Sweet Home Season 3’s teasers undoubtedly generated massive attention ahead of the July 19 premiere on Netflix with returning prime cast members, including Song Kang, Lee Jin Uk, Lee Si Young, Lee Do Hyun, and Go Min Si. However, when the South Korean apocalyptic horror series again breathed life into Kim Carnby and Hwang Young Chan’s beloved Naver webtoon for the third and final installment, the result was all bark and no bite. Right after its premiere, the series name shot up on Good Data Corporation's weekly buzzworthy K-drama chart for the third week of July (TV-OTT), but it still didn’t crack the top rank.

SBS’ Good Partner, starring Jang Na Ra and Nam Ji Hyun, swooped in for the big win instead.

In the second week of its release on Netflix, the third season of Sweet Home slipped further down on the top 10 list buzzworthiness (TV-OTT) at #7. However, Good Partner consecutively maintained its strong reign over the chart in the fourth week of July. Following its steps, tvN’s latest romantic comedy, Serendipity's Embrace, starring Kim So Hyun and Chae Jong Hyeop, has climbed high to second place from its former seventh rank.

Reasons cited for Sweet Home 3 tanking on the weekly chart

The special FUNdex report for the third week of July revealed that none of the 19 original K-dramas released on OTT platforms reached the top spot on the buzzworthy chart. Sweet Home fell victim to the steady decline in buzzworthiness of the thriller genre in dramas, a switch that South Korean TV network tvN has particularly paid heed to by pivoting to multi-genre shows with a greater emphasis on romantic comedies. Shows like Queen of Tears, Lovely Runner, and the ongoing Serendipity’s Embrace stand testament to this thematic transition, thereby showing promising results on the buzzworthiness chart as well.

Either way, the Netflix original series failed to meet audience expectations. The study showed more than 90% of initial reactions to the show in the first week of release were negative. Moreover, introducing several unfamiliar and unnecessary characters hindered the audience's attempt to warm up to the show. Critics also dragged the messy storyline, which lacked any focus, blurring the distinction between the main and supporting characters.

The show also failed miserably on the visual front, with disappointing CGI. According to the analysis of online public opinion provided by the Good Data Corporation, fans were outright critical of the show, with some even branding it “too chaotic” or “boring.”

Comments like “The biggest problem is that too many uninteresting characters are introduced” and “They should have focussed on the main characters, but they included too many different stories” took precedence. In addition, the audience felt they should’ve only watched Season 1. Skipping the second and third installments seemed the “best choice” to them. Many viewers simply tuned in to kill time and catch a glimpse of some of their favourite actors in the mix while generally craving for Season 1’s originality and overall vibe.

OTT titles in competition in the fourth week of July

While Sweet Home Season 3 slipped to the seventh rank, Disney Plus’ Red Swan, with Rain and Kim Ha Neul in lead roles, stood in sixth place. Meanwhile, the upcoming thriller series on U+ Mobile TV (to be available on Disney Plus in selected regions), No Way Out: The Roulette, also debuted on the top 10 chart at #9. Set to premiere on Wednesday, July 31, the mystery K-drama stars Cho Jin Woong (The Handmaiden), Yoo Jae Myung (Itaewon Class), Kim Mu Yeol (The Roundup: Punishment), Yum Jung Ah (Sky Castle) and others.

On the other hand, JTBC’s Miss Night and Day continued its 5-week spell as one of the most-watched non-English shows on Netflix worldwide. While it sat at #6, Sweet Home Season stayed a step ahead at #5 during its first week on the Global Top 10 chart (July 15 - July 21).

Although Lee Do Hyun’s Netflix comeback on Sweet Home wasn’t as sweet as anticipated, his leading presence in one of the most successful Korean movies of the year - Exhuma - recorded another win on Netflix following its OTT premiere in South Korea. Also starring Choi Min Sik, Kim Go Eun and Yoo Hae Jin, the occult-themed horror flick celebrated its triumph at the top 10 list for most-watched movies in South Korea in its first week.

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