On the evening of November 17, the movie "Jeong Nyeon" (Jeong Nyeon: The Star is Born/Jeong Nyeon: The Star is Born) officially ended its broadcast journey.
The final episode of the drama starring Kim Tae Ri broke records, achieving an average rating of 16.5% (highest at 18.2%). The rating in Seoul (Korea) reached 17.1% (highest at 18.8%). The drama also dominated the real-time market share of Tving with 91%, further solidifying the drama's popularity.
In the final episode, the Maeran theater troupe overcomes financial difficulties to stage the experimental play “The Legend of the Twin Pagodas”.
Through the audition, the role of Asadal - a stone craftsman of Baekje, was assigned to Jeong Nyeon (Kim Tae Ri). Meanwhile, Young Seo (Shin Ye Eun) took on the role of Dalbi - a fellow craftsman who admires and is jealous of Asadal's talent.
On stage, Jeong Nyeon and Young Seo gave their all to their characters amid cheers from the audience - who loved gukgeuk - female artists skilled in performing pansori (traditional singing and dancing) in general and the Maeran troupe in particular.
Xports News commented that Kim Tae Ri showed a fresh perspective on the role of Asadal, portraying a male artist possessed by madness, the complete opposite of Moon Ok Kyung (Jung Eun Chae) - who is famous as the "crown prince of the Maeran troupe". This performance made her the new star of the troupe and the most radiant character on stage.
According to Korean newspapers, although it is the first TV series revolving around the story of gukgeuk, "Jeong Nyeon" has made a memorable mark for this genre on screen thanks to its authenticity and elaborate staging.
“The authenticity of the drama lies in the crew’s dedication to gukgeuk. Each episode, the audience is usually treated to 15-30 minutes of gukgeuk performances that are invested in, like independent stage productions. This shows the crew’s sincere respect for the artists of this form,” the Korean newspaper wrote.
Thanks to its captivating story and impressive acting, “Jeong Nyeon” continues to break the index. In addition to setting a record high viewership rating, the drama also topped Kinolights’ integrated content chart and Good Data Corporation’s most discussed TV-OTT (Over the Top/Online Service) chart.
Ranked No. 1 in YouTube views among all Korean dramas, Gallup Korea's October Korean Favorite Shows also named "Jeong Nyeon".
The drama also contributed to a surge in interest in the gukgeuk genre. Discussions about the art form on Korean online platforms skyrocketed from around 600 in September to more than 3,000 in October.
Internationally, the audience response to the series has also been enthusiastic. Currently, “Jeong Nyeon” is ranked in the top 6 global TV shows on Disney+, topping the TV show category in regions such as Taiwan (China), Singapore... and also taking 4th place in Japan.
Japan's Oricon News published an article praising the impressive gukgeuk scenes of "Jeong Nyeon" and calling it "a must-see drama of the season"...
