"Daegun Couple" IU♥Byeon Woo-seok, openly doing "love star"…"I just quietly enjoy it"—viewers got immersed [Eck's Issue]

(Xports News reporter Kim Soo-ah) The much-talked-about drama 'The 21st Century Grand Prince's Wife' has finally unveiled IU and Byun Woo-seok, and they are thoroughly stirring up fans' intense immersion.

The new MBC Friday-Saturday drama 'The 21st Century Grand Prince's Wife' was released on the 10th.

'The 21st Century Grand Prince's Wife' is a work set in a 21st-century constitutional monarchy Republic of Korea, telling the romance of a woman who has everything as a chaebol but is frustrated because she is a commoner, and a man who is the king's son but cannot possess anything and is sad as he forges his own destiny and breaks down class barriers.

It had already drawn attention before production for bringing together actors including IU, Byun Woo-seok, Roh Sang-hyun, Gong Seung-yeon, Yoo Su-bin, and Lee Yeon, and as a winning entry in MBC's drama contest, it raised expectations for a solid story.

Proving that point, IU and Byun Woo-seok achieved the remarkable feat of ranking first and second, respectively, in the TV-OTT drama cast buzz rankings for the first week of April announced by Good Data Corporation's FUNdex, even before the release.

The first episode, aired on the 10th amid global attention, recorded a viewership rating of 7.8%, and the second episode, aired the following day, recorded 9.5%, breaking its own highest rating in just one day.

With the expected smooth run, the main stars IU and Byun Woo-seok's unusual 'love-star' content is also drawing attention.

After the two episodes aired, IU uploaded a photo to her personal channel on the morning of the 12th with the caption, "I guess I secretly enjoy driving too."

The released photo shows IU and Byun Woo-seok running along the Han River, and although the two covered their faces with hats, the smiles on their lips seem to convey how much fun they are having.

Byun Woo-seok, who shared IU's post on his own channel, said, "Do not follow me," speaking in the Grand Prince's tone from the drama, and IU added, "You said you wanted a love marriage, right?♥"

The two, who had already primed fans' intense immersion with their SNS banter before the drama's release, are now fueling that immersion with the Grand Prince couple's 'love-star' content as if they have found water after a long drought.

Not only that, IU also released behind-the-scenes photos from the set, including an unreleased two-shot selfie with Byun Woo-seok, saying, "Driving the cart, receiving the royal flower, going on blind dates, practicing archery—busy, busy life of Sung Hee-joo."

Global fans are showing enthusiastic reactions such as, "A pretty and cute grand prince couple," "I want to see the next episode quickly," "Director Sung Hee-joo, giving us behind-the-scenes content right away," and "Thank you for the beautiful photos."

Episode 3 of 'The 21st Century Grand Prince's Wife,' which will continue viewers' 'Grand Prince couple fever,' will air on the 17th at 9:50 PM.

Photo = Xports News DB, IU, Byun Woo-seok

Reporter Kim Soo-ah [email protected]