'Crushology 101' has kickstarted the global success of K-romance.

Kakao Entertainment (CEO Kwon Ki-soo and Jang Yoon-joong) announced on the 16th that the MBC Friday-Saturday drama 'Crushology 101' (directed by Kim Ji-hoon/written by Seong So-eun, Lee Seul/produced by Kakao Entertainment) ranked first in 19 countries, including Italy, Switzerland, and Spain, immediately after its simultaneous release in 106 countries worldwide on the 11th.

In particular, on KOCOWA+, which services 88 countries including North America, Central and South America, Europe, and Oceania, the show ranked second globally, and it also secured second place on Japan's U-NEXT, gaining high popularity in various countries. As KOCOWA+, U-NEXT, and platforms such as Viu in Southeast Asia and Amazon Prime Video's Channel K in India have simultaneously released the program globally, expectations are high for its upward trend.

'Crushology 101' tells the story of Bunny (played by No Jung-yi) who, after a disastrous first romance, finds herself entangled with attractive men who unexpectedly come into her life. It is based on the popular Kakao webtoon of the same name.

Recently emerging as a role model for the 1020 generation, actor No Jung-yi portrays Bunny's chaotic romance with bright and lovely charm. Additionally, Lee Chae-min as Hwang Jae-yeol, who possesses the 'crispy outside, chewy inside' charm, Jo Jun-young as Cha Ji-won, a chaebol heir with looks, personality, and abilities, and Kim Hyun-jin as Jo Ah-rang, a star sculptor active under the name 'J.' Each of Bunny's 'brothers' adds humor by highlighting their characters' individuality with their distinct charms. Through episodes 1 and 2, curiosity peaked on who among Bunny's 'brothers' will become her boyfriend as their respective stories unfold.

The domestic viewership ratings were below expectations. The rating for the first broadcast on the 11th was reported at 1.3% (according to Nielsen Korea's nationwide standards), while the second episode showed 0.9%. Compared to the previous work 'Undercover High School' starring Seo Kang-jun, which recorded 5.6% for the first episode and 5.8% for the final episode, these results fall short of expectations. However, attention is focused on whether the overseas response can offset such embarrassment.

[Photo] OSEN DB, poster

[OSEN]