2021 drama comebacks of the famous UAA trio get different responses (ft. Yoo Ah In, Song Hye Kyo, and Park Hyung Sik)
All returning to the small screen in 2021, here are the audience’s thoughts on the performances of these 3 popular actors under United Artist Agency.
United Artists Agency – UAA manages a small number of actors, but their lineup is one of the most impressive. Song Hye Kyo, Yoo Ah In and Park Hyung Sik are 3 famous actors who signed with this company. Coincidentally, this year, all 3 of them made their drama comebacks. Let’s take a look at the achievements of the trio with their respective TV series.
Park Hyung Sik – Happiness
Happiness is Park Hyung Sik‘s first drama after he was discharged from the military. He takes on the role of Jung Yi Hyun – an intelligent, talented and honest detective with a love line with the female lead played by Korea’s top actress Han Hyo Joo. Since Happiness marks the return of both the leading cast members after a long break from the screen, it has drawn much attention from the public.
In Happiness, Park Hyung Sik successfully showcases his stable acting skills, without being overshadowed by a co-star with more experience like Han Hyo Joo. However, many viewers claim that, because of weight gain, Park Hyung Sik’s handsome visuals have been “downgraded” compared to his previous on-screen appearances.
Broadcast every Friday – Saturday night in Korea, but Happiness’s rating so far is not too high. The peak was 3.574%, while the latest episode 6 recorded the lowest rating yet with only 3.084%. Happiness has a total of 12 episodes and there are still 6 episodes left for the drama to attract more viewers.
Song Hye Kyo – Now, We Are Breaking Up
As one of the year-end dramas that viewers looked forward to the most before its broadcast, Now, We Are Breaking Up’s rating after the first 4 episodes is considered underwhelming. A rating of around 7% – 8% is not outstanding for a series starring an A-list actress like Song Hye Kyo and airing on SBS in the golden time slot on Friday-Saturday night.
Not only is the rating not high, but Song Hye Kyo‘s performance in this comeback has also received mixed reactions. Both domestic and international viewers believe that Song Hye Kyo’s acting and image in Now, We Are Breaking Up feel monotonous and unexciting because she always chooses safe roles and portrays characters that are similar to her previous ones.
Song Hye Kyo still plays the role quite well, but at her age and level, perhaps viewers need more than that. Although the rating is quite alarming, in general, Song Hye Kyo‘s name has been mentioned again and again since the drama first aired until now.
Song Hye Kyo also retains her title of “sold-out queen” after assisting the handbag and cosmetic brand she used in the drama to sell out in a flash. Now We Are Breaking Up has now completed four episodes and has twelve more episodes to complete its journey, so it’s still too early to pass judgment. Let’s see what happens in the next episodes.
Yoo Ah In – Hellbound
Yoo Ah In did not return with a drama that was broadcast on television; instead, he chose to participate in a Netflix original series called Hellbound. Yoo Ah In plays Jung Jin Soo, a leader and the head of a new religion called “New Truth” in this drama. The audience will be completely convinced by Yoo Ah In‘s top acting performance and perplexed as to what kind of person his character is, good or bad, protagonist or antagonist, after watching 6 episodes of the drama.
The role of Jung Jin Soo once again proves Yoo Ah In‘s acting level in the current Korean film industry. Despite carrying dark content, Hellbound is still doing very well as it debuted at No 1 of Netflix globally with top rankings in more than 20 other countries. The series is also receiving a 100% “fresh tomato” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Of the three actors of the UAA family who have returned in 2021, it is easy to see that Yoo Ah In is the one with the most successful comeback.
Currently, only Song Hye Kyo and Yoo Ah In are left working under UAA, because Park Hyung Sik has already established his own management company with his former manager. However, this announcement came after the premiere of Happiness. As Yoo Ah In had another successful performance with Hellbound; hopefully, Song Hye Kyo and Park Hyung Sik will make more progress with their dramas.
