Netflix's big-budget monster series Sweet Home received positive feedback and managed to top the streaming platform's Most-Watched list in eight countries.
According to a report by Naver Entertainment, the series which was based on the popular webtoon written and illustrated by Carnby Kim and Hwang Young Chan, was released on Netflix last December 18.
The 10-episode series ranked first in countries, including Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Sweet Home also topped the rankings in Peru and Kuwait and took the second spot in Saudi Arabia, third place in the United Arab Emirates, and seventh place in Turkey.
Sweet Home also impacted the United States and made it to 8th place in the Most-Watched list this week. It was the first Korean series to break through to the US' Top 10 trending shows.
Meanwhile, fans of the show are already clamoring for the second season after they finished binging on the first season. Some fans are even comparing it to Netflix's hit horror franchise Stranger Things because of its amazing graphics and storyline, All Kpop reported.
It can be recalled that Netflix invested 30 billion KRW (over USD 27 million) for the first season of Sweet Home, making it the highest budgeted Korean original series funded by the streaming giant. It even surpassed the production budget for Kingdom, Mr. Sunshine, and Arthdal Chronicles.
Sweet Home tells the story of Cha Hyun Su (Song Kang), a bullied teenager who loses his entire family to a car accident and is forced to move to the dilapidated Green Roof Apartments to start his new life. However, in just a few days, strange things start to happen in the apartment as neighbors suddenly turn into monsters who won't die.
Hyun Su exhibits the first signs of monsterization, but it turns out that he can stop himself from turning into a complete monster. The residents use him as their weapon for survival.
While viewers were impressed by the series, critics were not so quick to rave about it. Still, they have generally given Sweet Home a passing mark.
Decider reviewer Joel Keller recommended the series as a good binge despite some flaws in the CGI and story development.
SCMP reviewer Pierce Conran also said that the series was an enjoyable watch despite some lapses in the storytelling. The reviewer said that viewers will find a lot of cool scenes to appreciate in the series, in addition to some subtle nods to horror classics like The Walking Dead and Zombieland.
