Recently, 2 weekend dramas, "Undercover High School" by MBC and "Buried Hearts" by SBS, have received the attention of the audience.
Aired at the same time (evening of February 21), but the viewership ratings of the two projects showed a difference. With Youth Project, the film started with a rating of 5.6% for the first episode and peaked at 8.3% in episode 4. However, since then, the drama's rating has dropped to 7.2% in episode 5 and to 6.1% in episode 8.
Although this is not a low number, it is still surprising when in the comeback project after completing his military service, Seo Kang Joon showed progress. In addition to scoring points with his handsome appearance and acting, the actor was praised for completely "transforming", creating his own mark after many years of struggling.
According to Korean media, after the rating decreased, the production team is focusing on promoting the film at programs. However, even in online discussions, the film was still overshadowed by Netflix's "When Life Is for You an Tangerine", starring IU and Park Bo Gum.
According to FUNdex - the official platform of Good Data Corporation, "When Life Gives You a Tangerine" is currently the leading work in the OTT (online) drama market in the second week of March with 41.71%, while the drama "Youth Project" ranked 2nd, accounting for 10.35%.
With "Bury Heart", the film maintains a high viewership rating. The film was released with a rating of 6.1%, surpassing the 10% mark in episode 4 and continuing the upward trend, reaching 12.3% in the recent episode. In the 8 episodes that have been broadcast, the film broke its own rating record 6 times, creating a clear contrast with "Youth Project".
Naver believes that the match over viewership ratings between MBC and SBS during the weekend schedule (Friday, Saturday) is not new. However, if counting from the second half of 2024 until now, MBC's dramas have continuously lost heavily to SBS's competitors.
In which, the film "The Death of White Tuyet" (MBC, highest rating 8.8%) lost to "Perfect partner" (SBS, highest rating 17.7%). The film Intimate Betrayal (MBC, highest rating 9.6%) was defeated by Judge from Hell (SBS, highest rating 13.6%)
Similarly, MBCs When the Phone Rings and California motel also lost to SBSs The Fiery Priest 2 and My perfect Secretary. The attention of The Business of Youth thanks to Seo Kang Joons performance still cannot help the film reverse the situation before Park Hyung Siks Buried Heart makes it difficult for MBCs next projects.
Korean newspapers said that MBC's release of "Crushology 101" (played by Roh Jeong Eui, Lee Chae Min and Cho Jun Young) in April - at the same time as SBS's new historical drama "The Haunted Palace" (played by Yook Sung Jae, bone) will be the next difficulty for the station.
The reason is that considering the plot, reputation, and acting ability of the cast, SBS's works are at an advantage. However, the film Crushology 101 still has a chance to make a comeback if the content and acting are better than current expectations.
