The upcoming drama ‘Motel California,’ starring Lee Se-young and Na In-woo, is a romance adaptation based on the novel ‘Home, Bitter Home.’ Ahead of its January 20 premiere, a collaborative webtoon titled ‘Home, Bitter Home: Motel California’ launched on December 20. The webtoon shares the same setting and universe as the novel and drama while offering readers a fresh romantic narrative.
This approach exemplifies a cross-media strategy designed to maximize IP synergy. By releasing the webtoon first, the creators aim to generate early interest in the drama and sustain engagement with the original story and webtoon throughout the broadcast.
An MBC representative stated, “We are leveraging a consumption structure that transitions seamlessly from web novel to webtoon and then to drama. This strategy delivers a fresh experience for both readers and viewers, fostering a virtuous cycle of engagement.”