Netflix's New 12-Episode Horror Romance Is Already A Ratings Powerhouse

Published Jul 21, 2026, 10:30 PM EDT An experienced Editor representing Canada via ScreenRant's Team Anime, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com. His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023. Sign in to your ScreenRant account The month of July has seen an impressive new slate of content for streaming audiences worldwide, but for viewers on Netflix, K-dramas are having a particular banner month in the early summer. Hot off the well-received full slate of episodes for dark fantasy series The East Palace, the streaming giant also debuted the latest Park Eun-bin vehicle, Spooky in Love, to instant Netflix success, with arguably an even more telling sign of its prevailing prominence in the weeks ahead thanks to its home network. It seems that Spooky in Love, a horror rom-com in the vein of all-time hit Hotel Del Luna, has quite an impressive ratings presence in South Korea. As shown in Nielsen's South Korean charts for ratings surrounding July 18 and 19, the respective release dates for Spooky in Love episodes 1 and 2 before streaming on Netflix, the series has broadly dominated both Seoul's and overall South Korea's viewership. This is likely unsurprising for those who are familiar with female lead Park Eun-bin's prior works, particularly with acclaimed lead roles in Extraordinary Attorney Woo and Castaway Diva, but Netflix viewers in particular know her most recently for her starring role in The WONDERFools. Regardless of the reason, though, this is an excellent debut for a proven K-drama premise, with five more weeks ahead of similar dual releases to dominate the Korean airwaves and streaming. With 729,000 tuning in for episode 1 and average household ratings only faltering slightly behind a special news report, and episode 2 climbing to 1.343 million in Korea alone, Spooky in Love has opened strong, ending the weekend as the #1 show in South Korea. It may not have the same chokehold that Agent Kim Reactivated launched with a month ago, but against a saturated slate of new offerings across July for K-dramas, it's certainly safe to declare this latest charming outing a win for home network tvN. But the good news isn't merely there for domestic South Korean statistics. Despite launching at the absolute tail-end of Netflix's weekly roundup dates for July 13-19, 2026, Spooky in Love impressively cinched the #8 spot on Netflix's global non-English charts, two places away from overtaking June's juggernaut series, Teach You a Lesson, with 1.7 million views, 3.5 million hours viewed, all on just two episodes available. It's practically a foregone conclusion that these numbers will grow significantly by next week thanks to two more episodes on the way on July 25 and 26, as well as a full week's worth of sample viewership data rather than merely two days. Netflix's approach to licensed and original K-dramas is certainly continuing to pay off, especially since its latest exclusive, The East Palace, stands at #2 on the charts, although still significantly lagging behind Agent Kim Reactivated. But considering the non-English chart for the week features five of its top 10 series as K-dramas, with the two top spots being an impressive variety of action-thriller and dark fantasy, with more action, comedy, and horror rom-com qualities bringing up the rear, the medium has a demonstrable range not to be scoffed at. And a major part of this is the stars at play, particularly in Spooky in Love. Park Eun-bin's Latest K-Drama Has Her Playing A Haunted Chaebol Heiress A wildly talented actor capable of an immense range of emotions and eclectic characters with an infectious presence, Park Eun-bin's role as Cheon Yeo-ri may come as a surprise for some. Playing an outwardly sullen CEO of the luxurious Reina Hotel, this chaebol archetype is certainly one of the more common characters found in K-dramas, but leave it to Park Eun-bin to find one with a twist. The series opens with Yeo-ri already aware of what's basically her curse, that she can see ghosts who will follow her until she helps with their unresolved issues so they may move on. However, if any living person touches Yeo-ri, they'll immediately be haunted as well. Episode 1 of Spooky in Love lays down the heavy-handed consequences of those who confidently claim they can handle such a burden alongside her, only to realize these spirits can be utterly vengeful towards them. The series strikingly shows Yeo-ri about to get married, only for the terrified groom to give in, feeling unsafe around her, leaving her at the altar on her wedding day. Thus Yeo-ri spends her days isolating from people, including children, while refusing to take off her gloves in public, only coming out to help the ghosts she encounters, bringing her to cross paths with a Seoul District prosecutor, Ma Kang-wook, played by Yang Se-jong (Temperature of Love). Now Streaming · Press Play How Well Do You Know Netflix Originals? “Red light, green light.” 🌀StrangerThingsThe Upside Down 🎭SquidGamePlayer 456 👑TheCrownLong live the Queen 🕸WednesdayNevermore Academy 🌹BridgertonDearest readers PRESS PLAY → 01 Squid Game shattered records on launch in 2021, becoming Netflix’s biggest-ever series debut. Hwang Dong-hyuk’s South Korean thriller centres on a desperate gambler named Seong Gi-hun. What is his player number? A067 B218 C001 D456 ✓ Correct! Gi-hun is Player 456 — the last number drawn. Kang Sae-byeok (the North Korean defector) is 067, Cho Sang-woo (the Stanford-educated finance crook) is 218, and the mysterious elderly Oh Il-nam is 001. Squid Game became Netflix’s first show to hit #1 in every country it launched in, amassing over 1.6 billion hours watched in its first month alone. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is 456. Gi-hun’s number is the very last of the 456 players. 067 is Sae-byeok the defector, 218 is Sang-woo the Stanford grad, and 001 is the mysterious old man Oh Il-nam whose identity becomes the series’ biggest reveal. Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched launch ever, hitting #1 in 94 countries. NEXT → 02 The Tim Burton-directed Addams Family spin-off set at Nevermore Academy became Netflix’s second-biggest English-language debut in 2022 and launched a TikTok dance craze. Which young actress plays the deadpan title character? AJenna Ortega BMillie Bobby Brown CSadie Sink DMaya Hawke ✓ Correct! Jenna Ortega — a Disney Channel graduate and indie-horror favourite (X, Scream VI) — took the role Christina Ricci made iconic in the 1990s films and made it entirely her own. Her now-famous cello-accompanied dance scene became an overnight TikTok phenomenon, and her performance earned Wednesday two Emmy nominations despite airing mid-season. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Jenna Ortega. Millie Bobby Brown is Eleven on Stranger Things, Sadie Sink plays Max Mayfield (also Stranger Things), and Maya Hawke plays Robin. Ortega’s deadpan Wednesday Addams — and her viral cello-dance scene — turned the show into a global phenomenon in late 2022. NEXT → 03 In 2013, Netflix released a dark political thriller starring Kevin Spacey as a ruthless congressman breaking the fourth wall. It became the first major streaming original to land a Primetime Emmy nomination and effectively invented prestige streaming TV. Which show was it? AOrange Is the New Black BHouse of Cards CArrested Development (revival) DHemlock Grove ✓ Correct! House of Cards — adapted by Beau Willimon from the 1990 BBC series — became Netflix’s first prestige original and proved a streaming service could go toe-to-toe with HBO. Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood and his asides to camera defined early streaming TV. Orange Is the New Black followed months later in July 2013 and became Netflix’s longest-running original at the time. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is House of Cards (February 2013). Orange Is the New Black launched five months later (July 2013), Arrested Development’s Netflix revival came in May 2013, and Hemlock Grove was a horror effort the same spring. House of Cards was the flagship — the first streaming original to earn a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. NEXT → 04 Peter Morgan’s The Crown famously recast its entire ensemble every two seasons to age the royal family. After Claire Foy played Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 1-2, which Oscar-winning actress took the crown for seasons 3-4? AImelda Staunton BOlivia Colman CHelena Bonham Carter DGillian Anderson ✓ Correct! Olivia Colman — fresh off her Best Actress Oscar for The Favourite — played the Queen across seasons 3 and 4, covering the late 1960s through the early Thatcher years. Imelda Staunton took over for seasons 5-6, Helena Bonham Carter played Princess Margaret in seasons 3-4, and Gillian Anderson stole the show as Margaret Thatcher in season 4. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Olivia Colman. Imelda Staunton took over for the final two seasons (5-6). Helena Bonham Carter played the chain-smoking Princess Margaret during seasons 3-4 alongside Colman. Gillian Anderson delivered an Emmy-winning Margaret Thatcher in season 4. Colman anchored the show’s middle era fresh off her 2019 Oscar win. NEXT → 05 The Duffer Brothers’ 1980s nostalgia juggernaut sees Eleven and the gang battle inter-dimensional horrors from a portal beneath the town’s Hawkins National Laboratory. In which fictional US town and state is the series set? ADerry, Maine BHawkins, Indiana CHill Valley, California DTwin Peaks, Washington ✓ Correct! Hawkins, Indiana — a fictional Midwestern small town that became one of TV’s most iconic settings. The Duffer Brothers chose Indiana for its unassuming, ordinary-America vibe, making the supernatural chaos feel more jarring. Derry is Stephen King’s It setting, Hill Valley is from Back to the Future, and Twin Peaks is David Lynch’s famous town. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Hawkins, Indiana. Derry, Maine is the fictional town from Stephen King’s It. Hill Valley is Marty McFly’s home in Back to the Future. Twin Peaks, Washington is David Lynch’s famous fictional town. Hawkins is The Duffer Brothers’ deliberately ordinary Midwestern setting — the flat, unassuming backdrop that makes Vecna’s horrors hit harder. NEXT → 06 Netflix’s Regency romance juggernaut — based on Julia Quinn’s novels and famous for its colour-blind casting, string-quartet pop covers, and narrated gossip column — is produced by which prolific showrunner’s production banner? AShonda Rhimes (Shondaland) BRyan Murphy CJulian Fellowes DJenji Kohan ✓ Correct! Shonda Rhimes — the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal — produces Bridgerton through her Shondaland banner as the first major fruit of her massive 2017 Netflix deal. Chris Van Dusen created the show, but Shondaland’s signature ensemble-romance DNA is all over it. Julian Fellowes did Downton Abbey, Ryan Murphy did Monster/Dahmer, and Jenji Kohan did Orange Is the New Black. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Shonda Rhimes (Shondaland). Ryan Murphy produces true-crime anthologies like Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Julian Fellowes is the Downton Abbey/Gilded Age creator — a different period drama entirely. Jenji Kohan is behind Orange Is the New Black and Weeds. Bridgerton was the first big payoff of Rhimes’ nine-figure Netflix deal. NEXT → 07 La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) became a global phenomenon on Netflix after a modest Spanish TV debut — partly thanks to its gang’s instantly recognisable red jumpsuits paired with a mask of which famous figure? AGuy Fawkes BSalvador Dalí CChe Guevara DPablo Picasso ✓ Correct! The Salvador Dalí mask — with its upturned moustache — became the show’s defining visual alongside the red jumpsuits, a nod to Spanish artistic rebellion and surrealist individuality. It inspired protest iconography worldwide, from Lebanon to France. The original Antena 3 version underperformed; Netflix acquired it in 2017, re-edited it, and turned it into a global sensation. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Salvador Dalí. Guy Fawkes is the V for Vendetta mask that Anonymous adopted. Che Guevara is a common revolutionary image but not the heist crew’s mask. Picasso is a frequent wrong answer given he’s the more globally-known Spanish artist — but the Dalí mask, with its iconic moustache, is the one fused forever with Money Heist’s red jumpsuits. NEXT → 08 Netflix’s 2020 limited series about a Cold War-era chess prodigy named Beth Harmon caused a global surge in chess-set sales and was one of the streamer’s most-watched shows that year. Who played Beth? AFlorence Pugh BAnya Taylor-Joy CSaoirse Ronan DDaisy Edgar-Jones ✓ Correct! Anya Taylor-Joy — already a cult favourite from The Witch and Emma — broke out globally as Beth Harmon, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress. The Queen’s Gambit pulled 62 million households in its first 28 days and caused such a chess-boom that Chess.com and retailers ran out of sets. It also made Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel a surprise bestseller almost 40 years later. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Anya Taylor-Joy. Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Oppenheimer), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People, Where the Crawdads Sing) are all frequent competitors in similar roles. Taylor-Joy’s Beth Harmon earned her a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and turned Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel into a sudden bestseller. REVEAL MY SCORE → Credits Rolling · Autoplay On Your Binge-Watcher Rank 🎬 / 8 Platinum subscriber — or still on the free trial? ⤴ PLAY NEXT EPISODE What ensues is one of the more bizarre meet-cutes in recent K-drama memory, in which the two meet on two separate evenings, on two separate cases involving a different dead body. Their sudden teamwork is palpable, their chemistry is fun, and Yeo-ri's attempts to avoid Kang-wook, intended for his protection and her privacy, fail hilariously as fate pushes the two together. Spooky in Love is interesting because it touches on similar tropes found in recent shows like Phantom Lawyer as well as modern classics like Hotel Del Luna, in which they deal with potentially dark or harrowing cases of those unjustly killed, while themselves realizing they could be living better lives as well. Time will tell whether these ratings hold for future weeks, but chances are, both in South Korea and on Netflix, Spooky in Love will easily shoot up the rankings for the coming weekend and beyond. It's a fun premise, the hour flies by for each episode so far, and Park Eun-bin is a total treasure as usual. But it'd be foolish to think the month is out of massive hits just yet. While Netflix may have released a killer double-feature, Disney+ is bringing the heat with A Shop for Killers season 2, while Rakuten Viki is dropping an impressive slate of a new long-running series, a new dark comedy, and even a brand-new action-comedy. Summer has indeed only just barely begun.