Captivating the King hits Netflix Top 10 Most-Watched Non-English TV chart with only 4 episodes out

Photo courtesy tvN

Another Korean drama that is beginning to grab K-fans’ attention is the ongoing Captivating the King.

A historical drama starring Jo Jung Suk, Shin Se Kyung, and Lee Shin Young, and a series with some of the hottest chemistry between the main couple in a K-drama in a long while.

Last week, it appears Netflix viewers have also begun to realize the appeal of Captivating the King as the K-drama has climbed to the #7 spot on the Netflix Top 10 Most-Watched Non-English TV chart.

And it has done that with only four episodes released so far.

Captivating the King climbs to #7 on Netflix chart

According to Netflix, Captivating the King has hit the #7 spot on the Non-English TV Shows chart for the period of January 22nd to January 28th, 2024.

The drama ranked this high after being viewed more than 1.5 million times for a total of over 7.3 million hours during that week.

Considering the K-drama only has four episodes out, and Episode 4 was not released until January 28th — the last day of the data period — Captivating the King has performed even better than other dramas on the streaming platform with many more episodes released.

The historical drama was also in the Top 10 in 18 countries.

They include Nigeria, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Qatar and Greece.

What is Captivating the King about?

The Korean drama tells the story of King Lee In (played by Jo Jung Suk), an unfortunate king who was not only despised by the previous king (his now-late brother) due to being taken hostage by the Qing Dynasty, but who is also being targeted by a baduk player for revenge she believes she is owed.

 

 

The problem for baduk player Kang Hee Soo (Shin Sae Kyeon) is that she has also fallen in love with King Lee In.

The first four episodes of Captivating the King are currently streaming on Netflix in some regions, with its fifth episode due to premiere on February 3rd.

The historical drama is also seeing a massive rise in its ratings in South Korea, where it is airing on tvN every Saturday and Sunday, as it appears Koreans are just as fascinated by the drama as are Netflix’s international viewers.

 

About Michelle Topham

Brit-American journalist based in Austria,. Former radio DJ at 97X WOXY, and Founder/CEO of Leo Sigh. I've covered K-drama, K-pop, anime, and manga news for over a decade.