Lead

Netflix's Korean action-crime series “Bloodhounds” Season 2 has become the most-watched non-English TV show on the platform, according to data cited by Yonhap News Agency. The second season, which premiered April 3, drew 7.4 million views for the week ending Sunday, moving up one spot from the previous week. The show’s popularity also boosted its first season, which ranked third with 3 million views. Another Korean series, “Phantom Lawyer,” also made the top 10, landing at No. 10 with 1.5 million views.

Coverage comparison

The two Yonhap articles, both published in April, focus on different aspects of the show's release. The first, published April 8, features an interview with actor Jung Ji-hoon, who plays the villain Baek-jung. The second, published April 15, reports on the show's record-breaking viewership numbers. Notably, the two articles present conflicting viewership figures for the week ending Sunday. The earlier article reports the show garnered five million views, while the later article says it earned 7.4 million views for the same period. This discrepancy could stem from differences in how Netflix measures or reports viewership, or it might reflect a revision in the data by the streaming service. It is also possible that the figures were collected at different times, though both articles refer to the same week.

Key claims

  • “Bloodhounds” Season 2 topped Netflix's weekly non-English shows chart with 7.4 million views for the week ending Sunday, according to Yonhap.
  • The show's first season also saw a spike in popularity, landing third with 3 million views.
  • Jung Ji-hoon, who plays Baek-jung, initially struggled to connect with his character, citing a lack of backstory in the script.
  • The boxing action series revolves around two young boxers who battle an underground criminal syndicate.

Perspectives

On the show's success: The series' swift climb to the top of Netflix's non-English chart underscores the global appeal of Korean content, particularly in the action-crime genre. The viewership numbers, if they hold, could signal a strong performance for the second season, which is the first to feature Jung Ji-hoon as a primary antagonist.

On Jung Ji-hoon's challenge: In an interview, Jung Ji-hoon revealed that portraying Baek-jung was a demanding task because the character was written without a clear backstory. "The script did not give Baek-jung any backstory. He's just described as a crazy man with anger management issues, so it was hard to portray him," he said. The actor, who is better known for his singing career, shared that he took up boxing lessons to prepare for the role and that the action sequences were physically exhausting for the cast.

On the discrepancy in viewership numbers: The conflicting figures reported by the two articles highlight the challenges in tracking streaming data, especially when official sources release updated numbers. While the exact count remains unclear, both accounts agree that “Bloodhounds” performed strongly, a point reinforced by the show's ranking.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the viewership figures for “Bloodhounds” Season 2. The correct figure is 7.4 million views for the week ending Sunday, as reported by Yonhap.