The final average ratings are out tabulating the entire run of each cable K-drama that premiered in 2018. It was fun ride actually, I watched almost all on the top 10 list and even ones I didn’t it was fun to peer in on the hype and excitement. After the wild rise of jTBC end of the year drama Sky Castle I thought it would be the top dog on the average ratings poll but it just fell short. tvN‘s Mr. Sunshine retains the number 1 average rated cable drama of 2019 position with 12.955% followed by Sky Castle with 12.500%. I think Sky Castle’s close second is way more impressive since it didn’t have the budget, hype, or big name cast and production as Mr. Sunshine. In third place is sageuk Dear Husband of 100 Days, followed by Encounter (Boyfriend), and then Memories of Alhambra in fifth place. Check out the top list below!
- Mr. Sunshine (Average 12.955%)
- Sky Castle (Average 12.500%)
- Dear Husband of 100 Days (Average 9.013%)
- Encounter/Boyfriend (Average 8.476%)
- Memories of Alhambra (Average 8.434%)
- Why Secretary Kim (Average 7.466%)
- Knowing Wife (Average 6.816%)
- Misty (Average 6.333%)
- Lawless Lawyer (Average 6.138%)
- Live (Average 5.798%)
- Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food (Average 5.468%)
- My Ahjusshi (Average 4.982%)
my ajhussi <3
Memories of Alhambra ? Hyun Bin and his phenomenal performance. Even though the drama didn’t meet up to expectations but it’s still the best I’ve have seen.
Memories of Alhambra is the best drama. HYUN BIN….
Memories of the Alhambra withdrawal. Hyun Bin/Yoo Jin Woo and Park Shin Hye/Jung Hee Ju. Still can’t move on from this drama. The best of 2018/2019. I don’t care about the rating hopefully my Ahjussi get a deserves recognition for this drama.
For me, the top is My Ahjusshi (excellent leads – both male and female), second is MOA (excellent male lead, annoying female lead). 100 days My Prince is good (I like the female lead) – Koreans like saguek, so I can understand the high rating, story is ok, directing is good. I would much prefer the Crowned Clown for this year 🙂
Mr Sunshine was really great. It’s true they had stars power and big budget for it, but the story was about a pretty dark historical area. All the characters had a sad ending 🙁
On the list, I really liked SKY Castle, MoA (for Hyun Bin), Live, Pretty Noona and My Ahjusshi. They were very different dramas but all with interesting story, characters and good actors.
OCN did good ones with Life on Mars and The Guest.
I really liked The Smile Has Left Your Eyes, the acting was so good. It deserved better ratings 🙂
Live, misty, and LIFE ON MARS . The smile has left your eyes, and sky castle too . All of them have great acting .
My Ajusshi is my ultimate top pick. Really one of the best k-dramas ever. Glad it made into the Top 10. SKY Castle is impressive despite no big names and no hype. Mr. Sunshine ranked first is not a surprise at all. I feel all and all, Koreans been generous with the ratings this year as compared to the dismal viewership the previous year.
I love MOA for Hyun Bin and his amazing performances. Mr. Sunshine secand and third Knowing Wife.
1. MEMORIES OF ALHAMBRA
2. MY AHJUSSI
3. KNOWING WIFE
4. SKY CASTLE
5. MR. SUNSHINE
How did the drama finished mean more than the average? If you have a look, Mr. Sunshine’s rating on the finale was 18.1 while Sky Castle was 23.8%.
Sky Castle 23.8%
Mr. Sunshine 18.1%
Dear Husband 100 Days 14.4%
Encounter 8.7%
MOA 9.9%
WWSK 8.6%
Knowing Wife 7.9%
Misty 8.5%
Lawless Lawyer 8.9%
Live 7.7%
Pretty Noona 6.8%
My Ajushi 7.4%
Well i guess that is because Sky castle steadily rose to 23 percent. It started with 1.7 and made its way upto 23. Mr sunshine started on high ratings so it is possible to acheive more. Nonetheless sky castle scored the highest this year. I don’t think average ratings matter.
Yes Sky Castle performance is impressive.
What are these numbers?
Those are the ratings at the finale.
Its highest average rating,
Memories of Alhambra is the best I’ve seen. It’s a drama everyone love from both genders. I was impressed this drama actually grabs most guys I know attentions. Hyun Bin acting performance is so on point. The second drama I’ll be waiting for to end is The Kingdom. The only two drama I actually like of 2018 and 2019.
Everything by Kim Eun Sook is overrated for me. Never take anything from her seriously.
The Kingdom would be my second favorite one on my list but it’s not finished yet.
Korean drama are usually very competitive so it’s hard to find one that really stands out. I second you, Memories of Alhambra and The Kingdom really are the best for me among all the dramas of 2018 and 2019 so far.
Agreed I can’t seem to enjoy Korean dramas as much anymore. I tends to drop it halfway because I lost interest really fast. I have dropped all the drama in the list about halfway or around episodes 2 and 3. None is appealing to me. Who knows maybe I’m too picky.
Glad Memories of Alhambra and The Kingdom are very good. I have nothing to complain about. I really enjoy these two dramas. Especially Memories of Alhambra I could watch Hyun Bin acting all day. He’s is fantastic.
Nothing beat Sky Castle in my eyes.
The rest are a distance second, third, etc…
SKY CASTLE the best drama from that list.
Memories of Alhambra and Sky Castle are the best.
Well it is pretty obvious that Mr sunshine will be higher than that of Sky castle because Sky castle made history be being a show that steadily rose from meager ratings of 1.7 to 23 percent. Mr Sunshine started on a high note so entirely possible that it has higher average.
What I’m amaze is the “POSTERS”. The posters are all Daebak!!! It looks like movie posters and have the urge to collect posters again. ??? Congratulations to all the viewers of kdrama land since we are all being so observant and keen with all the twist, plot and other matters about the drama – they keep on doing it better. I hope the latter months of 2019 for the kdrama land will break records again and will have an outstanding plots because we the viewers are really the winners.
Yes and I need every single poster for Sky Castle in particular, they are all phenomenal.
What you like and what I like does not define a good drama. The hype is not important because what is the point of it when it’s forgotten too soon.
What’s important is for a drama to keep being broadcasted even after 6 months or a year or several years since its premier.
Some would love My Ajushi, I don’t… Some love Mr Sunshine.. I don’t… but that is just my opinion and my taste. There is none of the rom-com dramas in 2018 that I like… but it did not mean that those dramas are bad.
Good for those dramas. Personally, of the dramas on the list, I really liked Sky Castle, My Ahjussi, Live, Knowing Wife and Misty.
My Ajusshi didn’t have the highest ratings, but it sure became the life time drama for many.
Lawless Lawyer was very engaging and entertaining. Great acting from the casts. Lee Joon Gi and Choi Min So was such a great pair. It was a kick ass drama and the action sequences were the best. At the same, this drama was funny as well.
There are other better dramas in 2018 but was not on the list.
Live; Lawless Lawyer; The smile has left your eyes; The Guest; Welcome to Waikiki are the 5 that I followed with no fast forwarding and to the end and I enjoyed everything on offer; writing; cast; direction; production value and left each drama feeling happy so that to me is success una nutshell. ❤️
Sky castle the best others are boring for me . Encounter the most boring , boring no 1. Haha