First week's rating stopped at 15~16%, but the competing historic-dramas slow pace...
The same success formula used in “Fall Fairy Tale”(Ga_Ul_Dong_Hwa) adapted…  Popularity to rise as story unfolds…



KBS 2TV mini-series ‘Winter Love Song’ forecasts a hurricane.
Starting with their 1st and 2nd episodes, ‘Winter Love Song’ has affected the ratings of SBS TV’s ‘Women’s Realm’(Yuh_In_Chun_Ha) and MBC TV’s ‘Business Belief’(Sang_Do).  The highly rated ‘Yuh_In_Chun_Ha’ fell 5~6% from 40%.  The previously ascending ‘Sang_Do’ has also slowed down.  Recording 15~16% rating for its first week, ‘Winter Love Song’ looks like it will grow in more popularity as the story unfolds.

Where does the power of ‘Winter Love Song’ come from?
‘People who eat meat likes to eat meat more…’

‘Winter Love Song’ has the required components of a hit drama-series.  First off, it’s the lead actors Bae YongJun and Choi JiWoo’s calculated partnership.  They were cast opposite each other in the ’96 drama ‘First Love’.  ‘First Love’, on July 20th of ‘97, recorded an average daily rating of 65.8%, setting a new record.  That record, since then, has never been broken even ‘til now.

Choi JiWoo’s acting that has been previously criticized has now improved significantly.  Crumbling her face against a window of a cheap bus, with various comic and childish expressions, critics agree that Choi JiWoo doesn't seem like her old self.

Another component is Director Yun SukHo.  Last year, he created the ‘Ga_Ul_Dong_Hwa’ syndrome not just in Korea, but in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Philippines.  Although the story was simple and some parts were ridiculously sentimental, he knew how to make ratings go up.

So, in return, ‘Winter Love Song’ is almost like another ‘Ga_Ul_Dong_Hwa’.  The 4 characters and their intertwined relationships, the difficult love between the two step-siblings are similar.  In ‘Ga_Ul_Dong_Hwa’, EunSuh says, “I want to become a tree.”  Likewise, in ‘Winter Love Song’, Bae YongJun’s character says, “Remember the Polaris(North Star),” to make a sign of promise.  In ‘Ga_Ul_Dong_Hwa’, the likes of falling leafs and colors of fall created the melancholy and sad moods.  In ‘Winter Love Song’, the main prop used for filming is the snow.
In ‘Ga_Ul_Dong_Hwa’, EunSuh died, shedding the tears of many viewers.  We don’t know yet, but considering Director Yun SukHo’s style, it is highly likely that this time around Bae YongJun’s character will die.

One can conclude that even though the story and seasonal background of ‘Winter Love Song’ is different, it has the same formula for a successful drama-series as ‘Ga_Ul_Dong_Hwa’.

Another strongpoint of ‘Winter Love Song’ is that the production of this drama-series was done by a company outside of KBS TV network, named PanEntertainment, which is executing vicious advertisements.

Everyone is waiting to see if the successfully formulated ‘Winter Love Song’ can put the popular historic-dramas to sleep.
List of Articles
번호 제목 글쓴이 날짜 조회 수
13 "Winter Love Song" homepage records 10,000,000+ hits... ChanHee 2002-02-07 15665
12 [Sports JoSun] KBS-2TV 'Winter Love Song' Internet Smash Hit ChanHee 2002-02-07 16601
11 No more tears. Meeting Choi JiWoo again as the girl with a pretty smile ChanHee 2002-02-07 17536
10 What people think of 'Winter Love Song' and Choi JiWoo (not an article) [3] ChanHee 2002-02-07 17321
9 [SportsSeoul] Choi JiWoo 'Winter Love Song' Love Triangle ChanHee 2002-02-07 18175
» K-2TV Winter Love Song "It's just the beginning..." ChanHee 2002-02-07 18584
7 [TodaySite] Skin-Shed Beauty Trio Fight for Viewers ChanHee 2002-02-07 17353
6 Mon/Tues PM10 'War Without Guns' (Winter Love Song part) [1] ChanHee 2002-02-07 17476
5 This is an interview of Miss JiWoo by StarJiWoo, translated in English for foreign fans... ChanHee 2002-02-07 18530
4 Choi JiWoo transforms her acting style in 'Winter Love Song' ChanHee 2002-02-07 17527
3 Choi ji woo's schedule ? STARJIWOO 2002-02-07 17922
2 Choi ji woo that popularity is on the increase in China cultural area STARJIWOO 2002-02-07 17970