'Hyde, Jekyll And I' Broke A Record But It's Not A Good Thing

Tags: Hyde Jekyll and I; Kill Me Heal Me; Unkind Women; Hyun Bin; Han Ji Min; Ji Sung

BY Julie Jones Mar 05, 2015 05:22 PM EST

"Hyde, Jekyll and I" broke a record this week but it was not a positive development. The drama about a man with a split personality hit an all-time low securing third place in the time slot's top dramas. According to Nielsen Korea, "the drama starring Hyun Bin and Han Ji Min earned 3.8 percent of the ratings on March 4.

That rating is 1.4 percent lower than last week. "Hyde, Jekyll and I" rated 5.2 percent on February 26. And that's significant since it was Hyun Bin's comeback drama after his military service. Curious viewers turned in for the first episode, giving the drama 8.6 percent of the ratings but it fell steadily after that.

"Unkind Women," the drama about three generations of women, is the winner this week. The drama, which stars Kim Hye Ja, Chae Shi Ra, Do Ji Won, Lee Ha Na and also features Kim Ji Suk and Song Jae Rim, achieved first place with 11.8 percent of the ratings. And it achieved first place in only three episodes.

The family drama may draw viewers because of its strong female cast. Grandmother Kang Soon Ok, played by Kim Hye Ja, is a confident cooking instructor. Her daughter, Kim Hye Jung, played by Do Ji Won is a woman who aged out of her successful anchorwoman gig. The other daughter, Kim Hyun Sook, played by Chae Si Ra, is a compulsive gambler, but one who sacrificed so her daughter could become a teacher.

Lee Ha Na plays the granddaughter Jung Ma Ri. She loses her job because of Kim Ji Suk. All of these women want to live life on their own terms and are not dependent on men to save them. The fresh approach has interested viewers.

However, the first place spot is not a certainty because the previous first place winner is very close. The MBC drama "Kill Me, Heal Me," starring Ji Sung and Hwang Jung Eum, rated 11.5 percent. And that drama is drawing closer to its finale with new revelations every week.

It may be hard to guess which drama will land in first place next week but given this week's ratings it is not going to be "Hyde, Jekyll and I."