'Manager Kim' surpasses 22.3% viewership rating, SBS Fri-Sat drama

Reaching 22.3% in just 6 episodes, a vertically rising viewership curve

The SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Mr. Kim,' starring actor So Ji-sub, is creating a viewership syndrome by breaking its own record every episode. According to Nielsen Korea's data on the 12th, episode 6 of 'Mr. Kim,' which aired the previous day, recorded a nationwide viewership rating of 22.3%. Starting at 9.5% during its premiere, the series broke the 20% mark by reaching 21.6% in just four episodes, and then once again hit a new peak in only two more episodes.

This performance is among the highest in the history of SBS Friday-Saturday dramas. It has surpassed both 'The Fiery Priest' (22%) aired in 2019 and 'Taxi Driver 2' (21.8%) in 2023, climbing to the second highest viewership rating ever. Currently, the number one spot for SBS Friday-Saturday dramas is held by 'Penthouse 2,' which aired in 2021 and set a record of 29.2%.

In episode 6, the desperate struggle of Mr. Kim (played by So Ji-sub) to save his daughter, Kim Min-ji (played by Seo Su-min), who has been taken hostage, was depicted. As Seong Han-su (played by Choi Dae-hoon) fell into crisis while attempting to infiltrate the Special Mission Bureau to rescue Min-ji, Park Jin-cheol (played by Yoon Kyung-ho) appeared, leading to intense directing that turned the tide. Just as the group was surrounded and about to surrender, the tension escalated when Mr. Kim appeared, holding the Vice Minister of National Security (played by Lim Chul-hyung) hostage, to reunite with his daughter.

Reclaiming No. 1 on Netflix Global, a combination of action and paternal love

Its momentum in the global OTT market is also powerful. Within three days of its release on Netflix, 'Mr. Kim' entered the 'Top 10' in the global non-English show category at number 3. It subsequently pushed aside 'The Glory,' which had held the number 1 spot for four consecutive weeks, and finally reclaimed the top position. Netflix stated that a virtuous cycle is being formed where viewers who missed the first episode catch up through OTT before watching the live broadcast, complementing the traditional pattern of watching live television.

The driving force behind the drama's success lies in its solid narrative and genre-specific pleasure. The premise of a protagonist, who was North Korea's top special agent, living as an ordinary breadwinner in South Korea before revealing his identity to find his daughter who went missing due to school violence, drove the initial word-of-mouth. Drama critic Yoon Seok-jin said, "The dark hero character, who solves problems that are impossible to resolve in reality, provides a sense of catharsis," adding, "It provides vicarious satisfaction by resolving heavy social issues through refreshing action."

The roles of the supporting actors also balance the weight of the drama. The pleasant chemistry shown by Seong Han-su and Park Jin-cheol, Mr. Kim's friends, provides a breather from the atmosphere that could otherwise become too heavy. Critic Yoon Seok-jin added, "The directing, which maintains tension and relaxation through action and comedy, is fluid," and "The combination of the three actors and their respective roles has enhanced the drama's charm." Incorporating the universal emotion of paternal love with the specific Korean context of the division between North and South has lowered the barrier to entry for global viewers.