{ "id": "ep073fs2mn", "slug": "a-teen", "title": "A-TEEN (에이틴)", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted", "label": "Unscripted, reality, and web-native series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native", "label": "Web-native and streaming-original series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.korean_eastasian_webseries", "label": "Korean and East Asian web series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.korean_eastasian_webseries" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted", "label": "Asia (other) · 2001 to 2020: Unscripted, reality, and web-native series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted", "path": [ { "id": "geo.asia", "label": "Asia (other)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2001", "label": "Asia (other) · 2001 to 2020", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2001" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2001.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2001.culture" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted", "label": "Unscripted, reality, and web-native series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted" } ] } ], "excerpt": "A-TEEN (에이틴, Eighteen) is a 2018–2019 South Korean high-teen romance web drama by Playlist, directed by Han Su-ji, starring Shin Ye-eun and Lee Na-eun; season 1 drew over 200 million views.", "snippet": "A-TEEN (에이틴, Eighteen) is a 2018–2019 South Korean high-teen romance web drama by Playlist, directed by Han Su-ji, starring Shin Ye-eun and Lee Na-eun; season 1 drew over 200 million views.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.korean_eastasian_webseries", "markdown": "# A-TEEN (에이틴)\n\n**A-TEEN** (에이틴; also known as *Eighteen*) is a South Korean high-teen romance web drama about six 18-year-old students at Seoyeon High School, produced by the studio Playlist and first released on July 1, 2018 on V LIVE, Naver TV, and YouTube.[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/A-teen/23270690?fromModule=lemma_inlink) • [2](https://welcon.kocca.kr/cmm/fms/CrawlingFileDown.do?atchFileId=FILE_788e1bee-d1d9-4cbb-a7c9-907ede4257ad&fileSn=1) Episodes run about 10 to 12 minutes each, and the series ran for two seasons, ending on June 27, 2019.[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/38122/a-teen) Season 1 drew over 200 million views, the highest of any web drama series in 2018, and the show is credited with helping return the high-teen romance genre, long marginalized on Korean television, to prominence.[4](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2021/03/688_268740.html) • [5](https://journal.kci.go.kr/djnar/archive/articleView?artiId=ART002525327)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Format | Korean web drama, 2 seasons; season 1 has 24 episodes of roughly 10 minutes, season 2 has 20 episodes of about 12 minutes[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/A-teen/23270690?fromModule=lemma_inlink) • [3](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/38122/a-teen) |\n| Run dates | Season 1: July 1 to September 16, 2018; season 2: April 25 to June 27, 2019[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/A-teen/23270690?fromModule=lemma_inlink) • [6](https://d.namu.moe/w/%EC%97%90%EC%9D%B4%ED%8B%B4%20%EC%8B%9C%EC%A6%8C2) |\n| Platforms | V LIVE, Naver TV, and YouTube[2](https://welcon.kocca.kr/cmm/fms/CrawlingFileDown.do?atchFileId=FILE_788e1bee-d1d9-4cbb-a7c9-907ede4257ad&fileSn=1) |\n| Production | Studio Playlist; directed by Han Su-ji, written by Kim Sa-ra[7](https://www.bsfuji.tv/ateen/) |\n| Main cast | Shin Ye-eun (Do Ha-na), Lee Na-eun (Kim Ha-na), Kim Dong-hee (Ha Min), Shin Seung-ho (Nam Si-woo), Kim Soo-hyun (Yeo Bo-ram), Ryu Ui-hyun (Cha Gi-hyun)[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/38122/a-teen) |\n| Viewership | Season 1 over 200 million views, the highest of all web dramas in 2018; season 2 passed 52 million views on V Live alone[4](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2021/03/688_268740.html) • [8](https://www.soompi.com/article/1335874wpp/a-teen-2-concludes-with-record-breaking-views-director-talks-success-secrets-and-casting) |\n| Afterlife | Both seasons re-edited into 11 episodes and broadcast on Mnet from July 29, 2019[6](https://d.namu.moe/w/%EC%97%90%EC%9D%B4%ED%8B%B4%20%EC%8B%9C%EC%A6%8C2) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and story\n\nThe series follows six students at Seoyeon High School through their final teenage years: Do Ha-na ([Shin Ye-eun](https://www.edgepedia.org/shin-ye-eun)), Kim Ha-na ([Lee Na-eun](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-na-eun)), Ha Min (Kim Dong-hee), Nam Si-woo ([Shin Seung-ho](https://www.edgepedia.org/shin-seung-ho)), Yeo Bo-ram (Kim Soo-hyun), and Cha Gi-hyun (Ryu Ui-hyun).[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/38122/a-teen) The two girls share the same name but differ in looks and personality; after Bo-ram introduces them they become best friends, and an anonymous confession posted on the school's social media page sets the plot of the early episodes in motion.[9](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/a-teen/umc.cmc.63nmrwkkfu5x4hyv9w8dd6f7y)\n\n**Themes.** The drama deals with everyday high school concerns: academic and family pressure, classroom politics, bullying, first love, and friendship.[10](https://dryedmangoez.com/2020/06/03/good-ol-review-breezy-web-series-a-teen-a-solid-watch/) A review of the series notes that it avoids a single antagonist; instead the six (later eight) main characters each carry their own insecurities, and outcomes are not always perfect, which the reviewer links to the show's realistic, relatable tone.[10](https://dryedmangoez.com/2020/06/03/good-ol-review-breezy-web-series-a-teen-a-solid-watch/) A scholarly analysis describes its approach to romance as presenting emotional change in real time to build empathy with teenage viewers, rather than dwelling in depth on inner conflict.[5](https://journal.kci.go.kr/djnar/archive/articleView?artiId=ART002525327)\n\n**Season 2.** The second season moves the characters into their third year of high school and centers on college entrance preparation. Kim Ha-na runs for class president, wins, and then faces malicious posts about herself on the school bulletin board; a transfer student, Ryu Ju-ha (Choi Bo-min), arrives in her class, and Gi-hyun's younger sister Cha Ah-hyun (Kang Min-ah) joins the circle of characters.[6](https://d.namu.moe/w/%EC%97%90%EC%9D%B4%ED%8B%B4%20%EC%8B%9C%EC%A6%8C2) • [7](https://www.bsfuji.tv/ateen/) The season was criticized by some viewers for factual errors in its depiction of the Korean college admissions system, including a mock exam labeled with the outdated subject name for the Korean-language section.[6](https://d.namu.moe/w/%EC%97%90%EC%9D%B4%ED%8B%B4%20%EC%8B%9C%EC%A6%8C2)\n\n## Production and platform\n\nA-TEEN was produced by Playlist, a web drama studio whose parentage runs through the video messenger company Snow, a subsidiary of Naver, South Korea's largest internet portal operator.[11](https://juniorherald.co.kr/ebs/view.asp?GotoPage=559&bt=&column=&dtable=&nl_keyid=3378&searchString=) • [12](https://www.contentasia.tv/eNewsletter/2019/ContentAsia_eNewsletter_21_Oct-3_Nov_2019.pdf) Han Su-ji directed both seasons, Kim Sa-ra wrote the scripts, and Song Ju-seong served as producer.[7](https://www.bsfuji.tv/ateen/) The series belongs to Playlist's line of short-form teen romance web dramas, alongside *Seventeen* and *[Love Playlist](https://www.edgepedia.org/love-playlist)*.[12](https://www.contentasia.tv/eNewsletter/2019/ContentAsia_eNewsletter_21_Oct-3_Nov_2019.pdf)\n\nThe casting reflected a web-drama practice of using young actors rather than adult stars playing teenagers, which the Korea Times identified as one way web dramas adapted more quickly to teenage culture codes than television series did.[4](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2021/03/688_268740.html) NCT DREAM members Jaemin and Jeno made a [cameo appearance](https://www.edgepedia.org/cameo-appearance) in episode 20 of season 1, in a post-credits scene in which they try to determine which of the two Hanas owns a dropped book.[13](https://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1110982912)\n\n## Viewership and impact\n\n**Record-setting reach.** Season 1 accumulated over 140 million views by January 2019, a figure described at that point as among the highest for any Korean web drama; by May 2019 the Korea Times reported the season had passed 200 million views, the highest of all web-based drama series the previous year.[14](https://www.soompi.com/article/1297831wpp/teen-) • [4](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2021/03/688_268740.html) Season 2, which premiered on April 25, 2019, gained over 35 million views across six episodes within two weeks.[4](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2021/03/688_268740.html) By its conclusion the season had surpassed 52 million views on Naver's V Live alone, the highest record for a V Original web drama series, with its first episode nearing 5 million views and almost every episode exceeding 2 million on that platform; every episode also passed 1 million views on YouTube.[8](https://www.soompi.com/article/1335874wpp/a-teen-2-concludes-with-record-breaking-views-director-talks-success-secrets-and-casting) The release of the drama grew Playlist Studio's V Live channel subscribers by 35 percent.[8](https://www.soompi.com/article/1335874wpp/a-teen-2-concludes-with-record-breaking-views-director-talks-success-secrets-and-casting)\n\n**Cultural footprint.** In South Korea the show spawned a slang term, \"Do Hana disease\", describing girls who imitated the lead character's hairstyle, accessories, and makeup.[7](https://www.bsfuji.tv/ateen/) The series was later licensed internationally: BS Fuji aired both seasons in Japan in a five-episode edited format with subtitles, and the full series streams with subtitles in more than twenty languages on Rakuten Viki.[7](https://www.bsfuji.tv/ateen/) • [15](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/a-teen) Both seasons were also re-edited into 11 episodes and broadcast on the cable channel Mnet beginning July 29, 2019, an unusual television run for a web-originated series.[6](https://d.namu.moe/w/%EC%97%90%EC%9D%B4%ED%8B%B4%20%EC%8B%9C%EC%A6%8C2)\n\n**Careers launched.** The drama functioned as a springboard for its young cast. Shin Ye-eun, then a [JYP Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/jyp-entertainment) trainee, signed an exclusive actor contract with the agency in August 2018 on the strength of her popularity as Do Ha-na, and was also selected as a model for a lipstick edition named after the show.[16](https://www.yna.co.kr/amp/view/AKR20180830046500005) Shin Ye-eun and Kim Dong-hee received rookie awards at the 2019 Brand of the Year awards; Kim Dong-hee went on to appear in the JTBC drama *SKY Castle* and later *Itaewon Class*, while Lee Na-eun took further drama roles and Shin Seung-ho was cast in *Love Alarm* and *18 Moments*.[7](https://www.bsfuji.tv/ateen/) • [14](https://www.soompi.com/article/1297831wpp/teen-)\n\n## Genre significance\n\nA-TEEN is a central case in the revival of the high-teen romance drama, a genre that rating restrictions had largely pushed off Korean television. A 2019 study in the *Journal of Popular Narrative* by Moon Sunyoung of Korea University of Technology and [Education](https://www.edgepedia.org/education) analyzes the series alongside the JTBC drama *18 Moment* as evidence that web platforms restored the genre's commercial viability with young viewers, and that its success flowed back into television scheduling.[5](https://journal.kci.go.kr/djnar/archive/articleView?artiId=ART002525327) The Korea Times framed the series as evidence that web dramas, long dismissed as second-rate content, had become a trendsetting genre in their own right rather than merely a stepping stone for unknown actors.[4](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2021/03/688_268740.html) Han Su-ji followed the series with the web drama *Twenty-Twenty*, about 20-year-olds finding their dreams.[17](https://www.soompi.com/article/1392043wpp/a-teen-director-explains-why-she-cast-kim-woo-seok-and-han-sung-min-for-new-web-drama)\n\n## References\n\n1. [A-teen (2018), Baidu Baike](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/A-teen/23270690?fromModule=lemma_inlink)\n2. [List of popular Korean web dramas (KOCCA/Welcon document)](https://welcon.kocca.kr/cmm/fms/CrawlingFileDown.do?atchFileId=FILE_788e1bee-d1d9-4cbb-a7c9-907ede4257ad&fileSn=1)\n3. [A-Teen, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/38122/a-teen)\n4. [Web-based dramas emerge as new genre, The Korea Times (May 13, 2019)](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2021/03/688_268740.html)\n5. [Moon Sunyoung (2019). Extension of Platforms and Return of High-Teen Romance Drama, Journal of Popular Narrative 25(4)](https://journal.kci.go.kr/djnar/archive/articleView?artiId=ART002525327)\n6. [에이틴 시즌2, Namu wiki](https://d.namu.moe/w/%EC%97%90%EC%9D%B4%ED%8B%B4%20%EC%8B%9C%EC%A6%8C2)\n7. [A-TEEN / A-TEEN2, BS Fuji](https://www.bsfuji.tv/ateen/)\n8. [\"A-TEEN 2\" Concludes With Record-Breaking Views + Director Talks Success Secrets And Casting, Soompi (July 2, 2019)](https://www.soompi.com/article/1335874wpp/a-teen-2-concludes-with-record-breaking-views-director-talks-success-secrets-and-casting)\n9. [A-TEEN, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/a-teen/umc.cmc.63nmrwkkfu5x4hyv9w8dd6f7y)\n10. [Good Ol' Review: Breezy Web Series \"A-Teen\" a Solid Watch, DryedMangoez.com (June 3, 2020)](https://dryedmangoez.com/2020/06/03/good-ol-review-breezy-web-series-a-teen-a-solid-watch/)\n11. [Drama \"A-Teen\" produced by Playlist Global, The Junior Herald](https://juniorherald.co.kr/ebs/view.asp?GotoPage=559&bt=&column=&dtable=&nl_keyid=3378&searchString=)\n12. [ContentAsia country profile, 21 October–3 November 2019](https://www.contentasia.tv/eNewsletter/2019/ContentAsia_eNewsletter_21_Oct-3_Nov_2019.pdf)\n13. ['에이틴' NCT DREAM 재민·제노, 깜짝 등장, OSEN (September 5, 2018)](https://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1110982912)\n14. [\"A-TEEN\" To Reportedly Return With Original Cast For 2nd Season, Soompi (January 24, 2019)](https://www.soompi.com/article/1297831wpp/teen-)\n15. [A-TEEN streaming details, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/a-teen)\n16. [신예은, '에이틴' 히트에 JYP 연습생 넘어 전속계약, Yonhap News (August 30, 2018)](https://www.yna.co.kr/amp/view/AKR20180830046500005)\n17. [\"A-TEEN\" Director Explains Why She Cast Kim Woo Seok And Han Sung Min For New Web Drama, Soompi (April 2, 2020)](https://www.soompi.com/article/1392043wpp/a-teen-director-explains-why-she-cast-kim-woo-seok-and-han-sung-min-for-new-web-drama)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Web-native and streaming-original series › Korean and East Asian web series*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/a-teen", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/a-teen.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"A-TEEN (에이틴)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/a-teen. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[A-TEEN (에이틴)](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-teen)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/a-teen](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-teen). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"A-TEEN (에이틴)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/a-teen. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "A-TEEN is a 2018–2019 South Korean high-teen romance web drama by Playlist, directed by Han Su-ji, starring Shin Ye-eun and Lee Na-eun; season 1 drew over 200 million views." }