From the very start, actor Ju Ji-hoon’s commanding presence is driving both viral buzz and rising ratings for the drama.
Ju Ji-hoon stars in ENA’s Monday–Tuesday drama Climax as Bang Tae-seop, the “Doberman” of the Seoam District Prosecutors’ Office who rose from a poor background. Fueled by a hunger to climb higher, Bang sets his sights on the inner circle of power by marrying top actress Chu Sang-ah (played by Ha Ji-won), a calculated move that lays bare his grand ambitions.
The broadcasts on the 16th and 17th rapidly sketched Bang Tae-seop’s past and present. Ju convincingly charted the arc of a man who started with nothing and became a star prosecutor, all within a short span. He even pulled off slick singing-and-dancing scenes rarely seen in similar series, adding layers to the character’s ruthless drive for power. And beneath his obsession with reaching the top, his gaze toward his wife, Chu Sang-ah, revealed a deep, complex emotion that enriched the character.
Even before its premiere, Climax grabbed attention by ranking No. 6 in TV dramas in Good Data Corporation’s FunDex buzz chart for the second week of March. The momentum kept building after launch. According to Nielsen Korea, Episode 1 scored a 2.9% nationwide rating among pay-TV households—ENA’s second-highest drama premiere ever—then climbed to 3.8% with Episode 2. The series also proved its hype by debuting at No. 1 on Disney+’s ‘Today’s Top 10 Series in Korea.’
Meanwhile, Climax airs every Monday and Tuesday at 10 p.m. on ENA and is also available on KT Genie TV and Disney+.