Good Boy EP5 grabs HIGHEST rating – international viewers mixed on the action-packed drama
Michelle Topham 
The ongoing JTBC drama Good Boy, Episode 5 aired last night to its highest nationwide rating yet, although international viewers’ reactions are mixed about the writing and a certain actor’s performance.
According to Nielsen Korea, Good Boy, Episode 5 earned 5.94 percent of the nationwide audience share on Saturday night, which is a very nice increase from its previous episode’s 5.31 percent.
The Korean drama also performed well in Seoul, garnering 5.66 percent of the viewership, which is only slightly down from its previous episode’s 5.78 percent of the audience.
In other words, this incredibly fun and superbly-acted drama has earned a loyal audience, at least in South Korea, and is easily keeping it.
International viewers mixed about Good Boy although still giving solid ratings
The Park Bo Gum-led K-drama has been popular with international viewers ratings-wise since it premiered on May 31st, with most users of My Drama List continuing to rate it high.
Currently, Good Boy is currently being rated 8.5 out of 10 on that site — which is an excellent rating, and an increase from its 8.4 rating from last week.
Comments, however, are a mix of very positive and critical of Kim So Hyun’s performance.
Positive comments range from:
I haven’t enjoyed a K-drama this much in ages!
All the main cast performances are superb, and the plot is well-developed and fun. The action scenes are also very nicely done, and really exciting to watch.
Park Bo Gum is brilliant in his role, and Oh Jung Se is giving an EPIC performance 🙂 Couldn’t be loving this more.
to
I’m enjoying this so far, especially the action part. Park Bo Gum is super brilliant in this, he shows off his range and once again proves his worth as an A list actor. Watching him nail all kind of emotions on screen is satisfying.
but with Kim So Hyun’s performance being criticized, with the same commenter adding:
On the other hand, Kim So Hyun’s performance is quite a disappointment. I don’t know if what went wrong, but she has no soul in her eyes. She gives the same look with a slight scowl on her face no matter the situation.
Her acting looks especially flat when she shared screen with Bo Gum and Oh Jung Se. Also her looks make her far from the supposed goddess she’s described in the drama. She looks pretty, but more girl next door type of pretty.
while another agrees, but does give the Korean actress credit for her action scenes:
I hope she’s not written to have one scowl for every mood tho. It’s just her expression has been the same in all the scenes she’s in.
But her action chop is quite good, I will give her that.
And, yep, while I think Good Boy is one of the better dramas of 2025 so far, and I have happily sat through every episode and enjoyed them, I agree with the criticism of Kim So Hyun, as her expression has rarely changed in all five episodes.
That flat look she portrays in many scenes, though, is also stereotypical of a number of Korean and Chinese actresses, who seem to think playing a character that hides their emotions means their facial expression should never change.
Not once. Not ever.
Update: Good Boy Episode 6 earns even HIGHER ratings, as stills from Eps 5 and 6 also released
And it’s something I have found annoying in more Asian dramas than I can count.
The next episode of Good Boy airs tonight on Amazon Prime Video internationally, and on JTBC in South Korea.
I have a feeling its ratings might jump even further then as, regardless of what some viewers think about Kim So Hyun, myself included, we are still all tuning in.
Update: Episode 7 of Good Boy has earned a new ratings high as international viewers still loving it
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