100 Days of Deception climbs to top drama popularity ranking

Kim You-jung's '100 Days of Deception' reached first place in the integrated TV-OTT drama popularity rankings for the fourth week of October, overtaking 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia' after climbing one rank each week since its October 10 premiere.

Kim You-jung's '100 Days of Deception' has overtaken Kim Ji-won's 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia', which had held the top spot for two consecutive weeks, to become the number one drama in the integrated TV-OTT popularity rankings. After starting in third place during the early stages of its broadcast, the series demonstrated a steep upward trend by climbing to second and finally reaching the top position.

According to the integrated TV-OTT drama popularity rankings for the fourth week of October (October 19–25) announced by Good Data Corporation's FUNdex via official social media on the 26th, the tvN 20th Anniversary special weekend drama '100 Days of Deception' took first place. The series reached the summit just three weeks after its premiere on the 10th, drawing attention with a steady upward curve as it climbed one rank each week.

'100 Days of Deception' is a 100-day spy romance centered on Gyeongseong's top pickpocket, who becomes a spy, and an elite interpreter for the Government-General of Korea, as they encounter each other in the heart of enemy territory. Set during the Japanese colonial period, the drama combines the tense relationship of characters who must hide their identities and status with elements of romance. The unfolding of unpredictable events and the emotions blooming in a situation where they must remain wary of one another are stimulating viewer curiosity.

The popularity ranking has risen steadily since the beginning of the broadcast. After debuting in third place in the second week of October, '100 Days of Deception' rose to second in the third week and finally secured first place in the fourth week. The early success is particularly notable as the series did not jump to the top instantly but instead grew interest among viewers in stages. Led by Kim You-jung, the performances of Kim Hyun-joo, Lee Moo-saeng, and Jin Seon-kyu enhance immersion, while special appearance Kam Woo-sung also contributes to driving the popularity.

A particularly striking aspect of this ranking is the shift in position with 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia'. The SBS Friday-Saturday drama starring Kim Ji-won showed a powerful presence by recording first place for two consecutive weeks in the integrated TV-OTT drama popularity rankings during the second and third weeks of October. However, in the fourth week, it fell to second place as '100 Days of Deception' took the lead. Interest is focused on the competitive dynamic between the two dramas, as a new series overtook a work that had held the lead for some time in its third week of broadcast.

Beyond popularity, '100 Days of Deception' is also maintaining an upward trend in viewership ratings. The sixth episode, broadcast on the 25th, recorded 9.5% based on Nielsen Korea's paid platform nationwide households, breaking its own highest viewership record. As the tension in the story intensifies following the first broadcast, viewer interest is growing as the spy narrative and character relationships become fully intertwined.

'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia' is also demonstrating significant commercial power. It has driven high ratings, recording a personal best of 19.5% with a peak instantaneous rating reaching 21.3%. However, since the popularity ranking is an index that comprehensively measures online reactions and interest in a program separately from viewership ratings, this reversal in ranking does not immediately imply a superiority in the ratings competition. 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia' maintains its presence through high ratings, while '100 Days of Deception' asserts itself by topping the popularity rankings.

In the integrated TV-OTT drama popularity rankings for the fourth week of October, ENA's Monday-Tuesday drama 'Between Steps' ranked third following 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia', and KBS 2TV's Saturday-Sunday mini-series 'A Love Other Than Yours' ranked fourth. tvN's Monday-Tuesday drama 'Love In Disguise' placed fifth, and JTBC's Saturday-Sunday drama 'Final Table' ranked sixth. Following these, KBS 2TV's weekend drama 'Love on the Menu' was seventh, the Netflix series 'Recharge Me' was eighth, the TVING original 'The Ordinary Jackpot' was ninth, and the TVING original series 'Make Me Tingle' was tenth.

Attention is focused on whether '100 Days of Deception', which has steadily raised its rank since the beginning of the broadcast, can continue its upward momentum in viewership ratings following its rise to first place in popularity. Whether 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia' will attempt to reclaim the top spot is also a point of interest. As both works are being chosen by viewers for their different charms, attention is directed toward whether the landscape of the popularity competition will shift once again in the last week of October.

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