"They're plotting on her downfall" — Omniscient Reader: The Prophet director faces fan backlash for justifying BLACKPINK Jisoo's character changes

Omniscient Reader: The Prophet director faced backlash for making modifications to BLACKPINK's Jisoo's character, Lee Ji-hye. On June 17, 2025, director Kim Byung-woo, at the official press conference of the upcoming action fantasy film, addressed the changes made to the adaptation.

Notably, Omniscient Reader: The Prophet is adapted from a novel named Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, written by Sing Shong. In this film, Jisoo plays the role of Lee Ji-hye, known for her swordsmanship. However, as per the trailer, she was seen using a gun, which sparked major criticism among novel readers.

Additionally, Lee Ji-hye was depicted as having bangs, but in live action, Jisoo was not seen wearing the same hairstyle. These changes drew hateful comments towards the BLACKPINK vocalist. During the press conference, director Kim Byung-woo clarified that he had to showcase different styles of action scenes and the use of weapons.

He further explained that since the BLACKPINK member's role has less screen time, he used the gun as an element that would put focus on her. He said (as translated by @newsjisoo on X):

"The change from a sword to a gun for Lee Jihye came from a practical consideration in choreographing action scenes. Since many characters use long swords, we thought it would help her character stand out visually if she used a different weapon. Lee Jihye is a character that is separate from the Kim Dokja team, so we carefully thought about how to make her presence explode in the most dramatic moments."

Fans did not find the explanation reasonable and turned to social media to express their disappointment. They believed that the director's changes led to hateful reactions towards Jisoo.

"bro they're plotting on her downfall," a fan wrote.

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Fans criticized the director's decision, calling his reasoning "unconvincing."

"What a sh*t of an excuse, very unconvincing but I don't care anymore since it's not on her & her part is not that big. And I've no doubts that Jisoo WILL standout regardless if her part is small, she's been doing that since forever in BP..." a fan commented.

"Js was already hated by some orv fans when the cast members was announced. Now she got drag again by some orv fans for changing the weapon just bcoz the director wanted to make her stand out when it's not needed. And only her character who changed weapon. Like the set up," a netizen wrote.

"Somehow that explanation about Lee Jihye using gun instead of swords makes sense but also doesn't make sense. It's not convincing," another added.

Fans highlighted the significance of the sword in Lee Ji-hye's character, while criticizing the decision to replace it with a gun.

"Btch she can stand out by herself. She is the most popular,she is already standing out. Give your gun to someone else to make 'em stand out. Lee jihye's main specialty was she very good at sword in that story they called her the (samorayy girl). I don't know how this is a good idea," a fan wrote.

"even i can’t accept this explanation. She was an important character that must use a sword!! Why the change happened to be her and only her!!" a user mentioned.

"This word salad giving nothing while throwing Jisoo under the bus for some arbitrary a** decision. wdym make her stand out? She's already separated from the others, maybe give one of them a gun to stand out? ngl I'm kinda crushed," a netizen reacted.

BLACKPINK's Jisoo's character Lee Ji-hye in Omniscient Reader: The Prophet and director Kim Byung-woo on her casting

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Omniscient Reader: The Prophet is a story about Kim Dok-ja (played by Ahn Hyo-seop), a reader of an action novel. Kim Dok-ja faces a major turn in life as the book becomes his reality, and he now uses his knowledge to fight evil alongside the protagonist.

Meanwhile, Yoo Jung-hyuk (depicted by Lee Min-ho) is the main character of the novel Kim Dok-ja reads, and BLACKPINK's Jisoo's character Lee Ji-hye is an admirer of Yoo Jung-hyuk. Lee Ji-hye, being a high school student, finds a hero in Yoo Jung-hyuk and looks up to him.

As reported by Sports Donga, on June 17, 2025, Kim Byung-woo spoke about the BLACKPINK vocalist’s casting in Omniscient Reader: The Prophet.

He said:

“The character of Lee Ji-hye is not that big, but I didn't want to miss out on this charming character, so I wanted an actress who could grab attention, and that's why I cast Jisoo. Jisoo worked really hard, and I'm very satisfied with the result.”

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Omniscient Reader: The Prophet cast members Ahn Hyo-seop, Nana, Lee Min-ho, Chae Soo-bin, and Shin Seung-ho attended the press conference, but the Earthquake singer was not seen.

Meanwhile, Omniscient Reader: The Prophet is scheduled to premiere in South Korea on July 23, 2025.

About the author

Inaas is a pop culture writer covering K-drama and K-pop at Sportskeeda. She graduated from the University of Mumbai with a degree in Mass Media, specializing in Journalism. Her love for the Korean entertainment industry started in college and shaped her assignments, eventually leading her to pursue a career as a Korean pop culture writer.

She previously worked as a Community Manager and oversaw more than 50 K-Content creators for an audio app. She has also had the pleasure of interviewing members of famous K-pop groups including BLACKSWAN, UNIS, and actors like Lee Se-young, Um Tae-goo, as part of her ongoing work at Sportskeeda.

Inaas believes in setting aside her biases and verifying news from credible sources when reporting on any topic. She also ensures she takes all the sides of a story into account and crafts holistic articles.

She loves BTS & SEVENTEEN and admires their passion, which continues to inspire her as an individual and a professional. If given a chance to go back in time, she would like to be a part of the famous Korean drama "Reply 1988," since it feels incredibly personal to her due to its portrayal of friendship dynamics.

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Edited by Riya Peter