Actor Park Bo-gum's action has captivated viewers, promising a smooth journey ahead.
The JTBC weekend drama 'Good Boy', which premiered on the 31st of last month, tells the story of medalists who become police officers to confront a world tainted by evil.
Directed by Shim Na-yeon, who won the TV Drama Award at the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards for 'Monster', and writer Lee Dae-il, known for 'Life on Mars' and the 'Advisor' series, this comedic action investigation drama is a collaboration of talent.
According to Nielsen Korea, the first episode recorded a nationwide rating of 4.8% among paid households, with the second episode slightly rising to 5.3%. Following the previous drama 'More Beautiful Than Heaven', which ended with a rating of 8.3%, this is a solid start.
Competing in the same time slot, tvN's weekend drama 'Unknown Seoul' recorded a rating of 5.9% on the 1st, securing the top spot on Sundays.
SBS's Friday-Saturday drama 'Gwigung' recorded ratings of 9.8% and 9.5% on May 30 and 31, respectively, maintaining its top position. MBC's Friday-Saturday drama 'Labor Attorney Noh Moo-jin' had lower ratings of 4.1% and 3.2%, trailing behind 'Good Boy'.
From the first broadcast, Park Bo-gum's character Yoon Dong-joo has drawn attention with his exhilarating action.
Yoon Dong-joo, a former boxing athlete turned police officer, cannot tolerate injustice and ends up causing an incident that leads to his demotion. After accidentally interfering in a raid operation against the Golden Rabbit Gang and causing it to fail, he is involved in an accident with an unidentified vehicle while trying to make amends. There were fatalities at the scene, and Yoon Dong-joo realizes that the hit-and-run vehicle is related to the Golden Rabbit Gang's smuggling and begins to investigate the case.
In this process, Yoon Dong-joo meets fellow police officers who each have their own stories: rookie officer Ji Han-na (played by Kim So-hyun), a shooting gold medalist; sergeant Kim Jong-hyun (played by Lee Sang-yi), a fencing silver medalist; wrestler Ko Man-sik (played by Heo Sung-tae); and discus thrower Shin Jae-hong (played by Tae Won-seok), an Asian Games silver medalist, who come together as a special investigation team.
The identity of the villain in the hidden city of Inseong quickly becomes clear. Through his relentless investigation, Yoon Dong-joo discovers that the true culprit of the hit-and-run incident is Min Joo-young (played by Oh Jung-se), a customs officer, and their confrontation is depicted at the end of the second episode, heightening anticipation for the next episode.
Notably, Park Bo-gum's transformation has caught the eye. Known for his pure and gentle first love image, he has taken on a new persona in this work, captivating viewers from the very first broadcast.
Having played the clumsy yet lovable first love Choi Taek in 'Reply 1988' and the boyish prince Lee Young in 'Moonlight Drawn by Clouds', Park Bo-gum has successfully transformed his image into that of a muscular man in this project.
In the drama, Park Bo-gum showcases his physical action by hanging onto the outside of a moving vehicle, demonstrating his core strength. Additionally, after infiltrating a paint factory and getting covered in fluorescent paint, he flaunts his well-defined back in a shower scene, exciting fans.
Before the first broadcast, Park Bo-gum expressed at the production presentation, "I turned 30 after completing my military service. I have become bolder than before. I felt like I wanted to try everything I could when I had the chance," adding, "I wanted to break my limits and show areas I hadn't been able to display, including roles and genres I hadn't tried before."
He continued, "This is the first genre I challenged after my military service, and it was an action I wanted to try at least once. Although it was physically demanding to play Yoon Dong-joo, I never felt it was hard in my heart. I wanted to hear people say, 'He looks like a real athlete' and 'He expressed it well' from those who exercise."
With a fast-paced development where both the 'Good Avengers' team and the villain appear, viewers are curious about how the story will unfold to provide satisfaction. Additionally, expectations are high for Park Bo-gum's performance, which has captured the audience's hearts from the first week of broadcasting.
'Good Boy' airs every Saturday at 10:40 PM and Sunday at 10:30 PM.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
