Despite having the greatest cast, Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Min Ho, the viewership rating of “When the Stars Gossip” continued plummeting in unexpected downfall, reaching the all-time lowest number you might have never expected. But how was it possible? What happened to this blockbuster K-drama? Check out the complete reason below.
“When the Stars Gossip” Reached All-Time Low Rating Despite High-Profile Cast
Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Min Ho new K-drama, “When the Stars Gossip,” has reached an unexpected downfall in viewership rating.
On January 19, Korean media outlet Edaily revealed a statistic from Nielsen Korea. According to the report, episode 5 of “When the Stars Gossip,” broadcasted the previous day, only recorded a nationwide rating of 1.8%. Worse, this rating actually marks a 1.0% drop from the earlier episode, which had a 2.8% rating.
Since its premiere on January 4 with a 3.3% rating, the viewership rating of “When the Stars Gossip” K-drama has been steadily declining. Starting with 3.3% for Episode 1, the average ratings continued plummeting to 2%. And now, it even went lower.
Previously, “When the Stars Gossip” (also known as “Ask the Stars”) had been one of the most highly-anticipated K-drama this year. Not only does the series feature the two most prominent actors, Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Min Ho, but “When the Stars Gossip” had also reportedly taken 5 years in preparation, with an impossible budget of approximately 50 billion KRW (around 34 million USD).
Yet, even starting from its first episode, the tvN series had failed to satisfy the viewers. This is truly unexpected from a K-drama with such an incredible cast and production team lineup.
Complete Reason Behind the Failure of Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Min Ho New K-drama
So, what happened, really? Why did “When the Stars Gossip” K-drama keep on receiving bad responses despite having Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Min Ho as cast? Here are the complete reasons behind the downfall of tvN “When the Stars Gossip” viewership rating.
1. Unfamiliar Genre
First of all, “When the Stars Gossip” K-drama failed to achieve a good rating due to its unfamiliar genre.
Yes, the series might be highly groundbreaking in touching all the new aspects that no other K-drama has previously discussed: a blend of space station sci-fi and rom-com drama filled with complex issues.
But that’s the problem. When something is too groundbreaking, it becomes unfamiliar. And for K-drama viewers, familiarity is one of the most crucial aspects. Why? Because it’s only when the genre is familiar that viewers can better resonate and eventually immerse themselves in the series. That way, they would want to watch more and more of the series.
Unfortunately, “When the Stars Gossip” failed to present this sense of familiarity. Therefore, viewers are unable to connect with both the whole storyline and the specific issues.
2. Too High of Expectation = Extreme Disappointment
Secondly, with the series failing to present an appealing story, it then leads to extreme disappointment. And the impact was especially significant since the expectation behind “When the Stars Gossip” K-drama was impossibly high.
When the production budget reportedly reached 50 billion KRW (around 34 million USD) for the massive recreation of outer space and various CGI and VFX features, viewers and investors expected something extravagant from the series.
And while the series does showcase beautiful outer space sceneries in most of the scenes, it was all futile because they were only able to reach a very specific number of fans. Hence, such high expectations then lead to a massive disappointment.
3. Excessive and Unnecessary Sex-Related Scenes
Thirdly, fans believe that “When the Stars Gossip” K-drama featured excessive sex scenes during the first episodes. Not only that, but these sex scenes were completely unnecessary and did nothing for story immersion in the series.
Korean media outlet Newsen reported that these scenes caused viewers to question what had happened to the scriptwriter, Seo Sook Hyang. Famous for rom-coms like “Pasta” and “Jealousy Incarnate” this tvN series has deviated too far from her expertise, which led to more disappointment from fans.
“The drama’s excessive and unnecessary sex scenes make it hard for viewers to stay engaged with the story.
Right from the first episode, unexpected intimate scenes between Lee Min Ho and Han Ji Eun, as well as Gong Hyo Jin and Kim Soo Heon, caught people off guard. Then, the space station scene with fruit flies mating felt especially weird, and all the random conversations about sperm shapes and uteruses didn’t help either.
By the fourth episode, yet another sex scene—this time between Lee El and Kim Joo Heon—had viewers wondering what happened to scriptwriter Seo Sook Hyang’s usual rom-com charm as we saw in ‘Pasta’ and ‘Jealousy Incarnate.’”
Newsen.
4. An Extreme Shift in Lee Min Ho’s Character Archetype
When fans first heard that Lee Min Ho would play a poor and common character in “When the Stars Gossip” K-drama, they rooted for this innovative change of archetype.
Unfortunately, something you imagine can be extremely different in reality. When they actually saw Lee Min Ho actually playing this poor character in “When the Stars Gossip” some fans were not really impressed.
Why? Because Lee Min Ho has that powerful and too expensive of an aura to play a commoner.
There’s a reason why Lee Min Ho has been famous for a certain type of character—a handsome, dominant male lead with an impressively wealthy background—because he possesses an aura so breathtakingly expensive and powerful charisma of a king that nobody can deny.
Therefore, when such a King-like actor suddenly plays a commoner, not everyone can really resonate with him.
Yes, while this may have been a breakthrough in Lee Min Ho’s acting career, it was still a risk that caused a downfall in the “When the Stars Gossip” rating.
5. Controversial and Misogynistic Dialogue
Along with all the disappointments, there was a specific dialogue in “When the Stars Gossip” K-drama that caused the rating to decline more.
“Going to classes and getting full marks for SATS, going to med school and seeing women’s uteruses every day, receiving babies daily.
The auntie’s uterus was like alcohol but also comforting. They were warm, and even if they were all wrinkled from smoking, the aunties’ breasts were very big and safe.”
When the Stars Gossip.
This line came from an OB/GYN doctor who arrives at a space station, and it caused massive criticism for being misogynistic and outdated. Therefore, it caused more discomfort and negative feedback from the viewers.
6. Lack of Chemistry Between Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Min Ho
When “When the Stars Gossip” first announced its main cast, Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Min Ho, fans cheered and expected a heart-throbbing and impeccable performance from these two K-drama legends.
Unfortunately, while Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Min Ho are individually outstanding, yet when paired together, they do not generate chemistry that’s heartfelt enough to get the viewers hooked.
Yes, the banters and interactions were entertaining. However, there were not enough emotions between the two main leads that made viewers scream for more—just like how they did in “Queen of Tears” and “Lovely Runner.”
Hence, it leads to another disappointment and declining rating of “When the Stars Gossip.”
7. Fierce Competition with Stronger Dramas
Finally, and this is the killing blow for the downfall rating, “When the Stars Gossip” must compete with all the stronger K-dramas, carrying all those unexpected inadequacies.
Its rival dramas like “Love Scout” and “The Tale of Lady Ok” have been performing significantly better. And it is all thanks to its innovative and updated portrayal of its male lead and highly immersive storyline.
Therefore, fans would quickly turn to these other appealing K-dramas when faced with the massive dissatisfaction from “When the Stars Gossip.”
And so, “When the Stars Gossip” is a crucial reminder that even the most promising ingredients—stellar cast of the great Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Min Ho, a massive budget, and a unique concept—do not always guarantee success.
After all, in the world of K-drama, all the viewers need is good enough connection and heart-throbbing chemistry that can get them hooked and impatiently await the next episode. No matter how big the production is, without that click of connection and authenticity with fans, no K-drama will produce a satisfying outcome.
Therefore, what happened to “When the Stars Gossip” serves as a cautionary tale for future K-drama productions.
Don’t you think so too? Will the series find a way to turn things around, or is it doomed to be forgotten? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
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