Im Seong-han 3%, Kim Eun-hee 10%... 'Missy Durian', the lowest in viewership ratings, is coming to an end

In the weekend drama competition of star writers, the winners and losers were clearly divided. Writer Kim Eun-hee, who wrote 'The Devil', got a chance to win, while writer Im Seong-han (Phoebe), the 'godmother of the world', was forced to face humiliation.

The Friday-Saturday SBS drama 'Ghost' starring Kim Tae-ri broke through 10% in viewership ratings after only two episodes. 'Ghost' depicts the story of Goo San-young (Kim Tae-ri), a 9th-grade civil servant trainee who is obsessed with evil spirits, and Yeom Hae-sang (Oh Jeong-se), a doctor of folklore who chases after the evil spirits to uncover a mysterious death. Writer Kim, who previously melted occult mystery material in Netflix original series 'Kingdom' and tvN's 'Mt.

Through materials based on folk beliefs or folk tales, such as shadows, mirrors, and demons that feed on unconscious desires, the film evoked chills without provocative scenes. Kim Tae-ri, who has already been recognized for her acting skills, also played a part. After Kim Tae-ri received a memento from her father Koo Moo (played by Jin Seon-gyu), the evil spirit gradually encroached on her, and she led the story with tension, spewing out a desire she did not know.

Kim Tae-ri, who was a lovely and bold character in her previous work, 'Twenty Five, Twenty One', took out a creepy face through 'Ghost' and broadened her acting spectrum. The subtle smile and unfocused eyes added to the horror atmosphere of the play.

Writer Kim Eun-hee's meticulous script and director Lee Jung-rim's delicate directing combined with Kim Tae-ri's acting, creating synergy. It peaked at the perfection of the play, such as scenes where clever directing using mirrors stood out, as well as minor but clear clues. The actors and production team hoped for a 30% viewership rating for the two episodes combined, but as each episode went on, the ratings increased, giving the green light to the possibility of reaching the desired viewership rating.

On the other hand, writer Lim's TV Chosun Saturday drama 'Missy Durian' fell from 4.2% in the first episode to 3.4% in the second episode. 'Missy Durian' tasted the humiliation of last place in the weekend drama 5th match. Compared to competing works such as JTBC's Saturday and Sunday drama 'King the Land', tvN's Saturday and Sunday dramas 'Take Care of This Student' and 'Ghost', and MBC's Friday and Saturday drama 'Numbers', the ratings are the lowest.

'Assi Durian' presented an unconventional development from the first broadcast. At Baek Do-i's (Choi Myung-gil) 70th birthday party, Jang Se-mi (Yoon Hae-young), the first daughter-in-law, shocked her by saying, "I love you as a woman, not as my mother's daughter-in-law." It was the first in history to deal with homosexuality between husband and wife. There were also viewers who felt uncomfortable beyond the unconventional and blue. The time-slip setting of the Joseon Dynasty, which was added here, continued to be criticized for being old.

Writer Lim has written plays with various unconventional subjects such as possession, body escape, and the theory of cancer cells in his previous works. However, it seems that the unconventional homosexuality between husband and wife is not working. Rather, the topic before the first broadcast is higher.

Although it is still in its infancy, industry analysts say that the fact that the drama has not succeeded in raising viewership ratings despite its unconventional setting means that Im Seong-han's last-minute narrative no longer works. Although the influence of star writers is still enormous in the broadcasting industry, there is a high voice that efforts to reflect content trends beyond the name value are essential. The power of the script dominates the box office success. I think that writer Lim should refrain from blindly dealing with the dead end material while maintaining his own strengths. In addition, efforts to try new materials will be necessary.

Reporter Ryu Ye-ji and Ten Asia ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr