Gothic horror isn’t just about cobwebs and creaky doors—it’s about that slow, sinking feeling that the shadows are judging your life choices. From Dracula’s drama-filled castle to Crimson Peak’s literally bleeding walls, the genre’s mastered the art of making you side-eye your own attic. But just when you thought your biggest fear was your Wi-Fi dropping during a horror binge, Delusion crawls out of the webtoon underworld to remind you that true terror comes with a side of psychological mind games.
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Created by Hongjacga, Delusion has been quietly enthralling readers since 2019. The chilling webtoon masterfully blends creeping dread with a narrative that latches onto your subconscious long after you’ve turned the page. The story not only plants a mystery in your mind but also forces you to confront your deepest fears. Now, this dark tale is breaking free from its digital confines and stepping into live-action as a K-drama adaptation—a move so bold that passionate fans are already rearranging their 2026 calendars in anticipation of its debut.
What Is Delusion About?
Delusion follows Iho Yun, a down-on-his-luck artist who is struggling to make rent in 1930s’ Gyeongseong (aka old-school Seoul). When Madam Song—a reclusive 80-year-old woman who never leaves her mansion—hires Iho to paint her portrait, he’s expecting a regular job and a handsome paycheck. Instead, he quickly discovers that this is no ordinary commission.
Bound by strict conditions, Iho is forced to remain in the estate until the portrait is finished and is prohibited from seeing Madam Song until he fully accepts her terms. But when he does accept, he sees something even more concerning. The 80-year-old Madam Song doesn’t look a day over 20. And here’s the twist: his subject insists on being painted as an elderly woman, despite looking like she just stepped out of a K-beauty ad.
Confused, Iho wonders if the beautiful young woman before him is actually Song’s granddaughter. But once he begins painting, it starts to seem like the young painter just got a front-row seat to a horror show. There’s freshly cleaned blood in the halls, Madam Song’s canines are a little too sharp, and perhaps most ominously, a hidden note from a previous painter warns Iho to not complete the painting unless he wishes to die.
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Everything You Need To Know About the Delusion K-Drama
Announced in mid-2023, next year’s upcoming K-drama adaptation of this gothic thriller is already shaping up to be one of 2026’s most talked-about releases—and not just for its fangs and foggy windows. The K-drama is all set to be helmed by The Face Reader director Han Jae-rim, who definitely knows a thing or two about making psychological horror feel uncomfortably real. Fans don’t have an exact release date or episode count yet, but given how the original webtoon has a total of 60 episodes, they shouldn’t have to worry about running out of content anytime soon.
However, it turns out the only thing messier than getting trapped in a vampire’s mansion is making a show about it. The journey of Delusion from digital panels to live-action is as dramatic behind the scenes as it is expected to be on screen. Because let’s be real: the drama started long before the cameras even rolled. Word on the production streets? The original lead couple Han So-hee and Ryu Jun-yeol had to be recast after a very public breakup.
Thankfully, the studio pulled a quick switch and brought in a dream pairing that’s already lighting up fan forums. Bae Suzy—yes, the Bae Suzy who made us all question life choices in Start-Up—is playing Madam Jeonghwa Song, a woman who’s basically the human equivalent of a cursed antique doll. Picture this: She’s got the face of a K-pop idol, the vibe of a Victorian ghost, and a backstory darker than your browser history. Suzy’s stepping into a role that demands she serve equal parts elegance and existential terror—and if her past performances are any clue, she’ll nail it harder than a coffin lid.
Then there’s Kim Seon-ho (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha and fellow Start-Up co-star with Bae Suzy) as Iho Yun, the artist who’s about to learn that “starving artist” takes on a whole new meaning when your subject might be a bloodsucking monster. His chemistry with Suzy? Let’s just say it’s less “romantic tension” and more “two people trapped in a psychological chess game where the board is made of human bones.” The series promises equal parts slow-burn suspense and pulse-pounding horror, and fans just can’t wait for it to drop on streaming sometime next year. While it’s a fair bet to assume it to join the Netflix catalog like so many other K-drama hits, the only current reporting out of Naver places it on the Disney+ streaming service.
If you’re into slow-burn horror with teeth, twisted power plays, and haunted-house aesthetics that feel like Crimson Peak got a Korean noir remix, this one’s for you. Whether you’re on Team K-Drama or about to take the plunge, 2026 is about to be a very good year for vampire horror fans. Especially if you like your bloodsucking monsters with a side of vintage period setting and slow-burn tension.
