Episode 7 of The Red Sleeve Cuff Increases to 10.7% as Now, We are Breaking Up Decreases to Low 6.4% Matching Premiere Episode

If this was an actual battle then the outcome has been decided as of episode 7. The Fri-Sat direct ratings competition between MBC sageuk The Red Sleeve Cuff and SBS romance Now, We are Breaking Up has the victor nearly double the ratings after 7 episodes and also fully reversing the pole position from the premiere episode. I can see why Red Sleeve is good, MBC is after all known as the grandaddy of sageuks and really only started slipping the past few years, but the network has the expertise and just needed to assemble the right cast and get the right tense, gripping script. Romance dramas are hit and miss with SBS but I’ve only watched 2 episodes so far so I don’t know personally where the failing lies. The script set up between the leads and the execution felt throwback and old school, and not in a bad way, I can see myself really enjoying the drama once it got going. But the complaints are so many and the dropping ratings clearly indicate the viewers are not connecting with this drama. Is the story and OTP set up not constructed to engage the audience, or are the two leads not selling it. Curious minds want to know from those still watching.