MBN's 'Cheonha Bakery: Bake Your Dream' falls below 1 percent viewership ratings amid series of controversies
When the Korean cable network MBN unveiled "Cheonha Bakery: Bake Your Dream," expectations ran high.
The series was quickly framed as the bakery counterpart to Netflix's cultural phenomenon "Culinary Class Wars," a food survival format pitting white team chefs, established names with long-standing careers, against a black team of underdog contestants.
Riding the momentum of that global sensation, anticipation centered on whether the new show could once again boost the standing of the Korean culinary scene — while featuring the deeply personal philosophies and craftsmanship that defined its predecessor.
As the show premiered, it unveiled a more general identity than some expected from the title suggested.
"Cheonha Bakery: Bake Your Dream" didn't restrict itself to traditional baking, spotlighting both bakers and patissiers.
For many Korean viewers, the distinction is key: Bakers typically specialize in bread and cakes, while patissiers, by contrast, focus on intricate, artistically demanding pastries, tarts, and decorated desserts, requiring precision, specialized training, and delicate temperature control.
Even so, the show arrived with unmistakable momentum. Its premiere generated significant buzz, mirroring the structure of "Culinary Class Wars" with an opening episode that brought together contestants across experience levels, competing under aliases before a panel of judges, some of whom also rose to prominence through the earlier hit.
The debut made an immediate splash, landing at No. 1 on Netflix Korea's Top 10 series chart upon release. Nielsen Korea logged viewership ratings of 2 percent and 2.3 percent for its first and second episodes, respectively. In the Korean cable space, the 2 percent mark is widely considered a solid benchmark.
The momentum, however, proved difficult to sustain. By the time its ninth episode aired on March 29, "Cheonha Bakery" had largely dropped off Netflix Korea's Top 10 and seen its ratings slide to 0.9 percent, according to Nielsen Korea.
The drop in buzz comes as the show, since its February debut, has been consistently dogged by controversy. One recurring point of friction has been the inclusion of celebrity figures, including actors and YouTube personalities, as judges tasked with evaluating the work of bakers and pastry chefs with decades of experience.
The backlash peaked when contestant Oh Se-sung was eliminated without undergoing a formal evaluation because he didn't stick to the equipment provided.
With no substantive critique of his dish, viewer frustration quickly escalated, with some arguing that even eliminated contestants deserve a proper assessment. Oh was the only contestant to receive this treatment. Critics described the move as disrespectful and questioned whether judges should at least taste the dish before rejecting it.
Meanwhile, the show’s increasingly complex challenges have also drawn criticism. The first part of the final round in particular, which requires contestants to collaborate with guest chefs to produce a competitive dish, has prompted some to argue that participants should be allowed to showcase their skills independently.
Now entering its endgame, the series has kicked off its final competition arc with Episode 9. While the total episode count has yet to be disclosed, the question remains whether "Cheonha Bakery: Bake Your Dream" can stage a late comeback or close out under the shadow of its early promise.
yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com
