South Korea has crowned a new king in the most popular drama series this year! The "taxi squad" made up of hilariously diverse characters has beaten the new global hit "The Glory" as Korea's most-watched drama series! Let's take a look at why this is!
"Taxi Driver 2" was cited by the media outlet, Gallup Korea, as the top most-watched tv series drama! The survey was conducted on 1003 Korean individuals from ages 18 and older from April 17 - April 20, 2023. According to the survey results, "Taxi Driver 2" beat out "Mr. Trot 2" and Netflix's "The Glory" as the preferred program!
On April 16, the day after the season 2 finale aired, the producer from the show announced that there will be a season 3! The season 2 finale earned higher viewership ratings than the season one finale! It also set a new record for the highest ratings achieved by a mini-series of 2023 so far!
So why do Koreans prefer this light-hearted action series over the dark, brooding "The Glory"? We give you four reasons why!
1. Koreans love to laugh at slapstick comedy!
It's hard to understand Korean humor sometimes. A little jab at someone's family could end up becoming something a lot more serious than intended. Therefore, stand-up comedy isn't very popular. Instead, shows like "Running Man" and "Great Escape" tend to do really well and run on for many seasons.
"Taxi Driver 2" provides a lot of innocent, child-like humor that everyone can enjoy. Without the need to put other characters down. Very vanilla.
2. Every case is about two episodes long.
The format for "Taxi Driver 2" is a lot different than that of "The Glory". Each case that the "taxi squad" takes out lasts for only two episodes therefore the audience doesn't have to sit through the whole series to find out what happens.
If you've never been to South Korea, Koreans have a "ppalli ppalli culture" (빨리빨리), which literally translates to "hurry hurry" or "quickly". Koreans have very little patience in their everyday lives, so concluding a case within two episodes or one week, is very convenient for the audience.
3. It is very easy to follow.
Unlike "The Glory", "Taxi Driver 2" is very linear in terms of the timeline and story. Sometimes, there are flashbacks to fill the audience in with background information, but for the most part, the audience doesn't have to do much thinking. "The Glory", on the other hand, has a very complex and intricate storyline that spans over 15 years. It is engaging and takes more effort to focus on what is going on, making it more difficult for many Koreans to stay engaged for over an hour.
4. A sense of well-deserved justice.
There have been many complaints about several scenes in "The Glory" including many of the bullying scenes where there is no filter or censorship making Koreans feel a little uncomfortable. Bullying is a big deal in South Korea, therefore, making the story a little too realistic for many viewers. "Taxi Driver 2", on the other hand, takes care of the bad guys very cleanly and neatly, without showing the gory stuff. In addition, since "Taxi Driver 2" tends to be a little more fictional so it hits less close to home for many Koreans.
So that's it for our reasons! Let us know if you agree or not! If not, let us know your reasons and if you're waiting for season 3!