The rating war among several Korean TV dramas has been a tight competition particularly for shows that features famous stars or an impressive storyline. One of the popular dramas currently airing in South Korea has been Park Shin Hye and Kim Rae Won's "Doctors" that may even reach the same level of success as "Descendants of the Sun."
The SBS TV drama "Doctors" first aired in mid-June, a few months after the end of Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo's hit drama "Descendants of the Sun." However, some critics claim that the storyline for "Doctors" may be better than the highly popular KBS2 drama. A comparative report posted on Asia One has indicated that the SBS show features a more solid script as compared to the latter.
Park Shin Hye and Kim Rae Won's drama contains a romantic arc that is steeped inside a bigger storyline. Avid viewers would know that Kim Rae Won's character is ready to protect his father and his father's hospital against greedy doctors poised to take control of the medical institution. On the other hand, Park Shin Hye's character is adamant to uncover the truth behind her grandmother's death.
The same report claimed that the "Descendants of Sun" script was not as compelling as the said SBS drama. The KBS2 show reportedly also rose to fame given its good looking cast members. "It is definitely not a fluffy, fairytale whirlwind romance taking place during a humanitarian mission in a fictional war-torn nation," the report indicated, referring to "Doctors."
However, at this time, it is still unclear if "Doctors" will reach the same level of popularity that "Descendants of the Sun" enjoyed across various countries. Rating-wise, it is also unsure if the SBS drama will break the 26.27 percent average rating that was recorded for the KBS2 drama. Although, "Doctors" is expected to reach the 20 percent mark in nationwide ratings in the coming weeks.
Recent ratings posted on Nielsen Korea has shown a nationwide viewership level of 19.4 percent and 19.3 percent for the drama's episode 9 and 10 that aired on July 18 and 19, respectively. Meanwhile, the drama's viewership ratings covering the metropolitan area has reached 21.5 percent for episode 9 and 22.6 percent for episode 10.
Fans would have to look forward to further news to find out if "Doctors" will be able to break the "Descendants of the Sun" ratings.
Watch some of the highlights of "Doctors" episode 10 below: