"Anna," which stars Bae Suzy, receives backlash from Chinese viewers after airing its second episode.
The Coupang Play series follows the story of a woman named Lee Yoo Mi who suffers from Ripley's Syndrome, gets caught up in her lies, and lives with her alter ego, Anna.
Despite the drama kicking off with a good start, "Anna" is being criticized after airing episode 2.
'Anna' Controversy: Bae Suzy's New Drama Slammed for 'Slandering' China
According to a report, Chinese netizens expressed their outrage on Weibo after watching "Anna" episode 2, which depicted China in a negative way.
Based on the scene, Lee Yoo Mi, played by Bae Suzy, went to a second-hand designer shop to sell a luxury watch given by her boss, Hyun Joo, portrayed by Jung Eun Chae.
At the shop, the employee tells Yoo Mi that the item wasn't very valuable. Moreover, the employee explained to her that the brand of the luxury watch was involved in a famous scam 4 or 5 years ago.
In the scene, the shop clerk says, "Didn't you know? The parts are from China but the screws were put in Switzerland so the watches can have that branding 'made in Switzerland/Swiss Made'.' It's only worth 100,000 KRW (77.49 USD) at most but they got caught selling it for 8 million KRW to 10 million KRW (6,199 USD to 7,749 USD)."
READ MORE: Bae Suzy Reveals Why 'Anna' is 'Worth Watching'
Moreover, the employee also mentioned to Lee Yoo Mi that the watch has no value and the person who gave this to Yoo Mi knew about the incident.
Unfortunately, this scene caused outrage among Chinese netizens for being labeled negatively in the drama.
According to the same outlet, the drama became a trending topic on China's biggest social media platform Weibo. Netizens criticized Coupang Play's newest drama for portraying that China is known for producing knock-off products.
As mentioned in a report, viewers expressed how "Korea always slanders China." Some also mentioned how "Korea is spreading false information" against their country.
Was 'Anna' Episode 2 Based on Real-Life Events?
Amid the outrage of some Chinese netizens, the outlet also claimed that the scene was based on a real-life scenario.
It was a massive controversy back in 2006. Dubbed as the "Vincent & Co." incident, the brand was entangled in an issue for selling "cheaply made watches that used parts produced in China."
Based on the same report, the brand marketed it as a "high-end luxury brand that only European royal families wear." and lo and behold, it immediately gained popularity among the rich people.
Amid the controversy, "Anna" continues to air via Coupang Play, with episode 3 expected to air on July 1.
