January 2026’s Biggest K-Drama May Be the Year’s Most Controversial

K-dramas in January 2026 are still as powerful as ever, being a driving force for international viewership on streaming services. One such series, Positively Yours, was already in hot water despite ostensibly boasting the same sleek production values and charming characters. It turns out, January 2026's biggest Rakuten Viki K-drama was in trouble far before its January 17, 2026 debut.

Positively Yours raised fandom eyebrows after changing well-known plot details, such as female lead Jang Hui-won, turning from the beloved webnovel-turned-webtoon's ethically overbearing teacher to a more generic, driven career woman, and overall discarding the school-related elements. But its biggest controversy which undermined fans' faith in the K-drama's production was its hasty recasting following popular actor Yoon Ji-on's DUI scandal.

Positively Yours: Is the K-Drama Controversy Overblown?

While changing the setting certainly seems drastic, especially for longtime readers who drove the original story to top Naver Series charts for 52 consecutive weeks (per KbizoOm), the underlying premise isn't ultimately changed. Hui-won's personalty remains basically the same, but is instead an intrepid, clever product development expert for Taehan Liquor before her fated run-in with charming chaebol Kang Du-jun.

Despite multiple previous encounters as strangers, the two remain obstinately opposed to getting married due to their respective childhood trauma related to their parents. But in a third chance meeting, the two hit it off, have a one-night stand, and their lives are changed forever when Hee-won discovers she is now pregnant with their child.

The resulting dynamic is certainly different, with Hee-won's work life more entangled with Du-jun in this K-drama adaptation of Positively Yours, it's experientially similar. However, the production was especially troubled (indicating one of the medium's problems) by the recasting of the second male lead, Cha Min-wook.

Yoon Ji-on, Min-wook's original actor, had to leave the production despite filming being partially complete, necessitating reshoots with his replacement, Hong Jong-hyun. On top of any production facing potential trouble when a bonded cast is forced to adapt their chemistry to a sudden swap, Yoon's incident is an example of how such scandals can be particularly career-ending for K-drama actors.

Naturally, a combination of webtoon fans having to accept an obviously different setting and dynamic, atop a troubled production, cast this series in controversy. But yet, for typical K-drama fans, the final product may surprise some with its charm nonetheless. While the series could easily be January 2026's biggest release, this sort of viewer hesitation could negatively impact its ratings.

Viki's New Hit K-drama Is Still Solid Fun

While likely to fall short in fans' eyes among the greatest webtoon adaptations ever, Positively Yours is still a fun premise with enough of a shakeup to the usual formula to keep things fresh. Instead of 8-10 episodes before the first kiss, the two leads experience multiple fateful meetings before their lives are bound together inextricably after a night of passion.

While not unheard-of, with similar moves being taken by Melo Movie in 2025, Positively Yours is undeniably different from the usual formula and a fun viewing experience only found on Rakuten Viki for international viewers. Fans will enjoy the moment Hee-won sees Du-jun take off his blazer and pull back his sleeves to win her a craft beer brewing machine.

The series has also merely just started, and while the main pair are pushed together by fate, multiple factors are still yet to be explored. Min-wook's dynamic with Hee-won leaves plenty unanswered, and their lives will grow increasingly complicated as the series progresses.

Additionally, Kim Sun-kyung makes a positively fun villainess as Du-jun's mother, while Son Byung-ho as Du-jun's father is a pleasant sight for King the Land fans. In terms of casting, the series outwardly retains its charm while masking its initial problems, although whether that'll hold is a matter for the viewers to decide.