“My Roommate Is A Gumiho” Reportedly Removing All Chinese PPL Prior To Airing First Episode
Upcoming drama, My Roommate Is A Gumiho hasn’t even aired their first episode yet, but they are already making headlines.
According to Star News, the upcoming tvN drama has reportedly decided to edit out all the Chinese product placement (PPL) in their first episode before its airing date. The drama previously made headlines after it was revealed that there was heavy Chinese investment in the production. The reason behind such investment is due to the fact that this series will be the first Korean drama to stream on the Chinese online streaming platform, iQIYI.
With such a large investment, netizens have begun to wonder about the potential Chinese PPL and how the production crew would handle the situation.
The reason behind the concern is due to the ongoing tensions between China and South Korea. Previously, China has made numerous claims on the origin of different South Korean cultural staples, such as kimchi, hanbok, taekwondo, the Korean flag and more. These constant claims made by China has caused a noticeable rift between the two nations. South Korea has since become increasingly sensitive to Chinese product placements within Korean media.
In light of the sensitivity, multiple Korean productions became the target of extreme scrutiny for featuring Chinese PPL. Two tvN dramas, True Beauty and Vincenzo became the center of massive backlash for their usage of Chinese products in their productions. After receiving such intense backlash from the public, the production teams ultimately decided to edit or remove the controversial scenes.
In Vincenzo, the controversial scene showed actor Song Joong Ki eating a to-go bibimbap, which is a South Korean cuisine. The controversy began when viewers realized that the bibimbap was not actually a Korean product, but rather a Chinese PPL brand. This caused an uproar from viewers who were outraged that the production team would allow such product placement. Netizens were concerned that overseas viewers of the drama would believe that bibimbap originates in China and not South Korea.
After falling victim to massive criticism and controversy two times prior, it seems that the tvN production crew for My Roommate Is A Gumiho decided to nip it in the bud before anything could arise. The filming for the series was completed back in March and the production has since been in the editing phase of the drama. In order to lessen potential controversies, the drama’s production crew has been reportedly editing out as much of the Chinese PPL as they can to ease the minds of potential viewers.
My Roommate Is A Gumiho has been highly anticipated since the news of its release. The series is a drama adaptation of a popular webtoon with the same name. Actor Jang Ki Yong and actress Lee Hye Ri were cast as the two main roles, further exciting fans with its upcoming release.
The first episode is set to air sometime in May so be on the lookout for that.
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