ILLIT’s Wonhee: Praised for Visuals But Criticized for “Boring Expressions”
Despite her astounding visuals, the debut of ILLIT’s Wonhee was deemed as questionable due to her stiff expressions.
On March 25, 2024, ILLIT officially debuted with a 5-member lineup including Yunah, Minju, Moka, Wonhee, and Iroha under Belift Lab, a subsidiary of HYBE. Right from their debut song “Magnetic,” ILLIT quickly captured the hearts of the audience with catchy melodies and eye-catching choreography that pleased the fans’ tastes. Additionally, the visuals of the members also garnered a lot of attention, especially Moka and Wonhee.
The lineup of ILLIT was previously selected through the survival show “R U Next”, which aired in 2023. On the show, it was announced that two individuals with the highest votes and four individuals chosen by the management company would officially debut, and Wonhee was one of the members earning the most votes. She has large, round eyes and chubby cheeks that exude a lovely, innocent charm, very appealing to fans’ tastes. Old photos also show that Wonhee’s beauty hasn’t changed much over time.
However, it is Woohe’s eyes that have been the subject of controversy. Some opinions suggest that her expressions during performances are quite boring, with her eyes always wide open. Additionally, Wonhee’s talent has also sparked debate. Because she had only been training for one month before auditioning, her performances were deemed insufficient for debut. It would have been more reasonable for her to train for another 1-2 years before debuting, said netizens
In fact, when Woohe was announced to be in ILLIT’s debut lineup, comments such as “She should have been given another 1-2 years of training”, “Her facial expressions are extremely boring”, and “She sang with a clear backtrack on the show and her expressions are stiff”, can be found all over SNS.