OTP Romance Set as Uncontrollably Fond Remains Consistent in Second Episode Rating of 12.5% AGB Nationwide
I’m relieved the second episode of Uncontrollably Fond built nicely on the introductory first episode, and got better in all ways narrative, chemistry, and acting. It’s even more of a relief that the ratings stayed exactly the same, with episode 2 also garnering 12.5% AGB nationwide ratings. This drama was so broadly touted and discussed I prefer the viewing base to settle into a slow burn much like the story, this was never built for Descendants of the Sun or You From Another Star buzz, it harkens back to the convoluted and delicious melodramas of yore and I dig that retro-ish mood and style. So far neither of the lead characters played by Kim Woo Bin or Suzy captivate my affection but each remain interesting enough to leave me wanting to know more about their deeply intertwined issues and conflicts. So far so good when it comes to UF, more fond from me than uncontrollably anything yet.
If episode 1 was a narrative appetizer, and a very small portion at that, then episode 2 was a buffet run by a mom who insists on stacking the plate full of things that happened. I am quite enamored of the editing in this drama, the way time jumps and issues unfold quickly with little maudlin sentimentality. Maybe that’s why I’m not weeping tears for Noh Eul or being all that sympathetic to Joon Young, at the same time they feel plausibly flawed and therefore characters that can be fleshed out as the story continues to unfold. High school Joon Young and Eul were nicely sketched out and their backgrounds sad without being milked tears. I can’t wait for them to meet again in college and to see what else could go wrong to bring them to the present where Eul is a shameless mercenary and Joon Young has no one in his life to turn to.
“this was never built for DOTS or YWCFTS buzz…”
It literally was though. KBS promoted this with the full intention of it either reaching DOTS level or at least close to it. The plot is super dated though, and the leads are weak. I won’t touch on the ratings until week three…which is when you usually see what direction the ratings are going.
I expected it to increase by at least one to two percent, so even though it is leading the timeslot, for now, at least, it’s underperforming and lost ratings in the other localized categories, like the capital.
If episode 2 proved anything is that this drama has a huge editing problem and obvious lack of chemistry between it’s leads. And it’s not a good sign that rating stayed the same. This drama needs to built up it’s lead before W premiers, otherwise it will be stuck in rating battle to the finish.
But..but..KBS does make more hype to make UF as successful as DOTS. Even the media play stated it’d be more entertaining than DOTS making viewers anticipates this more. Strange thing is some blogging site use the “soft” reviewer to make this drama look good while harsh and new reviewer used for another popular and good drama to let it down. UF high rating is also caused by the mess of LR and Wanted that have lost its viewers and incomparable buzz. Let’s see the real and fair rating battle when another drama with the same star power coming.
Lol reading your comment was the funnist thing I’ve read this week. By your own words you’re basically saying there is a whole conspiracy around making UF popular, down to all reviewing websites intentionally using ‘soft’ reviewers to make UF seem more popular. KBS must have a great PR team who managed to contact all these reviewers, in so many different language and country, to use their ‘soft’ reviewers instead of the harsh ones.
That must be why all the reviews I’ve come across in English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Filo and Vietnamese all liking the drama as it is so far. Now I know it’s all a big conspiracy.
Hev a gud laugh then.
+1.
Conspiracy is what came up to my mind when reading her comment. LOL It’s comical viewers could possibly go along with the marketing scheme of the promotion team behind a drama. If they were not interested enough to tune in, then they wouldn’t. If they were not intrigued enough to stay for the following ep, then they wouldn’t either. I really can’t see how viewers ratings could be manipulated by media play. Just accept the ratings as they were and admit the current popularity defined by viewership is about 12.5%.
That ‘some blogging site’you referred to, is it Dramabeans? I have not watched UF so I can’t comment on quality of these 2 episodes. javabeans and Girlfriday aren’t very harsh critics and I don’t think it only applies to UF. I am also guessing the ‘another popular and good drama’ is Doctors? I watched the first two weeks of Doctors and dropped it because I can’t stand KRW’s character Ji Hong. It’s a pity because I quite like PSH in there. I read the recaps and tend to agree with the new recapper. It’s more of the recapper’s opinion rather than some kind of conspiracy to ‘let it down’.
Dramabeans is quite an influential site for international viewers but does anyone think they get any incentives or are influenced by the powers that be in how they write reviews? I am asking it out of curiosity because I have read comments elsewhere that what we international viewers discussed on such sites and forums are being monitored by the Koreans.
Er, I don’t mean the good review equal to high rating. I do know that, we, as i-fans hev nothing to do with the increase of drama rating. The very harsh review tends to spread the hate which is very annoying. From what I experienced, no matter how good the acting, when the story is suck, people will blame the actors as well. It becomes more annoying when they mock the drama due to unsatisfying rating imo. Thus, it keeps being compared to dots rating. Can we just enjoy the drama without being so worry about rating? We enjoy what we watch, if we don’t, just drop it and don’t spread hate and bring other dramas down.
Your first two sentences are accurate but after that…. girl you are tripping lol. It’s not a conspiracy that a hyped drama would get interest and ratings as a result.
DOTS and doctors made a huge jump on ep 2, so I think this number is slightly disappointing.
I love woobin but I love jongsuk more, hope the best for both of them though, hope they will get rating they deserve.
I’m glad someone else likes the editing of this drama. I found the editing wonderful, it breezes through the build up at a great pace without losing what it wants to say and although we aren’t allowed to be more atrached to the uoung characters it gives us enough to understand who they were in the past, why they became who they are (likely will be shown next week), and accept them for who they are in the present. After all, the bulk of the story is in the present so not dwelling on the past is ok with me.
Though I like all 4 leads I am not enamored with any of them yet. With the Im’s appearance set for next week I hope Miss Im is more than just the token bad girl, because the brief flash of guilt behind a mask of n perfection really got me interested.
The edition of this drama is pure genius it almost reminds me of the editing of DoTS ep 4 I think. The chemistry between the OTP is great. I think the reason EP1 wasn’t so good was because they had not interaction. I am going to wait until season 3 or 4 to Judge whether it’s a good drama since it has a slow progression. So far the plot is looking way better than DoTS. Each character is given a good background story.
I like it! And im willing to watch it until episode 20. I want to know about what happen between no eul and joon young that they become of what they are now. Waiting for ep 3! Come faster 🙂
Didn’t KBS hype it as a drama that better than DOTS? lol
Koala has clearly NOT updated.
Huek i really hate dinosaur.
suzy too good for him.
But Tyrex obviously has an edge in acting over the pretty damsel. LOL
Edge in foot acting? The dog is better acting than him
The dog acts better than kwb? then what does that make Suzy? lol
Suzy has pretty face. That’s enough?
Love the episodes so far… It leaves me more curious about the characters.
Especially when KWB said that, “This girl is not MY Eul” ?
UF : worst drama in 2016. Writer copy paste her works, and the leads can’t act. But pororo is a good actor ¬¬
This. I just watch for suzy’s face and flawless skin.
I followed none of the promotions so I went into it cold. The only thing I knew was it was shot in the winter months, the two leads who were in it and something about WB playing guitar. So that kept my expectations way low. I like neither one of the leads, well more indifferent towards them going into the drama. But I thought I’d give it s try based on recaps and I actually liked it enough to continue. I know that neither one of them is particularly great at acting but it’s the characters that draw me to the story. So as long as they can do that for me, I will excuse some of the awkwardness.
I didn’t really watch heirs -ffing much of it but I remember WB best from his small role in ADG. I liked him there. He plays that kind of character well. Here he has a charming quality to him that makes me curious where the story is going. Suzy seems pretty well fitted for this role. So far Shes been ok.
It definitely a small moving drama imo so I can understand if people get bored. But luckily there was enough there to keep me from getting bored. Looking forward to seeing their story unfold. I hope they can make me care of the characters more. It’s just the first week – a lot of heartache to come. Looking forward to the next 2 episodes.
*slow moving not small moving
Lol and people thought this was the new descendants of the sun?
I love Kim woo bin but he is more of hype than actual success and Suzy where are her fans that say everything she does turns to hits?
?? Who thought UF is the new DoTs ?? Never read this anywhere before
I saw a lot of articles about this actually, it annoyed me because I thought it would just get them hate
Maybe people just want to compare their ratings? These two dramas r of different genres & the leads r at different acting levels. How can ppl compare an A-list actress to an idol singer? No comparison imho…
The dino guy so much media play but his fans shield him so much.
meanwhile suzy media play always bring ppl to hate her.
lol this is a deeply ironic statement considering that Suzy fans routinely defend acting performances from her that would get any other young actress or idol torn to shreds. Y’alls persecution complex is hilarious.
DoTS were overrated and cheesy af, this one is less cheesy but the plot is boring and cliche, it’s kinda predictable
I prefer this than Doctors or Dots. I hate cheesy thing.
And park shin hye’s fans should not brag either….heirs was her only drama as a lead that has crossed 20 percent .
Troll r u drunk again? Don’t bring your fav in this article… Please… Sick & tired at reading your nonsense
Counting Tree of Heaven, that’s two more 20 percenter dramas than Suzy has (and by next week it’s likely to be 3) so idk what your point even is lol.
Kimchi radish cube and stairway to heaven both surpassed 30 if I remember correctly. That is at least 3 she got. And soon will be 4.
What can’t be wrong is your affection to psh. Never fail to menation her
Writer LKH drew an analogy between changing four seasons and her interpretation of the relationship in UF. I wonder what season the first 2 episodes are comparable to. Freezing winter of hiatus in a relationship? Interesting! Her works remind me of so many memorable Russian classics like Dr. Zhivago or novels by Nikolai Tikhonov. I’m glad K drama industry has a writer like her who is capable of injecting classic literary essence into TV dramas. It’s rare in today’s fast-food culture including K screenplays.
The 2nd ep of UF continued to pique my curiosity about the plot development. Thanks to pre production, the directing (including editing) is fairly good and classy. Watching this drama so far is like reading a classical romantic novel of 19th century in a sunroom full of warm light. The pace was andante and laid-back, just right for a viewer like me who needs to slow down from demanding work.
Now we get down to the business in the acting department. KWB is consistently doing a decent job, imo. His looks have never been my cup of tea. (He keeps remind me of Magic School Bus science classroom. LOL) But he can act. I do hope Suzy will equally step up her game in the following episodes. She improved from GFB. While the writer gave her main leads plenty of opportunities to convey nuance of subtle emotions, I haven’t seen her successful in nailing the emotions of her character so far. She’s either too bouncy or too bland to show layers of expression. I hope as the drama goes on, her performance will warm up to make the heroine convincing. Again, she’s very pretty. But that won’t make up the acting shortfall.
I found the editing really choppy, but it’s a prettily shot drama. I guess if you go in with seriously lowered expectations of the acting it might be watchable – it’s really obvious that the leads are not on the same level as Song Joong Ki and Moon Chae Won.
Well said
Good editing doesn’t mean scene transition has to be smooth like air flow. If you’ve ever watched Oscar winning director Ann Lee’s works, then you should understand what I’m talking about. Some of Ann Lee’s critically acclaimed films look even choppier without sensational OST in the background. Good editing is about delivering message from director’s perspectives to make storyline appealing to audience. You don’t have to appreciate certain types of editing including UF. And I know the majority of commenters here don’t appreciate it either. But I’m on the same page with Koala regarding the plot flow and pace. I think so far UF directing/editing team has been doing a decent job. It’s not like all the good films/dramas have to be popular and appreciated by certain cohorts of audience. In the US, those critically acclaimed films had never beaten shoddy superhero movies in terms of box office.
I’m sorta defending the writing and the production of UF. Frankly speaking, if the drama jinxes at some point, I think Suzy’s acting is most likely to blame from what I’ve seen so far. I’m not a fan of any of the cast but no prejudice against the female lead nevertheless. If Suzy would like to take up such a responsibility as a leading lady under such critically acclaimed writers like LKH, she should take more acting classes or spend her time watching films, learning and pondering how to be a good actress with her own signature style. At least, that’s how Song Joong Ki was able to advance his acting talent and earned his credibility with the writers like LKH and KES.
I meant *Ang Lee.
I agree. The writer is not for everyone. I despised Secret Garden so stayed away from DoTS but that writer probably writes the more popular dramas – to each their own, Whereas LKH writes slow burn dramas that have a consistent but not large audience.
PS: This entire comment thread is unintentionally hilarious. There seem to be way too many dramas around, surely you can find something you like instead of writing so many lines on how you do not want to see this!
I really really want to like this drama I ready do. I love KWB since School 2013 but this drama has so many plots hole not to mention being a complete makjang. I still need see a few episodes to pass my judgement.
boring plot and mediocre actor/actresses, dropped after the first episode, sorry
Me too. I think suzy improve but 🙁
Waiting this so long, and KBS, why you did this to me???? I will stuck with drama wanted or lucky romance.
Don’t mind that troll,she is always hating on suzy
Well the drama so far is progressing and I love both the characters
But why is the drama is not as popular as before,I noticed before it starts airing there is so many buzz about it!!
I have a history with this writer, some good and some bad so I will stay away until this one ends. I get the station advertising but in no way should they have tried to get DOTS buzz because the writer is a totally different cup of tea from what you are going to get from DOTS writing team. I think you just set the drama up to be a let down ratings wise even if viewers really like it. Not that many weekday dramas ever see 20% these days.
I actually like Doctors but the only reason I can see for the ratings success right off the bat is the popularity of KRW. I actually think that PSH has shined in it as well but this drama came out of the gate strong.
I never knew that KBS touted UF as the next Dots until I read the comments here. This kind of move is really risky, invites unnecessary comparison and is good only for the first week. Remains to be seen if all the hard work and money they put into building the hype works. Were they buoyed by Dots’ success or is W that scary a competitor?
About Doctors, I have this impression that PSH is more popular than KRW. I am a fan of neither. KRW is known for his acting but is he the only or main reason for Doctors’ ratings success? I checked Punch ratings out of curiosity. The show was good but the ratings aren’t that much to shout about. Rather than just KRW, would it be more accurate to say that Korean viewers like characters like Ji Hong? I won’t try to understand because I can’t get dudes like Yoo Shi Jin either. The writers of these dramas know what they are doing though.
Punch is not romance or cheesy drama. Korean love cheesy romance, that’s why Doctors ratings are good.
It was risky but then again if they hadn’t done it may get a lot lower rating so it seems it has worked somehow, let’s see what will happen in upcoming weeks.
The fact that KBS said it’s even better than DotS is what I’ve heard from the fans of this drama but I myself saw many articles where they were arguing if it can surpass DotS’s rating & even if KWB can surpass SJK!
Funny now people called KRW popular when Korea said Docs is giving him his 2nd peak. LOL
Why can’t people just admit it’s the show that Korea likes whether because it’s light and fun or cheesy or whatever?
And if you aren’t aware PSH is the only cast SBS fully promoted prior and in the beginning of Doctors. She is also the main focus of the show.
If you want to talk about popularity… That is
Park Shin Hye had promoted this drama all by herself before and up to now………it’s just right because the drama is centered around her. In fact , she is the title character…..I think originally it was HY, female gangster. South Korea audience was anticipating this , very different role from previous ones. KRW is a good charismatic actor , but I don’t think he is more popular compared to PSH in the present time. From articles, this is a drama that had PSH…then rest of the cast chosen around her. Even her agency was not too sure about success since it’s a departure from previous roles. So , to say that the actor is popular and that PSH is again being “carried ” by the male actor us unfair, don’t you think so? JMHO. Thanks!
kwb’s character is bring so far maybe because kwb’s underwhelming acting…dunno
The story is slow but I have a feeling it will be keeping the pace high next episode.
*boring
His character/personalities always boring to me. He just won tall body, his face no lead material. If he not that tall, he def just get supporting role.
Okay, I wish Uncontrollably Fond good luck! I just gave it up! The acting is horrendous and the plot doesn’t help either! I feel sorry for the directors!
Uncontrollably Fond is such a hot mess! I really wanted to stick with it because of the classic love story that I love so much, but I unfortunately have to drop it. It’s all over the place and I really can’t get into the characters. Suzy has not improved at all. Her acting is still the same. Her wide eyed expressions and very animated acting is just too much. I wish she could emote more during the sad/emotional scenes. But it comes off as too forced and unnatural. It just seems so forced. As for KWB, he is good at playing these kind of characters, so I’m not impressed or anything. It just seems repetitive.
KBS did say the drama would be the next DOTS. they even said the story was better but media said it would surpass DOTS’s rating. but I really do think it will hit 30% though,but that’s if W isn’t strong enough.
the problem I have with woo bin is that he kept playing the same character again. this is like Young Do all over again. I really wish he would have done something different this time. people criticise LMH of playing the same character,but I see no difference with woo bin.
he must stay for being 2nd lead.
plus,the comment section on naver is all about how Suzy looks. it’s like KWB is a stranger. i can’t imagine how woo bin must feel.
He dont have star power. His agency always media playing about him as 4 hallyu king (now Song Jong Ki take his place) but the fact korean didnt really know woobin ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Way to see Suzy deserves to be called an actress.
As a fan honestly her face an actress but her acting not yet.
how do korean people sit through this drama? both lead sux at acting. drama bore as hell.
I just watched for 20 mins but then I fell asleep , will try to rewatch it but lead actress facial expression and vocal seems to be overboard , it doesn’t come out natural to me . It looks like she is trying hard to act . She is cute though cannot say anything about the actor , reminds me of young do in heirs , with same acting style , same facial expression
I have tried to watch twice & fell asleep both times… Lol.., now I read recaps, only takes me 5 mins per episode… ?
At the beginning I really anticipated Uncontrollably Fond because it’s pre-produced and the hyped from this drama. But after watching 2 episodes, I’m really disappointed. The editing is such a mess and all over the place. Some of the scenes are disjointed. I think that’s why I can’t get into the characters and feel confused. It’s a pity that they did such a lousy job for pre-produced drama.
It’s really so far so good so far…..
There is more to it that need to be revealed. So glad the lead is not only the first time they met, that they already have a past. can’t wait
Hmm I’m surprised the reviews were mixed
I’m no fan of KWB or Suzy and just watched the drama to have a taste
I find it good? It has pace – I mean we got the reveal abt the male lead, birth secret etc right from ep1-2 ? *slow clap*
And we got the female lead background story quite nicely too
Yet despite all the reveals, I found myself really curious abt what happened to them and quite invested to continue to watch
Regarding acting, KWB is ok, he looks the part and that’s half the battle won. I think he owns such characters, so no issue with me here
Suzy- I do wonder how the character might turn out with a stronger actress. But she’s not bad just not great. Overall she’s likeable. I felt she should have made the adult self less cute and just plain mercenary for the contrast. To me they felt the same so I didn’t really get why KWB said she can’t be the same…I’m like huh she talks the same
Dude!
Like the editing- didn’t find it choppy.
Certain things felt abrupt but I do feel that it’s intentional. Reveals off the bat but still some things that were unclear so that the characters can be fleshed out subsequently.
Also it’s obvious what he meant “seduce me or be seduxed by me” – I don’t understand why pple find that confusing. He wanted to get back at her for embarrassing him in front of his dad. And he told her many times to back off abt her friend already.