IU♥Byun Woo-seok, Captures Global Audience... 'Grand Duchess' Tops Disney+ in South Korea, Japan, Brazil, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore

*This content was translated by AI.

'21st Century Grand Duchess' is enjoying global acclaim.

As the romance between Seong Hee-ju (played by IU) and Prince Lee An (played by Byun Woo-seok) in the MBC Friday-Saturday drama '21st Century Grand Duchess' (script by Yoo Ji-won, directed by Park Jun-hwa and Bae Hee-young, planned by Kang Dae-seon, produced by MBC and Kakao Entertainment) intensifies, viewers' immersion is rising. The drama is proving its status as a global hit by sweeping ratings, buzz, and OTT numbers.

Having launched successfully as the top Friday-Saturday drama and the top program overall for households in the Seoul metropolitan area, '21st Century Grand Duchess' broke into double-digit ratings in both the Seoul metropolitan area and nationwide within just four episodes. It also secured a triple crown for four consecutive weeks, ranking first in the same time slot across the Seoul metropolitan area, nationwide, and among viewers aged 20–54. Notably, its peak rating in the fourth episode soared to 13.8%, setting a new personal record and demonstrating unstoppable growth. (Based on Nielsen Korea data)

Additionally, FUNdex, an institutional investor specializing in K-content competitiveness analysis by Good Data Corporation, ranked '21st Century Grand Duchess' first in its TV-OTT drama buzz index for the third week of April 2026. The drama achieved a clean sweep across all buzz indicators—news, VON, SNS, and video clips—for two consecutive weeks. IU and Byun Woo-seok also dominated the top two spots in actor/actress buzz for three consecutive weeks. (As of the 21st, 2026) The drama is also drawing attention by ranking first in the TOP 20 search responses for TV-OTT dramas and first in search responses across all age groups. (As of the 21st, 2026)

Reactions on OTT platforms are also heating up. As of five days after its global release on Disney+, '21st Century Grand Duchess' ranked first among the most-watched Korean series worldwide. According to FlixPatrol, it placed fourth globally and first among non-English programs in Disney+'s Top 10 TV Shows category. The series has maintained the number one spot since its initial release in South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. It ranked fourth in Canada and Australia, and fifth in the United States. The drama continues to rank highly in North America and Oceania, while also achieving strong results in key Latin American and European markets, including first place in Brazil, second in Chile, Costa Rica, and Mexico, fourth in Argentina and Italy, eighth in Germany, and ninth in the United Kingdom. (Based on TV Show aggregation from the 10th, 2026, to the 20th, 2026)

In particular, episodes 3 and 4 featured a variety of scenes that stirred excitement among viewers, including a wall kiss between Seong Hee-ju and Prince Lee An on a rainy night and a baseball stadium date that became a major Kistime event.

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*This content was translated by AI.