There is a considerable amount of over acting in this drama, and I skipped through a decent amount of the second half, but I think the storyline that intrigued me most by the end was Lee Jin Sang and Park Soo Kyung's love line. It was hard to watch them at first because everything between them was initially so cringey and painful, but I ended up really rooting for Jin Sang to get his act together and become a good human (rather than a charismatic, inert playboy) who takes responsibility for his choices.
*MILD SPOILER HINTS BELOW*
There's not a lot of entertainment that shows a man taking responsibility for a woman put into a life-altering position when both get mutually carried away with their sexual decisions, and one ends up with a consequence which changes the course of their future while the other does not. Morally, BOTH should share the load of the fallout from their choices, and I love that not only does Jin Sang try to do that in the most basic sense, but he even tries to go a step further, sacrificing his precious masculine independence and freedom to devote himself to the woman whose life he changed forever. 👏 He's not quite there by the end of the drama, but he makes magnificent strides in the right direction.
This drama is just great fun! I love how spunky and good-hearted the FL is, and while it takes a while for the ML to come around, he has dreamy visuals from the start. 😂
It feels more like a "School" drama than some of the "Schools" (such as School 2015 or School 2021), complete with the witch-y school administrators who are incompetent and corrupt alongside awful parents; I think I even like this drama's teacher, Yang Tae Beom (which the Schools also have, a featured teacher who's on the students' side and against admin.), better than any of the teachers featured in the Schools, except for maybe School 2013. He's adorable in this.
This must be the drinkiest drama I've ever watched. Felt dizzy from just the sight of grown men and women binge-drinking…
Well, at least it showed that drinking is usually just used as a coping mechanism that does nothing to help one heal. A loving community and support from people did that, as coping mechanisms are just bandaids for deeper struggles that usually need things more akin to (figurative) surgery.
I also just learned that many East Asians have alcohol intolerance. You would never know it from the way dramas portray drinking, though. And yikes, pair that with the drinking culture and it sounds like hangovers on steroids. 😬 What a dangerous (more dangerous than usual) coping mechanism!
If I generally like law(ish) Kdramas (Stranger, While You Were Sleeping, I Can Hear Your Voice, Law School, etc.) but struggle to finish office dramas (like The Good Manager, Search WWW, Hot Stove League, etc.) is there a better chance I'll like or dislike this drama? 😂
I've never seen Misaeng because of my bad track record with office dramas (the acting can be great, as I don't deny that it is in the dramas I listed above, but I just get bored by the office jargon), which is why I ask since this drama is about prosecutors and law but is being compared frequently in the comments to an office drama...
Aw, Episode 15 was SO ADORABLE. Loved watching Samdal-ri pull out all the stops for their girl. 🥰 Cuteness…
Specifically, I loved how Sang Do and Eun Woo instantly noticed Gyeong Tae crushing on Sam Dal's assistant when he sat broody and "cool" in the corner. The way they gasped and locked eyes in realization was so funny. I lost it. 🤣🤣🤣
It is a slice of life that's slow-paced, character-driven and meandering with a somewhat dim but utterly endearing ML (he feels kind of unique amongst MLs, honestly) and a sassy, somewhat biting, tough-on-the-exterior FL who has a big soft spot for the ML (you'll find out why as you watch).
It has a small-town feel with the accompanying village gossips with some sports and sports corruption thrown in (which the subplot murder investigation is related to; it doesn't overpower the rest of the drama) as the framework for the plot. If you like this stuff, you'll probably like this drama. :)
I was giggling at how perfect it was that they ended up together. I read some people saying they thought the drama let the FL's original husband off easy, haha. Really? He has to be married to a witch; his life will be nothing short of pure misery. 😅 It feels like the satisfying punishments shown in Dante's Inferno (like how pimps and seducers get whipped by devils in the afterlife). Ah, sweet justice.
I also loved the way things ended vs. how they started with these two: the 2FL thought she was too good for FL's husband, but ended up with him after all, while the FL's husband was dying to be with the 2FL, but by the end, when she finally "chose" him (albeit a bit reluctantly), he didn't like her anymore. But he still had to marry her. 😝
The end does drag a bit, but this drama is still special. I can't really articulate the quality about it which makes it so special to me. I think some of it is nostalgia because this was one of the first dramas I watched, but that's not all of it. Maybe the best way to describe it is the feeling you get when you go to a place that is very familiar and comforting and makes you feel at home? Ack, I can't quite put it into words, but, regardless, this drama is such a strong memory and left a lasting impression.
I also couldn't appreciate the leads' chemistry at that point in my Kdrama journey, but on a rewatch I can. :)
*MILD SPOILER HINTS BELOW*
There's not a lot of entertainment that shows a man taking responsibility for a woman put into a life-altering position when both get mutually carried away with their sexual decisions, and one ends up with a consequence which changes the course of their future while the other does not. Morally, BOTH should share the load of the fallout from their choices, and I love that not only does Jin Sang try to do that in the most basic sense, but he even tries to go a step further, sacrificing his precious masculine independence and freedom to devote himself to the woman whose life he changed forever. 👏 He's not quite there by the end of the drama, but he makes magnificent strides in the right direction.
It feels more like a "School" drama than some of the "Schools" (such as School 2015 or School 2021), complete with the witch-y school administrators who are incompetent and corrupt alongside awful parents; I think I even like this drama's teacher, Yang Tae Beom (which the Schools also have, a featured teacher who's on the students' side and against admin.), better than any of the teachers featured in the Schools, except for maybe School 2013. He's adorable in this.
I also just learned that many East Asians have alcohol intolerance. You would never know it from the way dramas portray drinking, though. And yikes, pair that with the drinking culture and it sounds like hangovers on steroids. 😬 What a dangerous (more dangerous than usual) coping mechanism!
I've never seen Misaeng because of my bad track record with office dramas (the acting can be great, as I don't deny that it is in the dramas I listed above, but I just get bored by the office jargon), which is why I ask since this drama is about prosecutors and law but is being compared frequently in the comments to an office drama...
It has a small-town feel with the accompanying village gossips with some sports and sports corruption thrown in (which the subplot murder investigation is related to; it doesn't overpower the rest of the drama) as the framework for the plot. If you like this stuff, you'll probably like this drama. :)
That said, I'm really enjoying it!
I also loved the way things ended vs. how they started with these two: the 2FL thought she was too good for FL's husband, but ended up with him after all, while the FL's husband was dying to be with the 2FL, but by the end, when she finally "chose" him (albeit a bit reluctantly), he didn't like her anymore. But he still had to marry her. 😝
Just perfect.
I also couldn't appreciate the leads' chemistry at that point in my Kdrama journey, but on a rewatch I can. :)