Fantasy Sageuk Drama Queen Cheorin Premieres to 8.030% Ratings, the Second Highest tvN Weekend Premiere After Mr. Sunshine

Impressive and I’m so happy for the cast and crew! Newly arriving tvN Sat-Sun fantasy sageuk drama Queen Cheorin (Mr. Queen) premiered today to 8.030% AGB nationwide ratings, a huge ratings jump from predecessor youth business romance drama Start-Up. It’s actually the second highest weekend drama premiere on tvN, the record still held by Mr. Sunshine at 8.852%. Some other weekend tvN drama comparisons: Crash Landing on You got 6.074%, Memories of Alhambra took in 7.507%, Arthdal Chronicles got 6.729%, It’s Okay to Not be Okay premiered to 6.093%, and Hotel Del Luna brought in 7.327%. Major congrats to the Queen AND her King, both Shin Hye Sun and Kim Jung Hyun look exceptionally in character and sparking with chemistry in the promos and I love them individually so I can’t wait to start watching!


Comments

Fantasy Sageuk Drama Queen Cheorin Premieres to 8.030% Ratings, the Second Highest tvN Weekend Premiere After Mr. Sunshine — 85 Comments

  1. That’s why you should never underestimate a drama which leads by the lesser known, but talented and capable lead actors.
    I enjoyed the 1st episode a lot. Both leads performed very well in their roles. I’m impressed with everything about this drama. There is no acting hole here.
    Can’t wait for next episode!

    • ^ I second every word of this comment, the leads of this drama might not be as “big name” among international fans as the actors in certain other hyped dramas, the writer might not be the kind of big name that gets hyped…..but the ratings numbers tell their own story and internet hype isn’t everything.

      I just finished ep 1, and was laughing till tears came out of my eyes. It’s so much fun! Sure there is the usual sageuk plotting stuff but the actors are great, Shin Hye Sun is rapidly becoming my new fav haha. I can’t believe it took her till 2017 to break out, this is why producers need to actually take a chance on talent and not just keep chasing idols for lead roles.

  2. The first episode was hilarious and refreshing. Shin Hye Sun is such a talented actress..One of my fave ever since I watched her in The Hymn of death..Kim Jung Hyun did well too..
    The ratings were daebak for the first episode!!! Tbh I didn’t expect it to go this high..
    It is too soon to predict anything but tvn will finally get a double digit in its prime time sat-sun slot…
    Also, exactly one year later, in the same time slot, it seems like repitition of CLOY’S trajectory in terms of ratings.Good for the channel , especially KJH.

    If the plot is consistent ,ratings can go even higher as COVID cases are rising in SK and people are advised to strictly follow the guidelines and encouraged to remain at home .

  3. Are those investors who are complaining about a dearth of 20-30s actors in lead roles watching this? Is Shin Hye Sun a hallyu queen? No. Is Kim Jung Hyun a popular hallyu star? No. Did mister sunshine or hotel de luna need a in 20-30s popular oppa to deliver such rating in its premiere episode?

    This is what we are talking about in the previous article. Give talented actors(especially actress like Shin Hye Sun to lead), writers and directors an opportunity to shine and a good script and the results will speak for themselves.

    • Mr.Sunshine had an A-list male lead, who can act and popular female lead, who can act with A-list writer, who most of the time has an it factor. What you talking about.

      • I agree. Mister Sunshine had a lot going for it. But you should have seen the casting and promo trail before it aired. It was so negative. People didnt want Lee Byung Hun. Kim Tae Ri came off Handmaiden movie and she has positive reception but as a movie actress than kdrama actress.

        My point is simply yes popular 20-30s oppas are good for buzz and international sales but overall ratings game is not dependent on them being leads these days. There are other factors that need to come together.

      • I get it what you are saying, especially when Mr. Sunshine had 2 talented and famous stars and a star writer to top it, thus it was a bad example…but the op was somewhat correct in her stance..Look at this current drama for instance.. Without popular Hallyu leads or other famous names, this drama still did wonders. I m not saying it always happens..but sometimes , good scripts >> bankable stars.

      • @RubyRed, I wrote myself under some articles, that writing and directing means more, than leading couple, but let’s not pretend, that Mr.Sunshine and Hotel Del Luna one of those examples. Both dramas had popular casting choices. Something like Sky Castle would’ve been a better example, when power of storytelling and cast that can act overtakes ratings by storm. And initial negative comments just rarely truly affect ratings if drama is anticipated.

    • Haha, both Mr Sunshine and HDL had A-list leads actually. Mr Sunshine had Lee Byung Hyun who is definitely A-list in both chungmaro and dramaland too. Don’t forget LBH’s mega-hits IRIS and All In. Kim Take Ri is also considered as A-list in chungmaro.
      HDL had IU who is top star, everyone in SK loves IU. YJG was well-loved child actor too.

      • @Jenna I get what you are saying and you are right. But I also recall Hotel de Luna aired around the same time as Arthal Chronicles. I didnt follow the promos of both dramas so take what il say next with a pinch of salt. I heard there was a larger investment and more promos on AC than HDL but AC did average and HDL was a hit.

        Again IU as an artist/musician and all her other ventures is a guaranteed success. But as an actress, she had her highs(Producer) and lows(Pretty Man). People started to recognise and respect her acting ability after My Mister(another drama that was dragged before it aired because of her age gap with her co-star). Same with YJG, loved and mega talent with high like (Crowned Prince) and low(Circle, Orange Marmalade).

        Anyway, I used HDL and Mr Sunshine because they have been mentioned here but also to make a point about the previous article.

    • Mr. Sunshine and Hotel de Luna not only had A-list leads, but also very famous writers that contribute to the high ratings in its premiere episode. The general public are different from netizens who hate on celebrities because of scandals. If the drama is something they like, they don’t care about the actors’ personal lives such as LBH and that rapist dude that starred in a weekend drama with very high ratings.

    • I get your point, but those examples aren’t the best since Mr. Sunshine had everything to become successful: S-tier cast in Lee Santa and Kim Taeri, S-tier writer in Kim Eun Sook. It was also promoted as tvN’s blockbuster of the year and most expensive drama, at the time. As for HDL, it had the Hong Sister, who are hit or miss but still have a large following that check out their dramas; IU coming off the critical acclaim of My Ahjussi and Yeo Jin Goo’s successful Crowned Clown, which was still fresh in peoples’ minds. Their appearance as Baeksang Best Actress/Actor nominees brought in buzz before the show, so people were anticipating it.

      Better example would have been shows like SKY Castle or even Uncanny Counter with much lesser known cast and writer. Both rose steadily due to the quality script and acting. Mr. Queen is largely due to Shin Hye Sun. She’s not as popular internationally, but she is HUGE in Korea. Almost all her dramas have done well in ratings ever since her breakout success in My Golden life.

      • I don’t see My Golden life’s success as due to Shin Hye Sun. It has a large cast and I think there are so many leads on this drama that success can’t be credited to just one or two persons the same thing with Sky Castle, Once Again, Reply 1988, Homegrown Love Story, Penthouse etc.

    • Your drama examples aren’t the best (I agree with @N that Sky Castle or Uncanny Counter are better examples of drama that did well even without the Hallyu star leads or star writers)

      But your point still stands. This drama is doing 2x the ratings of the drama that came before it…. Fans need to realise that just because an actor is cute and popular it doesn’t mean their dramas will live up to the hype, and “investors” need to realise that in drama land, well-supported talented actors can being much better results than mediocre but hyped ones.

  4. I just finished ep 1. It’s so fun and hilarious, I can’t stop laughing.
    Congrats to the whole team! It’s such a surprised hit. No one thought it would be a hit when everyone is busy hyping over Start-Up, TONT and even True Beauty.

  5. I was kinda worried for cloy second leads, after the cloy fame, what could they do to keep up their game.
    Seo Ji Hye didn’t really do that well with Dinner Mate, I was hoping at least Kim Jung Hyun would do well.
    Now, I’m so happy for KJH. He seems so much better and healthier in his personal lives too.

    • Actually i feel bad for Seo Ji Hye..MBC dramas are under a slump these days , no matter how good they are ..and the plot of Dinner Mate didn’t help either.
      Wish she stayed with Cable ..Kim Jung Hyun chose his project wisely..
      Anyways , Ji Hye is having another project with Sung Hoon..Hope it does well.

    • I liked Dinner Mate…it was a really well done show that gave us a mature couple. Seung Sung Hoon’s character was awesome, decent, kind, smart guy who makes smart decisions. And he had great rapport and chemistry with Seo Ji Hye.

    • It reminds me of that time, exactly one year ago when a certain drama had all the three elements…
      A-list Actress? Yes
      Hallyu actor? Yes
      Star writer..? Yes
      But the irony being people were still surprised when it did well ratings wise..??..Can you guess the drama??

      I think, surprises can come in any form ..

      • Yup , i was talking about CLOY..
        My point is, we should always give a chance before judging something, whether it is underdog or not..

        On a side note..I can’t be more happy for KJH, as he bounced back with 2 back to back hits..Shin Hye Sun’s career is also flourishing.

      • Yep, I am so happy for Kim Jung Hyun. Everyone predicted that his career was over when he went through health problem and depression. But, he really come back well.

      • After leading the snark campaign against some dramas here, she tried to protect Start Up and its mediocre ratings from the ratings monsters she herself created. Hypocrisy at its finest. Lol

      • Whether she likes suzy or not, this is HER blog, of course she is being subjective, and wont pleasent all of you. Imagine if you had a blog, it’s normal if you prefer specific thing and being bias. Please use basic common sense

      • Having bias is fine as long as you admit it and don’t pretend to be all impartial lol. I don’t think anyone would have a problem if koala just said “yeah the ratings for this one are just average but I love it” etc etc.

      • @Haeki

        Are you Koala’s agent by any chance? Why are you getting your panties in a twist? Lmfao.

    • I looked at the ratings for Startup…4-5 percent range? In 2020 that’s ok ratings for tvN but plenty of less hyped dramas like Flower of Evil and the gumiho drama got the same or higher ratings. So much for some stans’ claims lol.

      8 percent for a premiere is really solid though. Congratulations to the Queen Cheorin team.

      • I think it’s ok to have bias, but I also think it’s ok to point it out. It’s just a bit funny to see the yawning gap in the tone of coverage lol.

      • I mean she has been pretty snarky about Shin Hye Sun and Seo Ye Ji when they were struggling as well…I remember those posts very, very well. Almost looking down on their projects knowing full well good roles don’t go to good actors necessarily. So, I just laugh now at this full 180 degree reversal.

      • Did anyone say this was an entertainment news site? (Ha, as if there’s no bias there.) Of course it’s her personal blog. But it’s a public blog. With ads, if I might add. She’s entitled to mock a drama and its low ratings if she wants…just as she can also choose not to post the low ratings of a drama she really likes to protect it from mockery. But readers are also free to point it out when they see it.

      • @Gem

        It’s all in good fun. Nothing serious. And we’re not even calling it out as aggressively as a certain Hallyu actor’s stan who’s been MIA around here for awhile now would have done it. With swear words and all. Hehehe… good times. Lmao.

  6. where is marie? marie look at the premiere rating of Mr. queeen?

    Does it mean that knetz did not want to watch your “cant act” actress? Your faves drama was a F. L. O .P . Big F. L.O. P.

    Soop must be so devasttated. imagine two their talents were in a F. L. O. P PHR drama

    and where are the fans of the its okay? waahaah. your drama did not even reach 8%. delusional fans thinking that its okay was a hit.

      • The It’s Okay fans are still happy with their drama being selected as one of the best tv series of 2020 (in any language) by the New York Times, thanks.

        And ratings in the 6-7 percentage range with no star writer is good news too.

      • Hahahaha… both those dramas STILL beat your fave’s second worst drama of 2020 Backsh!t Rookie and 1% CWPFN. After such terrible flops, no wonder you were desperately begging for her upcoming drama to do well. Hahahahahahahahahahahaha

    • Oh please Joane..get lost with your fake appreciation..You are even worse than Marie..

      I still remember how you called Shin Hye Sun old , not good looking and a flop actress in previous Koala posts..And now you pretend to be a saint.

      I know you must be reeling with jealousy..Just wait for some time, Karma will bite you even more …Every other actress that you insulted will bounce back .

    • @Joane

      Yeah keep going you’re actually entertaining.

      I’m a fan of IOTBNO and your so called flop of this drama is far from it. Unless you have been hiding under a rock IOTBNO is actually touted as a huge success nationwide and internationally. It might not have hit 8% in the ratings but it definitely hit critical acclaim and sustained massive popularity to this day.

      I suggested in the Moon Chae Won post that you practice the Butterfly hug I guess you should do the same here.

  7. Actually, I’m not surprised. Shin Hye Sun and Kim Jung Hyun are both very talented actors. These two combination is such a good idea (kudos to casting team). They match each other very well, in both visual and acting range.
    The plot is fun and interesting too.
    Congratulations to both actors and Mr Queen Team. I hope the ratings can keep rising.

  8. I’m seeing “underdog” comments about this drama. But was this drama an underdog though? Was it not highly anticipated? I’m not surprised the ratings are high (I even predicted it) since sageuks usually do well and this one has talented leads. Let’s see how the next episode fares.

    • Me too! I am not surprised. But, I don’t think sageuks usually do well, because a lot of K-drama fans normally avoid sageuks.
      And, yes to the talented leads, it is expected from these two, both are acting powerhouses, they probably lack of starpower, but you can trust their acting capabilities.

      • Not sure which K-drama fans you’re referring to but I’m talking about Koreans, the Korean audience. I’ve found that they usually love sageuks. Which is why I wrote sageuks usually (not always) do well, if the story is told right and all the elements come together well.

    • … has talented leads, what seems to be a fun story so far and a director who knows what he’s doing. Plus the source material it’s based on is successful as well. Definitely not an underdog.

    • This drama is heavily promoted and SHS is a bit name, especially for her popular weekend drama.

      I don’t mean discrediting her achievement cause I lover her and KJH but I also don’t think this drama is that underrated. Perhaps for the whole hallyu name, it’s underated but I think it has bigger promotion than many TvN drama. It kinda normal and quite good at their promotion.

  9. I love both lead actors, I watched most of their respective works in recent years. This is such a fun pilot episode. I loved it. I really laughed so much and enjoyed it all along. I can’t wait to see more chemistry between the king and the queen.

  10. Yes this is hillarious,
    But what about the ending?is it really ‘a guy’ insides whose married with the king?
    Oh such a gross if it is true!such a lgbt yucks

  11. Shin Hye Sun is a ratings queen. Almost all her dramas have done well after My Golden Life. It’s good to see this prime time slot being revived again. Stranger 2 did amazing as well, but it didn’t carry over to Start-Up.

    • Exactly. People are acting like the leads are unknown and throwing around words like “underdog“, “not a Hallyu star” when Shin Hye Sun is a ratings-magnet in Korea. Ha.

      • I know, right? I guess some people don’t follow her career because if they did, they’d know her track record as female lead. After mega hit My Golden Life, Still 17 and Angels Last Mission both did above average despite little hype and lacking script. Girl can carry her dramas to success. Some people keep insisting that ratings are dead because overhyped dramas like Start Up, IOTNBO, BackStreet Rookie, The King Eternal Monarch all under-performed big time, which obviously isn’t true. It’s just that some international fans overestimate hallyu actors and underestimate huge domestic stars like Shin Hye Sun.

      • Yeah, SHS has made herself a name among the Korean audience and she’s not some nugu, her dramas are marketed on the strength of her name.

        It’s only the international audience that sees her as ‘not famous enough’ because she hasn’t had a major Hallyu hit yet, but she is very well-regarded in Korea and Queen Cheorin could be the Hallyu breakout.

  12. Joane and her flop propaganda might be sad to being name worst drama of 2020 and snob in all award show your fav rookie can’t relate to all recognition the flop drama you mention just do your ritual and pray for koreans to like your flat face 1% actor

    • @bruhhh

      Joane is an anti fan if you haven’t figured it out for the 1000th time.

      Research and you will find that KYJ was nominated for the APAN Best Actress awards along with Park Eun Bin, Seo Ji Hye, Seo Ye Ji and Lee Sung Kyung quite an amazing feat don’t you think?

      That flat face 1% actress is the front for FILA along with BTS and right now that flat face 1% actress is filming a highly anticipated SBS drama; awaiting her film premiere so spare me the time and just say it out loud and proud you actually dislike KYJ and be done with it instead of posting under different aliases to prove a non worthy point.

  13. When most people said that this drama wasn’t gonna go over the 4% ratings because it didn’t have enough star power, I shaked my head no. I’m convinced both of the main leads are walking their paths towards A-list territory. They are the best new actors available right now and they have amazing diction and screen presence. The two have a unique aura to them that sets them apart from other good actors. They’ve become those performers that the viewers know are 100% reliable. They also happen to have excellent taste when they choose their projects.

    I’m also very happy for KJH. Going through depression is a special kind of hell I wouldn’t wish on anyone, and he’s been super responsible and taken care of his health. A great actor also knows when they have to take a break. He learnt it the hard way, but I’m sure he’ll never overwork himself silly anymore.

  14. I’m waiting for this drama since it first announced their casts. The line-up is amazing. The leads have similar vibes, both my favorites. Glad it’s doing well.
    I’m interested in the plot how the romance will turn out. Can’t wait for Ep 2.

  15. I’m waiting for this drama to air. The leads have similar vibes, both my favorites. I’m glad it’s doing well.
    I’m also interested in the plot how the romance will turn out. Can’t wait for Ep 2.

  16. Shin Hye Sun has been steadily delivering performance and numbers for some time now. She is no longer an underdog. She is well respected in South Korea as a reliable actress, her film expanded her base. Kim Jung Hyun had one tiny bump in his way while he is well liked. Truth is, its a light hearted drama with good actors and got marketed purely on that. People respond to genuine hard work and acting prowess well. Prime example of that.

    • Shin Hye Sun really worked hard. I can’t believe she spent so many years working her way up from bit parts, little sister of hero parts and supporting roles (she was a standout in Secret Forest 1) until one production gave her a chancen after the idol they offered the role to rejected it. That production was My Golden Life. Same with Kim Jung Hyun, he worked supporting roles (not even 2nd leads) in multiple dramas before getting his break in School 2017 – I was worried about his health but it’s good to see him back on track.

      International fans may look down on actors who aren’t their fav idol oppas and unnies or some cute youth drama fav but stars being ‘famous’ isn’t what makes a drama good. How many Shin Hye Suns or Kim Jung Hyuns have been shut out of roles they could have been brilliant in, just because ‘investors’ would rather hire a ‘known name’ popular idol even if the drama itself doesn’t actually do that well commercially?

      (No beef against idols who can actually act btw. I’m talking about the ones who keep getting lead roles despite being meh actors – as seen in dramas airing even now)

      • One small correction, her breakout role was Secret Forest…that propelled her to My Golden Life. There’s a reason why I root for her and people like Kim Hye Yoon. These people put in the work as extra or in small roles for years. They don’t have it easy, build things from ground up and if pitted against idols, I will always be firmly on their end.

      • I’m quite emotional over this drama’s success because of knowing how SHS and KJH come this far by working hard in their career. We need to support the actors like them more than idols and others who come very easily to the game.

      • I did mention Secret Forest supporting role (was so happy to glimpse Eun Soo in Secret Forest 2) and then MGL taking the chance to let her have the lead role – she’s talked about how she had to pursue the MGL role after the producers offered it to Uee (idol) and Uee turned it down.

        I agree about Kim Hye Yoon too. Girl did the work, proved her chops, got the ratings, proved she can carry a drama that’s centred entirely on her (Extraordinary You) but people still try to discredit her and claim she’s beneath their fav idol-actors who are incapable of doing even half of what she does? Not on my watch. I’m glad the Korean audience appreciates them tho!

    • What are the ratings credit of KHY? I cannot remember that she has any ratings hit under her belt for dramas in a leading role. She has yet to prove herself. She is hot now but longevity will be the ultimate gauge if she will be a big name in the future.

  17. Totally into this drama! Shin Hye Sun’s comedic timing is perfect! The scene becomes 10x better because of her acting. Loving the direction, editing and musical scoring as well – make for a great watch.

  18. Some of you seem to ignore a lot of things about Kim Jung Hyun. He’s become popular both as an actor and as a succesful ad model (he’s currently endorsed by Panasonic and Ulos. His ads for Ulos are almost 2M views on youtube and he has a contract with Panasonic for a year). He made the news for the first time when an article from a marketing magazine called him a blue-chip in the advertising industry because his ads had surpassed the 1.6M views within a week. He made the news again when he was spotlighted by US Forbes because a reporter fell for his character in CLOY and interviewed him. (https://www.forbes.com/sites/joanmacdonald/2020/12/08/kim-jung-hyun-hopes-his-drama-mr-queen-will-make-viewers-smile/?sh=6bff18d226b7). He’s very private about his achievements but he’s no longer the rookie with no star power he used to be. He’s not an A-lister either, but his career is quite solid right now.

  19. Weekend dramas FTW! Uncanny encounter and Queen Cheolrin are both stellar. I can only see the ratings for both keep rising. 1. Compelling storytelling. 2. Korea is entering into level 3 lockdown with cases set to hit possibly 1500 this week 🙁 arghhhhhhhh

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.