YOU are welcome to defend BUT I don't give a Fish
K-Drama Imitating the West While Distorting Joseon History
Korean historical dramas have always struggled to find a balance between authenticity and creative storytelling. However, The Scandal of Chun Hwa takes this struggle to a whole new level, presenting an unrealistic, westernized, and outright problematic depiction of Joseon-era Korea. Instead of staying true to the rich cultural and historical aspects of the period, the drama tries too hard to mimic Western storytelling—only to fail miserably.
Joseon Era or Western Fantasy?
One of the biggest issues with this drama is how it distorts historical reality just to fit into a Westernized narrative. Korean directors seem obsessed with copying and pasting everything from Hollywood, even when it makes no sense in a Joseon-era setting. The characters talk and behave as if they belong in a 21st-century Western drama rather than a Korean historical period. The storytelling follows typical Western tropes—weak kings, overly dramatic romances, and forced "girl boss" empowerment that ultimately contradicts itself.
Women Objectified in the Name of "History"
The drama shamelessly uses its historical setting as an excuse to objectify women. A major plot point involves the protagonist, a princess, being unknowingly drawn in erotic paintings that are distributed as part of a secret business. The show tries to romanticize this as a tragic yet thrilling element, but in reality, it only glorifies the exploitation of women. Even more disturbingly, the king—her own father—is portrayed as a powerless figure who does nothing to stop this humiliation.
If the goal was to highlight the struggles of women in Joseon Korea, the drama completely misses the mark. Instead, it treats the suffering of female characters as entertainment, all while dressing it up as a "progressive" story. This reflects a deeper issue in Korean dramas—where so-called "female empowerment" is often nothing more than a woman being used, discarded, and then "saved" by a rich or powerful man.
Korean Society’s View on Women—Then and Now
The drama unintentionally exposes how little has changed in Korean society regarding the treatment of women. Instead of addressing these issues in a meaningful way, it reinforces them under the guise of storytelling. Women in this drama (and many others) are still seen as objects—whether for power, revenge, or entertainment. Despite Korea’s economic rise (thanks largely to the influence of the U.S.), societal views on gender remain deeply problematic.
If this is what Korean entertainment considers "empowerment," then it's no wonder that their dramas continue to struggle with meaningful representation. True empowerment isn’t about selling a woman’s body or suffering for male entertainment—it’s about giving female characters real agency, respect, and strength beyond just being used as plot devices.
Final Verdict
Instead of being a fresh take on historical drama, The Scandal of Chun Hwa is just another attempt to copy Western storytelling while failing to respect its own cultural and historical roots. Worse, it reinforces outdated ideas about women under the illusion of empowerment. Until Korean entertainment stops treating women as objects—whether in Joseon Korea or modern-day Seoul—it will continue to be stuck in this shallow and contradictory cycle.
★☆☆☆☆ (1/5) – Disappointing, unrealistic, and problematic
Korean historical dramas have always struggled to find a balance between authenticity and creative storytelling. However, The Scandal of Chun Hwa takes this struggle to a whole new level, presenting an unrealistic, westernized, and outright problematic depiction of Joseon-era Korea. Instead of staying true to the rich cultural and historical aspects of the period, the drama tries too hard to mimic Western storytelling—only to fail miserably.
Joseon Era or Western Fantasy?
One of the biggest issues with this drama is how it distorts historical reality just to fit into a Westernized narrative. Korean directors seem obsessed with copying and pasting everything from Hollywood, even when it makes no sense in a Joseon-era setting. The characters talk and behave as if they belong in a 21st-century Western drama rather than a Korean historical period. The storytelling follows typical Western tropes—weak kings, overly dramatic romances, and forced "girl boss" empowerment that ultimately contradicts itself.
Women Objectified in the Name of "History"
The drama shamelessly uses its historical setting as an excuse to objectify women. A major plot point involves the protagonist, a princess, being unknowingly drawn in erotic paintings that are distributed as part of a secret business. The show tries to romanticize this as a tragic yet thrilling element, but in reality, it only glorifies the exploitation of women. Even more disturbingly, the king—her own father—is portrayed as a powerless figure who does nothing to stop this humiliation.
If the goal was to highlight the struggles of women in Joseon Korea, the drama completely misses the mark. Instead, it treats the suffering of female characters as entertainment, all while dressing it up as a "progressive" story. This reflects a deeper issue in Korean dramas—where so-called "female empowerment" is often nothing more than a woman being used, discarded, and then "saved" by a rich or powerful man.
Korean Society’s View on Women—Then and Now
The drama unintentionally exposes how little has changed in Korean society regarding the treatment of women. Instead of addressing these issues in a meaningful way, it reinforces them under the guise of storytelling. Women in this drama (and many others) are still seen as objects—whether for power, revenge, or entertainment. Despite Korea’s economic rise (thanks largely to the influence of the U.S.), societal views on gender remain deeply problematic.
If this is what Korean entertainment considers "empowerment," then it's no wonder that their dramas continue to struggle with meaningful representation. True empowerment isn’t about selling a woman’s body or suffering for male entertainment—it’s about giving female characters real agency, respect, and strength beyond just being used as plot devices.
Final Verdict
Instead of being a fresh take on historical drama, The Scandal of Chun Hwa is just another attempt to copy Western storytelling while failing to respect its own cultural and historical roots. Worse, it reinforces outdated ideas about women under the illusion of empowerment. Until Korean entertainment stops treating women as objects—whether in Joseon Korea or modern-day Seoul—it will continue to be stuck in this shallow and contradictory cycle.
★☆☆☆☆ (1/5) – Disappointing, unrealistic, and problematic
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