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Delicacies Destiny, a Chinese drama, has been accused of plagiarizing an acclaimed Korean drama titled Jewel in the Palace, also known by its Korean name Dae Jang Geum.
The suspicions of plagiarism arose on July 1, 2022, after an online community titled “Right Now on Disney+” shared a series of stills from Delicacies Destiny.
On seeing the pictures, many netizens commented that the Chinese drama seemed strikingly similar to that of the renowned Korean drama Jewel in the Palace, and pointed out that the characters in the former are dressed in apparels that look like Hanbok, the traditional Korean attire.
In the midst of these allegations of plagiarism, the controversy is aggravating due to the fact that the Chinese drama is being streamed in all other countries across the globe, barring South Korea.
More about Chinese drama Delicacies Destiny
Delicacies Destiny, a romantic-comedy genred, Chinese period web series, is the first Chinese-language drama to be streamed on the OTT platform Disney+. Set in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) the show revolves around the story of star-crossed lovers from different classes of society.
The protagonist of the tale is a common woman known for her exceptional culinary abilities who inadvertently finds herself in the kitchens of the Imperial Palace. She falls in love with the Prince, who was initially cold towards her and her delectable dishes, but eventually reciprocates her feelings.
Korean netizens accuse Delicacies Destiny of plagiarism
Many K-drama enthusiasts suspect the show of replicating the Korean drama Jewels in the Palace as the plots of the two dramas show conspicuous similarities.
Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that this globally streamed drama is not being streamed in South Korea, which seems to have cemented the allegations of the Korean populace on the unoriginality of the Chinese show.
One netizen commented:
"They were too embarrassed to release this drama in South Korea."
Another netizen went ahead and called for a boycott of Disney+. They said:
"I think Koreans need to start boycotting Disney+ and start rejecting exports of any content on that platform. How can they host a drama that is a plagiarism of another country's work and culture?"
Another comment on the show read as follows:
“It's so embarrassing that China's still doing stuff like this in the 21st century. Do they think Koreans are that foolish to fall for it?”
Chinese Netizens counter the allegations of plagiarism against Delicacies Destiny
The plagiarism allegations against Delicacies Destiny have been countered by Chinese viewers and netizens who have stated that Chinese and Korean cultures have intermingled since ancient times, thereby explaining why there is a deep rooted historical resemblance between the two.
According to them, merely because a Korean drama was made on the same theme previously does not mean that the culture and theme is exclusively Korean.
A Beijing-based art critic noted:
“We can see that South Korean netizens ignored the fact of the cultural exchanges between the two countries, which has led to many such debates. We should respect the characteristics of culture itself, and hold an open and inclusive attitude toward the constant flow of interactive culture.”
This sentiment has resonated with several Chinese cultural critics who have come out and stated that a lot of Korean traditions have roots in China. Illustratively, the Hanbok, which became a point of contention for those accusing the Chinese drama of plagiarism, is an apparel from the era of the Ming Dynasty.
A web series falling under the genre of romantic-comedy, Delicacies Destiny, set during the Ming Dynasty, is the first Chinese drama to be streamed on Disney+.
