The Korean weekend drama market is becoming increasingly competitive, as the newly aired drama starring Shin Hye-sun "Filing for Love" makes its mark on the successful drama featuring IU "Perfect Crown." The race for ratings is becoming very competitive.
According to Daum, currently the highest rated weekend drama is "Perfect Crown," which airs every Friday and Saturday on the MBC network. The show, starring IU and Byun Woo-suk, started strong with a 7.8% rating on its premiere and has steadily climbed, breaking the 10% threshold by episode four. Episode six has just scored a record-breaking 11.2%, continuing its reign as the highest-rated weekend drama.
The plot takes place in modern-day South Korea that exists as a constitutional monarchy, where Sung Hee-joo (IU), the daughter of a chaebol with frustration due to being born a commoner, enters into a marriage contract with Grand Prince Lee An (Byun Woo-suk). Some features that attract people to watch it are lavish production scenes and the chemistry between the two main characters. It is anticipated that upcoming episodes that feature a royal wedding ceremony will increase ratings.
On the other hand as reported by Soompi, the premiere of "Filing for Love" on tvN channel on April 25 has surprised viewers and analysts alike for its fast climb in popularity. With an initial rating of 4.4%, the show rose to 6.3% after only its second episode. The storyline revolves around Joo In-ah (Shin Hye-sun), who is the head of the audit office with a secret, and No Ki-joon (Gong Myung), an ace auditor relegated to investigate the scandal in his workplace.
Observers are now closely watching whether "Filing for Love" will slow down the upward trend of "Perfect Crown" as they share the Saturday evening slot.
Read more: IU Joins Elite Ranks with VVIP Black Card and ₩33B Earnings, Still Wins Hearts with Humility
Weekend Drama Ratings Battle Heats Up with New Contenders and Mixed Performances
SBS's "Phantom Lawyer", starring Yoo Yeon-seok, is wrapping up this week. Although it peaked at 10% in episode six, it slipped back to single digits after "Perfect Crown" aired but has maintained steady ratings of around 6% in recent episodes.
Adding to the competition next week is "My Royal Nemesis", featuring Lim Ji-yeon and Heo Nam-jun. The drama explores a war-like romance involving an actress possessed by a Joseon villainess's soul and a ruthless chaebol, with their "hate-love chemistry" as a highlight.
On JTBC, "We Are All Trying Here" starring Koo Kyo-hwan and Go Yoon-jung divides audiences but enjoys positive word-of-mouth on OTT platforms. Though its TV ratings linger around 2%, it ranks second on Netflix Korea's Top 10 Series list as of April 28.
The source from the show noted, "The strengths and weaknesses of the work are clear. 'Mother and Son' is a completely different kind of drama from competing series that focus on plot or romance narratives, leading to many comments that it has a high barrier to entry." The source added that the insightful dialogue by writer Park Hae-young and realistic acting contribute to its critical praise.
Viewership ratings have slightly increased from 2.2% in the premiere to 2.4% by episode four, fueled by growing online discussions and positive reviews.
As weekend dramas continue to vie for viewers, industry insiders expect the competition between IU, Shin Hye-sun, and Go Yoon-jung-led dramas to define this season's TV ratings battle.
