The transition of tvN Fri-Sat drama from the record breaking ratings and buzz of Goblin into the quiet romance of Tomorrow With You has revealed the audience feedback three weeks in. I’ve been busy marathoning another drama so Tomorrow With You remains on my to watch list but I haven’t checked it out yet so it’s surprising to hear that the drama which started off with a decent 3.18% AGB nationwide ratings in episode 1 has fallen by more than half to land at 1.7% ratings for the most recent episode 6. Even by Lee Je Hoon‘s last drama standard which was the cable hit Signal this is a big disappointment and it’ll be interesting to hear from those watching why the drama is failing to connect with audiences and losing viewers by the week? The chemistry of the leads seems warm and strong so is it an underwhelming story or lackluster directing at fault here?
Im equally confused. Im loving this drama so far, the chemistry between the leads is electrifying and OMG the cinematography is beautiful. My guess is that after the failure of Entourage, it seems there is some sort of ‘curse’ for tvn dramas? Introverted Boss isnt doing that well also. With the exception of Goblin it seems TVN dramas recently has lost some sort of hype, or it could just be that people’s expectations of the channel has grown.
On second thought, its more likely that its due to the competition from Voice, its ratings are a hit currently and many people including me are loving this drama alot.
Voice is in different time slot 10pm sat-sun vs 8pm fri-sat twy
It is supremely boring. The pacing is too slow and there is no real buy-in to the OTP’s story. I was so hopeful – I like the leads. Maybe they should take a break and do a re-write ala Introverted boss.
i dont understand tho, i love this drama! are people choosing not to watch the tv broadcast and just stream later on? cause i definitely feel like a lot of people are watching this drama….??
I didnt watch it yet.
i think because underwhelming story.im not korean so i just watch finished drama but from the writer,her past drama is not good for me
Maybe because voice? actually i dont agree when the drama rating is flop and some people blame it on another drama like……goblin can reached 15%….twy:1% voice:5% so where is the rest?
I didnt blame on neither twy nor voice
Sorry pjk i didnt mean to reply your comment >.<
It’s an absolutely lovely drama on all fronts- writing, directing, and acting. So I’m going to peg it as one of those unfortunate underrated gems, which really shouldn’t have a reason to be ignored.
I just hope the low ratings doesn’t affect the production by altering it in any way to please the masses. That would be a huge disservice to this drama. I also hope the ratings don’t dishearten LJH and SMA from doing future projects like this. They are an absolute treat to watch together.
I think there’s way more international love than domestic, though. I wish there were a platform for international fans to express their appreciation so the team behind the project knows just how much attention and love it’s receiving. Sigh.
I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said.
Hmmm somehow I could understand why the ratings fell for this one. I have watched this up until ep 5 and am already thinking of dropping this… Maybe it is just me but somehow the storyline just doesn’t really excite me.. Since it is described as a quiet romance, the pace seems somewhat slow and doesn’t give me that excicement/anticipation to see what happens next.. After watching kdramas for years, I suppose I like to watch ones that keep me at the edge of my seat and make me anxious to see what happens next and unfortunately this drama gives me none of those..
we have the same sentiments! despite the speed in relationship,the story doesn’t progress as much and it bothers me that he’s sort of hiding things from her regardless of the reason.I’m not even anxious to see what happens next…this is my biggest issue.Good chemistry for sure but myb the story doesn’t have chemistry with me.=(
also i felt that the time travels were too frequent and leaves me utterly confused. since the contexts are not apparent these trips seems to get in the way of the current time story flow.
@ Emily, i have the same feeling. But i’m loving Introvert Boss even if they change the plot line. It’s sweet and fun. A classic rom com.
@Emily
I feel exactly the same way. I’m seriously considering dropping this drama after episode 5, and I dropped Introverted Boss after Ep 4. If the story isn’t engaging enough, it’ll lose viewers.
It’s a good drama and the chemistry between the two leads is off the charts too. The ratings fell week by week due to a strong competition which is the Voice.
lol the voice have different time slot so no competition there.
i think the reason is the pace is too slow?
I love the drama and by no means it should be compared with introverted boss. TWY has a solid script and the chemisq between the leads are to sie for. I blame it on the audience.
*chemistry *die. Sorry about the typo.
Not everything can be blamed on the audience. This is a niche time travel drama that doesn’t connect well with mainstream viewers. There are no strong side characters with their own interesting stories. In fact the side characters feel dull, and cardboard cut. The cinematography itself is dull and dark, and the time travels to the future feel jarring to the central plot.
The feel of the drama is more slice-of-life than exciting thriller or rom com, or even a weepy melo, and historically with the exception of tVN’s Reply series, tVN’s slice of life dramas typically tend to be underperforming no matter how charming they are e.g. Surplus Princess, Plus Nine Boys, Ex Girlfriend Club.
I also dont understand the ratings. My opinions is koreans found that this drama is not as engaging as voice and its predecessor aka the big hit goblin.
For me I both enjoy tmy and voice because both of them have different genre and approach. Tmy has a slow building romance with a bunch of fate mystery surrounding the character while voice is fast paced as expected for crime drama.
I’ve only seen positive comments from both international and korean fans alike so I really don’t know why the rating keeps falling. With tvN’s other flops like Introverted Boss and Entourage, there were at least negative comments and complaints that explained the bad rating. This is one is truly a mystery, tvN has MUCH worse shows that still managed to get 4%. I don’t get it. I, for one, am absolutely loving the drama. So I’m relieved that it’s pre-produced and they can’t cut it. I just hope they don’t try to re-edit it like Moon Lovers and Saimdang.
I know. Every k-site I visit is always full of up voted positive comments that rave about the chemistry and storyline. Yet, the number ar so low. I hope the actors and crew aren’t too dissapointed by it all, and yes, let’s pray tvN doesn’t do silly re-editing (I’d be shocked if they did so. Entourage had worse numbers and they left it alone to run its full course. They better not touch TWY!)
@Lin they change the storyline for Introvert boss because of the same ratings. they were waiting for a hit. I suppose they were waiting more from a drama with actors as SMH and Ljh ! But if it’s preproduced the only thing they can do is re editing.
It’s a really good drama. Acting (LJH and SMA have amazing chemistry), writing (I love how the drama has and adult relationship and realistically confronts so many issues newlyweds face -having babies for example-), and directing (the cinematography is dark, and melo, and calm, and just has many gorgeous perfect gif scenes).
I think it’s not connecting with k audience because it’s not flashy colorful rom-com with runway walk model moments in abundance (yes I’m talking Goblin which is cotton candy drama to me). I wouldn’t call this show a rom-com. It’s melancholic, calm, slow, and feels more of a romance, mystery, semi thriller and melodrama, than a rom-com. It has its moments of funny but it’s just not the zany, over the top, in your face bit moments audience seem to love. It’s an all round great drama that should have much more viewers than it’s been getting.
I totally agree with you on this one. Everything about this show is perfect. Maybe people preferred a romcom with all the stress that their daily life is giving them. Heh. I hope the cast and crew will not be discouraged by the ratings game because this show is so beautiful and the way they deliver their lines is natural like they’ve been friends for a long time. Another reason perhaps is because the story is taking it’s time to show how complex/selfish LJH’s character is given that he’s a time travel and has the power to alter his future. But if I’m given that same kind of power I might end up like him because who wants to die in the near future right?
I would love to like it as there are quite a few interesting aspects to it but it Comes across as a bit lacklustre to me though I cannot define the Problem. It never leaves me desperately wanting more…
I dont think the low rating is because of Voice. The 2 drama airing in different day and timeslot. Voice airing late at 10pm kst on sat-sun and TWY start at 8pm on fri-sat.
I absolutely love this drama and it is a shame that it is not rating in South Korea. I am a International fan. The production is high quality and I liked the story too! The chemistry between SMA and LJH is sizzling! Just watching the both of them together in their scenes is worth it all!
I agree with Super, the time travelling scenes were a bit too frequent and I too got a bit confused. Other that I loved this drama and hoped the ratings will pick up in the next few episodes. Fighting Tomorrow With You Fighting!
The show seems to be getting a lot of love from international fans, but it’s not working for me. While I sympathize with the female lead, I don’t particularly like her. And I don’t get all the swooning over the male lead, because despite the fact that he seems to have some feelings for the female lead, he’s totally led her on and got her to marry him under false pretenses. Smiling at her then curling his toes in private is the opposite of swoony.
I’m still watching because I’m curious about where the story will go, but I’m not feeling the excitement about it that lots of others are.
I share your feelings. While I like SMA and LJH as actors, I cannot bring myself to watch this, I think I’m dropping it. I find the story gloomy and depressive in every way, starting with the dark cinematography, the coming accident, the empty marriage (ok she doesn’t know, but we know), a woman that is on a very low point in her life (with all the lost popularity and drunken behavior) and a man who seems to not have any purpose or positive attitude in his life. I cannot connect with any of the characters or enjoy the story,…dunno, maybe it is that I am not in the mood for something so dark and hopeless.
Let’s just said, this drama is not a consumption for mainstream audience. This has slow build up but Still worth it. Might be because this drama is too calm so it will makes you feel boring if you are not grasp the subtle moment they have provide.
i think it due to slow pace and calmness of the whole show thus rendering it boring for some.
shin min ah is really unlucky when it comes to her dramas.she only has a hit in my girlfriend is a gumiho and probably a minor success in arang and magistrate.
she is one of those actresses whose beauty and fame does not match her filmography.i wish twy is a minor success like k2 for her sake.
I honestly want them to change the female lead. Not that I hate Shin Min Ah. But she doesn’t has the skill to elevate her character. She always has a good chemistry with her co star, but It’s work in romantic comedy which your acting doesn’t require nuance acting.
@ alexghana , you speak my mind . She’s one of the few top actresses of her age who didn’t has a big it to enjoy an international fame. She needs to work with Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Lee Jong Suk, Song Joong Ki, Kim soo hyun(they are like Park Shin Hye ,kind of MIDAS touch)
On the contrary, Shin Min Ah had a minor success in My girlfriend is a gumiho, because according to AGB Nielsen the average rating of Arang and Magistrate was 12.8 % and the average rating of My girlfriend is a gumiho was 12.6 %.
People comment a lot about Introvert Boss because it has lots of things to angry about. But with TMY, people dont comment about it because people dont bother by it to comment.
With me, none of the characters are interesting. The leads are not interesting. The others roles are not interesting. I have problem with the color of the drama as well, the color is not bright, sometimes i wish i could turn up the brightness, when i see red, i want red, not instagram red.
The storyline doesnt go anywhere. I finish watching the lastest and i have no excitement for whats come next. They married fast without love. Then divorce fast. Its not a story about love. Its not a story about love. Its story about a guy going back and forth and cant really do anything about his life.
Haha I agree with you. Dull colors lol.
TVN shoud stop this crapy light !!! What’s wrong with them honstly ?
Because it’s boring, that’s why.
Agree. I’ve watched 5 episodes and meh….the characters are meh…storyline is meh…
I can take it or leave it. Meh…
Goblin is more boring but it gets high rating
Goblin’s scenery and cinematography is a LOT better than TWY, which explains the high rating. TWY is plain boring!! and who can defeat Gong Yoo?! 🙂
Goblin is mess for me BUT the banter is endearing, the story…meh. Aside from the Goryeo part (that if you really think hard, wasn’t that good either), is boring.
TWY has boring and overcomplicated story but boring dialogue as well. The chemistry is good though, unlike Goblin.
I thought Goblin didn’t deserve the hype and ratings because the plot is so mediocre. But then again dramas like DotS also got way too high ratings for the non-existent plot. So hype is all!
On the other hand it seems like the expectations for the cable drama ratings are changing. With dramas like Answer Me 1988, Signal and Goblin receiving higher than usual for cable ratings it’s difficult to live up to that.
On the other hand a drop in the ratings by half is very drastic and seems to show this drama doesn’t resonate with the Korean viewers expectations. I think those who love it should just enjoy it and not worry about ratings. Ratings aren’t proof for a good plot/good acting anymore. In some cases – like Signal – it’s the case but DotS and Goblin proved: even a drama without a plot can achieve high ratings.
Yes, I agree with everything you said. I thought Goblin was beautifully filmed but felt that it was a 10 episode drama packaged with a lot of fluff. Yet people loved it which is great for the actors so happy for them.
I see a lot of fans in a slump after Goblin so maybe that’s happening in Korea …people having trouble moving on. I think it should still hold true that the Friday night slot generally wants to see 5% ratings. I think this is around what K2 got and I thought this is what was considered moderately successful.
agree. agree. Goblin had a good start and once viewers are hooked, it is difficult to stop but want to watch to its ending. The two male leads are truly good actors imho. TWY on the other hand does not have the same caliber both in filming & casts which explains the poor rating, needless to say, i find it kinda boring…
Av i remember someone was craving and begging for mcw to be the lead in dots. Gezzz
From just a concept it’s hard to say if the writing/plot will live up to it. Wanting a favourite actress to star before the series starts playing is different from evaluating the series after it’s ended and giving an opinion on it. For the record, I agree with Jillia that DotS far and away did not deserve the overwhelming hype. Sure, it had really good cinematography and pretty leads, but the writing was so hollow and the way the romances were written really detracted from what was a solid concept. I was disappointed.
I don’t even borther to check it since the teaser I watch was just so-so. TVN had Reply 1988, Another Miss Oh and Goblin for the hype of 2016. Those three was like a virus for korean and international fans. Unfortunately not work in this early year.
I don’t understand the ratings because I’m loving this drama
It has good chemistry and I like the story line.
It’s a little confusing around ep4 onwards so maybe some viewers just don’t want to think.
I find LJH absolutely HOT in this drama!
I love this drama but I have heard time dealing with the romance because he married her out of good intentions to save her life but she is under impression that he loves her. She has self esteem issues and I have hard time accepting his well meaning deceit. It turned me off to the point that I am dropping this, maybe that is what happened here.
I do feel the same as you..when i watch eps 1st and 2nd.
But then in eps 3 and 4 i have hsrd dealing with the story.
The plot so confusing, but i cant see something that will make the story became interesting.
I dont get the concepts. That make me upset.
Sometimes he looks so warm but in another time his so cold, in a bad way.
Actually i dont really care about the rating. If they good i’ll watch them until the end. Even the rating not high.
But watching the 5th and 6th eps That aired recently make me think… i do understand why the rating drop really hard.
They should remake the story…
I know theres nothing wrong with Shin Min Ah and Lee Je Hoon they good as actor and actress.
Well, Why should they remake the story? If I need to critics, they build the story between the OTP first and the supporting cast is just an afterthough. It makes under the impression they make a very slow build up. SInce it’s already happened and we will starting to see the meatier part (I hope so), it’s becoming more interesting.
I watched only two episodes and even if I like the both actors, I can’t motive myself to watch the rest. I think it’s because I have difficulties to follow the story (not I didn’t understand) but more the path… between the present and the past it’s hard to stay focus and interested.
The next week, I’ll be more interested by JTBC’Strong Woman Dong Bong Soon. It looks like it will be fun and cute. And it’s so cute to see Park Bo Young between her very tall co-stars 😀
I dont really get Shin Minah either. To me shes like Son Yejin. Good for movies where you spend 2 hours with her character and modelling where she looks awesome with her long legs and pretty dimples but switch to dramas, both she and SYJ just don’t seem to have enough charm or likability to carry it through. Very flat and boring. Pity as I really like Lee Je Hoon. I honestly think a different actress might have avoided the savage ratings. Im also looking forward to Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. I love PBY. She breathes life into every role she does. Even in her last movie Silenced which she pulled off weak/ creepy so well
I’m enjoying this drama so much!!! Love love the 2 main lead and their amazing chemistry :)) I like the story line too..beautiful drama..Tomorrow With You, Hwaiting ^_*:))
don’t know about the rating but I’m really loving and enjoying the drama and the story and the acting is great and the OTP are so cute!! all I’ll say is that I hope the rating increase because it deserves a higher rating and: Torrrow With You Fighting!! <3 ^__^
Curious what drama you are marathoning.. 🙂
I think it’s because TWY is more of like a melodrama. The style and feel is more like watching a drama from the 90s… Stairway to heaven era…It’s not as colorful or fast paced like the dramas now. IMO the genre is just not popular with today’s viewers and that’s why it’s not sustaining it’s audience.
i love this drama,maybe hard to compared with goblin vibe, but it still watchable too. the cinematography is great, i love how they build the character,so naturally until i realize how brat so joon is, or how hard ma rin life is, and i love the way they building the chemistry, so naturally and believable (kim woo bin,please don’t be jealous!), and i love how seo in guk song build the mood for this drama.
i just hope,the rating not ruin the quality,the episode and the ending from this drama.
i like this drama and i wish i had saved it up for a marathon. i watched episode four a couple of times. at that time i felt satisfied. like okay, happy ending, no need to watch anymore….
the drama feels more like a japanese drama without the overacting, and yes, it doesn’t have the overacting of korean side characters either.
it is definitely a more mature drama with characters in their 30s that act like adults instead of adolescents. Shin Min Ah looks her age, and her looks are not idealized…or too stylized. she seems down to earth and wounded, not overly made up pretending to look wretched and poor. i think that is why the ratings are not so great. she is not pulling in the viewers. he looks good. but is not typical asshole but not a beta male either.
narratively i can see why koreans don’t like this drama…there is no build up. they have already consummated the relationship, and they are still very affectionate. there is no will they or won’t they tension to keep audience horny and clued to tv. even most romcom out of korea even after the first kiss, they find some way to make the otp chaste again.
I can only speak for myself and why I think I’m dropping the drama. I didn’t sign up for “Uncontrollably Fond” with time travel. It’s the whole melancholy air permiating the show
The only external factor I could think of is because of how Blow Breeze (Saturday-Sunday 8:40) was able to break the 20% barrier only after Goblin ended, at the expense of Tomorrow With You and Our Gap-soon. Beyond that, I’m utterly baffled. Maybe the domestic audience is impatient with slow-burning stories. I don’t find anything objectionable about the show so far, unlike Introverted Boss.
I dropped this drama. I do not like the writing, and the fake chemistry between the leads. Pretty boring overall.
fake chemistry a turn off. bad choice on SMA part. for picking this drama.
Its the music for me. I think the music slows the pace a lot. There are some scenes that could be upbeat and quirky, but the music is slow or there is no music at all. Also, the opening music makes me want to fall asleep.
Matt Mason, great progress mofo! Watching all the time and your still hot topic at the bar, we sold all 25 beer barrel sponsorship in 2 days!!!! So the amout raised just keeps rising!!! The bottle of crystal is still chilled and ready for your return and your being missed but were honoured to know you xxx row hard, stay safe xxx
Actually i want to write a long time ago that i didnt get this drama too and want to drop it. I think how the writing of this drama. How they introduced the character is very different from any other drama. The male lead character aren’t likeable so the viewer can’t attach to him.
How they convey both characters is late hence the viewers can’t connect to the leads and how the plot is introduced can be a bit turn off since it is like backpace or kind of late or slowburing. BUT after watch ep 4, i just can’t get enough of it. My POV change. This drama is different. Intense and unpredictable. I’m longing a drama like this. You just have to keep watching. k-drama never did drama like this. Usually it is a jap-dorama.
I applaud the writers of this drama for trying an entirely new concept to a relationship in a drama; but it’s an unpopular concept as you feel heartbroken and embarrassed a lot. The two are anti-heros. It’s difficult to watch but I think that’s because it’s so real. I often felt miserable watching because of the deception in their relationship; I think this drama will upset those who have failed before; who have felt used etc.
However! I do like where this is going and I hate it. I hate it because it put a fictional concept in how things REALLY go in real life. I applaud them.
what a well-written insight. I agreed with you 200%
What led me here is to find out how popular this drama now because im really loving it..but im confused now. Why this drama is not getting a high ratings that it deserve? Why goblin is? Korean audience are weird!
This drama is love. The love story just so beautiful and realistic. The actors are doing amazing jobs. But I also understand why mainstream audiences couldn’t enjoy it.because it’s not mainstream drama. No cliche s scenes or cheesy dialogs. The story are very mature, calm and contemplative. For some people, maybe it’s quite boring, but for those who can enjoy it, it’ll very addicting and left deep impression.
It is a wonderful drama..i was hept from the first episode to the end..very touching..nothing’s wrong with direction or acting..it is not fair at all that the ratings was so low..this drama does deserve much better..Shin Min Ah’s acting was so strong..i even cried with her on some episodes..Lee Je Hoon was excellent too…i am just dissapointed that they didn’t have any awards for their acting and chemistry…so sad :/
Agreed 200%! This is an endearing drama about 2 imperfect people who end up together by the twist of fate. Irony that this feels more real than most of the kdramas i have watched, despite the fantasy time -travelling theme. Strong acting and directing too. Not easy mashing the present and future scenes but still the director manage to connect both ends to create a round circles that makes us go ‘ahhhh, so that’s it’. There are some loop holes but who cares. If i were to point out holes, better rated drama have tons of them too. LJH is bae. Together with SMA they are super bae.
TWY is a recommended watch.