'Lovely Runner' is making waves as a global sensation, setting new records each week. This tvN drama, airing every Monday and Tuesday, has been the talk of the town for six straight weeks, especially among viewers aged 20-49, the key demographic for tvN. It's also the most-watched weekday drama this year among women in their 20s.

Good Data Corporation's FUNdex platform revealed that 'Lovely Runner' dominated the TV-OTT drama buzz survey for the second week of May, securing the top spot for two weeks in a row with a score of 58.37%.

The lead actors, Byun Woo Seok, Kim Hye Yoon, and Song Gun Hee, also made a clean sweep in the TV-OTT actor buzz survey, clinching the top three spots.

What's more, 'Lovely Runner' scored an average buzz score of 68,248 points in its fifth week, ranking ninth in the all-time records. Fans are eagerly watching to see how much higher 'Lovely Runner' can climb.

In the first week of May (April 29th to May 5th), 'Lovely Runner' topped the VIU weekly chart for pan-Asian OTT views, ranking first in Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia.

This achievement came just four weeks after its local premiere, sparking speculation about whether 'Lovely Runner' can conquer all major Asian markets.

'Lovely Runner' is also making strides on the music charts. As of the 16th, it ranked 8th for 'Shower', 45th for 'Spring Snow', 47th for 'I Guess So', 75th for 'Run Run', and 100th for 'Dreamlike' on the Melon TOP100 chart. 'Shower' has been a particular hit, continually breaking its own record and reaching 9th place on the Melon daily chart as of the 17th.

The drama has amassed a staggering 570 million views up to its 10th episode, and on TVing, it captured 94% of the real-time viewing share across all live channels, demonstrating the immense interest in 'Lovely Runner'.

As the romance between Ryu Seon Jae (played by Byun Woo Seok) and Im Sol (played by Kim Hye Yoon) deepens, viewer engagement continues to heat up. Everyone's watching to see how far 'Lovely Runner', a proven trendsetter, will go.

Don't forget, 'Lovely Runner' airs every Monday and Tuesday at 8:50 PM.

Source[1]

NewJeans' Minji touched fans' hearts with a handwritten letter on her birthday — even while the group is currently unable to promote due to legal issues.

On May 7, Minji celebrated her birthday by sharing a heartfelt message on the group’s personal SNS account, which the members opened themselves to stay connected with fans.

Minji began her letter with honesty, writing, “I think I’m living a busier life than I expected. When I finally looked up, it was already May, and it was my birthday.”

She admitted that she had a lot she wanted to say, but her thoughts felt “messy.” Still, her message to fans was clear, “I just hope that I, our members, and Bunnies can all be happy. Happiness is the biggest goal in my life.”

Minji then opened up about her personal journey and struggles, saying, “I sometimes think that running toward my happiness by doing what I love might look foolish to others. But isn’t giving up your happiness now for the sake of a future that might not even come… too harsh on yourself?”

Despite everything, she ended on a hopeful note, “I really miss the times when we shared our feelings through the good music we made together. But I always look forward to what’s ahead."

She added, "We didn’t stop here, and we’re not going to stop! It might look like we’re standing still, but I believe we’re growing deeper.”

Her message comes during a difficult time for NewJeans. The group announced last year that they were cutting ties with ADOR, their original agency, after trust was broken. They later began working independently under the new name ‘NJZ’.

However, ADOR responded with legal action — claiming the exclusive contract with NewJeans was still valid and asking the court to stop the group from promoting or signing deals.

The court sided with ADOR and granted an injunction, forcing NewJeans to pause their activities. Their appeal was rejected, and they’ve now filed a second appeal.

Through it all, Minji’s message proves one thing — even when forced to stop, NewJeans' hearts are still moving forward.

Source: [1]