Lee Min Ho's new fantasy drama series "Legend of the Blue Sea" is poised to follow the same success enjoyed by the KBS drama "Descendants of the Sun." The SBS series is expected to gain 10 million views during its second-week broadcast.
"Legend of the Blue Sea" debuted with impressive double-digit TV ratings that made it the top series among Wednesday-Thursday primetime dramas. Released on Nov. 16, the premiere episode of Lee's new series was viewed 2.2 million times within the Seoul Metropolitan area, according to an SBS announcement obtained by Korean news outlet News1.
The said milestone is higher than the view count recorded during the premiere of the KBS hit series "Descendants of the Sun," as well as the popular SBS drama "My Love from the Star." The two series posted view counts of 1.45 million and 1.77 million, respectively.
However, the said dramas gained an impressive 10 million view count within the Seoul metropolitan area and 20 million views across the South Korean nation by its fifth episode. "Legend of the Blue Sea" is expected to follow a similar trend and will hit the 10 million view count mark in Seoul by its fourth episode.
The massive first episode success of the SBS fantasy drama series can be attributed to its talented cast and intriguing plot. "Legend of the Blue Sea" marks Lee and co-star Jun Ji Hyun's TV drama comeback. Fans last saw the actor and Jun in the 2013 dramas "Heirs" and "My Love from the Star," respectively.
Meanwhile, "Legend of the Blue Sea" episode 2 posted lower TV ratings as compared to its premiere episode. Aired on Nov. 17, Thursday, the said episode reached a viewership share of 15.1 percent, according to Nielsen Korea, as cited by Newsis.
Despite the dip from 16.4 percent to 15.1 percent, the SBS drama still retained its top spot among competitor dramas. The KBS series "Oh My Geum Bi" posted viewership ratings of 6.5 percent while the MBC drama "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo" recorded TV ratings of 3.3 percent.
"Legend of the Blue Sea" airs every Wednesday and Thursday on SBS. Watch the drama's trailer below: