‘The Legend of the Blue Sea’ looks set to overcome ‘Descendants’ popularity
SEOUL: SBS’ drama The Legend of the Blue Sea looks set to be more popular than Descendants of the Sun.
The drama is off to a good start with its premiere episode posting double-digit TV ratings.
Legend of the Blue Sea registered an impressive viewership share of 16.4 per cent, according to Nielsen Korea, as cited by OSEN.
The high rating suggests the show could possibly overtake Descendants of the Sun in popularity, as the first episode of the latter had recorded a 14.4 per cent viewership rating.
Lee Min-ho and Jun Ji-hyun’s new series also took the top spot in the rating race against competitor dramas Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo and Oh My Geum Bi.
Avid South Korean drama lovers were given a unique treat on Wednesday Nov 16, given the three dramas that premiered on the major Korean networks SBS, MBC and KBS. With various story themes that depicted life challenges, family drama and a romance that spanned centuries, viewers had their pick whether to watch the first episode of Legend of the Blue Sea, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo or Oh My Geum Bi.
However, TV ratings showed that many South Korean viewers tuned in to SBS to watch the premiere episode of Lee and Jun’s new drama.
At its peak, the SBS drama’s premiere episode posted viewership ratings of 20.7 per cent. Lee and Jun’s characters’ touching encounter during a rainy night was the scene that reached the highest TV ratings for the said episode.
Meanwhile, the KBS drama Oh My Geum Bi that stars Oh Ji Ho and Heo Jung Eun premiered with TV ratings of 5.9 per cent. Coming in at third place is Lee Sung Kyung and Nam Joo Hyuk’s MBC drama Weightlifting Fairy that posted a viewership share of 3.3 per cent.
In other news, Legend of the Blue Sea actress Jun recently shared her thoughts about her mermaid character in the SBS drama. In a press event for the new series held in Seoul on Monday Nov14, the South Korean star made mention of her excitement to portray a different character in the drama.
Despite Jun’s athletic prowess and swimming skills, she shared that portraying a mermaid in the SBS drama pushed her to her physical limits, the actress was quoted as saying. She added, “I tell myself every day that I will never again play a character that’s limited to a certain occupation that involves water or fire.”
Legend of the Blue Sea airs every Wednesday and Thursday on SBS. (Astro Ch393)