Director Ahn Pan-seok's Final Work 'Between Steps' Starts in the 1% Range—Diverging Expectations and Ratings

'Between Steps', which garnered interest even before its broadcast due to the fact that it is Director Ahn Pan-seok's final directorial work, has taken its first step with somewhat disappointing results. Expectations were high due to the symbolism of it being the final work of Director Ahn Pan-seok, who has been evaluated as a master of realistic melodrama, combined with the meeting of young actors Choo Young-woo and Kim So-hyun, but the viewership rating for the first broadcast remained in the 1% range. The contrast is even more striking given that it follows immediately after his previous work 'New Recruit 4' concluded with its own highest viewership rating.

The ENA Monday-Tuesday drama 'Between Steps', which aired its first episode on the 5th, recorded a nationwide viewership rating of 1.762%. Previously, 'New Recruit 4', which ended on the 29th of last month, hit its own highest rating of 5.2% in its final episode. While the previous work maintained viewer interest until the end based on a steady upward trend, 'Between Steps' has started with relatively low numbers in its highly anticipated first broadcast, creating a situation where the future viewership trend must be monitored.

Above all, 'Between Steps' possessed a level of prestige that makes it difficult to easily compare with other works. This is because it is the final work directed by Ahn Pan-seok, who has portrayed subtle emotions occurring within everyday relationships and realistic melodrama through works such as 'Secret Love Affair', 'Something in the Rain', and 'One Spring Night'. Interest was concentrated before the broadcast on how the director's style, which has captured the delicate changes in characters' emotions and relationships rather than grand events or provocative settings, would be implemented in his final work.

The first episode began the story centered on the accidental meeting between Park Min-jae (Choo Young-woo), a doctoral student in mechanical engineering, and Im Yu-jin (Kim So-hyun), a master's student in clothing and textiles. Park Min-jae is a person who gave up his dream of being a swimmer after losing one leg and chose a new life. While studying mechanical engineering and pursuing a doctoral degree, his life still coexists with past wounds and the realistic concerns of having to move forward.

The first meeting with Im Yu-jin is also not grand. The two, who happened to encounter each other on a bus heading to school, begin to recognize each other through small incidents. When the nodding Im Yu-jin falls and hurts her knee, Park Min-jae hands her a handkerchief and even fixes her broken shoe heel. Although these moments may seem nothing special, they become the catalyst for the two's relationship to begin in earnest.

The two become entangled in a slightly more complex relationship when they meet again at the retirement party for Professor Kang Mi-ran of the clothing and textiles department. When Im Yu-jin's friend gets caught up in an unpleasant incident, she does not turn a blind eye and steps forward directly. Park Min-jae also accompanies her to the police station after witnessing the scene, but he creates subtle conflict with Im Yu-jin by only testifying to the facts he personally confirmed. This is a part where it is revealed that even while looking at the same situation, their ways of judging and acting differ.

Im Yu-jin does not yield her will despite Kang Mi-ran's persuasion not to escalate the incident further. Ultimately, she decides to give up her dream of clothing and textiles, even giving up the opportunity to enter graduate school. To such an Im Yu-jin, Park Min-jae steps forward to try and find evidence through the recording data of a serving robot that was present at the retirement party. Although he does not obtain a decisive result, Park Min-jae's actions, moving on her behalf, remain significant to Im Yu-jin.

The distance between the two narrows again through their common interest in manga. In particular, the scene where Park Min-jae, to the departing Im Yu-jin, borrows a line from a manga to say, "I like you. Very, very much," instantly shifts the atmosphere of the first episode into melodrama. Although they are two people who do not yet know enough about each other, it is a scene that shows their relationship has begun to change as coincidences, misunderstandings, help, and affection accumulate step by step.

There was also a change in Park Min-jae's individual emotional line. Having essentially put a period on the one-sided love he had harbored for a long time, he sets 'dating' as a new bucket list item following the advice of his lab colleagues. He tries to confess his feelings to his long-time friend Cha Seo-hyeon (Han Do-i), but ultimately abandes the confession upon learning that Cha Seo-hyeon is actually showing interest in another man instead of him. Park Min-jae's clumsy appearance in love creates a strange contrast with the title 'Between Steps' and highlights the character's human side.

Choo Young-woo calmly portrayed the emotions of Park Min-jae, who is redesigning his life while dealing with a disability, without exaggeration. Kim So-hyun also delicately expressed the complex psychology of Im Yu-jin, who is struggling between her career path and human relationships ahead of graduation. Both actors built their characters around emotional changes that seep into everyday moments rather than dramatic emotional outbursts, adding strength to Director Ahn Pan-seok's unique realistic melodrama.

However, looking only at the first broadcast viewership rating, the start was not as strong as expected. Especially since it was immediately after the previous work 'New Recruit 4' closed with its own highest record of 5.2%, the temperature difference is significant if looking only at the numbers. However, since 'Between Steps' is a work that slowly builds up character relationships and emotional lines rather than fast pacing or strong stimulation, it is too early to judge the direction of the work based solely on the initial viewership rating. Ultimately, it appears that how long Director Ahn Pan-seok's final melodrama can hold the hearts of viewers will determine its future performance.

It is also key to see how Park Min-jae and Im Yu-jin, who began their mismatched meeting in the first episode, will develop into a relationship in the future. The key observation points for the remaining broadcasts are how Park Min-jae, who has never properly learned love, and Im Yu-jin, whose dreams and future have been shaken simultaneously, will become meaningful to each other, and how deeply the 'emotions between people' that Director Ahn Pan-seok intended to show through his final work will be conveyed to the viewers.