Why you can’t feel relieved even though ‘The Glory’ is a big hit

《Taeyuna’s Listening Bodbo》
Reporter Tae Yu-na and Ten Asia will properly cover all aspects of the drama based on what she heard and saw on the spot. We will be the eyes and ears of readers in an age where dramas are flooding in on numerous channels.

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Netflix, which became a huge hit starting in the new year of 2023 with 'The Glory' starring Song Hye-kyo, continues its momentum by introducing various original series this year. Last year, it released 21 original contents, but could Netflix, which failed to achieve the same level of success as 'Squid Game' and had poor results, continue the momentum of 'The Glory' this year?

The popularity of ‘The Glory’, which Netflix released on the 30th of last month, is unusual. In Korea, it has already gained a syndrome of popularity, and all the actors who appeared in it are becoming a hot topic, and everything from the locations that appear in the work to incidents of school violence are being highlighted and are becoming issues.

According to the Good Data Corporation survey results, 'The Glory' ranked first in the OTT topical drama/series category for two consecutive weeks, and its market share increased from 54.0% to 73.5%. This is close to 10 times the difference from 2nd place, Teabing's 'Ireland'.

In the OTT performer topicality ranking, 'The Glory' star Song Hye-kyo ranked first for two weeks in a row, followed by Lim Ji-yeon in second place, Lee Do-hyun (3rd place), Jeong Seong-il (5th place), Park Sung-hoon (7th place), Cha Joo-young (10th place), and Kim Hi. Most performers, including Oh Ra (11th place), swept the top rankings.

Accordingly, expectations for ‘The Glory’ Part 2, which will be released in March, are also soaring. The domestic response to ‘The Glory’ is comparable to that of ‘Squid Game’ in 2021.

Last year, Netflix released 21 pieces of content, including ‘Our School Now’, ‘Paper House: Joint Economic Zone’, ‘Juvenile Judgment’, and ‘Suriname’, and ‘Our School Now’ and ‘Suriname’ were well-received. Although it gained popularity, it was also evaluated as being disappointing overall. In particular, the second half of the year after 'Suriname' suffered a slump to the point where no work achieved any notable results.

Accordingly, we cannot be at ease despite the huge success of ‘The Glory’. As we are introducing a variety of content this year, we must continue to release works that are as good as 'The Glory' in order to take the lead in the OTT market and continue to do so.

Netflix is scheduled to release not only Part 2 of 'The Glory' this year, but also Season 2 of 'Sweet Home' and 'DP'. As both works were very popular when Season 1 was released, expectations for Season 2 are also high. However, as with any season-based drama, if it falls short of the previous work, it will have to deal with the harsh criticism that will come back.

In addition, from 'The Delivery Driver' starring Kim Woo-bin and Song Seung-heon, which has finished filming, to 'The Fool of the End' starring Ahn Eun-jin and Yoo Ah-in, 'Mask Girl' starring Go Hyun-jung, 'Gyeongseong Creature' starring Park Seo-joon and Han So-hee, and Suzy's 'Duna Lee! ', Kim Nam-gil's 'Thief: The Sound of the Knife', Kim Hee-ae and Moon So-ri's 'Queen Maker', and Choi Woo-sik and Son Seok-gu's 'Murderer's Toys' will continue to present series with a spectacular lineup and diverse genres.

In particular, 'Gyeongseong Creature' is a creature thriller in which two young people, whose only goal was survival, confront a monster born of greed in the spring of 1945, when the darkness of the era was deepest. Interest is soaring as Park Seo-joon and Han So-hee work together.

'Mask Girl' is also attracting attention as it is Go Hyun-jung's first OTT work since her debut. 'Mask Girl' is a story about Kim Momi, who has an appearance complex, and gets caught up in an unexpected incident while working as an internet broadcast BJ while covering her face with a mask. Kim Momi, whose appearance has changed significantly after being involved in an unexpected incident, is played by Nana, while Kim Momi, who, after time has passed, runs to another goal without hesitation, is played by Go Hyun-jung.

Expectations for a work and the results may not be 100% the same. When you open the lid, you may be disappointed by the quality that is below expectations, and it may also give rise to various controversies. On the other hand, it has received more favorable reviews than expected and has attracted attention not only domestically, but worldwide. This is why Netflix, which has been continuing its blockbuster streak from the start of 2023 with 'The Glory', is paying attention to whether it will be able to continue this momentum until the end.

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