The Monday-Tuesday drama war between “Business Proposal” and “Military Prosecutor Doberman”, the real winner is Kakao?
While both “Business Proposal” and “Military Prosecutor Doberman” are competing as hit dramas of the Monday-Tuesday drama market, the real winner is Kakao Entertainment, not any broadcaster or drama.
Recently, SBS Monday-Tuesday drama “Business Proposal” and tvN Monday-Tuesday drama “Military Prosecutor Doberman” have captivated viewers with different charms. “Business Proposal” received 11.6% while “Military Prosecutor Doberman” reached 8.8%, ranking first and second in ratings of the same timeslot respectively. However, among them, the winner turned out to be not “Business Proposal” or “Military Prosecutor Doberman“, but Kakao Entertainment who was involved in the production of both series.
According to broadcasting insiders, both “Business Proposal” and “Military Prosecutor Doberman” are works produced by Kakao Entertainment. “Business Proposal” was planned by Kakao Entertainment and produced by Cross Pictures, its affiliated production company. The original is also a popular webtoon titled “Business Proposal” on Kakao Page. Accordingly, Kakao Entertainment planned and produced the drama using the Originals Story IP. The “Military Prosecutor Doberman” was also produced by Logos Film, a subsidiary of Kakao Entertainment.
Moreover, “Business Proposal” and “Military Prosecutor Doberman” are showing a rise in popularity with a clear division of target viewers. “Business Proposal” is a romantic comedy work with a lively atmosphere that provides a comic-like and pleasant charm which is different from reality. On the other hand, “Military Prosecutor Doberman” showcases action scenes and provides cider-like development as well as cataclysmic on more realistic topics.
In particular, as “Business Proposal” is a romance movie in which the chemistry between the male and female characters is important, the main cast have received many positive reviews from the audience. Some even said that actor Ahn Hyo-seop, who plays the male protagonist Kang Tae-moo, and actress Kim Se-jung, who plays the female protagonist Shin Ha-ri, have emerged as the next generation of melodrama king and queen after adjusting perfectly to the series’s pace that is not like any common Cinderella story. Thanks to this, “Business Proposal” soared to 13.2% per minute on the 29th of last month. The ratings from audiences in the age group of 20 to 49 also reached 4.7%.
Its performance in the global OTT market is also noteworthy. On Feb 30th, “Business Proposal” topped the global top 10 in the non-English category, released by Netflix based on its viewing data from Mar 21th to 27th, with 30.94 million viewing hours. The series has been widely loved in various countries in Asia, including Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, and has maintained a stable ranking on the global chart.
In addition, although the original webtoon is already a complete work, its number of views has soared 10 times in Thailand and 13 times in Indonesia and Taiwan since the drama was aired. Not just in Southeast Asia, on Japan’s Piccoma the webtoon’s sales doubled just before the drama was aired. It also ranked second in cumulative sales in the first week of March on Tapas in North America, continuing its popularity around the world.
On the other hand, “Military Prosecutor Doberman” of Logos Film, which produced “Vincenzo,” “Police University,” “Miss Lee,” and “Good Manager,” is the first drama to feature military courts based on its know-how. The series is drawing attention by unraveling the unfamiliar material of “military prosecutor” with well-organized content. In particular, it provides a pleasant catharsis by pointing out social issues such as the illegal video shooting and distribution case, military doctor corruption, and defense corruption. Recently, it latest episode was postponed due to the broadcast of the final qualifying round for the Qatar World Cup, but it recorded up to 12% per minute in the 8th episode aired on Mar 22nd.
Amid the smooth flow of those works, the value of content from Kakao Entertainment seems to have been maximized. According to broadcasting insiders, Kakao Entertainment is focusing on continuously strengthening its production capabilities with not only a dedicated organization with production capabilities but also a number of subsidiaries under its wing. Based on this, fresh materials and original storytelling are added to visualize its results as a major studio of K-content. Attention is focusing on whether Kakao Entertainment, which has become a true winner amid the competition between “Business Proposal” and “Military Prosecutor Doberman,” will continue its streak with other highly prepared works in the future.
