Lee Min-ho's Big-Budget Space Drama "Ask the Stars" Struggles with Ratings Despite $37.5M Budget
South Korean superstar Lee Min-ho's latest drama "Ask the Stars" has gotten off to a surprisingly modest start in domestic ratings, despite its massive 50 billion won (approximately $37.5 million) production budget. The series, which premiered last week on Korean television, recorded ratings of 3.324% and 3.833% for its first two episodes respectively - numbers considered relatively low for a production of this scale in the Korean broadcasting landscape.
The space romance drama features Lee Min-ho as a mysterious tourist who pays 70 billion won to visit a space station where he meets Korea's first astronaut, played by acclaimed actress Gong Hyo-jin. Despite the star power and unprecedented setting for a Korean drama, the show is currently underperforming compared to its terrestrial competitors. For context, competing Korean dramas in the same time slot, such as "My Perfect Secretary" and "The Matchmakers," are enjoying significantly higher viewership, with the latter reaching peaks of 11.1% in domestic ratings.
The lukewarm reception is also reflected in Korea's content popularity metrics. According to Good Data Corporation's TV-OTT drama buzz rankings, "Ask the Stars" placed fifth in its opening week. Perhaps more surprisingly for a Lee Min-ho project, the actor himself ranked only ninth in performer buzz rankings, while his co-star Gong Hyo-jin didn't make the list - an unusual position for both A-list celebrities.
Director Park Shin-woo has defended the unique nature of the show, stating, "The relationship between the two protagonists falling in love is quite unique... We aimed to create something beyond romance." However, Korean viewers have shown mixed reactions to the space setting, with some praising its freshness while others finding the computer graphics and apocalyptic earth storyline difficult to connect with.
While these numbers would be considered successful for many cable shows in Korea, they represent a challenging start for a big-budget production starring Lee Min-ho, who has historically been one of Korea's most bankable television stars. However, with the story just beginning to unfold, there's still potential for the ratings to improve as the mysterious plot develops.
