To My Beloved Thief, Ep 2 earns ratings rise – great indicator for its future performance
Michelle Topham 
K-Drama To My Beloved Thief Sees a Small Nationwide Ratings Increase in Episode 2
I was happy to see KBS 2TV’s superb historical romantic fantasy To My Beloved Thief continue its promising start this weekend, as the drama saw a modest uptick in viewership for its second episode on Sunday night.
According to the latest Nielsen Korea figures, the January 4th broadcast earned an average nationwide rating of 4.5 percent, up from the 4.3 percent that the premiere episode delivered when the series debuted on January 3rd.
Starring Nam Ji Hyun as the resourceful Hong Eun-jo and Moon Sang Min as the determined Prince Yi Yeol, To My Beloved Thief blends palace romance, body-swap fantasy elements, and lighthearted adventure.
The second episode built on the momentum of its opening installment, offering further development of the characters’ dynamic and intriguing plot twists that appear to be resonating with most viewers. Korean and international.
While the increase in nationwide ratings from the first to the second episode in South Korea is relatively modest, climbing just 0.2 percentage points, it’s an encouraging sign for a new weekend drama navigating stiff competition in prime-time weekend slots.
Meanwhile, the weekend landscape also featured strong performances from established series, with Our Golden Days topping ratings across the broadcast spectrum with a significantly higher average (19.1 percent), highlighting just how competitive the timeslot remains.
A good indication of where To My Beloved Thief will head with future episodes
Remember too, industry watchers often view early episode trends as key indicators of a show’s potential longevity and audience attachment.
In this case, To My Beloved Thief’s slight bump suggests that word-of-mouth or narrative developments in episode 2 helped retain and even grow its audience compared to its debut, a positive outcome for the K-drama.
As the series continues to unfold over its weekend run, fans and casual viewers alike will be watching to see whether it can build on this early momentum and further expand its viewership in the competitive Korean television market.
As someone who is watching To My Beloved Thief, my sense is we will continue to see its ratings rise from here. Let’s see next week then, eh?
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