Viewership Dives to 0%… Korean Drama Takes a Bold Last-Ditch Step

KBS’s sitcom Kick Kick Kick Kick—the worst-performing show in its revived weekday drama lineup since last August—has finally taken a drastic measure by changing its airing time. KBS officially announced that beginning with Episode 7, scheduled for the 26th, Kick Kick Kick Kick will be moved to a new time slot at 10:50 PM, one hour later than its previous 9:50 PM slot.

The drama, which premiered on the 5th, stumbled from the start. It opened with a 2.1% viewership rating (based on Nielsen Korea’s nationwide paid household data) for Episode 1, only to plummet to a mere 1.0% in Episode 2—less than half of its debut performance. Although there was a slight rebound to 1.2% in Episode 3, ratings nosedived to 0.7% by Episode 4, earning it the humiliating title of “2025’s first 0% viewership drama.” Subsequent episodes have barely recovered, with Episode 5 at 1.0% and Episode 6 back down to 0.7%.

An 8-Year-Old Sitcom… Yet Viewer Response Remains Tepid

Kick Kick Kick Kick is KBS’s first sitcom in eight years since The Sound of Your Heart in 2017. The office comedy stars veteran actor Ji Jin-hee and former star PD Jo Young-sik (now working under actor Lee Gyu-hyung), who co-founded a content production company in a haphazard attempt to hit 3 million YouTube subscribers. The 12-episode series has aired six episodes so far.

During an online production presentation, PD Gu Seong-jun stated, “As the title suggests, we emphasized laughter. We infused the work with various comedic elements so everyone can laugh. Viewers will be able to pick their favorite comedic character and enjoy the show.” Lead actor Lee Gyu-hyung added, “I was surprised by a new side of Ji Jin-hee. No matter what you imagine, you’ll find a version of Ji Jin-hee that exceeds your expectations.” However, despite this confidence, viewer reactions have been decidedly lukewarm.

The underperformance of Kick Kick Kick Kick is particularly glaring within KBS’s weekday drama lineup. Since the revival of KBS’s weekday dramas—beginning with The Perfect Family last year and including shows like Gae Sori, Face Me, and Suspicious Her that have recorded ratings in the 3–4% range (with Gae Sori hitting 4.6%)—Kick Kick Kick Kick has delivered a disappointing 0% viewership.

The show’s steep decline is largely attributed to its overly chaotic direction and excessive tension. While some exaggeration and heightened energy are inherent to the comedy genre, Kick Kick Kick Kick goes too far, with the actors’ exaggerated performances leaving viewers fatigued.

In particular, veteran actor Ji Jin-hee, previously known for his gentle demeanor, now shouts and exerts a domineering presence that has backfired, resulting in audience dislike rather than affinity. Similarly, Lee Gyu-hyung’s nervous, overly self-conscious performance—unlike anything seen in his previous work—brought a modicum of amusement but failed to mesh with the overall flow and chemistry among the cast.

Moreover, the overly intense characterizations of the MZ-generation employees, Ga Ju-ha (Jeon So-young) and Wang Jo-yeon (Jeon Hye-yeon), have further hindered viewer engagement. Their unresolved, high-pitched portrayals have dominated the show’s atmosphere, leaving only their strong impressions in viewers’ minds.

Criticism has also been aimed at the camera work. The incessant left-right shaking of the camera—combined with an already chaotic narrative and high-energy performances—has only deepened viewer confusion.

Cultural critic Kim Sung-soo told Daily Sports in an interview, “Comedy should evoke laughter through relatable characters or situational twists. Kick Kick Kick Kick misses that fundamental principle of comedy, resulting in only artificial characters and setups that alienate the audience.”

With ratings continuing to languish, KBS has finally resorted to a last-ditch effort: a schedule change. A KBS representative explained, “KBS practices flexible scheduling. This new time slot is part of our effort to expand the late-night drama segment aimed at young viewers. We have scheduled Kick Kick Kick Kick, which was created with the MZ generation in mind, to attract a younger audience.”

While this change is ostensibly a strategic move to target younger viewers, it appears to be an unavoidable decision driven by persistently poor ratings. Previously, Kick Kick Kick Kick competed with strong programs in its original time slot, including TV Chosun’s Mr. Trot 3 (which peaked at 15.1%), Channel A’s These Days, Men’s Lives – Grooming Class, MBC’s Rescue! Homes, and JTBC’s Divorce Consideration Camp.

Notably, the original slot for Kick Kick Kick Kick was also occupied by the documentary “The Living Earth: A Special on the Founding of a Construction Company,” which effectively pushed the drama aside. Furthermore, the announcement of the time slot change came just five days before Episode 7, indicating a hasty decision.

Can the Remaining 6 Episodes Turn Things Around?

There is skepticism about whether the shift to a late-night slot will attract new viewers and spark a turnaround. With the story already at its midpoint and several plot elements firmly in place over the first six episodes, it may be challenging for newly tuned-in viewers to catch up.

Nevertheless, with six episodes remaining, there is still an opportunity for a rebound. As the latter half of the series promises to deepen the camaraderie among colleagues and ramp up the office romance, there is cautious optimism that the dramatic tension will increase and potentially boost ratings.

It remains to be seen whether Kick Kick Kick Kick can adjust its direction and character dynamics in the remaining episodes to achieve a ratings rebound, and whether KBS’s new scheduling strategy will ultimately pay off.

Kick Kick Kick Kick will now air every Wednesday and Thursday at 10:50 PM starting on the 26th.