Lee Min-Ho and Jun Ji-Hyun star in the SBS drama 'The Legend of the Blue Sea.' (Photo : YouTube/ratu aici)
The Contents Power Index (CPI) rankings are out, tabulating the most influential dramas from the week of Nov. 14 until Nov. 20. SBS' "The Legend of the Blue Sea" has taken the first place, beating MBC's "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo" and KBS 2TV's "Oh My Geum-Bi."
SBS' "The Legend of the Blue Sea" took the top spot with a recorded 309.1 points, while MBC's "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo" managed to secure the second place with 251.5 points, as per CJ E&M, as cited by Yonhap News Agency. MBC's hit variety show "Infinite Challenge" and SBS' "Running Man" settled in the fourth and fifth place, respectively.
The news comes as no surprise for many given "The Legend of the Blue Sea's" immense popularity at home and abroad. The SBS drama kicked off its run on Nov. 16 with an average audience share of 16.4 percent.
Despite its steady climb to the 20 percent rating mark, the SBS drama has been slammed by several critics over plagiarism claims. It is said that the series copied a few plot lines and filming styles from a British TV series "Sherlock" and 1984's "Splash."
The scenes that featured Heo Joon-Jae (Lee) interpreting a man's intention by thoroughly examining its body movements were seemingly similar to how "Sherlock" delineated the famous detective sharp observation skills, as per The Kpop Herald. Further, viewers noted Jun Ji-Hyun's character closely resembled the heroine in "Splash," including the scenes where she figured out how to read traffic signs, eat, talk and mingle with others.
Meanwhile, the sneak peak of the fifth episode shows Heo Joon-Jae giving Shim Chung (Jun) an ultimatum. He said the latter must leave the house if she still refused to say anything.
It also shows Shim Chung gnawing Cha Si-Ah's (Shin Hye-Sun) finger after a heated argument. Hence, the former will be compelled to leave Heo Joon-Jae's place. The preview ended with the heroine's voice telling the con-artist that they should meet at the Namsan Tower on the first day of snow.
Though it remains to be seen whether or not Heo Joon-Jae will come, the on-screen lovers are expected to become more intimate in the coming episodes. The fifth episode of the SBS drama is scheduled to be aired on Nov. 30 at 8:00 PM (KST).
Check out the SBS' "The Legend of the Blue Sea" here:
