When Lee Sung Min’s screentime fell, the ratings also fell?
The upward trend of JTBC’s Fri-Sat-Sun drama “Reborn Rich” suddenly came to a halt. After it recorded 19.4% (Nielsen Korea) in episode 8, everyone thought it was only a matter of time to exceed 20%, but somehow the ratings dropped to 16.9% in episode 9.
The cause is unknown. It may be a variable created by the situation in which worth-watching contents from dramas to entertainment shows are pouring out on Friday evenings, or it may be due to the year-end atmosphere. However, there seems to be a lot of internal factors. It seems to be related to the fact that Lee Sung Min, who plays Chairman Jin Yang Chul of Sunyang Group, almost disappeared in episode 9. In fact, it is Lee Sung Min who created a strong destructive power in “Reborn Rich”.
“Reborn Rich” depicts a meticulous revenge play of Jin Do Joon (Song Joong Ki), who was murdered and returned to live as the youngest grandson of Sunyang family, but the drama’s power was created by the unique character Jin Yang Chul.
The important thing about Jin Yang Chul in this drama can be found in the fact that this work demonstrated its power as the stories projected on this character created a comparison with those of real chaebol families. In other words, while watching this drama, viewers felt the charm of discovering the stories of real chaebol families such as Samsung and Hyundai in the fiction. The chatter “Whose story is that?” led to topics of conversation as well as catching the original airing.
What’s important here is the fantasy of the “reborn” material, which is mainly enjoyed by young generations, has attracted older generations, such as middle-aged viewers, by adding stories of chaebol families in real life. Older generations, who remember political and economic events that began in 1987, were able to understand this “reborn” material differently by connecting the facts they knew, which became the subject of the drama, with the fictional fantasy. The story of “Reborn Rich” is not just a creative world, but it’s something anyone who’s been through that time would easily imagine of.
Chairman Jin Yang Chul is the character that adds realistic colors to this fantasy. As a businessman who dreams of cars and has a vision that semiconductor is the future of Sunyang Group, he judges things coldheartedly and decides to throw away his family. Therefore, this character evokes the ambivalence when the public thinks of chaebol families.
Lee Sung Min put 200% into portraying his character. He proved his power to grab and lead the story that could be somewhat loosened. However, when it came to the story of Jin Hwa Young (Kim Shin Rok), CEO of Sunyang Department Store, and Jin Do Joon in episode 8, Lee Sung Min’s screen time gradually decreased, and he rarely appeared in episode 9. The confrontation between CEO Jin Hwa Young and Jin Do Joon became the main topic, but the weight that Jin Yang Chul had created in the drama was still hard to be filled. Above all, the melodramatic atmosphere from the relationship between Seo Min Young (Shin Hyun Been), who showed up as a prosecutor, and Jin Do Joon that is appearing little by little was considered not really helpful for the driving force of the drama development.
The title is “Reborn Rich” and the main character is Jin Do Joon, who lives his second life to take revenge, but it’s true that the power of this drama comes from the appearance of Jin Yang Chul. The process of revenge is important, but it seems like the upward trend of “Reborn Rich” performance will only continue with more participation of Jin Yang Chul, who raises the tension and gives a sense of reality to the fantasy of the drama.
Source: Daum
