The 'Scandal' of the Joseon Dynasty, which had to hide its desires, was more dangerous than the forbidden love game of French nobles... [K-EYES] Overseas reviews of 'Scandal'

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Ranked 7th globally, .. mostly rated 4 out of 5 points

Netflix's series "Scandal," which transposes the forbidden love game of French nobles to the Joseon Dynasty, ranked seventh on Netflix in its first week of broadcast. Reviews from major media outlets in Hong Kong and India highlight that overseas critics noted how the Joseon setting, entirely different from 18th-century France where the original work is set, created even greater tension in a story dealing with desire, temptation, and betrayal.

Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) focused on the premise of "Scandal" in its review published on the 18th, which transposes Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' 18th-century French novel "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" to the Joseon Dynasty.

SCMP noted that while it might initially seem incongruous to move a story of temptation and conspiracy among French nobles to the Joseon era, the patriarchal social structure of Joseon actually served as a "perfect backdrop" for this narrative. The analysis suggests that the strict social order that severely restricted men's and women's desires and behaviors generated new tension in the love game of the original work. SCMP gave "Scandal" a rating of 4 out of 5 points.

"Scandal" is a work that transposes "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," published in 1782, to the Joseon Dynasty. The story unfolds as Lady Jo (played by Son Ye-jin), a woman with exceptional talents for living in the Joseon era, and Jo Won (played by Ji Chang-wook), the greatest lover of Joseon, engage in a dangerous love bet, while Hee-yeon (played by Nana) becomes entangled in the process.

In the original work, the story revolves around social gatherings and seduction among nobles, but in the Joseon setting, it unfolds within constraints based on reputation, social status, and gender. In a society where desires cannot be freely expressed, simply wanting someone can become a dangerous choice, further complicating the relationships among the three characters.

Indian media outlet India Today also gave "Scandal" a rating of 4 points in its review published on the 18th. India Today evaluated that in the Joseon era, what one wanted and whom one wanted, and even whether one could desire something at all, could determine the direction of one's life, and the work presented this as an eight-part game of temptation and manipulation.

India Today pointed out that while focusing on the acting performances of Son Ye-jin and Ji Chang-wook to highlight the tension in the work, it was not as groundbreaking as expected given the title "Scandal." Although sensual scenes appear, there are moments where the work seems to have calculated its own boundaries. At the same time, it offered positive evaluations regarding the acting of the three actors, visual aesthetics, and color tones.

Another element highlighted in overseas reviews is Nana's transformation. In "Scandal," Nana plays Hee-yeon, who lives under social constraints after losing her husband. The character itself serves as another axis representing the social order of Joseon, which restricts desires and freedom of choice.

India-based media outlet Leisurebyte analyzed "Scandal" in its review on the 18th as a Joseon-era romance centered on "manipulation," "forbidden desire," and "dangerous wager." It particularly evaluated that in a situation where Confucian social order suppresses individual identity and desires, characters reveal their desires in dangerous ways.

Leisurebyte cited the chemistry between Son Ye-jin and Ji Chang-wook, strong acting performances, and impressive visual aesthetics as strengths, giving the work 4 out of 5 points. However, it pointed out as drawbacks that the pacing became too slow as the story unfolded over eight episodes and that some characters' choices appeared convenient for advancing the plot. This review is currently registered as a critique on the film and TV review site Rotten Tomatoes.

The three overseas reviews did not evaluate the work with unconditional praise. While generally giving high marks to Joseon's social constraints, the acting of the three actors, and visual aesthetics, they pointed out issues such as slow pacing and levels that were not as groundbreaking as expected.

Interest in the work was also confirmed through Netflix viewing metrics. According to Netflix's weekly compilation, "Scandal" ranked seventh among global non-English TV shows from September 14 to 20. Since the work was released on September 18, the statistics reflected viewing performance for three days after its release during the compilation period. During this period, viewership reached 1.9 million, and total watch time amounted to 14.5 million hours.

"Scandal" also appeared in the top 10 non-English TV shows on Netflix in 10 countries including South Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original