Set in a failing vocational school where chaos reigns, Tving’s original series “Study Group” follows Yoon Ga-min (played by Hwang Min-hyun), who enrolls in the troubled institution to improve his grades. The school is a battleground, with cigarette butts filling metal drums, fights breaking out during breaks, and teachers swinging steel pipes to stop students from fighting. Watching the protagonist fight off delinquents while trying to focus on his studies is darkly comedic, but the portrayal of a lawless school leaves a bitter aftertaste.
Recent OTT platforms are locked in fierce competition with adult-rated dramas. According to K-content analysis platform Fundex, half of the top 10 most talked-about TV and OTT dramas in the first week of February were rated adult-only, including “The Queen Who Crowns,” “Squid Game” season 2, “Newtopia,” “Study Group,” and “Friendly Rivalry.”
Tving has been steadily releasing R-rated historical dramas, from “Queen Woo” to “The Queen Who Crowns” and “The Scandal of Chunhwa.” “The Queen Who Crowns,” which reexamines the life of Queen Wongyeong, wife of King Taejong, was released in two versions: a 15+ version on tvN and a 19+ version on Tving. Controversy arose when it was revealed that explicit scenes used body doubles with CGI-composited faces of the lead actors. Similarly, “The Scandal of Chunhwa,” starring Go A-ra, drew attention for its nudity even before its release.
Tving’s “Study Group” and LG U+ Mobile TV’s “Friendly Rivalry” are school-themed dramas featuring high school students, but both are rated R, making them unsuitable for teenage viewers. Despite their school settings, the shows depict a brutal society marked by violence and drug use. “Friendly Rivalry” is set in an elite girls' high school where fierce academic competition drives students to use drugs to improve their performance. The top student smokes and frequents clubs, resulting in harmful content that earned the 19+ rating. Director Kim Tae-hee explained, “The show was never intended for teenagers. It aims to evoke emotions that all adults who have experienced academic competition can relate to.”
Drama critic Yun Suk-jin, a professor at Chungnam National University, remarked, “This appears to be a desperate tactic to grab attention in an increasingly competitive drama market,” warning that “though access is restricted, teenagers can still find ways to watch these shows, which could have harmful effects on them.”
Coupang Play’s “Newtopia” blends zombies with romantic comedy. Set in Seoul’s Gangnam district, it follows soldier Jae-yoon (played by Park Jung-min) and his girlfriend Young-joo (Ji-soo) fighting to save each other during a zombie outbreak. The show received an adult rating for its gore, though it balances brutality with light comedy and romance.
Platforms prioritize adult-rated dramas because they generate buzz. “The Queen Who Crowns” sparked major buzz with its explicit scenes, topping Tving’s weekly rankings for new paid subscribers and unique viewers upon release. “Friendly Rivalry” also set records as the most-watched original drama on U+ Mobile TV.
Viewers are growing tired of increasingly provocative content, and international audiences are beginning to perceive K-dramas as sensational. According to last year’s Overseas Hallyu (Korean Wave) Survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, favorable ratings for Korean content dropped by 3.7 percentage points to 68.8%, while negative perceptions rose by 5.5 percentage points to 32.6%. The main reasons cited were “too provocative/explicit content” (24.9%), “repetitive and predictable themes” (22.0%), and “too commercial” (21.1%).
