Nana's Debut Period Drama Already Under Fire for the Wrong Reasons

Nana didn't deflect. On the 22nd, the actress posted on Bubble, a paid fan messaging platform, and said plainly: if her lips made viewers uncomfortable, that was her fault.

The comment was a direct response to backlash that erupted after Netflix's Scandal dropped on the 18th. A segment of viewers complained that her noticeably full lips clashed with the show's Joseon-era setting, pulling focus during emotional scenes and making it hard to stay immersed. The criticism quickly spread through online communities and landed harder than typical reception noise.

What she said

"If my lips caused discomfort for people watching, that's my fault," Nana wrote. "I think my personal choice was not the right one for a performer." She didn't frame it as an attack on her appearance or push back against the critics. She took the hit.

She also turned the conversation toward her fans. Rather than dwelling on her own feelings about the reviews, she said she was more sorry knowing her supporters would be hurt reading them. "Going forward, I'll work harder so we can hear good things together," she added.

What Scandal is, and why this matters

Scandal is a Netflix original series adapted from the 1782 French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, relocated to Joseon-era Korea. Son Ye-jin plays Lady Jo, Ji Chang-wook plays Jo Won, and Nana takes the role of Hee-yeon, a young widow who lost her husband before they were even properly wed. The character exists in quiet resignation, constrained by the era's demands on a woman in her position, until an encounter with Jo Won forces buried emotions to the surface.

For Nana, this was her first period drama since debuting with After School in 2009. She has since built a steady acting career across The Good Wife, Glitch, Mask Girl, and Climax, but a Joseon-era role is a different visual challenge entirely. Critics' point, fair or not, was that modern cosmetic work reads differently against traditional hanbok and candlelit interiors than it might in a contemporary thriller.

The broader debate it sparked is worth noting: viewers and commentators split over whether actors bear responsibility for aligning their physical choices with the demands of a role's historical setting. Nana's response essentially closed that argument for herself, at least. She agreed that she did.

Beyond the Bubble post, Nana made headlines earlier this year for removing all of her full-body tattoos, another personal change she shared publicly. Whatever you make of the Scandal controversy, she's clearly not someone who avoids the conversation.