K-Pop Idol Under Fire For Taking On A Major Side Quest

Will he prove the critics wrong?

Ahead of the highly anticipated release of DreamWorks‘ How to Train Your Dragon live-action, AB6IX‘s Lee Daehwi was announced to take on the dubbing for the main character, Hiccup.

AB6IX’s Lee Daehwi | @hwisosik/Instagram

While AB6IX fans were thrilled to hear about the idol’s huge “side quest” of voice-acting…

AB6IX Lee Daehwi to Join Korean Dub of Live-Action How to Train Your Dragon

✔ Movie Title: How to Train Your Dragon
✔ Release Date: June 6, 2025

AB6IX’s Lee Daehwi has participated in the Korean dub of the live-action How to Train Your Dragon, taking on the role of Hiccup. We ask for lots of interest and support from ABNEW!

— @ab6ix_official/Instagram

…other Korean moviegoers are rather disappointed that the role was not given to a professional voice actor.

Fans of the How to Train Your Dragon franchise expected one of the two “professionals,” actor Oh Seung Yoon from the original 2010 movie, or more likely the renowned voice actor Shin Yong Woo from the 2012 TV adaptation, to take on the live-action dubbing. And so, the news of Lee Daehwi’s casting has since sparked some strong reactions.

| theqoo

• “Use actual voice actors. The problem is celebrities taking jobs away from professionals just because they’re famous.”
• “If you’re going to cast someone, at least pick someone well-known. I don’t even know who this is. I’d understand if they acted better than voice actors…”
• “I clicked in thinking it would be a professional voice actor… turns out it’s an idol.”
• “I’m not asking for much, just at least go through proper training before stepping up.”
• “Stop taking voice acting jobs away from voice actors.”
• “Wait, it was supposed to be Shin Yong Woo originally? Seriously, why not use a proper voice actor?”
• “If you want to complain, complain about the production company that cast an idol instead of a voice actor. It’s not like he stole someone’s job… He didn’t get on his knees and beg for the role or anything. Criticizing him without even seeing the result is ridiculous.”
• “Why does DreamWorks love celebrity dubbing so much?”
• “Just use voice actors…”

Will Lee Daehwi be able to prove the critics wrong?

The worldwide premiere of DreamWorks‘ How to Train Your Dragon live-action will first take place in Korea on June 6, 2025 (KST).

This is not the first time an idol faced backlash for taking on voice acting. Another DreamWorks movie, Trolls Band Together, had also cast K-Pop idols for the dubbed version and received brutal reviews in 2023.

Read more:

5th-Gen Male Idol’s Voice Acting Gets Brutal Reviews From Korean Moviegoers