I Live Alone became embroiled in controversy over a broadcast scene, and although the production team deleted the scene in question, viewers' reactions remain divided.
Earlier, in the MBC variety show I Live Alone broadcast on the 13th, webtoon artist Kian84 was shown traveling to Japan to meet Japanese horror manga artist Junji Ito. For Kian84, who had often mentioned Junji Ito as a role model, Japanese-born singer Kangnam reportedly contacted Ito directly to arrange the meeting, and the two were shown visiting a Japanese publishing company and meeting Junji Ito face to face. That scene recorded a peak minute rating of 6.4% (Nielsen Korea) and was cited as the show's "best minute."
However, after the broadcast the fact that the publishing company Shogakukan was shown on screen became controversial. Recently in Japan the publisher had been criticized over allegations that it helped an author with a history of child sexual offenses return under a pen name. The related incident was widely reported in Japan, producing repercussions and even prompting the platform to issue an apology, so the program became embroiled in an unexpected controversy.
Because of this, some viewers said it was inappropriate to show a publisher recently involved in controversy on a terrestrial broadcast without explanation. In addition, the appearance of a Detective Conan: The Lost Ship of the Desert poster in the broadcast added to the controversy. The film had not been released domestically because it includes scenes showing the Japanese rising sun flag, so it could not escape criticism.
As the controversy spread, the production team did not issue a separate official statement, but it was confirmed that the VOD released on OTT on the 15th had deleted the relevant scenes. Scenes showing the Shogakukan building and related explanations, as well as the Detective Conan poster and other controversial parts, were edited out. Those scenes have been replaced with vehicle movement shots and can no longer be seen.
Despite these measures, viewer reactions remain divided. Some praised the quick edits reflecting viewer feedback as positive, while others criticized that quietly deleting the content without separate explanation or statement was disappointing.
There is a sense that the controversy's fallout is even spreading to cast member Kian84. It is possible that the scene was not fully recognized during production, but because the production team deleted it after recognizing the problem, some say an official explanation is needed. Others argue that the production team may not have known about the controversy and that criticism is excessive. Conversely, many also say that because it was a sensitive issue, the team should have been more careful.
With various opinions continuing after the scene was deleted, attention is focused on whether the I Live Alone production team will issue any further statement.
[Photo] OSEN DB, I Live Alone
[OSEN]