“King the Land” surpasses “See You in My 19th Life” in terms of ratings and popularity scores
“King the Land” and “See You in My 19th Life” receives opposite audiences’ reactions and statistical performances.
“King the Land” and “See You in My 19th Life” are the two most talked-about dramas at the moment. From promotions to actual release dates, fans have noticed several overlaps concerning the characters’ dynamics and settings of the two dramas. Notably, after the first two episodes, “King the Land” and “See You in My 19th Life” are experiencing opposing trends and reactions.
Amid the abundance of thriller and suspense-filled dramas with shocking storylines, JTBC and tvN released “King the Land” and “See You in My 19th Life,” respectively. They tell the simple stories of boy meets girl and boy falls in love with girl. The dramas also contain healing properties through the adorable romance of the lead couples.
Furthermore, the lead characters share similar traits. Both male leads are handsome and smart heirs of affluent families. However, they refuse to take over the family business due to tension with their parents. Seo Ha (Ahn Bo Hyun) always comes head-to-head with his father after his mother’s death. He refuses to work at his father’s corporation to rebuild a hotel that his mother dedicated he entire energy to when she was still alive. Gu Won (Lee Jun Ho) runs the King Hotelwants in hopes to win over his sister who always tries to push him out of the family by. At the same hotel where they carry out individual pursuits, the two male leads meet the female leads, Sa Rang (YoonA) and Ji Eun (Shin Hye Sun). They live in an entirely different worlds from the male leads and are subordinates to them.
Nonetheless, the initial reactions of the public were polarizing when it comes to the two dramas. After watching the first episode of “King the Land,” viewers were not satisfied with the chemistry between the lead actors; the plot also lacks innovation and feels like a “Cinderella story” from a decade ago, said a netizen. Fortunately, Jun Ho and YoonA were able to engage more intimately in episode 2 and drew positive feedback from the audience.
On the other end of the spectrum, “See You in My 19th Life” received many positive comments from the audience. They enjoy an innovative reincarnation story where Ban Ji Eum (Shin Hye Sun) can remember memories from her past. While presenting 3 different versions of Ji Eum, the writer was able to mix them together well enough and did not confuse the viewers. The alternating between comedy and romance creates different moods and paces for K-drama lovers to enjoy.
Despite contrasting reactions, concrete figures say otherwise. The first episode of “King the Land” started from 5.0% and shot to 7.5% in the second. At the same time, the ratings for “See You in My 19th Life”’s first two episodes were at 4.2% and 5.5%, chronologically.
On Netflix, “King the Land” lands at No. 4 on Netflix’s Top Shows, while “See You in My 19th Life” is only at No. 9, according to FlixPatrol. Lee Jun Ho and YoonA also stood at No. 2 on Good Data Corporations’ TV Drama Popularity Rankings, while Shin Hye Sun and Ahn Bo Hyun are at No. 7 and No. 8, respectively. Netizens attributed the opposite trends for the two dramas and their actors to the effort put into PR for the dramas. Now that both dramas have aired and revealed their central storylines, what’s left to do is to see how future episodes will draw in viewers to the dramas with their own merits.
Source: FlixPatrol, Fundex
