Netflix’s The Scandal was never going to be a modest romance.
The series is rated TV-MA and follows Lady Cho, Cho Won and Hui-yeon through a dangerous game of seduction, desire and betrayal in Joseon. So viewers knew they were entering an adult story.
But after all eight episodes arrived, one question became difficult to ignore:
Did The Scandal really need this much nudity?
The reaction among viewers is surprisingly divided.
For some, the answer is yes — or at least, the explicit scenes make sense. Cho Won is introduced as Joseon’s notorious playboy. His sexuality is not a minor detail; it is part of his reputation and the way he initially treats relationships.
One Reddit viewer argued that the nudity did not hurt the drama at all. Because Cho Won is established as a playboy and the series is rated 19+, showing that side of his life directly felt consistent with the character.
There is also a larger point. The Scandal is a story about people breaking social and sexual boundaries in a society built around strict rules. Removing sexuality completely could make that conflict feel strangely sanitized.
But other viewers see it differently.
Even before the premiere, some K-drama fans were already questioning whether another Netflix production needed explicit scenes. For these viewers, the issue is not whether adults can have sex on screen. It is whether every explicit moment actually adds something to the story.
And that may be the more interesting question.
A scene can be provocative without being unnecessary. Nudity can reveal power, vulnerability, manipulation or desire. But when viewers begin noticing the nudity more than the characters, the scene risks pulling attention away from the drama itself.
That is why The Scandal has created such an interesting divide.
Perhaps the real question is not:
“Was there too much nudity?”
It is:
“How much of it did the story actually need?”
And depending on which viewer you ask, the answer may be completely different.