Kim Soon Ok’s The Penthouse: War in Life successfully finished its season 1, recording unrivaled popularity and viewership. Season 2 confirmed its premiere on Feb 19, and attention already focuses on what shocking story will be added to the plot that ended with the villains’ victory. Moreover, it became the first drama in 2021 to garner more than 200 million views for online clips. The average number of views per episode is also close to 10 million. It’s certainly a jaw-dropping record. Let’s check out which programs have made headlines over the past week.
The Dramas on the 1st Week of January 2021
The Penthouse: War in Life came to a pleasant end, blasting into the 7th week at No. 1 on the chart. Most showed enthusiastic responses to season 2, and attention focused on whether Lee Ji Ah survived. Mr. Queen landed at No. 2 for the third week, but netizens are still divided into two groups – those who enjoy the drama and those who refuse to watch it. The third place went to The Uncanny Counter amid favorable reviews for its satisfying plot and the scene where So Moon awakened his power. True Beauty rose up to No.4 but sparked controversy for its overly excessive Chinese company product placement that netizens commented that it feels like a Chinese drama. Run On, which came in 5th, is steadily receiving positive reviews for its natural plot, and many comments expecting Im Si Wan and Shin Se Kyung’s romance were spotted.
Top 10 Popularity of TV Dramas
1. SBS The Penthouse: War in Life (Share of Audience: 48.40) (-)
2. tvN Mr. Queen (Share of Audience: 10.52) (-)
3. OCN The Uncanny Counter (Share of Audience: 10.34) (-)
4. tvN True Beauty (Share of Audience: 9.57) (▲1)
5. JTBC Run On (Share of Audience: 5.95) (▽1)
6. KBS A Man in a Veil (Share of Audience: 2.59) (-)
7. KBS Homemade Love Story (Share of Audience: 1.98) (-)
8. tvN Awaken (Share of Audience: 1.50) (▲2)
9. KBS Royal Secret Agent (Share of Audience: 1.44) (-)
10. JTBC Hush (Share of Audience: 1.621) (▲2)
Top 10 Popularity of the Cast in TV Dramas
1. Lee Ji Ah, The Penthouse: War in Life (▲1)
2. Eugene, The Penthouse: War in Life (▽1)
3. Shin Hye Sun, Mr. Queen (-)
4. Cha Eun Woo, True Beauty (▲13)
5. Kim Jung Hyun, Mr. Queen (▲1)
6. Moon Ga Young, True Beauty (▲8)
7. Kim So Yeon, The Penthouse: War in Life (▽2)
8. Park Eun Suk, The Penthouse: War in Life (▽4)
9. Uhm Ki Joon, The Penthouse: War in Life (▽2)
10. Hwang In Yeop, True Beauty (▲3)
The Non-Dramas on the 1st Week of January 2021
Miss Trot 2 has maintained its top spot for three weeks. The heated debate between Kim Ji Yool and Im Seo Wan from the grade school team became a hot topic, and netizens didn’t hold back their cheer at their cuteness. Sing Again climbed three notches to second place. Unanswered Questions ranked at No. 3 with continued interest in the “Why did Jungin die?” episode. The new tvN show Youn’s Stay by PD Na Young Seok’s team showed a solid start, debuting at No. 4. Many poured out positive reviews for Korean style props and environment-friendly amenities, and positive reviews also formed around Choi Woo Shik.
The Top 10 Popularity of TV Non-Dramas
1. TV Chosun Miss Trot 2 (Share of Audience: 10.59) (-)
2. JTBC Sing Again (Share of Audience: 7.44) (▲3)
3. SBS Unanswered Questions (Share of Audience: 5.96) (▽1)
4. tvN Youn’s Stay (Share of Audience: 3.78) NEW
5. MBC King of Mask Singer (Share of Audience: 3.17) (▽1)
6. TV Chosun Call Center of Love (Share of Audience: 2.89) (▲2)
7. MBC I Live Alone (Share of Audience: 2.72) (▲12)
8. MBC How Do You Play? (Share of Audience: 2.58) (▽5)
9. TV Chosun Wife’s Taste (Share of Audience: 2.32) (▲13)
10. tvN Yoo Quiz On The Block (Share of Audience: 2.24) (▲8)
The Top 10 Popularity of the Cast in TV Non-Dramas
1. Na Kyung Won, Wife’s Taste NEW
2. Jeon Yoo Jin, Miss Trot 2 (▲6)
3. Jung Hong Il, Sing Again (▲296)
4. Choi Hong Rim, Eye Contact NEW
5. Choi Woo Shik, Youn’s Stay NEW
6. Lim Young Woong, Call Center of Love (▲7)
7. Kim So Yeon, How Do You Play? NEW
8. Yoo Jae Suk, How Do You Play? (▽5)
9. Yunho, I Live Alone NEW
10. Yoo Teo, Omniscient Interfering View NEW
This survey was released on January 11 by the TV popularity analysis agency Good Data Corporation after analyzing netizens’ responses, which were generated from news articles, blogs/communities, videos and SNSs for the 21 dramas and the 169 non-dramas that are on air or scheduled to air from January 4 through January 21.
