Netflix's original reality show "Culinary Class Wars: Season 2" is gaining popularity overseas, but controversy has resurfaced over illegal streaming and unauthorized content use in China.
According to industry sources on Friday, a dedicated review page for "Culinary Class Wars 2" has been created on Douban, China's largest content review platform. As of Friday morning, approximately 70 reviews had been posted and around 370 users had participated in rating the show. However, since Netflix does not officially operate in China, these reviews are presumed to have been written after illegal viewing.
This is not the first time such a phenomenon has occurred. When Season 1 was released last year, a review page was also created on Douban, where approximately 9,500 reviews and 23,000 ratings were posted, sparking controversy over illegal streaming.
The controversy extends beyond simple illegal viewing to content imitation. In July this year, Chinese OTT platform Tencent Video launched a cooking competition program called "Yifang Fengshen" (Becoming a God with One Meal), which drew criticism for similarities to "Culinary Class Wars," including its format of 100 chefs competing, the distinction between black and white attire, and the use of nicknames for unknown chefs. The stage and set design, camera angles, and production style were also noted to be similar.
At the time, Netflix stated that "we have not sold any rights to China," officially pointing out the seriousness of unauthorized content use in the country. This also prompted criticism of copyright awareness across China's OTT industry.
Seo Kyung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, strongly criticized the situation on his social media account Friday, saying, "Illegal streaming in China has now become routine," and adding, "It is simply astounding that there is no sense of shame about these illegal activities." He urged preventive measures, stating, "Chinese authorities should actively step forward starting now to crack down on their citizens' illegal streaming and unauthorized content use."
