“Racist” MBC K-Drama Sparks Shock With “Disastrous” Ratings

MBC’s latest Friday-Saturday series To the Moon is struggling to capture viewers’ attention, with its most recent episode dropping to a shocking 1.4 percent nationwide rating.

Despite its “heartfelt” storyline and talented cast, the K-Drama has seen a steady decline since its premiere, falling behind competitors airing in the same time slot.

To The Moon received backlash and criticism before its first episode had even aired, after netizens branded a short teaser preview of the show as racist. Many pointed out the use of inaccurate and offensive cultural symbols. The network then released an apology addressing the backlash.

MBC K-Drama “To The Moon” Hit With Extreme Backlash, Shocking Teaser Accused Of Racism

According to Nielsen Korea, To the Moon began its run on September 19 with a promising 2.8 percent rating nationwide, ranking 18th overall. However, interest quickly dipped in subsequent weeks, falling as low as 1.2% percent for its fourth episode.

The show briefly recovered to the 2 percent range in early October but plummeted again with Episode 8, marking one of MBC’s lowest-rated weekend K-Dramas this season. Meanwhile, SBS’s Would You Marry Me — which airs at the same time — continues to rise, recently recording a 6.4 percent rating after just two episodes.

To the Moon follows three office workers from modest backgrounds who dream of striking it rich through cryptocurrency investments. While the show mixes comedy, friendship, and social commentary, its emotional and slice-of-life tone appears to have struggled to connect with a broader audience.

With only two weeks left until its finale, To the Moon faces an uphill battle to turn things around. Whether it can end on a stronger note or remain one of this year’s underperforming K-Dramas remains to be seen.

To the Moon airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 PM KST on MBC.