“Namib” (Starry Night) is a film set in the Korean entertainment industry, revolving around Kang Soo Hyun (Go Hyun Jung) - a famous producer and co-CEO of Pandora Entertainment.
Despite being known for developing idols with a unique vision and approach, Soo Hyun was suddenly fired from his role as CEO due to suspicions of abuse of power.
Facing an uncertain future, Soo Hyun discovers Yoo Jin Woo (Ryeoun), a former trainee who was kicked out of Pandora Entertainment due to a debt of 200 million won. With the help of her husband, music producer Shim Joon Seok (Yoon Sang Hyun), she is determined to revive herself and Yoo Jin Woo.
Herald Economic commented that, right from its announcement, “Namib” was highly anticipated, because this is the work that marks Go Hyun Jung’s return to television dramas after about 3 years since “My Shadow” - a work of JTBC.
However, the work failed after 4 episodes when the viewership rating only reached 1.416% - 2.168%. According to Korean newspapers, "Namib" was criticized for its cliched content, the story of power struggles, and the dream of becoming an idol in the Kpop industry told in a superficial way.
The fact that “Namib” was only broadcast on less popular platforms in Korea, KT Genie TV and ENA channel, also significantly reduced the possibility of being noticed, causing the work's ratings to be low, even though Go Hyun Jung and Ryeoun's acting received praise.
This is considered a forgettable comeback in Go Hyun Jung's career, when in 2023, she was loved for her role as Kim Mo Mi in the movie "Mask Girl".
At that time, the actress was praised by Osen for her transformation in image and impressive acting skills, expressing the character's complex emotions in different situations. In particular, Go Hyun Jung's acting with her eyes, sometimes hopelessly empty, sometimes determined and fierce, helped increase the film's appeal.
Herald Economic added that not only “Namib” but also the time of TV dramas and variety shows produced by telecommunications companies have continuously recorded failures despite the participation of top stars.
Up to now, apart from KT Studio Genie (KT's content subsidiary) - the unit that released the hit drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" in 2022, there is currently no work from small companies that has achieved such popularity.
Korean newspapers believe that telecommunications companies taking risks to produce content to differentiate themselves and provide unique experiences to customers beyond standard telecommunications services is the trend of the times.
However, to succeed in the current OTT (online) dominance, in addition to the appearance of famous actors, they need good scripts and attractive stories.
