Is “Buried Hearts” An Adaptation? Let’s Get To The Bottom Of It!

K-drama fans, we’ve been tricked before. Titles that scream romance but deliver heartbreak. Sweet, innocent-looking posters hiding pure, undiluted pain. So when Buried Hearts arrived, all broody and dramatic, sounding just emotional enough to be a webtoon adaptation, I had one thought: This has to be based on something, right?

Alright, time to go full-on detective mode, complete with overdramatic gasps, frantic Google searches, and possibly a whiteboard covered in wild theories.

Is There A Webtoon Hiding Somewhere? Nope!

Before we go any further, let’s give credit where it’s due. Buried Hearts was written by Lee Myung-hee, a renowned South Korean screenwriter known for her work on dramas like Money Flower in 2017.

Buried Hearts was written by Lee Myung-hee, a renowned South Korean screenwriter known for her work on dramas like Money Flower in 2017.

The series is directed by Jin Chang-gyu and premiered on SBS TV on February 21, 2025.

Unlike many hit K-dramas that proudly trace their roots back to webtoons (Itaewon Class, True Beauty, The Uncanny Counter), Buried Hearts is doing its own thing, standing tall, fearless, and completely unbothered.

That’s right. This drama isn’t snatching its heartbreaks and betrayals from a webtoon, a novel, or even a chaebol family’s real-life scandals. It’s an original screenplay, handcrafted to keep us emotionally unstable, one jaw-dropping episode at a time.

And yet, Buried Hearts feels like an adaptation. The same way I feel personally attacked every time a K-drama couple stares at each other for five seconds too long and refuses to confess their feelings.

The intricate world-building? The characters so layered I half expect them to start charging me for therapy sessions? The plot twists so savage they leave me sitting in stunned silence, re-evaluating why I am letting myself be shocked by them.

It has all the chaotic brilliance of something that’s been a cult favorite novel for years.

Why Does Buried Hearts Feel Like A Webtoon Brought To Life?

K-dramas adapted from webtoons or novels usually have certain trademarks: dramatic storytelling, larger-than-life characters, and tension so thick you could cut it with a spoon. Buried Hearts checks all those boxes, yet it does so with zero pre-existing fanbase clutching their webtoon editions, side-eyeing every casting decision.

And who’s to blame? The writing.

This drama’s world is so immersive it feels like it’s been fleshed out over multiple volumes.

The characters? Their backstories run so deep they should come with a character study PDF.

The relationships? Messy, slow-burning, and tangled in a way that only the best adaptations seem to capture.

If someone had told me this drama was ripped from a 500-chapter web novel, complete with keyboard warriors losing sleep over who should have been endgame, I would’ve believed them instantly.

I would’ve simply made popcorn and watched the chaos unfold.

Original K-Dramas Are Taking Over—And Here’s Why That’s Exciting

While adaptations dominate the K-drama landscape, original stories are on the rise—and they’re shaking things up. Some of the biggest recent hits—Stranger, SKY Castle, Mine—weren’t adapted from anything.

They were written purely for television, proving that sometimes, a story is best when it’s born for the screen.

What makes original K-dramas stand out? They reflect Korea’s deep-rooted storytelling traditions.

Unlike Western shows, which often prioritize fast-moving plots, K-dramas dig deep into intricate character arcs, emotional depth, and themes like family honor, generational trauma, and social hierarchy.

Unlike Western shows, which often prioritize fast-moving plots, K-dramas dig deep into intricate character arcs, emotional depth, and themes like family honor, generational trauma, and social hierarchy. These aren’t just background details; they fuel the drama, adding layers of nuance that make the stakes feel real.

And you know what’s actually refreshing about original dramas? No spoilers lurking in the depths of the internet, waiting to ambush me when I innocently search for cast interviews.

No fans screaming, “The book did it better!”

No messy debates over whether the lead actor really embodies the character.

With Buried Hearts, we’re all in the same boat—clueless, emotionally invested, and desperately trying to predict the next move.

With Buried Hearts, we’re all in the same boat—clueless, emotionally invested, and desperately trying to predict the next move.

Plus, without a webtoon or novel dictating expectations, Buried Hearts has complete creative freedom to weave in Korean cultural elements, whether that’s the unspoken power struggles in business settings or the slow-burn revenge arcs that marinate for years before exploding.

These details? They make original K-dramas not just good TV but a deep dive into Korean storytelling traditions.

The Verdict: Was Buried Hearts Secretly A Webtoon? (Spoiler: Nope!)

Here’s the cold, hard truth—Buried Hearts is not an adaptation, no matter how much it plays with our emotions like one. It’s a wholly original creation, designed to keep us emotionally attached (and probably emotionally damaged) from start to finish.

But if you swore it had to be based on something? You’re not alone. Its world-building, storytelling depth, and heartbreak levels are so good they feel like they’ve existed for years.

So whether you were hoping for a webtoon to binge after watching or just needed to confirm your theory, now you’ve got your answer. Buried Hearts may not have a source material, but it sure has the quality of one.

Alright, be honest—did you think Buried Hearts was an adaptation, or did it pull a fast one on you too? Let’s discuss in the comments!

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