“Newtopia” Episodes 1 And 2 Review- Awkward But Kinda Funny

Coupang Play has finally unveiled the 1^st episodes of “Newtopia,” so what did I think about the premiere? Lets talk about it!

I want to start by saying that what drew me to it were two things. Firstly, that the screenwriters behind it are responsible for some great past works, and secondly the casting of Park Jeong-Min, Kim Joon-Han, and Lee Hak-Joo. As a long time kdrama viewer, I thought the combination of these three individuals was going to be legendary.

And while generally, screenwriters approach zombie apocalypse projects with a serious tone, this one doesn’t. It approaches it from a comedic tone highlighting the absurdity of the entire debacle, which makes the drama stand out even more among the sea of similar Kdramas focusing on zombie apocalypse. However, I am not keen on a lot of its aspects, including the directing.

Firstly, let’s talk about the script.

I think it was fine. So far, I don’t feel particularly attached to any character but I do find the premise itself to be entertaining. The couple in the drama do not share amazing chemistry as far as I can feel from episodes 1 and 2, but its too early to judge fully. It would be a lie if I said I felt attached to their love for each other, because I don’t. The director does not do the best of job at highlighting why their reunion should matter to 1^st time viewers who aren’t particularly that invested yet or massive fans of the actors involved.

I know, I know, two episodes won’t delve into it enough, but the couple seems on shaky grounds for good reasons, and them trying so hard to get back together in such horrible circumstances just didn’t make much sense to me, it doesn’t mean they should wish each other ill but to go through hell to see each other again like that is also a bit…. I believe this part will and should be dealt with correctly in the coming episodes, at least, I hope we find out why they’re so keen on reuniting with each other so badly.

The script is penned by two screenwriters, and there were many funny moments that were the highlight of the episodes for me.

Now moving on to directing because I have a lot to say, its my least favorite part.

The director behind this project is Yoon Sung-Hyun, who doesn’t have many credits to his name. Added to that, his projects are far from each other which makes me wonder about many things on so many levels.

I will start by saying that comedy is the hardest to pull off in my opinion. Its not easy to be naturally funny or evoke comedy without appearing cringy or a try hard to a degree. Its an art form that I feel is not discussed enough.

I say this because I felt all of my fav actors’ acting was off. I mean, Jeong Min does his best and so do the rest of the male actors, but I felt a sense of awkwardness and pauses that do not contribute to the comedy aspect the way I had expected. I felt everybody’s acting was stiff in some situations, which leads me to believe its related to the directing.

I’ve seen those male actors in several past projects and they’re amazing, so seeing them give off such awkward vibes tells me this is what the director is telling them to do, but hey, thats just a hunch, I could be wrong, but this is how I feel so far.

Now, onto what I am dreading, Jisoo. [please don’t send death threats].

This drama is also notably led by an idol actress named Jisoo. She debuted as a kpop idol and a member of a group called BLACKPINK. As a person who has not followed kpop in nearly 7 years, I don’t know much about her, so I can’t say I tuned in because of her. As a kdrama fan, I am also very critical of idols acting in dramas for several logical reasons.

I don’t want to get death threats because I checked out the discourse online and their fans seem extremely protective, so I’ll only add this. I don’t understand why an idol-actress with little acting experience would pick a comedy project as her 1^st project in about 3 to 4 years. I ask this because its very difficult to do comedy justice and even other good Korean actresses struggle with that, so why did it have to be this project? why not a rom-com?

She is fine when its just an average scene but you begin to see the cracks as the situation unfolds and we realize its a zombie apocalypse.

Her facial expressions stood out and took me out of the watching experience. If I compare her acting to that of a supporting character named Soo-Jeong [the one who serves in the fancy floor and gets into fights with the soldiers], there is a massive difference in the control they have over their facial expressions.

In short, “Newtopia” is fine. I see potential but I am also a bit skeptical due to what I mentioned above.

So have you guys seen “Newtopia” yet? Thoughts?