Uncontrollably Fond (Photo : KBS 2TV)
When "Uncontrollably Fond" premiered on July 6, observers of Korean Hallyu were speculating if the new show, and “Doctors” could match the popularity of “Descendants of the Sun” which ended in mid-April.
Between the two shows, “Uncontrollably Fond,” starring Kim Woo-Bin and Bae Suzy, has more similarities with the 16-episode drama which starred Song Joong-ki and Song Hye Kyo. First, both shows aired over KBS 2TV and China simultaneously, although the new drama also airs in North America, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Second, it also runs for 16 episodes and was pre-produced like “Descendants of the Sun.” Third, it shows every Wednesdays and Thursdays, the same two successive days when “Descendants of the Sun” was broadcast, reported Movienewsguide.
Fourth, the two shows top ratings. Yonhap reported that “Uncontrollably Fond” got a score of 289.1 points on South Korea’s "Content Power Index (CPI) for the week July 4-10, the week it aired Episode 1.
The show topped the chart developed by Nielsen Korea, a media ratings company, and CJ E&M, an entertainment company. The series is a love story between an arrogant pop star, played by Kim Woo-bin, and a shameless documentary producer, played by Bae Suzy. The two meet again after they survive different tests in their personal lives. At their meeting again, they thought they had placed their painful past behind them but discover they are falling in love again.
The CPI is based on number of views of related news stories, keyword searches and mentions in social media of TV shows. After “Uncontrollably Fond,” in second place was "Doctors" which got 267.5 points, and in third place is a musical show, “The King of Mask Singer” which garnered 240.7 points.
