Consistently A Winner: "Gu Family Book" Now Leads Dramas By An Even Larger Margin
For a few weeks now, the MBC drama, "Gu Family Book," has held its lead in the Monday night viewer ratings and this week, it jumped even further ahead in the race. The fantasy historical drama has gained percentage points with each successive week's ratings. This week it earned a healthy16.3 percent of viewer ratings, a gain of 0.5 percent from the previous week.
One reason for this week's increasing viewer ratings may be important new plot developments. This was the week that the drama's hero, Choi Kang Chi, played by Lee Seung Gi, learned the truth about his birth and what it means for him. Knowing that he is the son of a gumiho, a mystical nine-tailed fox, and a human, should help to explain the physical and mental changes he is undergoing. But knowing the truth is only half the problem. Now he must figure out how to control the monster he can so easily become.
According to Nielsen Media Research ratings, the KBS series, "God of the Workplace" ran a strong second, as it has done in previous weeks. However, the ratings for "God of the Workplace" fell slightly from last week's 14.0 percent to 13.5 percent. The show, about a super temp and her relationship with permanent office workers, has been gaining positive feedback about its accurate portrayal of office workplace conditions, but it is losing viewers to the unstoppable "Gu Family Book." On May 1st, Korea's Labor Day, the first eight episodes of the series will be played back to back so viewers can catch up with any episodes they may have missed.
Meanwhile, the SBS series "Jang Ok Jung rose from last week's 6.9 percent to 8.2 percent. Viewer interest is growing as the drama's heroine Jang Ok Jung establishes herself in the palace and potentially becomes a pawn for dangerous political intrigue. In the most recent episodes, King Suk Jong, played by Yoo Ah In, is reunited with Jang Ok Jung, played by Kim Tae Hee, when she becomes his royal concubine. But the course of true love is never smooth, especially when one of the lovers is a king, is already married to a politically powerful queen and his affection are subject to court intrigue.
On the Variety show front, the KBS show, "Hello," earned 10.8 percent and the SBS show, "Healing Camp" earned 6.7 percent.
The ratings represent TV viewership in Korea. International fans can always check some of these shows out with English subtitles on available and legal streaming services like Hulu (US and Japan), Dramafever, and Viki.
