Channel A’s weekend drama My Lovely Journey has wrapped up its first “proxy trip” storyline, earning glowing reviews for its emotional depth and picturesque portrayal of Buyeo. Yet despite strong word-of-mouth, the series has remained below 1% in nationwide ratings for three consecutive episodes, highlighting a puzzling disconnect between praise and viewership.
The third episode, which aired on August 9, centered on Kang Yeoreum (Gong Seung-yeon) helping Hanbok master Ji-sook (Kim Hye-hwa), who bore a striking resemblance to her client Kate. Through gradual trust-building and emotional revelations, Ji-sook learned that Kate was her twin sister — abandoned at birth under a rosary tree to save Ji-sook’s life when she was gravely ill. The truth transformed years of resentment into a tearful understanding of her late mother’s love.
Buyeo’s rosary tree forest, Baekma River, and traditional hanok houses were woven into the narrative, serving not just as backdrops but as symbolic spaces of reconciliation. The episode closed with Ji-sook sewing a hanbok for Kate and the Ogu Entertainment family preparing for the sisters’ reunion after 50 years.
Despite its heartfelt storytelling and healing atmosphere, My Lovely Journey drew just 0.2% nationwide, down from 0.6% for its premiere and 0.3% for Episode 2 — a new low according to Nielsen Korea. While some viewers have suggested a faster pace, most feedback remains positive, calling the show “warm,” “beautiful,” and “well-made.”
With the first assignment completed, Yeoreum now takes on a new proxy trip — this time for a retriever named Genie. Episode 4 airs on Aug 10 at 9:20 p.m., leaving viewers curious whether Yeoreum’s next journey can lift the drama out of its ratings slump.
Sources: wikitree
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