It’s been soooooo long since the all three big networks simultaneously premiered a new drama during a prime time slot. For example, I still remember the “which one will I watch first?” conundrum and excitement around epic three-way premieres like Cinderella Unni, Personal Taste, and Prosecutor Princess. There are many different ways to slice a premiere night ratings three way, but what happened this particular Monday certainly makes for easy writing in handing out success and failures. SBS long sageuk Six Flying Dragons roared out to first place, netting 12.3% AGB ratings nationwide.
That’s about what MBC‘s long sageuk Hwajung did when it premiered, but of course that drama went on to suck in quality and ratings, so let’s hope Dragon fares better in quality and reception. In a comfortable but distant second place, MBC’s modern day long drama Glamorous Temptation got a decent showing of 8.5%, which isn’t bad since the length allows it time to grow an audience week after week. Sadly the little drama that wants to cheer people up might need its own cheerleading squad after today – KBS continues to be the ratings blackhole as Sassy Go Go started off with an embarrassing and abysmal 2.2% ratings. Talk about OUCH.
I do feel bad for KBS since the network’s Mon-Tues dramas this year haven’t all been unwatchable and thus deserving of being the perennial rating pits. Aside from the blood curdlingly bad Blood, I watched and enjoyed Who Are You: School 2013 and Eccentric Daughter-in-law, and skipped I Remember You for my own lack of interest. One can argue that the new low ratings landscape means lowering expectations, but even if 5% is the new 10%, even in that case a 2.2% first episode ratings is still bad beyond belief.
On the other hand, School 2015 wasn’t ratings hot out of the gate either and still managed to increase incrementally each week and get good online buzz with the younger audiences, so there is hope yet for Sassy Go Go. It’s such a shame since I like all three leads in Jung Eun Ji, Lee Won Geun, and Ji Soo. As for Six Flying Dragons and Glamorous Temptation, I have plenty of time to bank those dramas to marathon over the holidays, which is what I’m planning to do since a full time lawyer, mom, and write whatever I want blogger needs to be selective with her limited drama watching time. Even the ability to multi-task like you wouldn’t believe has limits when a day only has 24 hours.
I expected low ratings for Sassy Go Go, but maybe not that low. Something in the 5% range with good online ratings. Doesn’t seem to be pulling a WAY so far. Though, it’s too early to tell how things will go. Will have to see if anything falls or goes higher in the 2nd episodes. I do expect it to stay like it is unless Six Flying Dragon gets boring. Glamorous Temptation seems like it’s going to me makjang city so I can see it pulling ahead perhaps.
Hate to say this, I think Sassy Go Go suffers from the netizen’s view of the female lead, she gets praised for her singing and satori acting in Reply 97, but a lot of comments also go back to her looks.
For a high school drama to do well, all parties of the love triangle must be people netizens want to be or be with. The drama wasn’t terrible, but it definitely has a uphill climb ahead.
What about her looks? What do they think? I think yhe looks lovely and is also good enough actress.
Such a shame. I love the drama, she is a well chosen lead actress. Will continue to support this drama
I loved I Remember You and Eccentric Daughter in Law. However I would check out Six Dragons first too lol
I’m a bit surprised to see Glorious temptation win the ratings game over Sassy Go, may be it’s because the blogging sites I visit are covering the latter more.
It’s not surprising. Sassy Go Go is a high school drama for kids. GT is totally an ajumma drama. It’s going to do better in domestic ratings.
Plus it seems some people are loyal to MBC on M/T no matter what.
I’m surprised by the ratings for Sassy Go Go. I thought Eunji and Hakyeon’s idol status would bring in a lot of fan viewers. But then again, high school drama’s do tend to have a cult following online, so I can see that being the case for this drama as well. I really enjoyed the first episode. I was a little surprised by the set up though..Basically the start of the drama was nothing like I imagined, ha ha ha. Gotta say though, I love Eunji’s character, Kang Yeon Doo. The trials she went through this first episode hit me in the feels….Looking forward to the next 15 episodes 🙂
u cant tell with this ratings, wait for few weeks and see how things go.
Idols are just popular among teenagers in korean,…I don’t understand there are still people who say that idol will bring more viewers which is totally wrong…
Korean and maybe other countries will prefer actors than idols in anything…actors are more popular and are more respected by public…
With the cast and storyline of sassy go go, I
know the rating will be low as expected.
Poor kbs, 2.2% is embarassing tbh
Well, Korea do love their melos and saeguks so this was kinđ of expected. Like you said, I hope online buzz will help with their ratings though. I really loved the first episode and Eunji and LWG’s chemistry was wow. Haha. I hope it gets better. I will definitely be following this drama!
ouch! ? 2.2% is lower than people watching documentary. agree this is embarassing
Did not know you are a mom, too. Super amazing what you are able to do in 24 hours. Hats off!
As expected, Six Flying Dragons all the way. I’ll start to watch it tonight..
It is quite embarrassing, but hopefully it will get better online rating. I like EunJi as a singer, she is quite loveable. But for a drama and movie, i will choose the real actors. Idols should just stay singing and dancing,please dont push them so much to do acting as well.
i think, names like Eunji wont win in the battle with other senior and popular actors especially in Six Dragon which we know that they have a lot of big names.
from the story itself, six dragon has the promising storyline. GT ah.. the real makjang story, i just like the teenager casts so i think i wont watch it, but who knows.
from this 3 dramas, i’ll watch sassy and six dragons.. sassy go go already has a fanbase and subber, they are fast. while six dragons, emm.. even got higher rating but still no sub 🙁
I watched SGG for Eunji and was not disappointed, it’s fun and poignant at the same time. the characters are also engaging, easy to root for. definitely looking forwards for upcoming eps.
Even though I like YAI, i’m just not in the mood for historical sageuk rn, neither for long melo makjang drama like GT.
I haven’t found subs for SFD so I watched SGG, I thought it was a great first episode. I think it will be fun to balance the seriousness of SFD with the fluff of a high school drama!
I cannot wait to dive in to SFD, I love Yoo Ah In to distraction. Byun Yo Han as well!!
this is something expected, then what? keep calm and drink your tea, guys.
Not sure if it’s the decreasing quality of K dramas or exponential increase in quality of C dramas that I’d stopped getting excited over K dramas since I Remember You. China has recently being putting out hit after hits with Wuxin Da Shi, the Disguiser, and Nirvana in Fire. If they continue at this rate, the market for K dramas will slowly decrease.
You’re awesome Koala! Thanks for your wonderful blog!
Ms. Koala, KBS’s Man from Equator, MBC’s King 2Heart, and SBS’s Rooftop Prince also aired their first episode in the same day. MBC won in the beginning, but fall to the third place in the last episode.
I remember you was such a good find. I love that drama to death. I don’t even know why it didn’t’ get any buzz.
Exactly! I Remember You is definitely great plot-wise, character development-wise, acting-wise, all around good in my opinion. How the rating never went above 10% is unbelievable.
i remember you is a good drama, but it had a tough competitor, i guess.. which dramas aired at the same time with IRY? i totally forgot.
Hwajung and High Society
KBS’s Mon-Tues timeslot has notoriously low ratings. I think that’s why they’re pulling out the big guns with Oh My God and Descendants of the Sun for that timeslot now.
Wow. Will unkind women be the only weekday ratings winner for kbs this year?
I hope SFD keeps getting stronger. It’s 50 episodes, so they need to work hard to maintain the ratings. All in all I’m liking the first episode.
Apparently episode 2 of sassy go go got a viewership of 8% which is a huge leap!
They haven’t revealed the rating yet for ep 2, what are you talking about?lol
i think they did hahaha
Exactly, rating was 3.2%
Fans are trying to boost their idols reputation, which is understandable, I guess.
I just checked and sadly it’s only 3.2%
This is just your wish, dear. Well it did increased a bit from 1st epi, but still far from 8%. Nevertheless, i will wish the rating will increase next epi. Who knows, miracle can happen at anytime and anywhere,
Sassy go go’s ratings for the 2nd episode were 6-8% with ending at 8%. 🙂
Wow, that’s a huge jump. Probably a mix of word of mouth and fans of the actors realizing they need to tune in on TV and not just online lol..
It was 3.2%
Ok, that makes more sense, I was
thinking, dang that was a miracle. Ah well, hope it gets better in terms of quality just so everyone involved can at least feel they worked on something of quality despite really low ratings. I only really know Eun Ji from the cast but still feel bad for all of them.
That news makes me happy. Out of the three, SGG was the only one I watched yesterday and I liked it. It felt a bit rushed which worried me, but I feel like the actually story line hasn’t been introduced yet, so fingers crossed.
People are saying 6FD wasn’t so hype either, so in the next couple weeks I’m keeping my eye out for a shift in ratings to occur. We’ll have to wait and see.
Where? Online? The ratings were 3.2%…
Heol.. I’ve always thought you were around 24-27 years old. Didn’t know you are a lawyer and a mom!
Thanks for your wonderful blog =).
If the drama is good ratings will probably increase and it looks like it’s already happening. I’m reading really positive comments from netizens and international fans about the first 2 episodes. I also read that it’s 12 episodes which means less potential for dragging and possibly a tighter, more cohesive plot!
Hope the 50 episode dramas are good too. Supposedly 6 Flying Dragons premiere was a bit of a letdown and Glamorous Temptation was really good. I usually don’t do 50 episodes but I’ll be checking out GT to support Choi Kang Hee (who gets so much unnecessary hate from international kdrama viewers) and Joo Sang Wook!
I see Joo Sang Wook has taken a break from romantic comedies after a string of flops. Cunning Single Lady was great and hopefully he gives comedies a chance gain and has better luck with scripts in the future.
sassy go go was alright. the drama is more for japanese/chinese fan. hope eunji gain more japnese/chinese fan after the drama end. her acting was ok. it better then suzy/iu.
Most of idols fans are teenagers, they created the ratings by themselves, lol
don’t believe everything posted at twitter,…just check the right source
I watched episodes 1 & 2 of Sassy Go Go and so far, I’m enjoying it. Can’t ask for anything better. I love Eunji as always.
I also got the chance to watch the first episode of Six Flying Dragons (and will continue to watch it)…we still have a long way to go for this but so far, all’s good.
Just finished watching the 2 episodes of Sassy Go Go and i truly liked it. it doesn’t invent anything new but i like the feels of it and i was craving for drama like that after schoool 2015 which was good but sometimes intense and dark. it seems like there are serious things here too but i think it will be enjoyfull to watch. hope the ratings will improve tho and if not that’s ok since i’m sure it will have the buzz like school 2015 had..
I don’t think i will watch SFD. the cast is solid but i don’t have patience for 50 episodes drama that will run for half a year so i don’t think i’ll watch GT too unless it’s like secret which i love to bits (woman in jail, revengeful guy, they fall in love bla bla) and the reviewes will praise it..
I wonder why. Ep. 1 was so boring. The high-school drama is beyond horrible. I’ll try the other since Viki is subbing it – but with no high anticipation from this bad scriptwriter.
I think the drama is good. it about our daily lives in school day..
i don’t understand why low rating ???? obviously, its teenage drama, innocent romantic plot..
i will always support SASSY GO GO… HWAITING…HWAITING..HWAITING…
for me you all are the best..