Drama viewership ratings for the week of Sep. 16-22, 2019
by SailorJumun
The new shows are here! I repeat, the new shows are here! It’s great to get some fresh faces on our screens, as well as some fresh stories. But y’all, what I’m ecstatic about is the numbers. Now, these days, we can’t rely solely on viewership ratings since streaming isn’t part of the equation. Still, it’s been pretty disheartening seeing the ratings dwindle down.
Thankfully, starting with the latest Monday-Tuesday drama, the ratings are climbing right back up. Youth sageuk Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency premiered to 4.3 percent, a damn good start for a cable show. Next, for Wednesday and Thursday, we had the premieres of Secret Boutique and Running Investigators. It was noona romance When the Camellia Blooms that took the number one spot, though.
For the weekend, we had the premieres of Vagabond, the action drama featuring the reunion of Mr. Dimples Lee Seung-gi and Suzy, and Pegasus Market. Both dramas performed better than average, with the former garnering 10.4 percent and the latter garnering 3.2 percent. It looks like all the newbies are getting a fair amount of attention, which is more than I could’ve asked for.
Drama viewership ratings for the week of Sep. 16-22, 2019
| Ep. # | Station | Rating | |
| Monday, Sep. 16 | |||
| Let Me Hear Your Song | 25 | KBS | 2.7% |
| Let Me Hear Your Song | 26 | KBS | 3.2% |
| Welcome 2 Life | 25 | MBC | 3.9% |
| Welcome 2 Life | 26 | MBC | 4.7% |
| Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency | 1 | JTBC | 4.3% |
| The Great Show | 7 | tvN | 2.5% |
| Tuesday, Sep. 17 | |||
| Let Me Hear Your Song | 27 | KBS | 3.3% |
| Let Me Hear Your Song | 28 | KBS | 3.6% |
| Welcome 2 Life | 27 | MBC | 4.4% |
| Welcome 2 Life | 28 | MBC | 5.9% |
| Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency | 2 | JTBC | 3.8% |
| The Great Show | 8 | tvN | 2.7% |
| Wednesday, Sep. 18 | |||
| When the Camellia Blooms | 1 | KBS | 6.3% |
| When the Camellia Blooms | 2 | KBS | 7.4% |
| Rookie Historian Gu Hae-ryung | 33 | MBC | 4.0% |
| Rookie Historian Gu Hae-ryung | 34 | MBC | 6.0% |
| Secret Boutique | 1 | SBS | 4.6% |
| Running Investigators | 1 | OCN | 1.2% |
| When the Devil Calls Your Name | 15 | tvN | 1.6% |
| Thursday, Sep. 19 | |||
| When the Camellia Blooms | 3 | KBS | 6.7% |
| When the Camellia Blooms | 4 | KBS | 8.3% |
| Rookie Historian Gu Hae-ryung | 35 | MBC | 3.8% |
| Rookie Historian Gu Hae-ryung | 36 | MBC | 5.0% |
| Secret Boutique | 2 | SBS | 4.5% |
| Running Investigators | 2 | OCN | 1.3% |
| When the Devil Calls Your Name | 16 | tvN | 1.6% |
| Friday, Sep. 20 | |||
| Vagabond | 1 | SBS | 10.4% |
| Be Melodramatic | 13 | JTBC | 1.3% |
| Pegasus Market | 1 | tvN | 3.2% |
| Saturday, Sep. 21 | |||
| Mother of Mine | 105 | KBS | 28.4% |
| Mother of Mine | 106 | KBS | 33.2% |
| Golden Garden | 37 | MBC | 6.0% |
| Golden Garden | 38 | MBC | 8.8% |
| Golden Garden | 39 | MBC | 8.3% |
| Golden Garden | 40 | MBC | 9.1% |
| Vagabond | 2 | SBS | 10.3% |
| Be Melodramatic | 14 | JTBC | 1.3% |
| Hell Is Other People | 5 | OCN | 2.2% |
| Arthdal Chronicles | 17 | tvN | 6.4% |
| Sunday, Sep. 22 | |||
| Mother of Mine | 107 | KBS | 33.2% |
| Mother of Mine | 108 | KBS | 35.9% |
| Hell Is Other People | 6 | OCN | 3.4% |
| Arthdal Chronicles | 18 | tvN | 7.4% |
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1 Radily
September 22, 2019 at 7:03 AM
Pegasus Market only airs once a week on Fridays! I would love if two episodes were aired each week, but it is what it is.
I hope it can break the 5% mark against the odds!
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2 Kairoskat 💐
September 22, 2019 at 7:33 AM
Congrats Vagabond for the good ratings for ep 1-2!
Fyi..Vagabond is utilizing a new episode system. Each
episode is divided into 3 parts, 20-ish mins per part and in between the parts there are ads.
I don't know how this will impact kdramas in the long run. Imo, the positive side of having the 3 part system is the length of one episode is contained within 1 hour (yay!). The downside is...kviewers are not having it with ads breaking the flow of the drama and it might effect the ratings. Why bother watching live with so many ads, when it will be available on Netflix soon after it airs on TV.
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kiara
September 22, 2019 at 7:38 AM
That's exactly why streaming is more popular. You can choose to watch without ads.
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judepps
September 23, 2019 at 6:59 AM
yeah the reason that i have signed up fro Netflix is solely because of Vagabond. It takes a 1 hr patience to get rid of ads and you can enjoy watching it. No doubt that if streaming is included in the ratings those numbers for Vagabond will surely soar high.
After watching episode 1 i cannot stop myself in awe for the cinematography works especially the shots in Morocco. I felt like im watching a movie more than a drama. The action scene and the stunt was nicely executed, i saw bts and it was solely done by Lee Seunggi himself without using a double to make it more realistic. Which i can say his work was really paid off. Congratulations to Vagabond team for their hardwork!
I can't wait for Friday to come.
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bong-soo
September 22, 2019 at 8:51 AM
Congratulations to Lee Seung-gi et al and VAGABOND. I loved episode 1. The action scenes in Morocco are feature film quality. When I looked at VAGABOND’s wiki page I saw something was different about the ratings. Thanks @katakwasabi for the info. Those interested in how the 3 part episode ratings report looks can check here:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vagabond_(TV_series)
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Andrew Brophy
September 23, 2019 at 1:22 AM
It is already on Netflix in UK. Impressive so far.
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3 sundrop
September 22, 2019 at 7:45 AM
Can we also get the popularity charts? Ratings aren't a sufficient indicator anymore since we don't get streaming numbers.
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4 cat-cric-kat
September 22, 2019 at 8:44 AM
These ratings raise a big question about local audience.
Those who have seen single mother and Wagebond can easily deduce the level of both. These ratings completely hide the incompetence of writers and give you an explanation how come they get a job and how come these scripts get approval.
Market decides the outcome. But Mgt can't gt rid of accountability.
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Joy
September 22, 2019 at 8:49 AM
Mainstream audience loves these kind of dramas and star power will never be defeated not just in Korea but anywhere else. You need to start acknowledging that small dramas aren't going to succeed if they aren't exceptional but big dramas will succeed more often than not. Scripts get approval because people love watching them and these scripts and stars generate not just buzz but millions in cf deals and bring in producers who are willing to shell out money for them.
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zzthorn
September 22, 2019 at 10:21 AM
With deepest respect though, when you are talking about "local audience" and making decisions about ratings hiding incompetence, I think it is best to think first about cultural differences. These are Korean dramas and it is most likely best that the writing competence be judged by Koreans. Of course it is very true that lately Korean dramas are reaching out to other cultures for acceptance and praise, but first and foremost they are Korean. I try to be really cautious about judging writing skills for these dramas because I come from a different culture even though I have watched a gigantic number of Korean dramas. Still, I am looking at the kdramas through a Western lens and therefore don't feel it is my place to evaluate the skill of the kdrama writers. That sure doesn't stop me when it comes to acting skill though. I have strong likes and dislikes about Korean actors.
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sph_7
September 22, 2019 at 10:54 AM
Yes. The western streamers can praise all they want about dramas like Be Melo, but the truth is locals don’t like it.
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sal
September 22, 2019 at 11:09 AM
Actually if you look at what kind of drama Korean are talking about online, Be melo have been among the 3 most buzzworthy drama :) (https://www.soompi.com/article/1352973wpp/ong-seong-wu-and-moments-of-18-top-rankings-for-most-buzzworthy-actors-and-dramas) I guess many maybe are watching true VOD witch sadly do not count in the rating. I see often rating do not mirror witch kind of drama seems to be talked about online.
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liar song #PuppyNotPuppyLeeJaeWookIsBack
September 22, 2019 at 12:59 PM
Be Melo even trends on Naver tv Top 100 after an episode airs. Haha. The target audience are just into streaming>>watching it live since it is more convenient that way.
sph_7
September 22, 2019 at 4:46 PM
Top buzz maybe worth looking at from a commercial standpoint, but actually top VOD is the ranking that shows what people are streaming.
http://naver.me/5L0QlBet
Be Melo is #5 last week, but Gracefully Family, that doesn’t have any buzz is top of the list.
Buzz list also drops a drama once it finishes broadcasting, but Hotel De Luna is still #3 most demanded video drama.
Ivana
September 22, 2019 at 10:55 AM
I don't think anyone has any right or authority to question the taste of local audiences. These dramas are not made for us international audiences we are just lucky to live in a world with internet where these dramas are also available to us but we are not their target audience. If a drama is popular with the local audience that means it's a good drama for them and meets their standard of quality writing. Criticising other cultures taste in their local popular culture is not right in my opinion.
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liar song #PuppyNotPuppyLeeJaeWookIsBack
September 22, 2019 at 1:00 PM
Can I upvote this for like a 100x?
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Teletabz
September 22, 2019 at 4:43 PM
Hey you! Why don't you try other media than attack the local audience (and their preferences) every time I see your comment. First and foremost these dramas are targeted among the local audience and not international viewers (save for a few Netflix shows). Try to be understanding you negative feline. :/
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Kairoskat 💐
September 22, 2019 at 6:29 PM
There's a drama titled Wagebond? Which channel is it on? I want to watch it to make a deduction because currently I can't understand the point you're trying to bring forward.
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5 Lily
September 22, 2019 at 8:59 AM
Wow Flower Crew getting those ratings just because of Park Jihoon is impressive. Ong Seungwoo dominated the popularity charts and now he's passing it on to Jihoon. Korea sure does love Wanna One those numbers are unreal for a cast of mostly unknowns.
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candycane
September 22, 2019 at 9:26 AM
OSW can truly act so I think he will become successful as a real actor in the long run. We need new blood in kdramas.
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Lily
September 22, 2019 at 9:44 AM
He might I'm not saying he won't. I'm saying if they weren't Wanna One members dramas with a cast of mostly unknowns would not pull these numbers especially for the pilot episode.
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sph_7
September 22, 2019 at 10:52 AM
Flower Crew cast is not “unknown”.
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Lily
September 22, 2019 at 7:25 PM
None of the cast of Flower Crew is a known face apart from Jihoon. They're all rising or rookie stars but not popular enough to bring in ratings this high. Popularity buzz and comments were all about Jihoon I doubt people even know the names of the other actors.
panshel
September 22, 2019 at 7:52 PM
People who watch dramas know Kim Min-jae's name. You must mean Park Ji-hoon's fans don't know actors.
https://melohwa.blogspot.com/search/label/Flower%20Crew%3A%20Joseon%20Marriage%20Agency
sph_7
September 22, 2019 at 8:26 PM
Kim Min Jae was famous as a rapper and became a household face since Goblin. Gong Seung-yeon was the female lead of Circle, My Only Love Song and Are You Human Too.
Seriously the one I don’t know is the other guy. Majority of drama watchers watch actors they’ve seen. They don’t go around commenting and liking news articles.
Lily
September 23, 2019 at 1:03 AM
I understand the points your making and I'm not saying you're wrong but I can't agree with you. From my understanding most of the cast is not widely known but the drama has been appearing on popularity charts even before it started to air. The person who was cast first and whose name is most associated with this drama is Jihoon who has already started to appear on the popularity charts. Which means he is the most searched name from all the actors in the drama. A young cast like this would not be able to pull high ratings if it were not for the power of Wanna One. You can take Age of Youth as a classic example of kind of ratings a cast of rising or rookie actors generally brings. Another drama that will be airing in the same genre is Tale of Nokdu and despite having a known actress has almost no hype nor buzz. When you see the ratings and popularity buzz for the drama next week you'll get a clearer picture of what I'm trying to say.
panshel
September 22, 2019 at 6:17 PM
I was shocked at the ratings for Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency's premiere like I was shocked for 100 Days My Prince's premiere. I thought Korea must be starved for fusion sageuks, but when the ratings declined for its second episode, I wonder if 4.278% will be the highest ratings Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency gets.
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Lily
September 22, 2019 at 7:28 PM
I don't think so. The ratings declined very marginally just like Moments of 18 did. The reviews are very good but it's basically talking about what an excellent actor Jihoon is. I'm sure the drama will go as high as 5% at the very least.
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kiara
September 22, 2019 at 11:38 PM
100 Day Prince made me want to go back and watch it the following week. I don't feel the same with Flower Crew.
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PMSahjumoni
September 23, 2019 at 2:33 AM
Whereas I'm the opposite. I dropped 100 Day Prince after the first week and I want to watch the next episodes of Flower Crew. If anything, it just indicates that everyone has different tastes and preferences, and there's nothing wrong with that either.
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kiara
September 23, 2019 at 9:07 AM
100 Day Prince had the perfect timing. We didn't have many sageuks to choose from last year.
It came when I really wanted to watch one and not because it was my type of sageuk.
We have a lot more to choose from this year and we've seen some really good sageuks already so it's easier to drop the ones I don't like right away.
I'm basically waiting for MY COUNTRY and hope that it won't disappoint.
6 mary
September 22, 2019 at 10:13 AM
I wanna pout that Pegasus is only one ep a week, but at least we have official subs unlike with Top Star Yoo Baek :( I hope it gets even higher ratings so that timeslot doesn’t become an afterthought.
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suk
September 22, 2019 at 1:12 PM
I'm trying hard not to pout too. It's not even a full 16 episodes :(
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neener ~ Inside the Magic Shop ~
September 23, 2019 at 8:12 AM
It's only an episode a week??? I can't last that way. I'll wait for it to finish and marathon it then rather than suffering an ep a week :/
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7 Clare
September 22, 2019 at 1:21 PM
Hmm... why are you only noting the highest number in Vegabond? It is broken into 3 parts and the some parts are only 5-6%. On average, the ratings are only 8% for both Episodes 1 and 2.
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panshel
September 22, 2019 at 1:36 PM
Yes, Vagabond's ratings should be split like the half-hour dramas Let Me Hear Your Song, Welcome 2 Life, etc.
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Kairoskat 💐
September 22, 2019 at 2:18 PM
I don't know how ratings are calculated and displayed but fyi the ratings stated in the table above is similar to what is on Vagabond Naver site. The ratings are not broken into parts.
https://m.entertain.naver.com/tvBrand/6487748/broadcastInfo/ratingCard
Also note that another SBS drama: Secret Boutique also has one rating value per episode even when it is split in two parts. This is also inline with the official ratings on it's Naver page.
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Kairoskat 💐
September 22, 2019 at 1:58 PM
Comment was deleted
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8 theimprintonmynose
September 22, 2019 at 4:26 PM
I'm confused if vagabond is airing on sbs or mbc? I thought it is airing on cable network
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sph_7
September 22, 2019 at 4:51 PM
SBS
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spazmo
September 22, 2019 at 7:07 PM
and netflix in the US
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bong-soo
September 22, 2019 at 7:45 PM
Which must trump being available on Kocowa. Even though SBS is one of the big 3 Korean broadcast networks that make up Kocowa I don’t see VAGABOND available on their app.
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sph_7
September 22, 2019 at 8:38 PM
Vagabond is a Netflix Original. It will only be on Netflix worldwide. This is a deal between the production company and Netflix. SBS didn’t make this drama, they only have Korea broadcast rights.
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sundrop
September 22, 2019 at 9:41 PM
No this is a SBS drama that was sold to Netflix for worldwide broadcast. You have it the other way round. A Netflix original like Kingdom will never get broadcast rights on local television. Vagabond and Camellia Blooms are both local dramas sold to Netflix for broadcast.
sph_7
September 22, 2019 at 10:08 PM
@sundrop Vagabond is produced by Celltrion. Camellia Blooms Is produced by Pan Entertainment. Korea broadcast networks have cut down in-house dramas drastically over the past years. They don’t have enough means to create all their content at competitive quality anymore.
sundrop
September 22, 2019 at 10:31 PM
The production houses for dramas have been outsourced for many years but these dramas are not Netflix Orginals. When Netflix makes a drama it never sells it for broadcast to a local channel. These dramas were commissioned by their respective channels and were then sold to Netflix for worldwide broadcasting. This year Netflix bought broadcasting rights for 9 dramas including the Vagabond and Camellia but they did not commission the production of these dramas. The Netflix original dramas they commissioned for production are Kingdom, First First Love, Love Alarm, I Holo You, Extracurricular and The School Nurse Files.
Kairoskat 💐
September 22, 2019 at 10:31 PM
@geliguolu if I'm not mistaken, all dramas are produced by production houses (studio dragon, HB entertainment etc). SBS, KBS, MBC, TVN, jTBC etc are broadcasters. VB was slated to be aired on SBS from the beginning. Originally it was a deal with Sony Pictures Television. Netflix deal came in late, also the reason why VB premiere date was delayed.
sph_7
September 23, 2019 at 6:54 AM
@sundrop The ones you mentioned are Netflix productions. They are inclusive of the “Netflix Originals” category, but so are dramas made by Korean production houses and sold off to Netflix, like DS:60D. See screenshot http://www.dramabeans.com/wp-content/uploads/bpfb/10048_0-30766400-1569246840_493ed4d5-be4d-4cb8-89df-07fbf71594e2.jpeg
9 Kurama
September 23, 2019 at 12:25 AM
In two weeks, JTBC will air sageuks only. But 2 very differents :p
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10 Kaleidoscopic
September 23, 2019 at 6:40 AM
Comment was deleted
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