• Min Hee Jin Acknowledges Considering ADOR Acquisition Methods in Follow-Up Interview

    A day after an urgent press conference on April 25 KST, ADOR’s CEO Min Hee Jin participated in a follow-up interview on ‘Kim Hyun Jung’s News Show’ on YouTube on April 26 KST.

    In the interview, Min Hee Jin addressed issues not covered during the press conference. Responding to her leaked KakaoTalk messages with an ADOR employee, she said, “They attacked me by publicizing my private messages without context. The context of a conversation is crucial, but the reasons and feelings behind those conversations were omitted.”

    She emphasized, “I was merely pondering the suggestions. I’m unsure if imagining scenarios is a crime.”

    When asked if she tried to contact external investors for more ADOR stocks, she replied, “HYBE controls me. What can I do with just 18%? Even if I bring in an investor, I need HYBE’s permission. HYBE owns 80%, I own 18%, and the employees own 2%. I did consider some scenarios, but never acted on them.”

    On the potential plans to bring in investors from Singapore or Saudi Arabia for “Project 1945”, Min Hee Jin stated, “I’m not an expert in these matters. I’m in management, but M&As and investments are different areas. I sought various suggestions because I’m not an expert. They pieced together various conversations to attack me. Their intentions seem impure.”

    Min Hee Jin also discussed why she accused ILLIT of copying NewJeans. She said, “I didn’t raise the issue out of arrogance. The creative trends today require you to take various sources from the past and recreate something unique… I noticed that the formula used was problematic in terms of visuals and vibes. I felt a line had been crossed, so I spoke up.”

    Addressing fans’ criticism to “leave NewJeans out of the trouble”, she said, “Everyone says I shouldn’t talk about NewJeans, but how can I not? I’m not the one who calls myself ‘The mother of NewJeans’. It’s them. They told me, ‘Just imagine that you’re in a K-drama’. This experience reassured me that my relationship with the NewJeans members is warm.”

    Finally, responding to HYBE’s latest statement, Min Hee Jin said, “I feel the same. It’s impossible to respond to every single matter. These issues need to be resolved internally. They brought it out to the public to ruin me. They wanted to make it seem like people should not believe what I say.”

    She added, “We’ve done enough. We took turns throwing punches and getting hit. It’s getting childish so let’s stop here. I don’t want to continue this battle publicly. Why should I be judged by the public when they don’t know my circumstances? Only the parties involved know the truth.”

    Source[1]

  • Is Jisoo’s Acting the Main Problem in "Newtopia"? - Here's Why Fans Are Worried About the New Zombie Series

    The new OTT series Newtopia has faced mixed reactions, with BLACKPINK’s Jisoo's acting and a slow storyline making viewers question if the show can survive.

    Released on the 7th, Newtopia on Coupang Play promised to offer something fresh in the K-zombie genre. The drama follows an unlikely couple, Lee Jae-yoon (played by Park Jung Min), a late-blooming soldier, and his girlfriend Kang Young-joo (Jisoo), as they fight to survive in a zombie-infested Seoul.

    The mix of zombies and romantic comedy sounded like an interesting twist, but the show hasn’t exactly hit the mark.

    Jisoo’s second lead role after Snowdrop in 2021 was highly anticipated. But many fans and critics have been concerned about her acting, especially after she received some backlash for her unclear pronunciation and awkward expressions in her previous project.

    Director Yoon Sung-hyun, aware of the concerns, said at the press preview, “Since Jisoo hadn’t acted for a long time after her last project, I was also initially worried, thinking, ‘Will she be okay?’ But Jisoo dedicated herself, doing script readings four days a week. She worked hard, and as a result, I had no doubts or difficulties. By episode 8, you'll feel that only Jisoo could have portrayed Young-joo. She did an amazing job.”

    Despite his words of praise, Jisoo’s performance still left fans worried. While she showed some improvement, her portrayal of Young-joo seemed inconsistent, lacking the calmness expected from the character. However, her "girl crush" image, with her background as a "campus goddess," did add some intrigue to her role.

    The main issue, however, wasn’t just Jisoo's acting. Newtopia also struggled with its pacing. While other recent hits like Trauma Center or Trigger grab attention right from the start, Newtopia spent too much time in the first episode on Jae-yoon’s military life and Young-joo’s personal struggles, making it feel like a waste of time. The show failed to showcase the humor and zombie elements it promised, leaving many viewers unimpressed.

    On top of that, some characters came off as annoying, like Jae-yoon’s colleague, Line Ho (Im Seong Jae), and the "unlikable" senior character Seojin-wook (played by Kang Young Seok). Even Park Jung-min didn’t do much to help the show move along, making the 57-minute episode feel even longer.

    Thankfully, the show picked up pace in episode 2, finally diving into the zombie chaos. But will that be enough to save Newtopia? With the first episode still fresh in fans’ minds, the jury’s still out on whether this K-zombie drama can find its footing and deliver the thrills viewers are hoping for.

    The remaining six episodes of Newtopia will air every Friday at 8 PM, with one episode released per week. Stay tuned to see if the series can bounce back!

    Source (1)