Disney+‘s ‘The Remarried Empress’ has topped South Korea’s drama buzz rankings in its first week, taking the No. 1 spot in GoodData’s FUNdex TV-OTT integrated drama chart for the first week of November with a 10.43 percent share.
GoodData Corporation released the ranking on November 10. The fantasy romance led the chart ahead of tvN’s ‘100 Days of Lies’ at 9.04 percent and SBS’s ‘Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia’ at 6.00 percent, according to TenAsia. The show’s stars are riding the wave too: Shin Min-a and Lee Jong-suk ranked fourth and fifth respectively in the combined TV-OTT cast buzz ranking. TenAsia noted that praise, criticism, memes and jokes alike have all been aimed at the show since its release.
The domestic buzz crown caps a striking first week overseas. Disney+ said on November 7 that the series had become the most-viewed local original premiere of all time across Disney+ and Hulu globally, based on its first three days after launching on November 3, and the No. 1 Korean title premiere in more than 50 markets including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, Mexico, Chile, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Streaming tracker FlixPatrol put the show at No. 2 worldwide among Disney+ TV shows, with top-10 placements in 76 countries, while Sports Chosun reported it also reached No. 1 on the Korean ranking platforms KinoLights and WatchaPedia.
The series adapts the popular web novel and webtoon of the same name. Shin Min-a plays Navier, the perfect empress of the Eastern Empire, who is told by her husband, Emperor Sovieshu (Ju Ji-hoon), that he wants a divorce after falling for Rashta (Lee Se-young), a runaway slave. Navier responds by demanding to remarry Heinri (Lee Jong-suk), the prince of the Western Kingdom. The drama is written by Yeo Ji-na and Hyun Chung-yeol and directed by Jo Soo-won, and the source webtoon has accumulated nearly 3 billion cumulative views.
Interest built fast before release. Preview screenings in Busan sold out, a payoff trailer drew about 13 million views in 48 hours, and Disney+ moved the premiere up by a day to November 3 as a gesture of appreciation to fans, releasing the first four episodes at once. Two new episodes arrive each Wednesday, with the 10-episode season set to conclude on November 25.
The buzz has not all been praise. Before release, viewers debated whether Korean actors could carry Western-style imperial costumes, names and settings naturally. After the premiere, Lee Jong-suk’s Heinri won a warmer-than-expected reception, while Ju Ji-hoon’s darker skin tone and makeup became an unexpected talking point. Some accessories on the imperial costumes were likened to products from budget overseas shopping sites, prompting ‘is that from Temu?’ jokes — the same comparison that greeted a necklace worn by Lee Se-young. Ju Ji-hoon’s deeply cut costume and some of the art direction and props also struck viewers as unfamiliar, and reactions split between ‘strangely addictive’ and ‘awkward.’
Taken together, the first week’s figures tell a consistent story: a big-budget adaptation that arrived amid skepticism about its look, then converted curiosity into viewing. It topped Disney+ Korea within a day of release, set a global premiere record within three days, and now leads the domestic buzz ranking — ahead of two broadcast dramas with established weekly audiences. The online debate over costumes and styling, rather than cooling interest, has kept the show in daily conversation.
Six episodes remain, with two arriving each Wednesday through November 25. Whether ‘The Remarried Empress’ can hold the top spot once the first-week curiosity fades — or whether the debate itself keeps it there — will be the test of its second week.
