This review may contain spoilers
Acting is better than the story
I haven't actually finished this show but nothing I've seen so far suggests to me any major changes lie ahead. The show is carried at a stumbling pace by the warmth of some genuinely nice characters in that no-one is really rotten. The three main characters have some endearing qualities to them but it's their flaws that make this a show that's about killing time rather than enjoying.
Let's start with Hwan-gi. The socially awkward introverted boss was a concept I liked and I found him a very sympathetic character. It's clear his problems came from being emotionally tormented by his father's relentless drive for perfection. I thought his relationship with Jhi-hye was surprisingly beautiful in the flashback episode - which for me was easily the standout episode and built on some great writing - partly because it was platonic and not romantic. She being the only person who understands his introverted difficulties and helps him really conveyed a sense of what she meant to him as a friend.
But the show struggles because of his relationships with his teammates. We see at different points he lets his guard down with them individually and shares some poignant moments, yet in the next scene, they remain awkward and fearful of him. It made no sense that having had a touching moment with his secretary early on in the show, that she remains super awkward around him and doesn't even try to help others understand him. I thought they could have built a great platonic bond but the show didn't tap into that.
The big issue is Chae Ro-Woon. Her motivations for joining the company are strong but never fleshed out to the point they become weak. I don't find it plausible that her inner mechanisms leading her to that company melt away within a few episodes. She never really seemed like someone in pursuit of revenge and was too easily sympathetic to Hwan-gi despite viewing him as the cause of her sister's death. This was so weakly developed it was disappointing. Having said that, I must also add that her character was still pleasant and the acting for the role was sublime in my opinion.
The music didn't often fit what tone the scenes required. I think this show tried to tell a serious story through a comedic lens and that was a bad mistake. It's no surprise that the flashback episode was really good because it was stripped away of all that extra gloss and was a bone-bare episode of human realism, hope and suffering.
Let's start with Hwan-gi. The socially awkward introverted boss was a concept I liked and I found him a very sympathetic character. It's clear his problems came from being emotionally tormented by his father's relentless drive for perfection. I thought his relationship with Jhi-hye was surprisingly beautiful in the flashback episode - which for me was easily the standout episode and built on some great writing - partly because it was platonic and not romantic. She being the only person who understands his introverted difficulties and helps him really conveyed a sense of what she meant to him as a friend.
But the show struggles because of his relationships with his teammates. We see at different points he lets his guard down with them individually and shares some poignant moments, yet in the next scene, they remain awkward and fearful of him. It made no sense that having had a touching moment with his secretary early on in the show, that she remains super awkward around him and doesn't even try to help others understand him. I thought they could have built a great platonic bond but the show didn't tap into that.
The big issue is Chae Ro-Woon. Her motivations for joining the company are strong but never fleshed out to the point they become weak. I don't find it plausible that her inner mechanisms leading her to that company melt away within a few episodes. She never really seemed like someone in pursuit of revenge and was too easily sympathetic to Hwan-gi despite viewing him as the cause of her sister's death. This was so weakly developed it was disappointing. Having said that, I must also add that her character was still pleasant and the acting for the role was sublime in my opinion.
The music didn't often fit what tone the scenes required. I think this show tried to tell a serious story through a comedic lens and that was a bad mistake. It's no surprise that the flashback episode was really good because it was stripped away of all that extra gloss and was a bone-bare episode of human realism, hope and suffering.
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