K-Drama 'I'll Give You the Universe' Captivates Global Audience with Stellar Performance

Actress Roh Jeong-eui is capturing the attention of international viewers.

The tvN drama 'I'll Give You the Universe,' starring Roh Jeong-eui, is making significant waves in the overseas market. According to global OTT platform Rakuten Viki, the show debuted at number one in weekly viewer rankings across the Americas, Europe, Oceania, the Middle East, and India, instantly captivating a global audience. It also achieved the top spot in viewer numbers in 142 countries and regions, including the U.S., Brazil, France, India, and the UAE, with an impressive rating of 9.7.

On Japan's largest OTT platform U-NEXT, the drama ranks third overall and second in the Korean Wave Asia category, maintaining its steady popularity. It is also receiving positive reviews and strong viewership trends on HBO Max in Southeast Asian countries and regions.

One of the keys to the drama's success is the chemistry between Roh Jeong-eui's character, aunt Woo Hyun-jin, and her nephew Sun Woo-joo. To ensure a natural rapport with child actor Park Yu-ho (playing Sun Woo-joo), Roh Jeong-eui reportedly made meticulous efforts off-camera. She focused on building an emotional bond by spending everyday moments together during breaks, helping the young actor fully immerse himself in his first drama filming experience.

The romance storyline is also reaching its peak. In episodes 9 and 10, Hyun-jin and Sun Tae-hyung (played by Bae In-hyuk) finally acknowledged their feelings for each other. Hyun-jin celebrated her transition to a full-time position but faced emotional turmoil upon learning of Tae-hyung's departure to the U.S. After reflecting on their past in the rain, Hyun-jin realized her true feelings and rushed to the airport to meet Tae-hyung, where they shared a heartfelt confession and a kiss.

'I'll Give You the Universe' airs every Wednesday and Thursday at 10:40 PM.

Reporter: Se-yoon Jung, TenAsia yoon@tenasia.co.kr