tvN's "When the Stars Gossip" started with ratings of 3.3% and 3.8% for its first two episodes. These numbers were disappointing given the popularity of its two main actors, Lee Min Ho and Gong Hyo Jin.
But in the second week, the drama's rating continued to decline, only 2.2% and 2.8% for episodes 3-4. This could be tvN's lowest rated primetime drama in recent years.
Newsen pointed out 3 reasons why the film failed to attract viewers.
First of all, the concept of a “zero gravity space station” has lost its appeal to audiences to this day.
The producers heavily promoted the difference, saying it was “the first Korean drama set in a zero-gravity space station,” but audiences weren't interested.
The mix of science fiction, romantic comedy, and space office drama is quite creative, but it has the disadvantage of being difficult to gain sympathy, because science fiction is not a genre that is easily accessible to the general public.
While the ambition to break away from typical tragic dramas filled with cliched love stories is a commendable idea, it all comes to naught if the unique theme the drama is trying to tackle is not picked up by the audience.
Second, Newsen believes that the producer placed too much expectation on the 50 billion won investment budget.
With over 10 billion won allocated specifically for VFX (special effects) and CGI (computer-generated imagery) to recreate the space and interior of the zero-gravity space station, the production is being hyped as “one of the most anticipated projects of 2025.”
However, the higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment. The huge budget investment but the film only achieved a rating of over 2% made the situation even more humiliating and shameful.
Third, Newsen commented, there are too many unnecessary “bed” scenes in the film that distract from the story.
"Right from the first episode, there were a series of unexpected bed scenes between Lee Min Ho and Han Ji Eun, Gong Hyo Jin and Kim Joo Heon that confused viewers. Even the mating scene between fruit flies in the space station was described just to bring forced laughter" - Newsen analyzed.
In addition, all kinds of other sensitive issues such as deformed sperm, ectopic pregnancy were also brought up... The trailer at the end of episode 4 continues to allude to another bed scene between Lee El and Kim Joo Heon.
Fans of screenwriter Seo Sook Hyang, who is known for her lively romantic comedies such as “Pasta: Flavor of Love” and “A Thousand Types of Jealousy,” must be wondering where her signature charm has gone, leaving only “floating bed scenes,” writes Newsen.
The poor performance of “When the Stars Gossip” also raises concerns about the position of CJ ENM - a powerhouse in the entertainment industry.
The company, which is facing increased competition from Netflix and other streaming networks, continues to see its stock price plummet.
After recovering to 70,000 won last year on strong earnings, CJ ENM shares have fallen back to a record low of 50,000 won.
