Adaptation Of The Highly Controversial Webtoon “The Grade School I Love” Gets Canceled As Outcry Over Glorifying Grooming
The webtoon “The Grade Schooler I Love,” which featured a romantic storyline between a female teacher and an elementary school student, has officially been scrapped from both sale and drama adaptation after public outcry.
According to a report by Star News on the 3rd of July, the drama adaptation of “The Grade Schooler I Love” has been fully canceled due to backlash over its perceived glamorization of grooming behavior.
Production company Meta New Line said in a statement, “We have taken the various public concerns raised in recent days very seriously, and have decided to cancel the planning and production of the drama based on the webtoon ‘The Grade Schooler I Love’.”
They continued, “We sincerely apologize to the author of the original 2015 work for the unexpected burden this has caused. We humbly accept the evolving standards of social sensitivity and responsibility, and will strive to produce healthier, more meaningful content moving forward.”
“The Grade Schooler I Love” was serialized from 2015 to 2020 and told the story of a female elementary school teacher who breaks up with her partner and unknowingly develops feelings for someone she meets in a game—only to later discover the person is one of her students.
The webtoon’s drama adaptation was announced on June 27 by both the original webtoon platform C&C Revolution and production company Meta New Line. However, controversy soon erupted over scenes portraying a “romantic tension” between a teacher and a minor student.
The Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations (KFTA) issued a statement on July 1 demanding the immediate halt of the drama’s production and broadcast.
They said, “Teachers must maintain professional boundaries and high moral standards. Depicting a romantic relationship between a teacher and their underage student is not a fantasy, it’s a clear glorification of grooming.”
They added, “Any attempt to sexualize children under the guise of creativity or artistic freedom is unacceptable. This drama’s premise disrespects the dignity of educators and shakes the trust between teachers, students, and parents.”
KFTA urged the production company and broadcasters to cancel all plans and called on the Korea Communications Standards Commission to strictly review the content’s potential harm.
Following mounting criticism, major platforms like Naver Series, KakaoPage, and Ridibooks pulled the webtoon from their services. Production company Meta New Line also formally decided to cancel the drama.
Source: (A)
