Much-Awaited K-Drama Falls to a Disappointing 0% Viewership Rating — What Happened?
Park Jinyoung and Kim Minju’s drama Still Shining is tanking with ratings hitting an all-time low for JTBC Friday dramas.
The 6th episode, aired March 20th, scored only 0.9%. That’s the lowest rating since JTBC started their exclusive Friday drama slot — the first time ratings dropped below 1%.
Still Shining stars GOT7’s Park Jinyoung and former IZ*ONE’s Kim Minju. The melodrama about young people finding trust and hope got attention before airing because of the idol leads. But ratings started at 2.1% for episode 1, dropped below 1% at episode 3, and never recovered.
JTBC’s Friday drama lineup has struggled in general. Last year’s The Nice Guy with Lee Dong Wook and Lee Sung Kyung hit 1.7%, My Youth starring Song Joong Ki and Chun Woo Hee peaked at 1.5%, and Love Me with Seo Hyun Jin ended January with just 1.1%. Despite big names, ratings stay low.
Experts say the main problem isn’t actors or production quality but the slow melodrama genre and scheduling. Friday nights favor fast, thrilling shows. The gentle pacing of Still Shining didn’t click with audiences used to binge-watching or snappy content.
Competition is also fierce. SBS’s Phantom Lawyer with Yoo Yeon Seok airs at the same time and offers easier, more suspenseful entertainment, pulling viewers away.
Adding to the trouble: Still Shining is available simultaneously on Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video worldwide. That makes live viewing less necessary, hurting domestic ratings further.
Despite fresh casting and hopes to snag younger audiences, the strategy backfired. JTBC’s Friday melodrama experiments remain stuck in low single digits.
“Park Jinyoung received his best reviews as an actor since his debut through last year’s tvN drama Our Unwritten Seoul, entering his prime as an actor, choosing Still Shining as his next project after about a year. Kim Minju took on her first lead role after 8 years since debuting as a member of girl group IZ*ONE, making a serious challenge as an actress. Both actors were appreciated as a fresh combo targeting younger audiences, but were unable to translate this into rating increases.”
Industry expert on Park Jinyoung and Kim Minju’s casting
“In a trend favoring stimulating, fast-consumed content, gentle melodramas struggle to capture viewers’ choices. Especially on Friday nights, the dominance of suspense and genre series that trigger dopamine contrasts sharply with the emotionally paced Still Shining.”
Another analyst on the drama’s poor performance
JTBC’s Friday slot now faces serious questions on its future as Still Shining crashes into historic low ratings. Will they shift genres or try new strategies?
No comment yet from JTBC or the cast.