Yoo Jae Suk couldn’t save “Kokdu: Season of Deity”: Kim Jung Hyun suffered humiliation on MBC again after 5 years
Even Yoo Jae Suk’s surprise appearance in “Kokdu: Season of Deity” received no attention.
Kim Jung Hyun, who returned to MBC after 5 years, suffered the humiliation of finishing last in the same time slot again following “Time”. Kim Jung Hyun’s filmography, which had been on the winning track with “Crash Landing on You” and “Mr. Queen”, was stopped.
“Kokdu: Season of Deity” has drawn attention as Kim Jung Hyun’s comeback work even before its airing. It is also a drama in which Kim Jung Hyun, who had 2 years of self-reflection after the controversy over his private life with his ex-lover Seo Ye Ji, thanked MBC for reaching out to him first.
If you look at the content, it is obviously a romance fantasy. The series is about a grim reaper named Kokdu who visits the mortal world every 99 years to punish humans. He meets Han Gye Jeol, a doctor with mysterious abilities, and starts working as a visiting doctor. Although it seems similar to dramas such as “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” and “Doom at Your Service”, director Baek Soo Chan described “Kokdu: Season of Deity” as a “fairy tale for adults”.
In particular, Yoo Jae Suk, Jeong Joon Ha and Lee Mi Joo played minor roles in “Kokdu: Season of Deity” as part of the variety show Hangout with Yoo’s project. Appearing as employees of a traditional gochujang (red pepper paste) master’s house, they skillfully wiped jangdokdae (platform for crocks of sauces and condiments). Yoo Jae Suk even digested the line of calling the master himself.
However, even such a surprise appearance could not stop the fall of “Kokdu: Season of Deity”. “Kokdu: Season of Deity”, which started with 4.8% in episode 1, decreased to 2.2% in just two episodes. Episodes 3 and 4 respectively recorded 3.1% and 2.4%, failing to rebound. This is also due to the influence of competitors such as “Agency”, “Payback”, “Red Balloon” and “Crash Course in Romance” (with ratings of 7~8%), but the biggest problem is that the work itself is not attractive.
“Kokdu: Season of Deity” is based on a tragic love that goes back and forth between the past and the present, but only comical elements are highlighted. Ok Sin (Kim In Kwon) and Gak Sin (Cha Jung Hwa), who serve Kok Du, are used only as devices for a B-grade comedy. Here, even though Kok Du is a god of the underworld, the setting of him being stuck at the words of Han Gye Jeol (Im Soo Hyang) diminishes the charm of a male lead character.
The story development is also messy. Do Jin Woo was killed while digging up a medical accident, Kok Du pursues Han Gye Jeol by proposing a 90-day contract romance, and Han Han Gye Jeol starts a sudden loan project to support start-ups. Kim Jung Hyun and Im Soo Hyang’s romance is not shown properly because the story is shaking without a framework and the actors’ performances are all different.
“Kokdu: Season of Deity”, which drew attention at first as it is Kim Jung Hyun’s comeback drama after the controversy over his private life, is disappointing viewers with each episode. It doesn’t seem easy for “Kokdu: Season of Deity” to rebound from the worst viewership ratings of 2% in prime time on weekends.
Source: Daum.
