SBS and KBS Swap Ratings Lead with New Mon-Tues Sageuk Dramas From Last Doctor Drama Showdown
The Korean three major networks swap pole positions all the time with drama ratings but it’s especially funny to see the swap happen in two direct head-to-head showdowns. SBS won the Mon-Tues ratings during the summer with the neurosurgery Doctors, while KBS‘s own medical brain surgeon drama Beautiful Mind was such a ratings down that it even got cut short in ratings. The general views was that Doctors was okay to watch but BM qualitatively better except it never hooked the domestic viewers interest.
With the medical dramas done, now KBS and SBS is going head-to-head again with sageuk dramas and now the ratings leads have diametrically swapped. KBS is winning the ratings battle and this Monday’s episode 5 ratings for Moonlight Drawn By Clouds rose another 2.9% to 19.3%, while SBS’s Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart: Ryeo (Bobogyungsim: Ryeo) fell yet another for episode 4 ending in 5.4% after another 1.6% drop. It’s a perfect switch from when Doctors was doing around 19% ratings and BM clinging onto 5%.
I continue to love both K-Bu Bu Jing Xin and Moonlight, and truth be told I think the lighter and fluffier Moonlight shouldn’t be getting such high ratings while the darker and meatier K-BBJX definitely should be getting at least low double digits in viewers. With that said, Moonlight is selling the OTP cuteness and sweetness while Lee Jun Ki is singlehandedly carrying K-BBJX in my eyes and doing so amazing the drama feels like a tribute to his decade long sageuk acting bravura.
Both were meh tbh, but Moonlight has better cast with better acting skill
Could be just timings. This year – DOTS, Doctors, Moonlight – all are more light and easy-breezy. So maybe thats the flavour of the year.
Sucks for Moon lovers because the show is slowly becoming FAN-TAS-TIC!!!
Hug to the actors who are probably feeling very low. Fighting!
tbh Moon Lovers is bad, beside LJK and KHN, with the typical saeguk wanna be king story we’ve seen over and over
and when you said Moonlight is light and breezy, yeah story about a weak political crown prince that want to become king with enough 1st love and humour just a typical saeguk with very good acting in all places that fitted and make people care about them,
at least in moonlight, the male lead has torturous childhood when the dad abandoned him inside the palace, mom leaves him and he need to live like a puppet and yet managed to become a good and nice guy, still humorous and not broody like the 4th prince,
oh wait in the chinese ver, 4th prince also a gentleman to the girl in their meeting and really hurt by his mom obvious rejection
see . . . I can make the point obvious when you start seeing it with calm heart ala lee young and not the suffered injured fate ala Wang So (not the lovable misfit wang so jang hyuk, but the injure one by LJK_great acting thought but the plot can be boring and overused)
I don’t understand what the crap you even wrote about.
It’s fine that you love Moonlight but to compare the character of Lee Young with 4th Prince Wang So is ridiculous. Both just share the similarities over tumultuous childhood but the surrounding is different. Obviously you didn’t watch Moon Lovers to understand why Wang So is how he is – the pain suffered by Lee Yeon is no where as brutal as the one experienced by Wang So.
And 4th Prince in C-version is based on real life figure of Yongzheng and since they adapt to suit the Korean history, the character is based on the real life figure of Wang So whom is known as a king who created the atmosphere of fear within his political realm and during his reign.
And in term of political struggle and battle of the throne, this plot is almost everywhere in saeguk. So, don’t complain about it.
See, I can also point the weakness of Moonlight if I wish to do so but there is no point for that since ones can choose to love and enjoy whatever they want.
Having said that, I agree with Koala. She said it like a pro. Moon Lovers certainly does not deserve such low ratings. The hatred and negativity implanted is too much to bring the drama down when actually the show isn’t half as bad. I enjoy it to the core.
what are you saying 4th prince intense trauma is not even close to Moonlight. He has been put in a wild wold hole to be eaten. No wonder he is a brutal and damage as he is now
I find scarlet lover quite amazing so far.And I would be looking forward to it from now on.It is true that qualitatively the drama is better than moonlight.And the story has more narratives in running ..which is more rich in content IMO.But this year audience have been brutal to some really quality drama..And it’s sad to see moon lovers is fairing so poorly.I felt the same for BM too.Only the difference is KBS itself was quite indifferent to its own drama and pulled the plug out then and there like a step mom.So I would rather that they didn’t get the buzz worthy drama again.Also it sucks that even after there are so many detailed handling of scarlet’s production..they are not receiving the deserved credit.Though at least it’s doing better in China..so it’s not going away unnoticed.
@Alexa
no I don’t want to bad mouthing 4th prince but they both have their own scar, character wise ,they deal with their scar differently,
people easily warmed up to lee young because they show his compassionate side and 4th prince should just live and go free if he wants to be happy, but not he choose to emotionally scar and choose the brutality, it helps by LJK acting, but the narrative? it never show once with only with the burned scene, we never see his past, and just when I said that lee young has mental scarred people would flock to said nooo without knowing that the execution is the context, not your interpretation by you history googled,
it’s about the execution
– both is typical
– both is emotionally scarred
but to claim Moon Lovers is fantastic is the same reach as saying MDBC is just bright,
it’s not crap when you didn’t replied any point about my opinion,
Wang So choose to be brutal, Lee Young choose to be looked down upon and be called poop-prince,
just like Yong-zheng said “make the best out of it”
they both had the same ingredient but MDBC execute it better than ML, that’s my point,
so funny to see a big bugdet show fans said that people have a prejudice against ML without saw the flaw in it, people give it a choice and there’s a reason why it flop or gonna be remembered as rated flop
MDBC is not perfect but it used what they have.
and addiction : I am not fan of both,
MDBC is too young for me and SC is too dramatic like everything is for emotional scarred to the max without context,
but even I can see how ML and MDBC get those rating
Dena, its amazing that you are not a fan of either show yet so much time posting multiple times on an article about them. So please drop the neutral act. Its obvious that you love moonlight. Fair enough. Your choice. But why drag the other show through the mud to make your point?
In answer to your original comment, One can reduce any story to its basic plot and call it unoriginal and boring and overused. By similar standards, moonlight is nothing but the done-to-death gender bender. You can hardly find one original scene in the show that don’t litter this genre. The idea that you find the childhood of the two leads comparable on any level is laughable but then others have already pointed that out.
@kdramacrazy,
no I like to criticise IU and LJK drama when it’s not good, I’ve seen their fans defended them so much and I finally find the right time when I agree with the criticism and I happen to watched both,
the hype intrigued me,
don’t have any affiliation with PBG, just realised it sounds like it,
even if SC korean version winning the rating, I still write the same
I seriously think @Dena has no idea what the crap she actually wrote.
She wants the chracterization of 4th Prince Wang So in ML to be similar as Lee Young in MDBC. And went on about a hurt puppy that should not be all angsty? Wth? So,you are saying that how ones handle trauma should be standardized? So hurt puppy shouldn’t mind being refer to as poop prince and shouldn’t go on a killing spree?
How they dramatized the 4th Prince character is up to them, may not suit your preference but I am liking it more than the pouty poop prince.
And I doubt that ML underperformed because of this characterization.
@dena: you can love all of you want of Moonlight in fact I’m watching Moonlight right now. However it doesn’t captured my emotion and my feelings but gonna still watch if i have time. The problemm is it repeated. I have seen there. But it is presented in a fresh, great acting, directing and editing all that has a recipe for success. Congrats to the team. I have critisized Moon Lover for how many occasion but for me Moon Lover is more watachble since maybe I want to know where they bring the drama where as Moonlight we can already guess what happen. I dislike IU’s acting but I can’t feel KYJ acting as well and the plot seem predictable for instance, how CP keep involved her exams, and how suppose she can ran from the palace but CP is everywhere and she can run if she wanted and dressed as a woman but the lot said otherwise. Also when she presented a blank paper it is more noticeable. The cliche plot again and again.
There is no great or smart writing just a fluffy, fun romcom in saeguk dress and good if lots of people enjoyed it. It just don’t try to compare with 4th prince misery in ML that no matter I dislike the brutality his brutal treatment and what happen to him cannot even be compared with the CP in Moonlight plus the drama set in Garyeo. So enjoy what you wanna enjoy.
@Dena
“No I like to criticize IU and LJK drama when it’s not good. I’ve seen their fans defended them so much and I finally find the right time when I agree with the criticism and I happened to watched both”
When you made that comment, my impression is that you are a narcissistic.
@OMG
thanks for the character analysation (I guess this is how I will improve my narcissistic trait)
I find the timing is just fit, I got holiday and I get to watch drama to have impression, then the I see lot of angry ML comment which sounds so funny after I watch the drama,
I’m gonna stop replied but ML fans is really dedicated narcisisstic too for all of their defends, they brag all the time for not related thing just to make their drama worth more, even in Reddit, good comment got +3 one day and turn -10 the next day, don’t know if that person deleted the comment or not,
to be fair it’s okay but just don’t go overboard, people like me get intrigued by the facade (search on narcissitic trait is helping thought)
the fact that is slowly becoming good is the issue, when it should have beeen like that from the start to hook the viewers
Well to tell you the truth I was keenly waiting for both dramas to be released. Since moonlight released first , I started watching it. And waited for moon lovers , but then moon lovers aired and let me tell you the difference that I felt watching the two dramas. MDBC is a light fluff drama that anyone can watch with a light heart and can be dropped easily . while in case of ML, when i started watching it i was drawn into it, it has such a charm that makes one curious to know what will happen next unlike MDBC ( which I felt) . It got me hooked up. And eventually since I am a busy person so I had to choose Moon lovers over MDBC ( no offence) because i just can’t stop thinking about it. In case of MDBC everything is so straight while in ML the things are topsy turvy and it makes one cringe and curious to know what will happen next.
Side note: I’ve never watched any IU dramas ( and her acting was good, i mean , there was no need to criticize her THAT much !! :/) before neither did I watch any of the other actors’s dramas :p i have watched only kang ha neul’s to the beautiful you. I am not new to k-drama or kpop, I just don’t get time for recreation being a busy bee. But this drama MOON LOVERS has made me cling onto it and so its my comeback to K-drama :p because for about 3 years i stopped keeping track of kpop and kdrama. Kpop is still on hault though.
* I’M ONLY WATCHING THIS DRAMA BECAUSE THIS DRAMA IS THIS DRAMA AND NO OTHER DRAMA CAN TAKE ITS PLACE. STAR STUDDED CAST , IU , LEE JUNKI ( he’s new to me and whatta man he is ? I didn’t know about him until the first episode aired, WELL i didn’t know any of the cast though!! I’m innocent guys) EVEN KANG HA NEUL is NOT my reasons to watch this drama.
I hope i explained myself clearly to everyone.*
I find Mooonlight more entertaining and understandable cause the plot flow smoothly and the acting fitted,
Moon lovers is like the grand shot for everything without proper build up to care about the character,
LJK and KHN give enough with acting to feel it but the narrative is just weird,
and Hae soo has no purpose except to give wise word here and there that somehow touch the prince heart because the plot said so
What you said is your feeling talking.We can’t just take this as statement TBH.
Well put. I agree completely.
Currently watching Dont Dare to Dream and it is super good esp ep 4, I cant wait for ep 5…
Wow sorry wrong thread, I dont read, I think this is CPI index, sorry guys 🙂
I think Moonlight deserve 30 % rating, good casts, good story 🙂 I am waiting Guirella Date from Bo Gum, ^^ and seriously IU is hopeless at acting! Lol
Did you even watch the show? IU is doing fine. She is nowhere near LJK’s level (and honestly given his vast saguek experience, few youngsters are) but she is nowhere near hopeless
Yes I am, and you what? It so blech! I just try to watch 1 ep for Jun Ki sake (because I like him)
did we watch the same drama?
IU with LJK on the rock scene, can her acting get any worse?
i cringed at her facial expressions throughout
and people kept saying she’s decent lollll
@KdramaaCrazy
She is free to think that way as such (after all to this sort of judgement is based on preference and is totally subjective) as how I think Moonlight is overrated in term of the ratings.
I know she is free to think any way but if you are going to compare the shows, at least have some semblance of coherence.
“IU is hopeless at acting! LOL” doesn’t sound like much of an informed opinion
similar to how i think moon lovers isnt as fantastic/amazing as many of the fans make it out to be
OMG… really? IU level never same with Lee Jun Ki!!! What the heck..! Stop comparing so so singer with the real actor.
Then why people always say SH doing well in Chinese market? I believe if Park Yoo Chun make a drama come back in China it will be hit too, LOL!
I think you must not be watching the same drama because she IS decent. There are a lot of scenes she’s really good in, like her scene with Lady Hae in episode 5 is one of the best of the series yet. And she’s entertaining. She’s not as good as Hanuel or Junki but those two are insanely accomplished actors.
A good actress has to be versatile. People always defend her saying she is good in emotional acting, but that’s pretty much it – she is decent. But she is mad awkward in other scenes.
And is it even good enough to be decent when her leading men are “insanely accomplished”? The audience can clearly see the gap in abilities.
No offence meant but god that camera angle for LJK’s in the last picture is weird. He looks like he’s carrying a magic wand than a sword. His whole action scene was very fast- paced and attention drawing I didn’t even pay attention to this scene. Yet it does say something about this PD. Well, not like I hold the writer in any better regard either.
I hope the ratings will improve. It’s kind of painful to see when LJK is acting his heart out. KHN & he are the gems of this show. IU comes close, but I don’t have strong feelings toward her acting either way.
Argh! The zoom in and then zoom out didn’t get slightly better in ep4 of SH. I just can’t take the editing seriously any more. The directing/editing ruined a could-be super melo-romantic sageuk. And I couldn’t help laughing at each super close up as if I were forced to examine actors’ skin pores and makeup through magnifying glass. LOL
I’m not so critical of IU’s acting. Her expressions convey her emotions effectively to me. But I try to understand why Knetizens particularly picked on her. Could that be her modern tomboyish voice or are her looks not classical enough? The actress in the C version is indeed famed for her classy appearance and the voice was dubbed beautifully even she blurted out funny slang of modern Chinese in the 21st century.
Seriously, if LJK reprises another sageuk again next time, I may just skip. He should get out of this genre for a while even he’s been doing all his best and already has got the hang of it.
I agree. This has all the potentials to be a hit, not specific to any country really, but while it is well-loved (and I’m glad it is), the viewing experience has been ruined for me afa filming and editing is concerned. I swear I could even hear the ‘vrrr’ sound clicking in my head when the zoom-in happened, just like when I did the zoom-in myself on my old-fashioned Canon digital camera lol.
I don’t have any problem with IU’s look or voice, tbh. I also find her acting effective, though what I meant when saying I don’t have strong feelings either way is more like my acknowledgement that she’s not on par with her sunbaes who are LJK and KHN, but the three of them are surely the saving grace of this show for me. I actually feel bad for her because the writing and editing don’t seem to provide such a focus and nice flow to her character’s development at this point (but I hope this will change in the future). I guess this might add oil to the already furious flame, because many can blame the character’s lack of consistency on the acting. Not fair, I know, but hate is blind.
Then there is also a possible factor that is all this political thing going on between Korea and China. So even more to add to the already overwhelming plate.
IU with lee jun ki on rock scene
those facial expressions of hers
she might excel in emotional scenes when she cries w/ those pretty eyes of hers
but when she has to act any other emotion, she flops hard
no wonder knetz are so critical of her acting
Before starting Moonlight I knew I would enjoy the fluffiness but had accepted that it most likely wouldn’t fare well in the ratings battle. What a major surprise it has turned out to be in both quality and ratings. It’s lovely and tugs at the heartstrings. I’ve found myself thoroughly invested in all the characters. The leads are doing great selling the sweet romance. Good job Moonlight team! It’s definitely turning out to be a winner for me so far.
Thing is, there’s a huge acting gap between LJK/KHN and IU/the other princes. Both male leads are so committed to their roles that it’s jarring when IU shares the screen and doesn’t have that same commitment. LJK (and KHN) carrying the show while the rest aren’t pulling their own weight is a major reason why it’s just not attracting a wider audience.
Moonlight on the other hand, has an excellent cast that elevates its cliched script. You’ve seen it a million times before, but it’s somehow sweet and fresh.
Moonlight also have a better directing and editing. The music and the scenery are pretty so a lot of people love to watch it. Many people drop SH because ep 1&2 are not good.
Yeah, the overwhelmingly negative first impressions pretty much killed SH’s chances. I personally wondered about the PD’s haphazard editing/music choices, but I heard they’re much better now. I’ve decided to put the series on the backburner for now and will marathon it once it’s done just so I can be sure I’ll watch the best/final version in case the prod team makes further re-edits.
Yes, me too. I decided to drop it and will see later if i will continue or not. Because i watch to many drama right now: W, Moonlight and Dont dare to dream. And as international fans, we can just enjoy the drama because we cannot do anything to rating.
Oohh we’re watching the same dramas! Are you me? lol
No.. i can guarantee we’re not same person, just same preverence.. lol.. Yes, too much drama when time is so little. Plus i still must watch PU 38 for seo in guk..
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I can’t say much about Moon Lovers as I dropped it. But for Moonlight Drawn By Clouds I can say it definitely deserves the ratings as it combines good acting, fluffiness with a good – not great – but definitely engaging story, good characters (who are layered) played by an awesome cast. Also the production looks high-quality and overall the cast and crew looks like they’re having fun even though to achieve the good look is hard work.
Again I’m not here saying Moon Lover doesn’t deserve high ratings as well because I can’t judge about that anymore. But to say MDBC doesn’t is a bit much, ockoala.
I think it’s not so much about MDBC not deserving high ratings as it is about whether MDBC deserves the kind of ratings it gets in comparison to ML i.e. more than thrice the rating (since this is necessarily comparative, one has to go down for the other to go up). I’ve seen both and I too believe the same, that it doesn’t, because both dramas are pretty great and there isn’t such a vast difference in them or their quality as the ratings would suggest.
@Z: The thing is you and many people tend to view ratings as indicative of quality while they actually are indicative of taste or preference. 100 people liking a drama doesn’t mean it is better or equal in quality with a drama with only 20 loyal viewers.
So when it comes to preference/ taste/ liking, you can’t say something deserves to be liked more than something else. If, for example, you like Jack and don’t have a feeling for Joe, should someone convince you to break up with Jack because Joe deserves to be liked more?
Sorry for the childish analogy but there we go. Ratings are not in themselves rewards (though benefits that come afterwards may be) for quality. The Korean audience has every right to watch whatever they like. Why should we be concerned about their personal taste?
Is anyone having trouble posting. I keep trying to reply to a comment and it does not show up. but single line comments show up
This happened when I wrote more lines too.
Ok trying again one more time:
dena
if you reduce any story to its basics then there are probably 10 original plots in the world. The same way i can say moonlight is a typical gender bender or yah! want to become a worthy king we have seen countless times. Or which of the humour do you find original? Its the same scenes I have seen in every cross dressing story. I find the plot in moonlight completely boring and overused and being jerked around for 20 episodes with ‘is he going to discover she is a girl’ is pretty childish to me
And if you did watch ML you would know that that it is set in different times. More brutal. more warrior rather than scholar kings and princes. The setting is completely different from both the C-version and moonlight. So the violence is a reflection of those times and the 4th prince is a not a monster nor broody just for the sake of being broody. Also in moonlight, the prince was ignored and left alone. Whereas in ML the prince was not only ignored by family but was tortured and hunted since he was a child. He was and is treated like an animal, not a person. Big difference
The truth is fans of any high rating drama can use those high ratings to justify their show’s superiority but i can name a hundred good shows than sank at ratings and hundred average shows that were rating leaders. Moonlight may be good, lots of people like it, but its hardly flawless or omg! best thing ever.
nah honestly I want to justify ML bad rating than Moonlight high rating,
I don’t see it as flawless, I write 1st above that they are really typical
but ML just doing everything bad and wrong way and their fans glorified the painful hero as the best hero when he didn’t have proper build up for the story,
underdog rating tries all the way to justified their mistreatment when the actor is popular but never see why it maybe because it all happen in wrong time with wrong execution, ofc the high rating is more fanservice for ahjumma than 8 half naked gorgeous prince
Moonlight is such a domestic success. Not internationally. Success of a drama cannot be judged by Korean rating alone. I don’t feel too much for rating either.
Well, Moonlight is only available so far on KBS World and Viki. It will probably find a solid international fanbase – which it already has based on what I’m seeing – once international streaming/airing rights have been secured. Moon Lovers, otoh, has already been pre-sold hence its immediate availability to huge markets such as China.
Actually these days its not about TV airing rights anymore. A lot of viewers internationally watch the shows online a day after the korean airing. If its not making a buzz on the online mediums, terrestrial broadcast 3-4 months down the road won’t make a difference. I think the irony is that which Korea is busy crucifying IU, rest of the world watching Moonlight is still not quite taken with Kim Yoo Jung and Park Bo Gum as of yet. Its market specific, even after Reply 1988 was sold to China and there was some media play on how popular it was, PBG’s fame there is still so-so.
I agree that online views should be taken into account when measuring a drama’s success, but in this case the primary investors and target audience are Koreans. If a drama fails to gain ground with the target audience, it’s a loss to the investors. I’m happy Moon Lovers is getting its dues online and in China (which is also a major investor/audience) but it doesn’t lessen the fact that Moonlight is a resounding success with the primary audience. Also, international fans have had nothing but praises for KYJ and PGM so far. It’s not at DotS levels (which is very rare IMO) but reception to Moonlight so far has been very warm. Korean online buzz is nothing to sneeze at either, with it being tagged as the most influential drama by CPI score.
It is actually interesting how international audience’s reception and domestic’s reception differs a lot. Apart from the large viewership internationally, the drama been receiving so much praises but bashed to the core in its homeground. May be all those huge investment meant actually to cater for international market idk.
For ML, the main investors are NBC Universal (US), YG Entertainment and SBS. The show was sold to China for USD 6million (20 episodes – 300K USD each episode) which has already recouped the full investment and this is not including the real time broadcast deal with Sony Pictures released through its SONE channel and ASTRO in Malaysia. This also does not include its US rights which is done with Dramafever under subscription basis and all these are even before the terrestrial deals are signed. I think SBS can safely forgo the domestic ads which are USD3-5K for a 30sec slot 5 minutes prior to broadcast (usually 8-10 spots) – Thats only 1 million in returns for the whole series even if they book ZERO ads slots at all. ML is a money generator from day 1. Low ratings in Korea will not dent ML in anyway – just feel bad for the artistes especially LJK thats all. His dramas have not too well lately and this would be have a confidence booster for him
@marjorie That’s great news for Moon Lovers! I do hope SBS/the production team makes sure the next episodes are as polished as they can be. I love Moonlight and I think the love that drama is getting is well-deserved, but I want LJK and KHN to succeed especially since ML is such a high profile project.
The rest of the world is not watching Moon Lovers. It has some built in popularity because of the original version and was sold already because it was pre-produced. Moonlight was not sold anywhere else so obviously it’s not going to to have a huge following around the world yet. It has a solid international fandom (and growing).
I bet Bogum’s fame skyrockets soon enough. And Moon Lovers is a massive dissapointment. Stop kidding yourself.
Both MDBC and SH are available on several online streaming sites such as newAsianTV etc. So far on mewAsianTV for example, SH’s viewership ranks higher than MDBC. From the domestic success of DotS and Doctors down to MDBC but look at how popular SH among i viewers, I can’t help but think Korean audience does prefer cheesy and fluffy dramas more. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy watching both MDBC and SH. My fave this year so far is still DotS and I quit watching Doctors after ep6. So I reached the above deduction simply based off my observation, not my preference.
@mel, I’m not sure what you mean by the rest of the world, but Moon Lovers is definitely being watched in Asia, since it’s being simulcast in China, HK, Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore, and it has been sold to Japan. And the West is watching via Dramafever.
@Zel
Who exactly is ML a massive disappointment for? Because the show is pretty great and inspires some heated discussions and even people who were turned off by the weird editing of the first two episodes are fully on board now because it’s intense and interesting. So stop kidding yourself that your opinion reflects the rest of the world when the views, comments, etc., all say otherwise.
as I see lots of Int-fans welcome moonlight, rate it better than SC,
SC got flack a lot and benefitted from we known actor/actress and kpop fandome,
which mean MDBC doing good on his own scale,
also SC riding the original internet popularity which is a darling by the internet
@Mel, Tell me what other korean dramas being watched all over the world. The closest one I can think of is Dae Jang Geum. Credits is given when credits is due. It deserves the credits for doing well outside korea. It obviously dissapointing to you but not necessarily to others. And everyone is entitled to rejoice even for those achievement that you or others care not about. Stop feeling that others have to see through you pessimistic point of view.
umm, its also popular internationally, obviously not china since i dont think the rights are sold there, though i have seen it in the top most looked forward show through a screencap, im not sure which poll it was. but from looking online moonlight is quite evidently popular, so its doing well both internationally and domestically
Moon Lovers is doing really well internationally though. I’m sad that they got such low ratings in Korea, though I agree the zooming in scenes is a little awkward… And I can’t take Baekhyun and Jisoo seriously.
Lee Jun Ki on the other hand is magnificent. He just slays at sageuk dramas
I beg to differ. I’m not sold on Kim Yoo Jung as the female lead. She’s a great actress and all but I just can’t pinpoint why I don’t feel her. Its not even their chemistry which has been ok. I think its just the fact that she’s too young and her portrayal just comes off as good acting rather than character immersion. Compared to Sungkyunkwan Scandal which Park Min Young owned the role, theres still a stretch imo for her to become a solid lead. PBG however is a different story. I can’t wait for him to do a solid noona romance with an A-list actress that will carry his career further. On the other end, I’m really loving ML. I’m so engaged in the story and kept on re-watching certain scenes that I can’t even bring myself to watch Moonlight after, so will marathon it over the weekend instead. Theres so much storytelling that I find Moonlight boring in comparison. Different strokes for different folks I guess. Korea should not be the yardstick to measure what is a quality production. The rating of 5.4% calls the drama bad but china ML already hit 500mil viewers and the rest of Asia, ML is No.1 as well throughout South East Asia. The poorly rated “Winter Sonata” domestically was responsible for creating the Hallyu and mended diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan. It has gone on to make its leads superstars. If poor domestically and rich internationally is the quotient to what carries on the hallyu wave, then I say Moon Lovers is in very good company in the way its tracking.
tbh I think PMY is not good either, before in skk or even now
different strokes – different folks. I think she’s amazing in SKK
wow you are too harsh and opinionated
When was winter sonata poorly rated domestically. It was a phenomenon when it was shown locally as well as overseas.
In early 2000s – ratings below 25% was considered so-so and definitely not a hit. That was the era where Daejungeum did 47% and Starway to heaven did 37% on average. Out of the seasons dramas – Autumn in my Heart was the only bonafide hit – averaging 38.6%, Winter Sonata’s rating at 23.1% was a certified bomb since it came after Autumn. Subsequently, Spring Waltz and summer scent did even worse. Thats why when Winter Sonata took japan and Asia by storm outdoing Autumn by leaps and bounds, Koreans were shocked at the reception as well and Asia’s fascination at a drama deemed “so-so”. WS single handedly created the Hallyu wave paving to the export of the content globally today.
highest rating was 28.8. Not too bad. But it definitely was more successful in Japan.
YJ is not too young. I read somewhere her character is 16/17 years old same as her age. At first i also didnot like YJ too much, just so-so, but in episode 3&4 she is quite good.
from dae jang geu, full house, you are beautiful and to DOTS, domestic rating can give secure success,
can’t believe you compare in aired SC with the not aired Moonlight in Youku,
tbh I find the criticism for SC is on point this whole time
What SC are you referring to?
Moonlight is already online in China. Just google and see it for yourself. Just to through official channels
*Not through official channels
the korean version , Monnlight hasn’t passed the review board to be aired in the official channel,
and there’s a lot of buzzed for moonlight if you go for not-official-channel when int-fans watch, even when they never ever intended to be good in i-fans,
SC-Kor ver rating is actually make people check MDBC like I did and I think it deserve to be win
the korean version , Monnlight hasn’t passed the review board to be aired in the official channel,
and there’s a lot of buzzed for moonlight if you go for not-official-channel when int-fans watch, even when they never ever intended to be good in i-fans,
SC-Kor ver rating is actually make people check MDBC like I did and I think it deserve to be winn
@dena, Based on the current situation in China, I wonder if Moonlight will get to air on official channel.
Winter Sonata ratings was mid-high range while Scarlet Heart is low ratings. Of course they are different story. SH is pretty popular in China-Youku but still not sure for other countries. However, it’s true that low ratings in Korea doesn’t mean flop in the overseas. Healer was low ratings but well accepted internationally. Same goes with some dramas such Kill Me Heal Me or Love Rain. So, depends on the aim of team production. If they aim international market, I still can say SH well accepted. And though Moonlight has high ratings but doesn’t mean it will get success internationally.
I wouldn’t say the 5.4% rating in anyway calls ML a bad drama. Just as I wouldn’t call BM or IRY/Hello Monster bad shows myself. It’s just not up to fans’ expectation for its domestic performance. That is all.
Low rating doesn’t make it a bad drama but it sure make it a flop… especially when it’s a preproduced drama
@EK: Isn’t it too early and pessimistic to consider ML a flop though? Monsters hasn’t ended. Things may look up and the fact that LJK was still cast for this high-budget project in the first place despite his previous sageuk not doing well rating-wise means that he is still acknowledged for his acting prowess and sought after.
I have a problem here, Scarlet Heart is a sort of good drama but both BM and IRY/Hello Monster belong to their own league and didn’t have piss poor acting by secondary cast, bad editing and misplace music after months of preparation. In fact, Jang Hyuk worked crazy hours after the scheduling conflict of BM and yet it delivered. It was a very heavy drama but pilot was fantastic and it kept getting so much better. Its completely unfair to BM and IRY to get compared to the sad mess that is SH just because of the ratings pattern. Sometimes ratings do reflect quality as is the case for Scarlet Heart. I will admit episode 4 was better but still not engaging enough.
@lea: Chill, mate, I didn’t even compare BM/IRY to ML in terms of quality. The point I want to make here is ratings don’t necessarily translate to quality. Whether one thinks SH deserves its current rating is again personal opinion. You’re free to think that SH deserves its current rating, but the fact that you’re having ‘problem’ with my attempt at downplaying the importance of ratings in one’s personal opinion and enjoyment of a drama (translates to: don’t get butthurt over Korean audience’s taste because if they’re not liking your show it doesn’t mean your fav show is bad. It is personal taste after all) probably means you have read too much into my writing.
To cut the long story short: I can list several dramas here as ‘good’ dramas. It doesn’t mean I rank them equally or even attempt to compare them. Peace.
Nobody cared about Park Min Young when SKK aired and they don’t care now.
They dont care? Well if its ALL ABOUT RATINGS from your other comments, her last drama with yoo seung ho did above 20%. Thats a ratings leader for you
i agree
KYJ does come across looking like a kid, i was put off by that as well especially when she’s in her eunuch outfit
but if you focus on her facial expressions and the way she delivers her lines, her acting is quite impressive for her age
@Chanelle, I’m not going against your comment since a lot of your points are just addressing your personal preference that may greatly differ from the majority of Moonlight fans. But your assertion that Winter Sonata’s popularity in Japan mended diplomatic relations between two countries are extremely comical, LOL, and…a bit hyperbole to me. It will be too naive to think that any serious diplomatic relations can be influenced by a TV drama. LOL again. Where did you get this information?
Im not sold to her yet. I’m on episode 3. She is too young and no matter how much experience on her belt
I totally agree with you. Also l believe KYJ is talented, especially in comparison with idol actresses. However, I feel her acting is routine lately because she plays the same good girl type of role. Whereas her peer actress Kim so hyun has played a variety of roles lately. Even PBG has really showed acting ability and was an amazing antagonist character in Remember Me. I mean KYJ does the job, but it doesn’t wow me anymore like she used to. On the other hand, I think some of the cast in Scarlet Heart have surprised me. Truthfully, I was upset to hear IU was casted as the lead. However, I think she is quite lovely in her portrayal so far. Her acting ability surprised me in episode 5. Also, I was not a fan of Nam Joo Hyuk either – he really fizzled out in School 2015 and was out acted by the other cast. However, he is doing well in SHR too. Therefore, I find myself enjoying SHR more because of these unexpected surprises…. Especially when I went in with low expectations.
Koala, These bashing click bait articles that you are doing is really sad honey. Is this the only way your blog can get views. Why not praise both shows and point out as to why Moon Lovers is not succeeding in the ratings which I truly believe has nothing to do with MoonLight Drawn By The Clouds. Focus on why Moon Lovers first episode was a hot mess with editing/directing problems, piss poor acting(excluding LJK and KHN),and awful background music. Moon Lovers was a pre production project that had major investments with months to their shit together, the fact they had to re-edit the first three episodes reeks a janky mess.
Then why fall for the bait and post a reply. She’s just being neutral in her stand that she enjoys them both but dun think ML deserves the stink ratings. Its not a mess. Since when has Koreans watching habits been representative for the world’s watching habits. In fact if DOTS and Heirs is a symbol to what Koreans think is the standard of a creme de la creme production and finesse writing, I will seriously question that standard. I don’t think 2000 boxes on selective homes across each city is a good representation of true viewership. But somethings gotta try to measure afterall for businesses to compete and to run. Only thing in her article that I do think is a misconception is that BM tanked locally and internationally whereas ML is doing great everywhere else except Korea doesn’t say a lot about the position that KBS and SBS is in. I for one really detest KBS these days. Their heads are SO BIG since DOTS that they have become deplorable. Setting up their own production unit that will affect the livelihoods of people who depend on stations to give them work and the whole fiasco with Jealousy Incarnate. For the sake of the well being of the industry on a whole, I hope their arrogance will be taken a peg or two down soon
^^I wholeheartedly agree with your comment.I wrote this another post replying to your post above..but the blog ate up my words.Anyway what I meant is that I feel Kim too Jung is little too young and green IMO to match up to PBG’s level of mAturity..similar to Mirror of the witch.Somehow her expressions and acting seem like stuck in another zone..and it come off a bit childish..and it is natural given she is yet so young.So I think the Romance just doesn’t connect.It’s okay as long as you watch the show as a comedy …but if you want to start seeing this as a romance…I think that’s where it starts falling apart..already that’s what happened for me.
Whereas for scarlet So and Su’s romance is more mature and it has got the emotional depth…that makes the link more authentic.And contrary to majority audience opinion I found IU’s acting quite good lol.Intact at some level I see any other ordinary girl in her.And that last part in the drama where she said..’is it really like this in Goreyo? Where unless you belong to some specific class..people can be tied up like animal and being hit upon? That line totally got me.Scarlet brings out some real morality issue’s..like the mother-son relationship,the brothers together, the way society worked in times of the past..and surely the fact that you are not supposed to live a good life if you’re born with a royal spoon in mouth.I don’t the plot quite unique and new for kdramas.And certainly a fresh sageuk compared to those in past.And nope, lee Jun ki doesn’t deserve the hatred at all..he’s maybe born for historical dramas..though this is my first time watching and liking him in one.
Another thing I would like to say is it’s no point trying to bashing one over another.Maybe dramas like scarlet are more popular on China..which is probably not the case in Korea..where light and fluffy are more preferable to the greater audience lol.I laughed when you said how KBS doesn’t deserve another successful drama in their bucket and I honestly feel the same.It’s inhuman what they did to beautiful mind..and now it seems they are getting another undeserving success..though I am not in any way blaming moonlight..which shines for its own credit.Just kbs should really get a taste of reality for once…My regards for the Chanel is wholly negative now.
i wouldnt call her viewpoint neutral when she says moonlight shouldnt be getting the high rating it is. i know its doing well in china, so do a lot of other hyped up drama’s with star studded casts. just because something is popular internationally doesnt also mean its actually great or even good, not to say moon lovers sucks but so far its fine. so i think its a similar mentality to think just because i a drama is a success in korea, its automatically good. and BM did very well internationally, its referred to a cult drama as well.
@hue i get you feeling for yoo jung cause i sometimes feel that way as well, they have good chemistry but she does look quite young compared to him and of course the romance developemtn which i like but its not usally they way i like my romance to be developed. however IU’s acting is alright but its jarring when she is opposite lee junki and the 8th prince. usually the romance between SO and SU i would like but the execution of it for is a bit weird, personally i find it a bit fast if that makes sense. though i dont mind it. one point i have to mention is that moolight also has depth and emotional depth and interesting dynamic, the prince with his father etc obviously moonlovers is more intense and heavier
@Chanelle, LMAO, Screenplay aside, DotS by far is still the best drama production in terms of acting, star power, directing, camera work, editing, and cinematography, way better overall than SH. No kidding. SH’s directing and editing is a noticable failure to many fans including me, not to mention so many ppl still have qualms about the screenplay and the acting. Seriously, ppl like you who dissed or mocked DotS usually tend to dwell on its fluffy narrative and cheesy lines. But remember, a good drama is not only comprised of plot alone. Even DotS doesn’t have the most innovative and solid storyline to rave about, all the other production aspects are top notch among Asian dramas and definitely beat SH. All the critical production elements I mentioned above contribute to DotS’ run-away success both domestically and internationally. Just take it. You like it or not, it’s an established fact that DotS is so far a way better drama production than SH and is still reaping business profits from around Asia including streaming fees from online portals in many countries and commissions from its peripheral products.
Given how you quoted the influence of Winter Sonata on the diplomatic relationship between S. Korea and Japan, man, I can’t really take your opinions seriously. Check the facts before you comment. LOL
I really don’t think it’s fair for you to say Koala is writing her articles for clickbait. From the article above I think she’s already being as objective as she can. (in fact I miss the days where she was more openly opinionated and wrote recaps more frequently, but this is her blog and ultimately she can write whatever she wants)
Also, how would you know whether Koala shares your opinion about ML’s 1st ep being a ‘hot mess’, the ‘piss poor acting’ etc?
yeah its her blog but if people wanna comment on something in response they can and its not like it totally invalid. who knows if koala thinks that way but i think its been acknowledged that the first 2 eps werent very good, enough for a re-edit from the director
I’m liking SH, haven started on ML. But i don’t get why So is so hated in SH. Anyone can explain abt the mom dumping him in the palace or something?
The way I see it, the more desperate the fans of Moon Lovers trying to justify that the drama isn’t bad at all or what causes the poor ratings, the more some derived the enjoyment from further bringing down the drama.
That’s the case with the re-run 3 episodes strategy. It was a desperate attempt and the strategy obviously backfired. The domestic audience became more annoyed with SBS and Moon Lovers’ production team for having the thought that they should not turn their backs on the drama and it is worth a try – so they decided to show them that we decided what we want to watch with a pre-conceived notion that this drama is totally crappy.
I agree whole-heartedly with Koala. The other one is not as deserving of that high rating (again this is my opinion and it is SUBJECTIVE) and the Moon Lovers definitely deserves higher ratings. The fact that the drama receiving too much exaggerated negativity really hurt its rating performance a lot.
As a fan of Moon Lovers, I think its best for us to settle that the domestic ratings won’t perform any better. That in no way means that the drama is qualitatively bad as how some painted it to be. In fact, it is getting better. As international viewers, we just need to support the drama.
LJK is hands-down the best thing in Moon Lovers and again, I agree with Koala, he single-handedly (KHN comes very close) carry the show like a pro. Those scenes at the bath house and when he confronted his mother after 2 years of separation and after the monk killing spree really display his amazing acting prowess. The interplay of emotions in which he was capable to deliver in one scene really showing what a great actor he is. It is a shame at the end of the day his hard work won’t get recognized due to Korea’s “what a joke” award system that giving merits only based on ratings and popularity.
Nifty, fans defending moonlovers came much later. Initially it was just a negative backlash even before the first episode had finished airing. People used Exo’s B to trash the show as a whole when he is such a small character and had 2 scenes in the initial episodes. Then everything was dissected piece by piece till finally people ended up saying that LJK is miscasted and even a newcomer to saguek like PBG can act better than him! Really! There are fans of the other show (some NOT all) who just gleefully pull the show down in order to push their fav up. How can fans not get defensive?
tbh moon lover fans arent any different, i’ve been here from the begining, going on to the soompi thread i see passive aggressive shading of the other drama. so both fans are quite extreme though i feel like moon lovers have been doing it more lately cause of the ongoing low rating. though i agree about LGK being miscast, that was annoying, but i also saw comments from moon lover fan that moonlight is using dirty tricks to push down moon lovers, throwing around these kind of accusation. im just watching seeing which fans will just die down and which fans will continue to be riled up and throw shades. i actually stopped watching both shows, but i may start again on both soon
@KdramaCrazy
I understand how you feel being someone who loves this drama, as so am I. But this justification and defensive stance making them all more excited to continue attacking the drama. No matter how we lay out the defense, they will just make the drama appear even worse than how they initially bashed it.
Take example on the bashing of LJK. After all had been said on the idols’ acting, bad editing and a lot more, the least anyone could expect is for LJK to be targeted and undermine him even comparing him with PBG, which totally not making sense at all. To me, attacking LJK when is a veteran saeguk actor and well-known for his solid acting is the lowest form of lows.
And therefore, I think that they took advantage of our desperation to explain of why the drama appealing to us and doing well outside of Korea. They just won’t have it and the more we defend, the more they will come up with crappy things to say about this drama.
We love it so to me, nothing else matter. The drama still getting its ROI, wider fanbase with the acceptance of international audience and judging from LJK’s instagram followers increasing so much the past week, speaks volume of the drama very own achievement.
I am with you my friend, we are Moon Lovers’ fans after all.
Negativity could be one of the reason but for the drama to also lose its viewers, it must be about the drama itself. Why do viewers run away?
I’ve started watching Moonlight up to the latest episode now. I feel like this drama is more like a pre-produced drama. Everything feels well put together. The story is simple yet the end result is very well done. It feels slow at times, but i think the advantage of that is it gives viewers time to connect with the scene and the characters.
People may argue, but in the end, this is just a matter of what appeals to us may not be the same to others.
So, in this case, i disagree with Koala. Rating represent the TV viewers preference, not quality of a drama. So if viewers prefer to watch Moonlight, what to do. Its a pity when a drama receives bad rating, but what to do. Who are we to say that a certain drama should not get high rating, and another drama should get better. People choose what they want to watch. And they have every right to.
That’s exactly the question….why do viewers run away though it’s too early to be sure since we still have 15 more episodes to go.
The problem is the drama being judged on the surface which are the introductory episodes. Having said that, the fault all should go to the PD for allowing this to happen in the first place, for not giving the audiences a stellar impression. The drama certainly getting better but the damaged has been done.
But it is what it is and I guess, the Moon Lovers fans pretty much accepting the fate of the drama (which is tanking in its rating).
I agree with @Nifty. People took advantage of the desperation. Defending eventually generating more hate is useless. After all, drama watching experience is a totally subjective affair.
I watch & enjoy both Moon Lovers/K-BBJX & Moonlight. Moon Lovers has more oomph & moves me. The dark performed by LJK is superb. The scenes & dialogues of Moon Lovers captures me more so I watch every episode again & feel the deep passion performed specially by LJK & KHN. The light, funny & romance are enjoyable to watch too…a breather from the dark scenes. Moon Lovers romantic crushes & budding passionate love is captivating.
your comments is hilarious…
lols… thanks for the laugh
poorly rated winter sonata? average 23,1%was poor? how bout ML’s 5% huh?
shitty editing + directing + acting = shitty WOM
Darker and meatier. You said it, koala and I agree with you, totally.
Well well well, I watch both two moons dramas. Am lucky to have enough time to do so, I even add Fantastic on my list. W is still there but I drop uncontrollably fond. UF has a lot of noble idiocy trope, I can’t swallow anymore.
Oh,yes am also watching Jealousy Incarnate. Now am really confused, I have too many stories in my brain. Hehehe.
Whether a show is overrated or not is purely subjective.
Doctors is way overrated. Beautiful Mind is way underrated.
Don’t bash me in your replies. They are just my opinions which do not matter. What sticks is Korean domestic ratings. Therefore as much as I dislike Doctors, I have to acknowledge it is a hit, a success.
I just completed SH ep 4, I think I am getting into the groove and enjoying the show more. I agree that show doesn’t deserve this low rating. It’s not perfect, I can nitpick on many things but seriously, which drama is perfect?
Sadly, the production blew their chances in the first week. Those episodes were important. More so for a drama which attract much hype and attention.
I don’t agree that LJK is carrying the entire show. In this episode, I think KHN and IU are pulling their weight especially KHN. He’s a really solid actor.
Perhaps because I am not LJK’s fan, so I can see things from a different perspective. I now understand why there are people who put down LJK in their comments. I just read the worst on Dramabeans. Someone accused LJK of not having courage to act opposite a better actress. She also said that LJK must love to hear from his fans things like “Oh my poor Junki, he has to carry the entire drama” I think it’s a terrible thing to say of LJK.
While I agree that LJK doesn’t have the best luck in his co-stars or projects, being overly critical of the actresses and claiming that he’s the sole savior rubs people in the wrong way. Of course it’s true that LJK is a better actor and probably one of the best if not best thing in the drama but better to be gracious about it than to bash others whenever things don’t go right.
Ya. I read about it too and someone demanded the moderator to remove such comment cause it is a derogatory remarks against LJK.
But that comment about him not courageous enough to act opposite better actress is really baseless when all the while, he was never the one to throw the weights and get to choose his on-screen partner. I don’t think he has that privilege either and as said before, he was normally confirmed first before his leading lady being secured unless he decided to work on a drama with an already confirmed actress, then that would be a different story.
Idk what’s with his luck but it always happened that he was casted with actors of not the same league as him in term of acting prowess. In the end, audience always credited him for carrying the drama because if there is anything about LJK, he is very well-known to give all out in all of his performances. I guess same remarks was made by either javabeans or girlfriday, I couldn’t recall.
And I agree with you when come to subjectivity of the drama. When it appeals to you, you will love it and ignore all the flaws. When it doesn’t, you can find even the smallest details to be negative about.
In the case of Moon Lovers, it’s not really that bad. More like losing in its homeground but a win elsewhere.
Yeah, that remark was really below the belt. It stood out to me because she literally lifted those things which LJK’s fans love to say and turn them into an attack.
Again, I am reminded of Beautiful Mind. I was following the show and reading the fans’ comments. I don’t think I ever saw Jang Hyuk’s fans throwing Park So Dam under the bus or wished he had a better co-star. IMO, Park So Dam in the first 4 eps was worse than IU. It didn’t helped that her character was so frustrating. Jang Hyuk was so awesome in Beautiful Mind, for that I’d say he carried the show single-handedly. He had great co-stars in the veteran actor who played his father and PSD turned out to be cute.
As long as an actor continues to challenge himself and show his ability through hard work, I am sure he will be duly rewarded. It may not be this project but there will always be another.
@D,
Yup, no reason for Jang Hyuk’s fans to throw Park So-dam under the bus because everyone knew she was doing her best with a frustrating character and it wasn’t her fault. I thought she did very well overall and had some really lovely chemistry with Jang Hyuk.
Anyway, it’s still early days for Moon Lovers. Maybe it’ll improve?
I also the one that think I enjoy Kang Ha Neul more than Lee Jun Ki. Maybe because I saw him in saeguk so many times lol. But absolutely I would say Kang Ha Neul carry the show.
I have to disagree with you. Lee Jun Ki is the one carrying the show. KHN is definitely good but he is lacking in some parts. For example, horse riding scenes, he didn’t look good at all and looked like it was his first time riding horses. Whereas, Lee Jun Ki was god damm good at it and he even jumped off the horse beautifully as if he was a warrior himself.
I have to disagree with you. Lee Jun Ki is the one carrying the show. KHN is definitely good but he is lacking in some parts. For example, horse riding scenes, he didn’t look good at all and it looks like it was his first time riding horses. Whereas, Lee Jun Ki was god damm good at it and he even jumped off the horse beautifully as if he was a warrior himself 🙂
As someone who watched Doctors I will so glad when people will stop bitching about the ratings the show had. Doctors is over, now move on with your hurt feelings. Good Grief!!!!
Same. I was constantly lurking at dramabeans. Majority of the praises are saved for LJK and KHN but I honestly do like IU’s performance and therefore couldn’t understand why so many bashing her over bad acting. Same with Koala, LJK totally slays in this drama and seeing his wonderful performance just elevate my admiration for him even further.
Hey I so much agree on your points. You’re savvy.
My prior comment is for D not Dani4Lane. LOL
It’s the same over and over again.
When they drama you love doesn’t get higher rating it’s overrated.
But it’s similar the case here. They have better cast and a drama that more people would appreciate and enjoy, more important they had good pilot episodes which made people tuned in that BM didn’t.
Who to blame besides the drama and production each self?
I don’t see Doctors bash hating on BM but BM fans seem to unable to let go of Doctors.
It’s probably karma that your favorite drama got cut because you are doing all the good deed on earth.
Time to move one, maybe?
It’s these cheesy Doctors’ obsessed fans over-reacting and over-defensive. This is a free forum. While Doctors fans ride on high horse of the high ratings all the time, BM’s fans are also entitled to comment about their appreciation of the rival drama. LOL…During DotS’ run, the other two dramas’ ratings were also deep in the dump. And I also saw fans of the other two dramas critical of DotS or dissed the plot of DotS all the time. But I never saw DotS’ fans defend like dramatized emos. LOL…Doctors fans should get out of defensive mode.
@Drama2016 why should they when people keep bashing about their drama as it’s the worst thing in the world just because their favorite ratings can’t have the same rating they did?
@D, the comments were ridiculous because he doesn’t get to choose his leading lady. I don’t think any actor does. It’s the producer, director, script writer, casting director who chooses. And he usually gets cast 1st.
I don’t think any actor or actress likes to carry the drama, since if it fails, they get the major portion of the blame, even if their acting was good, the antis will come up with more vicious comments.
Imo, the comments criticizing the leading actress are not made by the actor’s fans, because fans will seek to support the actor & his dramas, and criticizing the lead actress will only hurt the drama, and consequently the actor himself.
I have this impression that LJK’s fans are very vocal and critical on almost all his co-stars except Shin Min Ah. Nam Sang Mi was criticized for looking too old, not beautiful enough and no chemistry, Park Ha Sun and Lee Yoo Bi for their acting. These were not without basis but it’s just not nice to blare it out over and over again.
I don’t follow actors, reason why I read these comments is because I tried watching Arang, Joseon Gunman, Two Weeks and SWWTN. I only completed Two Weeks. Yes, I try many dramas and complete few.
I agree that an actor’s fans overly criticizing his co-star will have a negative impact on the actor himself. That is why I was puzzled at his fans’ behavior. I just didn’t know that LJK has so many antis. I associate antis with younger, hallyu or idol type of actors. Mostly, deluded fandoms and antis go hand in hand. For SH, it may be IU’s antis who are at work but seriously, such an insidious way to pull down actors.
@D, LJK does have his fair share of antis, and he has been getting a lot of malicious comments such that his agency recently took legal action against those netz.
His true fans want him to do well, and are supporting him and his dramas via food truck, charitable works etc. If you follow LJK’s social media, you can see he is very supportive of his co-stars, and his true fans will follow his lead.
It is my belief that those overly vocal and critical commenters are not fans but trolls.
@D, I also read that comment posted on Dramabeans.
It amused me why would anyone think that such comment made by his fans when the comment at the same time bashing him, calling him a coward for not taking the chance for working with a high profile actress.
Another thing, the reason why Park So Dam not being bashed the way IU did is because she is an actress whereas IU is considered an idol turned actress. Like it or not, and based on so many comments made, there is always a prejudice against idols turned actresses. I get that not many of them can really act but some are just too harsh and plain negative that I wonder do they actually poses a human heart to be so mean up to that extend?
Those comments that painted LJK’s fans of throwing his leading ladies under the bus whenever his dramas under performed may came from the few fans because for all that I know, not all his fans are civilized, there are of course the few that could act in a way that is disgraceful and I believe the same apply to other actors’ fans, and therefore, I don’t think it is fair to generalize his fans that way.
Not sure if it’s horrible acting but IU’s face looks so plastic too me. Too airbrushed? Too much makeup? Fake nose? I’m not really sure but something is off with her and it makes me it hard to connect to the heroine.
it’s the acting, she is not good enough to be the lead ladies, jut stick to interesting side character, the more we see her, the more we see her limits
LOL, I think you are so used to the plastic faces until the natural faces become unnatural to you.
For me, this whole ratings battle thing just drives home how unpredictable the domestic audience can be. Moon Lovers had everything going for it: big name stars, lots of promo + hype, a fat budget, good source material, even the show airing before it (doctors) had high ratings… the list could go on and on. Just shows we shouldn’t be so hasty to say which drama will succeed or tank even before anything goes on air.
As a Moon Lovers fan, higher ratings would be really nice and I do wish the cast + crew are getting more recognition for their hard work. That being said, the experience of watching the show + discussing it with other fans has been extremely fun and rewarding so far, and I’m loving this ride. Which is…. not so good for my exams, but that’s the life of a Kdrama fan for you x__x
P.s. I think Moon Lovers is shaping up to be the most polarising drama of 2016? I’ve seen people both absolutely loving it and hating it till the ends of the earth
I enjoy both dramas quite a lot, and I do think Love in the Moonlight deserves to get good ratings considering the fact that the cast fits their roles pretty well, esp Park Bo Gum’s acting. But I do think Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo deserves a higher rating than its getting right now, and while LJK and KHN’s is really good and I think they suit their roles pretty well, but I dont think the acting of the others is as bad as many think it is. I don’t think there’s really a problem with IU’s acting, I mean its not as good as like LJK and KHN but it’s pretty decent actually, and she can display the different emotions like she has to. Only downpoint is that her face when displaying the different emotions just seems more like her rather than the character, but it’s not too bad. Baekhyun’s acting is not very good, but not that bad either, I think he’s still trying to distinguish himself from the character but I believe they’ll get better, so I hope everyone gives the drama a chance.
Nonetheless, both dramas are pretty good and I enjoy them but I don’t think they are too distinct dramas, like they overlap with other dramas which is a bit of a pity. I would wish to see more originality in the later parts so that as a whole, the dramas are better than others.
I don’t think any drama “deserves” higher ratings. The poor first impression sealed Moon Lovers fate. You can make excuses and say it’s popular elsewhere, but if they didn’t care about Korea popularity why even bother airing it in Korean. Obviously it’s a failure on that front, and fans spend more time defending the ratings than actually enjoying the drama.
Moonlight will become another target of hate by some people I’m sure, like DoTS and Doctors before it.
I agree with you , hating a drama, its actors and fans because it has high ratings will not increase the ratings of any other dramas. People keep complaining about Doctors rating when it already ended. Those kind of complaints only show how successful is the drama people hate.
Just watch whatever you want and enjoy it, spend your time writing comments about the reasons you like X or Y drama instead of putting down others. When you put down other shows, its actors and/ or fans , the only one who looks bad is the one who attacks or blames the other drama for the flop of his own and makes people look jealous and insecures.
Enjoy and let enjoy. Life is too short to spend it fighting.
Best of lucks to Moon lovers and to Moonlight.
@mel I think we have the same opinion, the defensive fans make me think that there’s such an unfair situation had happen and it such a tragedy for other drama to shine,
Don’t put DotS together with Doctors. These two dramas are not on the same level of quality. Even the blogger admitted the script writing of DoTS was crap. DotS has cheesy lines like many other fluffy dramas. But still the execution of DotS is totally on a different level from Doctors. Empty plot is all antis of DotS can be critical of. However, Doctors have many corners ppl can easily grind axes on. LOL
Correction – Even the blogger admitted the script writing of Doctors, not Dots, was crap.
LOL wth! I need more caffeine.
@Drama2016
There you are again with your Urk-iness. Either you are not aware of it or you are just so blinded by your bias that you don’t even realize you are doing exactly what you tell others not to do. Opinion, remember? We are all entitled to it. I can tell you also, right now, right here that if you think DoTS is so much more superior in acting than the rest of the comparables mentioned here, then you gotta be out of your mind. SHK’s acting in DoTS is nowhere near superior. But unlike you, I don’t hate and call people names for stating their opinions. Because all those are actually just that — opinion. I myself can compare DoTS with other dramas if I want to. What is most important to me when I watch a drama is when I feel along side the actors. I got those from the 2nd lead on DoTS and from SJK, but SHK I feel like staring at the eyes of a dead fish. So, no for your quality execution. Now that is my opinion. I share this opinion, I’m sure, with a number of people here, but so what, right? So quit being a fake and pretend you are being fair and balanced and just stating your opinion – because you aren’t and you don’t. You are just like me and many others who respond to this blog. We are not and do not have professional authority to state that our opinions have greater merits than others. We do this only for fun and to share our thoughts. You’re so fake and stiff that it is no fun to read you.
Lmao DOTS has all the budget, star writer and oversea filming that Doctors never had.
The drama is meaningful and offer moral and real life lesson is crap but a pretty empty romance drama is beyond its level?
The funny thing is Korea viewer don’t criticize Doctors even it’s boring but I can’t say the same with DOTS… even it had much higher ratings.
@Mindy: Thank you for calling her out.
I already predicted there were gonna a swarm of PSH squad coming over bleating. Here we go! LOL
@Mindy, long ass speech again! Hmmmm..I see your obsession of your idol and you can’t just get over me. LOL
SHK’s dead fish eyes???? Hahahahaha…They are more attractive than your fave’s O_O and half-opened mouth all the time. LMAO. Dissing a veteran hallyu actress while obnoxiously ass kissing an actress who can’t act?????? SMH.
PBG and KYJ, especially Bogum is beloved right now in Korea, hence, I understand the high ratings of their show gets. While Junki, though still popular, has been not lucky with tv ratings in his dramas since his comeback from military and IU, who is loved by many as singer but still has many doubters and bashers, does not help.
I am quite clueless as to who’s who in the popularity scene. Is PBG that popular? I only know that he’s got that big leap in popularity through Reply 1988, together with Ryu Jun Yeol. But RYJ’s Lucky Romance tanked so I didn’t think much of PBG’s ability to draw massive ratings for Moonlight.
RJY was the saving grace of a drama that had the most annoying character as its female lead. I still think Hwang June Eum did okay but Bo Nui was just a totally messed up character that I can never root for. Same will go for Lee Jun Ki, as he is the sole shining star in his bleak Goryeo drama. Goes to show how important it is to cast the right person.
PBG was indeed popular to some extent in S. Korea before MDBC was aired, of course not on the level of hallyu stars like SJK and KSH. I liked to watch variety shows, interviews, or news with Eng sub on K ent channels from time to time. He had been on top 3 or 5 of several popularity polls or surveys from those channels. Of course we can argue those random polls are not credible and I also hold the credibility in doubt from statistical point of view. But those rankings are sill a sign of his current popularity in S. Korea. Nevertheless, who would watch and follow a drama if popularity of the cast is the only silver lining of a crappy show? At least I won’t.
RJY has a mania fandom and is generally well liked, but imo PBG is much more popular overall. He’s the next big thing.
Unfair words koala, so Jun Ki is you bias, he is mine too but still it sort of is suffering due to the fact that the production took the buzz as guarateed ticked to success and did a crappy job for the first 3 episodes. Moonlight works as an ensemble drama, everybody is doing their job right. Its not about lighter versus darker. Moonlight is enjoying its success due to the wonderful performance by its lead, its supporting cast, its music and its writing. BBJX has tons of faults that works against it and like you mentioned only Lee Jun Ki is doing the heavy lifting. It is as simple as that. Darker dramas need that extra charismatic performance that will draw you in or else even critically acclaim dramas will fail. One person doing there best isn’t enough when the rest are doing just sort of okay and giving average performance. Doesn’t matter if it breaks record in China, it has tanked in Korea, it is a fact.
What I don’t get is why people are saying Moonlight is not doing well in China. It is currently trending on Weibo and ranks even higher than Moon Lovers, which is a feat considering none of the actors are well known in China compared to the other production, which has several hallyu stars; and the fact that it is not officially released there.
Did anyone mention Moonlight not doing well in China? As far as I read, they mentioned Moon Lovers doing well in China.
Can someone explain to me why Moon Lovers is getting such low domestic ratings but every recap I see of it on dramabeans has hundreds of comments, which usually goes hand in hand with massively popular dramas? Even any article koala posts about ML garners tons of comments.
Where are all the viewers coming from if not Korea?
The drama garners tons of comments but as you can see for yourself, it is a highly polarizing drama. Those who love will love it but those who don’t will bash it all out. Not many are being reasonably neutral, myself included. It is certainly not the most popular drama judging from the low ratings, but definitely the ones that generates the most buzz.
it’s the fans, if you read it, so much is about LJK here and KHN that which is good before it become really overboard, it makes want to see what is so good with the drama and find all the fault,
then you need to combined how popular LJK over the time, IU and EXO, also controversy,
ML fans always defending the rating which make other viewer raised their eyebrows and start saying what they think ML lacks
Please grow up a bit with your comments. If the fans of the drama wanted to rave over LJK and KHN, why is that offending you in anyway? Unless that actor is your bias then you have no problem with it? I think the fans of the drama are merely finding solace within themselves with the drama tanking in korea but doing well internationally. Is discussing about why the rating not in favour of Moon Lovers even a crime in your book? If you can rave over your preference, then let’s just be civil and let others enjoy the same privilege. You are getting yourself annoyed due to your own personal issue.
@OMG, no it’s the truth , JK mania is a lot, combines it with IU , EXO and bunch of model then it’s a lot of fans,
don’t denied your existence, this passive-aggressive comment from ML make me watch both and find all the fault despite the flattery of ML’s fan that explain bazilion thing that wasn’t in the drama to favor their narrative development, it seems like they justified the story by all means when the usual viewer like me got nothing as awesome as they said even to the point of agreeing the rating,
at least you got the buzz
@Dena
My issue is that….what is wrong if the choose to justify? And if you even read comments on Dramabeans…..most of the comments are very civil and the viewers (the fans of the drama of course) rave about it because it is the drama that love and what is there so wrong for them to dissect, to try to figure out what went wrong? Why the drama not appreciated as much as they appreciate it? You really have a problem because you want everyone to agree with you. You can’t dictate people to confirm to your standard and your thinking of what is your ideal and what is not.
@OMG,
I just feel bad when ML drama bragged about their int boost when you looked closely, it’s about fangirling,
almost half of the discussion is lee jun ki gaze here and there, explaining the same thing over and over and all the critiques that left cold or get tons of explaining when they just can end it easily by accepting that it wasn’t show in the drama yet still confusing,
my problem is ML fans that try so hard to play victims everytime I saw their news,
and no one, hardly anyone can stand up and said the bad thing about it without getting enough backlash as “not liking darker story”, like the show is not at fault but the viewer is lacking for appreciating “darker story” which unfortunately is typical in saeguk setting
lol healer had over 1k+ comments on DB
yet it had mediocre ratings in SKorea
for moon lovers, it’s a combination of diehard LJK fanatics, and hardcore exo-ls and IU fans. they’re truly a force to be reckoned with
@truth: It’s really annoying to constantly read comments like this. I find Moon Lovers far the more engaging and addictive story as compared to Moonlight and I’m a bigger fan of the actors on Moonlight and have been since years. This idea that only fans can like Moon Lovers is just an easy put down with no basis whatsoever. And Dramabeans of all places is not a place where individual idol fans gather, that’s places like netizenbuzz where this drama is forever criticized by people not even watching it.
No.
More comments means buzzed and doesn’t equal rating
For example Healer and W vs Doctors
Why didn’t you mention DotS? The ratings are way more impressive compared to Doctors. LOL
@Drama2016 Because it’s her right? What’s wrong with you? You can mention whatever drama you like and so does she. Oh you are fake I forgot.
Mania fandom who are intense about their love of the drama. Like how W gets some upvotes that are comparable to DoTS, but has ratings that are only 1/3rd as high. Honestly online popularity does not mean anyone in reality cares much. Unless you think idols are the most popular stars in Korea.
@me: idk, I would disagree, I think online popularity means way more than ratings which are collated from only about 2000 households, because the mode of viewership had changed these days and ratings don’t reflect that. I haven’t switched on a TV in years, I only watch on my laptop, as do most people I know, but that doesn’t mean my viewership or interest counts any less than people watching the same thing on their television.
@Lila h, The majority of the commenters on DB & here are not from Korea, but mainly from US, Europe, Australia and Asia i.e. the international drama watchers. And if you follow DB, the majority of the commenters who comment in ML threads also comment on Moonlight and other threads, so they are mainly drama fans, rather than actor/idol/exo fanatics.
While I realize ratings are big, I wish the “wars” would stop. This war is getting to be as bad as DoTS and everything else that was on at the time. The ratings war knee jerk reaction was the exact thing that got BM pulled. Just my two cents.
???????????????? LOL
pretty harsh to say moonlight shouldnt be getting those rating because its more lighter compared to something more meatier like moon lovers. whether ones meater and the other lighter should be irrelevant, good ratings shouldnt be dependent on that and it sounds like entitlement and defensiveness tbh. im not the type of person to elevate a dramas worth based on how complex or not complex a story is. its more about the execution of all the elements in the story, the flow, directing, editing, music score, characterization and dynamics etc and moonlight has all of that, that’s why its doing well, its not just some superficial fluff either as much as its easy to say to try to elevate moon lovers. moon lovers can be amazing, maybe it will get to the point where it will be considered exceptional, lets hope it will and doesnt become average.
moon lovers may have a meatier story but that means little if it cant be executed well. complex stories need good directing, script and flow. the episodes need to narrativaly tight and cohesive especially if its more political in nature cause that can get boring fast if it isnt held together solidly. it cant just be” its slowly getting better” it needs to be good from the start, im not even saying great or amazing either. so if moon lovers could have done a better job at the start maybe the ratings would have been better. and there a lot of less meatier story’s as you say out there yet a wonderful to read, watch etc and could easily trump stories that are considered meatier. and i only watch moonlight casually like i do moon lovers, not invested in either, but its annoying when you see some fans try to discredit and put down other shows only to elevate the other due the low rating causing people to get bitter, defensive and insecure. which then turns into blaming the other drama, blaming the domestic audience etc. it just looks bad and i’ve been guilty of that in the past with some dramas that i liked but looking back it was pretty stupid thing for me to do.
Thumbs up.
@bila. I love your post and I wish and hope you could post it in many other forums because your explanation does not only apply to moonlight and ML but to thie others fan wars we had the past months.
So much comments ! Ratings!!! It’s just that korean viewers seems to like lighter and easier to watch dramas this year DOTS, DOCTORS,… Or Maybe it’s just my opinion , they don’t want to watch dramas who are produced for chinese market.
DoTs was pre-produced & pre-sold to China to be aired at same time as in Korea, so I don’t think it’s the Chinese market influence. I just find SH’s editing very poor especially in first 2 episodes despite being pre-produced, so I lost my interest… I may pick it back up at a later time… Moonlight on the other hand is filmed & edited beautifully with great cinematography (similar to DoTs) so it is very engaging to watch. Moonlight makes me feel happy in watching, maybe other viewers feel the same which may explain the higher rating?
Yes but at this time there was no the THAAD thing. Just saying.
Okay just sharing my thoughts….im watching and enjoying both of these dramas but i think that Moonlight do deserve the ratings it’s getting. Though the plot is really familiar but the execution, the directing, the music scoring and the acting is definitely praiseworthy. It is overall a good quality drama. I think it is abit unfair to judge whether if it really deserves those high ratings. What does it matter when it is able to provide enjoyment to its viewers? As for Moon Lovers, it definitely left a bad impression during its first ep but its gradually getting better. I,too, am one of those who do think that it should have ratings higher than what its getting right now. But i wish that people would stop trying to degrade another drama just to put the drama they preferred on the pedestal. Both dramas have their own merits. Its unfair to question on whether Moonlight deserves its high ratings or not just because its less complex(its more of a character-driven story than a plot-driven one) than the other. If its viewers find joy in watching it and are emotionally attached to the story and characters then i say that it deserves all the ratings its getting.
THIS!
I totally agree
I’m watching both dramas at the moment and I have to say that for me , I like Scarlet Heart more … ep 1 and 2 maybe a bit lacking in terms of acting except for Lee Jun Ki , but then for ep 3 and 4 , I can see all of the actors are surprisingly showing good acting skill , and I’m especially surprised with Hong Jong Hyung’s acting as the 3rd prince because I can still remember how bad he was in his previous works , but right here he’s totally nailing the villain character .. as for Lee Jun Ki ,he has always excel and nail his parts in dramas doesn’t matter what kind of character that he portrays .. I cried so hard watching how he was badly treated by his evil queen mother. as seriously , I don’t get it when people say that IU’s acting is bad because in my eyes , she can definitely emote well though her acting skill is still far from Junki’s .. but still , she’s not a wooden actress , she can act and her acting is believable .. somehow, I feel bad for Junki because it seems that the same thing happened when he acted in Scholar Who Walks The Night . the drama got low ratings as well and Knetz just can’t stop condemning Yubi’s acting when in my eyes Yubi can act and does not deserve all those badmouthings … I just can’t understand how Knetz judge people’s acting skills. I really hope that Moon Lovers ratings will increase in the future episodes.
The battle of the Moons sure is a heated discussion, at least in this blog.
The way I see it, the comment that the light and fluffy moon drama shouldn’t be getting such high ratings not sitting well with the Moonlighters whereas the remarks that Moon Lovers is deserving of a higher rating excites the Moon Lovers(s) as to validate their thoughts that the drama indeed should not be performing that bad in the rating competition.
My take is that, koala specifically addressing her personal opinion and opinion can be neither right nor wrong. That remarks is made based on how the drama appeals to her and so I dont get the ruckus here.
Since both Moon dramas being mentioned in this post, I think its fine that the Moonlighters continue to rejoice their success so long as not thumping down the other drama whereas let the Moon Lovers raves over their bias and speculate over why the drama underperformed in korea so long as not questioning the legitimacy of Moonlight success. For i know, should the result os the othet way around, the action from each fans would be the other way round as well.
On a personal note, I am with Koala with regard to what she mentioned about Lee Jun Ki (the powerful acting prowess and the undefiable hawtness), having said that, both KHN and IU also so deserving the credits because they are so enganging with their performance (at least to me) that I love and enjoy this drama to the max.
omg these comments are more entertaining than both these dramas. *grabs popcorn*
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha aka the battle of the moons XD
LOL.I agree with you. I am not watching any of these two dramas but I like reading the comments , it’s very entertaining.
Now , in a serious note, people is spending more time fighting between each other than enjoying the drama itself. Calm down and enjoy what you like.
LOL…Gosh I spent more time browsing through the thread than watching dramas.
I agree, the defends from ML is amusing in some way, It even make me start watching both last week because I wanna see all the fuss
I know I’m in the minority but Moon Lovers is way more intriguing to me than Love in the Moonlight – the characters, particularly Wang So, are so well developed and there’s never a dull moment. My problem with Moonlight is that it’s predictable and doesn’t really feel like a new drama. I admit wholeheartedly Kim Yoo Jung and Park Bo Gum are great actors and have great chemistry but you can see where this drama is going without even watching it.
I’ve seen so many complaints about IU and Baekhyun’s acting but honestly, it’s not bad as they’re making it out to be – I’ve seen far worse from more experienced actors and actresses. Lee Jun Ki in this role is brilliant and Kang Ha Neul as 8th Prince, in my opinion, is doing a much better job than the original’s 8th. IU’s Hae Soo is certainly a lot different from Liu Shi Shi’s Ruoxi and as Hae Soo, I think IU’s been doing a great job, she’s starting to grow on me much like LSS Ruoxi did.
Again, I know I’m in the minority here but Moon Lovers wins it for me!
My thoughts after watching ep 4…
The good:
The music got better. Some BGM were nice and fitting.
Baekyun was serviceable. I found his misunderstanding of Soo’s interest fuuny enough.
IU was doing the comedy quite well
Kang Ha Neul is killing it.
I like the actress playing Wook’s wife. Okay, she looks older than him but at least she can act!
More screen time for So and Wook
The sets are beautiful
The bad:
Choice of songs still aren’t good but at least, they didn’t feature much and definitely not that rap.
Camera work is still crappy. I was comparing the close ups between MDBC and SH. In SH, there was this scene where Wook told Soo that nothing belonged to him. It was hilariously bad. If I were to blank out the subtitles, I would have thought this was a scene of lovers declaring their love for each other.
In MDBC, they had one of Lee Yeong confronting Yoon Sung. It also had close ups of their faces but it came out normal. I can’t explain why the little difference in angle and framing the shots make such a great difference.
SH is too heavy handed where Wang So is concerned.Show is like practically shoving it into our faces and telling us to pity him. Yes, I get that he’s the most pitiful man on earth with a monster of a mother but a little subtlety goes a long way. I was actually very happy when So said he’d make his mother regret that day. I had enough of mother and son’s scenes.
I think herein lies the problem of SH. They definitely have a meatier story to tell but the execution falls short. Contrast it to MDBC, it didn’t catch my interest when I read the synopsis. I have seen my share of gender bender dramas and all those of fusion saeguks too. So, I am surprised at how enjoyable the show is. It can be funny but when it goes heavy, they do it very well too.
I can’t really say MDBC deserves the high ratings because I can think of better shows that didn’t get such numbers. Yet when I think of some highly rated shows which I didn’t like, I just shrug my shoulders at MDBC’s success.
Same goes for Scarlet Heart. I don’t think SH deserves such low ratings. While I listed all the problems which still exist for me, I found the show to be very watchable. Then, I remember shows like Beautiful Mind and I Remember You. Very good shows and IMO better than what SH has shown so far but they had terrible ratings too.
I care less about ratings except that they influenced the type of dramas produced in the future and the career opportunities for the cast involved. MDBC is a win for PBG and KYJ. I just hope that no one gets into their heads to produce more fluffy romance. This show works because the production is solid and the actors talented. For SH, I hope PD and team goes back to school. Maybe writer nim too.
hahahaha…+1 to your brief review of SH ep4. Now I wonder if the camera director was just an intern. LOL
As to the acting careers of the casts, I sincerely hope SH will be LJK’s last sageuk project for the time being. He needs to do some funny and fluffy dramas as I saw him nailed those silly comedic elements in his fan meetings. LOL
I am enjoying both dramas and think that both are good dramas worth my watching time.
I have been very surprised by the large disparity in the ratings because I thought that the ratings for the two shows would be much closer to each other. I fully expected MDMC and ML to be very close to each other in the ratings and we would see a close race for 1st and 2nd place in the timeslot, like around 11-12% for both dramas.
Instead, we see MDBC far ahead in 1st, and ML way below in 3rd. I’m not sure why viewers in Korea decided not to even try ML, as the ratings for episode 1 show that viewers didn’t even want to give it a try-instead they went straight to MDBC as soon as Doctors was finished. Are the fandoms watching? I know that ML has several idols in the cast, so I thought all of the fans would be tuning in to support them. Isn’t that why shows cast these people instead of regular actors? Because they are counting on the fandoms for ratings? Perhaps only the fandoms are watching and all the regular people are staying away? If this is the case, the broadcast channels should pay attention since this shows how little influence fandoms have on ratings. Unfortunately, we don’t know who is tuning in or not tuning in, so we can’t say for sure if fandoms are watching or not.
I think MDBC and ML are both quality dramas that deserve viewer love. In that respect, I do think that ML doesn’t deserve the very low ratings and wish that more people were tuning in. I agree that LJK and KHN are giving fantastic performances in this drama and wish that more Korean viewers would tune in to see and acknowledge the great work that these 2 actors are doing.
I’m sad to see such harsh criticism of ML and the low ratings in Korea for ML, and wish that more viewers would give it a chance since I think it has a lot to recommend it, but unfortunately it looks like Korea is not interested in this drama.
I was hoping to see double digit ratings success for both of these great dramas, and a close ratings “battle”, but it looks like that is not to be.
As an international viewer, I take comfort in the fact that I don’t have to choose which drama to watch. I can watch and love both of these great dramas equally, no pressure.
You brought up a good point about fandom watching. Why do dramas then keep casting idol actors? I have nothing against them except those who can’t act.
Elsewhere I read that MDBC has a diverse audience, not just viewers in their 20s and it seems that Scarlet Heart is the one with a younger audience. If that’s true, I am quite perplexed. I know that to get near 20%, you can’t simply rely on the youngsters, you need to appeal to the mature viewers. I’d have expected Scarlet Heart to score in the older age groups than MDBC. In fact, SH should have all groups covered. IU and the princes appeal to the younger lot and Lee Jun Ki to the more mature. Purely for ratings sake, they should take interest in what the older groups prefer. This market segment seem to determine the success.
Dramas cast idols to create international buzz. This is why Scarlet Heart is doing so well internationally.
I expected the two dramas to be head to head in terms of the ratings as well, since the star power is equally matched (or more tilted toward SH’s side). So it’s extremely surprising to see the turn of events.
Actually most dramas have idols as leads doesn’t have good rating…
Like this year all high-rating dramas have actors as leads: DOTS, Doctor and now MDBC
Fandom is nothing compared to public
Moon Lovers is making me feeling over the moon. I love the drama so much and loving it even more now that the everything practically fall into places.
Definitely not deserving of such a low ratings but wth, it’s a loss to those who failed to appreciate it.
My thoughts exactly. I’m loving it and haters and ratings will not dictate what I like and don’t like.
Haters are attention seeking so I’ve learned not to respond nor get defensive. The ratings is what it is, the execution is a joke, but the acting by some in Moon Lovers is not. You don’t necessarily have to enjoy the drama to enjoy excellent acting.
For those undecided about Moon Lovers, I find some dramas are best viewed as a marathon. I love it too much to wait that long to watch the episodes, but maybe that mode will work for some people.
The editing for Scarlet Heart is so bad that the story is incoherent. I disliked the fact that they didn’t spend a bit more time on showing how the girl struggles with coming terms of the time travel. it was like she has been living in Goryeo forever. The more I watch it the more I feel like watching the C version. Stopped since episode 3.
Moon Lovers is such a light and fun fluff but those 2 have such chemistry that makes the same old plot cute and believable.
Lol if Moonlight doesn’t deserve its ratings, then Doctors definitely doesn’t.
Why are you so bitter about Doctors? It had a great cast, surgical scenes were filmed well and it had a meaningful storyline. It wasn’t just a light fluffy romance drama and the story didn’t run off into an unexplainable course. (Don’t throw me the boring line).
lol Doctors ended but you can’t let it go so clearly they must have something right.
Real time ratings for SH seemed to have increased for episode 5. If it can get back up to 7% and above, there is hope yet. Below 5 is unimaginable.
I guess at this juncture, those loving the drama do not care about the ratings anymore which is good. Drama watching experience varies for different people and as long as those who love the drama enjoying it, then that’s basically a win. And yeah, I noticed a slight increase to the ratings and the drama is getting better in fact.
call me bias but i don’t think its fair to say that only darker drama deserve a higher rating, why can’t a lighter drama get a high rating when it deserve it.
I know everyone expect SH to do better with the rating consider how much it been media play and it was a remake from a popular c-drama which i love but moonlight deserve all the success they get, the plot may seem simple but the acting, directing, script, cinematography were beautifully done.
I love LJK and sure will be watching SH someday, I have nothing against IU but if SH has a different lead actress i would probably be more excited and eager to watch SH but for now i’m just gonna enjoy this ‘lighter and fluffier’ drama like moonlight
She said that based on her opinion, which of course you are entitled to disagree. Also, she mentioned that Scarlet is “meatier”, which means there is actually more story to tell. It does not matter actually, the public speaks on their preference which is Moonlight which means, Koala is of her own opinion while you may share the same opinion with the public, is it not?
That is such a bitter comment make by Koala. A meaty story can be a huge winner or it can be a huge flop. If a drama with a meaty story has the right casting and directing, there is not without a doubt that it will be a winner. However, usually these meaty story requires heavy acting. If you can’t there is no way you can pull the audience. In fact it will just have the opposite affect. LJK is a great actor and I like him too, but one person cannot carry a show all by himself. It also does not help that he and his suppose love partner has no chemistry with each other. I think the producer was too lazy and arrogant. Instead of focusing on finding the right casts (who can act) and spend more time on details and directing and music and camera works, he thought that finding all these famous Idols would do all the work for him in bringing in viewers and forgoe everything else. Honestly, even if the actors are bad but if everything else is good, you can still pull in viewers. But in this case, besides the LJK and 8th Prince factor, everything else was really badly edited. It’s all over the place and not much really makes sense. I feel bad for LJK. Hopefully his next project will be better.
I don’t see it that way tbh. She meant that with a meatier lot, means it is such a loss that many not getting to watch and see what the drama can offer except only on the surface level and therefore, if ones ready to let themselves delve deeper, the drama actually deserving to be judged more than only on the mere surface which is actually the introductory episodes. Having said that, may be at least to her, the fluffiness with a story to be told just ended there. And if you read carefully, Koala loves both dramas for totally different reasons. My guess is that she is loving Moonlight for the execution but loving Scarlet (apart from LJK) for the storyline itself.
Well it’s official, I marathoned Moonlight Drawn by Clouds and I love it. It’s my new crack.
i like drama with intense political struggle and power tripping like moon lovers, in addition it even has handsome actors and good actors (lee jun gi and kang haneul) to carry the drama. so sad because its ratings fell. but still loving moonlight because of its easy and light plot. anyway, i love both drama but i have to admit that moon lovers’ lead lady is a bit lacking….
@Koala: I know you’re entitled to your own opinion but Mooonlight deserves the higher rating they are getting right now. Have you watched it? The cuteness and sweetness are just added bonus but PBG and KYJ has flawless acting and explosive chemistry.
Didn’t anyone know….the only rating winners are shows with a letter D on it ? Hahaha! Deal with it!
But seriously…there must be something in Dots, Doctors and now MoonlightDrawn that resonated with the Kaudience be it the new pairings, or the actors who had been out of any recent dramas for the year like PSH and KRW, besides they really had great acting too, or the subject matter. Just consider…..how many shows have LJK for the last year with the same period theme? Or Jung Hyuk, even if he is an actor I like….he was in how many dramas for the last year? Maybe the audience got tired of them? I watched Moonlight Drawn first, it was funny and she is just too beautiful, her face has the character for the period. Watching Moonlovers, LJK should forgo that semi bangs and eyepatch, just show the darn scar! He is still more beautiful than most of the girls on the show. IU , I sometimes thought she is a child actress instead of the love interest. A question, is it just me but in this drama, the use of mascara is too noticeable considering it’s a period piece.
Their dramas may not be doing as well as back during their prime years but I don’t think it’s fair to say that audiences are tired of them. They are still one of the most sought after actors in Korea. It so happened that they got casted in not so well-receptive dramas. Plus, they are actors, and acting is their profession and how they earn a living. Getting themselves a project is what they do and regardless of the acceptance of their work, both LJK and Jang Hyuk still deliver impressive performance everytime.
The actors you mentioned do about a drama a year, so if they don’t act, what are they supposed to do instead? They have to earn a living too.
And he can’t show the scar, because of some weird customs or beliefs of the Goryeo people. But he will, sooner or later.
@drama2016 Why do you think you have the right to tell people what to do? Even Korea media put those 2 drama together because they are the only 3 prime drama that passed or could pass 20 this year.
I don’t thing they qualities are the same. I’d prefer the boring Doctors but please stop acting like you are a mom. No one cares that you think nothing can compared to DOTS.
And leave Doctors fans alone. You can mention about your favorite dramas. So can they
Sorry this isn’t for you
Now alphabets play a part? Just kidding, like you were.
I have sort of given up guessing what makes a hit with Korean viewers. Actually, it’s not just Korean viewers, the same applies to the Chinese and viewers everywhere. Dots, Doctors, Heirs, YWCFAS were all hits domestically and elsewhere. These dramas have a few things working for them. Hallyu power – read Lee Min Ho, Song Joong Ki, Song Hye Kyo, Kim Soo Hyun, Park Shin Hye. Famous writers as in case of Dots and Heirs. Big budget and hype.
Moonlight Drawn By Clouds is an outlier. PBG and KYJ are up and coming but I don’t think they were in the category of those names I’ve mentioned. Maybe now they are. Have we forgotten Yong Pal? YP had ratings like MDBC and reached 20% , I don’t think Joo Won is in that category too and I remember KTH just received more hate than love.
I like that actors who continuously act than those who don’t for whatever reason. I don’t watch every one of Jang Hyuk’s dramas and he is sometimes a hit or miss for me. I still laud him for working hard and the best part is he tries all sorts of roles. It’s a more difficult route to take but viewers are better for it.
Doctors only had PSH though, not a hallyu actor and a star writer or budget and hype. No one expected it to be big. That’s why it’s a sleeper hit.
I agree about other dramas as it’s obvious
Sometimes I just wonder if Doctors’ fanatic fans have a narcissistic syndrome that they have to take all the ass chance to show off their crappy faves. LMAO.
Don’t put DotS on the same scale with your Dwhatever. I don’t think your math is good. LOL
@drama2016: Why do you think you have the right to tell people what to do here? Even Korea media are putting those dramas together because they are they only prime drama that passed 20% this year. It doesn’t matter that you think they are the same scale or not but they are the most successful dramas this years. Get it?
I don’t think they quality is equal as I’d prefer a boring Doctors with real life lessons anytime. But please stop acting like you are everyone’s mom and tell them what to do. It’s freaking annoying. Go home and boss your own kids if you have.
No one cares about what you think and want here.
And leave Doctors fans alone. If you can mention DOTS, so can they.
LOL…another overreacting lunatic PSH fans. Your name is not foreign to me. Buhaha. LOL
I talk gibberish in response to gibberish.
I would say the similar thing between all three dramas is the OTP. Both the lead actor and actress have star power and are good in acting. For SH, people acknowledged both LJK and KHN but IU’s acting skills were not good enough for people to get over their prejudice against her.
This comment might be out of context but I just watched episode 5 and I am enjoying the K-drama take on it. However, the snow scene with 8th price and IU was slightly disappointing in my opinion. In Bu Bu Jing Xin, this scene was beautifully executed. It was like a painting I wanted to watch over and over again. I’m not sure why in the Korean version they decided to add “funny” sound effects. I really wanted to see this beautiful part of the story incorporated into this version. Aside from this I’m enjoying the drama so far though!
Sorry, I tried watching both drama at the same time and both bored me to death. I’v never finished C version of moonlover even tried so many times just could not go beyond 4th episode despite massive fast-forwarding. it just beyond why the drama was so popular. same goes to moon-lover tried for the sake of LJK but I just could not finished it. Just not my thing. Moonlight plots on the other hand has been overplayed like a million times, there is nothing unpredictable about it, love triangles. cross-dressing and all how many times already I have seen these kind of plots. alot!!. its very fluffy yes, I kinda get why korean love this kind of drama. Just like doctors
i think both drama doesn’t deserve high rating if we want to think of quality. I can’t stand Moonlight plot (repetitive. done before. cliche). and Moon Lover’s directing and editting.
Tbh I don’t get why IU is being blamed for the ratings failure.
Han Gain was universally considered a bad actress but Moon Embracing the Sun is still one of the most high rated dramas
I agree that the media cannot blame on only one actress, the directing and editing should be the main reasons for SH’s failure. However, you cannot compare Han Ga In’s visuals to IU’s… despite her lack of acting skills, I will still choose to watch HGI anytime…
Myung Hee made me cry. Ep 5 is a tearjerker. I think the drama really did well by Wook, MH and Soo. That ending scene…so sad but beautiful.
Yup! These three slayed in ep5. The actress playing Wook’s wife is a fine actress with very sophisticated expressions, right on par with KHN. I want to see KHN as male lead one day.
KHN has a very good prospects ahead of him. I just found out that he’s 26. His looks and acting are a lot more mature than that. He is very natural in his expressions and nuanced in his delivery. He could have easily overacted as 8th Prince. This is why I say it is not an easy role to play. Underplay it and he becomes boring. I found Kevin Cheng’s portrayal too muted and frustrating. Ha Neul is very good at showing suppressed emotions so you can see all the undercurrents beneath his character yet he’s so stoic outwardly.
I found actors coming with musical training usually have better acting skills in conveying their subtle emotions. Example like KHN and Jo Jung Suk.
Talk about JJS…KHN, Jo Jung Suk, Joo Won and Kim Moo Yeol knew each other. I read it sometime ago in KHN’s interviews that he and his hyungs get together for drinks. Why did I forget that he called them hyungs? He’s the maknae.
I beg to differ. I love both dramas Moon Lovers and Moonlight, but its not unreasaonable to say as to why one drama is getting more ratings than the others. I can say for Moonlight the acting from the main (especially the main leads) to the supporting characters are top notch and its cute and engaging to me. However, the same can be said with Moon Lovers (with certain actors and actresses). But i won’t compare the dramas like apples and oranges. I like Moonlight when i need that fluffiness and cuteness to calm my pissiness after Moon Lovers with some of their more than annoying characters (cough…cough 4th prince mother…cough…cough…) and i like Moon Lovers when you need something gritty. I like both dramas for their own reasons and i think its unfortunate for Moon Lovers to have low ratings, but i’m not shocked. dramas that get such an extensive mediaplay usually builds up such expectation. When its not met, everything is targeted from the acting, plot, writing, and etc when it might be good, its rendered as crap as it didn’t meet what was expected.
Just finished SH ep5. I enjoyed this ep very much and loved how most of the plot continued to deviate from the C counterpart. I still don’t get all the hate on IU or EXO Bacon. They are so fun and amusing to watch. I couldn’t help LOLing whenever they were together the same time on screen. IU also translated the aura of a damsel from 21st century pretty well. She made me laugh so much in this episode. Honestly, Liu Shi Shi albeit classy and sophisticated, her character as Rouxi in the C version was too political savvy for me and her relationships with 8th and 4th princes were riddled with too many schemes and calculations. That’s part of the reasons I didn’t appreciate the romance in the C version so much. However, Hae Soo still has that innocence of a modern girl who usually doesn’t care ancient history and court politics. I like the heroine of this version better, along with 8th prince and 4th prince too.
To my surprise, the one major risk factor I expected for this remake before its airing hasn’t appeared to be the culprit to sabotage ratings so far, imo. The script was well written and intriguing enough for me to want more episodes.
Now comes my whining. You guess! Same old same old complaint! Dang camera work and those horrendous closeups that could even occupy 4/5 ass of the screen at some shots. What the heck! This is really insane! Darn it. I strongly believe camera director and editing crew’s crappy work jinx the drama. It’s a shame that they didn’t treat such a promising drama with artistic details at the very start. Now it’s kinda late to draw new viewers and can only hope for a miracle to boost up the domestic ratings.
I think I know the problem
The cameraman hated the hairstylist
or
he loved the makeup artist!
Isn’t weird how the bangs, buns and basically top of the heads are out of frame. We just get the face!
LOL…..I thought the PD had re edited each episode. But nope! Do the production crew have myopia of 1/20 or what?
well the hairstylist in SH is pretty bad in my opinion e-e. The stylists made these flower boys even more “flower boys” with those hair styles especially Nam Joo Hyuk’s hair. I prefer the princes to be more masculine not high school teens e-e
well the hairstylist in SH is pretty bad in my opinion e-e. The stylists made these flower boys even more “flower boys” with those hair styles especially Nam Joo Hyuk’s hair. I prefer the princes to be more masculine not high school teens e-e. Thank god all hair style looks good on LJK even that long ass side bang
This week’s episodes of Moon Lovers are dynamic. While I like episode 5 for giving both the bittersweet emotion, I love episode 4 more because more screentime for LJK.
KHN really did an outstanding job as 8th Prince, him carrying that character making all the right sense of why Haesoo fall for him, unlike the C-version which still left me scratching my head of why would she be in love 8th.
I for once prefer the angsty 4th than the calmer one but LJK is LJK, he can do no wrong in my book and his character has so much more unraveling to do.
It’s interesting that at this juncture, only 3rd has the eyes on the throne and so, I couldn’t predict whatever would trigger the battle since our spunky heroine is not so bright to be so calculative with her action.
It’s a totally fresh watching experience and IU sure has a talent for comedy.
This different plot development looks all good to me. I’m intrigued.
The translating of emoji scene is the best. I laughed so hard because of the Dumb and Dumber (10th Eun and 14th Jung) and perhaps also 9th.
And KHN was at his best when he himself was even more confused to deciphering the emoji.
I agree that IU has a talent for comedy. She made me laugh so much in her comical scenes. \^0^/
Haha omg it so famous the battles of low rating vs high rating
Haven’t watched moon light yet , but I’m enjoying moon lover
IU is executing her part well, no need to diss and criticize her much
KHN nailed it, LJK is awesome
Other actors also doing their parts well
I don’t understand korean viewers , first BM and now SH , It seems dark serious dramas are not their tastes
Moonlight was shown ahead of Moon Lovers so it earned loyal viewers first. Loyal to PBG & KYJ who are sweethearts to many South Korean show biz fans. Their popularity & earning loyal viewers ahead of Moon Lovers in S Korea. I’m not a fan of PBG as a hot guy. There are more hot guys in SK show biz but not well marketed as PBG. I wish him luck in his acting career to improve & more manly as a hero for OTP in his future projects.
Moonlight is a show that you can watch comfortably without much attention. You can eat snacks or dinner while watching it. I enjoy it. I did not enjoy KYJ-s dance. She is a stiff dancer even in variety shows. Zoom in PBG’s (character) sad face watching her dance thinking of his mom in flashbacks, focus on KYJ’s face blotted the boring dance. I see more chemistry between KYJ & Jin Young than KYJ & PBG. Hot chemistry between KYJ & Kwak Dong Yun, the CP body guard. My new found hot actor Kwak Dong Yun.
I vote for Moon Lovers for the performances & the passionate story in it. IU & Baekhyun scenes are really cute & a breather. Soo knows that Eun has a big crush on her. She dismisses him while he misunderstands that she is moving too fast on him. Good job Baekhyun. Cute.
Moon Lovers love triangle/square between IU & the princes is the spice of the drama. The passionate romance of the love triangle between Su & Princes 8 & 4. KHN & LJK are superb.
Dear, while I am with you being someone who love Moon Lovers, I think it’s better to leave Moonlight out of this. Your comment may be based on your preference but may not sit well with others. While we enjoy our beloved Moon Lovers and the casts, let them rejoice over the success of their drama and gush over whatever works for them. Otherwise the bickering and attack will never end and hurt us even more.
Same with you, IMO everything about Moon Lovers worked for me and I am saying this again like a broken record, I am loving it to the moon and back.
I never saw PBG as a hot guy. As for being well marketed, I have no idea. Since I learnt from @Drama2016 that PBG comes from the same agency as Song Joong Ki, I can say they are doing a good job.
If anyone dismisses PBG as the latest fad with more hot air than talent, they are underestimating the guy.
I just watched the latest episode of MDBC. Kim Yoo Jung is good and delivers as usual but the one who is knocking it out of the park is Park Bo Gum. He’s too young for me to fangirl and same goes for KHN. These youngsters will go far. They show depth and maturity in handling their roles surpassing even the older and more experienced. Some young ones are like flash in the pan. They may be lucky to get a hit project or ride the wave with their good looks. Those with real talent will continuously improve themselves if they work hard and take up challenging roles.
I think SJK’s agency did plan well to promote PBG to take a ride on his senior’s sky-high popularity. He showed up as a special guests on several SJK’s fan meetings after DotS, at least twice abroad. Nevertheless, marketing and promotion wouldn’t work if acting weren’t up to par and drama were boring to watch. Uncontrollably lackluster UF is a good example. PBG somehow reminds me of younger KSH.
Fly me to the moon(s) and loving them. Since this is a comparison on the moon drama ratings I can’t help voicing my opinion on both. My opinion based on my own observation. I wish both moon dramas well while I continue to enjoy watching them till the end. Fighting…as they say in SK.
I’m currently watching Moonlight Love and will continue doing so. Love the plot, casts and the humor. Can’t wait for next week to come
@Drama2016 For goodness sake, pipe down with your pathetic whiny self. Do you have nothing better to do than be this pathetic? You’re such a troll, even worse than the few that frequent this site. I visit this site time to time, and it’s clear who frequently posts here. It’s good for koala’s online traffic, but the things written half the time here are nonsensical.
Sure you’re entitled to an opinion, whether I agree with it or not, however I don’t have to like it, just as you might not like mine…but goodness you try so hard to appear all-knowing all the damn time, as if this is the only community/place you can validate your worth as a person.
Am I being presumptuous? It’s taxing and exhausting, especially for someone who “claims” to be a professional. It’s clear not all professionals are intelligent, right. Again am I being rude? Lol. Is this me being bully and personally attacking you? Lol
Naa, this is me being passive aggressive, which you try to be all the time, but fail miserably at it.
Do you despise Doctors so much and its undisputed success because it’s ‘boring’ or is it because PSH is @ the helm of it. We all know you particularly dislike her. So to invalidate her and the fans of her drama, you go around bullying those who genuinely perceive this drama positively or loved it.
Read back on your comments you seem to really go off @ those particular fans of PSH/KRW (doctors fans) every time they complain about the hate the drama is getting for its SUCCESSFUL RATINGS RUN, and yes honey, it may have not received DOTS rating but it is considered a bonafide SUCCESS. At least I can tell, even begrudgingly you have no choice but to acknowledge it so.
I love SJK with a passion, and @ times I too realise that he will inevitably have fans that you often call “obsessed stans” like yourself to support him, but I guess we all can be normal ha? Was that mean-spirited…I’m sure…but guess what you seem to enjoy dishing it out on people who are afraid to take you on and condescendingly you leave LOL after every sentence to make it seem that you’re not at all bothered, because you’re above all of it.
At the end of the day, you frequent this site as much as anybody else and like everyone else you’re free to post whatever, for this reason don’t be too offended by my comment since it’s my opinion and all (‘LOl’).
Blatantly hating on someone who knows little of your existence (PSH) to this degree is really pathetic for someone as old as you profess. I can’t wait for the day when your precious Oppa that you try to shield films with your constant and consistent anti (PSH), (oh the dilemma!!what shall you do…to watch or not to watch).
Word of advice(for myself included), don’t love something or anybody obsessively, for there may come a day you might despise them, and don’t hate compulsively for there may come a day you might learn to love them.
Truth of the matter, whatever your point of view towards us Doctors fans/ PSH fans/stans or whatever you have in my mind, your opinion and mine alone are insignificant to whether her career moves forward or not. Her success is her own, and with or without us she’ll be ‘Alright’!
I just wanted to let you know that I see right through you’re bullsh*t and you’re just as oversensitive and overdefensive, maybe even more narcissistic than all those posters that you claim to be so. All I see is someone so insecure and bitter, sulk about seeing someone they particularly have ill-feelings towards dare to share the spotlight in success with their bias.
That’s Cool, but let’s not pretend to be not bothered by it, when every comment made about Doctors makes you want to go on a crusade. Had this drama flopped or tanked badly, you would have been one of the first to crucify this poor girl (shinhye) for it. I’m not even a huge fan of the girl, and most of the time I don’t even post, but while I can leave well enough alone, hypocrites, know-it-alls and pretenders that bully others by enforcing their passive aggressiveness just irks me and I have to address it. In your case you’re just as pathetic at even passive aggressiveness, that its funny when you try to downplay it.
I have better things to do with my time, and so since I have said my peace, I’ll move on, lets hope you too can learn to move on from this warped sense of entitlement you have for your particular bias like you’re on his payroll and the obsession you have for someone you so very much dislike. Lets be real, since Heirs, it’s been many folks’ hobby to spread hate were PSH is concerned so much so, that when she’s improved since, they struggle to give merit, but take comfort in finding new ways to bash, even as indirectly as talking about how crap and boring her most recent drama is. She can never ever win with international netizens, fortunately, you’re not the audience that matter, you’re just the bonus.
Your peace is longer than piece although alphabet count is the same.
At this rate, dear blogger would have to create a post just for commentators to have a slugfest.
Back to The Moon…
I shake my head @ these PSH fans. Regardless of which blogs or threads, they could snatch sheer chance to ramble endlessly their obsession with their faves and never got tired of emotional attack. LOL…It’s my personal opinions about what I like or dislike. But these fans have been desperately trying to shove all their way into the faces of those who disagree with them. Geezzzzz.
LOL..I can’t believe I really spent my precious minutes during my brief break from work reading your long ass bleating. Hahahaha
This is how I have ill feelings about all the lunatic fans of PSH and their overreaction, over defensive over nothing-to-rave-except-for-high-rating drama. I’m shy of being blunt about how I dislike Doctors and PSH’s acting after giving the drama and the cast a chance and watching even 6 eps. Fair enough! I had absolutely no prejudice against any actors/actress from get go. For me, my personal assessment sheet on these Asian actors was totally blank. But I came to an unfavorable opinions about the fave you’re obsessed with. She isn’t a convincing actress to me albeit this is not about her amicable personality, but all about her acting caliber. Just bcos I differ in opinions from the lunatic PSH fandom about her as an actress and her dramas, you immature fans all lashed out like childish and traumatized emos, if not butthurt angry birds all the time. I’m usually lenient on those who are gentle and civil but rarely hold back my aversion to those who can’t take different opinions with reasonable reaction. Unfortunately you along with many other PSH fanatic are among the latter. Besides, who in real life really cares whether a K nugu “celebrity” knows one’s existence. LOL… That would be pretty pathetic!
So your long arse bleating does remind me of making another round of broadcast again, loud and blunt, which I haven’t done for a while LOL:
PSH CAN’T ACT. Plain and simple!
You can cry to dead PSH can’t act.
But she is scoring projects left and right.
Still one of the top actress in Korea and nothing can change that
Wasn’t you one of the people that expected Doctors flop?
I guess it must be hurt seeing someone who can’t act plain and simple made one of the biggest dramas of this year and went beyond everyone’s expectation?
Korea will keep putting Doctors and DOTS together so you need to fly there and correct them as well.
That’s why I said PSH’s rabid fandom is full of traumatized emos. I don’t care if PSH is successful or not. Celebrities’ lives and careers are none of my business and they are non factors in my life, including my fave SJK. LOL…So don’t all talk like narcissists again. Who care about how these actresses do with their projects. Good luck to PSH. But that won’t change the fact she isn’t a top notch actress and most of her dramas are boring regardless of ratings.
I expected Doctors to flop? LMAO. Narcissistic again, fans! Doctors isn’t something I would care a dang whether it was successful in ratings or not. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have even watched 6 eps straight. LOL..It’s just an entertainment. Chill. But you all act like you’re worshiping a Greek goddess and her dramas are all your lives. LOL
When narcissistic fans always like to put Doctors and DotS together as if the former were on the same level as the latter, surely ppl with different opinions are entitled to argue against it. So fair and square! Doctors is not a good drama.
My bad that I wasted my precious time on you since it seems really you have no life. lol
Keep crying and hating PSH
At the end of the day she is way more successful, richer, respected and love by millions of people and who are you again?
Honey you don’t need to mention some people here who wants to make fights for nothing they are nothing but keywords typers just enjoy your life ignore those who keep bar offending this actress or her works they have nothing in their lives to do except offending others .
Doctors are successful so don’t mind those types who keep jumping in every article to offend park shin hye or her drama .
omg! This article speaks my mind. I was wondering if there is something wrong with me. I liked BM more than doctors and here again ended up liking SH more than MDBC. I watch korean dramas once in a while. I just go through what is the story about and trailer & decide on which drama to watch. Till now I have been very happy with my choices & God the male lead in SH is killing it. The plot looks very interesting. And no hate for Doctors & MDBC! I guess the stars in these high rating dramas must be a big deal in Korea. But whatever Moon lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo fighting! 🙂
Not really a fan of both the dramas. It has been a while since I watched a good k-drama!
I suppose Moon Light is also a fairly generic drama but I don’t get the whole thing about Moon Lovers being so intense that it requires intelligence to understand what is happening compared to a fluffy drama like Moon Light.
I have watched the c-version and find that superior to K-BBJX in all respects. People say you shouldn’t compare and that this is Goryeo period and all, but hey, it is supposed to be an adaptation. Comparisons are inevitable!
As of now, I find Kang Haneul’s 8th Prince the most interesting character of the lot. The 4th Prince is your typical tortured male character with mommy issues and I bet he won’t have a wife in this one so that it would be easier for the viwers to accept his romance with the heroine than say with the 8th Prince.
I wish the 4th Prince was written differently from the typical male leads of k-dramas. I suppose Lee Jun Ki is a good actor, but I haven’t seen him take on that many challenging roles of late. This seems like a fairly typical character for him to play. There are always takers for the male lead more sinned against than sinning, having a good heart behind all that devilry.
The time-travelling heroine is the backbone of the drama. If you don’t cast a good actress to play the role, then it is fairly certain that the drama expects the viwers to be more interested in the male characters than the female one. I suppose IU is improving, but even physically her aura is too weak for me to consider her as having the guts to survive in that era.
I loved how C-BBJX played with my sense of morality as a 21st century woman. It was really hard for me to understand Ruoxi’s and 8th Prince’s relationship at first coz she was his sister-in-law. I was praying for 4th Prince to be single so that I could support their love story without any qualms. But I was disappointed in both counts and was forced to view the drama keeping aside my 21st century notions. I think that was quite brave of the drama to do and I love how it made me see things from a different perspective and not be so judgemental.
While Nicky Wu and Kevin are good-looking, the hair styles did not really help in making them appear attractive in my eyes. Yet, both of them acted so well that it was hard not to fall for their characters. In K-BBJX though, it is pretty easy to like the characters since the costumes do not take away from their prettiness. Lee Jun Ki is pretty, so is Kang Ha Neul. But then the characters aren’t really as compelling though I do find the Korean 8th Prince a bit more interesting than the 4th.
The K-BBJX seems to be falling short in playing with the viewers’ expectations – it likes to play safe and that puts me off. I suppose Moon Lovers would improve as we come to the more intense parts of the love triangle, but as of now, I don’t find it compelling enough.
I don’t get why fans of Moon Lovers have to be so defensive about each and everything about the drama. If you point something out, then they come up with a million explanations as to why you are not getting the point, why you are not seeing the character’s inner pain, motivations etc. On DB and Koala, it is not like there are many people who have a different opinion; most are lovers of the drama. So why become so insecure if someone else has a different opinion?
Anyway, both dramas are not really that great. However, to diss Moon Light saying Moon Lovers is somehow more clever or intense or that k-netz really don’t know how to appreciate a good drama like that is also laughable!
I am watching and enjoying both dramas but I think neither drama is an intelligent watch. As for intensity, both dramas have it. In any case, intensity is not about shouting out “Look! I am so INTENSE!”
MDBC’s story is not new but it is well written. Actually, Scarlet Heart can’t claim their story is new or rare either. Time travel and palatial fights have been done to death. I just find that SH’s writing can be better, I love some parts and not others.
As for directing, MDBC wins hands down. Another thing I noticed, MDBC has a smaller budget. Just compare the two dance scenes and the sets in general, without doubt SH is superior. Sadly, it is mostly squandered away by poor camerawork and directing.
On acting, let’s just say PBG is the sensational discovery although he’s already been recognized as a budding talent. I read with amusement the gushing poured out on Dramabeans, I can only imagine it’s the same in Korea and other places.
MDBC is like a dish which has simple ingredients yet it is deftly cooked and beautifully presented. Scarlet Heart is like a three course dinner which has more and better ingredients but the cooking and presentation falls short. Scarlet Heart could easily have been the more satisfying meal and a gastronomic delight even. Thankfully, we are only one third way into the series and it ain’t over till the fat lady sings.
While I appreciate your opinion, i also don’t understand why the fans of Moon Lovers couldn’t defend their preference? And why the need to mention ML in order to highlight the goods in Moonlight? You see, this whole issue will never end if we keep up with this whole thing cause we don’t share the same of what’s good and what’s not. Suffice to say, if whatever in Moonlight that strike to you right at all places, then it’s better to not making the comparison to Moon Lovers and expect the fans of ML to accept and to not try to justify your points because they see it differently than you. You can rave about all the highlights of Moonlight as how you enjoy it and let those ML fans enjoy the drama not seeing the flaws as how you see it.
@anotherday, I just wanted to say that I have not read any comments saying that Moon Lovers is so intense that it requires intelligence to understand what is happening compared to Moonlight.
The Kdrama is also playing with our modern women sensibilities re the 8th prince & Haesoo’s relationships. I loved the way they did it in the K-version, with 8th prince’s wife loving him so much that she was willing to set him up with Haesoo so that the 2 people she loved could be happy & taken care of after she’s gone, and 8th prince & Haesoo deciding to “lock up” their feelings because they could not bear to hurt her. The 3 actors/actresses played this beautifully.
As to why fans of ML seem to be defensive, you need to understand that a lot of the criticisms against ML are hate-filled comments bashing the drama and its actors & actresses long before the drama even started airing, and it’s pretty obvious from the comments that these commenters have not watched the drama. They are just jumping into the “let’s bash this drama” bandwagon.
There’s nothing wrong with ML drama fans to point out the misleading impressions given by these people, and to give their own opinions as to why the drama is not as terrible as it was made out to be. Even if the critical commenter is a fan of the drama, there is also nothing wrong with other fans sharing a different opinion or point of view, after all that’s what drama discussions are all about.
Again, nobody is dissing Moonlight saying ML is more clever or intense. What ML fans are saying is that in their opinion, ML seems darker with the killing & massacres, and potentially adulterous and incestuous relationships etc. And I think we all agree that ultimately what we (whether in or outside Korea) like to watch or appreciate boils down to our own personal preferences.
It is the same issue to me, because of comparison and difference in preference.
To say ML fans being so defensive is not fair either since Koala’s comment that she think Moonlight should not be getting that high rating is not sitting well with the fans of the drama as well. Is that not a sign that the fans of this drama also cannot accept the difference in opinion? The same with the comment that Moonlight is a light fluffy drama which many of the fans felt is unjustified for the drama to be labelled as such and then come all the defense? Is all down to the same thing, we don’t share the same opinion.
And when Koala mentioned that in her opinion, K-BBJX is deserving of higher ratings, the fans of the drama applauded the comment because they share the same opinion and then come the Moonlight fans that disagree with the comment and rubbing to their faces of what they actually see as the slacking.
So, there is no need to sound negative and neutral at the same time. If Moonlight fans praising their preference by not thumping down ML, I don’t see any ML will go on defensive mode unnecessarily. Same with ML fans that wish to rave about their beloved drama without scrutinizing the success of Moonlight, then there will be no counter attack.
Hence, I agree with @Suk Bin. The bickering will never end because each one of us has the preference and want to shove our opinion into others. Since both sides couldn’t be so receptive of the opinion from the opposite end, then it’s better off to just focus on what we prefer.
I’m back simply to count how many comments already. 251 not including mine. LOL
Thank you, Ameera! You practically said what I’ve been thinking for a while now. Lol
LOL. Here comes another Doctors ass kisser!
Funny how you make assumptions. I’m neither a Doctors fan or a PSH fan. Just a fellow Koala follower who has noticed the same things others have stated. 🙂
hahaha Great! Good riddance of PSH’s rabid fan bcos I seriously think these fangirls are too insecure to chill on any criticism on their fave and her dramas. You’re entitled to your like or dislike. It’s none of my business. We just agree to disagree. There are many who don’t like this particular actress nor Doctors but it happens I’m one of those who are blunt. But based upon your taste and appreciation of a gibberish long ass rambling with personal attack on me, I don’t have high regard for you as a commenter either. LOL buy crap!
Okay. Bye!
It just hit me yesterday that the two Moons are not even halfway through the series. Moonlight is at 6 out of 18 and Scarlet Heart at 4 out of 20. I am apprehensive about how much material Moonlight has for another 12 episodes. Since I am more familiar with Scarlet Heart, it being an adaptation, I am not concerned.
My question – Is it a foregone conclusion that Soo will end up loving So?
I had guessed it would be so, that the story will follow C version in that Soo will fall in love with the 8th Prince but eventually gave her heart to the 4th. All signs are already set up for So & Soo but it’s just not happening yet.
Already I see people complaining Lee Jun Ki has too little screen time and that drama better not do a “CITT” on them. By this, I think they are implying that Kang Ha Neul has too much screentime. CITT or Cheese In The Trap was one show where PD decided to focus more on the 2nd lead and fans were very upset.
Back to my question…there’s no point checking history because while Wang So existed, Hae Soo is a fictional character. So it’s all up to the drama writer or maybe PD?
I read that Moonlight is possibly up for episodes extension. And Moonlight is in fact an adaptation from manhwa, so it definitely has the material.
I agree that there’s not much Lee Jun Ki’s screentime. He appeared less than 30 minutes combined in the first 3 episodes and i guess that’s partially contributed to the dipping of the rating in episode 4 (again this is a speculation). He showed up a lot in episode 4 and the next day the drama had a slight rating increased only for him to appear less than 10 minutes in episode 5. He may not be as popular as during his “Iljimae” time but there is no denying that he is the strongest force in Moon Lovers.
I get the frustration over the lack of his screentime (myself included) but I don’t think that they will pull the so-called CITT. I don’t think they can afford to ruin the original source otherwise they will end up receiving more cursing. And probably because KHN really is so good as 8th and had amazing chemistry with IU that viewers doubting and curious how eventually Haesoo will end up with Wang So.
As someone who have watched the C-drama, apart from the characters, the storytelling really deviates from the original which is good cause none of us can tell what will actually happen.
Regarding LJK’s screen time, isn’t that supposed to be the setup for the first few episodes? When I started to watch C BBJX, I even took the 8th prince as the drama hero since there was such elaboration of the romance between him and the heroine. Then I was taken aback and perhaps slightly disappointed when the 4th prince emerged in the love scene.
Well everyone was going gaga over 8th then 4th Prince and Ruoxi, I was hoping against hope for 13th Prince(which I know almost from start, there is zero chance) or 14th Prince. It would be nice if I can just go with the flow for once, huh?
And to add in…when you mentioned that all signs are already set up for Soo and So but things not happening, I am curious as well… cause a lot been complaining things are moving so fast in the relationship development. I mean, the faster she hooked up with Wook, means So will come into picture faster as well.
@Hu
Moonlight is up for extension? Greedy KBS…I dislike extensions especially if it’s done for milking the popularity. First they cut Beautiful Mind now they want to extend MDBC?
It’s great that SH deviates from the C version, I’d be utterly bored if they don’t and it’s a definite plus since viewers can’t be sure what will happen.
When I asked my question, it’s because I have no actual historical fact to rely on and precisely because K version is not looking like a carbon copy of C version at all.
I did read of complaints that things are moving fast but was it with Wook or So? I had the impression it was with So. I am probably mistaken, mind overload with too many comments to read 😛
Signs are set up for Soo and So the moment he swept her up on his horse. The drama is totally upfront about this OTP. I am just wondering if it’s a done deal because I got to prepare my heart. KHN is fully capable of putting it through the shredder 😀
Yes. In fact the announcement was made by KBS but rebutted by the PD. But it does feel weird for Moonlight being set up for an 18 episodes drama, cause normally K-dramas are either standard 16 episodes or more. Of course the decision from KBS boiled down from the fact that they want to milk more money over the drama’s impressive reception but met with tons of objections from viewers who love it. It’s still early to not consider that decision since Moonlight has ran for only 6 episodes and it is based on a popular manhwa and they definitely have the material to work on.
Anyway, I just came to know that one of the PD(s) of Moonlight is also the PD of DoTS. Wow, he sure have a good run this year and really made use of all the formulas that worked on DoTS and incorporated them into Moonlight.
With regard to SH, many commented that the pace is moving fast for her relationship with Wook now that those two are pretty much free to be married. Regarding her relationship with So, the complaints came that he warmed up quite quickly to her but I don’t really view that as a problem since he is actually not a mean guy as how he was painted to be – more of a love-starved lonesome who longed for acceptance and with Soo being among the first who showed him genuine concern, he is actually open about it plus, he had pretty much given up on his mother’s affection and happy that he is finally free to live in the palace.
Ya, the signs are set up for Soo and So because she basically shared most of her moments with So. The horse incident, the bath house incident, the snow and star in Goryeo….all are set for the OTP.
whoa! koala 261 comments is record breaking! lmao! you better write more about rating. Anything moons will create major traffics on your blog.
I just watched MDBC ep6. It wasn’t as interesting as the first few episodes although it was still well executed. I thought this romantic sageuk was like 2nd The Moon Embracing the Sun that I enjoyed a lot when watching it. But tbh, the gratifying impact of MDBC isn’t as great as what TMETS did to me. Perhaps, TMETS was the first romantic sageuk I’ve ever watched and the concepts were novel to me back then. Besides, Kim Soo Hyun’s character as a Joseon king was purely made up without burden to abide by historical accuracy and therefore the writer/PD had more room to make the story/characters more exciting and interesting. Now 6 eps down, MDBC appears a bit generic to me, not as intriguing as the first 4 episodes. On the other hand, I’m getting excited to watch SH since the plot appears to have more unpredictable variables to me even though it was adapted from the original. I feel so bad for SH that the first few episodes were not delivered at its best. This reminds me of Beautiful Mind that started with an all-trash nonsensical heroine whom obviously drove potential viewers away. When BM progressed with impressive narratives later on and showed case the ace acting from Jang Hyuk in each episode consistently throughout the end, it was too late to save it from a domestic rating flop. What a shame!
It looks to me that SH is set to become a cult’s favourite just like BM. Agree that they should have done better job with the introductory episodes, no excuse for SH since it is a pre-produced drama but they screwed up big time and I pity the casts most of all especially IU caused she received the most backlash when all along, I think the PD (including the music PD) and editing team should receive the most blames. Though the plot is getting more interesting and pretty much everything have fall into places, the negative impression on the first few episodes have far stronger and lasting effect for anyone to even consider checking on this drama. I find that SH is even a better drama after re-watching it and probably even better for a marathon watch. I hope SH will get better with each episode and this is the one thing that I hope they will never ever mess up.
Another good example of being jinxed by the first few episodes was newly wrapped up Uncontrollably Fond for different weakness to blame.
Even this thread has been inundated with comments, I’ll keep coming back to update my thoughts about the two moons as long as the dramas are still on air and Koala isn’t going to open another thread. On other forums such as Soompi, it’s common to have 10s thousand comments of several thousand pages for a single popular drama. Idk if Koala can handle that capacity or not. LOL.
Agree with Koala! Moon Lovers is better than Moon Light.
Moonlight ratings hit 20.4% and Moon Lover a measly 5.7%…
Moon Lovers still better for me. Passionate scenes more gripping.
Moonlighting CP kissing his beloved Eunuch! Its PBG kissing KYJ that “draws” in the curiousity of their fans. What now. Her chest wrapping time was questioned by censorship…being under aged for lengthy exposure. KYJ was later replaced in Secret Door by someone mature enough for to perform the romantic scenes. Is she old enough now for the kiss? Cheap for some. It has caused a buzz & more curious viewers to up (more) the ratings. Is it cheap? Wow, ugh, or yuk? Is it a cheap scene to draw in more viewers? The meaningless boring dance still stuck in my mind. I love KYJ. I’d prefer that they make her do what is tasteful & appropriate for her great talent as an actress. KYJ beautiful, talented, young actress. She will shine more brightly with the right leading man.
Whatever… I’m not one of the sheep to follow the crowd. I’m still watching both but my heart is with Moon Lovers. How it captivates me. Moon Lovers…I love you.
LOL…stay pressed dear 🙂 At the end of the day, it’s the rating. Why put one drama down to make the other sound better? No different than the others comments above.
I will continue to enjoy watching Moon Lovers AND Moonlighting!
Moonlighting PBG & KYJ …Moon Lovers…IU, Lee JUNKI, Kim Haneul & other casts/princes. Keep up the good work. Fighting!!
u are basically doing the same thing moonlighters are accused of. u’ve called people who like moonlighters ”sheep” in a very derogatory way and trying to sound more intelligent than them .there was nothing tasteless about that kyj’s kiss.to each his own but to bash the watchers is another level of vanity.