K-Drama Review: Misaeng (tvN, 2014)

“Misaeng” means “An Incomplete Life”. From the title, you would think this is an angst-filled melodrama. The typical Kdrama. Once in a while, it’s great to be proven wrong. And, in my case, to find a gem of a drama that will be firmly engraved on my virtual wall of “favorite dramas of all time”. In fact, if you are to ask me what Kdrama I would recommend anyone to watch, this would be the first thing I’d lay out on the table, no questions asked.

(Disclaimer: This is, in no way, a professional review. I am no critic, so do not look for highly technical or “deep” critiquing here. That, my friend, is no fun at all. At least, for me.)

On a SPOILER ALERT scale of 1 to 10, I’m going to give a 5-strong warning. You’ve been warned.

Title: MISAENG (tvN, 2014)

No. of episodes: 20

Cast: Im Si-wan (Jang Geu-rae), Lee Sung-min (Oh Sang-shik), Kang So-ra (Ahn Young-yi), Jang Baek-ki (Kang Ha-neul), Byun Yo-han (Han Seok-ryul)

SYNOPSIS: A former baduk prodigy who had to give up his dreams of going pro, Jang Geu-rae had been living a solitary existence that revolves around multiple part-time jobs and living with his mother. With only a GED, or a high school equivalency exam, he was forced out of his isolation and entered the corporate world, starting out as an intern at the the large trading company, One International. Here, he encounters obstacles and challenges, starting with the fact that he got in through connections more than qualifications. He plots his life in this corporate setting according to the rules of baduk, the board game he loves so much. (~Jeffer)

THE DRAMA/STORY:

This is the live-action adaptation of the hit webtoon of the same title, which has achieved cult status following in Korea when it was released.

It follows the seemingly ordinary life of Jang Geu-rae. As a child, he was a whiz at playing the board game baduk. His life revolved around the game, with the hopes of becoming a professional player someday. But then several life-changing events happened, and that dream was no more. He went to the army early, got out, and lived a solitary life with his mother, juggling part-time jobs from morning to night. That is until, through an acquaintance’s recommendation, he got in as one of the interns at One International.

Here’s the thing: Geu-rae has no qualifications to speak of, and the fact that he only has a GED, has never gone to college, and got in through “connections”, rubbed the other interns and employees the wrong way. From the outset, the other interns give him a hard time, treating him as an outsider. He was assigned to Sales Team 3, and there he meets his immediate supervisor, the honest but sympathetic Dong-shik, and the hard-talking, blunt workaholic team leader, Chief Oh Sang-shik.

THE CAST/CHARACTERS:

I love ensemble casting. It’s good to see one or two stars, or four leads (as is usually seen in Kdramas, especially rom-coms and melodramas) in a drama, but to have a collective of characters can be quite challenging. This is where Misaeng excelled in.

Jang Geu-rae is not a loser per se. He’s smart; he’s just not “groomed” for the corporate world.

 

So good to see Im Si-wan growing as an actor. I think he had the right amount of sensitivity to play the character of Geu-rae. Gentle, yet with an underlying steel and strength of character. Personally, I admire how Geu-rae had a unique, different, and somehow positive way of seeing things.

Geu-rae may be the focal point, but it’s interesting how the other characters also had their moments to shine.

Personally, I’d say that this drama became solid because of Chief Oh. He was the glue that put it all together. The performance of the actor, Lee Sung-min, made his character jump right out of the screen and become real. He’s harsh, he’s blunt, he’s hardworking, and he’s a mentor. He’s the boss we all hope we could have, sharp tongue and all. Despite their rocky start, it was a relationship that was so beautiful to watch as it unfolded.

He was such a joy to watch. Badass, man. Real badass.

It was fun seeing the dynamics of Sales Team 3, even as they had to go through some “personnel” (and personal) changes. It’s so easy to see why Young-yi envied how “tight” they were. Like this scene where they don’t want to work on a “dubious” case, so they (well, mainly Chief Oh) had this brilliant idea of drinking expired milk to pretty much ruin their stomachs. What a hoot.

And what about the awkward friendship that developed among our intern-turned-newbies? They started out as individuals, but then became a cohesive unit, no matter how much they deny it.

THOUGHTS:

A drama with no evil mother-in-laws, personality or mental disorders, baby-switching, chaebol issues, revenge plots… Yes, despite these “shortcomings”, this is a Korean drama with a whole lot of heart and soul.

You’ve encountered them at some point or another in your life.

…the boss who likes to pull ranks just because he could.

…a male superior who thinks anyone wearing a skirt is incompetent or, worse, there for his amusement.

…a supervisor who refuses to be outdone by a subordinate.

…or a supervisor who refuses to acknowledge that he has been outdone or outperformed.

…and what about a subordinate whose spirit is slowly being crushed by the corporate machine?

…or a female employee who has to swallow her pride and do what “inferior women” are supposed to be relegated to doing?

OVERALL

I found myself getting hooked as the drama progressed. The comedic aspects are just so perfectly placed, I find myself sniggering at many parts.

If you’ve had a taste of any corporate setting, or any office, for that matter, you’d recognize so many of the circumstances presented in this drama. Granted, I wouldn’t call my workplace as strictly corporate, but the same issues are present. Office politics is rampant everywhere, and the way it was presented in this drama was so realistic.

We all see some of ourselves in Geu-rae and his quiet struggles as he tries his best to survive in the harsh corporate waters.

Or in Chief Oh as he has to swim in those waters as part of middle-management without getting his head – and ass – bitten off by corporate sharks.

Or in the ambitious Baek-ki, who has to learn the true meaning and value of humility. Especially later, when he had to deal with petty jealousy. Mainly within him.

Or Seok-yul who was holding on to every bit of his sanity and identity even as the odds are against him. He’s my third favorite character after Chief Oh and Geu-rae.

Or even in Young-yi and her continuous fight to be recognized for her abilities, and not for gender. And her realization that, sometimes, in order to fight and survive, she must fold and conform.

This drama is filled with so many characters that many of us will identify with. And for that reason alone, it was worth it to stick to watching this drama to the end. A HIGHLY SATISFYING DRAMA. And they know it.

And now, I leave you with a couple of photos of our four interns-turned-newbies of One International.

Rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars

I’m holding out from giving it 5 stars because the show did not give an answer on whether Geu-rae gets a pay raise or not. Haha!

Watch it or not?

Need you even ask?

(Misaeng is a tvN production, and aired from October 17 to December 20, 2014. Screencaps are made from downloads off myasiantv.com.)