Adult Yaoi Novel Suspended for Basing Protagonist on Pro Player Faker
An adult yaoi web novel ended up being suspended for a curious reason. The work, titled A Mad Dog Catches the Tiger, was removed from the Ridibooks platform after many readers noticed similarities between the story’s protagonist and professional player Faker.
The situation quickly gained momentum and placed the novel at the center of a controversy involving Faker and image rights. The case began just a few days after the official release of the BL novel on October 24. The book, rated 19+, drew attention for presenting one of the protagonists, Tiger, as a legendary player in the competitive League of Legends scene.
For many Korean readers, the details were far too similar to Faker’s career, widely considered the greatest player in the history of the game. The resemblance was not physical but biographical, and that was enough to ignite the controversy.
The author was criticized because Tiger is described as an athlete with five world championship titles—something that, in the real League of Legends esports scene, only Faker has achieved. Additionally, the novel mentions that Tiger has a nickname that many fans associated with Unkillable Demon King, one of Faker’s most iconic titles with T1. The combination of these elements made many readers believe the author’s intent was deliberate.
The storyline was also considered problematic by readers. In the novel, the protagonist wins two consecutive championships, fails in his attempt at a three-peat, and ten years later tries again for the triple victory. For many people, this narrative closely mirrors Faker’s real-life career, as he won in 2015 and 2016, lost the finals in 2017, and returned to dominate with titles in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The similarity drew even more attention because the novel contains explicit sexual content involving characters inspired by public figures.
Another point raised by fans was how the fictional team in the novel suffers a dramatic loss in performance after the protagonist becomes absent due to physical issues. This detail also mirrors a real moment in Faker’s career, when his team struggled after his wrist injury in 2023. For many, this went beyond coincidence and reinforced the impression that Tiger was an unauthorized representation of the athlete.
According to local media, the author initially tried to defend herself, claiming that all similarities were accidental and that the story was completely fictional. However, under growing pressure and increasingly harsh criticism, she issued an apology addressed to Faker and his fans.
Shortly after, Ridibooks decided to remove the novel from its sales listings. At the moment, A Mad Dog Catches the Tiger is unavailable for reading or purchase, and there is no expected return date. The platform also did not publish details about possible additional actions, stating only that the delisting occurred due to the controversy.