'Twelve' has concluded season 1 with lackluster ratings despite being one of the most anticipated series.
Before its premiere, 'Twelve' was initially expected to be a huge hit, even planned as a 4 season series. However, it ultimately concluded after repeated declines in ratings. The series aired its final episode for Season 1 on September 14 and recorded its lowest-ever rating of 2.4%.
'Twelve' was a drama that KBS heavily invested in, garnering attention just from its casting lineup. In fact, it drew enough interest for Disney+ to take on exclusive streaming rights. Led by Ma Dong Seok, the cast included Seo In Guk, Park Hyung Sik, Lee Joo Bin, and Sung Dong Il, whose names alone built high expectations.
Moreover, the story also gained attention for its uniqueness. 'Twelve' was a Korean-style fantasy action hero drama inspired by the twelve zodiac guardians. It depicted twelve angels protecting humanity while fighting against the forces of evil.
An open ending hinting at season 2
In episode 7, aired on the 13th, the secret of O-gwi (Park Hyung Sik), the leader of the dark forces, was revealed, heightening anticipation for the finale. As it turned out, he was a human who had once fallen into a forbidden love with the angel Mi-reu (Lee Joo Bin). When their love was banned, he suffered in agony and was eventually lured by Sa-min (Kim Chan Hyung), becoming aligned with evil.
In the final episode, O-gwi and the twelve angels faced off in a climactic battle. Tae-san (Ma Dong Seok) made a grave choice, sacrificing his body and power to seal O-gwi. He succeeded, but in the process lost his human form and reverted to a tiger, falling into slumber.
O-gwi, having lost his strength, vanished and paid the price for his misdeeds. Meanwhile, Mi-reu and the remaining angels continued to live their own lives while protecting a world restored to peace.
The finale conveyed a message of good triumphing over evil through Tae-san’s sacrifice, while also leaving lingering emotions with an open ending, suggesting that Tae-san may one day awaken again.
Ratings drop to 2.4%
Though the drama hinted at a season 2, things did not go as planned. According to Dispatch on the 5th, the drama had originally been planned as a series, with up to four seasons in mind.
A drama official told Dispatch, "Season 1 showed the angels losing their powers, while season 2 would have seen them regain them. The show was planned as a seasonal project, but right now it’s just not feasible."
However, its performance fell short of supporting further production. The first episode started strong at 8.1%, but the joy was short-lived. Ratings quickly dropped to 5.9% in episode 2, then fell further to 3.1% and 2.6%. In the end, the finale closed with 2.4%, the lowest figure of its run. This stood in stark contrast to tvN’s drama 'Bon Appétit, Your Majesty,' which on the same day scored an impressive 15.4% and continues to soar in popularity.
A disappointing "Ma Dong Seok Universe"
Before airing, there had been high expectations that Ma Dong Seok, who had become a box office guarantee with the 'The Roundup' series, would shine once again.
Ma Dong Seok had even planned and participated in production himself, aiming to bring his own "universe" to television. In acting, too, he showed off his trademark dynamic action. However, some critics noted it felt like a replication of his past works.
The childish plot developments and clumsy CGI were also cited as major reasons for the ratings drop. Despite the production company STUDIO X+U (founded by LG U+) investing a hefty 18 billion KRW (approx. 13 million USD), the visuals were criticized as sloppy.
KBS even backed the drama aggressively by scheduling it during prime-time weekend slots.
But faced with poor results, the strategy was deemed a failure. In the end, the drama left behind disappointing results.
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