“Survival has become ‘a dating show’,” “Everyone has their own position.” ‘Devil’s Plan: Death Room’ ended beautifully in a different sense. More than the admiration for the winner, Jeong Hyun-kyu, negative comments and critical opinions aimed at him and fellow cast members, including Kyu-hyun and Yoon So-hee, are drawing attention.

On the 20th, Netflix’s original entertainment program ‘Devil’s Plan: Death Room (abbreviated as Devil’s Plan 2)’ concluded with its 12th episode (final episode). The winner of ‘Devil’s Plan 2’ is Jeong Hyun-kyu, known as ‘Seoul National University’s Song Kang,’ who was the catfish from Tving’s ‘Transfer Love Season 2’ and has now become the winner of ‘Devil’s Plan 2.’

However, after the final match, criticism towards the cast surged, creating an ironic situation where the controversy garnered more attention than the winner. Main cast members, including Jeong Hyun-kyu, Kyu-hyun, and Yoon So-hee, are suffering from negative comments and accusations on social media. Could it be the viewers' over-engagement? Or the failure in direction by Producer Jeong Jong-yeon, who made it impossible to enjoy the game?

# Jeong Hyun-kyu, Yoon So-hee, Kyu-hyun, suddenly the targets of ‘Devil’s Plan 2’

In Jeong Hyun-kyu’s case, he got involved in controversy for his remark during the match, “Can you do calculus?” Criticism for being “rude” followed, leading to accusations of insulting arrogance. In relation to this, Jeong Hyun-kyu changed his personal social media status message to “I’m sorry,” expressing his apology. Despite winning, the critical opinions do not seem to subside.

Yoon So-hee, who was expected to be a brain player in the early part of the season, is being criticized for lowering the tension with her emotional choice in the final match. The victory she conceded to Jeong Hyun-kyu seems to have interrupted the essence of the survival genre. As a result, there have been negative comments such as “They turned survival into a dating show,” and “Jeong Hyun-kyu ♥ Yoon So-hee, well done.”

Kyu-hyun also made his presence known with an alliance strategy and bold decision-making throughout the season. However, some scenes were portrayed as emotionally highlighted or seen as selfish gameplay. In reality, the production team presented the complex strategic structures and human relationships in a simplified conflict structure, leading to a pattern where specific individuals faced concentrated blame. Additionally, his comment that “everyone has their own position” made via a fan community platform added fuel to the angry sentiments.

# Over-engaged negative comment terrorism? Is there no responsibility in directing?

‘Devil’s Plan: Death Room’ sparked controversy throughout the season over whether it was about ‘alliances or isolation.’ The early elimination of the popular player Lee Sedol, alongside the continued unilateral leadership of numerous alliances that viewers found difficult to accept, created frustrating moments, making it impossible for minorities or individual players to showcase their capabilities.

Jeong Hyun-kyu, Yoon So-hee, and Kyu-hyun are players who actively participated at the center of the major alliance. Thus, the negative comments aimed at the three reflect an explosive public backlash against the structure of ‘Devil’s Plan 2.’ For instance, Jeong Hyun-kyu’s rude remarks could have been edited out but were instead presented as humor, which overshadowed his other strategic advantages. Yoon So-hee also revealed a tendency to avoid competition, which was later highlighted. Hence, despite her background as a KAIST graduate, it was reconsidered that she did not fit into the extreme competition demanded by the survival genre.

# Where has the ‘detail master’ Producer Jeong Jong-yeon gone?

Currently, the negative comments directed at the cast have gone overboard, and while the degree of expression varies, it leaves the point that criticism is predominant. It is undeniable that the production flaws of ‘Devil’s Plan: Death Room’ cannot be dismissed simply as negative comment terrorism or over-engagement by certain viewers.

Of course, despite that, ‘Devil’s Plan: Death Room’ has performed well in various buzz metrics. However, as it is a genre that opens continuity for Season 3, attention must also be paid to quality and potential for development beyond mere popularity. Given that Producer Jeong Jong-yeon has continued the series following numerous alliances incidents in Season 2 of ‘The Genius’ series, can we expect more in the next installment? If not, the prospect of ‘Devil’s Plan 3’ may render meaningless.

[Photo] Provided by Netflix, OSEN DB.

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