Categories: K-dramas

K-netizens Dismayed at the New Character Posters for tvN Drama Melancholia Showing Im Soo Jung as Teacher and Lee Do Hyun as Student Staring at Each Other Intently

I understand that a story is a story and sometimes it’s taboo or uncomfortable. But in those instances the story doesn’t try to normalize or make it right, it’s narrating something as is. I don’t know which path upcoming tvN drama Melancholia will take, a story about a math teacher at a prestigious private school and her connection with a math prodigy high school student. Will it be merely admiration and kindred spirits during the school years and then romance after he becomes an adult, or will the romance be implied or explicit when she’s teaching him, and if so what does the story want us viewers to feel about it. I know if ANY teacher stared at my 16 year old son the way Im Soo Jung is staring at 17 year old (in the drama) Lee Do Hyun I would rush to that classroom and beat her senseless legal ramifications be damned. It makes me so uncomfortable, as it does to the K-netizens who have been quite upset and unhappy with the new character posters for that reason. The tagline in Lee Do Hyun’s poster says “Teacher or math, neither I can like.” So he likes her already, I hope she doesn’t like him back when she’s teaching him, major sigh.

ockoala

View Comments

  • Ewww. Men would be called emotionally stunted pedophiles for doing this but it’s ok guys, look at how soulfully she is looking at her student! Kdramas would do well to remember that platonic love, friendship, mentorship etc do exist in the real world.

  • Hope they can get a refund for the photo. Wow, they poster probably went through a couple layers of approval and the end result was eww. Please let her have a hot age-appropriate boyfriend while she was teaching during his school years.

  • I’m a teacher by profession and stories like these do not ever sit well with me. Whether it’s a drama, film, novel, music video (heck even mangas) of whatever genre / gender / ethnicity, I drop it like a hot baked potato. -_- Just a big fat NO. Sorry. X_X

  • Ewww...

    I have been reading about a teacher being charged for getting pregnant with her student right now this month. I am in Australia by the way.

    And to see this poster now. Omg.

  • I think back then it wont become an issue because a lot of dramas use this kind of story but become successful instead, ex : I hear your voice about high school student and lawyer, doctors about high school student and teacher etc
    But this is 2021. This kind of story is so outdated

    • The relationship in IHYV was quite different. Big age gap, but no hierarchical relationship. She was not his teacher, or even his lawyer (at first). That absence of a power imbalance is important.

      The teacher-student dynamic is like the doctor-patient dynamic, which is why in most Western countries at least romantic relationships in those situations, even when apparently consensual, are treated as at the very least ethical violations, and often as legal violations.

    • Also in IHYV the relationship did not turn romantic on the FL part until much later in the story after they moved the ML into legal territory.

  • They already put an indemnity clause on it by announcing on the get go that the story was inspired in part by French President Macron and his wife's love story which imo is much worse because she was 40 and he was 15 and she was married with 3 kids. Just wikipedia it. At least he is 17. Eeks

      • urghhh, 'inspired from THAT! urghh
        When I first read that story before, I barfed. and they glorified that as something of a romantic whatever, which I just can't.
        All articles and features on that relationship, state that they only became a couple at 18, which probably was spun that way for his political career. And even then, she was still married when he was barely legal...
        so they were inspired by minor-adult taboo, teacher-student taboo and affair taboo. oh great going drama!!!

        And I was looking forward to the cast, but now I will skip this.

      • Google it. Its sooooo bad. Her first husband died last year. Pretty much a broken hearted man and a recluse. Apparently her first marriage was happy, but she was so besotted with a teenager she threw everything away. Bleh

  • just curious, how is this different from biscuit teacher and star candy? i honestly asking because i did remember enjoying the show, and now i’m questioning my sense of morality...

    • It helped that the premise of the show was totally ridiculous when Gong Yoo is actually older than Gong Hyo Jin in real life. You could see why she'd be attracted to him.

  • Ugh, I hope the entertainment industry will stop romanticizing teacher-student relationships. This should be R18, for a sensitive subject matter, right?

Recent Posts

Bai Lu Confirmed for Youku Mystery C-drama Strange Tales of Tang Palace with Likely Male Lead Wang Xing Yue

C-drama Strange Tales of Tang Palace (唐宫奇案之血玉韘) was confirmed last week by streaming platform Youku…

4 hours ago

Netflix Releases Poster and Preview for Thriller K-drama The Trunk with Seo Hyun Jin and Gong Yoo Premiering End of November 2024

It's almost time to find out what's in The Trunk as streaming giant Netflix heads…

12 hours ago

Love Game in Eastern Fantasy Slightly Tops The Story of Pearl Girl in First Reception Numbers After Opening Weekend

So the big November C-drama premiere actually had two high profile dramas arrive on the…

20 hours ago

C-viewers Not Feeling Any of the Higher Profile C-dramas Airing in October 2024 as Douban Ratings are All Low-ish

So hopefully the November 2024 C-dramas will fare better than it's prior month brethren as…

2 days ago

This website uses cookies.