"Inspiring Generation," starring Kim Hyun Joong, jumped straight into second place with its first episode, earning impressive ratings of 7.8 percent.

The opening episode was successful for several reasons. Kim Hyun Joong's fans have not seen him in a drama for a few years and many were curious about his macho new look. The actor has worked hard to shed his flower boy image and come across as his tough streetfighter character. But the presence of a star can't always hold a drama audience. The ratings for "Pretty Man" proved that.

Fortunately, "Inspiring Generation" already looks like it will have even more to offer than star power. The KBS drama is visually appealing, showing the benefit of two years of planning, location scouting and millions of dollars spent on sets and clothes for the production.

The story began with a backward glance at the childhood relationships between the main characters. Kim Hyun Joong plays streetfighter Jung Tae as an adult and Kwak Dong Yeon plays him as a boy. Jung Tae grows up with Ok Ryeon, played by Jin Se Yeon and Ji Woo. She likes him but he treats her like a kid sister. Gaya, played by Lim Sooo Hyang, also cares for him. It's evident that Jung Tae will have a future as a fighter.

The ratings for "Inspiring Generation" exceeded those of "Miss Korea" which reached 6.8 percent of the viewers. The ratings for "Miss Korea" were down 1.7 percent from its previous episode.

But as impressive as the ratings for "Inspiring Generation" were, they could not compete with the popular SBS drama "You Who Came From The Stars," which is already well underway. That drama rated 23.1 percent of the viewers, down slightly from previous ratings of 24.4 percent. The drama already has a dedicated fan base eager to see both actress Chun Song Yi, played by Jun Ji Hyun, and alien Do Min Joon, played by Kim Soo Hyun, become more human. In Do Min Joon's case this might be a good or a bad thing. While his relationship with Chun Song Yi helps him experience life's joys, mixing saliva with her has already caused him to become more vulnerable. Exposing his super powers in attempts to save her mean he may not be able to hide his identity much longer.

And when his spaceship arrives to take him home, he may face a conflict.