‘The Scarecrow’ Takes Asia by Storm! K-Crime Thriller Hits Top 5 in 5 Countries as Ratings Soar

According to the weekly chart for the first week of May (May 4 to 10) from global OTT platform Viu, the ENA Monday-Tuesday drama ‘The Scarecrow’ has stormed the charts! It ranked 1st in Indonesia, 2nd in Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia, and 3rd in Hong Kong, successfully entering the Top 5 across five major Asian countries.

This is a significant achievement, especially since the crime thriller genre is breaking through in an Asian OTT market typically dominated by romantic comedies.

The series is being praised for creating universal empathy that transcends language and culture. By drawing inspiration from the Lee Chun-jae serial murder cases that shook Korean society in the 1980s, the drama delivers powerful directing that captures historical tragedy and deep insights into human nature.

The electric chemistry and tense cooperation between Detective Kang Tae-joo (Park Hae-soo) and Prosecutor Cha Si-young (Lee Hee-joon), who share a complicated past from their school days, are driving the drama’s tension to the max. It is being hailed as a well-made drama for maintaining a balanced perspective that focuses on the essence of the crimes and the pain of the victims, rather than falling into the trap of sensationalism or glorifying crime.

Meanwhile, ‘The Scarecrow’ has seen a steady climb in viewership since its premiere on April 20. According to Nielsen Korea, the show started at 2.9% and surged past 7% by its 6th episode on May 5. The 8th episode, aired on May 12, recorded 7.4%, tying its own all-time highest rating.