Starting quietly with ratings in the 3% range, tvN’s drama 'Our Unwritten Seoul' has pulled off a dramatic turnaround, soaring to No. 1 on Netflix Korea’s “Top 10 Series” just three days after its premiere.

On May 27, Netflix Korea’s “Today’s Top 10 Series” ranked 'Our Unwritten Seoul,' starring Park Bo Young, Park Jin Young, and Ryu Kyung Soo at No. 1. It beat out fierce competition, including SBS’s big-budget historical drama 'The Haunted Palace,' Netflix’s new release 'Dear Hongrang (Tangeum),' Kang Ha Neul and Go Min Si’s 'Tastefully Yours,' and 'Heavenly Ever After,' which just concluded on May 25 with a peak rating of 8.3%.

In 'Our Unwritten Seoul,' Park Bo Young takes on dual roles as twin sisters. The drama premiered on May 24 with a nationwide viewership rating of 3.6% (according to Nielsen Korea). Its second episode, which aired on May 25, quickly climbed to a nationwide average of 5.0% (peaking at 5.8%) and a Seoul capital area average of 5.6% (peaking at 6.5%), setting a new high for the series.

The story follows twin sisters who look identical but are completely different in every other way. One day, Yoo Mi Ji, the younger sister living in the rural town of Duseon-ri, visits her sister Yoo Mi Rae in Seoul and catches her in the middle of an attempted suicide. Shocked to discover that her seemingly successful sister, who works at a government-run financial firm, has lost the will to live due to severe workplace bullying, Yoo Mi Ji proposes they swap lives. Mi Rae accepts, and the narrative kicks into motion.

Park Bo Young’s portrayal of the twins, with contrasting personalities and subtle nuances, has earned rave reviews. She masterfully delivers not just two but effectively four versions of the characters: Mi Rae pretending to be Mi Ji, and Mi Ji pretending to be Mi Rae. From speech patterns and gazes to walking styles and emotional expression, her detailed acting has left viewers stunned, with comments like, “I’ve never seen someone do a one-person, four-role performance this seamlessly.”

In Episode 2, the sisters begin living each other’s lives and quickly face unexpected obstacles. As Mi Rae, Mi Ji tries to navigate her sister’s job using a guide her sister left behind, but ends up getting manipulated into taking on a critical project. She attempts to meet the key figure, building owner Kim Rosa (played by Won Mi Kyung), but is harshly turned away.

An even bigger complication arises when Mi Ji bumps into her first love, Lee Ho Soo (played by Park Jin Young), who had always been uniquely attuned to the real Mi Ji back in school. Suspicious of her identity, he repeatedly calls her by her real name. The episode ends with a cliffhanger as Ho Soo confronts her, saying, “Yoo Mi Ji, you’re Mi Ji, aren’t you?”

Meanwhile, Mi Rae, now living in Duseon-ri, raises eyebrows among the locals with behavior unlike her sister’s. She ends up working as a trainee for a week at Changhwa Farm under owner Han Se Jin (played by Ryu Kyung Soo). As she experiences her sister’s day-to-day life firsthand, Mi Rae begins to understand the loneliness and silent suffering her sister endured.

'Our Unwritten Seoul' avoids flashy twists in favor of a calm, emotional narrative that poses a deeper philosophical question: “Who am I, really?” Writer Lee Kang, known for 'Youth of May,' returns after four years to delicately explore loneliness and identity through everyday life. Director Park Shin Woo, of 'Our Beloved Summer' and 'Romance Is a Bonus Book,' enhances the story with lyrical visuals and a sentimental tone.

The drama is a co-production between Studio Dragon, Monster Union, and High Ground, with strong performances from supporting cast members like Park Jin Young, Ryu Kyung Soo, Won Mi Kyung, and Kim Young Ok. Notably, it ranked No. 1 in both its time slot on paid platforms and among tvN’s core 20–49 demographic, proving its strong appeal to younger audiences.

Viewers have praised it as “a classic tvN-style emotional drama we’ve missed.” After only two episodes, 'Our Unwritten Seoul' is already gaining traction through word-of-mouth. Episode 3 airs on May 31 at 9:20 PM KST.

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