According to Nielsen Korea, the Korean drama Head Over Heels opened with a positive performance, achieving an average nationwide rating of 4.3% for the first episode. This is the film with the highest rating in the same broadcast time frame, including cable TV and syndicated programs.
The target rating for men and women aged 20-49 recorded the highest nationwide at 2%, also the highest rating among the first episodes of tvN's 2nd - 3rd drama in 2025.
According to Ten Asia, Head Over Heels is opening up the possibility of saving tvN as tvNs previous works have continuously failed to achieve ratings.
When the Stars Gossip, a drama with a production budget of up to 50 billion won and starring two famous actors Lee Min Ho and Gong Hyo Jin, ended with a rating of only 2.6% and was harshly criticized.
Subsequent films, The Potato Lab (played by Kang Tae Oh, Lee Sun Bin) and The Divorce Insurance (played by Lee Dong Wook, Lee Joo Bin), have struggled with ratings around 1%.
Head Over Heels has a similar setting to the hit film Running on Your Head - a romance story that saves first love - which is expected to create a new boost.
Based on a famous webtoon, Head Over Heels tells a fantasy romance story about a man with a fate to die and a young magician trying to save him from his fate.
Cho Yi Hyun plays Park Seong Ah, an ordinary high school student during the day but a magician at night. Choo Young Woo plays the first love of Ms. Bae Gyeon Woo, who is haunted by bad luck and born with the unfortunate fate of a destined death.
In episode 1, Park Seong Ah fell in love with Bae Gyeon Woo at first sight, when he entered the temple in an upside-down position - a sign that death was approaching.
Park Seong Ah felt sorry for Bae Gyeon Woo, who had brought good luck. And the relationship between the two did not stop there. Gyeon Woo's move to Seong Ah's school made her very excited by the unexpected reunion.
She is determined to ward off bad luck for Gyeon Woo and protect her first love, but this journey is not easy. Seong Ah was constantly misunderstood and cold by Gyeon Woo for his confusing actions.
Although only the first episode was broadcast, the chemistry between the main actors Cho Yi Hyun and Choo Young Woo received positive feedback. The plot of the film is also considered reasonable, suitable for the character's psychology.
