SBS Medical Drama Doctor X: Mafia in White with Kim Ji Won Premieres in Double Digits at 11.4% and Jumps to 14.9% in Second Episode
Looks like we have a bona fide hit in the making with newly premiered SBS medical drama Doctor X: Mafia in White. Starring Kim Ji Won as the titular crazy talented surgeon with supporting leads Lee Jung Eun, Son Hyun Joo, and Kim Woo Seok, the drama premiered this weekend with 11.4% double digit ratings and the second episode went up higher to 14.9%. This is such a win for SBS and of course a validation that Kim Ji Won can lead a drama on her own. I was already game to check this out but watching a buzzy drama is always more fun knowing the viewers are so far liking it off the bat. Really happy for Kim Ji Won, who went two years without a drama after the mega hit Queen of Tears but it’s better to generate fewer dramas if it means better quality.
I was not interested in medical dramas but will check this out.
Really happy to hear about this, especially because there were many commenters doubting Kim Ji Won’s ability to pull off the character in the previous Doctor X post in this site lol. Good for KJW on proving the doubters wrong! She’s always been an excellent actress and she deserves her success
Kim ji won gave humbling to trash iu and her fans who claimed she gave charty to kjw in queen of tears. Iu with overhyped show flopped with megabidget dramas. And second episode of this show already surpassed ius show highest rating.
Suck it up iu whre fans
The first eps is good, the cast is good. Afew really stood out. Unfortunately Kim Ji Won is the weak link, she has not carried the drama as the only female lead..she is just lacking the spark this character need. I like Kim Ji Won in a couple of dramas where the characters fits her. I hope she will settle in the role in later eps.
The other cast are good, enjoy their chemistry.
@hl, I know some people will say the ratings is due to the Japan one being popular but I also read Korean doing remakes on Japanese shows usually don’t do well. So for this show to have good ratings mean the plot so far is captivating and jiwon is pulling in audiences. I will give jiwon some credit myself
I will do so as eps 2 is also holding good ratings. She must have appealed to viewers. I may find her character handling still slightly lacking but the drama is a very good watch for me.
Remakes are always never easy..some are great, some are not. This Korean version of Doctor X have a good team to make this drama work.
I’ve watched two episodes, and they haven’t interested me as I would have liked. Medical dramas have never really been up to my alley, the only exception is The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call. So I’m going to stick with it until episode four to see if my interest picks up.
By the way, I wonder where the users who said Kim Ji Won couldn’t pull in ratings on her own are? LOL.
I am unsure about other dramas Kim Ji Won stars in.
But I have to say…this drama ratings is high due to the Doctor X story… It would not be her pulling such high rating. It is the love and massive following of the original show.
I am keen to see if the ratings holds up, I do hope so. This drama may be about a female surgeon but it is also about all the casts, storylines and production quality.
One thing is certain, this drama is not lacking in budget.
The original Doctor X was never successful or relatively well-known in South Korea though. SBS’s numbers are driven by the South Korean audience. We’re not talking about global platforms like Disney+ or Netflix.
@Ono, sounds like I may be wrong, if it is really Kim Ji Won who is pulling those ratings. She is a popular actress.
I dont have the stats to be certain of it. But I do like this drama to do well and continue being popular.
The original Doctor X jdrama is from 14 years ago and wasn’t that popular in Korea
Also, Korea has a long history of kdrama adaptations from jdramas not doing well at all, when they do it’s the exception and not the rule. Putting the success of this kdrama down to only “the original” as if it was Boys Over Flowers (which was a popular manga first) is disingenuous considering the buzz for it was entirely centred on Kim Jiwon and she appears to be the one driving viewer interest too (even the variety shows she appeared on to promote Doctor X, had higher view counts than normal)
Even if this drama does well, there will still be haters who will say KJW doesn’t have what it takes and make excuses that it’s because of so and so. Kim Ji Won is a popular actress in S Korea even though she is not really hyped a lot as evidenced by the ratings. Love this for her. I haven’t watched the original, but so far I am liking this Korean version. I am unsure yet about the lead and her back story, remains to be seen. I’m sticking it through.