'Sacred Divorce', will Cho Seung-woo get rid of JTBC's humiliating story?

While Cho Seung-woo, who returned to the small screen after two years, announced a successful start as a pianist-turned-lawyer, Han Hye-jin's acting skills were on the chopping block. Will Jo Seung-woo, who has not achieved any notable results in JTBC dramas so far, be able to succeed at the box office through 'Sacred, Divorced'?

'Shin Seong-han, Divorce', which first aired on the 4th, is a delightful human drama that depicts the unimaginable divorce requests faced by artist-turned-divorce lawyer Shin Seong-han (played by Cho Seung-woo) and the hot chemistry between three friends who are perfect for each other. It is based on the webtoon of the same name.

Shin Seong-eun, played by Cho Seung-woo, lived as a pianist and music professor before taking the bar exam and becoming a divorce lawyer. The new styling was completed with hair grown almost to the shoulder line and black horn-rimmed glasses.

In particular, Cho Seung-woo slyly portrayed a sacred character that is completely different from Hwang Si-mook's character in 'Secret Forest'. The sight of people pouring soju into a wine glass and singing along to Na Hoon-ah's 'Tess Hyung!' made people laugh. In addition, he perfectly played a character with a warm smile, sharpness, and strength, proving that he is a 'reliable actor'.

The viewership ratings also responded to this. It recorded a viewership rating of 7.3% in the first episode. This seems to have inherited the popularity of the previous work 'Agency', which ended with 16%. Although it is half the level compared to the last episode of 'Agency', it is by no means a low figure considering that 'Agency', which was the follow-up to 'The Youngest Son of a Chaebol Family', started with 4.8% for the first episode.

In particular, it is more meaningful because Cho Seung-woo has never achieved good results in JTBC dramas such as 'Sisyphus: the Myth' and 'Life'. 'Sisyphus' was a pre-production drama with a production cost of 20 billion won, a lineup of Park Shin-hye and Cho Seung-woo, and a special special drama for the 10th anniversary of JTBC. Although it attracted great expectations even before broadcast, it was criticized for its awkward wire action, complex development that was tiring, and an uneasy ending. The viewership rating was also only around 4%. 'Life' also had to be satisfied with its highest viewership rating of 5%.

Accordingly, Jo Seung-woo broke the highest viewership rating in just the first episode with 'Sacred, Divorced'. But a problem remains. This is the controversy over Han Hye-jin's acting ability.

Lee Seo-jin, played by Han Hye-jin, is a weather caster-turned-radio DJ. Previously, at the production presentation, Han Hye-jin said, "As a radio DJ, I was more concerned about things like speaking and styling than in previous works." Is that why? Han Hye-jin was unable to fit into the play due to her awkward dialogue tone. If this was the intended tone, it was a bad choice. The controversy surrounding Han Hye-jin's acting skills, who returned to the small screen after three years, is disappointing.

Whether 'Sacred, Divorce' depicts an upward trend or a downward trend depends on the actors, direction, and development. While Jo Seung-woo is doing his part well, attention is being paid to how Han Hye-jin's awkward acting tone will affect the play.

Taeyuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr