Lee Min Ho's fantasy drama "Legend of the Blue Sea" continues to achieve impressive milestones. Recently, the SBS series nabbed the first place on a drama brand reputation index.
"Legend of the Blue Sea" bested 19 other dramas in terms of brand reputation, according to data from the Korean Business Research Institute, as cited by Osen. Lee's mermaid fantasy series topped the leaderboard of the said index for the month of December 2016.
To come up with the list, the Korean Business Research Institute compiled various data of several South Korean dramas for the period of Oct. 16, 2016 until Dec. 17, 2016. The said data included a production's communication, community, brand and media exposure.
Meanwhile, "Legend of the Blue Sea" rose to the top of the said drama brand reputation chart given the SBS series' active fan community. Several fanarts would typically circulate online following a release of an episode or to highlight a memorable scene.
Short clips that capture some of the fantasy drama's adorable or suspenseful scenes, as released by SBS on its social networking services accounts, would also post impressive page views, as indicated in the same report. Recently, an SBS clip from "Legend of the Blue Sea" episode 13 reached a view count of more than 2 million.
In other news, Lee took home several awards during the recently held 2016 SBS Awards Festival (SAF) Drama Awards. The South Korean actor nabbed a total of three honors including Best Couple Award with "Legend of the Blue Sea" co-star Jun Ji Hyun, according to Star News. Other drama couples who also received the same honor included "Romantic Doctor Kim" stars Seo Hyun Jin and Yoo Yeon Seok, as well as "Scarlet Heart Ryeo" co-stars Lee Joon Gi and IU.
Apart from Best Couple Award, Lee was also recognized with a Top 10 Stars Award, as well as the Top Excellence Award for Genre and Fantasy Drama. Lee's "Heirs" co-star Park Shin Hye also received the same accolades for her portrayal of a rebel student turned top surgeon in the drama "Doctors."
"Legend of the Blue Sea" airs every Wednesday and Thursday on SBS. Watch a clip from episode 13 below: