K-drama Crash, Ep 1 earns similar ratings as The Midnight Studio – international viewers loving it

The new ENA drama Crash, Episode 1 premiered in South Korea last night to similar ratings as its predecessor The Midnight Studio.

As those ratings were strong, compared to many other ENA drama’s first episodes airing in that time slot, it only bodes well for its future.

Not that the first ratings for any first episode of a Korean drama are usually that relevant, but Crash, Episode 1 did earn 2.23 percent nationwide last night — which is slightly higher than the 2.10 percent earned by The Midnight Studio.

The drama’s Seoul ratings were a little higher as well, with Crash, Episode 1 grabbing 2.64 percent versus The Midnight Studio‘s 2.22 percent.

As The Midnight Studio struggled its entire season to get much beyond its initial rating, however, it will be interesting to see if Crash is more successful in its efforts.

Initial international audience reaction to Crash

With a small number of people watching Crash so far, there isn’t an available rating on My Drama List as of yet.

But, just about all the comments on the site are very positive ranging from:

Crash Ep1 is fun, fast pace(d), and easy to watch. Pilot episode got 2,2% rating which is a good start for ENA drama. I like the cinematography it feels like watching a movie. Premise is good and can’t wait when Cha Yeonho join(s) the TCI team. Also I love that the girls are badass and doing the action scenes more than the guys!

to

It’s reminding me of First Responders and You’re All Surrounded. Also I’m loving that this team has two women! So used to these team based shows over the years having a bunch of dudes and one woman.

The Korean drama also only has a tiny number of people (9) currently rating it on IMDB but, even with that, it is earning a 9.1 out of 10 so far.

Unfortunately, outside South Korea, Crash is streaming in some regions on Disney Plus, which generally means it will have a much lower audience than if it had been licensed by Netflix.

Crash stars an excellent main cast —Lee Min Ki, Kwak Sun Young, Heo Sung Tae, Lee Ho Chul, and Moon Hee.

The Korean comedy crime drama airs every Monday and Tuesday night on ENA, and via Disney Plus for viewers outside the country.

Let’s see how its next episode fares in the ratings department later on tonight then.

 

About Michelle Topham

Brit-American journalist based in Austria,. Former radio DJ at 97X WOXY, and Founder/CEO of Leo Sigh. I've covered K-drama, K-pop, anime, and manga news for over a decade.