Michelle Topham 
It appears the massive ratings trajectory Korean drama The Judge Returns jumped onto yesterday has not died down as, after seeing an enormous ratings increase on Friday night, The Judge Returns, Episode 6 grabbed an even higher audience share on Saturday.
According to Nielsen Korea, The Judge Returns, Episode 6 jumped from Friday night’s nationwide rating of 10.0 percent to last night’s 11.0 percent — another full 1.0 percent increase in its audience to add onto the almost 5.0 percent increase the MBC drama garnered on Friday.
It wasn’t just the nationwide audience that grew for the legal-themed fantasy drama either, as its ratings in Seoul also increased from Episode 5’s viewership of 10.1 percent to Saturday night’s 11.4 percent.
A superb feat considering how much K-drama competition there is on Saturday evenings.
So yep, it looks like The Judge Returns’ popularity isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
Then again, when even the often-grumpy international audiences are praising the drama’s writing and performances, you know it’s good.
International user comments after Episode 6 airs
The comments from international users on various platforms have been getting more and more positive as each new episode drops.
After The Judge Returns, Episode 6 aired, comments on various sites ranged from one user praising MBC’s ability to produce thrillers:
After one mind numbing 2025, MBC is back to it’s reign of terror era. It shows why MBC is best at producing mystery thriller dramas.
to another commenting about the attention the MBC drama itself is earning, and how well Ji Sung is performing as Lee Han Yeong:
This drama seriously deserves more attention. Loving how unexpected things actually happen, Lee Han Yeong isn’t always in control, and he genuinely grows as a person.
Ji Sung plays him so well too with how he can be playful, clever, remorseful, and intense when he needs to be. His character feels smart without being unrealistically perfect, and even the morally questionable things he does are on his own terms for the greater good in this life.
while another talks about lead Ji Sung standing out among judges:
Ji Sung picks the best stories to star in!! Revenge judges are everywhere in dramas but he’s turning out to be one of the coolest ones!
Overall, it is difficult to find negative comments about the plot, direction or cast of The Judge Returns, as almost every one is positive and proving how much most viewers are enjoying the Korean drama.
The MBC Friday/Saturday drama stars Ji Sung, Park Hee Soon, and Won Jin Ah.
Look out for its next episode premiering on Friday, January 23rd.
And, if you haven’t begun watching the K-drama yet, but love a legal story with a twist, this one features the twistiest of twists. You will love it.
About the Author
Rachel M. Reeves