It was the week when awards shows decided which drama, and star captured the prize for the best of the year. But one of this week's dramas also set an impressive record and will likely be in the running for next year's list of winners.
The alien-human romance "You Who Came From The Stars" earned ratings of 22.3 percent on Wednesday, which was 2.2 percent more than the drama's previous episode. The drama started strong and keeps getting stronger as the plot thickens.
Alien Do Min Joon, played by Kim Soo Hyun, has spent 400 years on earth avoiding involvement with humans, who he considers a cruel race. Now that he has met Chun Song Yi, played by Jun Ji Hyun, he is finding it harder to avoid involvement. Chun Song Yi also lives in her own little celebrity world with seemingly little regard for anyone but herself. These characters are perfect for each other.
Recurring themes of fate and destiny play through the episodes. Is everything fated and does it really matter what you do? Do Min Joon suspects that his fate is somehow entwined with Chun Song Yi's but he is wary of stepping out of his comfort zone. He suspects that things might turn out badly for Chun Song Yi when she gets on the boat but is not proactive about helping her. Showing up at the last minute only complicates things and involves him in a police investigation.
Fate does seem to have a plan for these two characters but it's not going to be a simple one.
The competition could not catch up to "You Who Came From The Stars this week. "Miss Korea," starring Lee Sun Kyun and Lee Yeon Kee earned a decent 9.5 percent of the ratings but "Pretty Man," starring Jang Geun Suk and IU hovered around 4 percent yet again.
Earlier in the week, the awards shows interfered with the ratings. Because of the award shows, the ratings leader "Empress Ki" did not air this week, nor did the SBS show about marriage and infidelity, "One Warm Word."
As a result, the only drama in the running, "Prime Minister and I," starring Yoona, Lee Beom Soo and Yoon Si Yoon got a boost in viewers. The show about the romance between a prime minister and a reporter jumped from 5.7 to 8.9 percent. "The Prime Minister and I" has been extended by one episode. As it did not air on New Year's Eve because of the KBS Drama Awards, the producers decided to add an episode. That way it will end on a Tuesday.
The last episode airs Feb. 4 instead of Jan. 28. The next drama "Full Sun," starring Han Ji Hye and Yoon Kye Sang, will begin Feb. 10.
