Gaus Electronics (2022)

If you think this is not exceptional, then it's just your bias!!

*Minor spoilers*

This has been a good assortment of situational comedy, comedy of errors, word-play. Kdrama-Land is filled workplace centred dramas. Comedic aspect of workplace is something which is used by most of them. This one takes it to next level. All throughout the first episode it made me laugh unceasingly. Comedy like this sometimes appear as over-acting. Lots of workplace comedy has failed that way. But, this one maintains itself, avoiding that pitfall.

I've always thought Kwak Dong Yeon has been underrated actor. He is particularly adept while doing pitiful emotional scenes like in Vincenzo, Big Mouth. Here also he is playing to his strength, an underachieving office worker. His scenes with Go Sung Hee are probably the second best thing about this show, after comedy. Let's hope writers exploit these two things well.

They have given sufficient attention to supporting cast too. Be it Jang Byung whose inter-domain love relationship with robot, or Sung Nam's overly affectionate attitude towards Ma Tan or Aziz's quirky behaviour. Every supporting actor has been given attention and given some of the funniest scenes to perform.

Give it a try. You might find yourself surprised at how much you will like it.

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A fantastic, really done well, hilarious drama.

Story: It's a story about office workers, their office as well as personal life. The story is presented in a very hilarious way that will make your stomach ace because of laughter.

Characters:
SS: The ML, he is very innocent, hardworking, really clumsy and will definately screw up any task given to him. But overall he is really nice guy who is loyal and likes to help others.
NR: The FL, she is the senior of the ML, she is strict to him and is really hilarious. She always gets in fight with SS because he screw ups. She is a hardworking, straightforward (most of the time), funny and beautiful woman.
MT: He is a son of chairman of rival company, he went to the current company to learn and make something of himself. He tries to learn and adapt to the "normal" way of living.
KM:A normal office worker who is really strong and can't hold her liquor. She and MT are a duo where she teaches him about what normal is for an average person in really hilarious ways.
Other office workers: They all are really hilarious and very likable people. Everything they do is funny, even a "serious moment" would turn into a funny one because of them.
Aziz: He is a South Asian guy who is SS's roommate and like to refer himself in third person. Is a really funny guy with really funny catch phrases.

Acting:
Every single actor here has done an amazing job, their timing of comedy is on point. They will make you laugh with their dialogues as well as with their physical acting. There are some serious moments too which are acted really well by these people.

Likes:
The bromance between SS and MT is really hilarious to watch.
SS and NR's enemies to lovers is really funny and beautiful. They are really good together and give viewers a lot of funny as well as romantic stuffs.
MT and KM, initially they are creditor and debtor who later became student and teacher. They are really funny, especially MT being a rich boy who always misinterprete what "normal is.
MT and KSN, KSN looking out for MT thinking that MT is a poor and delusional guy is really funny
WHB, a gamer who does funny things in his office four walls.
CWW,SHM and KMH, all three are funny where CWW and KMH express themselves too much and SHM rarely shows any expressions.
There are also many hilarious parody scenes or dialogues of many popular dramas and movies. They exaggerated so many things and is a really funny manner.

Dislikes: There are zero things to dislike.

Overall: If you want to laugh, then this is definately a drama for you.

Rating as a casual viewer: 10
Rating as Critique: 10

Note: First two episodes have some references which a person from South Korea can understand. But later and other things in those two episodes are understandable by anyone.

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One of the best romantic comedies

I stayed up late to finish the final two episodes of this brilliant series, and I do think it's one of the best romantic comedies I've seen. However, this series is more of a romantic COMEDY than it is a ROMANTIC comedy.

I love the humor of this show, because it is also referential. In Episode 11, it even hints at other recently-aired series such as My Liberation Notes ("revere me") and even alludes to Kill Me, Heal Me and many other popular K-dramas.

I have to say, it features romances that are refreshing because, again, the couples communicate well with each other. It's definitely not smooth-sailing all the time, but because they are able to converse with each other, they are able to deal with their problems well.

This is a rowdier, less sardonic Korean version of The Office, with smoldering romance at its center. The series is remarkably consistent in that even its kissing scenes are laugh-out-loud events: it's one of the few shows that feature kisses that are both hot and extremely funny at the same time.

Overall, this is definitely recommended. Intelligent, poignant, and yet boisterously funny, Gaus Electronics is one of the year's best series.

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Just adorable

Okay so I don’t like crude humour, so I dropped this show in episode 1, only to pick it up again and grow to love it.

The plot is light, fast paced, humorous and romantic. This drama is the ultimate antidote to a stressful and hectic life. It has a great heart, excellent character acting, and is actually deeply romantic. It is one of the most comforting and reliable dramas I’ve seen.

While I love all of the characters, Ma Tan with his Mr Darcy type persona was my favourite and his love line was very sweet. I’m at episode 10 so ?I just hope that he gets the girl because she’s amazing too. Looking for a warm-hearted hug of a drama? Look no further, this one’s for you.

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Best romcom to watch

I don’t usually watch these kind of drama. I like drama that has romance as a side plot but I gave this drama a shot and it was the funniest show I ever seen. If you are looking for funny show, this show as everything. The acting of ML of absolutely amazing. I love this acting in any show, vincenzo My id is gangnam etc. FL also absolutely nailed the acting. Every other side character also played nice role. The chemistry between all cast are amazing. The script for show is well written. There are characters which would make funny/awkward. Theres a stone cold looking cast while there is boss who isnt a jackass or nicest person either. So over all cast and their role is absolutely balanced. Its a must watch show if you need new dramas

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Hilarious from Start to Finish

I watched this show as it was airing and could not wait for the next episode. It is the funniest show I have watched in a long time, I mean lough-out-loud funny, totally hysterical, and if you like crude humor - which I don’t, actually - you’ll like it even more. It also features an unexpected and cute romance that was more convincing than some of the stuff you see in classic rom-coms.

I generally find the acting in Kdramas superior to a lot of Western shows, and this one in particular stood out to me with the perfect comedic timing of all the actors. Besides our two main leads, who were just so funny and adorable, the supporting cast was just great.

The script was outrageously hilarious, making fun of kdramas, tropes, cliches, “biases,” and everything else, yet managed at the same time to realistically portray a developing romantic relationship between the two main characters. (Did I mention how cute they were together?) By the way, a special Thank You to the translators who did a fabulous job in bringing the witty dialogue and jokes across.

Oh, and don’t blink or you’ll miss it: There are a few seconds of extra scene at the very end of each episode, after the preview. They were some of the funniest moments. (Her umbrella!!! I laugh every time I think about that scene.)

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Don’t judge, just enjoy. :D

I remember clearly after watching the first episode I told my friend that I might have to drop it because it is a train wreck. But like witnessing an accident, there is a certain morbid fascination. I was undecided, but the show was whispering, “watch me . . . watch me . . .” So I watched the next episode and before I knew it, I binged all 4 available episodes in one sitting and I was hooked. Yes, I have the number for Drama Addicts Anonymous on speed dial. ;)

There is not much point in reviewing the show in detail because there are just so many things going on. It would be like running through a scrapbook of memes. The following comments will be general in nature with one exception.

First of all, the Show is beyond zany, it can be next level crazy at times with a mix of slapstick, sitcom and rom-com all mixed in. It is totally non-PC with more than its fair share of people behaving badly towards each other but mostly towards the ML. It was a challenge to watch the first episode because it is rude and crude but once you get to know the ensemble cast, you will start to see their better side or at least their more “normal” side. They are still offbeat and quirky but they are very human.

This bring us to the next point, the show races along at a thousand km an hour so there is a lot of gags, plots and office shenanigans that flash past each episode. Not all of them hits their mark and some are opaque due to cultural differences but when they do, they are a blast. You just have to take the hits with the misses. Once in a while, we’ll get a more contemplative scene to fill in backstories or the character's motivations. It keeps you on your toes as you never know what will happen next.

While there is a strong comedy streak running down the middle, romance is a close second. There are three pairings. The OTP who are quite cute and swoony once they fall in love. A 2OTP with the highest confession/rejection ratio known to me but hope is eternal. Finally, a surprise 3OTP that actually made my jaw drop. In a sea of same-same rom-com's, different is good. ;)

One aspect that I was both surprised and pleased about is the inclusion of a foreign actor. Like a lot of Asian countries, Korea is quite homogenous. Foreigner stands out and stands apart. If they are used in dramas, they are usually there as the token diversity with few scenes and little impact. When Aziz was introduced to us, I was thinking that he would be just another waeguk-saram who will be the butt of a few jokes and then be forgotten. I was pleasantly surprised when he was treated fairly. The show actually put up some stereotypes and then proceeded to tear them down. As the Show progressed, he was seen as insightful, knowledgeable and is given some of the better scenes. Hats off to the writer-nim and director-nim. Bravo!

Acting wise, when you first watch the Show, you would think that there is a lot of overacting. With time, you will see the nuances in their acting and the comedic timing involved in pulling off the gags. It was particularly nice to see Kwak Dong Shik getting the lead role he deserved. He definitely shows another side to his acting abilities. There is no doubt it is an ensemble show and the roster is filled with whimsical characters which allowed the actors more freedom to play their roles.

Of course, this Show is not for everyone. There are moments when I'd cringe. Their unapologetic use of crude humour can be off-putting. If you get offended easily, dislike lowbrow humour or hate slapstick comedy, then skip this show. Otherwise, give it a go. Once you get past the first couple of episodes, it might grow on you.

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Kwak Dong Yeon SHINES

So I'm not usually a fan of office comedies- the movie Office Space being the exception- but this one simply nails it. Originally I started watching only because KDY was the male lead (which I've been waiting for since seeing him in Love In The Moonlight) but stayed because of how brilliant it was.
At a sadly short twelve-episode run, the pace is quick but the dialogue keeps up nicely. Unlike some Western-made comedies, it doesn't rely solely on characters being nasty to one another. Instead, what bickering does occur is limited and the funniest bits come from their development through the show. There's not one wasted part or scene, and every movement lends itself to the situation at hand. Every actor carries the weight of their character with extreme skill. KDY shows his versatility by easily switching gears, but admittedly one of the best supporting roles is the actor who doesn't have to.
Honestly, this is one of the few shows I'd be eager to see a second season of, or at the least a one-time special TV movie! To anyone who loves to laugh and isn't nursing a broken rib, please give this series a shot!

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Watch this if...

Watch this show if you want a very funny show that is full of slapstick comedy, over-the-top characters, bad language, and an overabundance of fart jokes. My overall rating is lower strictly because of the fact that those are not things I enjoy.

The acting of everyone was good and the cast had good chemistry together. I'll bet they had fun making this! The SML had some weird hair thing going on that was really bothering me, get that man a comb!

Each character was likeable in their own unique way. I liked how the SML (chaebol) and his family were played - it's like they purposely made them caricatures of the chaebol families we normally see in Korean dramas.

The show moves at a good pace and there always seems to be something going on. I also liked the progression of the characters in the department. At the beginning everyone hated them, and it seemed that they didn't like themselves or each other very much either, but relationships were developed.

This is DEFINITELY a show to watch if you need some relief from heavier dramas.

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Love at First Fart - I can't believe I am rating a Slapstick Comedy a 9.0

Never in a million years would I have thought that I would one day rate a slapstick comedy a 9.0 rating. I am someone who doesn’t like over-the-top comedies and usually avoid slapsticks. This drama is still not for everyone, however, the stars are aligned for me to enjoy it.

The Aligned Stars ★★★
1. I am in NEED and in the MOOD for a comedy. Just something fun and light-hearted.
2. I set my expectations. I know coming into this that this is slapstick with ridiculous bathroom and second-hand embarrassment humor. I wasn’t prepared when I watched “Euchalala Waikiki” and ended up dropping it.
3. Surprisingly, there’s a stronger focus on romance than I anticipated. I thought this was the slapstick version of “Good Manager” with zero to slight romance. I was pleasantly surprised.

Given these three factors, I had an AMAZING time binge-watching “Gaus Electronics”. I bet all the actors must have such a great time shooting this drama. I wonder how they could keep a straight face and not laugh every single minute of shooting this.

I do want to acknowledge the fact that a lot of the fun was built upon our male lead’s incompetence, clumsiness and misery. If you don’t like bullying in any form (funny or serious), stay away from this drama. These factors might turn a lot of people off. But I switched my brain off and went for the ride.

This is just a very funny drama. The comedy starts from the first episode all the way to the last. The pacing is great and there are so many things going on to keep me engaged throughout. We have enemies-to-lovers romance, unrequited love, rich chaebol trying not to mooch off of his family’s fortune, company politics/stress, and different kinds of relationships. I was pleasantly surprised how moved I was in the last couple episodes regarding the main romance. Acting is flawless and everyone is so well-casted. I really don’t have any major criticism of this drama.

If you are like me and in the same circumstances with the stars aligned, I strongly recommend this drama to you. But if you don’t like over-the-top acting, second-hand embarrassment, and making fun of workplace bullying, then it’s best to stay far, far away.


Other Random Observations:
1. How many managers do you really need for a small marketing team?
2. The references of other K-dramas was fun. It was also fun guessing the famous lines.
3. Yes, that gelled up hair still bothers me to the end.

Completed: 10/8/2023 - Review #365

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