No one wants the adaptation, or so it seems.
Yet another Korean webtoon is being adapted into a K-Drama, except this one is facing intense backlash as soon as the production was announced on June 25, 2025 (KST).
CNC Revolution CEO Lee Jae Sik and Meta New Line CEO Heo Jae Chul have sealed the deal, signing and finalizing the rights contract to produce a Lezhin Comics original, The Elementary Schooler I Love, into a K-Drama series.
The webtoon follows the story of an elementary school teacher who, after being dumped by her boyfriend and ready to give up on love, falls for a top-tier player she meets in an online game, only to discover that he is actually her student in real life.
So far, director Jung Sung Hyun and scriptwriter Jung Se Hyuk have been confirmed for the K-Drama version. Later, more details, such as the broadcaster, airing schedule, and casting, will be revealed.
However, given the webtoon original’s “pedophilic” plot, the news of its adaptation has set off intense backlash despite it being in the earliest stages of the adaptation.
- “Are they out of their minds? I feel like elementary school parents are going to be strongly against this.”
- “The title alone…”
- “??????”
- “Ugh, absolutely disgusting.”
- [Deleted Comment]
- “Blows my mind how the og webtoon managed to complete its run without controversy at the time.”
- “This is irritating—way too pedophilic.”
- “From My Mister to this… What’s next? Dating a newborn?”
- “WTF?”
- “The premise is disturbing.”
- “Can we stop with these My Mister pedophilic K-Drama plots? This isn’t normal.”
The sexualization of minors has always been considered problematic, but more recently, Korean viewers have been more active in expressing disgust and pushing for cancellations of shows involving pedophilic premises.
Read more:
“TV Show For Pedos” To Push Forward With Premiere—Backlash Intensifies With New Teaser
