Woo Do-hwan's power is not as good as it used to be. MBC's Friday-Saturday drama 'The Joseon Lawyer', starring Woo Do-hwan, is being beaten by competing works. It is experiencing a bitter taste as the average viewership rating exceeds the 2% level. It's been a long time since Woo Do-hwan stood in front of fans after his military discharge, but the sluggish viewership ratings are still not there.
Now that SBS's 'Model Taxi 2' (Friday, Saturday), a rival work that surpassed the 20% viewership rating, has ended, JTBC's 'Doctor Cha Jeong-sook' (Saturday, Sunday) is unusually popular. Although they tried to maintain viewer ratings even on Friday, 'Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim 3' is preparing to be released as the follow-up to 'Model Taxi 2'.
'The Joseon Lawyer' is a work that tells the story of a lawyer from the Joseon Dynasty who takes revenge through a trial against the enemy who killed his parents. It is a delightful and exhilarating legal revenge drama about Kang Han-soo (played by Woo Do-hwan), who grows into a real lawyer who cares for the people.
Also, this work marks Woo Do-hwan's return to MBC after 6 years. Fans' expectations were high for her collaboration with Kim Ji-yeon (Bona), who has emerged as a rising star.
However, from the first room, 'Joseon Lawyer' was unable to use its power at all. This is because the hit ‘Model Taxi 2’ was already waiting for the same time slot. As Model Taxi 2 has ended, attention is focused on whether 'The Joseon Lawyer' will show a rebound.
'Model Taxi 2', which started with a viewer rating of 12.1% from the first episode, peaked at 25.6% in the last episode. The rainbow team's punishment and revenge, led by Lee Je-hoon, on evildoers from all corners of society shocked viewers.
Lee Je-hoon freely went back and forth between comedy and seriousness, and Kim Eui-seong broke away from being a villain and showed warm emotions. Pyo Ye-jin played the role of licorice by assisting the two seniors from the side. In addition, production of season 3 was recently confirmed due to the passionate performances of all main and supporting actors.
Uhm Jung-hwa became the main character of three consecutive JTBC weekend dramas that hit home runs. Following 'The Youngest Son of a Chaebol Family' and 'Agency', 'Doctor Cha Jeong-sook' also recorded an audience rating of 8% in just two episodes. Uhm Jung-hwa, who returned to the small screen after six years, showed the emotions of a career-interrupted housewife in greater depth with more relaxed direction. It is an immersive portrayal of ‘Cha Jeong-suk’, who awakens and faces new changes after 20 years of marriage.
While competing works were enjoying success, 'The Joseon Lawyer' had not yet spread its wings. The first episode started with 2.8%, but the 6th episode aired on the 15th dropped to 2.2%. This is the lowest level among terrestrial dramas currently being broadcast.
‘Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim 3’, the follow-up to ‘Model Taxi 2’, will premiere on the 28th. What kind of results can ‘Chosun Lawyer’ produce in front of ‘Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim 3’, the center of the seasonal drama sensation that has taken Korea by storm? However, ‘Joseon Lawyer’ is still at the halfway point. There is also a possibility of using a twisted drama while doubling the fun elements at the end of the play. Fans are paying attention to whether he can show ‘Woo Do-hwan’s power’ against his rivals.
Ryu Ye-ji, Ten Asia Reporter ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr