Frustrating reality, refreshing vicarious satisfaction: The reason for the frenzy over 'True Education' ① [★Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

• Netflix's 'True Education' [★Report]

Netflix's 'True Education' is heating up. Despite initial controversy surrounding its original work before its release, 'True Education' cleverly adapts the source material by removing the original controversies, delivering a refreshing vicarious satisfaction that contrasts with the frustrating reality.

Based on a webtoon of the same name, 'True Education' is a series depicting the thrilling and refreshing 'True Education' carried out by the National Education Rights Protection Bureau (hereinafter referred to as the Education Rights Bureau), established to defend the educational rights of teachers and the educational landscape in South Korea, which have been eroded by students, teachers, and parents. According to Flicks Patrol data, the series reached number one in 45 countries, including South Korea, on the 13th, securing a global number-one ranking.

So, why are viewers so enthusiastic about 'True Education'?

Initially gaining attention for its original webtoon, 'True Education' conveys a refreshing vicarious satisfaction that contrasts with the growing frustration of the public education system's deteriorating reality. The series directly addresses social issues that have become prominent in Korean society, such as violations of teachers' rights, malicious complaints from parents, school violence, and the issue of juvenile offenders under the age of criminal responsibility. By resolving problems that remain unsolved in reality through the 'Education Rights Bureau' both legally and physically, the series delivers a sense of cathartic satisfaction.

In particular, realistic storylines, such as the episode featuring 'Woo-jin's mother' who files malicious complaints against elementary schools, highlight monstrous parents and resonate with viewers. These stories evoke memories of real-life incidents like the 'Seo-i-cho' case, stirring up audience emotions. It is not merely a story within a drama but one that feels like a reflection of our own reality. While the incidents exist, the drama resolves issues that the law cannot address, allowing viewers to experience vicarious satisfaction and catharsis.

The most straightforward narrative of 'an eye for an eye' functions as a mirror therapy, making perpetrators feel the same pain and fear as victims, prompting self-reflection. Rather than inflicting mere pain, the series allows viewers to experience justice by revealing the victims' perspectives.

The series cleverly adapts the original work by removing controversies such as the glorification of corporal punishment and racially discriminatory depictions, steering the story within the broader context of the collapse of public education. Additionally, the ensemble acting of actors such as Kim Mu-yeol as Na Hwa-jin, Lee Sung-min as Minister of Education Choi Kang-seok, and Jin Ki-ju as Jang Ji-hoon, along with perfectly cast supporting actors in each episode, contributes significantly to the series' popularity.

The reason 'True Education' has sparked a global phenomenon beyond South Korea lies on the same continuum. Issues such as the helplessness of public education and school violence are no longer unique to Korea but have become global concerns. The series addresses problems like cyberbullying exacerbated by smartphones and social media, as well as violations of teachers' rights, which are now issues not only in Asia but also in Western countries, thereby garnering widespread resonance.

Furthermore, the appeal of Korean drama heroes and the satisfying action sequences in each episode have captivated viewers worldwide, extending beyond South Korea.

While 'True Education' has received praise for its cathartic nature, it also raises questions about the next steps that our education sector and, more broadly, our society should take. In a reality where 'mirror therapy' is difficult to implement, the series poses the question of how to address real-world problems that are often even more severe than those depicted in the drama. The very act of raising such thought-provoking questions is what defines the power of 'True Education'.

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*This content was translated by AI.