On January 7, the Korean drama “Newtopia” released its first official poster and trailer.
“Newtopia” is adapted from the novel “Influenza”, telling the dangerous love story of late-enlisting soldier Lee Jae Yoon (Park Jung Min) and his girlfriend Kang Young Joo (Jisoo), as they “race” through the zombie-infested city of Seoul to find each other.
The poster is presented in a unique style, with illustrations of characters caught in the middle of a zombie outbreak. Against a bright pink background, zombies swarm downtown Seoul, while the two main characters try to run towards each other.
The poster also introduces several other characters, including members of Jae Yoo's team such as Private Ra In Ho (Im Sung Jae) and hotel manager Aaron Park (Kim Jun Han).
Also present are Young Joo's group members, including Young Joo's senior Jin Wook, game company CEO Alex, and a young man preparing for his third college entrance exam.
The trailer gives a clearer picture of the film's tone. On the day Jae Yoon and Young Joo decide to break up, a zombie virus sweeps the world. The zombies crash into Young Joo's car and flood into the tower where Jae Yoon's unit is stationed.
Despite the life-or-death situation, Jae Yoon and Young Joo are determined to fight to be together. The trailer shows thrilling action scenes, interspersed with humor and fun. The background music in the trailer also changes from melodious classical music to fast-paced music, creating a cheerful atmosphere.
“Newtopia” is expected to bring a new “zom-com” genre when it premieres on February 7 on Coupang Play.
When the trailer was released, many viewers were surprised because the atmosphere of the film was "happier than expected", perhaps there would be many humorous situations alongside bloody, horror, and thrilling scenes.
However, Jisoo’s acting became a controversial topic. On the online forum theqoo, a post about the “Newtopia” trailer attracted more than 30 thousand views and more than 400 comments, many of which criticized the female lead Jisoo.
Most Korean netizens think that Jisoo's acting is "over the top" and her diction is poor.
Some notable comments include: “In addition to not being good at facial expressions and body acting, her pronunciation and voice are too serious”, “First time seeing weird acting right from the trailer”, “If you can’t improve your acting skills, you should continue to be a singer”, “The person who chooses Jisoo will not receive a salary”, “Her voice is not suitable for being an actress”, “Don’t suddenly take on the main role just because you are famous anymore”…
Some other viewers are worried about the movie "Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint" scheduled to be released in the summer of 2025, when Jisoo joins the main cast.
