Categories: K-dramas

New Arrival The King’s Face No Competition as Pinocchio Continues to Rise in Ratings

It’s worth checking back into the current Wed-Thurs ratings to see how the current drama crop fares with the new arrival of The King’s Face on KBS. The network has been guzzling the bitter broth of rating suck since Joseon Gunman went off air and both Mon-Tues as well as Wed-Thurs became seat cushions. Since JG sageuks haven’t been doing well in ratings in general as SBS is also experiencing a rare sageuk misfire with lowly rated The Secret Door.

The King’s Face had hard competition with the good start of Pinocchio on SBS and the even better start of Mr. Back on MBC. Since I didn’t watch the trailers or the drama itself, I don’t know if it’s a lack of quality in The King’s Face but the drama premiered with AGB 7.1% ratings for episode one which then dropped a whole point and episode 2 netted 6.1%. A ratings drop between episodes in the first week is never a good sign but TKF should be more concerned that Pinocchio had a noticeable ratings rise in the second week and episode 4 broke double digits in ratings with AGB 10.4%.

Mr. Back maintained its lead for both episodes this week but sadly has also been dropping in ratings so it hasn’t been building on its great first week start. The full ratings for episode 4 are AGB Mr Back 11.1 (-0.1), Pinocchio 10.4 (+1), and The King’s Face 6.1% (-1), TNmS Mr. Back 10.4 (-0.5), Pinocchio 10.6% (+1.2) and The King’s Face N/A (not in the top twenty). Since I’m only watching Pinocchio it’s nice to see the ratings rise however little by little for that drama.

ockoala

View Comments

  • S. Korea has some of the fastest internet speeds in the world. I wonder when online streaming ratings will be officially factored in to a show's ratings?

    • Online has its separate ratings system. For these shows the online ratings for Pinocchio are approximately around 30%, Mr. Back 20%, The King's Face 10%. But the advertisers still care mostly about television ratings because of the commercials that play before and after.

      • Nyahahahah You gotta love Ockoala now telling us that 11.1% or 10.4% is a successful ratings cuz last time I remember you described shows above 12 - 13 % as failure..

      • @Joey1000 - even a glance at prime time weekday ratings for 2014 on the public broadcast channels shows how far down ratings have come, that reaching double digits is now an achievement. Koala has been wrong about some things in the past but this is not one of them. Getting 10 percent when your competing show has 20 percent or close is a fail but if your competitor only has 11-12 percent it's not that bad.

      • If more people are watching online, I think online viewings should also be taken into account especially if we aren't TV advertisers. I can imagine in the coming years advertisers will start flocking to online streaming services as online viewers increase. I think a current drawback might be not being able to tell from a single or multiple viewings from a single person online.

        The only time I'm really concerned about TV ratings is if it's really low because that means the show could be cancelled or have it's episodes reduced.

      • Guys lets not change the rules here into Online viewers cuz if We all took Online viewers into count or numbers.. failed dramas like Faith who had over 13-14% average viewers would have been labelled as one of the best thing that ever came out of Korea..

        Online viewers means jack shit according to K-media.

        If you want a realistic Online numbers go to dramafever and ask them to reveal there most watched drama or other Korea/chinese drama and ask them the same question.

        You would be surprised to hear what they would tell you?

        1. HEIRS
        2. BOF
        3. MLFTS
        4. CITY HUNTER
        5. Personal taste

        this is realistically most viewed top 5 online ever and still drawing like crazy until this day.

        if you don't believe go to these websites and check there comment sections cuz it gives away a hint that can't be denied..

        but do i believe that Pinocchio is a successful series no hell way..

      • But there is people who would sing anything as successful without being realistic like claiming a show who already had 4 episodes around or less then 10% viewers as successful ratings so far.. while givin the label failure to dramas who had 14-15% average thru out the entire show as failure..

        Is this just me or there is no logic here and then changing topic into Online ratings to bump up there viewership since they didn't deliver in front of the sofas back home.

      • @Joey100

        I'm genuinely confused. When did I ever say Pinocchio had successful ratings? Please quote me from the article above for my edification.

      • Ockoala..

        I may have read wrong on some of the things you wrote but there is no doubt.. you brought the online numbers into this dicussion in a passive way and kinda said it hidden that this show was successful..

        btw I have no dog-fight against this show, but it annoys me that a low rated show gets the pass while having 10% or less into its 5th episode while other shows higher or equally viewed gets the failure tag

      • @Joey100

        I'm happy to have constructive discussion but it can't be predicated on you conjecturing what I wrote as "passive" or "kinda" insinuating something. That means you are reading into what I wrote to reach your own conclusion rather than I actually said such a thing. For this particular topic, I never said Pinocchio was successful and certainly did not imply, actively or passively, that it was based on the online ratings. I brought that up directly in response to a commenter asking about online ratings. Period. There's no subtext and certainly not within the actual context used.

    • @Kitai Sorry I misunderstood your statement. I assumed there was a way for them to tally online viewers from S. Korea alone.

      • I haven nothing against pinocchio and I actully watched it..

        But they want to feed as fairytales which kinda annoys..

  • No.thats not it.Pinocchio has a nice plot and each ep keeps u guessing what is gonna happen next.thats why each ep rating keeps increasing,both Online and and in TV Rating.Online ratings for wed-thurs dramas are;
    Thurs
    SBS-Pinocchio 32.3%
    MBC-Mr.Back 16.
    KBS-King's Face 10.4%
    Pinocchio is always trending on Naver whenever it's airing.just like how LJS trended no# 1 on Naver yesterday.the buzz,positive comments and anticipation Pinocchio is getting is no joke...

    • Yes TKF..I luv the storyline ..kinda interesting, thrilling,funny, the action scene especially when seo in guk (the prince) did the fighting & the backflip it's brilliant

  • Have to wait until next week to see if the ratings grow or slip back down. Ep. 3 was lower rated than ep. 2 and the Thursday episode is always higher rated. Next week if the episode grows it's a great sign, if it falls then it'll probably continue like that for the rest of its run. I already knew it would be the #1 show online from the cast alone. It's nice to see dramas with better ratings, though Monday/Tuesday is still a hot mess right now.

  • Loving the pinocchio, and how the title of each episode represents the story of the day. Falling for the daughter of your enemy that is the story of Romeo and Juliet.

  • As predicted, MrBack is starting to show its limits: Mostly comedic sketches put together. After 6 eps/16 the story hasn't moved much & i'm sorry but SHK shirtless scenes doesn't a drama make. I'll be happy next week (or the next one) when Pinocchio will take the lead, as it should be: The buzz online is starting to be powerful. I personally hit the 'sageuk wall of boredom' after only a few dramas of that kind: Kings are all the same & annoy me. Only sageuks out of the palace like Tamra island or WBDS can grab me.

    • Wow, thanks your royal highness.
      I like Both Pionocchio and Mr Baek but your smugness is so off putting I want Mr Baek to remain in the lead.
      And Mr Baek is 20 episodes not 16 so the story can move a little slower and shows how little you know about it. Just eager to bash it and promote Pinocchio.

      • Someone can't handle the truth here. MB is 16 eps on both koreandrama.org & Asianwiki for your information. Also, the drama was already live shooting at ep 4 which is logic since the cast was hired at the last minute (& that because probably the script is flawed). I love the cast of MB (who probably accepted this to save the channel) & for now I'll keep watching but when a story is written on a napkin in 10 mins, it will always show.

      • @Bel

        +1

        The smugness really irritated me too. Anyway, Mr. Back has been leading the pack since its start. I expect it to hold its lead by a slight margin for next week too. If the page picks up, ratings will as well.

      • Just checked: MB is also noted 16 eps on soompi & dramawiki says 'to be announced'. Why don't you tell your sources to prove what you're saying instead of trying to bug me for no reason? Fangirls & trolls, I swear...

      • @mystisith

        "bug me for no reason" Errrr, you replied meaning you are allowing yourself to get 'bugged'. That's no one's fault other than yours, clearly. Also, like someone said, not everyone who disagrees with your mighty opinion is a troll or a fangirl. Get off the high horse. If you're commenting, expect someone to counter it and if you aren't up for replying, ignore it instead of throwing accusations. Makes you look like the fangirl who can't carry on a discussion.

      • @Bel

        Mr. Back is a 16-episode drama by all Korean original sources. Not sure where 20 episodes came from. BUT.....Kill Me Heal Me is supposed to follow Mr. Back and hasn't been confirmed cast yet so who knows if MB will be extended. But if MB ends up being 20 episodes that would come from an extension and not the original episode length.

      • Why everywhere i go mystisith you seem to attract a certain amount of bad attention? Hm.
        It seems you are calling many commentators "fangirls" that have dissenting opinions from your own. I'm actually genuinely curious but what exactly do you mean by that? Not sure if bel fits under the fangirl category since she already admitted to enjoying both shows...? I see you fangirling about pinocchio on various social media in your own way so im not sure if you're blissfully unaware or just projecting some of that onto others?

      • @tarolove To answer your question: I don't say a drama is good just cause my bias is in it (that's what fangirls do), I judge the global quality of a show and writing has become in time my priority. I can appreciate a good show even if I don't especially like the actors (like with Yoona's Street) BUT I won't lie about an average or bad show for oppa. I love LJS but Dr Stranger is a dud. I like Rain & Krystal quite enough but MyLG is a bad show. The actors of My Spring Days were great but again, the writing was manipulative & schizophrenic. My praises have value because I try to be objective & I can judge a drama with a cold brain. I can enjoy a bad drama at times (guilty pleasure) but I will never say it's a good show just because I like it. Radical honesty means a price to pay & this is where blind fans enter the stage.

      • I know this might be irrelevant to the heated discussion being held here (as a disclaimer, I admit I love Pinocchio but haven't watched Mr. Baek. I know ratings are important, but as an international viewer I can do nothing to change them, so I try not to pay excessive attention other than checking them casually. If a fave drama having crappy ratings means it will be axed, well then, that's life what can I do), I'll say I'm mystisith's fangirl. Whether I agree or disagree with her, her comments have an extra kick that I find refreshing in a sea of "oppar saranghae". If she's arrogant or not, I don't particularly care. I'm not here to make friends anyway. If people are so annoyed with her, then don't engage and move on, stop telling someone to get off their high horses FROM your high horses heh.

        Cheers to everyone, carry on~

      • Wow, I'm stunned at how people are starting to react so negatively to other people's opinions that don't line up with theirs on here.

    • Aigoo, they didn't know you had hit your "Sageuk wall of boredom madame". They wouldn't have made the drama since they are catering just for your needs.
      Such BULL

    • @Mystisith MrBaek is really 20 episodes. You can check on dramafever.
      I have noticed something however, whenever anyone disagrees with you , you automatically call them trolls, Fangirls... Because why your opinion is the best?
      And if they are note: "Like attracts Like" so if they are what you say they are, guess what that also makes you?

      • Well, Lily, thanks for your decent reply. When someone attacks me with sarcasm & no data to prove her/his point just because they disagree, I call them a troll. Back to topic: Thanks for the info about your source. That said, I also know that DF has previously been proved wrong a few times for that kind of data, sometimes until the last week of airing: That's why I don't consider them a reference, I prefer independent databases. Let's wait and see who's right in the end. If I'm wrong, people can give me a "I told you so": That won't kill me. ;)

      • Just to add another source for consideration, according to Daum, the no. of episodes for Mr Back is 16, Pinocchio 20 & The King's Face 24.

    • The reality is, most fans are only watching either one so it's difficult to make comparisons. I'm thinking it'll be close, but my bet is on Mr. Back to maintain it's slight margin of lead all the way till the finale. Mr. Back lost viewers to King's Face during KF's premiere and if the drama continues to fall in ratings I'm pretty sure Mr. Back has more to gain than Pinocchio.

      • Have you realized MB often decreased when Pinocchio has steady increasing each ep? My bet is Pinocchio will take over next week or the week after. We'll see

    • Holy crap. When did KP turn into a tween fan board with all this bickering. I'm writing this from a purely objective standpoint, but I found no fault with mystisith's original post. It's a fair comment. I enjoy Mr. Back and I think JNR and SHK are great but the writing isn't stellar. That being said, overall I still think it's a good show. And while I'm not bored with saeguks this season yet, that's his/her opinion and they're entitled to it.

      Everybody take a glass of wine. :)

  • Speaking of ratings, I always wondered what they represent exactly...
    Are they about viewers/households/televisions/televisions in use? Are they calculated the same way as Nielsen Ratings or Share are in the US?
    I've been checking korean ratings for so long, but I never found an explanation; I would really appreciate any insight from someone knowing more about this!

Recent Posts

K-pop Singer G-Dragon is Fully Committed to Chanel Couture Departing Incheon Airport

This is one of the most wild branded airport looks I recall ever seeing and…

7 hours ago

Bai Lu Confirmed for Youku Mystery C-drama Strange Tales of Tang Palace with Likely Male Lead Wang Xing Yue

C-drama Strange Tales of Tang Palace (唐宫奇案之血玉韘) was confirmed last week by streaming platform Youku…

15 hours ago

Netflix Releases Poster and Preview for Thriller K-drama The Trunk with Seo Hyun Jin and Gong Yoo Premiering End of November 2024

It's almost time to find out what's in The Trunk as streaming giant Netflix heads…

23 hours ago

Love Game in Eastern Fantasy Slightly Tops The Story of Pearl Girl in First Reception Numbers After Opening Weekend

So the big November C-drama premiere actually had two high profile dramas arrive on the…

1 day ago

This website uses cookies.