Netflix S Culinary Class Wars Athwart Allegations Of Format Theft In China No Licensing Agreement Secured

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A significant controversy has emerged regarding Tencent Video, one of China’s largest OTT platforms, following the launch of its new cooking reality series. The program, titled ‘封神 (Yi Feng Shen),’ debuted on July 17 and has drawn sharp criticism for closely emulating Netflix’s popular Korean variety show, ‘Culinary Class Wars.’ Notably, this adaptation has been released without an official licensing agreement.
‘Culinary Class Wars,’ which premiered in December 2024, is a grand-scale culinary competition that pits skilled yet lesser-known chefs against South Korea’s esteemed celebrity chef, “White Spoon.” The series quickly gained cultural relevance with its innovative premise of “100 chefs overturning class distinctions with their culinary talents.” Esteemed judges, including Baek Jong Won, Ahn Sung Jae, Choi Hyun Seok, Edward Kwon, Jung Ji Sun, and Choi Kang Rok, contributed to its immense popularity. The show dominated Netflix’s global non-English TV rankings for three consecutive weeks and is considered one of the year’s most successful variety shows. A second season is currently underway.
The helm of the controversy is Yi Feng Shen, which translates to “Becoming a God with One Meal.” This Chinese production aims to showcase the diversity of Chinese culinary arts and features 100 chefs engaging in fierce competition. However, many viewers and industry critics have pointed out the show’s striking similarities to ‘Culinary Class Wars.’ These include comparable competition formats, set designs, cooking challenges, judging processes, public assessment panels, and guest appearances by celebrities.
Particularly alarming are the one-on-one contests between “black” and “white” chefs, as well as collaborative battles hosted in temporary restaurants, and evaluations carried out by the general public. These aspects mirror the essential elements of the Netflix program convincingly enough that even the Chinese viewership has expressed doubts. Comments circulating on Weibo include remarks such as “The set and format are eerily similar,” along with “Has the entire show been copied?”
In response to the burgeoning controversy, Netflix issued a statement through OSEN, clarifying, “We have not sold the format rights of ‘Culinary Class Wars’ to this program.” The company further indicated that internal discussions are underway concerning potential actions moving forward.
Season 2 of ‘Culinary Class Wars’, an official Netflix Original, is slated for release later this year.
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