BLACKPINK's Jisoo has once again been put to the test for her acting skills through the new Netflix drama 'Monthly Boyfriend', but she is unable to escape harsh criticism due to her chronic vocal issues and limitations in expressiveness.
Released simultaneously worldwide on the 6th, 'Monthly Boyfriend' was a highly anticipated project featuring a glamorous male cast including Seo In-guk, Seo Kang-joon, and Lee Soo-hyuk, alongside global star Jisoo. However, Jisoo's performance, which unveiled her inaccurate pronunciation and unstable vocal issues that have been pointed out since her debut lead role in 'Snowdrop' in 2021, has been evaluated as hindering viewer immersion.
In the drama, Jisoo plays the role of a webtoon PD named Seo Mi-rae who is experiencing burnout. While she appeared to be adequate in everyday scenes, she displayed a lack of capability as a lead by showing her characteristic thin metal voice and muddled delivery of lines during emotionally charged scenes. It is particularly painful to note that she has not progressed at all since the harsh criticism she received for her brief appearance in last year's film 'All of Us Are Dead'.
Viewer reactions have been cold. Comments such as "It's been five years since she started acting, how long do we have to wait for her to show improvement?" and "Every time she tries to act emotionally, the flow is broken due to her vocal issues" have been prevalent. This sentiment is also felt among international fans. In global communities like MyDramaList and Reddit, voices expressing concern over Jisoo's monotonous expressions and limitations in emotional delivery are spreading, fearing a decline in the quality of K-dramas.
The arrows of criticism are also directed at the production team for casting Jisoo as the lead without verifying her acting skills. It is analyzed that the careless casting relying solely on the global box office potential and buzz that the massive intellectual property (IP) BLACKPINK brings has ultimately lowered the quality of the work. This serves as a wake-up call to the industry practice of putting untrained idols as guaranteed box office draws.
Previously, director Kim Jung-sik confidently stated at the production presentation, "I realized that Jisoo's efforts can overcome talent," but the final product did not meet those expectations. With the latter half of the drama, which will feature more emotional scenes, still ahead, it remains to be seen how the controversy surrounding Jisoo's acting skills from the beginning will affect the global success of 'Monthly Boyfriend'.
