We are 1/3 through the year 2022 and on the heels of a catastrophic Q1 for streaming giant Netflix, as announcing on its earning call earlier this week, the future of what was a expansive K-drama surge in global access may be less smooth sailing. Last year 2021 was a banner year for K-dramas specifically on Netflix led by Squid Game and buoyed by additional popular offerings including Hometown Cha Cha Cha, Vincenzo, Hellbound, and My Name. This year in 2022 K-dramas are also off to a promising start, with the surprise hit All of Us are Dead leading the way and currently for the year it sits on #2 on the list of top Netflix shows. The even bigger surprise was rom-com A Business Proposal which perches at #10 spot which is no small feat. I don’t have a crystal ball and can’t suss out if there are pending dramas that will hit as big if not bigger with the global audience but two in the top 10 thus far is a great job!
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The reason ”A Bussiness Proposal” has such phenomenal numbers is because the second lead couple have experienced surprisingly big ”Breakout” on Social media –> Tiktok, Youtube, Insta and Twitter.
I haven’t seen in my time as Kdrama watcher a second lead couple have this major ”Breakout” not only did they overshadow the FL and ML in their show but they also overshadowed all other airing Kdramas FL and ML combined. Example Tweenty five and Tweenty one + all the other dramas airing currently combine them all vs The Second lead couple in ”A Bussiness proposal” had a bigger ”Breakout” online.. Strange indeed but sometimes strange things do happend
Excuse me,but I don’t think they overshadowed anyone.The chemistry for both couples was great and both deserved the recognition they received at the moment.Maybe you just follow the updates for 2nd couples on socmed. The couples for other drama is doing great too… Just my two cents
Some see only what they wanna see… lol. Thats why. Yes. Both couples are doing well. Based on the flawed theory, when you look at each artiste insta following members then the second leads should be the ones with the staggering blown up numbers but nope. Its AHS 7.5mil and KSJ 7mil instead. I hate to compare since I love them all but if you wanna drop real numbers that cannot be streamed – its these. P.s – the duet posted in Ahns insta has reached almost 10mil likes. Scary indeed
This is the weirdest narrative I’ve heard about this drama so far lol. Those platforms are designed to be an echo chamber, so if you put your algorithm-led confirmation bias aside and look at the numbers, as @Jenna says you might find something different (quite apart from the insta followers there’s also been a surge of interest in Kim Sejeong’s previous acting works – something she herself acknowledged in post-drama interviews)
Its so weird how the second couple fans are reacting. They hard stream the youtube/tiktok etc links, FMVs, put out battle cries for others to do do, come up with a ton of negative replies to posts celebrating the main couple, constantly complain about the screen time in the making videos comments section and whine neverendingly for equality and justice. I get that some fans can be more immersed with the sub couple but to take it to toxic competitive extremes is just laughable. The main couple is and will always be the essence of the drama because their screentime alone makes for 70-80% of it while the rest are meant to be side plots. Everyone signed up for this knowingly so no need to feel so injusticed on their behalf.
Last year, the big winners were Hometown Cha Cha Cha, The King’s Affection and Our Beloved Summer. They weren’t Netflix produced shows but did very well.
Business Proposal doing so well is a real surprise but a good one, I enjoyed it a lot but there were other more hyped shows also airing on Netflix at the same time so seeing the drama with no pre release hype and no big name stars be the breakout, is unexpected! Like, I saw the western media site Vulture do a sort of recap of BP which….is really surprising (it was a badly written recap though)
I think Netflix needs to rethink the binge model of releasing all episodes at once, their non-exclusive Korean dramas do well even when they’re airing 2 eps weekly because they’re following the Korean broadcast schedule, it keeps the buzz around shows for longer. They may be easing into that since they’re releasing Stranger Things 4 in two parts this summer
I don’t think Netflix will drastically pull back on kdrama investment given Asia is the only region that delivered growth amid churn everywhere else. But they’ll definitely be more deliberate about their investments and not be spending money like a drunken sailor to the tune of $30M per episode on Stranger Things S4!!!
I’m surprised 2521 didn’t crack the top 10. Such a good show.
I understand spending money on Stranger Things since it’s been one of their most successful shows for 3 seasons before and is their leading franchise (though wow that budget is now equal to a Marvel movie for all 8 eps). What they need to stop doing is buying every random garbage film that didn’t get a theatrical release because of corona, and make their search function better because it’s really bad.
Like you, I don’t think they’ll give up on kdramas either – those are among their most watched non-English content and Squid Game/Business Proposal showed just how many people it can appeal to. Just please can their original kdramas be less violent and not about zombies though…
They are improving their search function. They’re rolling out changes to their recommendation engine and hiring a new Director to oversee the homepage. Looks like they’ll be shifting to quality > quantity approach for investments now.
I get that you don’t like zombies and violence (I’m meh on it too) but it’s the formula that works and it deliver the numbers. Netflix is super data-driven so they will follow the numbers.
I honestly didn’t find All of Us Are Dead a compelling story. I’m surprised it’s so high.
So bcos you didn’t find it compelling, it shouldn’t rank so high.. Do you even hear your delusional self
Yes, I do hear myself. It’s my personal opinion, and my personal surprise. I never said that my preference is more valid than anyone else, or that the world wide audience is crazy for liking the show. Being #2, above Bridgerton, which was a huge streaming success season 1, is a big feat. I don’t understand why expressing surprise is delusional. There’s no need to devolve to name calling.
All of Us Are Dead was like Squid Game : Netflix’s dramas, gratuitous violence, not a complicated story. It appeals to young people.
Thanks Sayaris. That makes sense.
zombies are a shockingly popular draw for many viewers. aouad could’ve been even bigger if it was better written.
I’m surprise too the the mass really love the show with too much violent galore like this. what makes this kind is show is appealing I’ve never know.
Western younger people who didn’t know about the exixtence of Kdramas were mad about Squid Game and after that they were curious about All of us are dead . The same ones that were avid viewers of La casa de Papel ! Theses dramas aren’t my cup of tea , but finally as an “old auntie” i could brag about my knowledge of 15 years of K dramas , my niece and her friends were speechless ?
I’m always happy when an outsider gets recognition . So bravo to BP . hope for a future string of successfull dramas on Netflix .
To me … APB was phenomenal and memorable. I am now afraid that I’m permanently damaged from enjoying romcoms that don’t resolve conflicts the speed of this show and keep dragging out conflicts and misunderstandings. Though the ending ep felt rushed and not well produced compared to the journey that brought it to the end – strangely the two of them walking beneath the cherry blossoms with the Love Maybe playing in the background is the defining scene for me whenever I think of this show. It was 6 weeks of good fun and heart fluttering. Hope to meet a romcom this good soon. For now… just dealing with the withdrawals haha
I haven’t watch All of us are dead, because of trailer looking too violent and scary is not good for my stomach and I’m such allergic to horror genre. . but good for them.
No offense to any fan but I didn’t really get into Business Proposal and 2521 is boring to me. Business Proposal reminds me a bit of What is wrong with secretary kim, which I really enjoy
After all the loudmouthed hype on here (typical of this site) about ABP with some of the usual loudmouths even comparing the FL to foreign actresses (wildly inaccurate) and elevating her to high heaven and beyond (yawn), imagine checking out the show and finding it a huge disappointment. Only eye-catching performance was SIA. And her romance with the SML (not the greatest actor but better than AHS) was the only reason I was able to finish the drama. The main romance was a bore, most of it is on AHS and his woodenest performance yet that made Cha Eun Wooden look like an Oscar-winning actor. Wound up fast-forwarding their scenes, even the steamy scenes were boring. Overhyped FL’s performance was nothing special. Just okay for an idol.
Any offended fan can watch me not give a flying fvck about their feelings. I won’t read your essay. Use that time to go crochet or fly a kite. ?