Lee Ji-Eun (IU) and Lee Joon-Gi star in the SBS drama 'Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo.' (Photo : YouTube/DramaFever)
Many viewers were upset when SBS's "Scarlet Heart: Ryeo," starring IU, Lee Joon-Gi, and Kang Ha-Neul, did not meet their expectations. The historical drama premiered on Aug. 29 with national viewership ratings of 7.4 percent only.
"Scarlet Heart: Ryeo" has been getting attention for its A-list cast, which includes EXO's Baekhyun, Girls Generation's Seohyun, Nam Joo Hyuk, Hong Jong Hyun, Yoon Sun-Woo, Ji Soo and Kang Han-Na. The hype was so prominent that it turned into the most expensive Korean drama sold to China in spite of the rising political strain between the two countries over the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.
However, as early as the fourth episode of "Scarlet Heart: Ryeo," decline in viewers was noticed, which proceeded through its seventh episode. Unfortunately, many see Lee and IU's supposed lack of chemistry as the culprit behind the show's low rating.
It is said that there is a very little progress in the romance between the 4th Prince, Wang So (Lee) and Hae So (IU) in the historical drama. Apparently, there seems to be more interest in building a relationship between Hae So and the 8th Prince Wang Wook (Kang).
In spite of being behind in viewership ratings, "Scarlet Heart: Ryeo" was crowned the most influential television show for the first week of September. The historical drama took the first place with a record of 294.3 total points, ruling over KBS 2TV's "Moonlight Drawn By Clouds" and MBC's "Infinite Challenge," according to CJ E&M, as cited by The Kpop Herald.
Helmed by Kim Kyu-Tae, "Scarlet Heart: Ryeo" follows a 21st-century woman, Ko Ha-Jin (IU), who experienced a total eclipse of the sun that sent her back in time to the Goryeo Dynasty during King Taejo's (Jo Min-Gi) reign. She found herself trapped in the body of a 16-year-old Hae Soo, who is the cousin of the 8th Prince wife, Lady Hae (Park Shi-Eun).
Stranded in the past, Hae Soo got acquainted with King Taejo's other sons, including the fearsome 4th prince, who hides his face behind a mask. He is given the deprecatory label "wolf dog" by the others.
"Through Hae Soo, viewers will be able to experience what it is like for a 21st-century person to enter the Goryeo period," a representative from the drama said in a statement obtained by Soompi. "They can enjoy watching her learn to adapt and grow."
Check out the latest episode of SBS's "Scarlet Heart: Ryeo" below:
