Netflix series Sweet Job reaches number one globally

The Netflix series 'Sweet Job' climbed to the top of the global non-English shows list with 8.7 million views from the 2nd to the 8th, surpassing the SBS drama 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia'. The 8-episode production reached the TOP 10 in 76 countries following its release on the 30th of last month.

The Netflix series 'Sweet Job' has demonstrated powerful momentum, climbing to the top of the global non-English shows list just two weeks after its release. After debuting at number 4 in its first week, the production significantly increased its viewership in just one week to claim the top spot. It has proven the strength of K-content once again by surpassing the SBS drama 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia' starring Kim Ji-won to become the choice of global viewers. The achievement is particularly notable as lead actor Lee Jae-wook is currently serving in the military.

According to Tudum, Netflix's official TOP 10 website, 'Sweet Job' ranked first in the global non-English shows category with 8.7 million views from the 2nd to the 8th. It reached number one in 22 countries, including South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, and Hong Kong, and entered the TOP 10 in a total of 76 countries. The initial popularity centered in Asia appears to have expanded to Europe and Latin America, growing its presence as a global hit.

Released in its entirety as an 8-episode series on the 30th of last month, 'Sweet Job' drew interest from domestic viewers from the very first week. Immediately after its release, it ranked number 1 in 'Today's TOP 10 Series in South Korea.' Within three days of release, it recorded 25.4 million viewing hours and 5 million views, starting at number 4 in the global non-English shows category. At that time, it was also named in the TOP 10 of 51 countries, including Brazil, France, Germany, India, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia.

The upward trend accelerated even more in the second week. Viewership increased from 5 million in the first week to 8.7 million, and the number of countries entering the TOP 10 expanded from 51 to 76. The hit craze that began in South Korea spread to various parts of the world in a short period. The viewership numbers released by Netflix are calculated by dividing the total viewing time of a work by its running time, serving as an indicator that considers the entire volume of the work rather than simple play counts.

The performance of Korean works was also prominent in this tally. As the SBS drama 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia' ranked 4th in the global non-English shows with 3.7 million views, two Korean works were counted as having entered the TOP 10, including 'Sweet Job.' While Korean dramas receiving attention both domestically and internationally are appearing in the rankings side by side, 'Sweet Job' achieved the most intense results by overtaking competitors to take the top spot.

The success of the work is rooted in its unique setting, which combines horror and fantasy imagination with the traditional grammar of survival-based dramas. 'Sweet Job' is a so-called 'livelihood horror' set in a staffing agency that introduces high-paying part-time jobs starting at 50 times the hourly wage. It maximizes genre-based fun by connecting the realistic survival issues of young people jumping into dangerous workplaces to earn money with bizarre and unrealistic horror.

The script was written by Gyeong Min-seon and Lee Shin-ji, with Kim Da-min directing. Lee Jae-wook, playing Hyeok-jun, a young man chased by debt, portrays a character who starts part-time work to make a living, discovers traces of his father, and continues to seek jobs even after narrowly escaping death. Go Min-si plays Yeon-ju, who uncovers the secrets of Spider Staffing, and Kim Min-ha plays Ji-yoon, the younger sister who plunges into the world of 'Sweet Job' to save her brother.

Lee Hee-joon appears as the president of Spider Staffing, who leads people to dangerous workplaces while also jumping into the field himself. Bek Hyunjin plays Min-su, Hyeok-jun's missing father, and Kim Soo-jin plays his mother, Seon-hui. Mime artist and circus performer Lee Seong-hyeong participated as Pierrot, performing the role himself. Choi Hyun-wook and Yoon Kyung-ho also appeared in the early episodes, adding tension to the drama. The characters and events created by these distinct actors in different episodes constitute the diverse horror of the work.

The unique art and spatial direction of the filming site are also cited as differentiating factors. Released behind-the-scenes stills show the production design that realized the filming sites and various part-time job spaces. Lee Jae-wook performed action scenes in a so-called 'rotating' set where the entire hallway of an officetel rotates, and Go Min-si was seen checking the monitor to review scenes between takes.

Director Kim Da-min explained that a key color was set for each part-time job episode and reflected in the lighting and art to complete different atmospheres. In the milk delivery episode, the officetel was given distinct spatial characteristics for each floor, and a unique visual texture was achieved by filling the walls with murals. The laboratory where clinical trials are conducted, the tower of human bones, the TV show set within Hyeok-jun's trauma, and the space in the episode based on a twisted fairy tale of the Three Little Pigs were all realized with different colors and atmospheres. In particular, a theme park was completed by directly constructing a set spanning 1,000 pyeong.

The direction, which transforms realistic labor spaces into stages of bizarre horror, provides new spectacles in every episode. The danger lurking behind the sweet condition of 50 times the hourly wage, the situation of young people who must take risks for their livelihood, and the human desire revealed in that process mesh with the genre tension. It is interpreted that the work stimulated the curiosity of global viewers by not simply listing grotesque incidents, but by twisting realistic subjects like labor and survival into the form of horror.

The achievement of the work is even more eye-catching given the absence of lead actor Lee Jae-wook. Having enlisted on May 18 and currently serving in the army, Lee Jae-wook was in a situation where it was difficult to participate directly in promotional activities ahead of the release. He drew attention by making a surprise appearance at the Busan International Film Festival open talk with short hair wearing a hat and mask, and later sent greetings via a video message for the production presentation held in Seoul.

"I feel very regretful that I cannot be there with you," Lee Jae-wook said at the time, adding, "I will be cheering for and waiting for 'Sweet Job' while fulfilling my national defense duties in the place where I am. I will return to see you again in good health." He further requested interest and support for the work. Although he could not fully participate in the promotional schedule due to his military service, the work is achieving greater-than-expected results by being chosen by global viewers.

Attention is focused on whether 'Sweet Job,' which rose from 4th globally in its first week to number one in its second week, can maintain its top position in the third week. It remains to be seen how far the series, with its unique genre setting, the acting of the actors, and the differentiated spatial direction in each episode, will continue its global success. 'Sweet Job' is available to watch on Netflix.

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