Expectations for EL, Jin Seo-yeon and Cha Ye-ryun's 'Battle of Happiness'

ENA, a channel that quickly rose to the top of the charts thanks to the popularity of 'Strange Lawyer Woo Young-woo'. However, there are hardly any dramas that can take the place of 'Woo Young-woo'. It is a work of filial piety, but also a mountain to overcome. While ENA is raising expectations for 'Happy Battle', which will be released on the 31st, attention is focusing on whether it can become the second 'Woo Young-woo'.

'The Strange Lawyer Woo Young-woo', which aired last summer, was a series of remarkable results. It was an actress one-tool drama with a story written by a new writer on a little-known channel. The response was beyond expectations. The first episode started with a viewer rating of 0.9%, but word-of-mouth spread and the highest rating for the final episode was 17.5%.

Park Eun-bin, who played the main character, is running the best stock price. He embraced the Grand Prize in the TV category at the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards with 'Woo Young-woo'. In addition, KBS drama 'Yeonmo' starring Park Eun-bin was selected as the first Korean drama to win the 'Tele Novella' category, and 'Woo Young-woo' also made it to the International Emmy Awards this year.

Channel ENA also benefited from 'Woo Young-woo'. The popularity of 'Woo Young-woo' played a part in ENA's rise to the 11th place in the channel rankings. Sales also grew by 67%, surpassing KRW 110 billion.

However, none of the works that have been released since have yielded such good results. It seems that ENA is not using its power. Its topicality rises to the top of the rankings and is said to be a channel that the MZ generation sees a lot, but the viewership ratings have not risen.

'Good Job', the follow-up to 'Woo Young-woo', ended quietly at around 2%. 'Paper Moon' starring Kim Seo-hyung, which was strong in OTT, also had an average viewership rating of 1%. The currently airing 'Bora! Deborah!'

Genie Studio, the representative of the production company of 'Woo Young-woo', predicted a similar situation. Representative Kim Cheol-yeon said, "'Woo Young-woo' is not a new studio like ours, but it is a work that can only be released once every three years in existing large studios. So I did not expect a post-Woo Young-woo to come out right away."

At the same time, he was confident, "'Happiness Battle' and 'House with a Yard' have slightly different targets, but I think it will be a post-'Woo Young-woo'."

'Happiness Battle' stars Lee El, Jin Seo-yeon, Cha Ye-ryun, and Woo Jeong-won. It is a suspense thriller depicting the fight between one who is trying to hide a secret and one who is trying to reveal it when one of the mothers who fiercely competed for happiness on social media dies in mystery. It will be broadcast first on Wednesday, the 31st, following 'Bora! Deborah'.

Director Kim Yun-cheol took the megaphone of 'Happy Battle'. His previous work, 'Woman of Dignity', stands out because it also had the story of one of the characters dying and finding the culprit. It should be differentiated from 'Battle of Happiness'. Of course, director Kim Yun-chul is excellent at leading the chewy direction and detailed emotional lines well, so viewers are looking forward to it.

In addition, ENA CEO Yoon Yong-pil said, "It will be a drama that boasts more fun and immersion than 'Sky Castle'", further raising expectations. Like his wish, can 'Happy Battle' blow a new wind into ENA once again?

Kim Seo-yoon, staff reporter seogugu@tenasia.co.kr