Heavenly Ever After Rises to No. 1 in May Drama Brand Reputation Rankings, Outshining Ratings Giants
In a surprising turn of events, JTBC’s weekend drama Heavenly Ever After has claimed the No.1 spot in South Korea’s May 2025 drama brand reputation rankings, outperforming even dramas with 20%+ viewership ratings.
Heavenly Ever After Rises to No. 1 in May Drama Brand Reputation Rankings
The monthly rankings, published by the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute, go beyond traditional ratings by analyzing public engagement across media coverage, social buzz, audience loyalty, and online influence. For this round, data was collected from over 51.34 million sources, covering 19 currently airing dramas between April and early May.
Despite a 28% drop in overall engagement compared to the previous month, Heavenly Ever After led the pack with a brand reputation index of 6.06 million. Coming in second was the historical fantasy The Haunted Palace with 4.98 million, while _For Eagle Brothers_—despite its impressive ratings—ranked third at 4.37 million.
Why Heavenly Ever After Is Winning Audiences — Beyond the Ratings
So, what set Heavenly Ever After apart?
Its emotional storytelling, bolstered by standout performances from Son Suk-ku, Kim Hye-ja, and Lim Young-woong, struck a deep chord with viewers. Keyword analysis revealed a dominance of terms like “heartwarming,” “uplifting,” and “well-acted,” helping the show achieve a remarkable 93.8% positive sentiment rate, according to the institute’s tracking.
In contrast, For Eagle Brothers, while a ratings powerhouse, lagged in brand influence due to low social media buzz and limited viral engagement. As a conventional family drama, it simply didn’t generate the same level of online discussion or fan-created content, both now key metrics in modern media influence.
The institute highlighted the importance of multi-platform resonance, noting that Heavenly Ever After stood out for its ability to connect with audiences across both broadcast and digital spaces. “Even with reduced overall metrics this month, Heavenly Ever After significantly strengthened its presence,” they noted.
As audience behaviors evolve, these rankings make one thing clear: impact, engagement, and emotional resonance are just as vital as viewership when it comes to measuring a drama’s success.
