Recent Episode of “The World of The Married” Sparks Viewer Criticism For “Too Much Violence” For TV

In the most recent Episode 8 of the controversial K-Drama The World of The Married, the female lead Dr. Ji Sun Woo (played by actress Kim Hee Ae) gets raided and attacked at home.

With the culprit later being revealed to be the abusive boyfriend of Dr. Ji Sun Woo’s patient — paid to “threaten Dr. Ji Sun Woo so she would leave town” by the ex-husband…

… this scene became an important turning point in the series marking “Round 2” between the divorced couple.

Unfortunately, after the scene aired, The World of The Married production team faced a significant amount of criticism from the viewers who became uncomfortable with the unprecedented “detailed first person perspective” of the assault.

The scene continued for at least five minutes, showing Dr. Ji Sun Woo being thrown around and choked.

While some viewers found the “VR-like” camerawork new and experimental in K-Drama productions…

• “It was unprecedented for sure. I thought it was a game for a second. It’s controversial, but that’s also experimental.”
• “Honestly, seeing it from the attacker’s point of view did intrigue me. The show is pushing new boundaries, I get it.”
• “I mean, I watch a lot of crime shows, so I didn’t find this violent at all. Rather, the first person perspective felt really experimental and added to the overall tension of the moment. I liked it.”
• “Was it really that big of a deal? I thought it was in first person so they can keep us guessing about who the attacker could be. It didn’t bother me…”
• “To be honest, I was kind of amused by the attempt in general. It also made me relate a lot faster and deeper with Dr. Ji Sun Woo under attack — so it helped me see how frightening it must have been for her. It was fine.”

… most found the level of the violence in this prolonged scene to be “too extreme” — especially considering that past Episode 6, the series bumped down from being rated R to rated PG-15. Viewers also pointed out the possibility of “triggering” and commented that the series should have at least given a warning.

• “To be living through this attack from the victim’s point of view, this could have been traumatizing for people who have experienced violence in their homes. I think it is also dangerous in that it could intrigue people to see a home raid through the attacker’s eyes. I don’t think anyone needs to see a suffering face from the first person perspective. It’s too aggressive.”
• “What the f*ck, this is so scary.”
• “You know… My mom is still traumatized by her past with domestic violence. She saw this episode and said she won’t watch it anymore. I feel offended as well. I don’t think TV dramas should be showing violent scenes like this without thinking through the effects.”
• “F*ck man, if you want to make art or whatever… using triggering sh*t like this… Just go make rated R movies instead.”
• “Geez… This is too much. I’m actually frightened and my heart is racing from watching. I don’t think this is appropriate, honestly…”

Watch the full scene here: