10 Kdramas With The Highest Viewer Ratings As Of 2021
From this year alone, there are 4 Korean dramas in the top 10 ratings! The main studios did not disappoint!
There are a lot of Korean dramas with strong performances in 2020.
Crash Landing on You surpassed the ratings of Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, breaking the highest ratings record of tvN (21.683%) in one fell swoop.
But there is still a mountain standing in their way. JTBC's World of the Married firmly holds the number one spot, breaking the ratings record of Sky Castle.
So what dramas made it into the top 10 rankings as of 2021? Let's take a look.
10.100 DAYS MY PRINCE (2018)
백일의 낭군님
Channel: tvN
Highest Rating: 14.412% (Episode 16)
Cast: Do Kyung-soo, Nam Ji-hyun
It is the only period piece to break into the top 10.
Furthermore, it set the record for a tvN drama, achieving the highest ratings of a show to air on Monday and Tuesday.
Most dramas that achieve a sizeable audience air on the Friday-Saturday or Saturday-Sunday time slot.
As a final note, this was also a career highlight for Do Kyung-Soo.
As if he wasn't famous enough for his work as a member of EXO, his performance in this drama really highlighted his acting chops and showed how well he can carry a drama as a leading man.
9. Vincenzo (2021)
빈센조
Channel: tvN
Highest Rating: 14.636% (Episode 20)
Cast: Song Joong-ki, Jeon Yeo-been, Ok Taec-yeon, Kim Yeo-jin, Kwak Dong-yeon
Vincenzo Cassano is an Italian lawyer and mafia consigliere of Korean descent, adopted by an Italian family at a young age.
He moves to back Korea due to a conflict within his organization and gets involved with another lawyer. They join forces to take down villains.
It ranked 4th most popular TV show on Netflix, and set records as it received the sixth-highest ratings in tvN history.
8. ITAEWON CLASS (2020)
이태원 클라쓰
Channel: JTBC
Highest Rating: 16.548% (Episode 16)
Cast: Park Seo-joon, Kim Da-mi, Yoo Jae-myung, Kwon Na-ra
Apart from Crash Landing on You, this was the most popular Korean drama from early 2020.
Maybe the COVID lockdowns and transition to staying at home more bolstered its ratings, but that still can't underscore the fact that Itaewon Class set rating records at the time.
It is 7th place all-time and is the third most popular drama from JTBC.
7. Mr. Queen (2021)
철인왕후
Channel: tvN
Highest Rating: 17.371% (Episode 20)
Cast: Shin Hye-sun, Kim Jung-hyun
Mr. Queen tells the story of a modern young chef who gets put in the body of a woman during the past during the Joseon Dynasty. It's actually quite humorous.
The series was adapted from the Chinese drama Go Princess Go (太子妃升职记) but the production team reported that only the concept of a modern young chef waking up in a woman's body from the past was adapted.
The rest of the storyline of the series is entirely different!
6. MR. SUNSHINE (2018)
미스터 선샤인
Channel: tvN
Highest Rating: 18.129% (Episode 24)
Cast: Lee Byung-hun, Kim Tae-ri, Lee Ho-jae, Yoo Yeon-seok
Before the show was even broadcast, expectations were extremely high due to the combination of Lee Byung Hyun and Kim Tae-ri.
It has taken on some controversial topics, including the build-up to the Japanese annexation of Korea. Some went so far as to call their portrayal of the incidents leading up to it "pro-Japanese." You can judge for yourself, however.
It is by far the most popular drama to address this particular period of Korean history at length and only the second drama in the top 10 to be set in a time period that nobody alive today can remember.
Apparently, the retro trend is still a big draw to Korean audiences.
5. GUARDIAN: THE LONELY AND GREAT GOD (2016)
도깨비
Channel: tvN
Highest Rating: 18.68% (16 Episodes)
Cast: Gong Yoo, Kim Go-eun, Lee Dong-wook, Yoo In-na
I don’t need to introduce it, everyone knows this Korean drama, right?
It was wildly popular in other countries and almost refreshed the definition of Korean dramas. It is still an unforgettable classic for many fans.
I can't even think about it without crying...
4. REPLY 1988 (2016)
응답하라 1988
Channel: tvN
Highest Rating: 18.803% (20 Episodes)
Cast: Hyeri, Ryoo Joon-yeol, Ko Gyung-po, Park Bo-gum
It tells the story of friends in Ssangmun-dong, a poorer area in the far north of Seoul, in the year 1988.
They all support each other in their struggles and make a family out of friendships.
For South Koreans, this drama captured the spirit of the times when Korea hosted the World Cup and really joined the world's stage as a developed nation.
It was not only uproariously funny but also heartfelt and induced quite a few teary-eyed moments.
3. CRASH LANDING ON YOU (2020)
사랑의 불시착
Channel: tvN
Highest Rating: 21.683% (Episode 16)
Cast: Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin, Seo Ji-hye, Kim Jung-hyun
One of the most unforgettable Korean dramas, Hyun Bin and Son Ye-Jin’s palpable chemistry gave rise to several theories that they were dating in real life.
Even if the ending of the plot was not satisfactory to some viewers, the love story that transcended the boundary between South and North Korea propelled it to the number 2 spot all time.
However, it didn't hold that position for very long and has settled down as the third highest-rated drama.
2. SKY Castle (2018)
SKY 캐슬
Channel: JTBC
Highest Rating: 23.779% (Episode 20)
Cast: Yum Jung-ah, Jung Joon-ho, Kim Hye-yoon, Lee Tae-ran
This is far from the typical kdrama love story. In fact, romance is hardly a theme at all.
The drama's viciously satirical portrayal of Korea's narrow-minded view of academic success struck a chord with audiences who agree that the system is inherently flawed to reward the wealthy.
The performances turned in by all the actors, as well as a stellar soundtrack, paved the way for this drama to hold the number one spot for two years.
In the year 2020, it has earned its place at the number two spot.
1. WORLD OF THE MARRIED (2020)
부부의 세계
Channel: JTBC
Highest Rating: 28.371% (Episode 16)
Cast: Kim Hee-ae, Park Hae-joon, Park Sun-young, Kim Young-min
That's right! World of the Married, which was also the only drama in the top ten to be rated suitable for ages 19 and up (due to its portrayal of sexual content), also broke the ratings record set by SKY Castle as it soared to a 28.371% Nielsen rating on its final episode.
It is a truly unprecedented accomplishment for a cable drama.
If you have not seen this drama, I highly recommend you catch up and join the discussion!