Once considered the most highly anticipated medical drama project of 2023, “Dr. Romantic 3” ultimately did not achieve the expected success.
“Dr. Romantic 3” was among the most highly-anticipated K-dramas of 2023 due to the outstanding quality and resounding success of the previous two seasons. Thanks to having such an established foundation, “Dr. Romantic 3” recorded ratings above 12% from episode 1 until episode 8.
However, while surpassing the 12% mark is something many projects aspire to, in the case of “Dr. Romantic 3”, the ratings remained stagnant throughout 8 episodes, leaving little ground to boast about. It is evident that compared to the highly successful previous two seasons, which viewership doubled, or even tripled over time, “Dr. Romantic 3” has received less acclaim and failed to attract additional viewers.
So far, in terms of brand reputation, “Dr. Romantic 3” has lagged behind “Doctor Cha” – another medical drama. Even within the list of top 10 hot topic actors currently, “Dr. Romantic 3” only has one entry with Ahn Hyo Seop landing at No.6.
Although the story still revolves around the characters from the second season, “Dr. Romantic 3” is considered less captivating as it shifts its focus towards the development and the past of supporting characters. Amidst numerous characters and storylines explored in the third part, the role of Dr. Kim (Han Suk Kyu), who is considered the soul of “Dr. Romantic”, took a backseat.
An additional issue that dampened the third part’s appeal was the lackluster romantic aspect. In the first season, the loveline between Seo Hyun Jin and Yoo Yeon Seok’s characters was minimal but sufficient. In the second season, Ahn Hyo Seop and Lee Sung Kyung’s characters matured together both in their romantic relationship and professional growth. However, in the third season, the love story between these two becomes overly passionate and leaves little for development. At the same time, the extensive focus on their romantic scenes is said to have distracted the audience from other messages.
Finally, another factor that contributed to the lukewarm reception towards “Dr. Romantic 3” was an unexpected change in the streaming platform. In particular, the previous two seasons were able to achieve relative success and gain popularity in many countries, partly due to being simultaneously released on Netflix. However, the third season was aired on a different OTT platform that still lacks global coverage, resulting in a diminished impact.
All of the above have left the audience feeling somewhat regretful.
Source: k14
