[HanCinema's News] Romantic Comedies Proving to Be Big Ratings Success

Romantic comedies have been dominant in South Korean television ratings over the last month. The SBS drama "Business Proposal" had 10.1% ratings in its most recent episode, the sixth. This has been steady, solid improvement from ratings of 4.9% in the first episode. What's more, with its fairly well-worn concept of the contract romance, "Business Proposal" has proven that there's still plenty of interest in such cliches as the office romance.

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"Forecasting Love and Weather" premiered with 4.514% ratings in its first episode, and has more evenly advanced to 7.232% ratings in its most recent episode, the eleventh. With jTBC in a high profile slump lately, "Forecasting Love and Weather" is a notable bright spot. The drama about a weather forecasting office has a simple premise, and straightforwardly appealing leads with Park Min-young as the older careerwoman and Song Kang as her younger, cute co-worker.

"Twenty Five Twenty One" has a somewhat more elaborate premise than the other two, taking place over the career of a young fencer played by Kim Tae-ri. From decent first episode ratings of 6.3%, "Twenty Five Twenty One" has hit ratings of 10.887% in its most recent episode, the eleventh. The tvN drama holds much people for nostalgic purposes, with its setting in the nineties- but its heroine is also appealing simply for her sincere effort to try and do a good job.

Nor is the popularity of such dramas limited to the domestic sphere. All three of them are charting on Netflix worldwide, with "Twenty Five Twenty One" in fifth place, "Business Proposal" in sixth place, and "Forecasting Love and Weather" in eighth place on the streaming giant's official non-English charts. After a year filled with major high concept programs, 2022 is quickly shaping up to be a year for more straightforwars shows- and South Korean dramas at large may well be more popular for that.

Written by William Schwartz

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"Business Proposal" is directed by Park Seon-ho-I, written by Han Seol-hee, Hong Bo-hee, and features Ahn Hyo-seop, Kim Sejeong, Kim Min-kyu, Seol In-ah, Lee Deok-hwa, Kim Hyun-sook. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2022/02/28~Now airing, Mon, Tue 22:00 on SBS.

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"Forecasting Love and Weather" is directed by Cha Yeong-hoon, written by Seon Yeong, and features Park Min-young, Song Kang, Yoon Park, Yura, Lee Sung-wook, Moon Tae-yu. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2022/02/12~Now airing, Sat, Sun 22:30 on JTBC.

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"Twenty Five Twenty One" is directed by Jung Ji-hyun, Kim Seung-ho-III, written by Kwon Do-eun, and features Kim Tae-ri, Nam Joo-hyuk, Kim Ji-yeon, Choi Hyun-wook, Lee Joo-myung, Seo Jae-hee. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2022/02/12~Now airing, Sat, Sun 21:10 on tvN.