VOL.97/2026.08

Topic

 

When TV Dramas Become Books:
Screenplays and script Books as Collectibles
Driving Fandom’s Transmedia Consumption

 

 

2026.08

 

 

TV Drama script Books Becoming Bestsellers

 

In May 2024, the uncut script book for the tvN drama 〈Lovely Runner〉 topped the YES24 overall bestseller list just one day after pre-orders began. Driven overwhelmingly by buyers in their 20s and 30s, this phenomenon was no ordinary book-selling success. Instead, it signaled a new consumption culture where video content reaches the hands of fandom through the physical medium of a book.

 

The same was true for the tvN drama 〈Our Unwritten Seoul〉, which ended its run in June 2025. The original uncut script book by writer Lee Kang reached No. 1 in YES24's art section as soon as presales opened. A reader noted, "The dialogue was so good. The script book feels like merchandise that soothes the lingering feelings after the drama ended," which perfectly captures the recent script book craze.

 

Of course, the seeds of this phenomenon were planted long ago. The origin of commercially sold TV drama script books dates back to the 〈Dae Jang Geum〉 scenario collection published in 2004. At the time, viewer ratings exceeding 50% naturally drove demand for the book, but condensing 54 episodes into a single volume created a massive volume of over 1,000 pages, making readability less than ideal. Director Bong Joon-ho's 〈Parasite〉 in 2020 brought about a fresh shift. Following its Oscar wins, the screenplay book sold explosively, proving that film script books could also become bestsellers. The "K-drama script book" craze officially took off in 2022, when the script book for 〈Our Beloved Summer〉 neared 100,000 copies sold.

 

 

 

 

 

Why People Buy TV Dramas as Books

 

Why do readers buy and read books based on dramas they have already watched? First, it stems from the desire for transmedia consumption. The expansion of OTT platforms has transformed content consumption into repeat viewing and in-depth exploration, often referred to as "digging consumption." script books are the condensed result of this trend. By featuring deleted scenes, unfilmed sequences, and writer commentaries that cannot be accessed through the video alone, script books serve as a unique archive for the drama.

 

Second, it is driven by the value of physical media and the desire to collect. In an era overflowing with digital content, the craving for something tangible to hold in one's hands is paradoxically growing. This psychology mirrors that of K-pop fandoms who purchase physical albums even when they can stream unlimited music online.

 

Third, it comes from the literary rediscovery of scripts as text. script books themselves are creating a new style of reading. In fact, according to recent statistics, the most checked-out literary genre among people in their 20s at public libraries was drama scripts. For young readers, scriptwriting has already established itself as a distinct literary genre.

 

However, simply compiling aired scripts is no longer enough to survive in the market. A prominent shift in the script book market is that they are being transformed into elaborately designed, high-quality collectibles. Books now include deleted scenes, writing notes, character concept manuscripts, and behind-the-scenes stills, while set packages bundled with merchandise such as postcards, posters, and photo cards have become standard. For fandoms, a script book is not only a way to remember a drama, but also a symbol of identity that certifies their status as a dedicated fan.

 

 

 

 

 

New Reading Culture Driven by K-Dramas

 

The globalization of K-dramas is opening a new horizon for the script book market. As international fandoms form at a faster pace through global OTT platforms, social media posts by overseas fans expressing their intent to purchase script books right after a drama airs are on the rise. Overseas translation and publication of K-drama script books have strong potential to emerge as a new genre for Korean publishing exports.

 

The rise of script books and screenplays signals a shift in the reading culture across generations. The expansion of "reverse reading," where people consume video content first and then deepen their experience through text, interlocks with the maturation of the fandom economy that owns, verifies, and shares content, as well as the culture of repeat viewing enabled by OTT platforms, collectively nurturing the new book genre of script books.

 

Watching a drama, re-reading it as a book, sharing quotes on social media, and getting the writer's autograph at a pop-up store represent transmedia consumption that experiences a single piece of content across multiple dimensions. The success of collectible books, where stories on screen find new life on paper, stands as the hottest phenomenon of how the fandom economy of K-content is transforming reading culture.

 

 

 

 

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Written by Lim Dae Geun (Professor, HUFS)

Professor in the Division of Digital Contents at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He serves as the President of the Korean Cinema Association, Representative of the Asia Cultural Contents Institute, and Director of the World Cultural Arts & Management Institute at HUFS. His research focuses on Chinese cinema, Hallyu and Asian popular culture, cultural content discourse, identity, and storytelling. His recent publications include Cultural Contents and Digital Contents.