Disney Plus is quickly emerging as a new power player in the K-Content landscape, and the platform's latest claim to global fame is the science-fiction thriller "Blood Free", starring Han HyoJoo and Ju JiHoon.

Han HyoJoo, who is steadily becoming the face of Disney Plus, having previously appeared in the mega-hit blockbuster of a K-Drama - "Moving", plays the stoic and ambitious CEO of "Blood Free" Yun JaYu in the drama of the same name. "Blood Free" is a company dedicated to eliminating animal cruelty and protecting the environment through game-changing inventions such as cultured meat, cultured seafood, and even cultured grains and food crops! Thanks to the company's unprecedented development, "Blood Free" has gone global. However, the ethical implications that come with such strides are making life just a tad more difficult for Yun JaYu.

Spoiler Alert!

From death threats to hired killers, violent protests, a massive hack that costs her billions in Bitcoin, and a prodding suspicion that someone's betraying her organization from the inside, Yun JaYu is constantly on edge. In steps her knight in a suave grey coat - Ju JiHoon as Woo ChaeWoon.

Woo ChaeWoon is a soldier-turned-bodyguard hired to protect Yun JaYu after he very conveniently turns up at the right times in the right places. Just as unreadable as JaYu, ChaeWoon is a man with a dark past, the wounds from which still continue to haunt him. Secrets abound in the relationship that they form, teetering on the line between allies and enemies, trust and suspicion, light and dark.

Shadowy figures surround the two as the story progresses, including the Prime Minister of the nation, Sun WooJae (played by Lee HeeJun), a very close friend On San (Lee MuSaeng), a genius scientist Kim SinGu (Kim SangHo), and more.

 

What Makes "Blood Free" So Unique?

In addition to the brilliant cast and their outstanding acting, one of the biggest strengths of "Blood Free" is the uncanny atmosphere it builds up, where chaos starts to unravel slowly yet steadily, threatening to swallow everything in its wake. It is virtually impossible to judge good and evil or even be able to tell them apart. Our protagonists are so intricately layered and complex that imposing our own moral standards upon them becomes an exercise in futility. So, to enjoy this show, the first thing you need to do is abandon your inherent nature to pick a side and let the story carry you to its conclusion.

Another attractive quality of the drama is that it naturally encourages discourse. If there's anything K-Drama fans love more than K-Dramas, it is making theories and predictions about said K-Dramas. "Blood Free" is the type of drama that is all show and no tell. There's very little exposition, but there are hints peppered throughout the episodes that tell you all you need to know. Naturally, this births fan theories and engaging with such theories is arguably one of the best parts about the K-Drama fandom.

Eagle-eyed fans are already noticing details like how Yun JaYu could have had a twin sister who suffered from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and how JaYu could be working on organ culture behind the guise of her cultured meat business. Human experiments have already been alluded to, so such a revelation would not really be a stretch.

Discussing the K-Drama in this manner while we wait for author extraordinaire Lee SooYeon (known for works like "Stranger", "Life", and "Grid") to captivate us with her writing is an experience you do not want to miss.

 

How Is "Blood Free" Performing?

All things considered, "Blood Free" seems to have the makings of a fantastic thriller with impressive rewatch value. The subject matter is novel, the first of its kind in Korea, the cast is star-studded, and the cinematography, especially during the action scenes, is unmatched. It is riveting, full of spectacle, but also imbued with deep meaning and detailed nuances. The drama has gathered a niche audience who enjoy the genre and are watching the show as it airs, but we're expecting even more viewers to tune in once the series can be binge-watched.

This is because the very novelty of the subject matter may be what is holding some viewers back from investing their time into the show right away. As it is a sensitive issue, we suspect that not all viewers may be comfortable, especially with the graphic scenes depicted in the very first episode. However, if one can get past the initial shock, it's smooth sailing from then on as new mysteries unfold. A lot of the latter part of the show seems to be quite unrelated to the core concept of cultured meat and instead delves into more of a whodunnit thriller surrounding Yun JaYu's connection to the terror attack, her past, as well as the culprit behind the attack on Blood Free.

At the time of writing, "Blood Free" has entered Disney Plus' top 10 most-watched shows chart in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan, according to FlixPatrol.

We also carried out our own data analysis, pulling posts from all across the web over the last 30 days to determine how "Blood Free" has been performing worldwide.

According to our analysis, mentions of "Blood Free" and the use of the hashtag #BloodFree have gone up +18455%, social media reach has gone up +307961%, interactions increased by +483026%, and positive sentiment towards the drama increased by +23200%.

To put things into perspective with numbers, the estimated social media reach of "Blood Free" at the moment is 7,513,618, while the non-social media reach is 9,956,584. The hashtag #BloodFree is currently a trending hashtag across social media, followed by related hashtags like #HanHyoJoo, #JuJiHoon, #BloodFreeKdrama, #한효주, #지배종, #주지훈, and #DominantSpecies.

While the K-Drama is considerably popular, it certainly has room to expand further and capture virality, and factors like social media edits and word of mouth are going to play a major role in attracting more attention to the drama.

 

"Blood Free" Netizen Sentiment Analysis

We also conducted a sentiment analysis, analyzing hundreds of posts from across the internet to understand how viewers are reacting to the show. We noticed that a majority of the viewers of "Blood Free" were more attracted to the chemistry between the lead actors Han HyoJoo and Ju JiHoon than any other aspect of the drama. As the drama is not mainly a romance drama, this chemistry seems to be hitting different for viewers of the show.

The idea of cultured meat also brought forth some discussion, especially as the drama explores the moral dilemma surrounding cultured meat and grains, which can have a devastating effect on primary industries.

There is, however, some negative reaction to the show, which seems to be based on the slow pacing of the narrative.

In conclusion, we found that 96.9% of netizens have a positive sentiment towards the show, and 3.1% have a negative sentiment. These numbers were recorded on April 17, 2024, when episodes 3 and 4 were released.

Episodes 5 and 6 of "Blood Free" release today, April 24. It will be interesting to see how the numbers change after this week's episodes.

"Blood Free" is now streaming on Disney Plus. Are you watching?

Did you know that there is a word in Korean to describe men who are so good-looking that they're compared to flowers? This Korean word is "kkotminam".

'Kkotminam' (꽃미남) literally translates to "flower-like handsome man". It is a combination of 꽃 (kkot), meaning flower, and 미남 (minam), meaning handsome man. It is definitely a compliment and praise of a man's beauty.

Some popular Korean actors who are called 'kkotminam' include Lee JoonGi (the OG), Park BoGum, Song Kang, Ji ChangWook, Lee MinHo, and Song JoongKi, among others. Some idols who are called 'kkotminam' include ASTRO's Cha EunWoo, Ong SeongWu, NCT's HaeChan, TREASURE's JunKyu, RIIZE's WonBin, and ZEROBASEONE's Zhang Hao, among others.

You can use 'kkotminam' in a sentence (informally) as follows:

그 아이돌은 꽃미남이야

Geu aidol-eun kkotminam-iya

That idol is a kkotminam!

Who do you think is a kkotminam idol or actor? Tell us on X!

Stay tuned to Your Korea Tutor - Kpopmap to learn Korean in fun ways!

The 2024 Overseas Hallyu Survey results are out, and it is no surprise that once again, for the 11th year in a row, Lee MinHo has been picked as the most favored Hallyu star in the world! Find out more.

In case you didn't know, the Overseas Hallyu Survey is conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to determine the consumption and impact of Hallyu worldwide. The sample size of the survey is 25,000 people from 26 countries familiar with K-Content.

According to the report published by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Lee MinHo was picked as the top Hallyu star by 6.4% of respondents. He also ranked 1st in all 5 regions that were surveyed, that is, Asia/Pacific, the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Lee MinHo's popularity was recorded to be the highest in the Middle East, followed by Asia/Pacific, Africa, the Americas, and Europe.

Of course it is an incredible feat to maintain the top spot for 11 consecutive years but why exactly is the Lee MinHo craze so strong? Let's get into it!

 

Lee MinHo's Legacy

Before Hallyu ever became a mainstream cultural phenomenon, there was "Boys Over Flowers", paving the way. A large majority of international K-Drama fans started their Hallyu journey with "Boys Over Flowers", and it continues to be one of the very first K-Dramas the recent generations of fans watch or go back to for their daily dose of Lee MinHo.

As a result, over the last 5 years, global interest in "Boys Over Flowers" has spiked at least once almost every single year, mostly corresponding to one of Lee MinHo's works that were either airing at the time or were talked about in the news.

For instance, when "The King: Eternal Monarch" was airing in 2020 (April 17 – June 12), searches for "Boys Over Flowers" skyrocketed around May 17 to 23. Older fans could have been rewatching the classic and new fans may have seeked it out because they just couldn't get enough of Lee MinHo.

Similarly, around the time when Lee MinHo's appearance in "Pachinko" was all the buzz, alongside the Thai remake of "Boys Over Flowers" called "F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers", the K-Drama "Boys Over Flowers" started trending on Google searches once more (December 26, 2021 - Jan 1, 2022).

Unsurprisingly, as news about "Ask The Stars" started to spread, with speculations about the airing date, and so on, global interest in "Boys Over Flowers" spiked yet again (April 16 - 22, 2023)!

In other words, whenever Lee MinHo is in the spotlight, "Boys Over Flowers" draws attention, too, proving its timeless status and Lee MinHo's enduring impact. It is nothing but a fallacy to deny or undermine the influence of "Boys Over Flowers" on Hallyu, which continues to prove itself even today.

Now, the "Hallyu Star" category in the Overseas Hallyu Survey was created in 2014, when Lee MinHo had already started making a place for himself in global fans' hearts. However, this time, his popularity received new impetus from the international success of the K-Drama "The Heirs"—another blockbuster hit with record-breaking highs at the time of its release. As Hallyu had already crash-landed on the world, "The Heirs" was the perfect launching pad for Lee MinHo to shoot to global fame on a larger scale than ever before.

By topping up the success of "Boys Over Flowers" with K-Dramas like "Personal Taste", "City Hunter", "Faith" and "The Heirs", Lee MinHo showed the world that he wasn't a one-hit-wonder. He was destined to be a world star and he was only getting started. This consistency also translated to a stronger fan base and higher global interest in this new superstar from Korea.

Exactly one year after the conclusion of "The Heirs", in December 2014, Lee MinHo reached the highest peak in his career at the time. It was also in 2014 that the "Hallyu Star" category was established, and once he grabbed the top spot, there was no looking back. According to Google Trends, in the last 7 days, global interest in Lee MinHo reached a similar peak as back in 2014. This happened on April 13 (it has reached the same peak many times in previous years, too). So, the numbers suggest that Lee MinHo is currently at his peak once again. It is no surprise, therefore, that Lee MinHo is ruling the top spot in the Overseas Hallyu Survey's "Hallyu Star" category.

Notably, between 2014 to 2024, Lee MinHo has released 2 K-Dramas ("The Legend of the Blue Sea", "The King: Eternal Monarch"), 2 films ("Gangnam Blues", "Bounty Hunters"), 1 documentary ("DMZ, The Wild"), two promotional web series ("Summer Love" & "7 First Kisses"), and the Hollywood series "Pachinko".

As is obvious, Lee MinHo chose quality over quantity, and clearly, the actor has an eye for impactful projects. He outdid himself with each work, and Lee MinHo's success kept scaling unbelievable heights. According to an interview with "Harper's BAZAAR Singapore", Lee MinHo constantly attempts to bring out the "true identity" of his character in his works, which not only comes through to the audience as impressive but also amplifies the immersion of his works, creating a "fad" every time Lee MinHo is on screen. He embodies his characters with such charm and conviction that it is impossible not to fall in love!

Moreover, the actor's versatility is beyond comparison, and he never allows himself to be put in a box. Just when you think you've understood and can predict Lee MinHo's spectrum, he throws us a curveball we'd least expect. For a lot of fans, "Pachinko" was this curveball that started a new chapter in Lee MinHo's career.

 

Lee MinHo In His 30s

Lee MinHo entered his 30s as the King of the world. Everyone knew him and loved him, even worshipped him as their role model, an inspiration. However, Lee MinHo took his 30s as a time to experiment, expand and evolve.

Much like his title of "the King", Lee MinHo's first K-Drama in his 30s was "The King: Eternal Monarch", where he played Emperor Lee Gon. Truly, a royal role for a royal man. With this K-Drama, Lee MinHo reunited with "The Heirs" scriptwriter, the esteemed Kim EunSook, hoping to replicate their previous collaborative success, and needless to say, the result spoke for itself. "The King: Eternal Monarch" was one of the most popular TV shows on Netflix at the time of its airing and topped the chart in several countries around the world.

If we consider the current K-Drama landscape, in the past 90 days, "The King: Eternal Monarch" has surpassed "The Heirs" in global interest, meaning that more people are searching for "The King: Eternal Monarch" now than "The Heirs". "The King: Eternal Monarch" exceeded "The Heirs" and introduced a whole new generation of fans to this heartthrob, but little did they know that the star had a lot more up his sleeve.

For the first time in 10 years, Lee MinHo auditioned for a role, and that role was none other than Koh HanSu in "Pachinko". Debatably, Lee MinHo as Koh HanSu in "Pachinko" is the best performance of his acting career so far and one of the best from contemporary Korean actors right now, which says all that you need to know about his outstanding talent.

Notably, something had shifted in Lee MinHo when he entered his mid-30s. The actor felt a natural inclination to portray the "real" and with "Pachinko", he proved that he was just as much an actor for the real as he was for the fairytale.

Once I hit my mid-thirties, it feels like I'm now striving for what's 'real'. Otherwise, I can't agree, and that's why things are getting tougher. Whether it's the criteria for choosing scripts, the resulting videos, or even what I'm doing within them. If it's not genuine now, it's difficult. So, amidst a lot of contemplation, I was offered an audition for "Pachinko", and when I read the script, I felt certain. If it's this project, I can genuinely give it a try. I want to try it once.
Lee MinHo to "Esquire Korea"

The same actor who brought us the most heart-fluttering Prince Charming characters could also give us a heart-wrenchingly realistic, nuanced, and tragic anti-hero failed by history and burdened by survival and that is why he is the people's most beloved Korean actor of the decade.

I dig deeper into Koh HanSu and particularly, Lee MinHo's portrayal of the character in my "Character Sketch" article that you can read here.

 

What's Next?

I want to leave as many roles as I can in my 30s. My goal for this year is to work as much as I can.
Lee MinHo to "Harper's BAZAAR Singapore"

It's no surprise that the actor is booked and busy! With a new outlook on acting and a more mature perspective on the art he wants to create on-screen, Lee MinHo is gearing up for a grand 2024 with three upcoming works.

Firstly, we have "Ask The Stars", also known as "When The Stars Gossip", a space rom-com about the love story of space tourist Gong Ryong (Lee MinHo) and astronaut Eve Kim (Kong HyoJin), set in a space station. Then, we're getting the highly anticipated live-action adaptation film of the immensely popular web novel/webtoon "Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint", where Lee MinHo will be playing Yoo JungHyuk, one of the main protagonists of the story.

Both projects are reportedly unprecedented in scale and are definitely two of the most highly talked about upcoming Korean productions right now, with continually rising interest from global fans. As a matter of fact, searches for "Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint" in relation to Lee MinHo have gone up a whopping 350%! Talk about impact!

That's not all! Lee MinHo will be returning as Koh HanSu for "Pachinko - Season 2", much to the joy of fans worldwide.

We cannot wait to see what the world's favorite Hallyu star, Lee MinHo, has in store for us next!

 

A Fandom As Noble As The Artist

Finally, we come to one of the most crucial elements that contributed to Lee MinHo's overwhelming popularity across a decade - his relationship with his fans, MINOZ. It is not just the actor's talent, gorgeous visuals, towering physique, and impeccable style that has garnered him millions of fans from around the world. It is the person that he is, the human behind the artist, his kindness, humility, passion, resilience, and sincerity that have made us fall in love. However, what makes the Lee MinHo X MINOZ dynamic so special is how Lee MinHo draws inspiration and strength from his fans too. He loves them with all his heart and truly so. He cares for them and their stories as he shares his own, and they grow together. The man even made a whole singing career just for his fans!

Even now, whenever I make eye contact with my fans, I get good energy from them, am moved by them, and get a lump in my throat. Whenever I meet my fans for the first time, I hear the reasons why they became my fans, and listening to their stories is always amazing. For example, a fan from Japan told me how she became despondent after losing her husband. But she was comforted by watching my dramas and regained the will to live. So stories like these encourage me to become a better actor.
Lee MinHo to "Harper's BAZAAR Singapore"

To this day, the relationship between Lee MinHo and MINOZ has to be one of the most admirable artist-fan equations we've ever seen. This is a fandom that celebrates their actor's milestones by contributing to charity and donating to meaningful causes, echoing the values upheld by Lee MinHo himself.

Over the years, Lee MinHo has remained unshakably loyal to his commitment to philanthropy. From founding the award-winning donation platform "PROMIZ" in 2014 to give back to children, animals, and the environment, to executing numerous campaigns under the same, such as the "PROMIZ Gift Set Project", "Milk Mustache Project", "Safe Umbrella Project" and so on, Lee MinHo's dedication to creating a better tomorrow for all is unwavering.

In addition to contributing to PROMIZ and its various campaigns, there have been innumerable donation campaigns run independently by MINOZ worldwide, be that in honor of Lee MinHo's birthday, a new project, debut anniversaries, and so on and so forth.

Of course, the fandom showers the actor with their gifts and praises, too, but most importantly, they work together to make this world a better place for everyone to live in and love Lee MinHo. If that's not the most noble of intentions, we don't know what is!

As the fandom continues to grow, we hope more and more people will open up their hearts to heal and protect the world, bringing joy through sharing, much like their favorite star does.

Now, if we're talking numbers, we analyzed posts from across the internet and found that the hashtag for Lee MinHo's fandom - #MINOZ recorded a high of 3M in reach on March 21, 2024, which is a great measure of the buzz surrounding Lee MinHo's comeback.

Interestingly, when we conducted a sentiment analysis of the posts, the results returned a 100% positive sentiment, meaning netizens worldwide have nothing but a positive reaction to #MINOZ.

Now, that's what a wholesome fandom looks like!

Similarly, Lee MinHo's Instagram follower count keeps increasing, and the actor has gained 77,730 new followers in the last 30 days alone! With 35.1M followers on his Instagram (@actorleeminho) at the time of writing, Lee MinHo is the 2nd most followed Korean actor on Instagram. We're expecting this number to skyrocket again when the actor makes his much-awaited comeback.

Are you excited for Lee MinHo's comeback? Tell us on X!