“Four Hands, Two Sonatas” Wraps Six-Week Streak Atop Buzzworthiness Rankings

tvN’s “Four Hands, Two Sonatas” concluded its broadcast run while maintaining an unprecedented position atop Good Data Corporation’s weekly rankings of the most buzzworthy Korean dramas. Since its premiere in August, the series had occupied the No. 1 position for six consecutive weeks—a dominant streak that reflected sustained viewer engagement throughout its entire run. In the show’s final week on air, “Four Hands, Two Sonatas” did not yield its top ranking, departing the broadcast schedule while still commanding the conversation around Korean television drama.

The Leads Command the Actor Rankings

The series’ cultural impact extended directly to its cast. Lee Jun Young and Song Kang, the two leads, maintained commanding positions on Good Data Corporation’s actor buzzworthiness rankings, holding the No. 1 and No. 2 spots respectively. Their sustained positions reflected not only viewer appreciation for their individual performances but also the on-screen dynamic that became central to the series’ appeal. The consistency of their rankings throughout the show’s run underscored how much of the drama’s discussion revolved around the specific chemistry and narrative relationship these two performers developed across the episodes.

Established Series Navigate the Competitive Landscape

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ENA and TVING Hold Strong

The departure of “Four Hands, Two Sonatas” from the active broadcast schedule opened space in the rankings for other series to hold or advance their positions. ENA’s “New Recruit 4: Sabotage” maintained steady momentum at No. 2 on the drama rankings. Lead Gong Min Jung appeared at No. 8 on the actor list, suggesting the series retained viewer interest and social media engagement despite occupying the secondary position in the overall rankings.

TVING’s “The Ordinary Jackpot” rose to the No. 3 position on the drama rankings. Lead Lee Jun Hyuk held corresponding placement at No. 3 on the actor rankings, demonstrating parallel enthusiasm from audiences for both the series narrative and his individual portrayal. This alignment between drama and actor positions indicated cohesive viewer engagement rather than scattered interest.

Network Dramas Gain Traction

On KBS 2TV, the romantic drama “A Love Other Than Yours” advanced to No. 4 on the drama rankings. Both leads benefited from this traction: Ahn Eun Jin secured No. 5 on the actor list while Seo Kang Jun reached No. 6. The proximity of their positions reflected how dual-lead structures in romantic narratives could generate dual appeal, with audiences engaging equally with both performers’ contributions to the central relationship.

International Streaming Content Maintains Presence

Disney+’s “Made in Korea 2” held the No. 6 position on the drama rankings. Star Hyun Bin appeared on the actor list at No. 9, demonstrating that international streaming platforms could maintain competitive positions against cable and broadcast alternatives despite different distribution models and global versus Korea-focused strategies. The show’s presence indicated that viewers continued to engage with streaming-exclusive content even as traditional television maintained significant buzzworthiness.

Four New Dramas Enter the Weekly Competition

Diversifying Genres Debut Simultaneously

This week brought four new dramas into the top 10 rankings, representing distinct genres and multiple broadcast platforms. tvN introduced the spy romance “100 Days of Deception” at No. 7 on the drama rankings. Its lead, Kim You Jung, simultaneously debuted on the actor list at No. 7, suggesting immediate audience reception and conversation around the show’s thriller-romance format from its premiere.

ENA’s “Between Steps” entered the rankings at No. 8 with a campus romance premise. Actor Choo Young Woo debuted at No. 10 on the actor rankings, the lowest position on the actor top 10 but still a significant achievement for first-week inclusion. The show’s placement indicated it successfully engaged viewers and generated sufficient social media conversation to immediately enter the competitive rankings.

Medical Noir Achieves Notable Actor Momentum

SBS’s “Doctor X” debuted at No. 9 on the drama rankings as a medical noir series. Lead Kim Ji Won achieved one of the strongest actor debuts among this week’s new entries, securing No. 4 on the actor list—a position that surpassed many established cast members and indicated particularly powerful individual audience response to her performance and the character she portrays.

JTBC’s “Fly High Butterfly” completed the week’s new drama debuts, placing at No. 10 on the rankings and rounding out the full top 10.

Ecosystem Spanning Multiple Platforms

The breadth of the rankings illustrated how Korean audiences distributed their viewing and conversation across diverse content platforms. Cable networks tvN, ENA, and JTBC occupied multiple positions throughout the top 10. Broadcast networks KBS 2TV and SBS maintained competitive presence despite the rise of streaming platforms. TVING and Disney+, the streaming services represented, both secured placements in the rankings, indicating that viewers engaged with buzzworthy content across traditional cable, broadcast television, and international streaming models with relatively balanced attention distribution.

The competitive landscape demonstrated that Korean television maintained a strong ecosystem capable of sustaining multiple high-engagement dramas simultaneously, with established performers retaining momentum while new entries quickly captured audience attention and social media engagement from their debuts.

Source: Soompi