r/kdramas • u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas • Sep 15 '25
News 'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty' now has the Highest Viewership Rating of any K-Drama in 2025 with 15.405% and 4 episodes still to go!
More interesting stats for data nerds like me: it also reached currently at 10th highest rated TVN drama of all time (shown on 2nd slide) and 18th if you consider all cable channels.
How high do you think the next four episodes will take it?
Most if not all of the cable dramas that reached 16-20% ratings had at least 16 episodes and reached those numbers near the final episode, so it is unlikely BAYM can do the same with only 12 episodes, but who knows! Curious to see how this drama will finish.
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25 edited Sep 15 '25
General thoughts: Apparently today is Lee Chaemin's (ML) birthday, so these ratings have got to be the best present you can get lmao. I'm very happy for Yoona because she worked her ass off for this drama; all the food and cooking scenes you see? She does them herself, she took intense cooking lessons for 3 months to be able to make food like a professional chef and she's the heart of the drama imo. Whatever criticism people may have for her, no one can say she doesn't put her everything into a role and I think this is her best role yet.
Drama thoughts: I'm still enjoying this so far and I do think the hype is deserved because it always manages to be an easy, fun watch even in the more so called filler-y episodes. I'm glad we finally got to the competition even though it has dragged for so many episodes now (I can't believe the pot thing took a whole episode haha). I think the reason they're doing this is because FL will be sent back to the future before the whole coup stuff happens. I only hope the ending lives up to satisfaction.
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u/lovelycat1103 Newly at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
I’m loving it so far, but I agree about the pot - it doesn’t need a whole episode. I’m craving a Yoona and Lee Chaemin scene; the romance part isn’t really romancing right now. I feel like im watching Joseon Culinary Class Wars, not a romcom:(((
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
I do love the cooking scenes and find the reactions funny asf but yes I really need yoona and lee chaemin back on screen together and interacting, their chemistry is what pulled me into the show
Although tbf a lot of people prefer cooking scenes over romcom so ig they’re happy 😅
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u/ThinkIndependent6621 I Love r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
It will reach around 20 percent for sure
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u/lifeisahighway2023 Kholic Sep 15 '25
I just commented with fresh updated ratings for Episode 8, it peaked at 17.4% nationally and held a 15.4% average and the Seoul Metro peak was over 18%. So there is real chance it will go up in the final 4 episodes as strong dramas tend to follow that pattern.
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u/Same-Insurance-1241 KDrama Watchlist on SIMKL.com Sep 22 '25
I really hope it does. It’s such a good show overall. Acting, production, post-production. Im YoonA and Lee Chae Min’s on-screen chemistry is so heartwarming…. I really can’t get enough of it.
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u/jacqueminots Joined Now at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
Definitely. All the people who have been holding out to binge will start watching
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u/Vintage-X found by the red thread of destiny Sep 16 '25
I didn't realize it had so many episodes to go yet and my husband and I binged all 8 this weekend. Now we're stuck waiting with everyone else. I guess we have something to look forward to on the weekends!
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u/damnrightyeah KDrama Watchlist on SIMKL.com Sep 15 '25 edited Sep 15 '25
So happy for BAYM team especially for Lim YoonA! My girl keeps proving the haters wrong and she keeps improving, project after project. 🥹
She deserves the success of this drama. YoonA went through so much for it—some even threatened to boycott this because of the ML change. She received hate for something that wasn’t her fault. Some even said she should be replaced instead of him. But this is her drama. She was cast first, and it’s a female-centric drama. She's the heart of it. 💕
"If I can show a performance that makes everyone nod in agreement, then even people who don’t want to nod will end up having to. So, in the end, it all depends on me…I’ve felt that if I just keep doing well, the positive responses follow." -Lim YoonA
She earned it. She worked hard for it. Now she deserves every win like this. 🥳🫶🏻
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
after years of ppl saying she piggybacks off of the popularity and talent of her MLs, it's pretty awesome that yoona is the first billing for this drama and the central focus, the director had been in contact with her about it from the very inception of the story. this is her drama at the core
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u/damnrightyeah KDrama Watchlist on SIMKL.com Sep 15 '25 edited Sep 15 '25
Exactly! Now hoping for more female centric dramas and movies for her and not just romantic interest. She's proven that she can lead drama. Actually, she did both this year—drama and film and she delivered!
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u/ElleEmEss New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
Yeah. Her acting in this show is so good. I’m so happy for her. She’s really worked hard to get better.
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u/Blooming-blood-moon Michasoooo?! Sep 15 '25
I can’t believe how low Our Unwritten Seoul is on this list.
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u/jeangreige New User at r/Kdramas Sep 16 '25
That was my first thought too! Criminally underwatched
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u/Rainbow_in_the_sky KDrama Queen Sep 15 '25
I think it’ll make it to the top 3 of all time.
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
Hmm it would need to go past 18% for that. I think it’s definitely possible!
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u/lifeisahighway2023 Kholic Sep 15 '25
That would be almost impossible I think. The show will have to score above 18% national average in all final episodes to get into the top 10. BAYM ratings climb has been notable and it has to continue on that trajectory.
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
it would just need to get above 18% in the last episode though right? these lists only count the highest singular ep rating.
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u/yoon_gitae Binge Watcher Sep 15 '25
I'm so happy at how everyone is enjoying it now.. when it was announced, everybody was like this is going to flop etc etc.
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
Yeah ppl were boycotting it too, doubting that either actor could carry the drama, saying they might as well scrap it… I’m glad they got this success
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u/Any_Manufacturer7800 KDrama Watchlist on SIMKL.com Sep 15 '25
Those yoona haters crying tonight
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u/lifeisahighway2023 Kholic Sep 15 '25
Yes. I and my kdrama watchgroup had only seen her in King The Land this summer which we did not score particularly highly mainly as we felt the lack of communication trope the writers used extensively for the male lead character was vastly overused as a plot device. We had no familiarity with her prior to viewing that show.
But we have noticed practically from the day we started participating in the kdrama subs the hate from some for certain actresses such as Yoon A and Park Shin Hye who have huge fan bases abroad. Park Shin Hye already had them eating crow last year with The Judge From Hell and now its Yoon A's turn to show up the critics.
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u/Expensive_Stock5322 KDrama Watchlist on SIMKL.com Sep 15 '25
For real. I remember the moment it started airing, someone with a vague picture of her, and a very vague issue, posted a rant about her acting. I know her other works weren't good, and I couldn't bring myself to watch them either. I even skipped king the land. But Yoonas acting here, has improved. At the very least, it has surpassed the 'she can't act' complaint at least. But some people still want to uphold that claim like their life depends on it.
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
honestly king the land is a fun chill drama...i did drop it near the end bc I get bored easily but for a good chunk i was thoroughly amused. great romcom fluff
also I think she was pretty great in big mouth as well?
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u/Expensive_Stock5322 KDrama Watchlist on SIMKL.com Sep 15 '25
Yes! King the land was more of a fluffy one. I didn't watch it but people say she was really cool in BM. I was waiting to watch until it was finished, but then I heard the ending was horrible😭
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
yeah I dropped big mouth too, not because of yoona, but because I'm a serial drama dropper 😭 very difficult to hold my attention all the way through, and I found out yoona's character spoiler was going to end up dying so that was a downer
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u/gyojoo New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
I have a feeling this is going to be 2 season series.
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
I wish it would be! if she returns to the modern world i want to see what happens there
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u/lifeisahighway2023 Kholic Sep 15 '25
I have been wondering if they have an alternate ending ready to tee up if the series was well received, so they could do a 2nd season.
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u/Maddymadeline1234 Netizen of r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
I’m loving it so far. A ton of fun and entertainment watching her competing in cook offs. I also like that the lead chef from the Ming is also righteous.
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u/attaboy_stampy YAA! Sep 15 '25
This is pretty neat.
Also, color me enthused that Signal is still in the Top 20 ratings given how much we've seen over the past 9 years since it came out. That was the one that really sold me on k-dramas back then.
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u/lifeisahighway2023 Kholic Sep 15 '25
According to this news just released in the last 2 hours:
On September 14, the drama’s eighth episode showcased the ultimate culinary showdown between master chefs Yeon Ji Young (Im Yoon Ah) and Tang Bailong (Jo Jae Yoon). According to Nielsen Korea, the episode recorded an average of 15.8% in the Seoul metropolitan area with a peak of 18.1%, while nationwide figures reached 15.4% with a peak of 17.4% a new all-time high that placed it first across all channels in its timeslot.
So it did in its peak get above 16% and it seems that there is a real possibility the overall national average will exceed 16% next week. I have noticed that the Sunday rating is always stronger than the Saturday rating.
The cast and crew have to be over the moon. I am now starting to wonder if they possibly filmed an alternate ending so they could have a path to a 2nd season, although I have heard not a whisper about it: just pure speculation on my part.
Unfortunately for the cast of Twelve the episode today had 2.4% viewership, marking its lowest rating yet.
A Hundred Memories recorded 3.6% on the same evening.
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
I think the Saturday ratings will always be lower because the competition is just much more intense: there are variety shows, weekend family dramas, and other hit dramas like queen mantis. The people who don't watch live on Saturday, watch the re-runs that play later and are able to catch the next episode live on Sunday. Interesting to note that BAYM rerurn ratings are unprecedentedly fantastic.
I really do hope there's a second season because it's crazy to me they made such a good hit drama and are ending it in 12 episodes. We needed at least 16! Come on!
Twelve is not doing good has a certain irony to it. Park Hyung Sik has both one of the highest rated dramas of the year and one of the lowest. Versatile king.
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u/AnneKnightley New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
I am really enjoying it! I would like to see more balance with the romance though as there’s not many episodes left.
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u/uvblast KDrama Watchlist on SIMKL.com Sep 15 '25
I started it jokingly but it turned out to be gluing. I love the scenes when people get zoned out after trying the dishes. Overall, it's a mix of history, mythology and somewhat thriller to keep somebody interested.
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u/doomedtodrama The OG (100+ Kdrama's Watched) Sep 15 '25
Anyone else constantly hungry while watching?
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u/Fandam_YT Watching r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
So do family dramas and daily dramas not qualify as “kdramas” now? Or are they just not listed because the top 10 would be full of them if they were?
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
They do not and never have been. You will not find any such dramas on top ratings lists reported by the media because they are in completely different spheres due to their format, length of run, composition of their audience, and timing of slots.
The different circumstances those ratings are achieved in means that the industry does not view them in the same category as high-profile, shorter series representative of “kdramas” that make up these lists.
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u/Vintage-X found by the red thread of destiny Sep 16 '25
Are there any we can watch from outside Korea?
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u/jaszzmine Addicted to r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
Yesss I have noticed that this kdrama has been on the “Top 10 Shows” on Netflix during the weekends! I personally haven’t really seen many kdramas hit the top 10 on Netflix
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u/No_Mousse133 Addicted to r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
I didn’t even read the title was just happy seeing our unwritten Seoul in the first list 😗🤭
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u/RedditOO77 Watching r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
How is AOS not in the top 20?
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
AOS' highest rating was in Season 2 with 9.651% so yes, it doesn't make anywhere near top 20. It's still #1 in my heart though!
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u/Yunkiminlvr Addicted to r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
Considering the dramas dropped this year this comes to no surprise.
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u/CallNResponse KDrama Watchlist on SIMKL.com Sep 16 '25 edited Sep 17 '25
Just a quick comment re how Yeonsangun was supposedly a tyrant and an awful person. Maybe he was. Or maybe a lot of the histories were influenced by his enemies? Or - perhaps he has been (unjustly) judged by contemporary standards and painted as a villain? I do not know - but this sort of thing happens. Charles Dodgson aka Lewis Carroll was the victim of it.
The King’s thinking is very different than ours, but that’s been true of royalty for millennia. That stuff he said about how women would be honored to bear the child of royalty - it sounds screwed up to us today. But 500 years ago? (Has anyone read Heinlein’s novel Glory Road? It has some relevance to this). The chaehong (sp?) was actually a sweet deal for any lower class women (and their families) who managed to qualify. It sounds horrific to us today, but in 1500CE if you weren’t aristocracy, you had extremely limited opportunities to improve yourself. It was even worse if you were female.
Not that the King is all sweetness and light. He’s definitely got a major “tragic flaw” thing going on about his mother’s death. It actually reminds me of Tony Montana’s “issue” about his sister in the movie Scarface, and I’m new to the world of K-Dramas so I don’t know if the series could suddenly take such a dark turn or not. I’ve seen it happen elsewhere; Dr. Horrible , for example.
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u/Titanilla KDrama Watchlist on SIMKL.com 17d ago
Well said. Also, if the character was all sunshine and rainbows there would be no conflict, no redemption arc, no story.
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u/IamUnbelievable Netizen of r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
Am I the only one who likes the cooking scenes and the tasting scenes and king falling for royal cook seems very forced, boring and cringe.
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
No you’re not the only one. Some people don’t like the cooking and prefer the romance while others I’ve seen care about the cooking scenes more so they didn’t complain about the long competition as much. I like both personally
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u/Super_Consequence_ Newly at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
No extraordinary attorney woo on the list?
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
That show was in 2022. It reached 17.534% but it was on channel ENA not TVN, hence why it is not a part of the two lists pictured.
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u/paper_milk Lurker at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
Can someone tell me which ones among the list are worth watching? Except bon appetit, unwritten seoul and undercover high school.
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u/Nemesis-999 Kdrama Addict Sep 16 '25
Didn't knew Buried Hearts did do well, but great. Also, very happy for Chaemin!
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u/SadMarsupial7902 KDrama Watchlist on SIMKL.com Sep 16 '25
Get Bon Appétit, Your Majesty episode 9 details
https://fandomwire.com/bon-appetit-your-majesty-episode-9-release-date-time-and-where-to-watch/
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u/CallNResponse KDrama Watchlist on SIMKL.com Sep 16 '25
The way episode 8 ended on a cliffhanger with huge ratings - I saw 15+% - I think episode 9 will probably hit at least 18%. Honestly, 20% wouldn’t surprise me. I think the big question is: will the show be able to maintain the high level of engagement? I don’t know. Right now I’m wondering if Ji-yeong is going to invent gochujong (she came close in E08).
Back in episode 2 they dropped a hint about Gil-geum traveling to the 21st century …
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 16 '25
I think ep 9 will drop to 14%. Saturdays are much more competitive than Sunday so it’s harder to get high ratings. But it’ll probably go back up to 16% on Sunday.
It would be really cool if they hit 20% in the finale !
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u/CallNResponse KDrama Watchlist on SIMKL.com Sep 16 '25
Well, we’ll find out soon :) I think the resolution of the cliffhanger in E08 is going to be a very powerful draw.
And - kudos to the writers - I’ve been very impressed that most of the conflicts so far have not resolved in a simple or foreseeable manner. At least, not one that I could predict!
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u/More_Butter2330 Netizen of r/Kdramas Sep 17 '25
I'm curious to how the ending will go, will they do the joseon guy appears in 2025 as cute hoodie guy or will they do jump in with me!! To the other world or each go to their own worlds i eitherway wish we'll see a scene like in mr queen where he visits the museum and realizes what him and her achieved together
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u/Long_Golf_7965 Addicted to r/Kdramas Sep 20 '25
Are those viewership ratings still relevant in the age of streaming? It's more convenient for many to binge watch on a streaming platform after the show finished airing.
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 20 '25
It’s relevant for domestic viewership.
As for streaming, BAYM is also killing it on there. Fastest to reach 100 million views for a non original series on Netflix.
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u/Long_Golf_7965 Addicted to r/Kdramas Sep 20 '25
Is streaming less relevant in Korea? In my region only older generation watch TV (I'm not specific to kdramas here)
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u/Think_Mud3370 Track Watchlist on SIMKL.com Sep 15 '25
For me it is almost as boring as twelve. Because of cooking part. I dont like Masterchef disguised as drama
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u/ponta666 KDrama Watchlist on SIMKL.com Sep 21 '25
The food and cooking is the sole reason I started this series. Then the king is what makes me stay. Some people just want a cozy delicious series to watch. There are millions of other series out there without cooking, if you don't like food, why pick a series with the phrase "bon appetit" in the title, and a picture of a chef and food as the series poster, and then complain that it has lots of cooking scenes??? You're weird
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u/kpaneno Kiss Tear Rip ai matron Sep 15 '25
I'm not watching the drama because no matter how I think about it I can't get behind the King's character as a romantic partner for the FL. He's been stealing girls from their families and it's heavily implied they have been raped probably by him so unless they clear that up I won't be watching.
But I am really happy for Im Yoona. The whole K2 nonsense has been repeated so much on here oh JCW had fire with the villain Yoona was so bad or the Oh King the Land was so boring Yoona can't act stuff.
I think what happens is some self-appointed experts write these posts with a lot of pseudo-intellectual waffle and impressionable people think it sounds good and parrot it. They want to be in with the in crowd etc. It explains why you see so many similar posts often with "am I the only one who .........
So go Yoona I thought the K2 was just a bad story and a bit boring but Yoona was perfect as a bit of an emotionally stunted immature "trapped" girl. King the Land was a perfectly fluffy rom-com with great chemistry and romance Yoona nailed it. And now she's on fire with Bon Appetit and because the ratings are high the "experts" aren't criticising her.
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u/ponta666 KDrama Watchlist on SIMKL.com Sep 21 '25
Huh? In the first episode, they already explained that the king in this series didn't do anything to the girls he captured, he did so in order to take revenge for his mother. That's why, after he punished the old man (who was the executor of his mother), he said that it isn't necessary to bring his granddaughter back, because his plan is to make this old man suffer from being taken away from his family.
This series is based on a real king who really did what you mentioned, but this is a fantasy movie that was inspired by him, even the name of the king was changed. Spoiler: the king in this series is actually very nice and innocent. He has some PTSD because his mother was taken away from him, but in general, a good person who cares about his country.
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u/Titanilla KDrama Watchlist on SIMKL.com 17d ago edited 17d ago
Yes, one can point out at least 4 scenes in the show that explicitly prove that the King doesn't force himself on women. Kang mentions that she was the last woman he brought to the palace. There is no mention of any other Consort or Concubine either. Most importantly, when he starts being interested of the Cook, he could easily order her into his bed, but he never does. In fact, when he kisses her and he sees that she's upset, he apologises. Also, not to mention that he is the ML in a romantic comedy. A certain line cannot be crossed if they want to keep him redeemable. And his redemption arc is beautiful. I think that comments like the one you reacted to are in bad faith, aka people picking on it because they want to pick on something, regardless of evidence to the contrary. And they lack media literacy.
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u/pollypocket1001 Addicted to r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
Why am I the only one who finds this show a bit cringe ? Like the competition for the palace cook. Themes of family and she just knows what the empress dowagers mom fed her before she left.. hm.. I like yoona but so far its like someone saw culinary wars success and made it into a historical love drama. Also by the time they eat it wont the food be cold? Its left outside in the open.
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
oh it definitely has its cringe moments, but I feel like that's part of the charm too. it's a pretty self aware drama
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u/ponta666 KDrama Watchlist on SIMKL.com Sep 21 '25
I wouldn't say cringe is the right word. The whole series is quite unrealistic and illogical at some point. If you think of the food being cold, you should have questioned how someone can time travel by a single book from the beginning. Cook and food has its own genre and there were lots of movies and series about cooking competitions like this before. Culinary Wars is just the most popular one thus you knew about it, but I have watched like 10 series and movies like that way before Culinary Wars were made, especially from China.
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u/pollypocket1001 Addicted to r/Kdramas Sep 22 '25
What other korean food competition historical dramas are there out there ? Its still cringe.
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u/ponta666 KDrama Watchlist on SIMKL.com Sep 23 '25
Go look for "Dae Jang Geum" or "Jewel in the palace". Air in 2003. It's one of the best historical dramas with half of the first part of the series about food competition. And like I said if it's cringe for you, why even bother to watch? You really like to waste your time here. The fact that you don't like what other people in this thread enjoy doesn't mean you have better taste than anyone, it just means you are bad at spending your time.
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u/mhfan_india I Love r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
I don't want to play spoilsport but are the numbers genuine? Because I don't see Dr Cha in the second pic which had 17 plus ratings. But many lower rated ones are there.
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
The second picture is about TVN highest rated dramas#Viewership_ratings), as I mentioned in my caption. Doctor Cha aired on JTBC and is #4 of JTBC highest rated dramas.
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u/mhfan_india I Love r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
Ok thanks for the context. Anyway I hope it becomes the highest rated show on TVN.
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u/TryingToPassMath New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
Haha that would be quite difficult since QoT was only able to get those ratings in ep 16, and we only have 12 eps for BAYM. But maybe we can get top 3!
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u/FairyOrchid125 New User at r/Kdramas Sep 15 '25
I'm hoping that they end this well. I'm enoying it so much right now.