The series focuses on the eponymous fictional webtoon entitled W, written and illustrated by its legendary author and illustrator Oh Seong-moo (Kim Eui-sung) which begins to function on its own, like a distinct reality. W became so famous in South Korea that even its printed versions became best-sellers there.
The storyline of the webtoon W starts with the younger years of its main character Kang Chul (Lee Jong-suk), a handsome and intelligent boy who is also skilled in shooting. He becomes famous in South Korea as he won a shooting competition during the 2004 Athens Olympics. But this fame is interrupted when the unknown Murderer massacres his family, and he is erroneously accused of the crime. Another villain, Han Cheol-ho (Park Won-sang), handles the case to gain political popularity, urging the court to impose the death penalty upon Kang Chul. Despite his efforts, Kang Chul is deemed innocent of the crime. Depressed over losing his family, he attempts suicide over the Han River but stops himself and chooses to search for the real killer instead and devote his life to crime-fighting.
Ten years later, Kang Chul becomes a multimillionaire. He starts "Project W" in an effort to catch the real culprit behind his family's death; part of the project is his television broadcasting company dubbed "W," after the initials of the interrogatives "who" and "why" (hence, the title of the webtoon). One night, he receives a suspicious phone call and is severely injured by the same mysterious Murderer on the rooftop of his penthouse. Then even stranger things happen when the illustrator's daughter Oh Yeon-joo (Han Hyo-joo) accidentally enters the comic world. The story runs about the question whether he will be able to have a happy ending.
AWARDS
Year | Award | Category | Recipient |
2016 | 5th APAN Star Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Han Hyo-joo |
2016 | 5th APAN Star Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Kim Eui-sung |
2016 | 36th MBC Drama Awards | Drama of the Year | W |
2016 | 36th MBC Drama Awards | Grand Prize / Daesang (Determined through fan votes) |
Lee Jong-suk |
2016 | 36th MBC Drama 6 | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Lee Jong-suk |
2016 | 36th MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Han Hyo-joo |
2016 | 36th MBC Drama Awards | Golden Acting Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Kim Eui-sung |
2016 | 36th MBC Drama Awards | Writer of the Year | Song Jae-jung |
2016 | 36th MBC Drama Awards | Best Couple Award | Lee Jong-suk and Han Hyo-joo |
2016 | Korea Content Awards | Prime Minister Commendation | Song Jae-jung |
2017 | Korea Communications Commission Broadcasting Awards | Korean Wave Program Excellence Prize | W |
2017 | 50th WorldFest Houston International Film Festival | Special Jury Award | W |
2017 | Seoul International Drama Awards | Outstanding Korean Drama | W |