Is ‘Model Taxi 2’ illegal and ‘Joseon Lawyer’ legal?

MBC carried out a publicity campaign that openly targeted competing works in the same time slot. Promotional text that criticizes dramas from other broadcasters rather than highlighting the strengths of the work raises eyebrows.

On the 29th, MBC posted a promotional post for the new Friday-Saturday drama 'Joseon Lawyer', which will be aired for the first time on the 31st, on the drama's official account, and introduced the work with the comment, "Illegal❌ litigation success rate ※100%※ ☆★Hanyang is the best☆★" left behind

In the photo released along with this, there is an image of actor Woo Do-hwan, who played the role of Kang Han-soo in 'The Joseon Lawyer', along with the question 'Illegal revenge by taking a taxi? The phrase ‘We will take revenge legally’ was published.

However, some netizens who saw this expressed displeasure, saying it was a comment aimed at criticizing the Friday-Saturday drama 'Model Taxi 2', which is currently airing on SBS.

‘Model Taxi 2’ is a private revenge drama in which taxi company Rainbow Transportation and taxi driver Kim Do-gi (played by Lee Je-hoon) complete revenge on behalf of wronged victims. 'Joseon Lawyer' is a work that tells the story of a lawyer from the Joseon Dynasty, 'Oejibu', who takes revenge on the enemy who killed his parents through a trial.

Although there is a common keyword, revenge, the two works are completely different dramas. Was it really necessary to criticize the revenge of 'Model Taxi 2' as 'illegal' and emphasize that 'Chosun Lawyer' is 'legal'? Rather, these promotional phrases only had the effect of increasing antipathy towards 'Chosun Lawyer'.

Following Season 1, 'Model Taxi 2' is a huge success, with Season 2 exceeding 15% in viewership ratings. The recently aired 10th episode of 'Model Taxi 2' recorded a viewership rating of 17.7%, surpassing the previous season's highest score. The fan base for the ‘Model Taxi’ series is also strong.

Accordingly, it is expected that the show will not miss out on being number one in its time slot until the end. This is why I feel sorry for MBC, which dug its own grave with a promotional slogan that openly snipes at a time when it was not enough to attract viewers of 'Model Taxi 2' after the show ended.

Netizens who saw this also responded with comments such as ‘Why are you promoting it like this? It’s very inappropriate’, ‘Are you criticizing a model taxi?’, ‘I don’t want to see it because of the person in charge’, and ‘It’s ridiculous.’ Some people expressed the opinion that it was just humor and that it was not an attack.

Whether it was humor or sniping, ‘Joseon Lawyer’ provided an excuse to say something even before the broadcast started. It is legal in a situation where it is competing against 'Model Taxi 2', which is on the rise after its previous work 'Season of the Kokdu' ended at 1%.
Attention is being paid to how much sympathy and fun revenge can bring to viewers.

Taeyuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr