JTBC's weekend drama 'Heavenly Ever After' has confidently claimed the no. 1 spot on the May 2025 drama brand reputation rankings. The series surpassed another highly popular show that dominated with a 20% viewer rating.
The Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute analyzed over 51.34 million pieces of big data on 19 drama series collected over the past month, evaluating brand participation, communication, media consumption, community engagement, and viewership.
Despite an overall 28% drop in data compared to the previous month, 'Heavenly Ever After' strengthened its presence and topped the list with a brand index of over 6.06 million.
In second place was 'The Haunted Palace,' a historical fantasy drama that combines dynasty politics and myth, attracting a dedicated fanbase with its weighty tone and strong production. Its brand reputation index came in at approximately 4.98 million. Ranked third was 'For Eagle Brothers,' which had recently held the top spot among weekend dramas and achieved over 20% in viewership, but fell behind in brand rankings. Its brand reputation index was around 4.37 million.
The success of 'Heavenly Ever After' in topping the brand reputation rankings is attributed to its warm and cheerful tone, strong performances from the cast, and overwhelmingly positive audience reception. In the link analysis, keywords such as “pleasant,” “heartwarming,” and “well-received” ranked high, while prominent keywords included Son Suk Ku, Kim Hye Ja, and Lim Young Woong. Sentiment analysis also showed a remarkably high positivity rate of 93.8%. The drama’s message and the harmony among its cast appear to have strongly influenced its brand image.
In contrast, while 'For Eagle Brothers' boasted dominant viewership ratings, its performance in brand reputation was underwhelming. This may be due to the nature of family dramas, which tend to receive less active discussion on social media and online communities. The drama scored significantly lower in participation and communication indices compared to 'Heavenly Ever After.'
These results reaffirm that simple viewership numbers are not enough to gauge a drama’s influence on the public. How a drama connects with audiences across various channels and platforms is proving to be a crucial factor in brand reputation. The Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute commented, “Although overall consumption, buzz, communication, and spread in the drama brand category declined from last month, 'Heavenly Ever After' stood out with a powerful presence amid the downturn.”
Other notable dramas in the top tier of the rankings included 'Resident Playbook' and 'Cinderella Game,' showcasing a diverse distribution across genres and target audiences. The rankings once again highlight that viewership does not always align with brand influence.
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