“When the gossip stars”, with Lee Min-Ho and Gong Hyo-Jin, has become one of the most discussed failures on Korean television. Despite its huge budget of 50 billion wins, the science fiction romantic drama has not been able to impress, starting from a modest evaluation of 3.2% of spectators and which ends a sad 2.5%.
During his 16 -episode race, the show suffered incessant criticism for his unrealistic plot and weak narration, with many spectators who accused him of underestimating their intelligence.
An expensive false step for TVN
With a list of list A and a production of large budgets, “When the Stars Gossip” was expected to be a revolutionary spatial drama that could raise the narrative of Korean science fiction. However, he quickly turned into an embarrassing industry, drawing ridiculous for his not realistic and often bizarre plots. Instead of offering a compelling exploration of spaces in space, the drama has focused heavily on melodramatic elements that felt out of place in a science fiction environment. From amorous triangles and jealousy to infertility treatments, childbirth and even suicide, all against the background of a space station, the show fought to maintain credibility.
The spectators were brescted by forced emotional conflicts and illogical scenarios, which often seemed more like a parody than a serious drama. On social media, the critics derived the series, jokingly that Korea had spent 50 billion victories so as not to create a visionary science fiction epic, but rather a soap work in the space that doubled Byzantine as a public service announcement for childbirth.
A model of science fiction breakdowns
This is not the first attempt by space -themed narration Korea, nor its first failure. In 2021, “The Silent Sea” by Netflix, with Gong Yoo and Bae Doona, suffered from a slow plot and a predictable narrative, failing to compete with Hollywood classics as “Interstellar” or “A Space Odyssey”. In the same way, “Space Swers” (2021), with Song Joong-Ki and Kim Tae -i, received contrasting reviews and fought to find an audience, with an IMDB evaluation of 6.6/10.
Even in the film, the continuous trend. “The Moon” (2023), with Doh Kyung-Soo and Sol Kyung-Gu, also undergoing. Although he avoided the main criticisms of the script, he did not generate significant revenues, gaining only a fraction of his 500 billion of investments won.
The time has come that Korea rethinking spatial dramas?
Despite their ambition, Korean filmmakers have yet to be successful in the genre for space travel. The recurring problem is a weak narration, many of these films and dramas recycle Western science fiction tropes without offering new perspectives. Also “When the Stars Gossip”, who tried to be unique by incorporating medical themes, ended up feeling invented rather than innovative.
Visually, Korean productions have made giant steps, with decent CGIs and well -designed sets. However, without engaging narratives, these efforts are flat. Instead of hurrying to compete in the spatial genre, Korean filmmakers may need to focus on stories that fit better for their strengths. Until then, Korean spatial theme dramas could continue to be more an error than a turning point.
