Actress Jung Chaeyeon is incurring criticism for her acting in JTBC's Saturday-Sunday drama Esquire: Lawyers in the Making, with viewers complaining that her acting lacks gravity and emotional depth to sustain the show.
The drama, which began August 2, tracks rookie attorney Kang Hyo-min (Jung) as she grows into her role under the guidance of leading partner attorney Yoon Seok-hoon (Lee Jin-wook).
The character is created as a contrast between a hapless newcomer and an acumen problem-solver, but critics complain that Jung's performance misses the mark.
Audiences cite her relentless employment of a high-pitched voice, stilted diction, and plodding emotional reactions, most noticeably in suspenseful courtroom sequences.
These flaws, they contend, hinder immersion and leach away the desired tension of pivotal moments.
Her on-screen rapport with Lee Jin-wook has also been questioned. Lee's measured, steady acting, some claim, only draws more attention to the imbalance.
Emotional scenes between the two tend to be one-sided, and contentious scenes do not produce the dramatic tension the script requires.
With only two of the drama's 12 episodes showing, fears are emerging that the main growth trajectory will fail without a boost to the lead's performance.
Esquire: Lawyers in the Making is broadcast on Saturdays at 10:40 p.m. and Sundays at 10:30 p.m. (KST) on JTBC.
