“Snowdrop” is a black comedy-melodrama-romance Korean series, starring Jung Hae-in and BLACKPINK’s Jisoo. The story is set against the backdrop of the 1987 Democracy Movement in South Korea and adapted from the handwritten notes of a man who escaped from a political prison camp in North Korea.

It premiered on December 18th through the cable channel, JTBC, and has already released five out of sixteen episodes this month. The audience measurement performed nationwide from Nielsen Korea shows the following viewership rating:

• 2.9%, Episode 1, December 18

• 3.8%, Episode 2, December 19

• 1.8%, Episode 3, December 24

• 1.6%, Episode 4, December 25

• 2.7%, Episode 5, December 26

Despite the ups and downs in local ratings, it is gaining much attention from international audience through the streaming platform, Disney+ as well as generating buzz on Twitter with trending hashtags and topics.

Data ratings from IMDb also appears to be high, garnering an average score of 8.6/10 with 1,800 votes. Here are some positive user reviews about the drama:

“Impressed so far by the acting and the storyline, keeps me entertained and very curious as to how this entirely fictional drama will play out… Love that the corruption of a dictatorship is the main antagonist, and the spread of corruption leaves us guessing as to who else is bad.” – aske-26147

“The plot is not predictable! This drama has kept me on my toes. Really exciting and made me feel a lot of emotions while watching. Definitely recommended. Can’t wait for the next episodes!” – bbddff

“The drama is getting better and better, the story so far is moving on with a fast tempo (it’s not been dragged following the kdrama rule) and is kinda unpredictable with plot twists in every single episode. As for the history distortion, I suppose I will have to make my own search to understand better the political background of the 1987 South Korea. My curiosity on the matter is been triggered; I suppose many will feel the same and if this happens it’s a gain for both Snowdrop and the country.” – evagemarat

“It tackles so many things perfectly and I am impressed that nothing feels like a filler. This drama has so many characters and arcs but everything is balanced. The cinematography is amazing, every single scene looks beautiful. The soundtrack is out of this world and don’t make me talk about the cast. EVERY SINGLE ACTOR in this drama has outperformed themselves. Amazing performances by everyone from leads to supporting.” – geminiahad

“It contains intense and romantic situations which balance each other completely. You will never get bored. I didn’t realize how one and half hour came to an end. The storyline, acting and the background setup is of a next level.” – sumistabiswas

“You can’t take your eyes of from the very first minutes until the end of the episode! You won’t even realized the episode ended because it doesn’t have a single dull moment. It’s funny, cute, then suddenly turned into action – thriller! There are so much story lines are yet to unveil. Viewers are left with the big puzzles of questions making you can’t wait for the next episodes to come. The cinematography is top notch. The background music are beautiful. The acting are also impressive!” – hikarikeikosama

“The drama is amazing, from the music to the cinematography, everything was done beautifully. The acting and the script are top-notch, I had never seen anything of the two actors who star in the drama but I am completely speechless when I see them act with their eyes.” – gabrielaalejandra-23388

“This much anticipated series has North South adventure and a charming romance. I enjoyed the first 2 episodes very much. Jung Hae In and Jisoo are luminous. She acts surprisingly well. Charming and lovely. He is as always completely watchable and sympathetic. The 1980 setting is brought to life.” – phd_travel

“The cinematography, characters and the actors are amazing. Especially jisoo as a rookie actress it is amazing to see that she’s not only capable of singing but also in acting. The rest of the characters have an amazing backstory.” – senseiyamato

“I’m watching because of the controversy. But trust me, controversy or not the drama is so well made. It is not you typical love story. It is like forbidden love mixed together with war setting. So satisfying to watch. Although it is on its 5th episode you will feel like you’ve been well served. There is no unnecessary scene, no slow plot and no cringe script. It is set in retro era so the way they interact, the situation happen around those era is so refreshing to watch. Trust me when I said the plot is getting thicker and better. 5th episode really did it for me. It delivered so many emotion it made me think this is actually a masterpiece.” – annadelailah

“Really, I would recommend everyone to watch this drama. Every episode feels like a movie in itself with the exemplary cinematography, acting, directing, camerawork and music. Each episode is a masterpiece. Don’t miss out on such an amazing work!” – sahadityasah

Synopsis: Adapted from the handwritten notes of a man who escaped from a political prison camp in North Korea, Snowdrop is set against the backdrop of the 1987 Democracy Movement in South Korea.
Genre: Black comedy, Romance, Melodrama, Period
No. of episodes: 16
Starring: Jung Hae-in, Jisoo, Yoo In-na, Jang Seung-jo, Yoon Se-ah, Kim Hye-yoon, Jung Yoo-jin
Written by: Yoo Hyun-mi
Directed by: Jo Hyun-tak
Date: December 18, 2021 to February 2022
Network: JTBC, Disney+