Disney's live-action adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" has stirred up controversy in Korea due to the choice of promotional material featuring NewJeans' Danielle, the voice actress for Ariel in the Korean dubbed version, instead of Halle Bailey, the lead actress.

As the film's target audience comprises primarily children, concerns have been raised that the promotional campaign could lead to confusion among young viewers, who might mistake Danielle for the "real" Ariel.

Upon the announcement of NewJeans Danielle as the voice actress for Ariel, Disney Korea embarked on an extensive promotional campaign, featuring Danielle prominently on posters, billboards, and major television channels such as SBS.

This decision sparked a wave of criticism from Korean audiences, who were expecting to see Halle Bailey, the lead actress, in the promotional material.

Korean netizens took to various online platforms to voice their discontent with the promotional strategy.

Here are some of the comments that captured the prevailing sentiment:

"Why are they showing the face of the voice actress instead of the main actress? Is this an animated film instead of a live-action?"

"The trailer is no different. There isn't a single direct shot of Halle Bailey."

"This way, children will mistake Danielle for the lead actress and go to the theaters expecting to see her."

"They hyped up the 'black little mermaid' but didn't show her face in the trailer. What's up with that?"

Despite the controversy surrounding the promotional campaign, "The Little Mermaid" live-action film premiered in Korea on May 24th as scheduled.

It remains to be seen how the public reception will unfold and whether the concerns raised by netizens will impact the film's success in the Korean market.

What are your thoughts?

Source[1]

NewJeans' Minji touched fans' hearts with a handwritten letter on her birthday — even while the group is currently unable to promote due to legal issues.

On May 7, Minji celebrated her birthday by sharing a heartfelt message on the group’s personal SNS account, which the members opened themselves to stay connected with fans.

Minji began her letter with honesty, writing, “I think I’m living a busier life than I expected. When I finally looked up, it was already May, and it was my birthday.”

She admitted that she had a lot she wanted to say, but her thoughts felt “messy.” Still, her message to fans was clear, “I just hope that I, our members, and Bunnies can all be happy. Happiness is the biggest goal in my life.”

Minji then opened up about her personal journey and struggles, saying, “I sometimes think that running toward my happiness by doing what I love might look foolish to others. But isn’t giving up your happiness now for the sake of a future that might not even come… too harsh on yourself?”

Despite everything, she ended on a hopeful note, “I really miss the times when we shared our feelings through the good music we made together. But I always look forward to what’s ahead."

She added, "We didn’t stop here, and we’re not going to stop! It might look like we’re standing still, but I believe we’re growing deeper.”

Her message comes during a difficult time for NewJeans. The group announced last year that they were cutting ties with ADOR, their original agency, after trust was broken. They later began working independently under the new name ‘NJZ’.

However, ADOR responded with legal action — claiming the exclusive contract with NewJeans was still valid and asking the court to stop the group from promoting or signing deals.

The court sided with ADOR and granted an injunction, forcing NewJeans to pause their activities. Their appeal was rejected, and they’ve now filed a second appeal.

Through it all, Minji’s message proves one thing — even when forced to stop, NewJeans' hearts are still moving forward.

Source: [1]