Drug Yoo Ah-in’s Role in Goodbye Earth Receives Mixed Reactions

The series “Goodbye Earth”, released globally on Netflix on April 26th, portrays individuals struggling to survive in the midst of chaos as they face an impending apocalypse. The show is adapted from Kōtarō Isaka’s novel of the same title and follows the countdown of 200 days until an asteroid collides with Earth.

Although the filming for “Goodbye Earth” had been completed in August 2022 as originally planned, its release was delayed due to Yoo Ah-in’s drug-related issues. Despite being fully filmed, the drama faced the risk of not being released. Yoo Ah-in, who was indicted without detention in October of last year, faced charges of illegally obtaining sleeping pills under someone else’s name, smoking marijuana, and instructing the destruction of evidence.

After discussions, Netflix and the production team of “Goodbye Earth” decided to postpone the release, but unexpectedly announced that all episodes would be released on April 26th. At a press conference on April 19th, Director Kim Jin-min expressed confidence in the drama and assured viewers that it would be worth watching despite Yoo Ah-in’s issues. He emphasized that the viewers, actors, and staff were the true owners of the drama and had all worked tirelessly together to create it.

Despite the potential risks involved, the decision was made to release Yoo Ah-in’s work. Furthermore, statements such as “not a regrettable work”and “we made it without embarrassment”only added to the curiosity surrounding the drama. Despite skipping a press call, “Goodbye Earth”was finally able to meet viewers after a year of anticipation.

The impending impact of the asteroid on the Korean Peninsula has prompted the residents of Ungcheon City to prepare for their inevitable fate in their own ways. Among them is Jin Se-kyung (Ahn Eun-jin), a former junior school teacher who now volunteers at the Department of Children and Youth in Ungcheon City Hall. She is determined to protect the children at risk during this crisis, using her skills in technology and home economics.

In addition to Ahn Eun-jin, a diverse group of actors including Kim Bo-min, Kim Kang-hoon, Kim Do-hye, Kim Young-ok, Kim Yeo-jin, Park Hyuk-won, Cha Hwa-yeon, Baek Ji-won, and Park Ho-san portrayed people of all ages and effectively conveyed the confusion and changing expressions of individuals in the midst of an apocalypse. While the exceptional performances of the cast helped viewers become fully engrossed in the story, some still found Yoo Ah-in’s appearance to be unsettling.

Despite the announcement of an asteroid collision, Yoo Ah-in’s character, Ha Yoon-sang, remained dedicated to his work as a researcher at a biotechnology research institute in the US. In order to be with his longtime lover, Jin Se-kyung, he quickly traveled from a dangerous area in the US to Korea. Director Kim Jin-min was conscious of minimizing any inconvenience for viewers while watching the drama, and made efforts to edit and reduce Yoo Ah-in’s screen time. However, he later clarified that completely removing Yoo Ah-in’s character was not feasible as he plays an integral role in the storyline of “Goodbye Earth.”

After the first episode, Yoo Ah-in is seen on screen for a total of 13 minutes and 50 seconds. Despite his limited screen time, his presence still disrupted the immersion of viewers. This was particularly evident in the video call scene between Se-kyung and Yoon-sang, where Ahn Eun-jin’s emotional crying appeared on the left side of the split screen. However, viewers who glanced to the side could also see Yoo Ah-in, which caused disappointment. Additionally, some viewers felt that Yoo Ah-in’s expressions were overly exaggerated in the scene where armed individuals entered the laboratory.

Despite Yoo Ah-in’s crucial role in “Goodbye Earth”, viewers had mixed reactions to his appearance. While some struggled to fully immerse themselves due to his involvement, others praised the editing efforts made to minimize any discomfort. Director Kim Jin-min acknowledged the challenges of editing Yoo Ah-in’s scenes, given his significant contribution to the drama. However, there were still some viewers who found Yoo Ah-in’s portrayal somewhat underwhelming.

“The 12 episodes of “Goodbye Earth”can be found on Netflix for viewing.”

Origin: Daum