The highly anticipated Korean drama “When The Stars Gossip” brought together two of K-drama’s biggest stars, Lee Min Ho and Gong Hyo Jin, in a cosmic romance. With its star-studded cast, 50-billion Won production, and intriguing plot, expectations were sky-high for this drama.
Lee Min Ho made his return to television after 5 years since his role in “King: The Eternal Monarch” in 2020. Meanwhile, Gong Hyo Jin appeared in a K-drama for the first time in 6 years since her performance in “When the Camellia Blooms” (2019).
Fans had been eagerly awaiting their return to the small screen, but they were ultimately left disappointed.
However, despite its initial hype, “When The Stars Gossip” failed to deliver, leaving many wondering what went wrong.
Lackluster Storyline and Plot Development
The Kdrama’s storylines and plot development did not impress viewers and many decided to quit the show after the first couple of episodes. The show premiered with 3.3% viewership ratings, which later dropped to 1.8% in subsequent episodes.
“When The Stars Gossip” begins with Gong Ryong (Lee Min Ho) and Commander Eve Kim (Gong Hyo Jin) embarking on a space mission from Kazakhstan. Ryong, a self-funded “space tourist,” is supposedly on board to research human sperm activity in zero gravity, while Eve aims to successfully breed mice in space. However, Ryong’s nervous demeanor raises suspicions – for someone who spent a hefty sum to join the mission, he seems surprisingly unenthusiastic.
As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Ryong’s participation in the mission is not entirely voluntary. He has been dating Choi Go Eun (Han Ji Eun), the heiress to the powerful MZ Group, but her father, Chairman Choi (Kim Eung Soo), disapproves of their relationship. In a shocking twist, Ryong’s space journey is revealed to be a condition set by Chairman Choi for Ryong to win his approval to marry Go Eun.
Ryong’s mission, it turns out, is to rectify a rather unusual problem – the crooked sperm of Chairman Choi’s deceased son, which must be straightened and implanted into the eggs of his son’s widow, Na Min Jung (Baek Eun Hye).
The drama’s meandering narrative and uneven pacing caused viewers to lose interest, with some episodes bogged down by excessive focus on secondary plot points.
Upon Gong Ryong’s arrival at the space station, Kang Kang Soo (Oh Jung Se), the ex-boyfriend of Ryong’s fiancée, secretly stole sperm samples Ryong had brought. The tense and antagonistic interactions that followed between Ryong and Kang Soo also fell flat with viewers.
Lack of Chemistry Between Leads
While viewers were expecting a swoon-worthy romance, they had higher expectations and probably were not ready for this not-so-quintessential romance Kdrama.
Lee Min Ho, known for portraying wealthy and arrogant characters in his past roles, took on a different character this time, one who was struggling to make ends meet. On the other hand, Gong Hyo Jin impressed everyone as Commander Eve with her natural acting.
Unfortunately, they could not create the magic on screen together in “When The Stars Gossip”. Viewers could not relate to their characters and their journey as individuals and couples. Fans blamed Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Min Ho’s lack of chemistry for the show’s rapidly declining popularity.
It is probably one of the rare K-dramas that kicks off with bed scenes, and a lot of viewers complained that it mainly revolved around themes of sex, sperm, and new life.
Overemphasis on Special Effects
There is no doubt the drama’s special effects were impressive, but they often overshadowed the rest of the storytelling. It is safe to say that there was not a single scene in which the space setting did not feel realistic.
The drama’s CGI is impressively realistic, closely matching the viewer’s imagination of outer space. The show’s attention to astronomical detail encouraged many to research real-life space exploration.
However, the first half of the Kdrama was shot in a single location, a spaceship, which made many lose interest.
Viewership Ratings
“When The Stars Gossip” has been in the negative spotlight for its poor viewership ratings. So far, eight episodes have been premiered on tvN and Netflix and their nationwide ratings are
- Episode 1 – 3.3%
- Episode 2 – 3.8 (peak)
- Episode 3 – 2.2%
- Episode 4 – 2.8%
- Episode 5 – 1.8%
- Episode 6 – 2.9%
- Episode 7 – 1.8%
- Episode 8 – 2.2%
- Episode 9 – 2.1%
- Episode 10 – 2.7%
Meanwhile, the 12th episode of “When The Stars Gossip” will air today (February 9), with only 4 episodes remaining. The drama will conclude its run on February 23.
