SBS Wed-Thurs Drama Judge vs. Judge Has Mediocre Premiere Despite Weak Competition
It’s the start of Thanksgiving long weekend here in the US but in South Korea it’s not a holiday weekend but there was a palpable lack of exciting new fare almost like a break. MBC‘s long delayed new rom-com I am Not a Robot continued into week 3 of not premiering yet but will finally reach the small screen next week, marking a month break from the conclusion of predecessor drama Hospital Ship due to the network strike. That meant newcomer this week SBS legal drama Judge vs. Judge (Nothing to Lose) had no competition and still performed weakly, taking in 6.9% for episode 1 and 8.0% in episode 2.
Over on KBS the midway airing drama Mad Dog brought in 7.4% ratings which puts the two K-dramas neck-in-neck. What’s not boding well for Judge are the across-the-board excoriating first impressions from K-netizens, chewing out the drama for being so over-the-top ridiculous in portraying the court system and South Korean judges, which was pretty evident from the previous when lead Park Eun Bin who looks 18 years old tore off her robe and tried to jump over the judge’s bench to get at a defendant. Poor Yeon Woo Jin, yet another likely poor choice for a drama.
Badically you didn’t see the drama yourself but the conclusion that it’s a bad choice comes solely from k netizen comments which we all know how unreliable are…lol
*basically
He certainly made the right choice with 7 Day Queen this year but Koreans didn’t care to watch. He’s not an actor with a lot of buzz and his last and only drama hit was in 2014 so I don’t think he gets many offers when it comes to lead roles. I find him likeable as an actor so I wish him luck going forward.
Has anyone been able to watch the first episode of Wise Prison Life? It was the one upcoming drama I was looking forward to and I heard the first episode got 4% rating (most likely because of Shin PD). Unfortunately it’s basically impossible to find on any legal streaming service in my region and I’m curious if it’s any good so far.
Aww, I really like Yeo Woo Jin and his only misstep so far after Marriage Not Dating was the Boss drama or whatever the name was. Seven Day Queen I heard was great. So hopefully they’ll cut down the dramatics and get to more stronger narrative. I haven’t seen it yet but I do plan to. If it can be good like Witch’s Court, it’ll eventually gain audiences I think.
Another failed drama from yeon woo jin! No surprise. Just waiting for yoo seung ho to come and kill the ratings! MBC will be revived by his magic again!
Hmm Yoo Seung Ho, he is a great,intense actor who can carry a story with his acting.However, the problem I have, when ever they give him a storyline with a heavy romantic angle. Somehow, the chemistry doesnt quite gel very well between him and the female lead.Its the same problem I have with Joo Won too.Lee Min Ho too.I dont know if its because they have all mostly acted with noonas.
He hasnt acted in a romcom for a while and he has been given a green actress for comeback.Unlike his previous drama which had Park Min Young and Kim So Hyun who are good at creating chemistry with their main leads.Also although its true, his dramas generally do well in ratings.But at least his last two drama had Nam Goong Min to thank for “Remember” due to his great acting and Kim So Hyun for “Ruler” due to her starpower for contributing to the ratings.But good, its the director of W who is behind this production and he has strong backup in Uhm Ki Joon.
So all they need to do is grab the audience and make sure the chemistry is on point since its a rom com.Tighten the story not make it too juvenile, or cliche over the top antics like Chae Soo Bin doing too many aegyo, and fawning over oppa right from the start or YSH being too aloof.
@RubyRed – I kind of have to agree re: YSH and romantic chemistry, in all the dramas of his that I saw it’s just a bit lacking, and with Kim So Hyun the writing did them no favours.
The actress they got for INAR on the other hand, she might be green but she has great chemistry with male costars in all the dramas I saw (Park Bo Gum, Yoon Kyun Sang, Go Kyung Pyo, Jang Dong Yoon – all in different dramas btw) and matches especially well with costars close to her in age.
It just remains to be seen whether it’s his streak that gets broken or hers.
Park eun bin is the best though
She deserves better script+male lead
Park eun bin is actuallt one of the best and versatile actress ever
She deserves a better script and male lead
Park Eun Bin doesn’t deserve a nobody like Yeon Woo Jin. Girl way to talented for him.
May you never be unfortunate enough to have someone who doesn’t even know you refer to you as a nobody.
It’s hard to say weakly when WYWS didn’t pass the 10% and didn’t have any big drama in competition too… TVN started in new drama too. So I think people who loved the Reply serie watched it.
Well atleast Yeon Weo Jin got a good female lead yet again in Park Eun Bin. i have no idea why they are so obsessed with court setting drama? Gosh it’s so boring.
It’s a waste for him to have these good actresses. He doesn’t have what it takes to be a lead actor.
I think its too early for that assessment though and dismiss the drama when its only the first episode.YWJ is not exactly a ratings draw but the storyline is what is making or breaking these dramas these days.
6.9% & 8% is not mediocre. It’s not quite good actually. Reports making the rounds reflected it as a strong premiere ratings.
typo – It’s quite good actually considering the ratings these days.
I don’t think it’s mediocre considering many dramas struggle to even get this kind of number ratings. I would say it’s impressive considering the two leads aren’t that popular. Didn’t While You Were Sleeping have these kinds of ratings despite having 2 popular actor and idol? Plus, they didn’t break the double digits despite having Hospital Ship ended?
They have no competition and a high profile drama as a lead in but still pulled in such mediocre numbers. It’ll fall to 2-3 once INAR and BK start. YSH and KRW are fan favorites.
All the comments about YWJ, I’m surprised. We often are not happy when buzz stars have lead role when they are not so great. But in this case a good actor has a main role, but people are not happy because he’s not a buzz star and doesn’t bring ratings ?
I love YSH but not sure about his choices of dramas. I quickly forgot about Remember, Imaginary Cat and Ruler even if I know that YSH was good in.
His acting is often the only good thing about his dramas tbh. Imaginary Cat was a cute drama though.
I agree with you @Kudrama. YWJ is a very good actor and the best thing in Introvert Boss. I’ve watched all his dramas and i’m sad about the fact that Buzz is more important than talent. As for YSH i like him but his dramas are really forgatable. For me he has romantic chemistry with Park Eun Bin and a different kind of chemistry with Yoon Eun Hye as she is much older than him.
Yeo Sung Ho dramas always do well just because YOU think it’s forgettable doesn’t make them forgettable. Ruler did excellent on Drama Fever and Viu and every other streaming site and so did Remember. All his lead roles have high rating and he’s a brilliant actor not mediocre like Yeon Woo Jin. Three dramas in one year and all are failures. No one even wants to see him on screen anymore.
Your true intentions are just too obvious. Judge vs Judge is on VIKI so you are throwing negative vibes at YWJ?
Is it doing well on viki? Looked through their popular drama and trending list but didn’t see it there.
what’s with all these pathetic losers disguising as YSH fans and hating on YWJ? just shut up and watch your oppa’s dramas instead of barking here like mad dogs even before his drama starts airing. it shows your insecurity.
But his drama has started airing and to bad ratings and negative comments just like Koala pointed out. I’m not sure the ratings will go up one the robot drama and black knight start. Been reading online and the hype for the two dramas is big both in korea and outside.
lmao i don’t even like ywj but you gotta thank him for taking on these roles nobody wants. it’s not like you would expect a huge star to take on a role in a female-centric/driven drama like 7 days queen or this.
As far as I know, story wise I like Seven Day Queen better than Yoo Seung Ho’s drama Ruler.
7dq was very controversial in Korea. Too much romanticization of a hated king so the Korean’s panned it. Ruler and Suspicious Partner got a lot of love in Korea.
Seven Day Queen was only popular on DB and some people on random blogs. It didn’t gain popularity amongst international fans either. Its views on illegal sites is very low. Suspicious Partner was the most popular of the three dramas and Ruler was a close second.
Only inetz think SDQ was a good drama and even blamed knetz for having no taste.
it is not the 2 episodes its the rating for only first day day 1st half of the episode got 6.9 while the other half got 8 percent i dont think its bad rating at all. And shouldnt we wait a few more episodes before passing judgement
What’s with the YWJ hate? If you don’t like it don’t bother but there are a lot of sanctimonious comments. Plus posters who seem to be patting themselves on the back as if they are tv critics who can influence drama ratings.
If it is over the top it was intentional and I actually like the premier episode. No need for pretentious plots and a cast who can’t act. The ratings were decent in the days of under 10% ratings.
I have zero interests in the other 2 dramas plots. And will see if aftee ep 10 or something.
Have been anticipating thia drama for months.
You have zero interest in Kim Rae Won and Yoo Seung Ho? The 2 best actors in the entire industry. What the hell is wrong with you?
lol what is wrong with you? just because they are great means people have to watch all their dramas? if thats the case their drama will have 50% ratings or smth. also, the word best is debatable. delusional.
der are kdrama viewers who have zero interest in der drama actually, most of my fren wasnt interested in der drama and cant even recall der names, i have to remind dem the names and tell them what drama they did in the past,
Then Yeon Woo Jin must not even be an existence for them.
@laboum4 remember me wasnt even in sbs yearend award, and they dont know him too but they do know marriage not dating drama,
and i do agree ratings of ruler shld atleast reach 20 if he is that famous, regardless of the story, and both ruler and kings love are promoted by mbc so no excuses.
@Llyanne Remember won 2 awards at SBS year end and YSH won an excellence award for it. Your friends are ignorant.
TKL didn’t even touch 10 it was never a competition. Ruler was very popular in Korea so was Remember and every movie YSH has ever done.
@yippie some ifans dont exactly knows the drama, it maybe popular in korea, im just saying der are kdrama fans who dont know dem, not everybody knows dem, and its not surprising that my frens dont know him,
Er YSH is a good actor just don’t like his drama choices.
But to label them the best actors in the industry is nuts. You clearly don’t watch a drama that has a good plot, great axtors, good OST and smooth editing and lighting.
I am not talking about Nothing to lose now but to equate KRW and and YSH as the best in the entire industry shows your viewing history.
That’s why I rarely comment on this blog. Fyi I watch Kdramas and movies and when I want entertainment I watch what I like. However been irritating reading Nothing to lose and YWJ ( even though I am not a massive fan ) being bashed every time an article comes out. It’s only the 1st episode. And to label a drama a failure just because it has him is just totally illogical. And childish.
It’s radicilus
I feel like i am reading a comic of comedy genre
I cannot understand why the characters react in that way
The first 2 episodes are over the top everyone is saying the same thing.
First two episodes were over the top, bordering on the ridiculous. The ratings for the first two episodes were quite good, considering that most dramas these days fare the same, and barely make the 10% margin. If the PD wants to gain more viewers or retain his audience, then he needs to cut down on the theatrics and focus on telling a genuinely moving story that will resonate with viewers. The drama has great actors, an unbelievable cast, it’s the editing and writing, I have a problem with.
Is it me or there is a sudden wave of negative comments about YWJ, trying desperately to compare him to YSH, all written in the same tone and style like they are written by the same person disguised under multiple nicknames?
YWJ is such an underrated actor. Both him and Park Eun Bin deserve better than this boring drama.
Yes, I feel they’re intentionally picking up a fight.It’s an article about YWJ, not about YSH. But all the talk is about YSH and his star power and how mediocre is YWJ as an actor. Are they really a fan of YSH ? Because most of his articles don’t get commented that much (the latest ones) and I don’t see their names in the comments. They’re just haters disguising as YSH fans
I agree with you. The consistency of style, tone, and rhetoric makes me think that this is the work of one person with multiple usernames. It’s one thing for people to casually observe that YWJ isn’t a ratings draw and predict that YSH’s drama will probably fare better in the ratings when it premieres (which I think will probably happen), it’s another for “multiple” users to say YWJ is insignificant and YSH will crush his drama over and over again in all the recent articles featuring either actor. The persistence borders on obsessiveness, which is surprising since I don’t think YWJ is popular (or notorious) enough to have active haters.
Yeah agree.I think we have a troll here with an inferiority complex???.Or maybe its another parasitic shipper who is angry that Park Eun Bin is working with another guy not her OTP.I heard PEB and YSH have worked together a couple of times.I remember “operation proposal”.I never actually noticed that YSH and YWJ are competing in the same slot again?.Next time they need to work together in a bromance or something?.
Man, Yeon Woo Jin hate in this thread is mind blowing… And To compare it with Yo Seung Ho’s acting ? Well since I’m not a fan of YSH’s acting.
Is everyone on here commenting drunk or something? All these weird comments with the knives out for YWJ.
Im not a fan of YWJ but the hatred in here is just too much. I think he’s one of the actors who needs to recycle their career like what lee dong wook did in Goblin. Being 2nd in the popular drama. Despite some people said goblin was meh bla bla but it got many recognition when it was airing.
Some people pretend to be YSH’s fans. I like him but his latest projects were just not my cup of tea. But i know he, himself has that ‘it’ factor. So, probably, people will watch his drama or Kim Rae Wook’s. Krw has that ‘it’ factor too. Most of his dramas got high rating. And his female lead got lucky working with ‘high’ rating actors. She got high rating dramas by working with ‘permanent’ high rating actor. But got low rating when she was working with a nugu not really nugu actor.
I personally prefer YSH, cuz i also like his female lead. But YJW’s female lead is also pretty good.
Gonna give it a try later.
My bad, i mean kim rae won*
@Dilboy,@Gabby,@Humbug,@Jim85-I have a question for you. Why do you watch K-dramas?
1. Is it because you have different genres to choose from?
2. Is it because you enjoy a well written, well directed and very well acted out piece of entertainment?
3. Is it because you enjoy a good performance put forward by the acting cast, even with a rubbish plotline and awful directing?
4. Is it because you can connect to the drama, its characters and their story in an emotional level-even if the plot, directing and acting is lacking?
5. Is it because the drama is aesthetically pleasing (gorgeous settings, clothes, good looking cast, lovely OST etc.)?
6. Is it because you are a die hard fan of a particular actor/actress/idol/singer?
None of these reasons require you to pit against one actor (ex-YWJ) against another (ex-YSH) and come up with blanket statements like “YWJ is going to have a failed drama”.Now something like “YWJ had a face frozen like a block of ice so I couldn’t even tell what he was supposed to be conveying at this particular scene” would be a fair way of criticizing. Don’t you think so?
If you are truly, madly, deeply fangirling, then why the need to malicious bash another actor? Just go praise your bias to high heaven.Say “YSH has the most soulful eyes ever” or even “Damn my oppa is hot in every.single.shot”. We all do accept that even a “crappy ” actor deserves much fangirl love.
Finally, if you must compare two actors, please be more respectful. Its fine if you dislike one, its entirely a personal preference, but please remember all actors (including YWJ and YSH) work their butts off because acting is their profession. It is very disrespectful to speak of hard working people in such a manner!Even if you are a middle schooler (or very young) you should be aware of that.
I just think there are trolls on YWJ’s articles honestly on this drama.
This level of bashing takes time and effort. I wonder how old they are or how mature. In a objective way, it is bizzare reading those commmwnts. It has reached a level of immaturity that it has become like watching an oncoming train crash. That be some really unhappy Kdrama fan out there. Who should be supporting their pppas but spend time on NTL.
Better not comment further.
You are so right @Ck1Oz. They sure have a lot of energy and time to waste! Koala’s play ground have been one of the clean, decent K drama blogs that have been around for close to 10 years, so I have much respect and love for Ms Koala. I have witnessed an uprise of very toxic behaviour recently in this blog (as well as in Soompi and Dramabeans) dragging the quality of the commentary gallery. Just wish more people would pitch in for meaningful, fun comments discussions here to drown out those tantrum throwing toddlers 🙁
They are probably one person who is leading a very, very sad and pathetic life
Eh most of the rating’s this second half of the year have been tragic. The biggest public broadcast hits were Defendant and Whisper this year and they were both legal dramas. Witch’s Court is the only one getting decent ratings at least.
I watched an episode of this drama it wasn’t that bad but I prefer Witch’s Court.
The preview where she throws off her robe and jumps over the table is really off putting and puts the womens empowerment movement back 100 years. Aside from the fact that she is too young to be a judge, her fit is perpetuating the stereotype that women cant hold positions of power because they will become ‘hysterical’. I havnt seen the show yet, I’m hoping this scene is an imagination sequence.
Unfortunately, that scene was not an imagination sequence, and I found it VERY off-putting. This is one of those times when the writing is so ridiculous, I bypass getting upset at the character and direct all my disdain at the writer. But a lot of k-dramas greatly exaggerate one or both of the leads’ flaws in the beginning, then turn them into “normal” people as the drama goes on, so I’m hoping it’ll get better from here on out.
I like YWJ, and I adore PEB and Dongha, so I’m not jumping ship yet.
With the amount of hate YWJ is getting you’d think he’d killed someone. While You Were Sleeping which was so hyped up to be the next big thing and with a Hallyu star and and popular idol couldn’t even break 10% even without the competing drama. My Sassy Girl with Joowon, who has been a consistent ratings magnet since forever failed to surpass a slice-of-life-drama.Legend of the blue sea with JJH and LMH couldn’t even surpass 20% which is below expectations. So why are people so adamant that it’s all star power that contributes to the success of a drama because it’s not it.People tend to take interest in dramas if there are popular stars but star power could only get a drama so far.An exceptional cast and a good script and make people stay.
And everyone who thinks YWJ is a medirocre actor is smoking pot
I watched episode 1,2 and yes they were over the top. I am quite a crazy one myself but i just cant imagine why the female chararacter reacted that way and she was not even on drugs. I was just laughing through out the drama of the ridiculous things happen in a court thinking if it supposed to be a sitcom.
I watched the first episodes and the writing is so weak. I like the cast with PEB, Dongha and YWJ so I will see where the plot is going. I would have dropped it already if I didn’t like the cast.
I don’t know why you are talking about YSH here. I like his acting and his cute smile but I literally dropped every drama he was the lead. I don’t like his projects so I am not sure about the robot plot neither.