Korean drama "Imitation" struggled to position itself in evening drama despite it's powerhouse cast.
In a new report, the KBS2 musical drama continues with its low viewership rating.
"Imitation" Viewership Maintains Low Viewership Rating for Two Weeks
According to Nielsen Korea, "Imitation" episode 2, which aired last May 14, garnered an average nationwide rating of 0.8 percent and 1.1 percent for its two parts, reaching a recorded 0 percent ratings for two consecutive weeks.
Surprisingly, this is a slight increase compared to their first episode that scored average nationwide ratings of 1.0 and 0.9 percent.
Despite a rough start, the question is will the musical drama manage to improve its viewership on its succeeding episodes?
As for its fellow Friday evening drama, "Taxi Driver," starring Lee Je Hoon and Esom, has solidified its reign in terms of viewership.
Nielsen Korea cited that the crime mystery series is the most-watched Friday drama, gaining nationwide ratings of 12.4 percent and 14.6 percent for its two parts.
On the other hand, another Friday drama, "Undercover," received an unfavorable response from the audience as its viewership nose-dived to an average nationwide rating of 3.0 percent.
To recall, the JTBC crime thriller series previously hit an all-time rating last episode after garnering a 4.2 and 5.1 percent rating.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Musical Drama 'Imitation' Debuts with Poor Viewership Rating
What Went Wrong with "Imitation"?
Helmed by "Solomon's Perjury" and "Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung" director Han Hyun Hee alongside screenwriters Kim Min Jung and Choi Sun Young, "Imitation" is based on a popular webtoon of the same name.
It features a roster of cast starring U-KISS's Lee Jun Young, ATEEZ's Yunho, Seonghwa, San, and Jongho; T-ara's Jiyeon, SF9's Hwiyoung and Chani, former I.O.I and PRISTIN member Lim Nayoung; g.o.d. 's Danny Ahn, as well as Yuri, Minseo, Boys' Republic's Suwoong, Rainbow's Jisook, former Baby V.O.X member Shim Eun Jin, "Intern Z" star Ahn Jung Hoon and "The Cursed" actress Jung Ji So.
The idol drama follows the lives of aspiring K-pop stars and their journey to stardom.
Given that the majority of the cast has made a name for themselves in the music scene, some are relatively new and are considered rookies in terms of acting or starring in a drama.
How Does "Imitation" Differ from Other K-Dramas?
Despite this, "Imitation" showed the other side of the idols and how they have dealt with the complex and grueling training process.
The newly debuted musical drama also featured the physical challenge of the up-and-coming stars and how they experienced emotional and mental struggles, which the drama illustrates.
Prior to the "Imitation" premiere, cast and PD Han Hyun Hee shared their thoughts regarding the musical drama.
"Imitation" Cast Revealed their Thoughts About the KBS2 Drama
In an online press conference, the drama director shared that he is fairly new and "an amateur when it comes to knowledge about idols" but was captivated by the webtoon's interesting storyline.
On the other hand, g.o.d's Danny Ahn shared that he can relate to the musical drama and hardships of being an idol, given that he's in the music scene for almost 22 years.
"It felt like I was reading about my own hardships and concerns," he mentioned.
READ MORE: T-ara's Park Ji-Yeon Assures to Set the Bar High in 'Imitation' + Behind-the-Scenes During Script Reading
KDramastars owns this article.
Written by Geca Wills
