“Agency” Actress Son Naeun Is Criticized For Her Acting — Netizens React

Netizens debated over Son Naeun‘s acting on JTBC‘s hit K-Drama, Agency.

On January 30, news outlet Newsen released an article criticizing the actress for her acting on Agency. In the article titled, “Even YG Can’t Defend ‘Agency’ Son Naeun’s Shouting Acting,” a journalist blasts the actress’s acting while bringing up the fact it has been ten years since the idol made her acting debut.

Her inability to properly pronounce words and project her voice, her never-changing facial expressions, all have been criticized, leading to articles asking if her casting in the drama was a mistake. Although she’s a former idol, someone who made her acting debut ten years ago should not be receiving these criticisms.

— Newsen

The journalist then stated that the actress was throwing away an opportunity for her to restart her career after her controversial move to YG Entertainment. The journalist then criticizes the actress for focusing too much on her looks instead of her acting.

Son Naeun, who knows that this is her opportunity to appeal to the public ,needed incredible determination and effort. But her latest efforts fall short, and it seems as if she only cares about what a Chaebol looks like. She should have focused on receiving praise such as ‘Son Naeun’s rediscovery’ and ‘(Son Naeun) goes toe-to-toe with Lee Bo Young’ before focusing on her accessories, but it seems she skipped this step.

— Newsen

The journalist finishes off the article by conceding the fact that Son Naeun’s acting seems to be improving with each episode before once again chastising the actor’s knack for shouting her lines during her scenes. The journalist then lambasts the lack of chemistry between Son Naeun and actress Lee Bo Young, blaming it on Son Naeun’s inability to act on her veteran co-star’s level.

Thankfully Son Naeun’s acting seems to be improving along with the series. Although late, it seems she’s found her acting tone and character. However, I become nervous anticipating (Son Naeun’s) shouting whenever she squares off with Lee Bo Young.

In a world where antagonists are praised for doing the bare minimum, Son Naeun and Lee Bo Young’s two-shot is loud but lacks any spark, with Son Naeun being swallowed whole by Lee Bo Young’s acting.

— Newsen

The article has since gone viral, with fans and audiences of the show weighing in. Some netizens agreed with the article, while others defended Son Naeun’s acting and alleged the idol was being maliciously targeted by the media. Many netizens felt that Son Naeun’s deficiency was even more glaring due to the fact that she was acting opposite Lee Bo Young, who is considered one of Korea’s best actors.

• “Her acting seems worse because she’s acting opposite of Lee Bo Young.”
• “This is due to how good the other actors (Lee Bo Young) are. It (Son Naeun’s acting) isn’t so bad that you can’t watch it.”
• “This controversy is embarrassing considering her years of experience… Especially if you consider the fact that she’s no longer an idol but an actress.”
• “Her acting really is that bad… I was excited at first due to how large her role is, but um… She’s not a rookie anymore, and she has even played the main character in a movie before, but she doesn’t seem to be improving.”
• “(Her acting) is pretty bad… Unfortunately, she’s acting opposite of Lee Bo Young, so she seems even worse.”
• “I thought she acted well enough. Not sure if her acting calls for an article. The journalist spews so much hate.”
• “Her yelling is a bit awkward, but the rest of her acting fits the character well.”
• “It’s not like she’s horrible. I thought her acting was fine.”

What are your thoughts? Check out a montage of Son Naeun’s acting in Agency in the link below.