TV actress and hallyu star Choi Ji-woo has reportedly been distressed over the low viewer ratings of her TV drama "Rondo", currently being aired in Japan. She is still recognized in Japan as a leading South Korean actress and known as the "queen of tears". But the viewer ratings of Rondo have been on the decline, causing consternation among all the people involved in its production.
Rondo was filmed last year by TBS TV of Japan with a budget of 12 billion won. Even before it was filmed, the drama generated quite a buzz and attracted much public attention both in Japan and South Korea. Many people expected it to be a smash hit when its first episode achieved 20 percent viewer ratings.
But despite its initial success, the viewer ratings of Rondo have been on the decline, currently hovering around the ten-percent level. The drama recorded 15.8 percent during the first week of February (Jan. 30-Feb. 5), but dropped to 14.8 percent during the second week of February (Feb. 6-12), and continued its spiral downward.
Some people attribute the lower ratings of Rondo to its storyline. They say that the drama is too complicated and not very engaging to the audience, adding that the plot is very similar to that of the Hong Kong film "Infernal Affairs", which revolves around a criminal gang.
Meanwhile, Japanese fans who still remember Choi as "Jiwoo Hime", the female lead character of the TV drama "Winter Sonata", are criticizing the drama, saying that although it is interesting, Choi's image in the drama is very different from that in "Winter Sonata".
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