Last year, the Total Variety Network (tvN) dominated not just Korean cable television but Korean television in general. Despite being a pay channel, their K-dramas were recognized as the highest rated in viewership both domestically in South Korea and internationally through legal video-on-demand (VOD) streaming sites. This is especially true with "Reply 1988" and "Goblin."
Their success from last year unfortunately did not pass over to this year.
tvN is struggling to keep up with high ratings when compared to their previous K-dramas. So far, most of them have averaged around one to three percent in viewership and it did not hook viewers internationally. Fortunately for tvN, it looks like they are getting back on track with "Forest Of Secrets" which has stayed steady to the point it may become tvN's most successful K-drama of 2017 so far.
'Forest of Secrets' does well among Korean and International K-drama fans
"Forest of Secrets," which is also known as "Stranger" and "Secret Forest," is a crime thriller melodrama airing on the weekends on tvN.
It stars Cho Seung Woo and Bae Doona. It is about the partnering to a prosecutor and police lieutenant to eradicate corruption at the prosecutor's office and solve a serial murder case. Seung Woo plays Hwang Shi Mok, a cold and lonely prosecutor who lacks emotion due to a childhood brain surgery. Doona plays Han Yeo Jin, the police lieutenant who is partnered with him.
The numbers show that after eight episodes, "Forest of Secrets" is popular among Korean and international fans. Pertaining to the former, the AGB Nielsen Korea viewership is around four percent for the nation and five percent for the Seoul National Capital Area while TNmS Media Korea records about four percent for the nation too.
As for the latter, it is one of the most watched K-dramas in the U.S. through DramaFever.
tvN finally jumps on the crime thriller melodrama bandwagon
One of the reasons why many K-drama fans are enjoying "Forest of Secrets" is the fact it is a melodrama specifically a crime thriller. So far, 2017 has been the year for crime thriller melodramas as almost all of them have enjoyed a lot of success.
The Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) holds the honor of airing the first successful K-drama of this year, "Defendant," which was about a prosecutor who finds himself in prison for the murder of his wife and daughter, a murder he did not commit.
The Orion Cinema Network (OCN) is dominating Korean television this year thanks to their crime thriller melodramas.
Both "Voice" and "Tunnel" have received critical acclaim from K-drama fans around the world.
It may also be possible that "Forest of Secrets" had an influx of American viewers because of Bae Doona. Her last K-drama role was back in 2010. Since then, she was a main cast member on popular Netflix original show "Sense8." When her fans from "Sense8" heard about her next project, they most likely checked it out.
"Forest of Secrets" airs on the weekend, Saturday and Sunday, at 9 p.m. KST on tvN. In the United States, it is available to view online exclusively through DramaFever.