were first illustrated storylines in a webtoon. Dramas like True Beauty, All of Us Are Dead, and even the fan-favorite classic What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim were all webtoons before being adapted. K-drama fans now eagerly hope their favorite webtoons get the star treatment. The 2022 webtoon, My Reason to Die is a perfect candidate.
‘My Reason to Die’ has a female athlete get attached to a swoon-worthy bad boy
Regarding romance, K-drama and webtoon fans fall head over heels for a few well-known storyline tropes. The sizzling chemistry between an ordinary girl and a bad boy is at the top. In 2022, YUJU published the romance webtoon My Reason to Die.
The ongoing webtoon has everything from steamy romantic moments to an evolving love story, drama, and a male lead worth fantasizing over. Fans first meet the characters in high school and the start of a complex relationship.
“Ji-o’s luck runs out when she gets injured before the tryouts for the national taekwondo team. In the middle of facing what seems to be the biggest crisis of her life, she meets Gyeol, a mysterious boy who changes her life forever. He’s the definition of a bad boy with a good heart, and she cannot resist his charms. However, she might be playing with fire as he’s someone who’s involved with the wrong crowd. Is falling for Gyeol worth the risk?” reads the logline on WEBTOON.
Why ‘My Reason to Die’ would make a perfect K-drama
Bad boys appear in multiple K-drama genres outside of romance. But fans cannot deny that the mix of brooding, often tattooed male leads categorized as a bad boys is like a pot of gold. The character dynamics allow for an exciting storyline evolution as the closed-off bad boy begins to feel his heart flutter when getting attached to the female lead.
Fans often sigh, recalling beloved bad boys like Lee Jun-ho’s Just Between Lovers or the teen character Han Seo-joon from True Beauty. My Reason to Die has Gyeol as a bad boy but somewhat atypical. As the webtoon progresses, fans realize Gyeol has a heart of gold when he purposely tries to save Ji-o’s younger brother from his bully friend group.
Despite what people believe, Gyeol only has pure intentions to protect Ji-o. My Reason to Die also develops those sweet and butterfly moments between the two characters that develop into drama when Gyeol and Ji-o part ways. Into adulthood, they become drastically different people but still have the burning flame of romance for each other.
One of the key reasons fans want to see the webtoon become a K-drama is its sizzling moments. Gyeol is tall, buff, chiseled, and tattooed in their adult lives. He is also a secret criminal. But Ji-o is a celebrity due to her athletic career and risks getting involved with Gyeol, despite her inkling that he is not cut and dry.
Lee Soo-hyuk would make a perfect Gyeol in the K-drama adaptation
K-dramas have done a splendid job of casting the right actors for webtoon adaptations. The Uncanny Counter gained praise for its perfect leading cast that embodied the webtoon characters. But for My Reason to Die, the biggest challenge is casting Gyeol.
The male actor will have to portray Gyeol as an adult and a teen. Tomorrow actor Lee Soo-hyuk might be the perfect fit. He is 6-foot and has an impressive chiseled and lean body. But above all, Lee is well-known among fans for his brooding facial features and deep voice. He had fans needing to cool off as a Grim Reaper in Tomorrow. Cha Eun-woo could also make a perfect teen Gyeol after seeing his role in Island.
When it comes to casting Ji-o, the possibilities are endless. Ji-o is slender with brown hair and pretty features. But because Ji-o is also an athlete in the webtoon, the actor needs to have a bit of an athletic look. The actors that could play Ji-o include Kim Se-jeong, Moon Ga-young, Go Youn-jung, and even Bae Suzy.
