The drama is special in the sense that the gab is our heroine and the eul is our hero, which is refreshing in the kdrama world. Naturally, the main draw of the drama is the female lead Ok Da-jung. Ok Da-jung is a fast-rising employee at Gold Chemicals and this led to her being the subject of many malicious rumours. In reality, she's a righteous person who does not stand for things such as the abuse of power. She's extremely principled, and believes in having pride in her own work. On the flip-side, our hero Nam Jung-gi, who is a timid employee at a small company, avoids responsibility like it's the plague. The contrast between their characters makes for a very interesting (and comedic) watch.
Ok Da-jung is such a great character that it's impossible to not love her. Lee Yo-won is perfect as the immaculately dressed heroine. It's almost as if the role was tailor made for her! She was spectacular in all of her scenes (the stoic ones, the emotional ones, and even the downright ridiculous ones). Yoon Sang-hyun turned in an incredible performance with his spot-on comedic timing as Nam Jung-gi. In fact, all of the cast delivered splendid performances. The only exception is Hwang Bora, whose crying scenes appear forced and unnatural at times.
Ok Da-jung's relationship with Nam Woojoo (Nam Jung-gi's son) is also something to look out for. Cute would be a serious understatement. Their chemistry is off the charts. Some may even argue that they are the OTP in the series.
The directing and writing of Ms. Temper are all good. The key point being that the drama maintained a consistent pace throughout the 16 episodes, meaning that it does not suffer from the same problems most kdramas do - waning after the mid-point. This is really impressive for a rookie writer. The use of CGI and various sound effects in the drama also adds to its hilarity.
On the other hand, the drama is not flawless. One criticism would be that there are some overly simplistic plot points. Ok Da-jung seems omnipotent in the series, always coming to the rescue when there is trouble. And the Lovely employees always manage to get into trouble. Some may also be bothered about how unrealistic it is that she's had three husbands, and all of them want a reconciliation. That being said, we can hardly complain since that put Lee Jung-jin and Yeon Jung-hoon on our screens.
Overall, this is an enjoyable drama which should appeal to anyone who's looking for dramas centered around a strong female character. However, if you're looking for a drama with more realism with respect to the business side of things, this is not it. In fact, most dramas don't do business correctly. The good thing about this drama, to quote a knetz, is that there is a right blend of realism (the issues that they tackle) and fantasy elements (how everything gets resolved, albeit a little too easily). Also, the bribery and cajoling may not be something that happens in your society, but it is something more relatable to the Korean viewers. So do take that into account when complaining about how unrealistic this drama is.
DISCLAIMER: My unusually high ratings for this drama is because I rate dramas base on the rating given by MDL. In the sense that if I think a drama is underrated, I'm going to give higher ratings for it. A more objective rating would be an 8. But there are tons of shitty dramas getting 8 here and I don't think that gives enough credit to Ms. Temper.
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“Your job needs to be something more than just a source of income”. Ok Da Jung.
Don’t let the cover picture nor the description fool you! This is no rom-com and I actually mean that in a good way. I have missed the old typical rom-com K dramas, which had meaning and had strong message to carry on. I was almost losing hope in finding good quality typical K drama BUT I finally found Ms. Temper & Nam Jung-Gi! At first it may give you the impression that it’s just a silly, funny, shallow typical k drama with lots of clichés and predictable plot. Yes, it is to some point predictable I’m not going to say it isn’t BUT is it typical? No, in my opinion it isn’t. First of all, take any rom-com drama out there (especially work related ones) and take out the “romance” element or the “comedy” element what are you left with? Basically nothing impressive, this drama on the other hand has so much more to offer you other than just romance or comedy.
The story took path where we as viewers couldn’t predict; it wasn’t really focused on one certain element but all elements and all characters equally. I loved how the work environment is the most essential element here and loved the way it was presented. They took something real and serious and presented it in a funny and humeral way at the same time kept it realistic. Therefore, you as a viewer not only will you have fun and great amount of laughter while watching but also you will appreciate/understand the message behind each and every episode here.
Ms. Temper & Nam Jung-Gi as a drama has given importance for the side characters just as much for the main characters and that is something isn’t often seen in drama land if you ask me. The story allows you to slowly understand the characters each and every one of them and takes you along with them so you will be able to understand their actions or why they decided to live their lives the way they do. In opinion what makes this drama special isn’t the story as much as the well-written characters. I wonder how the writers were able to make them so interesting and fun to watch at the same time kept them down to earth real. No perfection, no bad or evil characters here just different perspectives and different way of looking at things. Life is hard enough, we fight constant battles each day to survive we don’t have the luxury to worry about others so how far are we willing to go in order to survive? Does that make us bad/selfish people or timid spineless people? Or does it just simply make us people?
I will take a moment here and appreciate one of K drama’s best female character ever created and a true role model Ok Da Jung (Lee Yo Won). She is a strong, righteous and great person who knows exactly how to stand up for herself and wouldn’t fight using dirty methods no matter what. She may seem harsh and too blunt but she isn’t a bully and she cares mostly for the company and staff. You could learn so much from Ok Da Jung and you will probably wish you had such a great boss to work for in real life.
I think Lee Yo Won did great accepting this project, at first I was surprised because I am used to watching her in melodramas or more dark serious plots and entirely different characters than ODJ so I wondered why would an A-list actress go for cable project and with such unknown cast but I still trusted her judgment and as her fan I respect her for taking this risk. This is her first rom-com project and I’m happy she decided to explore her talent, she was wonderful as Ok Da Jung it will be almost impossible for you not to love her. The rest of the cast did splendidly especially Yoon Sang Hyun as the timid nice angel Nam Jung Gi and Hwang Chan Sung as the boy who has still yet to learn to grow into a man who can handle responsibility. It is fair to say that even the guest actors (Lee Jung Jin & Yeon Jung Hoon) did an amazing job for short appearance; I was delighted to have them on the show.
I generally do not rewatch dramas but I do have few ones that I'd rewatch. However I think this drama can easily be rewatchable material for anyone who would rewatch dramas in general because I do believe it will be just as much fun as it was the first time and frankly you never get enough of Ok Da Jung & Woo Joo's scenes.
Overall
I can see this drama will be one of the underrated dramas here on MDL and will go unnoticed. I don’t know if my review has helped or not but if you are looking for your typical fluffy romance then let me tell you this isn’t it. This drama does not focus on the romance in fact you can barely see it but you most certainly can feel it. The thing is "romance" in here is presented in mature manner but that's also has its beauty so don't let this stop you from giving the drama a chance. Ms. Temper & Nam Jung-Gi has so much more than just comedy and romance; this is a fun enjoyable ride if you are willing to appreciate what this drama has to offer. After all as Nam Jung Gi says, “Does a relationship between a man and woman have to be melo or lovely dovey fairytale? Why do people expect that?”.
Also Ok Da Jung and Woo Joo make the cutest most adorable couple ever don't miss out on that :')
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Acting/Cast: I enjoyed the cast (except for Hwang Bo Ra, she's terrible). Every single one of them is lovable in their own way. I also really loved the older cast members. There's something about the way they deliver their lines that make it sound so natural.
Music: 11/10. My favorite has to be that bg music they use when something bad is about to happen or if they are about to reveal something huge. Dat orchestra.
Rewatch Value: I probably won't watch this again. I don't want to put myself through the same pain watching them struggle again. No. of episodes when the cast are struggling > No. of episodes when the cast are happy. I'm satisfied with just one cycle.
Overall: It's good. Romance is not the main theme as one might have assumed. Great cast. Great music.
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Its mostly a drama about work and private life problems. I wanted to watch it because of the romance but after watching the first episode it captured me. Most dramas don't show these kinda stuff, most dramas stick to the... "drama" but here i feel like they really wanted to talk about the stuff that people should be talking about.
This drama means a lot to me
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But there's a serious undertone to some plot elements. They have handled these well, kept up momentum of the show without spoiling the mood, or not dealing with serious issues with the respect and tact they deserve.
I was rooting for love, but that is definitely NOT the focus in this show. However, I was still looking forward to several pares hooking up eventually, because it would feel like a great reward and satisfy me immensely. I really recommend this drama if you're a mature Ahjumma who is looking for something light and fun. ;)
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The real antagonist was the "main" characters' adopted and communal attitude. Ms. Temper was a catalyst enlightening them to the truth: external challenges are created by internal deficiencies. Each manifested antagonist was created and fed by the protagonists.
The use of humor and family highlight community. Our communities within our place at work, within families, within relationships, and within our country are placed on one plate. The balance and prioritization of these communities is part of this drama.
I am a fan of Lee Yo Won. Thus, I am biased. That being said, she again, was fantastic.
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The story is super interesting. The way the workers at Lovely Cosmetics are able to overcome every obstacle in their way is very satisfying and fun to watch. The individual progress in each character is also great. This drama not only develops the main leads, but also the secondary characters. It takes its time to explain each one of them and show why they're who they are. Of course, this is only possible because the actors are very good. All of the actors do a great job.
Speaking of acting, both Yoon Sang Hyun and Lee Yo Won are great in thir respective roles. Lee Yo Won is particularly great. Her character starts as annoying and rdiculously stubborn, but, as the episodes go on, you get to know her past and start to like her. Also, the main leads have a lot of chemistry, so you actually buy into their relationship dynamics.
I recommend this if you like strong female leads and shows that are not solely centered on romance. It's super fun and will keep you interested from start to finish.
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typical vibe but the story is worthwhile
I come across this as I'm binge-watching LYW's works. I'm not really into romcoms but in the end, I enjoy watching this series till the last minute. The plots are not unexpected, but the bold ideas, execution, and portrayal were outstanding. at the time it premiered, I doubt any previous series had shown such prejudices towards women at work like this series, which is another thing I love about it. it succeeded in showing us the struggle of ourselves with the work we chose, and a life to make, so in a way it was similar to Misaeng, but created less heavy feelings thanks to the light-hearted approach and acting.as a female employee, I personally relate a lot to the struggles in this series. certainly worth watching, especially if you just started your career.
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Then I came across Ms. Temper &Nam Jung Gi (titled My Horrible Boss on Netflix) and decided I would take a chance.
I'm so glad I did.
From the moment I saw Yo Won Lee, I was hooked. There was no turning back. She is the default, strong-female-lead who feels no need to apologize to the world of men for being a woman. Her character, Ms. Ok, may struggle--popularity-wise--against the seemingly endless stream of subordinate, submissive, and co-dependent types of female leads that readily appear throughout all of Asian television, but the fact that shows like Ms. Temper... were even produced gives me hope that times "are a-changin'".
I really loved the fact that romance was not the priority in this K-drama but that the leads were allowed to let their attraction to each other happen more naturally. The supporting cast was excellent as well. I would definitely recommend watching this show if you're a fan who values quality--great story that's easy to digest, great performances and a real demonstration of "girl power" --over quantity--stacking the deck with eye candy in the hopes of distracting away from a cookie cutter romance that ultimately defeats the theme of the show. Strong woman? I don't think so.
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Not your typical romance
Romance is definitely a secondary plot of the drama, if not tertiary.I'm writing the review as I'm re-watching the drama as there are a couple of nitpicky things that bother me.
1. The marketing team is in charge of development, working with production, and all the other things. 🤔🤔🤔 Why not just call it The Team as they seem to be doing it all.
2. Director of the headquarters, what sort of title is that? It's the label on 옥자정's office but she's Director of marketing (see rant above). As there is barely an office scene without showing it it's annoying me more and more.
3. There's the main cast that's the focus of the story, but there are at least 2 people in the same office space as The Team who are on occasion shown as part of the group but they don't otherwise get any acknowledgement or even a name. At one point there's a performance review and there are ~7 personnel files, but it's all focused on the main 4. Why bother padding the numbers if they aren't involved in any way whatsoever. Actually excluding these extras would probably make more sense and emphasize that this is a small business. Otherwise making it a marketing team focused only story would also make more sense.
It's still an enjoyable watch, even as a re-watch, but don't expect too much from it.
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A good show to pass your time
Huh..... I added this to my watchlist a year ago , but then it kinda fell off my mind after I read some comments and reviews that it's not that interesting.Surprisingly it's actually pretty nice. Sure , they focused a lot more on the drama portion rather than romance, but ending was satisfying enough and there were no glaring issues with it.
Though the ML with his timid and cowardly personallity will surely turn off a lot of viewers in the beginning episodes.
A show worth watching when you are bored and want something to watch.
The music is generic and pretty forgettable. Only one main song is fun to hear.
The acting by ML is ok i guess. FL has a poker face throughout the show , like bella in twilight movies. She has some scenes where acting is good, but they are few.
The side characters are great, but their storylines and ships are very confusing , weird and a bit disappointing in my opinion.
Watch this show if you are free and want to feel good in the end. 8.5/10
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Now I understand that all dramas need that suspension of disbelief in order to work and in that sense, this did well until it became repetitive to the point where the fast-forward button was the only legitimate option other than dropping completely.
The plot started off kindly but doesn't really do much except serve the main characters goals on silver platters. The theme of working for money and working to survive is ever so prevalent that it becomes tedious and misunderstanding. My only recourse is if you don't like what you do--then quit--find something else. Why be miserable at work and let that follow you home?
It was good to see YSH in the main role as opposed to being the sidekick and he played his character very well. Too well. Jung Ki is very beta. So very beta that I almost dropped this because he was so beta. I understand the contrast dynamic between the two leads but I still hoped that our hero had some standing principle of fighting back and granted it eventually came but for how long did it take? The female characters had no such problems as they were very strong independent women but Jung Ki and even Mr. Park, how they ever went into a cut-throat business world is beyond me.
The best episode of the series was the last one because throughout the entire show they kept teasing this romance arc. The biggest problem being it was too late and so very little as opposed to the chase.
The story could've gone in a multitude of directions but I feel as though they played the safe game. There was one big instance in which I was excepting a divorcee to enter the fold but it never happened and they never explained the situation so to me, it sounds like the writer needed the safe ending.
It's an okay watch but nothing groundbreaking and I wouldn't go outta my way to see it.
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