South Korean production firm Studio Dragon on Thursday confirmed that it has cast actor Kim Go-eun as the protagonist in the upcoming webtoon-based drama “Yumi’s Cells.”

Kim will play Kim Yumi, an ordinary woman in her 30s.

“I think many people were able to enjoy happy and sad moments while reading about an ordinary woman character Yumi’s love life for such a long time because it is relatable. I am looking forward to starting on this journey,” Kim said in a statement.

Popular Korean webtoon series “Yumi’s Cells” has 512 episodes and is written and drawn by Lee Dong-geun. The final episode was presented on the portal giant Naver’s webtoon platform on Nov. 7. The series, which started five years ago, has over 3.2 billion accumulated views and more than 5 million comments.

The series presents Yumi making everyday decisions at work and in relationships. As she makes her choices, 200 cells in her brain interact with each other and these cells take human form.

This is not the first time that Kim is starring in a webtoon-based drama. In 2016, she played main character Hong Seoul in the tvN drama “Cheese in the Trap” based on a webtoon with the same title.

Since the brain cells are also important characters in the story, Studio Dragon said the new drama will feature animated characters in the roles.

The script for the new drama will be written by three writers -- Song Jae-jung, who is known for writing “Memories of the Alhambra”; Kim Yoon-joo, who wrote “Find Me in Your Memory”; and rookie writer Kim Kyoung-ran. Lee Sang-yeop, who directed the 2018 drama “Familiar Wife,” is directing the new drama.

The shooting is set to begin in the first half of 2021.

Meanwhile, webtoon-based dramas are gaining popularity on the strength of original, solid plots as well as their already strong fan base. Most recently, the Netflix original series “Sweet Home,” based on a Korean webtoon with the same title, ranked among the top 10 most viewed shows in 70 countries worldwide within four days of its release Dec. 18, according to Netflix. 

By Song Seung-hyun(ssh@heraldcorp.com)