Son Naeun’s acting under criticism: Is there a genealogy of YG’s “controversial acting” idols? From Jang Su Won, Nam Tae Hyun, to Jisoo

Even though Son Naeun has been an actress for over a decade, her acting skills are still said to not meet expectations.

Son Naeun, who is playing Kang Han Na in JTBC’s weekend drama “Agency”, came under criticism due to her lacking acting skills as soon as the first episode was broadcast. Playing the second female lead, Son Naeun was criticized for her consistently unnatural facial expression, inaccurate pronunciation and vocalization, and excessive emotional expression as if she was in a musical.

Although Son Naeun seems to improve little by little as the drama goes on, as she appears alongside talented actors such as Lee Bo Young, Jo Seong Ha and Jeon Hye Jin, it is said to make her lacking skills stand out even more.  

Will Son Naeun be able to completely wash away the stigma of her underwhelming acting in the remaining episodes?

Son Naeun’s acting career has spanned well over 10 years. She majored in theater in college and left Apink to focus on acting, so she is undoubtedly serious about acting. After withdrawing from Apink, she joined YG. At the time, YG said, “Son Naeun is at an important time to make a new leap forward as an actress. We promise to spare full support so that she can fully demonstrate her capabilities.”

However, there is one question mark that arises here. Netizens can’t help but wonder what part of YG that Son Naeun saw and decided to join the company as an actress. This is because YG is a company that has produced idols with notoriously controversial acting. 

First of all, Jang Su Won, a member of Sechs Kies, a first-generation idol who was once criticized for his “robot acting”, belongs to YG. In KBS2’s series “Love and War 2”, Jang Su Won shocked viewers with his terribly stiff acting. The way he delivered the line “Are you okay? Were you surprised?” even went viral with various parodies for how robotic he sounded.

Nam Tae Hyun, who is considered “one of the worst actors of all time”, cannot be left out. Although he has changed his agency, he was a member of the group WINNER, and so also from YG. Nam Tae Hyun, who appeared in the SBS weekend drama “Late Night Restaurant” in 2015, was condemned by viewers for his acting skills that evoked bewilderment. In particular, from unintelligible pronunciation, aegyo, to shocking emotional performance that audiences couldn’t figure out whether he was laughing or crying, the male idol turned the small screen upside down. One of his lines even became a famous parody, and until now, it is an established theory that there is no one who can surpass Nam Tae Hyun in “facial paralysis” when it comes to acting.

BLACKPINK Jisoo, who made her official acting debut with a female lead role was also embroiled in a harsh controversy over her acting skills last year. In the JTBC Friday-Saturday drama “Snowdrop”, Jisoo played the role of Yeong Ro, a female college student. At the time, the female idol’s co-star, Jung Hae In, praised Jisoo’s acting at the drama’s press conference, calling it “a series of surprises”. However, many people started to refer to Jisoo’s portrayal as “a series of disappointment” instead, complaining about the BLACKPINK member’s awkward acting, serious pronunciation and vocalization, and nasal voice. As a result, Jisoo received negative comments from netizens from her first official lead role.

Even Big Bang’s T.O.P, who was recognized for his acting ability, left the agency, so it is said that there is no current idol in YG who can stand out in terms of “acting ability”. Will Son Na Eun be able to shake off the controversy over her acting skills while under YG?

Son Naeun expressed her determination about “Agency” by saying, “I can definitely show a different side of me from what I have done so far.” However, although she is growing little by little as the episodes pass, the idol-actress still has a long way to go to be recognized for her acting skills. Attention is being focused on whether she will be able to remove the label of “bad acting” in the remaining episodes and become YG’s best acting idol.

Source: Nate