A firestorm is brewing as BLACKPINK’s Jisoo and actor Seo In-guk’s Netflix series Boyfriend on Demand is reportedly being watched illegally in China.
On the 17th, Sungkyunkwan University professor Seo Kyung-duk claimed on his social media that “as Boyfriend on Demand goes viral overseas, some Chinese netizens are watching it illegally.”
He added, “Illegal viewing has become routine inside China, and it’s time for Chinese authorities to take active measures,” stressing that “they must spotlight the problem with their citizens’ unlawful behavior and take action so this never happens again.”
According to his post, the Chinese social platform Douban (豆瓣) shows Boyfriend on Demand with a rating of 7.5 out of 10, with around 7,000 users participating in the star ratings. Considering Netflix does not officially operate in China, many point out this strongly suggests Chinese users likely watched the show through illegal channels.
Meanwhile, Boyfriend on Demand, released on the 6th, shot to No. 4 on the ‘Global Weekly Top 10 Non-English TV Shows’ just three days after its premiere and entered the Top 10 lists in 34 countries worldwide, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil, and Chile.