The second season of Korean Netflix mega hit Squid Game 2 debuted to mixed reviews on December 26, with many criticising former Bigbang rapper T.O.P’s performance.
T.O.P, whose real name is Choi Seung Hyun, stars as volatile rapper Thanos aka Player 230, one of many cash-strapped individuals taking part in the deadly games to win a massive cash prize.
The 37-year-old star has faced backlash since the announcement of his casting last month.
Then, director Hwang Dong Hyuk defended T.O.P’s casting, saying he is “indispensable for this role” and that viewers should judge him after watching the show.
Well, they did, and the comments are not pretty.
Besides labelling him the show’s “shortcoming” and “worst casting choice”, Korean media made scathing remarks about his poor acting and called his scenes “unbearable”.
Some even demanded that he “apologise to the global audience”.
Seriously?
It doesn’t help that his character, who uses drugs, overlaps with T.O.P’s real-life controversies, “amplifying the unpleasantness watching him portray such a character”.
In 2017, he was sentenced to a 10-month suspended prison term for marijuana use.
Netizens weren’t much kinder.
While some praised him for having the courage to take on the role, others said it felt like “self-mockery” and they “couldn’t tell if he was acting or just being himself”.
Photos: Netflix