'Treasure Island' has quickly risen to the throne of Friday-Saturday dramas.
On Feb. 21, the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Treasure Island' (written by Lee Myung-Hee/directed by Jin Chang-Kyu/produced by Studio S, A2Z Entertainment, PurMire Workshop) generated great anticipation for a long-awaited revenge drama, even before its debut. Once unveiled, 'Treasure Island' surged with intensity beyond expectations, prompting fervent reactions from viewers.
The first episode of 'Treasure Island,' broadcast on Feb. 21, recorded a viewership rating of 6.1% nationwide and 6% in the metropolitan area. The momentary peak rating reached 8.1%. The second episode, aired on Feb. 22, recorded a viewership rating of 8.1% nationwide and 7.8% in the metropolitan area, marking a vertical increase of 2 percentage points and 1.8 percentage points, respectively, compared to the previous episode. The momentary peak rating soared to an impressive 9.9%. This corresponds to the top of the Friday mini-series, the top of the Saturday mini-series, and the top of the weekly mini-series. With two new dramas released simultaneously, 'Treasure Island' captured a solid advantage with a significant upward trend after just two episodes. (Nielsen Korea)
The buzz is also quite notable. Immediately after the broadcast of episodes 1 and 2 of 'Treasure Island,' major articles and video clips related to 'Treasure Island' adorned the entertainment sections of major domestic portal sites. Posts regarding 'Treasure Island' surged explosively on various communities and social media, proving its strong topicality. In the integrated content rankings announced by Kino Lights, a barometer for the popularity of domestic content, 'Treasure Island' confidently secured the top spot, outpacing its competitors.
So what is the reason behind 'Treasure Island's remarkable rise in both viewership ratings and buzz after just two episodes? Firstly, Park Hyung-Sik's dramatic transformation can be highlighted. Park Hyung-Sik plays the ambitious Seo Dong-Joo in 'Treasure Island,' exuding a mature and masculine charm. The reaction is predominantly, "Did Park Hyung-Sik really have such a face?" Additionally, as the protagonist leading the entire drama, he delivered a powerful impact.
The formidable presence of 'trustworthy actor' Heo Jun-Ho (playing the role of Yeom Jang-Seon) cannot be overlooked. Heo Jun-Ho, with his impressive white hair visuals, captured the screen with just his gaze, tone, and expressions. In the scene where Seo Dong-Joo faces Yeom Jang-Seon in episode 2, it clearly demonstrated why the pairing of Park Hyung-Sik and Heo Jun-Ho is deemed a 'destructive combination,' overwhelming the viewers. Along with them, the performances of seasoned actors across generations, including Lee Hae-Young (playing Heo Il-Do), Hong Hwa-Yeon (playing Yeo Eun-Nam), Woo Hyun (playing Cha Kang-Cheon), and Kim Jeong-Nan (playing Cha Deok-Hee), also contributed to the strength of 'Treasure Island.'
Above all, the writing skills of Lee Myung-Hee, who vividly depicted human desires and captured them like a storm, along with the directorial prowess of Jin Chang-Kyu, who elevated the immersion while maintaining trendy sensibilities, shone brightly. The collaboration between the two created a perfect synergy, making 'Treasure Island' an even more captivating drama. Now, only two episodes have aired. The production team of 'Treasure Island' is confident that starting from the third episode, they will deliver a more powerful story bomb. It is noteworthy how far 'Treasure Island' will continue its upward trajectory and how strongly it will draw viewers in.
SBS's Friday-Saturday drama 'Treasure Island' airs every Friday at 10 p.m. and Saturday at 9:50 p.m.
[Photo] SBS 'Treasure Island'