New World Hits 13.7% Rating, Thanks Viewers

SBS's Friday-Saturday drama 'Wonderful World' is continuing its hot popularity, recording a highest viewership rating of 13.7% and breaking its own highest viewership rating for four consecutive weeks. The drama is a romantic comedy about an unknown actress, Shin Se-ri (Im Ji-yeon), possessed by the soul of a notorious Joseon villainess, and a chaebol, Cha Se-gye (Heo Nam-joon). It is also continuing its global hit syndrome, ranking third in Netflix's weekly Top 10 non-English TV shows.

One of the reasons for the drama's success is the "N-viewing craze" among viewers who discover hidden foreshadowing within the work. Viewers are adding to the fun of analyzing the drama by discovering unexpected details and clues in each episode.

In particular, the castle-shaped music box that appeared at the end of episode 7 materialized Cha Se-gye's mention of "our own Mont Saint-Michel." The dog that the couple cherished in the drama also appeared inside the music box, evoking a touching moment. Furthermore, the fact that Mont Saint-Michel was the motif for the Disney logo, and the insertion of "When You Wish Upon a Star" at the end of episode 7, led to viewers becoming deeply immersed with fairy-tale-like direction.

Additionally, the name of the pavilion where the past life characters of Kang Seon-woo and Grand Prince Lee Hyun first met in episode 2, 'Yeonghwiheon', was also spotted by viewers' foreshadowing radar. Se-ri's line in episode 7, "It shines when I'm with you," combined with the meaning of Yeonghwiheon, "a place that shines forever," led to interpretations of it being a foreshadowing that spanned across the past and present. Beyond this, scenes like the car navigation's "You have deviated from the route," the detail of a handwritten letter on a calendar, the mise-en-scène of heart-shaped lighting, and the decalcomanie-like composition of lines connecting past and present lives are all hidden foreshadowing and directorial details throughout each episode that are prompting viewers to rewatch episodes voluntarily.

Director Han Tae-seop, who directed 'Wonderful World,' expressed his gratitude, stating, "I was deeply moved by domestic and international viewers who love the characters as much as, or even more than, the creators, and discover the meaning of the scenes." He added, "I feel proud every moment because it seems like they fully empathize with the themes and emotions that the production team wanted to convey."