The ratings changed a little this week with "Full Sun" experiencing a slight boost and its competition down a few percentage points. But the order remained the same.
"Empress Ki" held on to first place with a slight decrease in its ratings. The 50-episode saeguk was down to 26.5 percent, a 1.2 percent drop from the previous ratings of 27.7.
The drama, which stars Ha Ji Won, Ji Chang Wook and Joo Jin Mo, is at an interesting crossroads. With about a dozen episodes left, the villains that viewers loved to hate have mostly been vanquished but some old allies will turn out to be rivals. Emperor Ta Hwan and Seungnyang spent dozens of episodes trying to root out the bad guys only to find they have new conflicts to deal with.
One of those conflicts will come in the form of a new empress. After Empress Tanashiri met her just end, Bayan and the Queen Mother begin to fear Seungnyang's power, the very drive that helped them overthrow El Temur's family. To counter her hold over the emperor, Bayan brings his niece to court and proposes that she become empress. Baek Jin Hee, who played Tanashiri has left the show and Lim Joo Eun will play Seungnyang's new rival.
Will the drama remain in first place now that the chief villains have died?
Meanwhile, "God's Gift - 14 Days" continues to be as fast-paced as the first episodes promised. Lee Bo Young's character also overcomes a villain, only to find that destiny is not too easy to change. She tries so hard to alter fate and protect her daughter, only to find some of the same incidents that led to her child's death still keep happening. The most important thing that does change is her attitude toward others and her relationship with the disgraced policeman played by Jo Seung Woo. Their collaboration is one of the best things about this impressive drama. This week "God's Gift - 14 Days" also dropped slightly. It fell 0.3 percent from 9.7 to 9.4 percent.
The third drama in the lineup, "Full Sun," starring Yoon Kye Sang and Han Ji Hye, continues to spin a web of love and revenge. Yoon Kye Sang's character may be an ex-jailbird but the business that pays heiress Han Ji Hye's bills is not so above board either. And there are murderous secrets to uncover. This week the drama rose slightly from 3.0 to 3.5 percent. "Full Sun" has not left third place since it began but it is definitely at a disadvantage against the frontrunner "Empress Ki" and Daesang winner Lee Bo Young.
But things could change.
