Netflix Asia’s upcoming film Romantics Anonymous is facing unexpected turbulence as Japanese actor Oguri Shun, the film’s male lead, becomes the target of a growing boycott movement in Korea.
The film — a Korea-Japan co-production — is set to premiere at the 30th Busan International Film Festival in September before its global release in October 2025. Starring Oguri Shun and Han Hyo-joo, the romantic drama has been positioned as one of Netflix Asia’s flagship projects for the year. However, resurfaced controversies involving Oguri Shun are now threatening to overshadow the film’s promotion.
In the past, Oguri Shun was rumored to have had inappropriate relationships with models at exclusive clubs. In 2023, YouTuber Higashitani Yoshikazu even leaked nude photos of him singing at a bar, sparking widespread backlash in Japan. At the time, he was already married with four children.
Although his family stood by him and he continued working, the resurfacing of these scandals has reignited anger among Korean netizens, who view his casting in a Korean project as an attempt to “whitewash” his image.
Korean netizens have expressed strong disapproval across online communities:
- I’m shocked this is a married man with four kids. How could his family forgive him?
- I thought he wasn’t too bad when I saw his article yesterday. Now? I’m not watching this movie, gross.
- I worry about Han Hyo-joo’s reputation. His past could ruin her image too.
- He’s always been known for his partying lifestyle — and in a really bad way.
- “I loved him in Hana Yori Dango, even more than the Korean version, but this is too much.”
- Don’t come to Korea to whitewash your scandals. Repent in your own country.
- Why should Korea welcome someone like this? Stay away.
- He’s coming to Busan Film Festival next month? Please don’t let this affect Han Hyo-joo and our country’s reputation.
Once one of Japan’s most beloved actors, Oguri Shun rose to pan-Asian fame through his role as Hanazawa Rui in Hana Yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers Japanese version). Many fans considered him the truest embodiment of the manga character, surpassing later adaptations from Korea, China, and Thailand.
Now, with Romantics Anonymous — a remake of the French film by Jean-Pierre Améris — his career faces new uncertainty. The movie tells the story of two talented chocolatiers who suffer from social anxiety disorder, finding solace and connection in each other.
But as the boycott grows louder, questions remain: Will Oguri Shun’s troubled past derail one of Netflix Asia’s most ambitious projects of the year?
Sources: kenh14
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