The drama 'Buried Hearts,' featuring Park Hyung Sik, has been steadily increasing in viewership ratings as it approaches its conclusion, demonstrating its growing popularity. According to the weekly integrated content rankings by OTT content search platform Kino Lights on April 8 (for the week spanning from March 31 to April 6), 'Buried Hearts' claimed the top spot overall. It not only led the drama category but also emerged as the most talked-about content across all platforms during that week.
'Buried Hearts' revolves around Seo Dong Joo, a man who exposes a political corruption scandal worth 2 trillion KRW (~1.35 billion USD) and embarks on a quest for revenge against those responsible for his near-death experience. Despite its familiar revenge theme, the series captivates audiences with its enthralling storyline and emotional depth.
The 14th episode, which aired on April 5, garnered a nationwide viewership rating of 14.6% (as per Nielsen Korea), marking a new high for the drama. It stood as the top show in its time slot across all channels and achieved the highest ratings among all miniseries broadcast that week, hitting a peak viewership of 16.1%. With only two episodes remaining, excitement for the finale is at its peak.
Taking the second spot on Kino Lights’ weekly rankings was the film 'Lim Young Woong | I'm Hero the Stadium,' showcasing Lim Young Woong's monumental 2024 stadium concert that drew around 100,000 attendees. The movie made history as the first live concert film in Korea released in IMAX and ScreenX formats, attracting over 350,000 viewers and becoming the concert film with the highest audience numbers. It continued to perform well after its Netflix release, maintaining a position in Korea's “TOP 10 Movies” for eight consecutive weeks.
In third place was KBS's daily drama 'Cinderella Game,' narrating the story of a woman used as a surrogate daughter by her adversary and her subsequent journey of vengeance, personal growth, and healing. The drama, featuring stellar performances from actors like Na Young Hee, Han Groo, Choi Sang, and Ji Soo Won, is generating increased interest ahead of its final episode on April 25.
The Netflix original series 'The 8 Show' secured the fourth position this week, chronicling the life paths of two characters raised in Jeju, Aesoon, and Gwansik, across the four seasons. The series concluded its four-part journey on March 28 and earned a record eight nominations at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards, reflecting its artistic and widespread appeal.
JTBC’s drama 'The Art of Negotiation' claimed the fifth spot, with lead actor Lee Je Hoon making waves for his role as a white-haired character, a prominent negotiator and M&A expert at a major corporation. The 10th episode, aired on April 6, achieved its highest ratings yet, reaching 9.5% in the Seoul metropolitan area and 8.8% nationwide.
Other top-ranking titles from 6th to 10th included Channel A’s dating show 'Heart Pairing,' Netflix's 'The 8 Show,' MBC's 'I Live Alone,' the film 'The Match,' and tvN’s 'The Divorce Insurance.'
Moreover, Kino Lights offers insights into domestic content consumption trends through various OTT trend charts, analyzing data from films, dramas, and variety shows. These rankings provide valuable indicators of content popularity and competitive dynamics across platforms.