Song Joong-ki‘s much-anticipated return to romance dramas after nearly a decade is off to a disappointing start.
JTBC’s My Youth premiered with just 2.9% and 2.8% nationwide ratings for its first two episodes, a weak debut compared to expectations and even lower than some of Song Joong-ki’s past projects. In contrast, SBS’s Queen Mantis premiered on the same day with an impressive 7.1%, highlighting viewers’ stronger appetite for suspenseful crime stories over gentle melodramas.
While some reports, including BNT News Korea, suggest that Song Joong-ki’s image as a married man and father of two makes it harder for audiences to immerse themselves in his role as a romantic lead, online communities like theqoo disagree. Many argue that the real issue lies in his declining public image and the drama’s content itself.
Comments included:
“His reputation has really fallen on women-focused sites.”
“I don’t think marriage is the issue here.”
“The drama just isn’t engaging yet. Maybe it will improve, but I don’t think he suits the innocent, wide-eyed acting anymore.”
“It’s not about being married—it’s about his overall image.”
With JTBC’s relatively weak Friday time slot and audiences gravitating toward darker, high-stakes genres, My Youth faces an uphill battle. The series follows a former child star who burned out too soon and now lives quietly as a florist and novelist, until fate reunites him with his first love.
Sources: Koreaboo
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