“Actress visual” vs “Idol visual”: Netizens compare Jisoo’s beauty in “Snowdrop” to Suzy, Yoona and Lee Naeun

Even Lee Naeun (APRIL), a 3rd generation female idol who was once criticized for her stiff acting skills, was brought up to compare with Jisoo in this situation.

JTBC’s “Snowdrop” is just a month away, but now the drama starring Jung Hae In and Jisoo (BLACKPINK) has become a hot topic on online communities. However, this does not mean that “Snowdrop” is and will be warmly received by the public. On the contrary, the film and all the actors who decided to participate in it have been facing a wave of criticism from Korean viewers since the script was leaked around March 2021.

Despite all those opposing opinions, the work recently began releasing a series of teaser photos and videos for its official airing date. However, another fierce controversy broke out as many people were dissatisfied with Jisoo‘s performance – from acting, voice, pronunciation to visual.

Since her debut, Jisoo has soon been ranked among K-pop’s top visuals. In particular, many people have claimed that the BLACKPINK member is one of the rare female idols who actually possesses “actress visuals” that will help her not to be “underwhelmed” when appearing in films like other idols.

However, with the latest teaser for “Snowdrop“, K-netizens have begun to rethink their view of seeing Jisoo as an idol with “actress visuals”. Many say that standing in front of the drama camera exposed flaws in Jisoo‘s face. Notably, some netizens even compared Jisoo‘s beauty in “Snowdrop” to Suzy, Yoona (SNSD) or Lee Naeun (APRIL) to showcase the difference between “actress look” and “idol look”.

Apart from the negative comments, there are still many netizens who jump to Jisoo’s defense and suggest that it is still too early to comment on her on-screen visuals based on a 50-second teaser. Not to mention Jisoo’s beauty has been recognized by even industry insiders. However, according to some Korean netizens, this is probably a reminder for fans to refrain from bragging about their idol’s appearance. 

• “Compared to actress visuals, Jisoo’s look seems to lean more towards idol visuals”
• “I also have problems with her acting and enunciation. Visual-wise, I don’t think she suits being an actress either. Her image is meant to be an idol standing on stage”
• “Jisoo made me realize that no matter how beautiful an idol is, they can’t compare with actors… Is it because of makeup??? Anyway, I hope fans stop bragging about her actress-like visuals”
• “I used to think of Jisoo’s face as an actress type, but ‘Snowdrop’ trailer made me realize she’s totally an idol face type…”
• “No matter how pretty an idol is, their flaws are easily revealed as soon as they put on natural makeup like actors… People always have the notion that actors are prettier than idols for a reason”
• “As I watched the teaser, I realized her beauty only stood out when she was on stage with BLACKPINK.. As expected, visuals of idols and actors are still 2 different levels”

• “I think Jisoo is really pretty, but it seems like her on-screen visuals feel different from her appearance on stage. She looks so ordinary in an actor’s makeup look. You can’t compare her with Cha Eun Woo”
• “Jisoo is pretty but she definitely does not have an actress’s face. I’m more sure about this after watching the teaser”
• “There must be a reason why TREASURE, despite being in the same company as Jisoo, voted for Lee Naeun in the poll for the prettiest idol. Acting aside, Lee Naeun during her ‘A-TEEN’ days was really pretty even with barely makeup on”
• “Jisoo made me realize Suzy’s visual class… Suzy is even prettier in a drama than on stage”

• “She looks like that because it’s unedited. It’s obvious that her drama visuals are completely different from her Instagram photos.”
• “Suzy or YoonA, regardless of their acting, have never sparked controversy over their visuals in movies and dramas. Jisoo looks like she’s 7 years older in the trailer, anyone who doesn’t know about her would think she’s in her 30s”
• “Those who have met Jisoo in real life all say that she is super pretty, why make a fuss just over a teaser that is less than 1 minute”
• “How can you criticize a top visual like Jisoo ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Just wait until the drama comes out before you judge her”
• “Fans always brag about her actress-like visuals, now look at the reality, actual actresses will outshine her for sure”
• “Her fans kept promoting her actress visuals even when she had no acting gig, now that she’s in a drama, her visuals turn out to be totally an idol’s”
• “That shows that not everyone can be like Suzy…”
• “Personally, I think there are so many prettier female idols than Jisoo, but because YG media plays a lot, I feel like she’s the top visual. Kind of like brainwashing?”
• “She looks nice in all other scenes though, why do you have to bring up the only scene where she looks a bit less pretty ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ”
• “The problem is that idols always put on too much makeup… So switching to light makeup like an actress will expose all of their flaws right away… That’s the reason why up to now, even though there are lots of pretty idols, they’re not considered to be on the same level as actors. There are not many exceptions like Suzy.”

Do you think Jisoo has “actress visuals”?