Despite multiple controversies, titles dominating the OTT charts range from Perfect Crown to the offbeat superpowered quartet of The WONDERfools, both gripping viewers worldwide.
In particular, Netflixs series The WONDERfools, released on the 15th, is turning heads with Park Eun-bins delightfully quirky charm and Cha Eun-woos bold acting transformation. Viewers are praising the duos never-before-seen chemistry.
According to the global OTT ranking tracker FlixPatrol on the 18th, The WONDERfools placed 3rd, while Brave New World landed 5th.
Set in the late 1990s, The WONDERfools is a superpowered action-comedy adventure about neighborhood misfits who suddenly gain abilities and band together to fight a villain threatening peace. The drama stars Park Eun-bin, Cha Eun-woo, Choi Dae-hoon, and Lim Seong-jae, who all deliver standout performances.
Director Yoo In-sik previously explained that the English title The WONDERfools literally means "amazing fools," adding that the show subverts the standard Hollywood superhero formula. In the series, four uniquely gifted characters drive the plot with relentless, laugh-out-loud moments — and the finale teases the possibility of Season 2, heightening anticipation.
SBSs Friday drama Brave New World is smashing its own ratings every episode, racing down a streak of unstoppable success. According to Nielsen Korea, the May 8 premiere recorded 4.1% nationwide and 4.3% in the Seoul metro area, and by Episode 4 both jumped into the 6% range. As the dynamic relationships between characters like Im Ji-yeon and Heo Nam-joon gain word-of-mouth buzz, expectations for the unfolding story are soaring.
At the center of a historical distortion controversy, Perfect Crown ranked 4th in Disney+ TV shows.
The series, which ended on the 16th, sparked backlash over a coronation scene. Viewers pointed out that courtiers shouted "cheonsae" (a vassal-state term meaning "a thousand years") instead of "manse" ("ten thousand years," used for a sovereign monarch), and that the king wore a nine-beaded crown rather than the higher-status twelve-beaded imperial crown. In addition, a scene where Lady Yoon I-rang (played by Gong Seung-yeon) performs a Chinese tea ceremony while facing Seong Hee-joo (played by IU) drew criticism. Although ratings kept climbing, the escalating controversy led cast members to post apologies on their Instagram accounts, leaving a bitter aftertaste.