Three dramas stood out this month for different reasons. When it came to ratings, "Gu Family Book" came on strong, stayed ahead and held the lead for the duration of its episodes. The drama won viewers' hearts with a good storyline, charismatic stars and a lovely OST.
The story about a half-mythical, half-human creature that wants to become human won over a strong contender, the KBS drama "God of the Workplace" and stayed well ahead of "Jang Ok Jung, a new spin on the story about the royal concubine.
"Gu Family Book" stars singer-actor Lee Sung Gi as Choi Kang Chi, the son of a mountain spirit and the human woman who could not love his demonic side. Miss A's Suzy stars as Dam Yeo Wool, a woman who loves Choi Kang Chi despite his monstrous side. Throughout the month, the drama earned 15 to 16 percent of the viewer ratings but the most recent episode finished at almost 20 percent.
In the melodrama category, "When A Man Loves" provoked a lot of comments from fans, including a certain amount of rage against the actions of Seo Mi Do, the character played by Shin Se Kyung. The drama is about a thug, Han Tae Sung, played by Song Seung Hoon, whose life is transformed by his love for her. It featured a tragic love triangle between Han, Seo and Yeon Woo Jin, played by Lee Jae Hee. Seo Mi Do's inability to decide between the two men and her lack of honesty made her the target of much fan criticism.
"When A Man" came on strong within the first two episodes and managed to hold on to the top spot, beating "Heaven's Order" and "All About My Romance." The drama finished its month's episodes at 11.2 percent, two points ahead of "Heaven's Order" and seven points ahead of "All About My Romance.
When it came to a feel good plot and the number of rumors generated, no one could beat "You're the Best Lee Soon Shin." The drama starred singer-turned actress IU, whose career has been haunted by rumors and negative fan reaction. There were the unsubstantiated rumors that she was dating and even marrying Super Junior's Eunhyuk, plus the false rumors that her acting skills had been criticized on set. In fact, veteran actress Lee Mi Sook praised IU's acting skills. Lee said that IU's acting exceeded expectations, that her acting was very skillful and the way she expressed her character was "truly amazing."
Even so, this drama only reached the 20 percent ratings, which is low for that time slot, as previous dramas reached 40 percent. But it still has plenty of episodes to go before IU's character Lee Sam Soon discovers her true self and the meaning of happiness.
