Actor Gong Hyo-jin and Lee Min-ho / MyDailyDB
[MyDaily = Lee Ye-joo] The drama “Ask the Stars,” produced by CJ ENM and tvN with a budget of 50 billion KRW, has recorded disappointing viewer ratings for two consecutive days, sparking debate among viewers.
On the 12th, episode 4 of the cable channel tvN’s “Ask the Stars” recorded a viewership rating of 2.8%. The third episode aired the previous day garnered a 2.2% rating, failing to continue the momentum of the initial 3% ratings.
“Ask the Stars” is the first Korean drama set on a space station, depicting the lives of astronauts. With its unique premise and a star-studded cast including Lee Min-ho, Gong Hyo-jin, Oh Jung-se, and Han Ji-eun, the show garnered attention even before broadcasting.
At the production presentation, director Park Shin-woo, who helmed the drama, addressed concerns over the poor performance of space-themed content by saying, “Considering the results of previous works, there aren’t many stories to tell in the world. I was confident that others would like it when I saw it. Although I’m worried, I approached it with a sense of enjoyment. Considering the production period, it’s hard to say the cost was too high. It took as long as shooting three other dramas.” Gong Hyo-jin also raised expectations for the visual effects by saying, “The CG company put in a lot of effort.”
However, immediately after its release, the drama faced a fundamental obstacle unrelated to its unfamiliar setting or visuals. Objections have been raised over scenes involving fruit fly mating, and dialogue referencing sperm, eggs, and the womb, as well as unconvincing character narratives and chemistry among actors.
Viewers expressed their opinions on various online communities and social media, saying, “With such mediocre content, even Lee Min-ho and Gong Hyo-jin only achieved a 2% rating,” “The problem isn’t space; it’s the implausible script. The male lead’s psychology is incomprehensible,” “There’s no sense of chemistry between the two. It’s surprising that a drama starring Gong Hyo-jin could fail like this.”
On the other hand, some viewers showed a more forgiving attitude, saying, “With the duo of Gong Hyo-jin and Lee Min-ho, it’s understandable that the drama had a 50 billion KRW budget. It seems they trusted the cast,” and “The actors seemed to have given their best efforts.” Some even commented, “It’s a good show to kill time,” and “It’s fresh and unique, so it’s fun.” However, these opinions were rare, and most viewers expressed disappointment with the plot development.
Consequently, CJ ENM’s stock prices have also plummeted to a historical low of 50,000 KRW. As “Ask the Stars” is planned to have 16 episodes, it remains to be seen how the drama will overcome this crisis.