Should Lee Ji-ah get rid of the tiresome ‘controversy over her acting skills’ label?

Actress Lee Ji-ah returns. This time, it's not a dead end, but a refreshing divorce solution. With only one day left until the first broadcast, the industry is paying attention to whether Lee Ji-ah will be able to completely shed the label of controversy over her acting skills that has followed her so far.

Lee Ji-ah will play the female lead in JTBC's new Wednesday-Thursday drama 'Awesome Fixer'. 'Awesome Fixer' is a work depicting the pursuit of justice between Korea's best divorce solver, Sarah Kim (played by Lee Ji-ah), and Dong-jun Dong-jun (played by Kang Ki-young), a smart lawyer.

In the drama, Ji-ah Lee plays the role of Sara-ra Kim, the team leader at Solution, a divorce resolution company. She used to be the daughter-in-law of a top law firm, but lost everything overnight. In particular, after being stabbed in the head by her husband, divorced, and even sent to prison, she offers a refreshing solution to those who are struggling in their married life as a divorce solver.

Previously, Lee Ji-ah gained great popularity through SBS' 'Penthouse' series, but faced untimely controversy over her acting skills through tvN's 'Pandora: Paradise of Manipulation'. It has been five years since Lee Ji-ah appeared in a drama that was not produced by Kim Soon-ok. He has appeared in seasons 1, 2, and 3 of ‘Penthouse’ and ‘Pandora’ since 2020. The 'Penthouse' series gained syndrome popularity with a viewership rating of close to 30%, but it also gave rise to controversy due to numerous extreme elements such as sadism, violence, and provocation. In addition, the work was criticized for racial discrimination, using accident footage, and glorifying suicide.

In 'Pandora', he was criticized for his awkward facial expressions. Although she lost up to 6kg for the character, Lee Ji-ah remained expressionless throughout and was unable to show her deep emotions. In the end, star writer Kim Soon-ok's 'Pandora' was ignored by viewers and ended without a word.

It's been a while since Lee Ji-ah came back with a drama that wasn't just a drama but gave off a pleasant feeling. It is a moment to rid himself of the controversy over his acting ability and the title of a top professional actor.

There are several works featuring divorce and couples in crisis. Most of them were box office successes. Lee Ji-ah also reached a turning point after five years.

For actors, controversy over their acting skills is a painful label. However, if he shows a good performance in his next work, the tag will also drop. Using this regret as a stepping stone, I hope that this work will be a turning point for Lee Ji-ah.

Ryu Ye-ji, Ten Asia Reporter ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr