4
Sakura_Falling
Where The Cherry Blossoms Fall
This review may contain spoilers
New and Improved
So many BLs focus on dramatic plots and scenarios that would never happen in real life and while those have their place and can be quite entertaining, there's something about the simplicity and normalcy of The New Employee that makes it stand out. It's not all burning passion and smoldering looks and kisses, but rather the quiet development of a relationship, realistic trials that any couple might face, and learning how to communicate and make said relationship work. The New Employee is a desperately needed breath of fresh air.
At only 7 episodes, this series had a limited amount of time to bring this story to life, but it did a good job working with that limited time. There were very few if any superfluous scenes, rather it all came together to make the most of it's time to develop its characters. Most of the various plot lines were done well with satisfactory conclusions; only one or two were left hanging. I found the ending to be both wholesome and satisfying. I loved that the four of them came together to create something and with all their talents combined, I can only imagine how successful they'll be. I appreciated the maturity of it. These were two adult men embarking on a new relationship, but that didn't take away from both the excitement of little things like dropping honorifics to say each other's name and the giddiness of holding hands for the first time or the anxiety caused by their first fight and learning how to communicate effectively. There are parts I would have liked to see fleshed out more, but I also didn't feel like there were any glaring holes and the pacing was good, so I really can't complain that much.
Seung Hyun is a late bloomer, a young man in his late twenties still figuring himself out and what he wants to do with his life. He's a relatable character and while he does come across as a tad naive with an almost childlike innocence, he's not childish. His relationship with Jong Chan is his first so he has a lot to learn, but he does, figuring out how to communicate and navigate fights and everything else that comes with a relationship. His struggles didn't feel overblown or exaggerated, but more like what anyone might face.
Jong Chan took the idea of the icy, unfeeling boss and made it his own. He's a focused workaholic, but he's not mean and not abusive. He works hard and while he might not be buddy buddy with his subordinates, he's also not unfeeling and they clearly respect him. His behaviour as a boss is juxtaposed by how he is outside work where he shows a warmth that is especially brought out when he's with Seung Hyun. He's honest and communication is clearly important to him. He keeps no secrets from Seung Hyun and is clear about his faults, freely acknowledging them while also working to overcome them.
Ji Yeon and Kang Hae were so refreshing. Having female characters who were not relegated to serving as the catalyst for one of the main leads figuring out his feelings or acting as a villain was a pleasant surprise. Both women were strong, independent characters who had their own stories and goals. I enjoyed Ji Yeon's and Seung Hyun's friendship and how she'd supported him over the years and his new friendship with Kang Hae and how they worked together was just as enjoyable.
Kwon Hyuk and Ji Yong were both superb in their roles. Their chemistry was so good, subtle and sweet and absolutely perfect for the roles they played. Kwon Hyuk was so good at balancing the focused professional at work with the warm boyfriend. And Ji Yong really brought Seung Hyun to life as a hardworking intern and enterprising ad creator.
The production quality was good. Some of the night scenes could have done with a bit better lighting, but that's really my only complaint, if you can even call it a complaint.
I thoroughly enjoyed The New Employee. It was a very pleasant change from the unnecessarily dramatic and poorly told series I've watched recently and I really cannot recommend it enough. That being said, if you're looking for fireworks and hot NSFW scenes, this is not going to be the drama for you. However, if you enjoy simpler, well told stories with a realistic and sweet romance, you should absolutely watch this. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
At only 7 episodes, this series had a limited amount of time to bring this story to life, but it did a good job working with that limited time. There were very few if any superfluous scenes, rather it all came together to make the most of it's time to develop its characters. Most of the various plot lines were done well with satisfactory conclusions; only one or two were left hanging. I found the ending to be both wholesome and satisfying. I loved that the four of them came together to create something and with all their talents combined, I can only imagine how successful they'll be. I appreciated the maturity of it. These were two adult men embarking on a new relationship, but that didn't take away from both the excitement of little things like dropping honorifics to say each other's name and the giddiness of holding hands for the first time or the anxiety caused by their first fight and learning how to communicate effectively. There are parts I would have liked to see fleshed out more, but I also didn't feel like there were any glaring holes and the pacing was good, so I really can't complain that much.
Seung Hyun is a late bloomer, a young man in his late twenties still figuring himself out and what he wants to do with his life. He's a relatable character and while he does come across as a tad naive with an almost childlike innocence, he's not childish. His relationship with Jong Chan is his first so he has a lot to learn, but he does, figuring out how to communicate and navigate fights and everything else that comes with a relationship. His struggles didn't feel overblown or exaggerated, but more like what anyone might face.
Jong Chan took the idea of the icy, unfeeling boss and made it his own. He's a focused workaholic, but he's not mean and not abusive. He works hard and while he might not be buddy buddy with his subordinates, he's also not unfeeling and they clearly respect him. His behaviour as a boss is juxtaposed by how he is outside work where he shows a warmth that is especially brought out when he's with Seung Hyun. He's honest and communication is clearly important to him. He keeps no secrets from Seung Hyun and is clear about his faults, freely acknowledging them while also working to overcome them.
Ji Yeon and Kang Hae were so refreshing. Having female characters who were not relegated to serving as the catalyst for one of the main leads figuring out his feelings or acting as a villain was a pleasant surprise. Both women were strong, independent characters who had their own stories and goals. I enjoyed Ji Yeon's and Seung Hyun's friendship and how she'd supported him over the years and his new friendship with Kang Hae and how they worked together was just as enjoyable.
Kwon Hyuk and Ji Yong were both superb in their roles. Their chemistry was so good, subtle and sweet and absolutely perfect for the roles they played. Kwon Hyuk was so good at balancing the focused professional at work with the warm boyfriend. And Ji Yong really brought Seung Hyun to life as a hardworking intern and enterprising ad creator.
The production quality was good. Some of the night scenes could have done with a bit better lighting, but that's really my only complaint, if you can even call it a complaint.
I thoroughly enjoyed The New Employee. It was a very pleasant change from the unnecessarily dramatic and poorly told series I've watched recently and I really cannot recommend it enough. That being said, if you're looking for fireworks and hot NSFW scenes, this is not going to be the drama for you. However, if you enjoy simpler, well told stories with a realistic and sweet romance, you should absolutely watch this. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
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