SBS drama 'Dynamite Kiss' and 'Taxi Driver 3' have begun a runaway hit domestically and internationally, sweeping 1st and 2nd place across ratings, buzz and OTT rankings.
Both works have broken their own records every week and have completely dominated the Wednesday–Thursday and Friday–Saturday time slots, drawing praise from viewers such as "I'm trapped in SBS; it's a happy incarceration." SBS's two productions, which accurately capture the "taste you know" and the "taste of refreshment," have predicted successive syndrome-level whirlwinds, concentrating even hotter attention on their future box-office trajectories.
◆ Sweeping various success indicators! Taxi Driver 3, the return of the king of 'refreshing' dramas!
SBS Friday–Saturday drama 'Taxi Driver 3' (writer Oh Sang-ho/director Kang Bo-seung/produced by Studio S, Group Eight, B.A. Entertainment) proved its overwhelming firepower by claiming first place on all indicators from the first week of broadcast.
The premiere not only ranked first among all programs in the same time slot but also recorded the highest first-episode ratings among mini-series aired in 2025 (peak 11.1%, average 9.9%). In the second episode it rose to a peak of 12.2%, and the 20–49 rating also reached a high of 4.4%, making it the week's overall broadcast leader. (Nielsen Korea, metropolitan area)
The OTT rankings are overwhelming as well. According to OTT content ranking site FlixPatrol, 'Taxi Driver 3' rose to No. 1 in Netflix's Korea TV show category as soon as the work was released. It has also continued to hold the top spot on domestic Netflix since its release. In addition, on the integrated content ranking for the third week of November released by OTT content integrated search platform KinoList, 'Taxi Driver 3' ranked first across all content including drama, film and variety, surpassing competing works.
Meanwhile, the premiere simultaneously swept various buzz metrics, proving the public interest poured onto 'Taxi Driver 3.' Good Data Corporation's FUNdex released its TV-OTT integrated buzz rankings for the third week of November (Nov. 17–Nov. 23), where the series took first place, and in the drama cast buzz category, Lee Je-hoon, who plays 'Kim Do-ki,' also achieved first place.
Studio S's CP Jo Young-gwang said, "The main reason viewers love Taxi Driver 3 is that the work clearly delivers vicarious satisfaction that relieves real-life frustration and the thrill of achieving clear justice," noting, "In particular, season 3's more powerful villains, fast-paced development and team-play synergy maximized viewers' catharsis. It seems viewers highly appreciate that the series has steadily expanded the inherent appeal of the 'refreshing drama' with each season."
◆ SBS weekday drama revival hits the mark! 'Dynamite Kiss' adds freshness to the familiar taste, 'ratings surge' + 'global kiss craze'
Dynamite Kiss, which drew intense interest as a signal of the revival of SBS weekday dramas (writer Ha Yoon-ah · Tae Kyung-min/directors Kim Jae-hyun · Kim Hyun-woo/produced by Studio S · Samhwa Networks), showcased the "essence of the familiar taste," and with the wholehearted support of domestic and international romance fans, its ratings and global popularity are rising simultaneously.
Episode 3 recorded a peak of 6.8% at one moment and 5.6% in the metropolitan area, and episode 4 recorded a peak of 7.8% at one moment and 6.5% in the metropolitan area, ranking first not only in the same time slot but also among weekday mini-series across all channels.
On OTT platform Netflix it also reached No. 2 among global non-English-language series (based on Nov. 17–Nov. 23), driving explosive reactions overseas as well as domestically.
Viewer response since the broadcast has also been explosive. Online communities and social media have continued to post evaluations such as "the fun of an old-school rom-com rarely seen these days," "it's the familiar taste but addictive," and "the chemistry between the two actors is insane," and responses like "a work that completely quenches rom-com thirst" have rapidly spread by word of mouth.
Studio S's Director General Park Young-soo said, "The reason Dynamite Kiss is receiving strong reactions both domestically and internationally is that, while following the familiar rom-com formula, it boldly twists that formula in places to create fresh fun," adding, "Unexpected developments continue like the 'catastrophic-level kiss' in the first episode, and misunderstandings from the fake settings, chemistry and fast-paced story added a new layer to the rom-com's intrinsic fun. These elements appear to have broadly resonated with domestic and international viewers, naturally forming a global romance fandom."
Demonstrating its strength as a 'drama powerhouse' once again through ratings, buzz and global OTT all-kills, SBS's two dramas Dynamite Kiss airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9 p.m., and Taxi Driver 3 airs Fridays and Saturdays at 9:50 p.m.
[Photo] official poster
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