The tvN and TVING’s joint production, The Queen Who Crowns, continues to face public scrutiny despite the production team’s clarification about its intimate scenes and CGI techniques used.
The historical drama, starring Cha Joo Young and Lee Hyun Wook, has garnered attention for offering two distinct versions: a television broadcast cut and a mature-rated OTT version. The series’ streaming version kicked off with an explicit bedroom scene featuring the lead actors in its first episode, followed by similar scenes featuring actress Lee E Dam in episode two.
>> ‘The Queen Who Crowns’ Reveals CGI Enhancement Behind Steamy Scenes for Lee E Dam, Cha Joo Young
The controversy intensified when media reports emerged on the 16th claiming that actors only became aware of the extent of nudity upon receiving the shooting boards. The production team quickly responded, stating, “From the initial planning stages, we were transparent about creating differentiated versions for tvN and OTT platforms, with the OTT version being rated adult-only.”
Adding fuel to the fire, reports surfaced that while agencies had requested careful editing of certain scenes pre-broadcast, these requests were declined as the scenes were deemed “necessary for the story.” The production team again countered, saying, “The level of exposure was discussed individually with each actor and their agencies throughout different production stages, depending on character and scene requirements.”
However, public criticism continues to mount, particularly regarding the show’s CGI techniques. According to reports from the 15th, the explicit scenes were created by digitally combining body doubles’ footage with the lead actors’ faces—a practice that has sparked intense online debate.
“How is superimposing actresses’ faces onto nude bodies any different from deepfakes?” one netizen questioned. Others commented, “This is concerning, especially given the current sensitivity around deepfakes and AI manipulation in the idol industry” and “Even with body doubles, treating bodies like objects is just wrong.”
Viewers argue that both versions of the drama remain perfectly comprehensible without the explicit scenes. The controversy has evolved beyond the question of actor consent, with audiences demanding answers about the necessity of such extensive CGI manipulation and high-level explicit content in storytelling.
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