‘Thirty-nine’: JTBC drama rating rises despite Knetz slamming extramarital affair plot
JTBC drama ‘Thirty Nine’ has faced many highs and lows since its premiere. While the first episode only got a 4.406% rating, the recent 8th episode garnered an impressive 8% rating. What has surprised observers is that the drama which received heavy backlash for glorifying extra-marital affairs seems to be doing really well. Is it because of the series’ actors or the bold move of breaking taboos?
Korean actresses Son Ye Jin, Jeon Mi Do, and Kim Ji Hyun star in 'Thirty-Nine', a JTBC drama that centers around three friends who met in their sophomore year of high school and are now approaching their 40s. Cha Mi Jo, the head dermatologist of a Gangnam clinic, is played by Son Ye Jin. Jung Chan Young, an acting teacher who formerly aspired to be an actor, is played by Jeon Mi Do, and Jang Joo Hee, a department store cosmetics manager, is played by Kim Ji Hyun. Jung Chan Young gets diagnosed with cancer and so Cha Mi Jo and Jang Joo Hee set out to make it the best year of her life.
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The series’ eighth episode on March 18 saw a huge boost in viewership ratings, according to Nielsen Korea. The drama's most recent airing received an 8 percent nationwide average rating. Despite the backlash, the intense growth of the series has baffled viewers. Speaking of the backlash, the series was slammed for showing romantic interest between Jung Chan Young and a married man Kim Jin Seok. While Kim Jin Seok has been the love interest of Jung Chan Young for years, the present scenario of them giving emotional support to each other was criticized.
Cha Mi Jo's high school friend, Kim Jin Seok, has long been Chan Young's love interest. Chan Young, however, was unable to accompany Jin Seok to study abroad after high school due to her family's circumstances, and they broke up at that time. He eventually meets and marries Kang Sun Joo when she becomes pregnant. He continues to see Chan Young, though, as he reciprocates her affections. They go to the movies and provide emotional support for each other, but he never crosses the physical line into cheating. Later the series showed how Kim Jin Seok asks for a divorce from his wife, quarrels, and eats dinner with Chan Young.
Following that, Kim Jin Seok’s wife arrives to fight with Chan Young during dinner but Cha Mi Jo confronts her and begs her to let Chan Young enjoy the time with the man she used to love. While it is clear that Cha Mi Jo did this to give her cancerous friend a good memory, Knetz did not like the way the series made extra-marital affairs look okay. The character of Chan Young was bashed for being portrayed this way. But despite the backlash, the series has been evidently doing great. What are your thoughts?