Monday-Tuesday dramas are getting a rare boost as two very different shows are winning over viewers at the same time.
Even though drama ratings are no longer as powerful as before because viewers now watch through many platforms, ratings still show how much people are reacting to a good drama.
Recently, ENA’s “The Scarecrow” and TVING’s “The Legend of Kitchen Soldier” have both become strong titles in the Monday-Tuesday drama lineup.
ENA’s “The Scarecrow” was the first to pull in attention. The drama is a blood tied investigation story about a detective who investigates the real culprit behind a serial murder case and ends up working with the person he hated.
The drama is inspired by the Lee Choon Jae serial murder case, which was also the subject behind the film “Memories of Murder”.
With strong acting from Park Hae Soo, Lee Hee Joon, Kwak Sun Young, Song Geon Hee, Seo Ji Hye, Jung Moon Sung, Baek Hyun Jin, Yoo Seung Mok, and more, the drama quickly gained word of mouth thanks to its twists, solid story, and immersive direction.
“The Scarecrow” started with 2.9% ratings for episode 1. Since then, it has continued to break its own record with every episode. On May 12, it reached a new personal best of 7.4%, based on Nielsen Korea paid platform households. The result is even more meaningful because ENA is considered a channel with lower accessibility.
While “The Scarecrow” continues to rise, TVING’s original series “The Legend of Kitchen Soldier” premiered on May 11.
Based on the popular webtoon of the same name, the drama follows private Kang Sung Jae, played by Park Ji Hoon, who holds a kitchen knife instead of a gun and wears an apron instead of a bullet belt as he grows into a “legendary military cook.”
The drama mixes military life, fantasy, and cooking in a unique way. It also drew attention before airing as Park Ji Hoon’s next project after leaving a strong impression as Danjong in the film “The King's Warden,” which drew 16 million viewers.
After its premiere, “The Legend of Kitchen Soldier” received praise for its fun B grade style carried by A grade actors. Its ratings also rose from 5.847% for episode 1 to 6.247% for episode 2. Since the drama is also released on TVING at the same time, it is believed that even more viewers are watching it through streaming.
“The Legend of Kitchen Soldier” airs every Monday and Tuesday at 8:50 PM, while “The Scarecrow” airs every Monday and Tuesday at 10 PM.
Although the two dramas have completely different genres and tones, both are successfully catching viewers’ attention and making the Monday-Tuesday drama scene feel exciting again.
Source: [1]
