2
2
Salatheel
An undiscovered treasure.
This drama is wonderfully unique and the only other drama I can think of to compare it with is “Misaeng”; but set in the public service rather than the corporate world. It begins as a quintessential comedy of manners; beautifully observed and very funny. There is no slapstick, forced humour or conscious jokes it is all situational comedy requiring an appreciation of what-is-not-said from the viewer. The smile hardly left my face for the first 5 episodes and I often had to stop streaming because I was laughing too much to read the subs.
This is the type of drama that someone who has worked for a while can really appreciate. The office politics are just wonderful and understanding them is 50% of the humour. If you have worked in a setting that interfaces with the public, or community/social work, then the scenarios in this drama will be delightfully reminiscent of how reality can often be more absurd than fiction. The storyline was taken from a book by a rural prosecutor about his experiences and it has retained a very firm grip on reality.
The skilled and acute observation of the writer, the subtle portrayals by the actors and the understated direction tell a very human story, on one side of fraught repressed emotions, petty rivalries, oneupmanship, self delusion, bullying, jealousy and misjudgement; and on the other side, of compassion, dignity, forgiveness, generosity, loyalty, friendship and support.
The story features the relationships and strategies that most people adopt in order to make life easy enough to bear and is mostly about people for whom climbing the ladder is not the most important thing in their life. They just want to keep their heads down, ensure that their salaries drop into their bank accounts every month, and do enough of a good job to keep themselves from being noticed. But underneath there lies a streak of obstinate courage.
The drama starts with everyone just muddling along in comfortable complacency when the supercharged tornado of Cha Myeong Joo breezes in from Seoul to shake up their world. Ambitious, arrogant, abrasive, smug and beautifully played by Jung Ryeo Won, she divides opinion but completely rubs Lee Sun Woong up the wrong way. He is brilliantly portrayed by Lee Sun Kyun and is the notional protagonist. Over the course of the sixteen episodes, through various scenarios of conflict, competition and grudging co-operation, we see the heart that lies beneath the surface of both of these characters. Essentially though, this is an ensemble piece and all of the leads are praiseworthy with no weak links. Each one has their own story and is featured at some point in the show.
The drama presents a variety of case scenarios, sometimes using the lives of the main characters. They vary from the truly tragic to the totally ridiculous and the action can switch from comedy to pathos in a heartbeat. The vein of social commentary that lies underneath brings a serious and compassionate note to the drama adding another layer of richness. As with most Kdramas, corruption rears its head and the resultant cost to everyone is movingly revealed.
The production values on this show are pretty standard and the music is upbeat in the main, borrowing some latin-style rhythms. What sets it apart is a fabulous script and some really top notch performances.
As the show is episodic in nature there is no need to binge it. On the contrary, it is something to be savoured. It has short plot lines that can be munched through a couple of episodes at a time. So curl up on the sofa with your favourite tipple and enjoy the feast along with the cast who eat their way through a mountain of food. A perfect show for a Sunday night.
I was really surprised at the low viewing figures and the lack of reviews in English for this show on MDL. I totally fell in love with it and have rated it really highly for its entertainment value and delicious humour. If you are finding it hard to find, then on VIKI at least, search for it under the title “War of Prosecutors”. It comes highly recommended.
What my rating means: 9+ A drama I totally fell in love with and is endlessly re-watchable. It ticked all the boxes and had some serious wow factor. It would go on my personally recommended list.
This is the type of drama that someone who has worked for a while can really appreciate. The office politics are just wonderful and understanding them is 50% of the humour. If you have worked in a setting that interfaces with the public, or community/social work, then the scenarios in this drama will be delightfully reminiscent of how reality can often be more absurd than fiction. The storyline was taken from a book by a rural prosecutor about his experiences and it has retained a very firm grip on reality.
The skilled and acute observation of the writer, the subtle portrayals by the actors and the understated direction tell a very human story, on one side of fraught repressed emotions, petty rivalries, oneupmanship, self delusion, bullying, jealousy and misjudgement; and on the other side, of compassion, dignity, forgiveness, generosity, loyalty, friendship and support.
The story features the relationships and strategies that most people adopt in order to make life easy enough to bear and is mostly about people for whom climbing the ladder is not the most important thing in their life. They just want to keep their heads down, ensure that their salaries drop into their bank accounts every month, and do enough of a good job to keep themselves from being noticed. But underneath there lies a streak of obstinate courage.
The drama starts with everyone just muddling along in comfortable complacency when the supercharged tornado of Cha Myeong Joo breezes in from Seoul to shake up their world. Ambitious, arrogant, abrasive, smug and beautifully played by Jung Ryeo Won, she divides opinion but completely rubs Lee Sun Woong up the wrong way. He is brilliantly portrayed by Lee Sun Kyun and is the notional protagonist. Over the course of the sixteen episodes, through various scenarios of conflict, competition and grudging co-operation, we see the heart that lies beneath the surface of both of these characters. Essentially though, this is an ensemble piece and all of the leads are praiseworthy with no weak links. Each one has their own story and is featured at some point in the show.
The drama presents a variety of case scenarios, sometimes using the lives of the main characters. They vary from the truly tragic to the totally ridiculous and the action can switch from comedy to pathos in a heartbeat. The vein of social commentary that lies underneath brings a serious and compassionate note to the drama adding another layer of richness. As with most Kdramas, corruption rears its head and the resultant cost to everyone is movingly revealed.
The production values on this show are pretty standard and the music is upbeat in the main, borrowing some latin-style rhythms. What sets it apart is a fabulous script and some really top notch performances.
As the show is episodic in nature there is no need to binge it. On the contrary, it is something to be savoured. It has short plot lines that can be munched through a couple of episodes at a time. So curl up on the sofa with your favourite tipple and enjoy the feast along with the cast who eat their way through a mountain of food. A perfect show for a Sunday night.
I was really surprised at the low viewing figures and the lack of reviews in English for this show on MDL. I totally fell in love with it and have rated it really highly for its entertainment value and delicious humour. If you are finding it hard to find, then on VIKI at least, search for it under the title “War of Prosecutors”. It comes highly recommended.
What my rating means: 9+ A drama I totally fell in love with and is endlessly re-watchable. It ticked all the boxes and had some serious wow factor. It would go on my personally recommended list.
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