Netflix has issued a firm warning to Tencent following plagiarism accusations surrounding its Chinese variety show Chef of China, which closely mirrors the hit program Culinary Class Wars.
At the Netflix Entertainment Festival 2025 held on September 2 in Seoul, producer Kim Hak Min and director Yoo Ki Hwan addressed the controversy. The event featured a lineup of creators behind Netflix’s most popular variety shows, but it was the plagiarism issue that took center stage.
Earlier, Tencent Video launched Chef of China, a cooking competition featuring 100 chefs battling with woks, knives, and fire in high-pressure challenges. While marketed as a celebration of Chinese cuisine, the format drew immediate scrutiny for its uncanny resemblance to Culinary Class Wars.
Fans and critics pointed out strikingly similar elements: the 1:1 battles between “Black Chefs” and “White Chefs,” the use of pop-up restaurant team missions, a dual-judging system combining ordinary people and celebrities, and even identical set designs and opening sequences.
Producer Kim Hak Min admitted he was shocked after watching clips of the Chinese program: “When I saw it, the level of duplication was undeniable. From the sets to the intro sequence, even the cuts and background music were nearly identical. We spent nights carefully crafting each frame, only to see it replicated almost shot-for-shot.”
Director Yoo Ki Hwan added that Netflix took swift action: “This isn’t just similarity—it’s outright exploitation. Netflix has formally requested Tencent to halt the broadcast. Protecting creativity and intellectual property is a core value, and we will not ignore clear cases of infringement.”
Netflix confirmed it will continue monitoring Tencent’s response and vowed to pursue official action if necessary. The controversy has sparked wider discussion on the recurring problem of plagiarism in China’s entertainment industry and the importance of safeguarding original formats in the global streaming era.
Sources: allkpop
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