The tvN period drama Jung Nyeon is one of the high profile projects on deck for later this year, adapted from a well regarded feminist empowerment webtoon and starring award winning and popular actress Kim Tae Ri. It’s basically has prestige piece written all over it and is also set in the post Korean war era so will delve in a period that brings in older viewers. The webtoon has a very open lesbian main love line between the female lead Jung Nyeon and her biggest fan and supporter Bu Yong, but netizens have noticed that the drama has finished filming but there appears to be no mention or existence of the character of Bu Yong or an actress cast. It was always likely that the drama version would omit the lesbian love line when aiming for a mainstream airing so it’s not a surprise but frankly this would be as good a drama to challenge whether domestic South Korean audiences are ready for that since Kim Tae Ri is apparently a lesbian icon (female netizens love her) and the lesbian love story is nicely written in the source webtoon.
Bigoted cowards.
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I don’t know how to feel about this. On the one hand, why adapt a GL web toon if you take out the GL. On the other hand, show runners and broadcasting companies want to make money, and GL may turn a chunk of the audience away. GL is not even popular with the Danmei Fandom.
Considering Kim Tae Ri broke out with the Handmaiden this seems especially sad.
Ahh.. that will be disappointing. Maybe they are keeping it under wraps.
No they aren’t. The director was clear that they would be no love lines in the drama. However it will be queer baiting maybe. We will have to wait and see but the GL is definitely out.
If its based on a story about about a lesbian couple, it should stay faithful to the original story and stick to the lesbian couple.
There was a lot of talks on this recently since the drama completed filming recently. Its rather unfortunate too since they could have omitted the love line instead of completely removing the character. Or they could have changed the gender if they were so inclined. But to remove Bu Yong is practically removing what makes Jeong Nyeon the person that she was. Sad even if somewhat expected.
It’s a real shame if that’s true. The writers couldn’t have at least turned the GL aspect into girlmance the same way BL stories become bromance when they get a TV adaptation?
Women aren’t interested in GL. If The Untamed wasn’t a censored BL adaptation, I don’t think it would be as popular as it is. I think we should accept that women don’t like to support their own gender that much.
@Johnn Erick
Stop talking for all women.
Women support other women.
Men need to gtfo when it comes to this conversation.
Sadly, no, women do not support other females in general. SOME women support other women. For example, you can observe the reaction in the comments here, when it comes to support femal artist vs male artist. There is so much more and harsher scrutineering twoards females and way more leniency for males. And it’s not only the oppa syndrome.
BTaw, I’m a woman.
No patriarchal system would survive so thoroughly without the support of so many women, how do not see or do not care about the sorrow of other women. Additionally, the women who made it through the glass ceiling have had to fight so hard that they expected other women to fight as hard and don’t often lend a helping hand. But not everyone has the same strength. In contrast, there are some many structures in place, where men get (automatically) help from other men without them really realizing how privileged they are
Sorry, I hope that my comment was understandable in spite of my many mistakes. I’m not a native speaker and I’m emotionally invested with the issues of misogyny and feminism
As a woman. I completely agree with you.
@eJc It’s internalized patriarchy. Women are TAUGHT since very young to not support other women who don’t conform and that only women who follow the rules can live happy and successful lives. Yes women should have a career but she should also be the perfect mother, wife and daughter. Her job is to be perfect at everything thing she does that is the virtue of a woman. If she doesn’t meet those standards or if she speaks out against those standards then she isn’t a “good woman”. Women support other women when they meet that standard like SYJ was heavily supported while SHK was heavily criticized. I’m not saying one is right or the other is wrong. They are both entitled to do whatever they want and live however they want. I’m just referring to the internal bias we have towards women based on how they fit the standards set by society. For men there are no standards as long as they are tall and even remotely attractive. Many influential women also support this ideology and the internalized patriarchy cycle continues.
@eJc
Sorry, but I think your comment is weird to sound under article about female centric drama. Just for whom it was filmed, if most of k-drama watchers are women and this drama about women, but “women don’t support women in general”?
I saw reactions here towards male and female artists, and no, I didn’t notice misogyny or male preference.
Look under articles about Lee Sye Young and Na In Woo’s drama, about Kim You Jung and Kim Yeon Dae’s drama. For last articles I remember that here are many fans of actresses Kim So Hyun, Kim Tae Ri, Kim Go Eun. How many people praising Kim Hye Yeon.
Yes, sexiest comments towards women and men are exist (koala’s article about CWH as an example, lol), but mostly whoever commenters are praising depends on artists themself, not on their gender.
I’m a woman,and I don’t care about artists gender, only about their acting and sometimes about charisma.
Whenever you want to talk about women in general (or about men in general), you’re a sexist yourself, because all women can’t be described like that.
Maybe we should wait and see? I still remember how many k-drama fans tryed very hard to build boycott towards Lovely runner right before it aired, said many things about drama, and none of that was true.
I tired to see how international k-drama fans acts crazier and crazier, wants to spread cancel culture everywhere they can. Before this drama will air I think all these conversations are baseless.
This isnt something that was started by international fans. It is a topic that has over 700 comments on TheQoo from loyal fans of the manga. Several posts in fact. No one is trying to cancel the drama – it has Kim Tae Ri ffs. She is the TOP actress and no one can cancel her drama regardless on what controversies it faces.
However, fans are completely valid in expressing their disappointment of a beloved character not officially casted in a drama adaptation. Its the equivalent of a Lady Whistledown being rumored to be cut off from Bridgertons. Of course everyone will talk. It is crazier to expect fans to.
We still don’t know if character was canceled with her loveline as well, maybe some role took two characters in one, like actress Shin Ye Eun.
This is not only Kim Tae Ri, but also writer Choi Hyo Bi, who wrote gay loveline in remake Time called you, even though in original drama were one gay with unrequited love without any romantic vibe.
And I remember that Kim Hi Eo Ra got the offer to film in Jeongnyeon as one of the main leads before she was canceled. Maybe they refilmed scenes with her with other actress/character from the cast or something like that.
So I think it’s too soon to judge (like this often happens with k-drama fans).
Maybe you’re not registering the fact that the director herself said that ALL the love lines from the original webtoon have been removed. The character of Buyong has also been cut out and the character that Kim Heira was supposed to play is now being played by Jung Eunchae and she does not have any love lines either. Hers is a character that has a masculine charm and is very handsome. Nobody is forcing the GL erasure narrative it’s been repeatedly stated by the director and scriptwriter that the drama focuses on the upheavals of women and does not have any love interests for anyone. This is not an assumption it’s fact. The fans are rightfully upset about the GL erasure does not mean the drama still won’t be good and will appeal to the heteronormative audience immensely.
Oops, I didn’t know about their statements.
Well, this is really a shame 😒 I’m not even a fan, but dissappinted by their decision as well.
Classic LGBTQ erasure but Koreans are horribly homophobic so hardly surprising.
My stance on this is that these dramas shouldn’t be filmed until they are ready to include the LGBTQ relationships as well. This is just pure bigotry.
It’s sad they did it. At least, they didn’t change it in a boy-girl relationship.
I think there was the same issue with the drama High School Return of a Gangster.
I have no background on the source material so to me as long as the story flows, I’m fine with it. I don’t think the lesbian angle would have been as controversial as some think seeing as to how popular K Will’s new MV is. But it is airing on tvN so the execs prob didn’t want to take the chance. I’m sure they expect double digits for the drama.