Some viewers complain about the romance details between a minor and an adult in “Twenty-five, Twenty-one” which is gaining popularity with a rating of over 13.7%.
Netizens are continuing to argue over tvN’s drama “Twenty-five, Twenty-one” which is enjoying explosive popularity with its highest viewer rating exceeding 13.7%. Why are there such complaints among viewers?
The drama “Twenty-five, Twenty-one” features 22-year-old Baek Yi-jin and 18-year-old Na Hee-do meeting in 1998 when the IMF broke out and developed their love over the years. According to the title, the two will achieve the fruit of their love when they turn 25 and 21.
As the drama unfolded, some viewers started to complain. This is because the drama deals with a romantic relationship between an adult and a minor. In the drama, the two do not confirm their love officially, but scenes where viewers could see their love line constantly appear.
Baek Yi-jin, played by Nam Joo-hyuk, recognized his feelings for Na Hee-do and confessed, “I love you.” In this scene, viewers responded, “Whose imagination is this, why an adult-minor romance?” “Why is this getting worse?” “Why the staff didn’t simply build them as college students?” “Don’t match a grown-up with a minor,” “Why would you, an adult, have fantasy about a minor?”
On the other hand, there were many oppositions, saying, “They haven’t started dating yet,” “Is dating illegal now?” and “If you watch the drama, you won’t see anything to worry about.” The controversy is expected to intensify as viewers’ responses are mixed.
As the controversy grows, dramas about love between minors and adults in the past are also being highlighted. The drama “Goblin,” which was very popular, was also criticized in this regard. Regarding the setting of adults and minors in the drama, there was an advocacy response at the time, saying, “Isn’t it sensitive to talk about ‘partners decided by destiny’ when the goblin is 939 years old?”
In addition, the drama “I Can Hear Your Voice,” in which the male protagonist, who is a minor, had a crush on a woman in her 30s, also drew attention. However, it was pointed out as a clear difference that the protagonists’ love was neither mentioned nor achieved until the minor reached adulthood.
The drama “Melancholia,” which was criticized as its poster dealt with the romance between a teacher and her student, and the drama “Backstreet Rookie,” which caused controversy over a kiss between a minor and an adult, were also mentioned. At that time, the Broadcasting Review Committee had held a subcommittee and issued a “caution” disposition for “Backstreet Rookie”.
As the controversy is escalating, there seems to be no major disagreement among viewers that the content of the drama “Twenty-five, Twenty-one” is a rather sensitive topic. Unless being enforced, the relationship between an adult and a minor is not illegal. This is because there is no defined age at which dating is allowed.
However, looking at the concept of minors, minors are treated as incompetent for their own protection and safety due to their incomplete judgment, and those under the age of 19 have their ability to act limited. Even with the same problem, the inner thoughts that adults and minors have can vary widely. Underage standards become a barrier so that the law can protect them.
Of course, if the standard is set for “minors,” there is no choice but to ask again how old they are as minors. There is only a few months’ difference between high school seniors who just took the CSAT and the freshmen who just entered college, but the barriers to deal with those two ranges are completely different.
As opinions were divided, the controversy over the mentioned drama was also divided into critical positions of “it can instill fantasy in minors,” and “the content of the drama is not about that.” Despite various responses, the drama’s official position has yet to be disclosed.
