BLACKPINK Jisoo’s Acting in ‘Newtopia’ Sparks Controversy: Still the Same as Three Years Ago

On January 7, Coupang Play dropped the trailer for BLACKPINK’s Jisoo and Park Jeong-min’s upcoming zombie romance series “Newtopia” (previously known as “Influenza”).

The drama takes place in a high-rise building in Seoul, where a soldier named Jae-yoon (played by Park Jung-min) and his girlfriend Yeong-ju (played by Jisoo) face a zombie outbreak while struggling with their relationship.

So far, many netizens have expressed excitement about the series, finding themselves intrigued by the romance and comedy elements previously missing from Korean zombie movies and dramas. 

However, the trailer featuring Jisoo’s acting has led to a decline in viewers’ expectations, as her performance seems to mirror her previous roles. In her debut drama “Snowdrop” (2021), she received negative reviews for issues such as poor vocal delivery and awkward expressions. While the series was also caught up in controversy over historical distortion, which somewhat overshadowed the acting critiques, the negative evaluations persisted, and she became a prime example of “idol acting.”

Despite speculation that Jisoo underwent intensive training over the past three years, Newtopia has not shown significant improvement. In scenes where she cries over Jae-yoon’s concerns and delivers her lines, the emotional immersion was quickly broken.

As a result, discussions about Jisoo’s acting skills have resurfaced on Korean forums like theqoo and Instiz, with many criticizing her expressions and vocalization. However, some defenders argue that she may have been intentionally leaning into the comedic tone of the drama.

Below are some comments from netizens: 

• Can’t they do anything about Jisoo’s acting? I really tried to endure her while watching the trailer but it’s obvious at first sight that she can’t act
• The weird acting is so obvious from the trailer 
• The person who cast Jisoo shouldn’t get paid
• Expressions aside, can she please practice her pronunciation and vocalization as well?
• It’s a comedy, right? Personally, I feel like her acting is appropriate for comedy
• This is just the trailer, so it’s possible that her actual acting can be better

On the other hand, at the press conference for “Newtopia,” which was held on January 7, Jisoo  opened up about the pressure she felt about her acting, “I feel pressured as much as I get attention, but I think it can be a good driving force. I worked hard without hesitation while on set, asking for help and staying resilient.”

The idol-actress also mentioned BLACKPINK, hoping that “Newtopia” will do well to make the members proud.