
Amid all of the upcoming highly anticipated K-dramas, BLACKPINK’s star Jisoo’s Newtopia was one of them. The series finally aired on Coupang Play on February 7, 2025, and it broke records of viewership ratings of any series on Coupang Play. The zom-com (zombie comedy) is about Jae Yoon (Park Jung-Min), who is serving his military duties, and Young Joo (Jisoo), his girlfriend, who goes to lengths to find him amid the zombie apocalypse in Seoul.
While the ratings have justified the drama’s hype, the lead actress and the plot received mixed reactions from the audience. People reviewed the first and second episodes of the series, pointed out a few faults, and shared their opinions regarding the actors’ acting skills.
After Snowdrop, Jisoo made her way back to the small screens with Newtopia. Fans were super excited to watch her on the screens once again. One of the Korean news outlets reported that even though the character that the BLACKPINK star is playing fits her, her acting skills fall flat. A few criticized the way zombie scenes were shot, while others underlined her acting capability.
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One of them wrote, “The zombie chase scene actually feels pretty realistic, IMO. Haha. She could probably enunciate better.” Another one stated, “Her voice is definitely a make-or-break type factor. The raspiness might be a matter of personal preference, but when combined with her frustrating vocal delivery… It becomes an issue.”
On the other hand, many appreciated Jisoo’s acting style and appreciated her for giving a more mature performance than Snowdrop. One user wrote, “I watched the first two episodes, and her character is chaotic and comedic. I think Jisoo did a good job matching the role. It’s just her voice that people either love or hate.” Another one commented, “I mean, she has improved compared to before…” One of her fans said, “I think she has improved a lot. I thought her character feels like someone I might meet IRL. It was quite immersive.”
Since the premiere of the first two episodes on Coupang Play, it has set a record with the highest number of viewers among all the series premieres ever aired on the platform. According to the Consumer Insight Report, based on the tally for the first week of February, Newtopia has earned first place in two categories – Recognition and Viewer Attraction. The numbers are not available online, but it surely suggests that Jisoo still has the power to generate enough buzz to create record-breaking numbers.
The director, Yoon Sung-Hyun, was also worried about Jisoo’s acting skills. Still, he soon understood her worth and later appreciated the singer-cum-actress for showing her potential to portray Young Joo. You can stream Newtopia on Amazon Prime Video!
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