The Legend Of The Blue Sea has finally managed to follow the successful traits of many popular Korean mini-series, such as Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart Ryeo, Descendants Of The Sun, Uncontrollably Fond and Cinderella And Four Knights.
Despite widespread criticism it has been receiving from across the globe, the SBS period drama topped the viewership ratings in and around South Korea. It is one of the most talked about shows not just in Asia but also in Europe, Oceania and the US.
The show is halfway through and during its 10-episode run, it witnessed television ratings of 21.3 percent in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, according to the statistical report by Nielson Korea. The report states that the romantic comedy drama recorded 16.6 percent ratings after the telecast of episode 10.
The Legend Of The Blue Sea is also creating some waves internationally with its appealing storyline as it has ranked top in several online portals and streaming sites.While the Korean mini-series acquired top position in the time-slot of subscription channel Sony One, it received a high ranking in a popular internet TV service in Philippines called iflix and attracted over 20 percent of its new subscribers.
In Malaysia and Singapore, the show attracted a large number of viewers as compared to other Kdramas and witnessed around 92 percent and 82 percent increase in television ratings, respectively. The popular Singaporean video streaming platform Viki stated that the Korean mini-series landed top in its timeslot with around 64,000 followers within three weeks of its premiere.
On the other hand, Taiwan and China witnessed a steady rise in viewership ratings with the period drama and is expected to set a new record with its popularity. While the popular Chinese internet TV service iQIYI revealed that overall ratings of the drama from its premiere episode to the eighth episode is around 112 million, Taiwanese streaming site recorded an average of 140,000 views per episode.
Thanking the fans for making it a great success both nationally and internationally, The Legend Of The Blue Sea team stated that they will continue the hard work. "We'd like to thank the countless viewers both within and beyond Korea for their love. Thanks to your love and support, we are able to film warmly even in this cold winter. We hope you will continue to show us support in the future," Soompi quoted an industry insider.
