The popularity of the TV series “Good Partner” is surging. The show premiered with a 7.8 percent viewership rating on July 12, and it has since more than doubled, reaching 17.2 percent as of the latest episode that aired on Saturday.
There are predictions that the drama could surpass a 20 percent viewership rating before it wraps up its 16-episode run.
Initially, “Good Partner” was not anticipated to be a major hit, given that the writer was a newcomer and legal dramas focusing on divorce had not attracted much attention in the past.
Recent examples like JTBC’s “Divorce Attorney Shin” and ENA’s “Can I Be Someone Else?” saw single-digit ratings. However, “Good Partner” has found unexpected success by differentiating itself from past divorce dramas in two ways.
Unlike earlier dramas like “Marriage Clinic: Love and War” (1999-2014), which focused on extreme situations leading to the breakdown of marriages, “Good Partner” centers on the theme of “how to divorce well.”
For example, it features a storyline where a wife gives up custody of her two children in exchange for alimony after her husband’s infidelity, saying, “The 스포츠 kids had a luxurious upbringing, attending English kindergartens and wearing designer clothes. They won’t have the same lifestyle if they stay with me.”
Instead of condemning the mother as heartless, “Good Partner” presents a different perspective, showing the complex realities through the character of Cha Eun-kyung (played by Jang Na-ra), a seasoned divorce lawyer with 17 years of experience.
The show portrays custody loss as a temporary arrangement rather than a permanent separation.
Nam Ji-hyun, who plays junior lawyer Han Yoo-ri, said, “I felt like I was hit in the back of the head while reading the script. It’s a story that only a writer with a background in divorce law could create.”