Ratings Reversal as Chief Kim Overtakes Saimdang: Light’s Diary in Episode 4

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• Hurrah, my adorable Chief Kim! It always is so nice to see the underdog rise. So underrated and underappreciated by the international community too, but glad it's doing well domestically (although ratings NEVER correlate to a good drama). It's only the 2nd week, so ratings might fluctuate and once Saimdang gets going ratings might go back, but I'll celebrate temporarily.

  Also, in the last post I stated that I was iffy about the female lead character and so I'll take this chance to say ep 4 was the deciding factor for me and I am now onboard with the character.

• Saimdang is boring and had a mediocre opening episodes, even with all the hype. Nowadays, you have to grab audiences early, and only the very, very, well done drama can build on their start.

  Saimdang feels like a drama that was conceived a long time ago and someone brought back out, because they expected it to be the next Dae Jang Geum, and big hit in China, too bad the unofficial ban put a lid on that.

  The romance aspect of a married, mother of multiple kids having an affair, even if it is an emotional one, is questionable, especially for a character that is lauded as a "wise mother" figure in Korea. The modern aspect of the drama also sucks, once again an unhappy, badly treated woman in the workplace, who is harried at work and at home, and made to make sacrifices that is demanded of her, MEH.

  Plain tired of makjang - evil ministers, evil bosses, evil mother-in-laws, in debt husbands that abandon their families, colleagues and society that overlook obvious wrongs -MEH!!!!!!!!!

  • "Nowadays, you have to grab audiences early"....I think this is really true. This is a 30 episode drama and generally I would think there would be some leeway to build the story a bit. I do think it is true that people want that hook right away or they don't stick around if there are other options.

• Whoa congrats to Nam Gong Min, I want the guy to succeed so bad since he seems sincere and work his way up in his acting, he deserves this one, I'll try watching this when I have time.

• I have an issue with the directing. Even with well-tried and well-trod scripts, if the emotional touches are full-on and the pacing and cinematography good, you can still hook the audience. But in this case there is just something lacking and one does not really emote with the characters or the story. I don't think the romance would be the focus in the later episodes as indeed that would be off-putting to the domestic audience long engrained with the wise mother image of Saimdang. so what is there to look forward to? Art history? Court intrigue?

• I like Saimdang. It feels old, but it doesn't mean it's not good. Haven't look into Chief Kim yet, just because I don't particularly like Nam Gong Min acting.

• Saimdang may have worked about 13 years ago. It's messy, poorly acted, badly edited. The only plus for me is LYA and that's it. SSH's acting has remained the same since AIMH which is sad even his beautiful face (which has remained very beautiful tho) can't force me to watch this. Not to mention Park hye Soo's bad acting has ruined another work for me.

  Good for chief kim it's funny and entertaining. Always happy to see a surprise win

  • SSH has barely appeared in the first four episodes, so surely your intense dislike of him would not rationally explain why this show is off-putting to you.

    • @eva: You're right. she (Lea) just dislike SSH. I'm sure she was not even watching Saimdang. it's not rational, cause SSH only appeared briefly at the beginning and at the end of episode 2. She is already judging SSH

• NGM alone can carry this drama. he acting want you to keep watching the show. they need to make him second lead female as pair. they both are so perfect for each other. he does not look good with the lead female.
  saimdang is not what people thought it was. that why rating going down.

• Saimdang is 2 yrs in the making and is completely pre produced. It had a bigger budget than DOTS and LOTBS. At least LOTBS, reached 21% viewer ratings despite of a boring storyline. We will see next week if Chief Kim will able to maintain its lead and if it does, I predict it will become the leading drama on its timeslot until its last episode.

• I don't get the hate Saimdang is beautifully shot and to my mind the acting has been out of the park, the plot is interesting. SSH has not really appeared so fingers crossed he is up to it. I am really relly enjoying it. For those of you that want gloss well to be sure this is not for you. This is more slower paced given there are 30 episodes well it might be, but I don't think for now it is boring. Different strokes and all that.

  • You know, I like it, too.
    There's just enough injustice in the story to make me dig in my heels and want revenge on all the bad people. And LYA isn't the first actress in Kdrama history to need a few episodes to settle into a role. I never saw the Jewel one, but did she walk on water, or something?

    Plus, we have the slightly maybe romantic feelings between her and the younger man. Shocking, I know, but still delicious. Angry Mom did it, and I ate it up.

    Yes, it's makjang and predictable, but it's comfort drama. You know all the beats, so you can guess when the good stuff will show up, too.

    • I still haven't seen Saimdang yet, but I might as soon as THT starts throwing his clothes off.

      I thought that everyone has seen Jewel in the Palace. How could you not Jomo? But now if you ask me what is so special about it, I can't even explain it. LYA is definitely not walking on the water that's the only point that I'm sure about.

      The Jewel is rather similar with Oshin (the Japanese very long drama). You're cheering for the heroine because you want the downtrodden little girl to succeed and come on top. And along the way you hope she will find the Prince charming that could give her Cinderella's happily ever after.

      Is that really special? No, not really. This is a very ordinary recipe which needs extraordinary writing skills and excellent excecution. Only then we can have spectacular results like Oshin, Jewel in the Palace and Giant.

      Praying for Saimdang not to dissapoint.

• I'm happy!! Nam Gong Min is delightful to watch always.. I would've watched either way but hopefully it keeps the lead!