"My Dearest" Namkoong Min Surpasses "The First Responders Season 2" Kim Rae Won

Namkoong Min, starring in MBC's Friday-Saturday drama My Dearest, secured the top spot in simultaneous viewership ratings with an 8.4% nationwide rating for the 5th episode aired on the 18th. This 5th episode's rating increased by 3.2% compared to the previous episode (Episode 4) with a 5.2% rating. It's the drama's highest and highest rating among all MBC dramas aired until August 18th, 2023.

Furthermore, the drama surpassed the personal highest ratings of MBC's daily dramas aired this year, The Witch's Game (highest rating of 7.3% on Episode 50 on January 2nd) and Meant to Be (highest rating of 5.8% until August 18th, Episode 87 on August 18th). This accomplishment crowns MBC's Friday-Saturday drama as the top-rated terrestrial drama in the same time slot for the first time in over a year since Big Mouth last year.

My Dearest premiered alongside SBS's Friday-Saturday drama The First Responders Season 2 on the 4th. The first episode of My Dearest recorded a 5.4% viewership rating, 1.7% lower than The First Responders Season 2 with a 7.1% rating. In the 4th episode, My Dearest recorded 5.2%, while The First Responders Season 2 garnered 6.0%. The viewership gap between the two works was 0.8%. Although My Dearest couldn't overcome The First Responders Season 2 in competition, it narrowed the viewership gap, building anticipation for a potential turnaround. The 5th episode achieved the highest combined terrestrial, cable, and satellite TV viewership ratings.

Namkoong Min's "box office magic" is once again drawing attention. His potential for winning the Grand Prize at the 2023 MBC Acting Awards has risen rapidly.

Namkoong Min took the lead in last September's SBS drama One Dollar Lawyer and achieved a decisive victory against MBC's drama The Golden Spoon in the same time slot. Having significantly impacted MBC, he's now achieved the same on SBS. This year, he broke free from competition and consecutive wins in SBS's Friday-Saturday dramas. Having successfully led in SBS's Hot Stove League, One Dollar Lawyer, MBC's The Veil, and now My Dearest, he has earned the title of "King of Friday-Saturday Dramas."

Namkoong Min's achievement of leading My Dearest to the top of the time slot ratings is building anticipation for his performance at the 2023 MBC Acting Awards. In 2021, he won the Grand Prize at the MBC Acting Awards for The Veil. While it might be too early to mention the Acting Awards due to the remaining MBC drama lineup in the second half of the year, there's no denying that Namkoong Min has no competitors regarding the viewership ratings that he is leading in My Dearest.

This year's MBC Friday-Saturday drama lineup includes Kokdu: Season of Deity, Joseon Attorney: A Morality, and Numbers, all with the highest ratings in the 4% range. In this context, Namkoong Min's My Dearest achieved ratings in the 8% range. With the situation exceeding the 10% range, Namkoong Min has emerged as the most successful actor of 2023 MBC dramas.

Surpassing Kim Rae Won's lead in The First Responders Season 2, Namkoong Min is a formidable figure in Friday-Saturday dramas. In 2023, whether he will become the lead at the MBC Acting Awards through My Dearest is attracting keen attention.

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