Netflix has been making waves regarding live-action adaptations of beloved webtoons. In 2022, Business Proposal and Heartstopper premiered on the streaming platform and broke records within their genre for representing sweet romantic stories with relatively low drama. Compared to many other television shows that feature budding relationships as the main plot points, each series showed low angst and focused more on slice-of-life elements and cute moments.

These shows stood apart from others in their genre because they successfully presented a similar feeling through the television that people often feel when reading webtoons. There's a safety that comes from reading fiction in general, especially romance where the happily ever after is guaranteed. Visual media doesn't present this narrative as often because it doesn't provide the high drama and shock factor often needed to draw in general audiences. But these shows being the pioneers in their field regarding romance representation could continue to make significant and necessary changes to the genre.

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Business Proposal Scenes Emulated the Webtoons Aesthetic

Characters from the K-Drama, Business Proposal, talk beneath an umbrella.

Business Proposal is a limited series released in the Spring of 2022. The premise followed billionaire CEO Hong Tae-moo and his employee, Shin Ha-ri. The series featured plenty of hijinks as the unlikely couple faked a relationship and an engagement to fool Tae-moo's grandfather (the company owner). The show received praise for its humor throughout the series as many ridiculous moments were entertaining and incredibly cartoonish.

The creators did an excellent job of bringing the webtoon to life and creating situations that would never happen realistically but are usually present in popular webtoons. Some of the scene direction was memorable and iconic as there were moments that felt as if they were straight from the webtoon pages. Small animations were included to create a visual of how the real-life reaction would look compared to the illustrations, providing plenty of humor.

One unforgettable scene was when Ha-ri needed to make a presentation in front of the entire board, but she was trying to keep her identity secret from Tae-moo. There was a moment when the entire set darkened, and a conveyor belt dragged her across the room to stand directly in front of him as he scrutinized her, creating a dramatized scene of how she must have felt at that moment. It was executed incredibly well and served as a reminder of the show's origins in webtoons.

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Heartstopper Added Animated Effects that Provided Webtoons Feels

On Netflix's Heartstopper, Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring share a happy moment.

Heartstopper is a coming-of-age television series based on the webcomic and graphic novel of the same name. The series premiered in 2022 and received praise for its sensitivity and heartwarming qualities. The creators didn't shy away from adding animated effects and elements into their scenes that reminded viewers of the series' origin. The romance between the two characters had real challenges to overcome, but the angst and drama were relatively low for a teen show, making it a safe and comforting show for many.

Heartstopper also provided a safe space for LGBT+ characters to explore and express themselves in an environment that wasn't detrimental to their mental or emotional well-being. This show wasn't without villainous or biased characters, but overall, the romantic leads were able to pursue one another and openly discover parts of themselves through their relationship. All the tiny heart and leaf animations amplified many of the romantic scenes, causing viewers to take on the heartwarming effects of the series.

These two new series prove that there is an audience for wholesome romance. Webtoons and romance novels have paved the way for a long time, but it's inspiring to see streaming platforms like Netflix invest in creating these types of heartwarming series. Heartstopper was renewed for a second and third season, thrilling romance lovers who became emotionally invested in the show. Business Proposal was a completed series without the need for more seasons, but more shows like it could be on the horizon for future content.

Business Proposal and Heartstopper are available for streaming on Netflix.