Once again, it starts with a high-risk scene featuring nudity. Following ‘Queen Woo’ and ‘Wonkyung’, ‘Chunhwa Love Story’ kicked off with explicit scenes and intimate moments right from its premiere.
On the 6th, Tving's original series ‘Chunhwa Love Story’ (written by Seo Eun-jung, directed by Lee Kwang-young) released its first two episodes. After a heartbreaking breakup, Princess Hwari (played by Go Ara) declares her intention to choose her husband directly, leading to the appearance of the capital's top womanizer, Choi Hwan (played by Jang Ryul), signaling the start of a new romance.
Hwari is a problematic character who disguises herself as a man to check if her younger brother, Lee Yeol (played by Kim Taek), can lose his virginity. She was supposed to marry her cousin, Chae Jun (played by Sung Joon), but faced opposition from the royal family and even attempted to elope, only to be directly rejected by Chae Jun.
Hwari directly requested to choose her husband. Just then, the wealthiest man in the Eastern Kingdom, Choi Hwan, appeared before her. They had coincidentally crossed paths during a bet at a brothel and when she tried to escape with Chae Jun. Now, as he asks for the position of her husband, she shows reluctance. Choi Hwan approaches her by offering to help her mother, the queen (played by Park Sun-young), and prepares a surprise event just for Hwari. Hwari responds, “I am now curious about you,” and they share a tender kiss, raising questions about their future together.
‘Chunhwa Love Story’ is a romantic youth historical drama that unfolds as Princess Hwari (played by Go Ara), who has failed in her first love, declares her intention to find her husband directly, entangling the capital's top womanizer Hwan (played by Jang Ryul) and the best groom candidate Jang Won (played by Kang Chan-hee).
Based on ‘Chunhwa’, ‘Chunhwa Love Story’ has received a restricted rating like other recent Tving originals such as ‘Queen Woo’ and ‘Wonkyung’. The trailer depicts sexual acts between men and women, and the released episodes also contain intimate scenes involving various characters, including Son Woo-hyun (playing Lee Seung), Lim Hwa-young (playing Injeong), Han Seung-hyun (playing Lee Ji-won), and Kim Taek (playing Prince Hwasung).
Director Lee Kwang-young stated, “This work is set in a fictional era with distinct gender roles and a class system, based on a provocative collection of love stories. Rather than focusing solely on the shocking love stories, I aimed to explore why someone would write such a book in this era. I hope viewers pay attention to that aspect.”
However, it raises the question of whether a narrative about a woman expressing an active and honest heart about love in the era of ‘men and women’s love stories’ had to be portrayed solely through 19+ content and bed scenes.
Tving has consistently been embroiled in controversy over explicit scenes in its recently released works. The Tving original ‘Queen Woo’, released in September last year, was not free from controversies regarding excessive nudity and sexual content. Additionally, ‘Wonkyung’ faced criticism for its 19+ direction and allegations of forced nudity, as well as for re-editing scenes shot by a stunt double using CGI, which further amplified these concerns. There has been ongoing criticism that scenes utilizing women’s bodies as spectacles are aimed at securing paid subscribers following the rise of OTT platforms.
‘Chunhwa Love Story’ consists of a total of 10 episodes, with only the first two episodes released so far. It remains to be seen whether it can receive positive reviews through innovative direction, storytelling, and the performances of the actors, beyond just generating buzz with high-risk explicit scenes.
[Shin Young-eun, Star Today Reporter]
