Monday, 12 December 2016

Lee Joon Gi Deserves The Daesang




LEE JOON GI
DESERVES
THE DAESANG



























RUMOURS OR REALITY?






SBS Daesang Nominees
(Fr l) Kim Rae Won, Jo Jung-suk, Jun Ji-hyun and Han Suk-kyu



(fr. L) Han Suk-kyu, Kim Rae Won and Lee Joon Gi




It was rumoured that Lee Joon Gi’s name had been taken off the nomination list for the Daesang award for the year-end 2016 SBS Drama Awards. It seemed the nominees were Kim Rae Won, Jo Jung-suk, Jun Ji-hyun and Han Suk-kyu. And then another piece of news appeared. The new nominees are Lee Joon Gi, Kim Rae Won, and Han Suk-kyu. So far, SBS has not made an outright announcement.

The award show would be held on New Year’s Eve, 31 December 2016. Every year, the drama awards shows of the various South Korean broadcasting stations become a perfectly fascinating and entertaining spectator sport for all the viewers. This year who emerges as the top winner at the SBS show remains to be seen.






2016 is Lee Joon Gi’s year. Lee Joon Gi should be crowned and be awarded the Daesang.

Anyone who argues that Lee Joon Gi should not be nominated for and presented with the Daesang because of the so-called ‘not so high’ ratings for his drama, Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo (compared to KBS2’s Moonlight Drawn By Clouds and the more highly rated SBS dramas), ought to have their brains examined for the fragility of their logic.

The pertinent question asked is: ‘Is the Daesang an award for the popularity of a drama or for the acting ability and the performance of an actor?

Some people have a superficial understanding of the traditional Rating System. They are blind to the reality or are just plain ignorant or perhaps, are too pig-headed to see the truth. They allow manipulative people and other misguided people to pull the wool over their eyes.

Anyway, to the educated, perceptive and discerning mind, the traditional drama index* is an unreliable gauge to measure the worth and the popularity of a drama, what more, the acting ability / performance of an actor.

Other data should be taken into consideration when awarding the Daesang.

Lee Joon Gi’s South Korean and global fans will certainly bristle with incredulity and be justifiably outraged if he is not nominated and given the Daesang for his awesome performance in the spellbinding drama. Will it then be a bitter pill for the ‘two doctors’ to swallow if the Fourth Prince, Wang So, takes the crown? No one, not even the other drama stars, should grudge Lee Joon Gi his moment of triumph.













REPORTS AND STATISTICS









DOMESTIC DRAMA RANKINGS
(AGB NIELSEN & TNmS)
MLSHR versus MDBC








LEE JOON GI
A CUT ABOVE THE REST





Let me state my argument immediately: it is high time that we express our appreciation for AMAZING actors like Lee Joon Gi and ignore the ratings systems. Lee is a sterling actor and has better achievements compared to the other actors who are vying for the top award, The Daesang.

Every thinking adult, without resorting to the drama ratings,  can determine at once that KBS2's Moonlight Drawn By Clouds and the other SBS dramas are nowhere as compelling as Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo. They can also point out that Lee Joon Gi is a a far superior actor than Park Bo-Gum, and Lee’s performance is also by far, better than that of the other SBS actors.

There is a common misconception that the traditional AGB Nielsen and TNms TV ratings are an accurate picture of drama popularity. The thinking public have issues with its accuracy and potential bias. It is nothing short of shocking that certain groups of adults still believe in the accuracy of such ratings in defining the worth of an actor!

For those who want to have a clearer picture of the ratings system should read the discussion in the Soompi site. The grasp of the situation may demand some measure of sophisticated understanding of the rating systems.




https://forums.soompi.com/en/topic/5154-lee-joon-gi-%EC%9D%B4%EC%A4%80%EA%B8%B0/?page=1550


*Read







CONTENTS POWER INDEX
(CPI)
MLSHR versus MDBC





CONTENTS POWER INDEX (CPI)


Not every popular actor is a sterling actor, but every time, there is a poll, besotted fans inevitably cling to their favourite actor. Is polling an indicator of popularity? Don’t even mention polling to critical thinkers. Like what such thinkers would say, ‘It’s like opening a can of worms!’

If the executives of the broadcasting station already know what they are looking for, why is it so difficult to decide?

Can the Contents Power Index (CPI)  be of any use in the decision? Perhaps, in a way. Even if one has a nagging doubt that it may not accurately reflect the situation, it is at least, more accurate than the other rating system.

Some Kdrama viewers may not know that the Contents Power Index (CPI) was developed in 2012 by CJ E & M, an entertainment company with the media rating company, Nielson Korea. The results are  announced weekly. Nielson Korea is also involved in the traditional ratings system.

CJ E & M analyses data captured on a wider basis to determine the popularity of TV shows based  on buzz rankings involving social media, direct search rankings on portal websites and Internet news subscription rankings.


SBS’S MOON LOVERS – SCARLET HEART: RYEO
IS CROWNED
THE MOST INFLUENTIAL TELEVISION SHOW
(CJ  E & M CORPORATION)








According to KPop Herald, SBS’s Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo ‘was crowned the most influential television show for the first week of September’. The data was announced by the CJ  E & M Corporation.

Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo  premiered on 29 August 2016 with the national viewership ratings of 7.4 %  compared to the highly popular Moonlight Drawn By Clouds (18.8%) which later broke through the 20% rating mark.

Despite the so-called ‘not so high’ ratings, the drama,  Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo took first place with a record of 294.3 Contents Power Index (CPI)*, even surpassing KBS2’s Moonlight Drawn By Clouds (274.4). MBC’s hit variety show, ‘Infinite Challenge’ was in 4th place. The data, for the first week of September (29.08.16 – 04.09.16), was released on 12 September 2016. (source: The KPop Herald / Yibada  16 September 2016)


The announcement must be highlighted as it seemed rather controversial. The AGB Nielsen & TNmS TV ratings for  KBS2’s Moonlight Drawn By Clouds were more than double the TV ratings of SBS's Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo, and yet the latter was able to beat its rival soundly in the CPI ratings. These conflicting ratings reports seem to be rather interesting.

However, what must be noted is the fact that Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo has been consistently rated either 1st or 2nd on CPI.

The viewership ratings of SBS’s Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo, in South Korea were decent and had continued to rise, though slowly, against stiff competition from the KBS2 drama, Moonlight Drawn By Clouds which had quite high ratings throughout. The ratings for Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryo reached its highest nearing the end of its broadcast period, and the drama was the top drama among the other dramas on the other South Korean channels.

The 15.11.16 Yonhap news reported that Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo  topped the CPI list with 279.5 following the broadcast of its final episodes.

So, do we have to take the drama war between the various broadcasting stations that seriously?

Other than the CPI or the traditional ratings index, other data have to be factored into the analysis for the ‘drama popularity’ and 'actor popularity' ratings. 







CONTENTS POWER INDEX
(CPI)
MLSHR versus The Other SBS Dramas






THE SBS DRAMAS


Perhaps, SBS should instead concentrate on comparing the various dramas under its big umbrella.

If the reports are correct, the dramas which are in competition with Moon Lovers - Scarlet Heart: Ryeo are Doctors (Kim Rae Won), Jealousy Incarnate (Jo Jung-suk), Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim (Han Suk-kyu) and The Legend of the Blue Sea (Jun Ji-hyun).

Other than MLSHR, only two other dramas are completely aired in 2016 - Doctors and Jealousy Incarnate. 

The final episodes of the other two dramas 'Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim' and 'The Legend of the Blue Sea' would be aired in January 2017. Should the lead actor / actress be even considered for the Daesang in such a situation? Shouldn’t they be considered for the 2017 awards?



MLSHR / DOCTORS / JEALOUSY INCARNATE
CONTENTS POWER INDEX
(CPI)



Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo was placed first and registered a total of 294.3 points in the first week of September.

If the figures are compared, Doctors (which was aired before Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo) loses to Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo in terms of points.

According to Soompi’s report on 25 July 2016, SBS’s Doctors had taken the top spot in the weekly CPI rankings. It recorded a total of 264.7 points for the second week of July (11 – 17 July), which was below MLSHR’s highest rank. The CPI ranking points for Jealousy Incarnate were also lower than those for MLSHR.

Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo topped the CPI list with 279.5 following the broadcast of its final episodes, according to Yonhap news on 15.11.16. 







FOOD FOR THOUGHT
DATA FROM
THE VARIOUS DRAMA WEBSITES








There is a phenomenal number of comments on Lee Joon Gi’s performance and on MLSHR from the various drama websites. It is difficult to determine the nationalities of those making the comments. They could be South Koreans but probably, many are global viewers.

Some of the data have been tabulated below but how would one interpret the figures in the tables?  The comments are, in large measure, a response to the drama. It has been argued that the more comments or the more buzz produced by a drama, the better the drama.

The data below are taken from two drama websites on the Internet, namely Soompi and Asian Wiki, as the sites have comprehensive data of viewer comments on South Korean dramas.

The data in the tables show the number of comments about the more popular SBS dramas, namely, Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart Ryeo, Doctors, Jealousy Incarnate, Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim (Incomplete) and The Legend of the Blue Sea (incomplete).

In the argument to show why Lee Joon Gi should be the Daesang of SBS, the very popular dramas from KBS2, Moonlight Drawn By Clouds and Descendants From The Sun are also included in the comparisons. This is because the dramas of the actors, Song Joon Ki (Descendants From The Sun) and Park Bo-Gum (Moonlight Drawn By Clouds) are more highly rated than Lee Joon Gi’s drama, Moon Lovers –Scarlet Heart: Ryeo.

Based on the data for the various dramas shown here, Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart Ryeo, has a phenomenal amount of buzz. It is reasonable to assume that only the most excellent drama generates a phenomenal amount of buzz or the most amount of buzz.

When a drama has a lot of viewers talking excitedly or passionately about it, it only serves to show the overwhelming enthusiasm and excitement of the crowd, even if some of the comments are negative. These are not the only sites that show how popular MLSHR is. Many other sites including the video streaming sites show the popularity of MLSHR.

There are thousands upon thousands of comments from the audience in some sites. For some of the more exciting or interesting episodes of the 20-episode drama, there are over a thousand comments for each episode! 

In certain sites, if the comments are too negative, non-constructive or vicious, one raises the question of the critics’ motives. Has the mud-slinging been carried out because the drama, Moon Lovers - Scarlet Heart Ryeo could be a hot / real competitor against their favoured drama, or could the awesome actor, Lee Joon Gi, be a real threat to their favourite actor?

However, there is another convincing explanation. If the drama is being criticised viciously, it means that the drama is worthy of the viewer’s attention and time. A drama that is deemed inferior or mediocre would not be panned so viciously by viewers.

Look at all the sites where the dramas discussed are awful or have low viewer rates.  The dramas are already knocked out in the first place and down for the count. The drama sites look like a graveyard. The only person discussing them is probably the person employed to write about them; being both the contributor of the post and the commenter!

But, of course, all over the Internet and in all neutral drama sites, professional websites, drama streaming sites, one can read a lot of opinions in favour of Lee Joon Gi and his drama, Moon – Lovers Scarlet Heart: Ryeo.

Despite Park Bo-Gum and Song Joong-ki’s dramas being rated highly as compared to Lee Joon Gi’s drama Moon Lovers –Scarlet Heart: Ryeo, there is a significantly lower number of people talking about them. It is apparent that Park and Song’s dramas are ludicrously overrated.

In fact, Lee Joon Gi and his drama, MLSHR, have overshadowed the two KBS2 actors and their dramas in terms of the online buzz and the number of favourable comments.

The passion and the enthusiasm of the viewers and the astounding number of comments serve to show the anomalies in the rating systems. And inevitably, they reflect positively on Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo as they show that the drama is the most excellent and hottest drama based on the phenomenal amount of social media buzz generated.

The other SBS dramas, Doctors and Jealousy Incarnate have also failed to generate as much buzz as Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo.

The other two dramas, Romantic Doctor – Teacher Kim and The Legend of the Blue Sea have not even finished airing. Are the leading actor / actress in line for the award too? They and their dramas have also not produced the expected buzz.

All the SBS dramas mentioned here really cannot compete with Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo. And none of the lead actors of those dramas have received the kind of glowing and critical domestic and universal praise lavished or heaped on Lee Joon Gi for his acting prowess.

Moreover, one or two of the names of the SBS thespians are hardly known around the world.

South Korea and SBS should have pride in its cultural achievements – of having produced such an amazing star like Lee Joon Gi. SBS must present the Daesang to Lee Joon Gi this year. Lee’s performance is the most memorable and extraordinary of all time, and MLSHR is the most spectacular drama of 2016.

Ratings are not that important. If ratings are so important, then SBS should have, in 2008, presented Lee Joon Gi with the Daesang for his drama, Iljimae, whose highest rating was 31.4%. Instead the Daesang went to the 21 year old Moon Geun-young. The highest rating for her drama, Painter of the Wind was only 16.1%.



Iljimae



This year, Lee Joon Gi has been critically acclaimed for his performance in Moon Lovers- Scarlet Heart: Ryeo and if he is not presented with the Daesang, would the world think that SBS is prejudiced against Lee Joon Gi? Should there be a miscarriage of justice, plenty of fans would never forgive SBS, even if they don’t air their grievances afterwards.




Updated







THE AGB NIELSEN & TNmS
RATING SYSTEMS SHOULD NOT BE USED TO DETERMINE THE DAESANG




Kim Kyu-Tae



Lee Joon Gi, and Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo (MLSHR), which is helmed by the director Kim Kyu-Tae,  have made a splash in many parts of the globe. Lee and the drama’s international fan base have expanded quite astoundingly.

Peoples of all nationalities in different countries across the world, who have watched the drama, are awed not just by the drama itself but also by the incredible acting of Lee Joon Gi.

But the fans and admirers of Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo have the satisfaction of knowing that although Moonlight Drawn By Clouds may have done well on the home front, it is nothing to speak of in the international arena. 

The KBS2 drama has been very much overshadowed by SBS’s Moon Lovers – Scalet Heart: Ryeo and cannot compete on the international sphere. Acceptance by the global audience is the recognition of the high quality of any drama. The reception of the other SBS dramas by the overseas audience is not that impressive either.

These snippets of important information have provided all the viewers, especially fans and admirers of Lee Joon Gi and his drama, Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo, a revealing insight into the nature of ratings problem.  

The TV ratings are not a reliable  gauge of drama popularity nor an actor’s capability.

Therefore, it would be an injustice and a cause for concern if the South Korean traditional drama ratings were to be used to define ‘The Daesang’ winner. Enough said about the traditional ratings index for now.






LEE JOON GI
THE MOST POPULAR TV ACTOR
(GOOD DATA CORPORATION)





According KPop Herald’s 08.11.16 report, Lee Joon Gi has been voted ‘The most popular actor in a TV series’ based on the data compiled by Good Data Corp, an analytics company.

Good Data Corp compiles a list of popular stars from the analyses done on the data gathered from popularity polls and surveys.

Lee Joon Gi, the top star in the South Korean drama and entertainment industry has also been described as ‘No 1 For The Most Buzzworthy TV Appearance’ (Soompi), ‘The Most In-Demand Star’ (iTechPost) and ‘The Star Viewers Want To See Most’ (allKPop) by the various internet writers.






Lee Joon Gi is ranked the Number One South Korean as he has turned in a spectacular and mesmerising performance as the cold-hearted but vulnerable Fourth Prince, Wang So in his 2016 drama, ‘Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo’.






Lee Joon Gi is critically acclaimed for his vulnerable and emotional performance and has being singled out for lavish praise not only by the domestic and international audience but also by the press and critics. It is undeniable that Lee Joon Gi loses himself in the role of Wang So and is synonymous with Wang So.

‘Awesome’ is one of the best adjectives to describe Lee Joon Gi’s acting prowess. 

Lee Joon Gi is the most recognizable actor from SBS’s line-up of South Korean lead actors and the most compelling South Korean actor, and especially so in 2016.

In response to being the highest ranked, a representative of Lee said, “Lee Joon Gi is getting very favourable reviews from a number of different public opinion polls. It is all due to the public‘s love for him. Lee is very touched by the support he is getting and he has promised to express his gratitude to his fans on his tour across Asia.” 







THE GRAND AWARD
OF
KOREA GLOBAL BRAND AWARDS

(KOREAN ASSOCIATION OF
MARKETING CORPORATION)







According to Naver, ‘the SBS drama, Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo (MLSHR) has won the Grand Award of Korea Global Brand Awards in recognition of its role in the cultural exchange between China and Korea.’

The award is presented by the Korean Association of Marketing Corporation since 2013 to acknowledge the contributions to the cultural exchange between Korea and China.

MLSHR has been acknowledged to be the Hallyu ambassador in leading K-culture in China. The great Hallyu buzz that the drama has created in China has solidified K-culture’s grip on the Chinese audience.






LEE JOON GI’S
SOUTH KOREAN FANS

MLSHR
THE FIRST PLACE
IN AUDIENCE RATING
FOR ITS LAST FEW EPISODES






Those who have reservations about Lee Joon Gi and Moon Lovers’ popularity would be blown away by the fact that his drama recorded the first place in audience ratings for its last two episodes beating the other 3 Kdramas that aired at the same time.


On 1 November 2016, Lee Joon Gi hosted an event to celebrate the final episode (Episode 20) of his drama, ‘Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo with his South Korean fans and the admirers of his drama. He expressed, on his Instagram post, his surprise over the overwhelming numbers of fans and admirers (10, 000 people) who had applied to watch the drama with him. 

Out of the ten thousand people, only 598 lucky people were chosen to watch the drama with Lee Joon Gi.

The ratings for MLSHR reached its highest on that day and MLSHR was the top out of the 4 dramas of the different broadcasting stations.

If this is any indication, it only serves to show that Lee Joon Gi is very, very popular in South Korea.

















LEE JOON GI’S POPULARITY
SOUTH KOREAN FAN MEETS







It seems that Namoo Actors, Lee Joon Gi’s agency, has been in the midst of busily arranging international Fan Meets as his global fans in North America, China including Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand have been clamouring for his attention and have passionately demanded that he travels to meet them in their home countries.

Lee recently kickstarted his Asia Tour with two fan meets in Seoul, South Korea. The purpose was to meet up with his fans and to thank them.

It was reported by KPopHerald that the 1,400 tickets of his 03.12.16 fan meet were instantly snapped up in 52 seconds after it went on sale on Interpark! Lee is reported to be even more popular than Song Joong-ki and Park Bo-gum.

Subsequently, Lee’s agency, Namoo Actors was compelled to hold another fan meet on 04.12.16. Both meets were held at the Gyedang Hall, Sangmyung University in Seoul.

The huge success of the Seoul fan meets shows Lee's enormous popularity in his home country.

Lee Joon Gi has recently divulged that it takes him at least one month to prepare for his fan meets.






















REPORTS AND STATISTICS









LEE JOON GI
THE TOP
of
THE TOP TEN GLOBAL KSTARS
(STAR SEOUL TV)



Lee Joon Gi is ranked First in Global K Stars ranking.










Lee Joon Gi has the competitive advantage of being recognised as an actor most favoured by the global audience.

Star Seoul TV (SSTV) has developed a *Global Hallyu K-Star ranking system for the South Korean or Hallyu stars who are active on the domestic and international stage. It is based on domestic popularity, various global data sources, including search engine popularity.







According to KpopStarz (02.11.16), SSTV announced its weekly ranking of K stars for the third week of October (17-23 October 2016). Lee Joon Gi, the leading actor in Moon Lovers-Scarlet Heart: Ryeo ranks Number 1 (ONE) out of the top 10 South Korean stars on the list.






This list speaks for itself. It is clear evidence of Lee Joon Gi’s acting capabilities in Moon Lovers-Scarlet Heart: Ryeo and his strong domestic and international presence and popularity.

The positive impact of Lee Joon Gi's drama Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo shows that Lee (and his drama) is far superior to the other award contenders. SBS must concede that the other thespians do not measure up to Lee Joon Gi's standard. Lee Joon Gi merits the Daseung award.

Lee has a great impact not only in China including Hong Kong but also in the North and South America, Taiwan, Australia, the Middle East and South-east Asia. No actor in the list can compare to him.

Other than his Korean drama, Lee Joon Gi has claims to many other achievements throughout 2016:

Chinese Movie - Never Said Goodbye
Lotte Duty Free  KWeb Drama - First Seven Kisses
Asian Tour (South Korea / Japan Fan Meets)
Innumerable Magazine Photo Shoots
Album - Thank You
Running Man (Guest)
Etc.



*The Global K Star Ranking is based on  the analysis of data from: Baidu, the biggest portal site in China; ‘123 Fans’, the Star voting site, China;  Weibo Star Power Chart;  and the search frequency for the star and the number of their visits to the various portals.







LEE JOON GI
THE MOST SEARCHED KOREAN ACTOR IN
SINA WEIBO
(HANKYUNG)





According to *Yibada, Hankyung reported that Lee Joon Gi topped the list of ‘The Most Searched South Korean Actor’ in Sina Weibo.’ 





Hankyung is the website of the Korean national business paper, The Korea Economic daily.

Sina Weibo is a Chinese microblogging website that is akin to a hybrid of Twitter and Facebook. It is one of the most popular sites in China and frequented by over 30% of internet users.








LEE JOON GI
(NUMBER ONE)
THE TOP ACTION STAR
(Showbiz Korea)





According to Showbiz Korea (05.12.2016), the members of its audience have chosen Lee Joon Gi as South Korea’s Top Action Star although South Korea has other international action stars like Rain and Lee Byung-hun.





Lee Joon Gi is said to have showcased ‘many action moves and wowed everyone with his action sequences in Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo’.



Lee Joon Gi's action moves



Lee Joon Gi in ‘Moon Lovers - Scarlet Heart: Ryeo’



Bazaar Show (China) has also hopped on the bandwagon to find out more about Lee Joon Gi’s astounding martial arts skills.

The host of the show requested that Lee demonstrate his amazing staff fighting skills that were showcased in Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo.

Lee Joon Gi is requested to demonstrate his awe-inspiring martial arts skills
that he had used in ‘Moon Lovers - Scarlet Heart: Ryeo







But what was unexpected was that even Milla Jovovich, a world famous and critically acclaimed action actress, had gushed over Lee Joon Gi’s awesome martial arts skills!

In the video clip below, she waxes lyrical about Lee’s incredible spinning kicks. His fans understand immediately what she is referring to – his tornado kicks!









Milla Jovovich Talks About Lee Joon Gi
in
VOGUE Korea







(snippets from the interview)

'In this movie, a Korean actor, Lee Joon Gi, made an appearance. I saw the picture taken at the filming site. How was the chemistry?'

'We shot a very important scene once and he was incredible! His martial arts skills were amazing too. So he did most of his stunts himself. He was affectionate (friendly) in normal circumstances but he kept moving non-stop like a machine when the camera started to roll. He is a very talented actor.'

Translated by elly@JGfamily
05.01.17

https://www.facebook.com/notes/jgfamily/170105-milla-talks-about-joon-gi-in-vogue-korea/1489416014420098





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=879ZYwm51rs

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter - "Alice Returns" Featurette




In the video clip at 1:19 / 1:45 in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter - "Alice Returns" Featurette, Milla Jovovich mentions ‘The actors are so amazing’, and Lee Joon Gi appears on the screen.

For Milla Jovovich, a beautiful, talented and amazing world-famous actress who has done her own incredible stunts in several Resident Evil movies, to describe Lee Joon Gi in this way - ‘an amazing and very talented actor’, really means Lee is remarkable.

How many South Korean actors have been described with such enormous enthusiasm and accorded so much genuine and respectful recognition by globally famous people?








THE FANS
OF
LEE JOON GI
THE WORLD IS WATCHING









There is an unprecedented passionate and enthusiastic global response to the South Korean star, Lee Joon Gi and his drama, Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart Ryeo.






NUMBER 1 (ONE) KDRAMA
IN 
MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE
 ONE Astro Channel 393
73% VIEWERSHIP








SBS’s latest period drama, Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart: Ryeo, which is known as Scarlet Heart in Singapore and Malaysia, garnered 73% of the viewership on Channel One (ASTRO) out of the four Korean channels in Malaysia and Singapore. This is an exceedingly highly percentage.

Channel ONE, also called One TV Asia, delivers 24-hours of Korean entertainment series, variety and music programmes which are supplied by SEOUL BROADCASTING SYSTEM (SBS).

According to a HelloKPop report based on ONE TV Asia news, the drama ‘has attained new heights with Scarlet Heart being named the top-rated and Number One South Korean drama series in Singapore and Malaysia.’

What was most astounding but was music to the ears of all of Lee Joon Gi’s fans was that Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart: Ryeo had also surpassed the ratings of KBS2’s Descendants Of The Sun, SBS’s Doctors and KBS2’s Moonlight Drawn By Clouds in Malaysia and Singapore!

Since Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo is supplied by SBS to Malaysia and Singapore, the ratings for MLSHR in these two countries should also be considered in the selection of the recipient of the Daesang.

In another report, Virginia Lim, Senior Vice President and Head of Content, Production and Marketing, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia said, ‘The outstanding ratings bear testimony to Scarlet Heart’s strong appeal to fans of both Korean and Asian dramas in the region.’



‘… no.1 South Korean drama series in Singapore and Malaysia. It has also surpassed the ratings of Descendants of The Sun, Doctors and Moonlight Drawn By Clouds!’


‘… dominating with a 73 per cent share among the four Korean General Entertainment channels.’


Scarlet Heart Ryeo Dominates TV Ratings In Malaysia, Singapore







THANK YOU ASIA TOUR

SINGAPORE


MUSIC FESTIVAL

04 MARCH 2017

(7:00 - 9:00 pm)














SBS’S MOON LOVERS – SCARLET HEART: RYEO
2.4 BILLION VIEWS
YOUKU











SBS’s historical-fantasy- romance drama, Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo, ‘has 2.4 billion cumulative views on China’s biggest video platform, Youku’ according to Wikipedia.

Previously, Namoo Actors, Lee Joon Gi’s management company, announced that the drama had surpassed 2 billion views at its 18th episode. (KPop Herald – 26.10.16).



It is a milestone for the 20-episode SBS drama.


Updated 30.12.16

Now, according to Youku, it is 2.5 billion views.








THE MOST EXPENSIVE DRAMA SOLD




Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo is reported to be the most expensive Kdrama sold to China. In fact, it was sold to Youku, the Chinese broadcasting company for $400,000 per episode. The total sum is a whopping $8 million.

The star’s reputation is important and it is not surprising that the drama viewership skyrocketed and gained immense popularity not only in China but in many parts of the world due to the sterling performance of Lee Joon Gi.

One of the most popular K-dramas of 2016, KBS’s Descendants of the Sun, only sold for $250,000 per episode.

So, what does this show? It just proves the Lee Joon Gi’s reputation precedes him, and Lee Joon Gi’s popularity is so much greater than that of Song Joong-ki!












NUMBER 1 DRAMA
(KKTV)
TAIWAN







LEE JOON GI

BEST ACTOR OF THE YEAR 2016

KKTV TAIWAN

An International Award








The drama is also ranked Number 1 in live show clicks on KKTV, the Taiwan VOD service site.











Since MLSHR has topped the ratings in Taiwan, Lee Joon Gi will also bring his Asia Tour to Taiwan to thank his Taiwanese fans for their support.






His Taiwan Fan Meet would be held at the Taipei International Convention Centre on 08. 01. 2017.



THANK YOU ASIA TOUR
Taiwan


 INCHEON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

DEPART FOR TAIPEI

07.01.2017
















Lee Joon Gi Was Mobbed By Hundreds Of Screaming Taiwanese Fans

ARRIVAL AT TAOYUAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
TAIPEI
07.01.17




Lee Joon Gi shook his shoulders excitedly at the prospect of seeing his screaming fans


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppZ6DZDFCOs

Fans waited for hours  at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport 
to give Lee Joon Gi gifts









PRESS CONFERENCE
TAIPEI
07.01.2017


LJG was told that the tickets for his 08.01.17 Taipei Fan Meet were sold out





Press Event




THANK YOU ASIA TOUR
TAIWAN


LEE JOON GI’S 08.01.17 TAIPEI FAN MEET
TICKETS - SOLD OUT















Lee Joon Gi guested on IU’s show on 07.01.17 
and she returned the favour by appearing on his show on 08.01.17.




Lee Ji-Eun’s (IU) show - 07.01.17.   Lee Joon Gi and IU re-enacted 
the heartrending black cloak-and-rain scene from Moon Lovers - Scarlet Heart: Ryeo



Lee Ji-Eun’s (IU) show 07.01.17

Updated 08.01.17



Updated 09.01.17

















THE TOP DRAMA

LeEco TV
HONG KONG







In Hong Kong’s LeEco TV, Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo also stayed on top of the Kdrama ranking charts*.










Lee Joon Gi has no wish to disappoint his Hong Kong fans so he will also have his Fan Meet in Hong Kong to thank his fans for their unstinting support.








INCHEON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
DEPART FOR HONG KONG
21.01.2017











ARRIVAL AT 
HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
21.01.2017































CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES / FLORAL STANDS / GIFTS
FAN MEET VENUE










































THANK YOU ASIA TOUR
HONG KONG

22.01.17









POPULARITY IN JAPAN


THANK YOU ASIA TOUR








It was reported by PopHerald that the drama ‘Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo has also gained popularity in Japan.

It is not surprising as Lee Joon Gi has always been popular in Japan. He would be in Japan from 21.12.16 to 24.12.16 for his fan meets.  His Asia Tour will bring him to Nagoya (21.12.16), Osaka (22.12.16) and Yokohama (24.12.16).

Before that, Lee Joon Gi would be in Japan on 13.12.16 for the premiere of his movie, Biohazard 6: The Final (Resident Evil: The Final Chapter).








NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA


FIVE (5) FAVOURITE KOREAN ACTORS / ACTRESSES / DRAMAS REVEALED

American Consumer Survey







FAVORITE KOREAN ACTORS



FAVORITE KOREAN ACTRESSES



FAVORITE K-DRAMAS

“SCARLET HEART: GORYEO”
W
“Cinderella and Four Knights”






(DRAMA FEVER)



Many North and South Americans watch MLSHR through the global video platform DramaFever. Since October,  Lee’s drama had been the number 1 drama until recently.


AICAN FA



Would Lee Joon Gi fly to the US to meet his fans? Nobody knows but it is most likely. Or, is it 'Definitely'?

Just look at how passionate his fans are!
NS






NETFLIX

It is postulated that the popularity of MLSHR would continue to rise with the signing of the contract with Netflix, the biggest global streaming service company.









FANDOMETRICS
TUMBLR




In America, Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart: Ryeo is the only South Korean drama to have entered the Fandometrics Tumblr TV charts. 


For the week ending 3 October 2016, it debuted at number 18 and then moved up to number 12 on 7 November 2016.















‘Tumblr's Fandometrics is described as "pleasingly scientific rankings" of the most popular fandoms on the site. It looks similar to Tumblr's Year In Review, which tabulates the most-reblogged celebrities, GIFs, and memes of the year. The difference is that Fandometrics updates weekly, acting as a kind of Billboard chart for video games, musicians, TV shows, and web celebs.’









TWITTER




https://forums.soompi.com/en/topic/378975-drama-2016moon-lovers-%E2%9D%A4-scarlet-heart-ryeo-%EB%8B%AC%EC%9D%98-%EC%97%B0%EC%9D%B8-%EB%B3%B4%EB%B3%B4%EA%B2%BD%EC%8B%AC-%EB%A0%A4-0/?page=2099


The drama is ranked fourth (4th) in Twitter’s ‘Top Ten Most Mentioned’ list.


'Twitter is an online news and social networking service where users post and read short 140-character messages called "tweets". Registered users can post and read tweets, but those who are unregistered can only read them. Users access Twitter through the website interface, SMS or mobile device app. Twitter Inc. is based in San Francisco and has more than 25 offices around the world.'







THAI FANS






Lee Joon Gi is also very popular in Thailand and his Thai fans have also pleaded with him to hold a fan meet there especially after the airing of Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo.












AZERBAIJANI FANS









Wow!  Azerbaijani fans!












RECORD – BREAKING SALES
of
MLSHR OSTs




It is known that the sales of OSTs are a barometer of a drama’s popularity.  It is said that some of the drama's OSTs have broken records and many of the OSTs are popular with the audience.


According to Wiki2 Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, the number one OST for the drama is Chen, Baekhyun & Xiumin’s ‘For You’ (OST Part 1). It has accumulated 597,426+22 downloads since its release. Its peak position was number 5.

Davichi’s ‘Forgetting You’ ranks second by sales (KOR: 420,017+25). The OST’s peak position was at number 8. ‘Forgetting You’, powerfully sung by the popular K-pop girl group, Davichi, tells the tale of a moving love triangle of the main characters played by Lee Joon Gi (Wang So), Kang Ha-neul (Wang Wook) and IU (Hae Soo).

The sales for ‘Say Yes’ (Loco, Punch) and ‘Can You Hear My Heart’ (Epik High ft Lee Hii) are satisfactory.






"For You" (너를 위해) Chen Baekhyun Xiumin





Forgetting You - Davichi - Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo OST Part 4




(Loco, Punch) - Say Yes MV
















CONCLUSION






INTERNATIONAL FAN PROJECTS



A TRIBUTE 

TO

WANG SO ( LEE JOON GI)

AND 

MOON LOVERS – SCARLET HEART: RYEO






In the final analysis, Lee Joon Gi has what it takes to be awarded the Daesang by SBS, and Moon Lovers - Scarlet Heart: Ryeo should also be declared the best drama of 2016.