IU and Byun Woo Seok Acting Controversy

Lead actors IU and Byun Woo-seok of MBC's new Friday-Saturday drama '21st Century Prince Consort' have been embroiled in acting controversy. Despite high expectations before the broadcast, the first episode has since been met with a flood of diverse criticisms and evaluations of the actors' performances on online communities and social media.

'21st Century Prince Consort' garnered significant attention even before its premiere due to the pairing of IU, who is recognized for both her music and acting, and Byun Woo-seok, who created a sensation with 'Lovely Runner'. Couple photoshoots and videos showcasing their chemistry further heightened anticipation for the drama. However, immediately after the first broadcast, some netizens raised criticisms such as "they have a peculiar vocal tic," "they're acting in different ways," and "they don't suit each other."

Regarding IU's role as Seong Hee-ju, reactions included, "She seems like 'IU' no matter what she does," "This time, it feels like she's wearing ill-fitting clothes," and "She seems to be trying too hard with her acting." For Byun Woo-seok's portrayal of Prince Ian, evaluations stated, "It's like ChatGPT's reading mode," "He seems to have received a role too grand for his acting experience," "It reminds me of Jang Soo-won's robotic acting," and "His expressions are unreadable, which is scary."

On the other hand, there were also a considerable number of positive reactions. Opinions such as, "It feels like expectations were too high," "The role itself seems difficult to act," "It's enjoyable just to see their visual chemistry," and "Isn't it awkward because it's still early in the drama?" were presented. As '21st Century Prince Consort,' a highly anticipated work, received mixed reviews from its first broadcast, attention is now focused on how the two actors will evolve their performances.

Meanwhile, the third episode of '21st Century Prince Consort' will air this Friday (the 17th) at 9:50 PM and will also be available for streaming on the online video service (OTT) Disney+.