IU & Byun Woo Seok Hit Double-Digit Ratings

MBC's Friday-Saturday drama '21st Century Duke's Wife' surpassed double-digit viewership ratings in just four episodes, setting a new personal best. Both the metropolitan and national viewership ratings exceeded 10%, with the highest rating soaring to 13.8%. Furthermore, the drama achieved a triple crown by ranking first in viewership ratings for its time slot for four consecutive weeks, including the 2049 demographic.

The drama's buzz is also overwhelming. It topped the TV-OTT drama buzz rankings for the third week of April, dominating all metrics including news, social media, and video, and securing the number one spot for two consecutive weeks. Lead actors IU and Byeon Woo-seok proved their status as trending actors by holding the first and second positions in the cast buzz rankings for three consecutive weeks.

Its performance on OTT platforms is also noteworthy. Since its release on Disney+, it has ranked fourth in the Global Top 10 TV Shows and first among non-English programs. It maintained the number one position in countries such as Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore, in addition to South Korea, and also appeared in the top rankings in major markets like the United States, Canada, and Australia.

The romance between IU and Byeon Woo-seok played a crucial role in this upward trend. In particular, the scenes of a kiss by a wall amidst falling flower petals and a baseball stadium date garnered enthusiastic responses from viewers. Online comments included reactions like "It's even more fun now that the romance has started" and "The ending was intense."

Expectations for future developments are also high. As the relationship between Sung Hee-joo (played by IU) and Grand Prince Ian (played by Byeon Woo-seok) deepens, the anticipated changes in Min Jung-woo (played by Noh Sang-hyun), who is watching them, are expected to add to the tension.