Since its premiere, the South Korean drama “Return Kids” has been the target of a bad luck curse. Starring Yeom Jung-ah, Choi Young-joon, Won Jin-ah and Dex (Kim Jin-young), the series has since faced some serious odds. A failure of recent broadcast, combined with casting controversies and the unexpected passing of an actor, has cast a shadow upon the series. The action drama, which follows abandoned teenagers avenging their pasts, has received incredible adversity on and off screen.
On Tuesday, August 8, streaming platform TVING accidentally broadcast the finale (episode eight) instead of episode six. Fans were left reeling after the series finale abruptly ended just eight minutes into its now-infamous live broadcast. Effectively, an “Unable to load playback information” message stared back at them from their screens. TVING has since apologized formally, explaining that the lack of proper matching was due to a meta matching issue as the program was aired live. The platform addressed the error with importance and urgency. They are now working closely with the UK broadcaster and production company to develop a comprehensive on-call response plan. The platform auto-reposted the fifth one to be rightfully directed to the sixth episode.
“Return Kids” has come under fire for failing to cast a disabled performer. Song Young-kyu, who played the pastor in the drama, was embroiled in controversy following a drunk driving accident. This recent misfire has opened up a larger critique of his career. After a longer than usual wait, Lee Na-eun, of girl group April, returns with her solo debut. She made the comeback via “Return Kids” after coming under fire in a school violence scandal.
Tragedy struck when production manager and longtime friend of Lee’s, Anthony “Tony” Smith, was discovered dead in his car on Monday, August 4. As to not confuse the audience, their role was removed from the crew list as thoroughly as possible. Compounding these challenges, singer-songwriter Song Young-kyu, stalwart of the Korean indie rock scene, has recently died at 55.
Return Kids tackles the complex realities of boys and girls like Luan, who are ultimately abandoned by their adoptive parents. Without it, what’s left is their dogged struggle for existence and their vicious quest for retribution. There is no question that the string of controversies and tragic accidents behind the scenes has colored the public’s perception of the show.
