Although Korean dramas are characterized by their emotional intensity and usually have exceptional plots, the acting usually overembellishes this. Overacting—think over-the-top expressions, screeching dialogue, and overboard reactions—can morph a poignant moment into unintended comedy.
Below are 10 actress performances that went to extremes in Kdramas. In many cases, these performances were successful; in some cases, they weren't.
1. Gu Hye Sun in "Boys Over Flowers"
In the K-drama "Boys Over Flowers," Gu Hye Sun's character Geum Jan Di delivered lines often with very high pitches, screeching tones, and strange facial expressions (such as her ducked head and clenched shoulder grimaces).
Geum Jan Di's over-the-top nature made her character very memorable, but because the show has such a melodramatic tone, many were annoyed with Geum because of her extreme performance.
2. Hwang Jung Eum in "She Was Pretty"
Hwang Jung Eum's performance in the K-drama "She Was Pretty" was criticized for almost all of her performances during the series for being too screechy, too loud, and for her high pitch delivery.
Her over-the-top contorted facial expressions and contortions seemed unnatural and excessive. Her overacting in comedic and emotional moments turned scenes into exaggerated spectacles that were, at most times, annoying and never cute.
3. Go Ara in "Hwarang"
If there ever was any need for acting in this historical drama, Ara Go depended on pouting, abnormal eye-widening, and cringy crying that resembled tantrums. Lacking subtlety, this cartoonish approach really contrasted with the thematic strains developed in the story and ultimately presented her sassy heroine as overinflated parody.
4. Joy (Red Velvet) - Tempted
Joy's delivery was breathy, wide-eyed, and perpetually confused—lacking any sharp edge that might serve her role. She overacted in dramatic scenes to emotionally hollow ends, with a flat affect that deflated tension and pointed out how hard she struggled to match intensity.
5. So Yi Hyun in "Who Are You?"
She overdid the crying and wailing a bit too much in the first few episodes, coming off as overly bratty or overwrought when situations called for sadness. This tendency to ramp up the emotional display made early scenes feel contrived and melodramatic, taking away some of the mystery thriller atmosphere.
6. Joo Won in "Bridal Mask"
The whine was long, and the wailing veered towards overacting territory in that emotional scene where Joo Won discovered a murdered mother's corpse. This exaggerated reaction turned viewers into laughter instead of tears in this intense revenge drama.
7. Shin Se Kyung in Bride of the Water God
Shin Se Kyung was called out for overacting the "strong female lead" by shouting, screeching, and throwing public crying fits. Her exaggerated mannerisms within the scenes made the character's emotional arcs feel cringey and unnatural, which added to viewers dropping the fantasy romance.
8. Nam Joo Hyuk in Bride of the Water God
Similarly, Nam Joo Hyuk's acting was very over-the-top, shouting and yelling in many scenes to express his emotions, which sounded screechy and too much. Further paired with the fantastical elements of this drama, his acting doubled the melodrama to the extent that it felt amateur and hard to take seriously.
9. Go Ara in "Hwarang" (Crying Scenes)
And to top it off, Go Ara's crying scenes especially were noted for being cringy and excessive, like childish tantrums with furrowed brows and pursed lips. Overacting made her stand out as the weakest link in the cast of charismatic male leads; dragging was also part of that.
10. Hwang Jung Eum in "Kill Me, Heal Me"
In this drama about multiple personalities, overacting by Hwang Jung Eum was seen in the screeching and contorted expressions in sequences of high emotion. There are parts of the role that screamed for intensity, but more often, her delivery blew into loud and annoying, which felt a little too amateur even with what was being called for by the directors themselves.
