Kim Seon Ho and Go Youn Jung’s Netflix K-Drama Faces Intense Boycott Demands
Sota Fukushi is facing controversy over his casting in Netflix’s upcoming K-Drama Can This Love Be Translated? The backlash started before the show even airs in South Korea.
The issue stems from a 2015 Japanese documentary marking 70 years since World War II. Fukushi appeared on the program where he read letters from kamikaze pilots and spoke to survivors. He got emotional talking about his grandfather, who trained as a kamikaze pilot before Japan’s surrender, showing respect for his grandfather and the soldiers.
Japanese viewers saw it as a reflection on the tragedy of war. But many Korean netizens reacted angrily, seeing Fukushi’s remarks as controversial and inappropriate.
The backlash includes comments like:
“This is seriously pissing me off.”
“This is insane.”
“What the hell? Why cast someone like that? It’s not like we don’t have actors in this country.”
“Get lost. How dare you crawl into a Korean drama.”
“If he’s right-wing, why does he keep sniffing around Korean dramas?”
“Why, though…like, why?”
Sota Fukushi is well-known in Japan and this is his first Korean drama role. But the historical sensitivity around his past statements is fueling the controversy.
The situation is developing as fans and critics clash over the casting choice. Netflix and the production team have not commented yet.