New Highly-Anticipated tvN K-Drama Viewer Ratings Drop Way Below Average Despite Star-Studded And “Viral” Cast

Yet, it gained positive reviews from international crowds.

K-Dramas have taken over the world, with fans from different countries tuning in. Yet, with so many shows, it’s understandable that some do better than others, and one K-Drama that hasn’t had the best response is Serendipty Embrace, which follows the story of love and fate.

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The poster of “Serendipity’s Embrace” | tvN

The male lead is Chae Jong Hyeop who went viral for his role as “Potato Boy” in the K-Drama Nevertheless, and has since starred in some huge K-Dramas.

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Chae Jong Hyub in “Nevertheless” | JTBC

It also stars Kim So Hyun, known for starring in multiple huge K-Dramas.

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Kim So Hyun and Song Kang in “Love Alarm” | Netflix

It also has stars like viral Hierarchy star Lee Won Jung and former SISTAR member Kim Da Som.

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Yet, the K-Drama isn’t seemingly receiving a warm response with the huge cast.

According to Nielsen Korea, the ratings have continued to drop. It started with 3.88%, but the July 30 broadcast gained an average nationwide viewership rating of 2.66% , a 0.04% dip from its previous episode’s rating of 2.7 percent. The average for a popular network like tvN is thought to be around 6-8%.

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| tvN

A recent review on Daum shared a reporter’s thoughts on the show, where it was criticized for being bland and full of cliches, also pointing to the fact the premiere of the series was delayed for over a year.

In the comments on the post about the show, it seemed like some netizens had mixed reactions. Some agreed that while the acting of Chae Jong Hyeop was good, that the storyline was boring. Yet, others praised the drama and storyline, with some even saying that maybe the low ratings was due to it being aired during the Olympics.

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| theqoo
  • I’m enjoying it.
  • There are people who are enjoying it, especially yesterday’s episode. It was really fun.
  • It’s full of clichés, but it’s so enjoyable… so much fun.
  • Apart from enjoying this kind of predictable romance, the story is quite simple, even within its genre.
  • Huh, I find it fun.
  • Isn’t it normal for ratings to drop during the Olympics season? It seems a bit obvious…
  • It’s fun… You can’t help it if the ratings drop because it overlaps with Olympic events.
  • It’s cliché.
  • ? It’s really fun..,,,
  • The quality is really poor. It feels like watching a web drama, haha. But is Chae Jong Hyeop doing well in Korea?
  • I’m watching it with so much excitement. It gets really interesting in episode 3. And So-hyun looks great in her school uniform.
  • It’s funㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
  • There are people here who are enjoying it!
  • If you like calm dramas, I recommend it. I’m really enjoying it too, hahaha.
  • Isn’t Chae Jong Hyeop a rookie? He should try different things at this point.

International fans seemingly had more positive reviews about the show, yet with many watching on different platforms, it wouldn’t have counted towards the viewing ratings.

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It seems like Korean and international fans have very different thoughts on the show, and the negative Korean comments could be why the viewing ratings aren’t as strong.

Source: theqoo and Celuvmedia
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