In the first half of 2024, despite a downturn in the content industry and a constrained production environment, certain K-dramas have shone through, capturing viewers’ hearts and solidifying their success. Here’s a recap of the drama scene for the first half of the year.
Number One ‘Queen of Tears’
The combination of a star writer and stellar actors has indeed rewritten history. The tvN weekend drama Queen of Tears, which concluded at the end of April, revolves around the three-year marriage of a chaebol heiress Hong Hae In (Kim Ji Won) and Baek Hyun Woo (Kim Soo Hyun) from the village of Yongduri. Their chemistry and performances have garnered significant popularity.
Queen of Tears reached an all-time high rating of 24.9% (Nielsen Korea) in its final episode, setting a new record for tvN dramas. It maintained the number one spot in TV-OTT combined buzz rankings for eight consecutive weeks (from the 1st week of March to the 4th week of April) and was a regular in Netflix’s official global top 10 non-English TV series weekly rankings for ten consecutive weeks.
The ‘Lovely Runner’ Phenomenon
While Queen of Tears dominated in ratings, Lovely Runner, which ended last month, was unrivaled in terms of buzz. This tvN Monday-Tuesday drama combined a time leap with elements of youth drama and thriller to captivate female viewers in their 20s and 40s. Despite a peak rating of 5.8%, it became immensely popular, especially among younger audiences. It topped TV-OTT drama buzz surveys for four consecutive weeks, with actors Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon taking first and second place in the TV-OTT actor buzz rankings respectively for the same period. Model-turned-actor Byeon Woo Seok rose to stardom with his lead role as Ryu Sun Jae, and Kim Hye Yoon continues to be a trending star.
>> ‘Lovely Runner’ and ‘Queen of Tears’ Keep Fans Hooked with New Reveals
tvN’s Winning Streak Started with ‘Marry My Husband’
Before Queen of Tears and Lovely Runner, there was Marry My Husband. Premiering on January 1st, it kicked off tvN’s successful run. Marry My Husband is a romantic comedy about Kang Ji Won (Park Min Young), who gets a second chance at life and seeks revenge against her best friend and husband.
Its fast-paced development and the cast’s passionate performances, mixed with melodramatic storylines, quickly boosted its ratings. Marry My Husband recorded a rating of 12.0%, topped the TV-OTT buzz rankings, led in the number of paid subscribers for tvN content, and was the first K-drama on Amazon Prime Video to rank first in the global daily TV show rankings.
Subtle but Significant Dramas
Pyramid Game, released in February through TVING, is set in Baekyeon High School, where students succumb to brutal violence in a cruel survival hierarchy determined by secret voting. The dense and fast-paced portrayal of bullies, victims, and bystanders captured the attention of viewers aged 10-20.
Another TVING drama LTNS, released in January, also made waves with its daring genre and storyline. Short for “Long Time No Sex,” the drama features bold sexual content barely seen in dramas, not just focusing on provocative infidelity stories but intricately portraying relationships and emotions, receiving critical acclaim.
Big Productions That Faltered
SBS’s The Escape of the Seven, known for its unusually high production budget of 45 billion KRW (approx. 33 million USD), exited in May with a bittersweet taste. Despite the controversial subject matter and plot, famed writer Kim Soon Ok could not continue her hit streak. The series recorded 7.7% and its second season, The Escape of the Seven: Resurrection, ended with 4.4%, signaling a dip in SBS’s previously unstoppable momentum for its weekend dramas.
The Netflix original series Gyeongseong Creature, which released all ten episodes of part 1 between December 2023 and January 2024, tried to differentiate itself by combining historical and creature genres, starring big-time actors Park Seo Joon and Han So Hee. Despite a colossal budget reported to be around 70 billion KRW (approx. 51 million USD), the drama received mixed reviews for its loose progression and the unnatural combination of historical setting and romance. Its success in the upcoming Season 2 remains to be seen.
The Disney Plus original series Uncle Samsik also faced similar challenges. Despite high expectations from featuring Song Kang Ho in his first-ever drama and a production budget of 40 billion won, the series, based on modern Korean history, was criticized for its overly complex and slow development.
>> Is Song Kang Ho’s 700 Million KRW per Episode for ‘Uncle Samsik’ Justified?
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