The following Korean series are the highest-rated KBS dramas with under 20 episodes in 2021.
In this year’s rating battle between broadcasting networks, KBS is considered to have a stable performance since its dramas record a similar range of viewership ratings. KBS dramas’ ratings are not as high as those of SBS or tvN, but they still do better commercially than MBC and JTBC. Excluding family dramas that air on weekends, here are the 7 most highest-rated KBS dramas in 2021.
7th place: Youth of May
Set in Korea during the 1980s Gwangju Uprising, Youth of May left viewers heartbroken because of its tearful ending. The drama stands out for its background, costumes, storyline and especially the emotional acting performances of the main couple Lee Do Hyun and Go Min Si. The average nationwide rating of Youth Of May is 4.3% with the peak of 5.7%.
6th place: Sell Your Haunted House
Sell Your Haunted House marks a fairly successful comeback to the small screen of Jang Nara. Not doing as well in this kind of spooky, exorcism genre as OCN, but KBS still managed to bring the audience an enjoyable drama as they brought together comedy, drama and the occult in Sell Your Haunted House. 5% and 6.9% are the average and highest ratings that this series earned.
5th place: Dali and Cocky Prince
With an average rating of 5.1% and the highest index of 5.7%, Dali and Cocky Prince entered the Top 5 of KBS dramas with the highest ratings in 2021. A romance between a rich female lead and a male lead who lacks education seems not exciting enough for the drama to become a hit. But the cast’s good acting and the lovely chemistry between Kim Min Jae and Park Gyu Young still helps Dali and Cocky Prince get the audience hooked.
4st place: Police University
In 2021, this is one of the public’s favorite dramas, with a gentle, emotional story and no hateful characters. Police University focuses on future police officers’ learning, training, growth, and interesting love stories. With easy-to-watch content with a quality cast like Krystal Jung, Jung Jin Young, Cha Tae Hyun, and Hong Soo Hyun, netizens are a bit sorry that the film could not have a better commercial performance. Police University ended its 16-episode journey with an average rating of 6.5% and the highest rating of 8.5%.
3rd place: The King’s Affection
It’s fair to say that the script and details of The King’s Affection still have a lot of holes in them. But maybe this is just an ordinary entertainment historical drama, and from that perspective, it’s not so bad. Although the drama’s main cast is young, their acting ability is good, and the combination is quite great. The King’s Affection is currently halfway through, with the highest rating of 7.5% and an average rating of around 7%. Wait and see if its achievements in the remaining second half are sufficient to vault it into the top two positions.
2nd place: River Where The Moon Rises
Kim So Hyun, who is 22 years old, has continued to demonstrate her talent in the historical drama River Where The Moon Rises. River Where The Moon Rises would undoubtedly take first place in a poll of which film experienced the most difficulties during its broadcast. Fortunately, the bad luck has passed, and the film has ended in joy and success far exceeding the crew’s expectations. Before the end of 20 episodes, River Where The Moon Rises received a rating of 10%, which is also the highest rating, with an average rating of 7.6%.
1st place: Secret Royal Inspector
Combining the historical genre with rom com, Secret Royal Inspector
suddenly received love from the public. Who would have guessed that Kim Myung Soo, Kwon Na Ra, and Lee Yi Kyung would form such a witty and endearing trio in the drama? Secret Royal Inspector is not well-known among international audiences, but it is extremely popular among Korean viewers. Starting with a rating of 5%, the drama ended with a nearly threefold increase, with an index of 14%, and an average rating of 8.11%. In this year’s KBS rating race, Secret Royal Inspector is a true “dark horse.”
