It has been previously criticized.
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Netflix‘s Teach You A Lesson is proving to be one of the most divisive K-Dramas of the year. Despite ongoing criticism surrounding its source material, the series has surged up Netflix’s global rankings, reportedly reaching No. 2 worldwide shortly after its release.
| theqoo
It has even hit No.1 in 43 countries. The action-school drama, starring Kim Mu Yeol, is based on the controversial Naver webtoon Get Schooled, which has been the subject of debate for years.
Long before the drama premiered, the original webtoon faced accusations of promoting misogynistic themes, racism, corporal punishment, and far-right ideology. The controversy became so significant that the title was removed from Naver Webtoon’s North American platform in 2023, although it remained available in Korea.
More recently, the drama itself sparked fresh backlash after a scene involving comments about breast reduction surgery went viral online. Critics argued that the dialogue felt unrealistic and accused the writing of reflecting misogynistic attitudes.
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The latest controversy comes on top of existing criticism surrounding the source material. Online discussions have pointed to previous accusations that the webtoon portrayed feminism negatively, glorified violence as a solution to social problems, and contained racially insensitive storylines. As a result, the good results do not come without criticism.
| theqoo
- Sure, those with a good stomach can watch it all they want. I can’t watch shows that are low-level.
- Did the original work ever apologize for being anti-woman and did they delete that scene?
- It’s fun, so it would’ve gone up to that ranking. Isn’t it the best for everyone for those who don’t find it palatable to just not care about it?
- Everyone’s on such a low level.
Many viewers have argued that the Netflix adaptation significantly toned down or removed some of the webtoon’s most controversial elements. Others say the series should be judged independently from the original work. The divide has become especially apparent on social media, where viewers continue to debate whether watching the drama indirectly supports the original webtoon and its messaging.
While criticism continues to dominate online discussions, Teach You A Lesson has emerged as one of Netflix’s biggest global hits this week, becoming one of the platform’s most-watched non-English series shortly after its debut.