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!

Disney Plus

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?

Disney Plus

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?

Disney Plus

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.

Disney Plus

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

Kpopmap

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?

Mental health is a major topic in the world. As society changes and the weight of the world becomes worse, many people deal with mental health issues in different ways. A common but serious mood disorder is depression. Many people experience depression and the condition can sometimes be hard to deal with. Depression takes away your enjoyment of things you once loved and is much more than simply feeling sad. The representation in media is a vast spectrum.

K-Dramas have broken the taboo of discussing depression in shows. Increasingly, more shows choose to address topics of depression and many of them have it as the main focus of their series. Each series is different in how they display their characters' coping mechanisms and symptoms of depression. These 6 K-Dramas address depression throughout the series but all have their unique ways of doing it. Here is how they differ and how K-Dramas have juggled such a difficult topic in their series.

1. "Daily Dose Of Sunshine" Shows Anyone Can Feel Depressed

Probably one of the most realistic depictions of depression in a series, "Daily Dose of Sunshine" talks about a kind nurse who works in a psychiatry hospital and tries to bring sunshine to her patients. Setting in a psychiatry hospital, the series dives deeply into depression and mental health issues for each episode. One that stands out the most comes from the main character herself, Jung DaEun played by Park BoYoung. Jung DaEun sees the mistreatment of mental health patients in society's eyes and has to juggle a difficult job. A tragedy from a patient she was close with sent her into a spiral of guilt and depression.

The drama depicts her depression as various forms of self-sabotage and emptiness. She goes as far as overworking herself, even though she doesn't want to work, to try and ignore her depression. "Daily Dose Of Sunshine" was impressive with their depiction of depression and reminding everyone that it does not have a certain look. People may not expect mental health workers to feel a certain way since their main job is to help others but depression is not linear and anyone can experience it.

2. "Our Blues" Reminds Us Depression Isn't Just "Feeling Sad"

"Our Blues" focuses on a hometown in Jeju and the daily lives of its residents. As they navigate the ups and downs of life, they must also face the problems that life randomly throws at them. Min SeonAh, played by Shin MinA, is a character in the series who suffers from depression. A single mother whose husband left her, the series shows just how much depression can affect a person's time. She has no organization and has a lack of interest in life.

It gets so severe that she even forgets to pick up her son from school because of her mental health. What makes it even more interesting is the choice of colors for her as she is often shown in a blue hue, showing her "blues" and depression. The series shows that depression can have varying effects. It isn't simply feeling sad; sometimes people can not function normally because of it.

3. "Doctor Slump" Shows That Depression Doesn't Have One Look

"Doctor Slump" further reminds us that depression does not have a certain look to it and even if someone seems "perfect" you never know their struggles. The main character HaNeul, played by Park ShinHye, is a perfectionist and wants to succeed in everything she does. So when she realizes she is depressed, she wants to ignore it, resulting in her feeling worse than before. Despite HaNeul's perfect demeanor, she is battling with her mental health and finds comfort in the male lead of the series.

"Doctor Slump" gave some clarity on what depression looks like. Many people may have the image of someone who is untidy, lazy, and cries all the time but that is not always the case. Depression can sometimes be the hard-working doctor who comes into work smiling or your classmate who tends to keep to themselves. The K-Drama tackled the issues and taboos of depression in a wonderful way.

4. "Juvenile Justice" Shows Negative Effects Of Depression

"Juvenile Justice" has a devastating but realistic depiction of depression in the series. This K-Drama follows the story of a judge who does not look kindly on juveniles in the system and various cases of juvenile delinquency cases. One plot line focuses on a group of students cheating on a major exam soon being exposed and tried. Kang ShinWoo, played by Kim JunHo, is the son of the main character, Kang WonJung. His father also happens to be the chief of the Juvenile Justice Division.

When ShinWoo is found to be involved in the cheating scandal, his father chastises him to the point he tells him if he plans to end his life, he shouldn't involve his family. This results in ShinWoo attempting to end his life, leading his father to feel an immense sense of guilt. However, this arc in the series shows that ShinWoo was severely depressed with his academics. He never seemed to do well like his brother and being the son of a prominent figure only made him feel even more inferior.

5. "Weak Hero Class" Shows Us Outside Forces Can Cause Depression

In a similar fashion to "Daily Dose Of Sunshine", "Weak Hero Class" addresses the main character's depression and his forms of self-sabotage. Our protagonist, SiEun played by Park JiHoon, comes from a broken home with neglectful parents. They are too busy to deal with him and most times they are not even at home. Without any guidance or support from them, he chooses to isolate himself from the world. He studies despite not enjoying it anymore.

He doesn't have friends and feels a sense of emptiness in his everyday life. SiEun's reasons for his depression show that many things can trigger someone into depression. "Weak Hero Class" did an amazing portrayal of how outside factors can negatively impact an individual to the point they can fall into depression.

6. "Sweet Home" Shows How Depression Is Not Linear

"Sweet Home" shows the many layers of depression and how sometimes people fall into it due to various factors building up over time. "Sweet Home" is about a boy who has to deal with mysterious monsters after a strange incident in his apartment. Our main character, Cha Hyunsoo played by Song Kang, intentionally isolates himself and plans to end his life due to his depression. Bullied in school, and isolated from his classmates and family, he has many layers to his depression and what led him to his decision. The major turning point in his mental health was when he was the only survivor of a car crash that ended the lives of his family.

The drama shows how this has built up over time with all of the tragic events in his lifetime. There was not one main reason for him to feel depressed but various factors affected him mentally. What makes "Sweet Home" so interesting is the use of horror and monsters as battles of mental health issues. Confronting and battling his inner monster in this series gives the illusion of tackling his inner turmoil and depression. The series hits the nail on the coffin when HyunSoo chooses to help himself. No one forces him out of his depression and it is not magically cured, it's something he will need to improve on because he wants to.

As more and more K-Dramas discuss the topic of depression, many of them will choose to talk about it in their unique ways. Whats important is that these series are bringing to light a serious topic that needs to be discussed more in media.

Reflecting on the 2nd week of April, the K-Drama landscape sparkled with series that intricately spun enchanting narratives and introduced memorable characters. These shows infused an additional layer of thrill into the new year, transforming the second week of April into a period brimming with endearing on-screen tales.

By the use of extensive data collection that involves analyzing netizen's reactions to various online platforms such as news websites, online communities, social media platforms, and videos, Good Data Corporation shows an insight into the Korean entertainment industry by providing a weekly ranking of the most talked about actors and dramas in Korea.

Wondering which K-Dramas and actors are trending in Korea at the moment? Read on to find out!

Hottest Korean Drama (On TV & OTT) For The 2nd Week of April

The most talked about drama was...

"Queen of Tears"

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The K-Drama "Queen of Tears" first aired on March 9th, and it has since found its way to the top of the most-talked-about ranking. Viewers are loving the awesome cast, those laugh-out-loud moments, and the super interesting plot of the series.

Here is the full ranking of the hottest Korean dramas for the 2nd week of April:

1. "Queen of Tears"

2. "Lovely Runner"

3. "Parasyte: The Grey"

4. "Wonderful World"

5. "Blood Free"

6. "The Escape of Seven: Resurrection"

7. "Beauty and Mr. Romantic"

8. "Nothing Uncovered"

9. "Chief Detective 1958" 

10. "Missing Crown Prince" 

Good Data

Hottest Korean Actor (On TV & OTT) For The 2nd Week of April

The most talked about Korean actor was...

Kim SooHyun - "Queen of Tears"

tvN

Kim SooHyun has topped the ranking again. He has been relishing in praises from K-Drama lovers and fans thanks to his endearing on-screen performance. It's no wonder drama fans can't seem to get enough of his character.

Here is the full ranking of the hottest Korean actors for the 2nd week of April:

1. Kim SooHyun - "Queen of Tears"

2. Kim JiWon - "Queen of Tears"

3. Byeon WooSeok - "Lovely Runner"

4. Kim HyeYoon - "Lovely Runner"

5. Park SungHoon - "Queen of Tears"

6. ASTRO's Cha EunWoo - "Wonderful World"

7. Kim NamJoo - "Wonderful World"

8. Kwak DongYeon - "Queen of Tears"

9. Kim KapSoo - "Queen of Tears"

10. Han HyoJoo - "Blood Free" 

Good Data

It looks like "Queen of Tears" generated quite the buzz (again) in the second week of April. Other popular dramas included "Lovely Runner", "Parasyte: The Grey", and more.

Make sure to check out these shows and their talented cast members!