The Midnight Romance in Hagwon Ep 3 ratings drop to lowest yet but don’t write it off

Photo courtesy tvN

The South Korean drama The Midnight Romance in Hagwon, Episode 3 aired on tvN last night to the lowest rating for the series so far.

Data from Nielsen Korea shows The Midnight Romance in Hagwon, Episode 3 rating nationwide was just 3.01 percent — which is a big drop from its first episode’s audience share of 5.16 percent last Saturday.

The Korean romance drama also experienced a similar drop in audience share from viewers in Seoul, earning a higher 4.00 percent viewership — but still one that was a considerable drop from Episode 1’s rating of 6.32 percent.

The K-drama does still have 13 episodes more to air, however, and anything can happen between now and its series finale currently scheduled for June 30th.

What do international viewers think about The Midnight Romance in Hagwon?

With three episodes now out, The Midnight Romance in Hagwon is performing relatively well with international viewers so far.

Those using the Asian drama-focused site My Drama List are currently rating the K-drama a solid 8.0 out of 10. with almost 10,000 people on the site watching the drama and close to 650 giving it a rating so far.

Comments about The Midnight Romance in Hagwon after Episode 3 are also mainly positive and range from the most recent:

Well I’m currently watching this and so far it’s really good especially the acting of the main leads as it really feels refreshing seeing them engage in talks. let’s see where this goes excited for this week episodes.

Finally Wi ha joon is the main lead, That’s just enough reason for me to watch the whole drama and it also has noona romance which is one of my favourite genre. And the OST damn, it’s just so good….

to

Interesting drama about education in Korea. It feels very realistic and down to earth.

I like how it differs from the usual Kdrama plotlines and I love the main leads’ bickering. She’s fallen for him years ago and hasn’t realised it yet.

With Episodes 1 and 2 under my belt so far, I have to say I agree with both comments – the drama is nicely directed, very well-written, and the chemistry between the two leads is palpable.

Over on IMDB, however, the drama is faring worse, with a 7.7 out of 10 score at the moment, although that low rating is only from 36 people, so take it with a pinch of salt.

Meanwhile, Viki is streaming the K-drama outside South Korea, and over 500 users over there are awarding it a very high 9.3 out of 10.

I also would recommend not writing the K-drama off yet in South Korea because, as often happens with romance dramas that are a little more intelligent than the norm, viewers who want stereotypical rom-com shows quickly drop away.

Those who prefer a well-written drama with more substance stick with it, and also tell their friends.

That’s why I would not be surprised if the ratings for The Midnight Romance in Hagwon to steadily rise from here.

The Midnight Romance in Hagwon stars Jung Ryeo Won (Wok of Love) and Wi Ha Joon (Bad and Crazy).

The Korean drama airs on tvN every Saturday and Sunday in South Korea, with Viki streaming it for international viewers worldwide and with subtitles in 14 languages.

Let’s see how the ratings go for Episode 4 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.