My Youth: The movie opened "gloomily", the audience asked questions about Song Joong Ki?

Despite high expectations, My Youth opened dismally, ratings plummeted, Song Joong Ki's return to the small screen made the audience talk excitedly about his new acting and image.

After nearly a decade of trying his hand at action and fantasy roles, Song Joong Ki officially returned to the romantic genre with the Korean drama My Youth. Under the direction of director Lee Sang Yeob, the 1985-born actor appeared with a friendly, gentle image, completely different from his previous strong style.

My Youth tells the story of Sun Woo Hae (Song Joong Ki), a former child star who now lives a simple life at a small flower shop away from the spotlight of showbiz. His life suddenly changes when he reunites with his first love Sung Je Yeon (Chun Woo Hee), who is now a team leader at an entertainment company. This encounter opens up a series of unexpected situations, emotional challenges, and profound changes in the lives of both characters.

Despite having a famous cast, My Youth did not receive a warm response from Korean audiences. The opening ratings of the first two episodes were only 2.9% and 2.8%, then dropped to 2.4% and 2.2% in episodes 3 and 4. On social networks, Knet's reactions were mostly indifferent or mildly critical.

Some viewers commented: "It's a bit difficult for Song Joong Ki to return to the romantic film genre now. Audiences want younger, fresher faces." Others emphasized that the actor is married and has two children, making it difficult to get into the sweet male lead role. Many comments even said that the film's script was not attractive enough and the chemistry between Song Joong Ki and Chun Woo Hee was not convincing.

While some viewers doubt Song Joong Ki's charisma, many fans object, saying that mentioning marriage or family life is completely subjective. The actor only shares personal aspects when asked, not putting any pressure on the role. In addition, My Youth belongs to the melodrama genre, which does not focus on high ratings but aims to maintain stability, exploit emotions and everyday stories.

Neutral opinions commented that the film lacked enough highlights in the script and some emotional scenes were still awkward. However, this comeback is still considered an opportunity for Song Joong Ki to try out a new, more approachable and mature image.

Despite the unsatisfactory domestic results, My Youth quickly proved its appeal in the international market. On the OTT platform Rakuten Viki, the film led the viewership in 88 regions, including major markets such as the US, UK, India... in the first week of broadcast. Even though it was "overwhelmed" by Queen Mantis in Korea, My Youth still surpassed this competitor in terms of global online viewership. This shows the strong influence of Song Joong Ki and the interest of international audiences in Korean film projects.

My Youth is currently only about 1/3 of the way through with 8 episodes left. Although the TV rating is not high, many people are still waiting to see if the film can create surprises in the next episodes. The success of a film today is not only measured by ratings but also depends on online views, audience feedback and the ability to maintain long-term appeal.

Song Joong Ki caused a storm of views of "forbidding his wife from meeting friends of the opposite sex after 10 o'clock" fans shouted at his ex-wife An chi17:04:07 11/09/2025Song Joong Ki's statement at 10 p.m. not to go out for drinks with friends of the opposite sex caused controversy on social networks, causing netizens to recall the name of Song Hye Kyo, the previous popular marriage.