Search: WWW (2019)

I absolutely loved this drama. A hidden gem that deserves much more recognition than it does. I expected to love it but not this much and I appreciated the strength of all the women in this drama. It was a very women-driven drama and I barely skipped anything while watching.

THE STORY
Unexpected, breathtaking and badass. It told the story of three women kicking butt and overcoming their own problems and societal expectations. Talking about the corporate warfare that was happening between Barro and Unicorn, it was very well-paced and had just the amount of spice it needed. There were almost no plot holes and I appreciated the very different setting than I'm used to. It was interesting to get a bit of a look at the background of search engines and I found out quite a lot about them. The story took a quite mature-thinking theme and it really made me reflect on my values and their importance in relationships, career, future and success.

Now for the three women, TaMi, Hyeon and Ga Kyung. I liked the flashbacks and their backstories- and how they became friends in the past. The broken bonds between them were heartbreaking and it's fair to say that Hyeon and TaMi would not be where they are today in their friendship if not for Ga Kyung. Ga Kyung was villainous so much in this drama but you could also sympathize with her background. I like how the plot was primarily led by the development in their three characters and how friendship, the past and work all come together.

For the romances:
1. TaMi and Morgan were hard to watch, honestly. In a good and bad way. Their story was painfully realistic and I actually had to ask myself if I was really watching a Kdrama the entire time I saw their dynamics. Many people will say they were a boring couple but I'd have to disagree. It's true that some of TaMi's most frustrating moments were with Morgan but I liked how he made her think about her values and what letting another person into your life really meant. My heart broke every time they broke up and they had a very different dynamic from the typical kdrama couples I've seen. They were passionate but often stuck in a middle ground because of their differing values. To say their ending made me completely happy would be a lie- I don't like how they're still stuck in a loop- but it's realistic and it's them. Not all romances have that typical "happy ending" and many will be complicated like theirs. I'm appreciative that their story was able to be told. Their relationship kept making me think about my values and if I could compromise as much as Morgan does for love. Note: Morgan's lines are so smooth like I swooned so much.

2. Hyeon and Ji Hwan. Honestly. This couple gave me life in this drama and was a breath of fresh air. Their meeting was so appropriate and I found myself smiling like an idiot each time they were together. Still, my heart broke each time they had to come to the end of each of their meetings and questioned their feelings- if it was just Hyeon being "a fan" or more. It was nice seeing Hyeon falling for Ji Hwan without realizing and having a different side than what we usually saw and it was so cute watching Ji Hwan be hyper-aware of his feelings and unsure if Hyeon felt the same. If Morgan and TaMi were the mature couple, these two were like a whole "first love wholesome" couple that was a good contrast to the main couple. Honestly, their chemistry was amazing! Note: Ji Hwan's lines when he was "acting" with Hyeon and his confession were so smooth too (why are the men such smooth talkers).

3. I'll take the time to also mention Ga Kyung and Jin Woo. They had a sad romance, for Jin Woo to be one-sidedly in love and already preparing for their divorce before Ga Kyung even brought it up. He loved her wholeheartedly but was guilty about his family caging her. He loved her enough to let her go and respect her wishes to not even contact her when she wanted to disappear. And how Ga Kyung realized all this and came to care for him, but realized she had to find herself first. They have a bit of an open ending- and it was fitting for their characters.

THE CAST
I think everyone was perfectly cast in this drama. Honestly, I first came to watch it because I found Da Hee was going to be in it, and then saw videos of her chemistry with a current new favourite actor of mine, Jae Wook. Knowing two of my faves were going to be in a drama together and as love interests really pushed me to watch and I was not disappointed. Honestly, I think they had the most chemistry as a couple in the whole series. I personally hope Jae Wook gets more dramas! Also Da Hee always plays badass women and this time her portrayal was perfect and I could never imagine anyone different. Soo Jung and Ki Young did very well as the main couple, and the scenes were executed almost perfectly. My only criticism is that there were times when Ki Young seemed like he was "acting" rather than "being" Morgan and there were a few blank faces.

MUSIC
I cannot stress enough how much I loved the music. From the background music to the OSTs- they set the mood perfectly. I loved the main OST so much with the breathy tones. And the game song- it's what brought the main couple together at first and it played when they found each other again at the end. Beautiful and satisfying, this drama has to have one of the best soundtracks I've heard.

REWATCH VALUE
As much as I'd want to watch it again, I'd have to wait a little to let my feelings settle. It left me thinking, and is a drama I'd rewatch for thought-provoking conversations. It's a bit on the heavy and mature side but has a general good balance to give a bit of a dramatic "slice of life" feel. I'd for sure watch again though because the story was amazing.

CONCLUSION
Overall, the story was very character-driven, mature, faced societal issues and thought-provoking, which I really appreciated. The character growth was a journey that I'd definitely watch again. I love how the plot and ending wasn't rushed at all- all couples ended in a place fitting for them and the corporate warfare set a good and satisfying end. I appreciate the writer for taking their time with the plots and connecting everything together so well. Also, the camera work and lighting PLEASE. It was beautiful. Whomever designed the storyboard- I need to learn from them. The scenes were perfect and the lighting and the camera angles really set the scene. They used a lot of unique angles that helped elevate a lot of the emotions of each of the characters and I loved it all. THE ENDING. I lived for the ending and thought it was a perfect way to end with a hearing (which also started the drama) and the three girls riding off to the sunset with the OST. It was a women-driven show and ended with strong women. I cannot speak enough how much I loved the whole show. I think the realism really set everything for me and twists up to the very end had me shook. That last twist I'm still getting over!! Also, loving how the title ties in all at the end! I NEED MORE!!

PS. Ji Hwan and Hyeon need their own series pls and thank you

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This drama shows girl empowerment, I super love these 3 girls determination to succeed in life and how they handle the pressure of competition between Unicon and Barro but I like the badass chick Scarlet more. May kilig factor din xa, di ko masyado bet ang lovestory ni Tammy & Morgan ky its so complicated hehehe ???? but still makakilig japun cla. Mas cute ang story ni Scarlet and Ji Wan but my favorite couple is Ga Gyeong and Jin U because it shows how he really loves his wife/exwife he will do anything to protect her. I love the outcome of the ending because its a mission accomplished for the girls.

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I don't think I picked my jaw up off the ground, or stopped smiling, through maybe the first five hours of this show. That's how brassy and sexy it is. To describe it to friends who don't watch k-drama, I said: Imagine two rival tech giants, with two rival key players who hate each others' guts. They're connected in two important ways: first by a scheming boss, who's also a pawn in a larger conspiracy; and second by their own moral principles, which force them to put aside their differences and work together in the wake of a political conflict. Good story? Good story. Now imagine every single character I've just talked about is a single woman in her late thirties or forties.

This would be audacious, if not unthinkable, from any major entertainment industry in the world. And Search WWW knows it, takes pleasure in it, and forces you to think about these role reversals -- all while running a very successful romantic comedy slash workplace drama plot to keep the show moving. Meanwhile, music, clothes, side-plots, supporting characters: everything and everyone comes together to create an array of delightful things to enjoy and relish. The romantic plots never feel relegated to a sideshow, but that's another of the show's successes: you care deeply about each of the (adorable!) men the women become entangled with, yet these relationships never take precedence over the women's own doubts and desires.

I don't think Search WWW is perfect; its pacing is a problem and in spite of its strong writing, I do think it relied too much on great set-pieces, rather than overall dramatic integrity. But in total fairness, it established from the very beginning that it wanted to draw your attention to how its three women protagonists pull off completely breathtaking feats of professional excellence even while they're struggling to achieve some kind of balance in their personal lives and their relationships with each other: and we got that, all the way to the triumphant end.

I've never seen a show that makes me want to smile in delight just thinking about its premise before, but Search WWW was that. I'd recommend it to any single human being with a heart in this world. Big kudos to the actors who made us want to root for them even at their lowest and most conflicted; and all props to the writers who decided to pull off this totally improbable show, and then did it.

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Female protagonism at its finest

I don't even know about which aspect should I begin to describe this drama. But it was one of the best surprises I've ever had in all the dramas I've watched, and ended up becoming one of my favorites.

The female protagonists are intelligent, strategists, there is no female rivalry because of any love interest but because of business. The character's personalities are complex and there aren't many exaggerated conflicts, just the result of people who have high burdens and great responsibilities (their work involves search engines and the influence that this has on the lives of the vast majority of people).

The protagonist's love life is in second place in her head, she's very afraid of getting hurt at her age, but the romance is very present in the drama (some people who value romance above all else may end up giving drama lower ratings for the protagonist's excessive independence. I love romance but I have to be fair about how excellent this drama is). There is a lot of skinship, the male protagonist doesn't seem weak but at the same time does everything for the female protagonist, which seems an almost impossible balance to make and look convincing. But he does it very well. He is notoriously more sensitive, but he knows what he's doing at his amorous advances. He also has his own life's individual problems to solve, and the couple reconcile their relationship in a realistic way.

The first time I watched it I was really perplexed by the many taboos that are broken in relation to traditional kdramas. In addition to the absolute female protagonism, there are some situations where bisexual or lesbian characters are insinuated, which rarely exists in a drama that is not focused solely on that.

My favorite character is undoubtedly Scarlett, I have a soft spot for female fighters and she has a lot of anger stored up to take it out on who she deserves, hahaha.

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This was a short and sweet series and I enjoyed watching it. It was somewhat slow paced but it had a really good storyline and the actors really did their part to show the emotions of the characters. Overall it was really good, the rewatch value is somewhat low because the series is a little bit slow however I did go back and watch one of the things that I thought was pretty awesome. The series revolves around three females who has the old friendship. They have a connection not only in their friendships but also their work. It was more of his theories that revolved around on computers and I did go back and watch one of the things that I thought was pretty awesome. The series revolves around three females who have the old friendship. They have a connection not only in their friendships but also their work. It was more of his theories that revolved around computers and career careers. The cover image for the series what is not really a reflection of the actual series it’s self. It was about right and wrong and an individual‘s beliefs and standards in their work. It was also about loyalty and friendship to include personal relationships. So it touched a little bit on so many different things however it was still a little slow pace which is why I may not watch it again For a while. It did he talk about the test exam and computers which for a non-computer person it’s really not entertaining. I follow through to the end because I want to see how it would end and also the characters are quite likable in their own right. So overall if you have an interest in computers or a series about women and careers or just women empowerment, you’ll love this.

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I started this drama two years ago and lost interest, but I picked it back up about five months ago and finally finished it. But I also really liked it!

Let me explain: the premise is great--the story centers around three women who work at two rival search portal sites. There's a mix of friendship and hostility, and I loved seeing these relationships evolve throughout the drama. The ethical issues that arise relating to search portal sites are really interesting. The characters feel pretty authentic, and visually, this drama is very pretty. I love the OST and MAMAMOO's "WOW" is so catchy that I had to download it after watching this.

However! In the middle, the pacing dragged. I'd be fairly bored for about 50 minutes... but then there'd be 10 minutes that were SO GOOD and I'd be interested again. The storyline between Bae Ta Mi and her love interest felt realistic with its push-and-pull but also sooo frustrating/painful to watch.

Also, Cha Hyun was my favorite character but Song Ga Kyung ended up having the most interesting character arc. Anyhow, despite how long this took me to watch, I will remember it fondly.

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Started watching it for Lee Jae Wook but I got hooked

The story is about 3 women who are in their 30s. Struggling in both their career & personal lives.

Tammy is smart, independent, brave, workaholic, but to achieve her goals, she sometimes takes or wants to take the wrong path, not something illegal, sometimes chooses the wrong way. I liked that the FL isn't all goody goody. She has her own flow, every person has & it's normal.

Scarlett is honest, straightforward, always choosing to do the right thing. Don't go near her when you angered her, you may end up in hospital. ???

Park Morgan is positive, kind, doesn’t like to take shortcuts, believes in his abilities.

Seol Ji Hwan is simple, kind, innocent, and doesn't complain.

Song Ga Kyung is working women but not independent, she is a puppet of her laws. What her boss said is true, she is her mother-in-laws Slave. Feel bad that her parents don't care for her.

Like the initiation phase of the relationship between Tammy & Park Morgan.

Laughed at the shocking faces of Tammy, Joseph & Ellie knowing that Scarlett has a criminal record of assault.

Poor Lee Jae Wook in the first scene itself gets hit by food.

Want a boss like Brain who always thinks about his employees' betterment, but alas, this kind of boss is rare.

I loved it when Tammy also threw back an egg at those idiotic fans.

Love how Park Morgan always helps Tammy, whether it’s helping her escape from paparazzi or keeping her company in the rain or to make her forget about her problems, diverting her mind from it.

Laughed so much when Scarlett started to run fast after the criminal without running out of breath, while Tammy was all exhausted.

I enjoyed it so much when Tammy & Scarlett destroyed Oh Jin Woo car & loved the reply Tammy gave to him.

The way Tammy was checking out Park Morgan was hot.

Laughed at how people are afraid of Scarlet beating them up.

Laughed so much when Scarlett went to Seol Ji Hwan workplace in a bossy mood to get his role back.

Love Tammy & Park Morgan fight about Pyo Joon Soo & Park Morgan always mentioning his name to annoy Tammy.

Loved when Scarlett & Tammy challenged each other to take their boyfriend, while Scarlet asked Seol Ji Hwan to be her fake boyfriend.

It’s cute how Park Morgan asks Tammy to show her jealous side to him. The cute way she exposed her jealous side to Park Morgan all of a sudden & his expression.

Love Tammy & Scarlett's argument and their friendship.

It’s true when Tammy talks fast she looks cute.

Laughed at how Scarlett was fangirling Seol Ji Hwan & enjoying his show, then suddenly her expression changed upon seeing him kissing on screen.

I laughed when everyone heard Scarlett & Tammy's conversation, how their happy faces turned to disbelief & boredom.

Scarlett looked so cute when she cried in front of Seol Ji Hwan & cutely said “Don’t Go”

The least Song Ga Kyung would've done was to apologize to Tammy.

I would love to be as courageous as Tammy to stand up for myself as you need to. But I'm not. It's important for girls, even in this modern century, to stand up for ourselves & fight for our dreams, because still now we're being neglected for being a female. We are being asked if we don't want to get married or if we're career oriented, we're bad. This drama shows that part somewhat. It's not about feminists but about the journey of 3 women.

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Sorry if this sounds more like an essay than a review. I was very passionate while writing this.

The short version: It was a mixed bag but with more positives than negatives. I watched the first 3-4 episodes over 2 weeks and binged the rest in 1.5 days. Overall I liked the show and definitely recommend that you watch it.

Now the long version:

Dramas usually tend to show AI/robotics when portraying the IT world. It was refreshing to see a different take focusing on the Internet, a subject that is much more relatable given how it has become an integral part of our lives. Issues explored such as search manipulation, government surveillance, political influence were handled very intelligently.

I understand and appreciate the writer’s intent of portraying female empowerment but as someone who works in the IT, I find it hard to believe a story where the two leading organizations are partially, if not entirely run by women. This is not the case in any field, and especially not IT which is still heavily skewed toward males. It would have been more realistic, and satisfying if the chief rival had been a man. But this is just entertainment after all, so let’s suspend disbelief for the time being.

The lead, and IMO the weakest part of the story is Bae Ta Mi. I found this character to be infuriating to watch. She may be effective in her work life but is self centred and with some exceptions, rarely puts any effort into her personal relationships be it in romance or friendship. Yet everyone is drawn to her and supports her, especially Park Mo Gun. Maybe it was because the actors lacked chemistry but I still don’t know what bonds these two people other than physical attraction. An age gap is fine as long as both parties meet in the middle emotionally. But Tami Mi constantly acts like she has the upper hand just because she has lived longer. I couldn’t stand her preachy attitude throughout the series. All in all, I thought both actors did a decent job but because of the writing, I felt the romance was dull and brought down the rest of the story.

Moving onto Song Ga Kyung, this was a character I started off hating but ended up rooting for at the end. I’m glad she could achieve what she wanted. I also really liked her interactions with her husband. The character was written and well played.

Finally, Scarlett (Lee Da Hee) was the highlight of the show. It would have been better if she had been the lead character. She was everything I wanted to see from the drama, a woman who is strong, outspoken, and clear about her goals. She was both powerful and vulnerable at the same time. I loved her quirkiness. Her romantic storyline was heartwarming and so much fun to watch. Speaking of which, Lee Jae Wook seems to pop up in every drama I’ve watched lately. I think this is my favourite role of his thus far. Seol Ji Hwan was such a sweet, down to earth character, I adored him. I wish we got more scenes from this couple, they had far better chemistry and like the leads, they too had an age gap (though smaller), but didn’t let that get in the way. I would love if there were a spin-off show with these two characters alone.

The rest of the cast especially the the TF team was effective. Also of note was Brian (Kwon Hae Hyo) whom I recently watched in a negative role and was amazed to see the contrast in this role.

The music of the show was pleasant but not particularly memorable. I enjoyed the opening theme.

I really liked cinematography in this series. I know there have been articles on MDL about filming styles and symbolism in the past, I wish someone would write one with this drama in mind. There were many notable scenes but one I liked in particular was in ep. 15 with the split screen showing the two leads living similar lives albeit separately.

Rewatch value is low. Although I enjoyed watching it, I don’t think I would watch it again since much of the tension building and surprise element would no longer work.

As an aside there were a few fun tidbits that I want to mention.

- Barro looks like such a cool place to work. If companies like this exist in RL, please hire me!!!

- Although the product placement in this series was blatantly obvious and annoying at times, and even though I’m not that interested in cars, I couldn’t help but ogle at the parade of Maseratis, especially the one Bae Ta Mi drives.

- Lastly, as an ARMY I loved the BTS references in the last episode. It was fun.

Wow! This is probably my longest review yet. If you’ve gotten this far then thanks! As I said before, I have mixed feelings about this drama but I appreciate the innovative storyline and interesting set of characters. This might not be a masterpiece but it was pleasant. I encourage you all to watch it.

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A drama I enjoyed watching from start to finish? Finally!!!
I'm not sure if I could have survived watching this if it was still airing but it was an amazing binge. The only binge I've enjoyed this much in a long time.

I found all the business related scenes really entertaining to watch because of the ethical dilemmas so yey for not boring me with business jargon and politics! I think having web portals as the business was really interesting since we use the Internet daily.
Each main character had their own color and the character development for each one was fun to watch. Even Ga gyeong's character, which is arguably less fun than the two, gets your full attention.
The supporting characters also brought so much life to the drama.
The acting was better than I expected.
I really couldn't hear most of the music because I watched this in low volume but those that I did hear were amazing and I put a few on my playlists that would instantly bring me back to the scenes in the drama.

My biggest complaint is how much screentime we have with the main couple because it would have been better to have as much screentime with the camaraderie of the task force, and the romantic realtionships of the two other characters. But the good parts largely outweighs the not so good :)

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I have been blown away.

Not only does it have 3 strong female leads, their individual relationships as well as the way their actions intertwine is absolutely amazing. You don't have things focused on one entire couple, nor do you have too much screen time on just the male leads.

You have three stories. Three empowering experiences.

The injustice, the tension in their conflicts, it all builds up and makes the watcher nervous themselves. I was amazed at how intricate and well filmed everything has been, and I applaud the chemistry that has evolved between all of the cast.

TB to their dissing moments, and I definitely recommend this drama, as in my opinion it showcases a different style, and different view to the world of work.

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