Netflix's Next Big Action Thriller Is Adapting A Webtoon So Controversial, It Was Outright Canceled In America

Many K-dramas on Netflix that have become global hits are adaptations of already popular webtoons. Thrillers such as Bloodhounds and Weak Hero became windows to show the world all kinds of dilemmas and social struggles, stirring emotions in the audience and raising awareness about issues such as extreme violence, inequality, and bullying. While some K-dramas are heavily criticized for exploring the darker side of South Korea, Netflix’s new series isn’t afraid to go even further, adapting a webtoon that generated so much controversy it led to its cancelation.

Moving away from teen romances, bittersweet coming-of-age stories, or academic rivalries, Netflix’s new K-drama, Teach You a Lesson, takes to the halls of schools to unleash violent chaos that is sure to capture the attention of international audiences, even if it means challenging their moral boundaries.

Based on the webtoon Get Schooled, Teach You A Lesson will premiere on Netflix on June 5th, but its transgressive premise even steered Korean institutions to call for a boycott of the series. The series presents a disturbing alternate future where the ban on physical punishment in schools has led to lax discipline, turning students into uncontrollable threats to both teachers and their peers. Instead of educational reform, the solution comes from a new organization authorized to impose order by any means necessary.

Netflix’s Teach You A Lesson Brings a Canceled Webtoon Into the Spotlight

Depicting institutional corruption, violent hierarchies, and students being abused by delinquent classmates, the webtoon Get Schooled takes real social conflicts and approaches them from a distinct perspective, combating violence with violence in a crumbling educational system. Instead of adhering to ethical guidelines, members of the Teachers’ Rights Protection Agency have full authority to employ questionable methods, such as beating students and even acting behind the scenes to target bullies. The webtoon has a real-world legal context, even citing a current law.

While the webtoon always teetered on the edge of being overly edgy or too political, sparking debate by satirizing real social movements like feminism, the series reached a point of no return with the release of its 125th chapter in 2023. Although the chapter explored reverse racism, it generated a strong backlash for containing racist slurs and perpetuating harmful stereotypes with exaggerated character designs. This led to the cancelation of the English version of Get Schooled and its removal from the WEBTOON platform in the West. However, the series would return to South Korea’s Naver WEBTOON after a brief hiatus.

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Consequently, the announcement of the K-Drama adaptation also generated criticism, with fans asking the actors to decline a role in the series and even releasing a statement objecting to Jin Ki-joo joining the cast. Numerous teachers’ and education workers’ unions in South Korea also called for the suspension of Teach You a Lesson, alleging that the story cast a bad light on the educational system, glorifying corporal punishment in schools and the violation of students’ rights.

Teach You a Lesson Is the Brutal Netflix Adaptation Fans Won’t Stop Talking About

A man in a black suit in a crowded school hallway in the K-drama Teach You a Lesson.

While Japan produced series in the 90s like Great Teacher Onizuka that featured unconventional teaching methods, it leaned more towards comedy, with some of its jokes not having stood the test of time. Therefore, although the school drama Get Schooled presents a fictionalized reality, some situations may still be difficult to watch for some viewers considering the current social issues it portrays. However, according to the Korean news outlet Twig24, Netflix Senior Director, stated that Teach You A Lesson will strive to convey the story with the sensitivity it deserves.

“This is a work created with a sense of responsibility, as it deals with stories that are essential for this era. We are fully aware of the criticism and concerns regarding certain episodes and are preparing accordingly. We have strived to create the work with a more responsible and refined perspective. You will be able to verify this once it is released.” — Bae Jong-byeong

The webtoon also failed to delve into the underlying causes of many students’ destructive behavior, making many secondary characters seem one-dimensional. This was largely due to the episodic nature of the series, where each story arc took place in a different school. Even so, these issues can be easily fixed in the K-drama adaptation. From the governmental aspect, the responsibility and the role of teachers in shaping new generations, Teach You a Lesson offers an amalgamation of relevant and thought-provoking themes, in addition to bringing plenty of exciting developments for a thrilling watching experience.

Teach You A Lesson is an unconventional story that blends the best of action thrillers and vigilante stories, similar to Netflix hit shows like Weak Hero and The Glory. This means it has the potential to appeal to those who enjoy morally ambiguous characters. Teach You A Lesson will arrive on Netflix on June 5, 2026, and is perfect for binge-watching, as it will keep viewers pondering its themes and leave them wondering if it manages to be as controversial as its source webtoon.