REVIEW: ‘Newtopia’ Proves Blackpink’s Jisoo Can’t Win

Newtopia promised a romantic comedy set against the backdrop of an apocalypse, and this premise had potential. The start of the series set the stage with an astoundingly understandable breakup between late-bloomer military trainee Lee Jae-yoon (Park Jeong-min) and the more put-together Kang Young-joo (Blackpink’s Kim Jisoo). At the start, it’s clear the distance between the two is causing friction. But it takes the emergence of a zombie threat to make them realize what really matters. Unfortunately, for this to work, both characters need to be compelling, and one definitely is the weakest link (and it’s not Jae-yoon).

Newtopia Episodes 1-2 introduces us to most of our characters, but mostly our two lovebirds. They’re struggling, to say the least, with Jae-yoon’s military training forcing them into a long-distance relationship. Just by looking at Jisoo, it’s clear that he’s punching above his weight. His overprotectiveness and insecurities push Young-joo to want to separate. However, before there is any resolution, a zombie virus disrupts their lives and forces the viewers to bounce between two storylines as the couple tries to find their way back together.

The stronger of the two storylines is Jae-yoon’s. Part of this is due to the sheer charisma and character of Park Jeong-min’s Jae-yoon, who, from the jump, is presented as being in a state of arrested development. He’s stuck in his life and what he wants to do, but Young-joo is the only thing he’s sure about. His frequent scene partner, Im Sung-jae, who plays his colleague, Ra In-ho, introduces an extra layer of hilarity in his scenes. They are the lowest on the totem pole compared to their other colleagues. This makes their initial contact with the zombies all the more terrifying because they are the underdog.

The military headquarters is set at the top of a luxury hotel, making it the perfect setting for a siege-type horror scenario. It also provides a natural flow and structure as Jae-yoon and his team attempt to figure out how best to escape the building. The pre-established team, however dysfunctional at the start, features a baked-in chemistry that feels natural, making the highs feel super high and the lows equally devastating as Newtopia progresses.

One of these storylines is better than the others.

Even the supporting characters shine. From Chef Jung (Park Kwang-jae) to the hilariously blunt Chef Paolo (Justin Harvey) and to hotel manager Aaron Park (Kim Jun-han), each one gets their moments to shine. In particular, Kim Jun-han lands the balance between a hotel manager who takes their job too seriously and the captain sinking with the ship mentality that Aaron Park embodies. Seriously, everyone will want to have Aaron Park on their zombie-fighting team.

Sadly, Young-joo’s storyline just doesn’t have the same comedic zeal, chemistry, or personality. Part of this is because Young-joo doesn’t come across as a fully developed character. In fact, the character aligns more with the damsel-in-distress archetype for the bulk of Newtopia, and a lot of the time, all she does is cry. Granted, who of us wouldn’t cry when the world is literally falling apart and zombies are trying to munch our faces off? Still, when the bulk of the female love interest’s actions are spent being saved, crying, or both, it doesn’t make for stimulating viewing.

The other characters surrounding Young-joo don’t fare any better. In fact, they are almost forgettable. Kang Young-seok’s Seo Jin-wook is there from the beginning as the coworker trying to woo Young-joo. He oscillates between selfishness, rich-boy stereotypes, and cowardice, giving at least some range of personality. As the apocalypse kicks off,  they run into a celebrity known as Alex (Lee Hak-joo), who is as bland as cardboard. The three of them together demonstrate a dearth of chemistry, with it painfully obvious that Kang is dragging both actors along.

A blessing arrives halfway through Newtopia when Tripeater (Tang Jun-sang) joins the group. He has enough personality to lift everyone up, and he is given a storyline that actually resonates and adds a more relevant sense of urgency. Just ignore the lack of logic surrounding how alcohol somehow temporarily wards off the effects of bite wounds, and you’re good. Especially since it never gets explored or explained.

Not helped by the writing, Jisoo is the weakest link in Newtopia.

It is only when Jisoo is left without screen partners around Episode 6 that she is able to show a little more range. Even still, her Young-joo still reads underbaked and gets the poorly fine-tuned addition of hallucinations. Again, in a scenario like this, shock-induced psychosis makes sense, but it’s introduced quite suddenly. As Young-joo comes into her own and defends herself against all manner of monsters, it is clear that with the inexperienced Jisoo, the writing flaws stand out glaringly.

But, not all of the faults can be laid at the feet of writers Han Jin-won and Ji Ho-jin. In Newtopia, Jisoo’s range is limited, as is her chemistry. This becomes clear in flashback sequences between her and Park Jeong-min. A huge part of the success of romantic comedies is the believability of the relationship. Young-joo and Jae-yoon were already on rocky ground because of the major differences in their appearance. There are also clear differences in how one treats the other, with Jae-yoon doting on his girlfriend.

As the series goes on and we see more of their love story through flashbacks, the romance element gets better, but there’s definitely something missing. Part of it is that Young-joo rarely comes across as actually being in love with Jae-yoon. She’s cutesy and snuggly, but there’s a disconnect in the performance that makes the romance read almost one-sided. The actions onscreen don’t match with the reality. By the time Newtopia ends, this couple never hits that level of believability necessary to make this a successful rom-com.

Where Newtopia excels is in its action-packed, bloody sequences. It’s hard not to be afraid every time a zombie is onscreen. How each group of characters handles these lightning-quick, contorting monstrosities is all-too-relatable. One group learns and grows from these encounters, while the other struggles to learn fast enough. The casualties, when doled out, are brutal (though occasionally darkly humorous) in nature. Also, be forewarned. Expect a lot of gross, jelly-like eyeball moments.

Newtopia ends with a note of hope and room for more exploration if another season is picked up. However, with its failure to fully sell its romance and general unevenness between its two storylines, it may be better if the journey stops here. Better casting and more balanced storytelling would have helped it survive the worst of catastrophes. Unfortunately, sold with the premise of a rom-com in the middle of an apocalypse, Newtopia never fully lives up to its promise.

All episodes of Newtopia are streaming now on Prime Video.