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| ▲ This Yonhap file photo shows Korean actress Shin Hye-sun at the media conference for ENA's new series "Dear Hyeri" in Seoul on Sept. 23, 2024. (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Oct. 21 (Yonhap) -- The ENA romance drama "Dear Hyeri," which features a protagonist with dissociative identity disorder (DID) and dual personalities, has seen a rise in viewership ratings in its latter half, drawing increased attention.
While viewers applaud lead actress Shin Hye-sun's exceptional performance in portraying two distinct personas, some express disappointment over the unrealistic and exaggerated elements of the plot.
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| ▲ These still images, provided by KT Studio Genie, shows Korean actress Shin Hye-sun as a protagonist with dissociative identity disorder (DID) and dual personalities. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
The 12-episode Monday-Tuesday drama, which began airing on August 23, centers on Joo Eun-ho (played by Shin Hye-sun), a news anchor who develops a second personality named Joo Hyeri. As of the 20th, eight episodes have been aired. Joo Eun-ho works as an anchor at a broadcasting station called "PPS" from early morning until the afternoon, and then transforms into Joo Hyeri, working in the parking management department of another network, "Media N," after hours.
At the start of the drama, Joo Hyeri believes that her life as Joo Eun-ho is merely a dream. However, during therapy, she learns from a psychiatrist that "Hyeri, you are actually the same person as Eun-ho, and the second personality has emerged."
The drama then alternates between the lives of Joo Eun-ho and Joo Hyeri, explaining the reasons behind Eun-ho's creation of a new personality. During this process, the personal struggles of key characters gradually come to light. Unable to forget his missing younger sister, Joo Hyeri, Joo Eun-ho decides to live her life in her stead. After finding a note in her diary expressing a desire to work as a parking attendant, he takes up the job at the parking facility without being officially hired.
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| ▲ These still images of Kdrama "Dear Hyeri," provided by KT Studio Genie, shows Korean actor Lee Jin-wook as Jeong Hyeon-oh. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Joo Eun-ho originally takes on his sister's life willingly, but over time, stress from work and a breakup combine to split his personality, resulting in the emergence of Joo Hyeri. He eventually loses memory of what occurs during the periods when Hyeri takes over.
The catalyst for Joo Eun-ho's severe stress and the emergence of his second personality is his breakup with Jeong Hyeon-oh (played by Lee Jin-wook), a fellow anchor with whom he had been in a relationship for eight years. When Joo Eun-ho proposes marriage, Jeong Hyeon-oh abruptly ends their relationship, declaring, "I don't believe in marriage." Despite their breakup, they continue to work at the same company for years, with colleagues aware of their past relationship. While Jeong Hyeon-oh is respected for his talent and diligence, Joo Eun-ho struggles to make a name for herself, leading to constant comparisons between the two.
Jeong Hyeon-oh's backstory reveals a troubled past. As a child, he lost his mother, who left due to his father's gambling addiction, and later lost his father in a fire. Afterward, a moneylender who had lent money to Jeong Hyeon-oh's father takes him in, on the condition that Hyeon-oh care for him in his old age. This burden of looking after the elderly moneylender is the reason he avoids sharing his struggles with Joo Eun-ho, ultimately rejecting the idea of marriage.
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| ▲ These images of Kdrama "Dear Hyeri," provided by KT Studio Genie, starring Korean actress Shin Hye-sun as a protagonist with dissociative identity disorder (DID) and dual personalities. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Meanwhile, Joo Hyeri, Eun-ho's alter ego, develops a romantic relationship with Kang Ju-yeon (played by Kang Hoon), a fellow news anchor. Kang Ju-yeon became an anchor to fulfill the dream of his older brother, who passed away five years ago in an accident while rushing to attend Kang's commissioning ceremony.
Struggling with guilt over his brother's death, he finds comfort in Hyeri, who tells him, "Being alive is a wonderful thing." As Ju-yeon's feelings for Hyeri deepen, Eun-ho becomes aware of his condition and suppresses the emergence of the Hyeri personality. Ju-yeon is shocked to discover that Hyeri, whom he thought was a parking attendant, is actually working as an anchor at another network. Eventually, Eun-ho confides in Ju-yeon about his condition, but Ju-yeon, undeterred, declares, "I'll wait until Hyeri returns," maintaining his feelings for her.
The ratings for Dear Hyeri started at 2.0% for its premiere, but have gradually increased, surpassing 3% for three consecutive episodes. The latest episode, the eighth, reached a series-high rating of 3.5%, showing a clear upward trend. This makes it the fifth-highest-rated Monday-Tuesday drama aired on ENA to date.
According to data from Good Data Corporation, which tracks TV and online video service (OTT) buzz, Dear Hyeri ranked 4th in overall TV and OTT content during the third week of September. Despite the variety of romance dramas currently offered on various TV channels and OTT platforms, Dear Hyeri has garnered the most attention.
Viewers have praised the performances of Shin Hye-sun, Lee Jin-wook, and Kang Hoon, who play characters with complex backstories. Shin Hye-sun, in particular, has been lauded for her portrayal of the lively Joo Eun-ho and the melancholic yet cheerful Joo Hyeri, earning accolades for what has been called a "performance powerhouse." She has also ranked 4th in the weekly rankings of popular actors published by Good Data Corporation.
However, there are criticisms about certain aspects of the drama, which some find unrealistic or overly dramatized. Users on review site WatchaPedia have pointed out flaws such as the scene where Joo Eun-ho, a 14-year veteran anchor, makes an on-air mistake after being shocked by news of Jeong Hyeon-oh's marriage; the portrayal of Hyeri's personality as resembling a person with intellectual disabilities; and the contrived backstory of Jeong Hyeon-oh's character.
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