The supernatural drama, "Orange Marmalade" yielded its lowest ratings to date for the June 26 episode. According to the June 27 report issued by Nielsen Korea, "Orange Marmalade" recorded 2.5 percent of nationwide viewership. This was a decrease of 0.9 percent from the previous episode which aired on June 19. The decline could be attributed to several factors, including a delay in air time which was caused by the special 100-minute episode of "Producer." The series has also been criticized by viewers who tuned in to watch early episodes of the series which was initially a contemporary teen drama.
In the eighth episode, Jung Jae Min (Yeo Jin Goo) makes several attempts to depart from his noble background, in order to continue his relationship with butcher Baek Ma Ri (AOA's Seolhyun). When he encounters her blind uncle, he discovers the possibility that he could be destined to be with Ma Ri, even if it is not within their lifetime. This provides more fuel for his romantic pursuit until he realizes that she is being targeted by his father and members of the nobility.
The June 26 episode also marked the escalation of the conflict between the humans and vampire factions. The king launches a secret army against the vampires, which Han Shi Hoo (Lee Jong Hyun) joins. When he is injured in battle, Jae Min realizes that there is only one way to save him, blood. Ma Ri comes to his aid, but her act of kindness is not positively rewarded.
While the transition from a modern-day series to a Joseon period drama was abrupt, the gripping plot continues to make "Orange Marmalade" an interesting drama.
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About the writer: Adrienne Stanley is a contributing editor for KDramastars. She is also a contributing writer for Kpopstarz, MTV Iggy and CJ Entertainment's KCON blog. Her passions include a love of K-pop and Asian drama. When she is not writing, she is hanging out on Twitter (@retrogirladdy).
