Scandal Hits 14.5M Watch Hours, Then Nana Breaks Silence on Filler Controversy

Nana's apology came before the discourse could get any louder. On the 22nd, the actress posted a message to fans through a paid communication platform, addressing the backlash over her lips that had been swirling since Netflix's Scandal dropped on the 18th.

"If my lips caused discomfort for the people watching, that is my fault," she wrote. "I think it was a personal choice that didn't fit being an actress." She then added: "Fans who love me must be hurting to see the harsh criticism. I'm even sorrier for that. I'll work hard so we can hear good things together going forward."

The criticism, blunt even by Korean online standards, centered on viewers saying her noticeably fuller lips pulled them out of the Joseon-era setting. "I could only see Nana's lips, it made it hard to stay immersed," was a recurring complaint. Her decision to address it directly, and frame it as her professional error rather than just a styling issue, was notable.

What Scandal is actually about

Scandal is Nana's first period drama since her acting debut. She plays Huiyeon, a young widow who lost her husband before their marriage was even consummated, a woman stripped of any claim to her own life by the rigid social codes of Joseon. The character is meant to carry a quiet tragedy: someone who has given up everything and simply endures. Against that backdrop, any visual element that feels contemporary cuts sharply.

The show itself is doing well. Released on the 18th, Scandal stars Son Ye-jin as Lady Jo, a woman too gifted to be contained by the era's expectations for women, and Ji Chang-wook as Jo Won, Joseon's most notorious seducer. The two enter a reckless, dangerous love bet, and Huiyeon gets caught in the middle.

The numbers

Within days of release, Scandal logged 1.9 million views (calculated by dividing total watch time by the show's runtime) and 14.5 million hours of watch time. It entered Netflix's Global Top 10 Non-English Shows at No. 7 and landed in the Top 10 in 10 countries: South Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The newly released behind-the-scenes stills have added fuel to the conversation, showing Lady Jo, Jo Won, and Huiyeon in unreleased moments that flesh out the show's shifting dynamics. The images are striking. The controversy around them is, for now, mostly resolved.