Drama 'Mari and the Strange Dads' Sees Ratings Dip as Tensions Rise for Characters

Actress Park Eun-hye's character, Ju Sira, is enraged after learning about her daughter Kang Mari's struggles. Meanwhile, the KBS 1TV daily drama 'Mari and the Strange Dads' recorded a nationwide household rating of 10.5% for its premiere but recently dropped to 8.6%, a decline of about 2 percentage points.

In the 11th episode aired last night (27th), Ju Sira (played by Park Eun-hye) takes action to gather money after her daughter Kang Mari (played by Ha Seung-ri) faces hardships because of her. Sira becomes furious with her relative and friend Yoon Eon-kyung (played by Jo Hyang-gi) after Eon-kyung gifts Mari a ledger as a graduation present with a note saying, 'Manage your salary well if you don't want to end up like your mom.' Sira confronts Eon-kyung at the hospital, expressing her anger, 'If you want to ignore someone, ignore me only.' Despite her shortcomings as a mother, Sira's maternal love for Mari is unwavering.

Sira's troubles don't end there. Hong's mistress (played by Kim Deok-hyun) causes a scene by demanding Sira repay the expenses charged to a card Hong had gifted her. The mistress, having been discovered by Hong's wife, claims she needs the money for baby formula after being left in a difficult situation.

When Sira refuses to pay, the mistress confronts Mari at her workplace. Lee Pung-joo (played by Ryu Jin) steps in to help Mari and her friend Ahn Soo-sun (played by Lee Ji-yeon) by telling the mistress, 'Please leave unless you want to be sued for disturbance and obstruction of business.' This incident slightly eases the tension between Mari and Pung-joo, hinting at a potential change in their relationship.

Upon hearing about Mari's ordeal, Sira is furious but struggles to find a way to raise money. She remembers a gold ring given by Hong but is devastated when a jeweler deems it a fake.

Meanwhile, Pung-joo's father, Lee Ok-soon (played by Kang Shin-il), is frustrated with his son's disinterest in marriage. Ok-soon decides to leave home and visits a real estate office, intending to rent a room behind Mari's house. However, Minbo, who is also looking for a place to stay in Korea, visits the same real estate office following a suggestion from Mari's landlord, Um Ki-bun (played by Jung Ae-ri).

The 12th episode of KBS 1TV's 'Mari and the Strange Dads' airs tonight (28th) at 8:30 PM.

Reporter Kim Se-ah, Ten Asia haesmik@tenasia.co.kr