Actor Joo Ji-hoon, who challenged the romantic comedy genre for the first time in 16 years, and Yoo Yeon-seok, who received harsh criticism for being “humiliating,” are now wrapping up their respective romantic dramas. How did they fare in their similar but distinct takes on romance?
Joo Ji-hoon’s TV drama “Love Your Enemy,” which ended on December 29, marked his return to the romantic comedy genre for the first time since Princess Hours in 2006. Joo Ji-hoon described his character, Seok Ji-won, as “like an apple mango,” saying it has a soft, ripe feel without being overly sweet. He expressed confidence, claiming, “If dried, it can also be eaten as dried mango.”
However, Joo Ji-hoon’s confidence didn’t seem to resonate with the audience. Having predominantly starred in noir or thriller genres such as Netflix’s “Kingdom” and films such as “The Treacherous”, “Asura: The City of Madness” and “Dark Figure of Crime”, his cold and edgy image was seen as unsuitable for audiences . romantic genre. Her co-star Jeong Yu-mi also admitted: “At first, Joo Ji-hoon was a little scary,” recalling that just meeting his eyes on set seemed intimidating due to his film roles.
Additionally, Joo Ji-hoon’s acting habits, which make it difficult to see him as a character, have been cited as a barrier to immersion. Some viewers felt that no matter what role he played, it still looked like Joo Ji-hoon was acting.
Despite this, the show got decent ratings. “Love Your Enemy” started with a modest 3.5% in the first episode but rose to 6.5% in the second. Although it dropped to 3.3%, it maintained a 4-5% range and ended with a final episode viewership of 6.5%, the highest of the series.
In terms of buzz, it was a little disappointing. During the fourth week of December, when the final episode aired, Joo Ji-hoon ranked 5th and Jeong Yu-mi ranked 6th, but by the last week of December both had slipped to 7th respectively ° and 8th.
The actor at the top of the list was Yoo Yeon-seok. In MBC’s “When The Phone Rings,” Yoo Yeon-seok took on a new role, moving away from the gentle characters he played in “Reply 1994” and “Hospital Playlist.”
Perhaps because of this unusual role, Yoo Yeon-seok also faced early criticism. Throughout the drama, he received negative reviews for his constantly furrowed eyebrows and irritated expressions. Since the drama was based on a web novel, some viewers found the characters’ lines “awkward,” which made immersion difficult.
However, as the series progressed, viewers praised Yoo Yeon-seok for delivering the awkward lines with exceptional acting skills. This led to the show’s viewership numbers rising from 5.5% in the first episode to 6%, and the last episode saw a peak of 7.5%. As a result, Yoo Yeon-seok earned a Best Actor nomination at the 2024 MBC Drama Awards.
Both lead actors started out with harsh criticism, but their results were quite different. Yoo Yeon-seok might just secure the coveted Best Actor award, and the results of his performance will be eagerly awaited.
