The Most Offensive, Explicit, And Disliked K-Dramas Of 2025 So Far

Every year, the Korean drama industry produces many wonderful, memorable series that viewers can’t stop talking about. Some K-Dramas, however, end up offending viewers with controversial storylines, sexual content, or just flat-out “bad” writing. These K-Dramas missed the mark in 2025, according to viewers.

1. The Elementary Schooler I Love

If you said something along the lines of “Yikes” or “Hell no” after reading that K-Drama title, you aren’t alone. The Elementary Schooler I Love triggered such intense backlash for its “pedophilic” plot that production was canceled before it began.

Female lead Shim Cheong A (left) and male lead Im Dang Soo (right) | CNC Revolution

At the end of June, CNC Revolution CEO Lee Jae Sik and Meta New Line CEO Heo Jae Chul finalized the rights contract to turn the Lezhin Comics original, The Elementary Schooler I Love, into a K-Drama. This webtoon tells the story of an elementary school teacher who falls for a gamer after her boyfriend dumps her. She finds out that the gamer she’s crushing on is actually her student in real life.

| CNC Revolution

The K-Drama was scrapped just days after the announcement.

We have taken the public’s concerns very seriously and have decided to cancel the planning and production of the drama based on The Elementary Schooler I Love. We humbly accept the changing societal standards and sensitivities. This incident has reaffirmed our commitment to creating thoughtful and responsible content moving forward.

— Meta New Line

2. Dear Hongrang

The historical K-Drama Dear Hongrang promised a combination of mystery and romance, but some viewers really weren’t happy about how the romance unfolded.

Hong Rang (Lee Jae Wook), who was born into a wealthy family, disappears and returns with amnesia. This sets off an emotional journey that involves his half-sister, Jae Yi (Cho Bo Ah). Although it’s later revealed that the half-siblings aren’t actually related, Jae Yi doesn’t know this. Her “half-brother” starts to act on his romantic feelings for her, knowing they aren’t siblings, while she’s still in the dark.

im speechless are we allowing incest here or qhat? he knows he's not her brother but she doesn't know that so WHAT ARE WE DOING???? I keep covering my mouth because of the tension………..#DearHongrangEp5 pic.twitter.com/0URPq9IziG

— ria (@haruyugeon) May 17, 2025

3. When The Stars Gossip

This high-budget space-romance has received scathing criticism for multiple reasons, with some viewers calling it one of the worst K-Dramas ever. Its sex scene, in particular, has been dubbed “the worst sex scene in K-Drama history.”

| Netflix

Lead actors Lee Min Ho and Gong Hyo Jin undress and cuddle to stay warm as death draws near. They have sex  in space while BTS Jin‘s voice sings the soundtrack “Close To You.”

| Netflix

별물 오늘자(8화) 엔딩
1-8화 내내 섹스를 외치던 드라마
드디어 우주에서 해버리다 pic.twitter.com/ln66A5G4DN

— 화석 (@notfossil379_) January 26, 2025

Today’s final scene of When The Stars Gossip Episode 8: After talking about sex and sex and sex throughout the 8 episodes, these two finally got to do it in space.

— @notfossil379_/X

4. Good Boy

This popular action comedy K-Drama starring Park Bo Gum started off strong, but things changed as the show’s brutal violence escalated.

Park Bo Gum in “Good Boy.” | JTBC

The series follows a group of former elite athletes who become special police officers. The show has come under fire for its shocking, relentless violence that turned the main character into little more than a punching bag. The violence also stalled the plot’s progression, according to some viewers.

Park Bo Gum in “Good Boy.” | JTBC

5. Buried Hearts

Buried Hearts, SBS‘s revenge thriller starring Park Hyung Sik and Hong Hwa Yeon, came under fire for its sex scene. Episode 1 featured multiple intimate scenes, including a sex scene where Hong’s character tells Park’s character to “just do it” as he’s reaching for a drawer, presumably for a condom.

She knew what was coming, which is why she was pampering DongJu and treating him specially. I'm sure they blackmailed or threatened her to go along with the plan, but she gave DongJu the last offering raw 🤣😭🍒 #BuriedHearts #BuriedHeartsEp1 pic.twitter.com/tFkVQbbPNN

— Ta-da (@te3_tia) February 21, 2025

The two proceed to have unprotected sex, which disgusted and irritated some viewers, who condemned K-Dramas for becoming too provocative.

| theqoo

• “I feel like the scriptwriter doesn’t know how romantic scenes work… The lines during the sex scene? I was appalled.”
• “The whole show is cringe, LOL. I’m sure people who like it, like it. But I can’t watch it. It’s barf.”
• “I don’t even care about the kissing. The condomless sex scene caught me off guard.”

6. Crushology 101

Crushology 101 stars Roh Jeong Eui and four male love interests: Lee Chae Min, Cho Jun Young, Kim Hyun Jin, and Hong Min Gi. The series is based on a webtoon, Bunny and Oppas, which follows a woman who becomes involved in a love-square romance after her breakup.

| MBC

If going by viewership rating alone, Crushology 101 could be considered one of the worst K-Dramas of the year. Despite having a weekend primetime spot, the series started with a 1.3% viewership rating and peaked at 1.8% before plummeting. It’s the first MBC K-Drama to drop to a 0.7% rating, and it ended with a 0.8% rating.

| Naver

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