“Heaven’s Order” Trumps “Romance”

The historical drama "Heaven's Order" has been blessed with steady ratings. The ratings have remained steady since the show began, rising as high as 9.8 percent in the second week and falling slightly to reach 9.3 percent last week. The political romance, "All About My Romance," has not fared so well. At its highest, the show only achieved 7.4 percent of the viewer ratings and sank as low as 5.2 percent last week.

While neither show has caused that much excitement among the viewing audience, "Heaven's Order" does seem to have the edge. The historical drama stars Lee Dong Wook as Joseon-era royal doctor Choi Won and Song Ji Hyo as the proud nurse Hong Da In. Hong, a skilled physician in her own right, initially resents Choi Won but comes to value him. At the beginning of the series, Choi Won is unjustly accused of participating in a plot to kill the king. He must flee the court, prove his innocence and find a cure for his seriously ill daughter.

The show's cast includes 2PM's Lim Seulong as the Crown Prince. It's a compelling story but it has not earned the anticipated ratings. While "Heaven's Order" is doing better than its competition, it has faced some problems. Early on in the show's airing, critics expressed concerns about Song Ji Hyo's acting skills but producer Moon Bo Hyun countered that her skills were merely "undervalued" and that perhaps the actress was too well known. He said that viewers associated her with her appearances on the show "Running Man." And they found that association difficult to overcome.

"We expected this," said Moon Bo Hyun. "It's something we have to deal with. Her work does not fall behind those of other actors in the series and we believe that she will only improve as the drama continues."

Ratings did enjoy a bump last week when JYJ's Xia Junsu contributed a song to the OST.

"All About My Romance" is a drama about two political adversaries who fall in love but can't reveal their relationship. Shin Ha Kyun and Lee Min Jung play Kim Soo Young and Noh Min Jung, the legislators in rivaling parties. The show has its fanbase but failed to attract a larger audience. 

Netizens commented that the witty political dialogue in "All About My Romance" was not for everyone and that most drama lovers preferred to keep politics out of their drama romances.