One drama might be a smash with one audience and yet a miss for another since Korean viewers' choices and those of foreign viewers can occasionally vary. Numerous factors have contributed to this, including debates over the show's actors and actresses. Here are five instances where a Korean drama underperformed domestically but later achieved international fame.
1. The King: Eternal Monarch
The King: Eternal Monarch, which had excellent viewership and was directed by Jung Ji-Hyun, dominated Netflix for the longest period of time. Lee Min-Ho portrays Lee Gon in the drama, and Kim Go-Eun plays Jeong Tae-Eul. It is a complicated love story that takes place in two parallel universes. Because of the compelling teasers and the attractive ensemble, this drama initially received positive reviews and excellent ratings. However, because the series was so incredibly slow-paced, they only began to fade as it went on. Domestic audiences also found the plot's use of parallel worlds confusing and struggled to comprehend the conclusion. They also questioned if Kim Go-Eun was the correct choice to portray Jeong Tae Eul.
2. Doom At Your Service
Park Bo Young and Seo In Guk starred in the supernatural K-Drama Doom At Your Service, which enjoyed international success. The show received an 8.2/10 on IMDb and rose to the top of the list in terms of global streaming. However, it had little success with the domestic market. One of the lowest ratings ever was merely 2.340%, which was obtained in the drama series' final episode. The drama did begin with a respectable rating of 4.422%, but when fresh episodes aired, the drama's graph fell precipitously. There are several potential causes for the same, and some online commenters have claimed that the show's plot was too slow and not realistic enough.
3. True Beauty
True Beauty is a well-known show that was directed by Kin Sang-Hyub and featured Mun Ka Young, Cha Eun-Woo, and Hwang In-Yeop. It tells the tale of Im Ju-Kyung (Mun Ka-Young), who undergoes a makeover to blend in at her new school. International viewers adore this warmhearted, lighthearted drama about a fun-loving school environment. The show improved Hwang In-Yeop's reputation and fueled his career as a result of his success. South Korean viewers, however, did not particularly enjoy the series. It obtained an average grade of 4% since its plot did not present a novel notion. In the end, it became predictable, and Hwang In- Yeop's significant second lead syndrome also displeased the audience.
4. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay
One of the K-Dramas that gained worldwide traction on Netflix in 2020 was It's Okay To Not Be Okay. Its romantic chemistry, original ideas, and intense emotions drew in a sizable contingent of K-Drama watchers from all around the world. However, only 4.2% of South Korean viewers rated Episode 10 of the drama favorably. Some online users claim that one of the factors contributing to the drama series' poor ratings was Kim Soo Hyun's performance. Everyone was quite thrilled about his return to the big screen with the drama following his time in the military. However, since they described his performance as "forced," it didn't go as planned.
5. Tempted
The Lee Dong-Hyun-directed drama Tempted is partially based on a French novel. Three buddies are depicted in the show, and one of them is dared to trick an innocent girl into falling in love with him. But when they fall in love, everything suddenly changes, and the trouble starts. Red Velvet's Joy, Woo Do-Hwan, Mun Ka-Young, and Kim Min-Jae are all featured in this heartfelt love story. Even though the plot was based on a French novel that a lot of people were huge fans of, the show struggled to find success in South Korea. This was primarily due to the plot, which was highly formulaic. South Korean viewers criticized the show for having a shallow plot. Simply put, it appeared that the world was being taken for granted by spoiled privileged youngsters. In addition, Joy's performance in the show received harsh criticism despite being praised by viewers abroad.
6. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo was among the most-watched drama shows, with an IMDb rating of 8.8/10, it became one of the most-watched historical K-Dramas worldwide, starring IU, Kang Ha Neul and Lee Jun Ki. Even though it didn't perform well in South Korea, where it was produced, the show ended up being one of the lowest-rated ones on the list with a rating of 5.1%. There were various causes for this. The taste of Korean audiences is one of them. According to numerous reports, Korean viewers like watching dramas and films that feature actors and actresses over K-Pop idols.
7. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, which has an IMDb rating of 8.5/10, has long been one of the most popular K-Dramas on Netflix. Everyone fell head over heels for it because of its expertly created storylines and fantastic romantic chemistry. The entire world's K-Drama fans were completely enamored with the show, and we are confident that they are still planning to rewatch it. But in South Korea, things were a little different. It was one of the less-than-impressive dramas for the home audience with a rating of 4.9. Others preferred seeing "The Legend of Blue Sea," which was also released at the same time, while some thought it was quite unrealistic.
8. Uncontrollably Fond
Uncontrollably Fond, starring the heartthrobs Kim Woo-bin and Bae Suzy, became one of the must-watch drama series of the time. The drama series quickly rose to the top of several international K-Drama viewers' favorites lists with an IMDb rating of 7.9/10. It was made all the more unique by the fact that it was among the first K-Dramas to be seen by many outside viewers. The drama series had an average domestic audience of 10.8%, which was a respectable number for it to maintain the records of its terrible conclusion. In conclusion, Uncontrollably Fond was not a total disaster when compared to the other films in Korea. Due to its tragic conclusion, it did experience some low ratings.
9. Extraordinary You
Extraordinary You, according to all of the spectators throughout the world, is among the most innovative K-Dramas. With an IMDb rating of 7.9/10, the show's distinctive plot points and flawless execution of them captivated millions of hearts around the world. According to many spectators from around the world, the show was exciting and successfully gave them something brand-new. However, Korea had one of the lowest average viewerships of any country, at just 3.2%. The romance between the characters, in the opinion of many online users, was a little clumsy and unpleasant. Additionally, they claimed that the plot's lack of humor gave everything a very robotic appearance.
10. Hwarang
Hwarang, a Park Eun-Young production featuring a star-studded flower boy cast, was the most anticipated show to date. There were Park Hyung-Sik, Park Seo-Joon, Go A-Ra, Minho from Shinee, and V from BTS. This series, which was set in the past, told the tale of handsome warriors who were being trained to protect the King who was disguised. Even though the show's excellent cast and lighthearted tone assured a large audience of admirers of all these prominent actors abroad, things were different in South Korea. Because the graphics did not live up to the hype, the final audience rate was only 7.2%. Local viewers found the show's dramatics to be overdone, and many found the abrupt turns and background music to be confusing.
