Luffy

When Clout Replaces Storytelling, the Result Is a Mess.

When I read the premise, I was actually looking forward to this drama. The concept of hyper virtual reality is not new, but incorporating it with love and relationship dynamics was something that genuinely interested me. Unfortunately, the drama did not deliver on that front. It was a great opportunity for the makers to explore how humans have become increasingly detached from each other and obsessed with perfection, to the point where the only place left for them to seek emotional refuge is no longer the real world.

I understand that they wanted to make it a light-hearted romantic comedy, but even that requires a cohesive and systematic story flow. This drama suffers from several plot holes, which should have been the core of the narrative buildup. For starters, why did the female lead break up with her ex? We are told that he “changed,” but what exactly changed, and to what degree that breaking up became the only option? Instead of stretching the Seo Kang-joon arc, the drama should have used that time to explore this properly so that we could understand why Mirae is so afraid of being in a relationship. A character making such choices needs a solid emotional foundation.

Secondly, we get to know that the male lead liked Mirae from the very beginning, but that is only from his point of view. Mirae never truly learns about how he cared for her behind her back. Because of that, she never had any real reason to develop feelings or even gratitude toward him. She clearly didn’t like him and even found him somewhat obnoxious, yet weirdly and shockingly he turns out to be her “ideal image boyfriend.” Lmao. Make it make sense. At this point it became obvious that the writing was simply trying to push the lead couple into falling in love without building any narrative base for their relationship that would actually make atleast a little sense.

Now the thing is, female leads in k-rom-coms are often written very one-dimensionally. Not all of them, but the majority are, and Mirae is no exception to this kind of sloppy writing. However, weak writing alone does not stop good actresses from making such characters feel believable. Many actresses have managed to portray these roles beautifully and bring charm and emotional authenticity to them despite the limitations of the script. Unfortunately, Jisoo couldn’t do that here.

For me, the biggest problem with Jisoo as an actor is that she never lets go of “Jisoo the person” while acting. She probably believes she is being natural, but acting does not work that way. From Snowdrop to Newtopia to this drama, she largely comes across as "Kim Jisoo" reciting lines with weak delivery, bad diction, a flat vocal tone, and mostly monotonous facial expressions, occasionally slipping into exaggerated ones. I watched a few of her interviews and noticed that her mannerisms, habits, and overall presence are almost identical to what we see in her dramas as well. This is the reason none of her characters feel lived-in but rather cosplayed, and they never leave a lasting impression on the audience. She brings about 90 percent of her real-life persona into her characters, which is the last thing an actor should be doing. At this point she genuinely needs proper acting training. How long is she planning to rely on BLACKPINK fame alone?

In hindsight, it also feels like a disrespect to actors who are far more skilled and talented but still struggle to get opportunities. At the very least, if someone is given these opportunities, they should justify them by putting in proper effort.👀

Now to our male lead, I have watched Seo In-guk in other dramas and he usually delivers solid performances. However, with this kind of weak character writing, there was very little he could do. His character simply lacked a defined personality, although he still performed decently with what he was given.

As for the chemistry between the leads, as I already mentioned, the story never built a proper foundation for their relationship, so the connection between them already felt forced rather than genuine. But that still doesn’t completely excuse the lack of acting chemistry between Jisoo and Seo In-guk. The kiss scenes and moments that were supposed to feel heartfelt came across as rehearsed rather than lived-in. It was very obvious that they were acting as a couple instead of making the audience believe they actually were one.

Overall, the show is below average. Honestly, I doubt people would even be talking about it this much if it weren’t for Jisoo’s BLACKPINK fame, those crazy cameos and the excessive exposure from Netflix.

That said, I never recommend people to watch or avoid something solely based on my opinion. Read the synopsis—if it interests you, go ahead and watch the drama. If you enjoy it, that’s great if not that is fine too.

Also, don’t blindly praise or hate dramas or actors just because you are a fan or a hater. Blind praise never helps actors improve, and extreme negativity can break an artist’s spirit. Constructive criticism lets them know where they lack in skills, and if they truly care about their craft, they will work on improving.

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