K-drama The King: Eternal Monarch tanked on Netflix but who is to blame – stars Lee Min-ho and Kim Go-eun, or writer Kim Eun-sook?

Jul 9 , 2020

Despite their star power, Lee Min-ho and Kim Go-eun failed to attract viewers or please the critics with The King: Eternal Monarch. Photo: SBS Broadcasting

Despite the initial fanfare the Netflix-distributed series received, critics and viewers were unimpressed by this drama penned by the writer of Goblin and Descendants of the Sun

Highly anticipated due to the combination of esteemed writer, Kim Eun-sook, and its big name lead actors – pairing Lee Min-ho’s post-military service comeback with “Goblin girl” Kim Go-eun – The King: Eternal Monarch fared poorer than expected, clocking low domestic network ratings and tepid reviews.

But, why? What went wrong and, whisper it, whose fault was it?

The hype machine

Lee Min-ho and Kim Go-eun join hands in The King: Eternal Monarch. Photo: SBS Broadcasting

Lee Min-ho, known for previous roles in hits such as City Hunter, Legend of the Blue Sea and Boys Over Flowers, made a flashy comeback to the silver screen with renowned writer, Kim Eun-sook. Kim previously penned successful dramas such as Goblin and Descendants of the Sun. While the public were excited for Lee and Kim to reunite after 2013’s The Heirs, they were not quite as enthusiastic about the casting of the female lead, Kim Go-eun . When the news of her appearance was announced, response was tepid as comments such as “I quit watching Goblin because of her” and “whiny voice unsuitable for acting” were written by the public. Despite this, the public was ramped up for its launch due to writer Kim’s reputation.

Lacklustre viewership

While the drama got off to a good start with the teaser videos and premiere, it seemed not to fare as well as it was hyped up to be. News site Nate reported that the drama showed slow growth in viewership, of only 11.6 per cent, leading people to question if writer Kim has lost her magic. This also came with the critique of the drama’s overuse of product placement, putting sponsored products in scenes in a way that seems forced, such as in episode eight where Kim dips into a convenience pack of kimchi in the car. Kim Jin-seok of Joongang Daily wrote, “is this a home shopping channel or a drama?”

Who’s to blame?