Good Manager K-Drama Review: If you’re looking for a show to make you laugh. This is the one. I laughed and cried in every episode.
Director: Lee Jae-hoon and Choi Yoon-suk
Episodes: 20
Cast: Namkoong Min, Nam Sang-mi, Lee Jun-ho, and Jung Hye-sung.
Streaming: Netflix
Synopsis:
Kim Sung-ryong, a Certified Public Accountant who becomes a middle manager at TQ Group company to embezzle a large sum of money ends up fighting for his employees’ fundamental rights.
Good Manager K-Drama Review:
If you’re having any doubts about picking this up because of the lack of a ‘romance’ tag or the synopsis or just anything, please throw all those doubts out of the window and watch this right now!
I don’t generally watch nonromance dramas, and I’m not a big fan of office politics or just politics in general, but I LOVED this! And believe me, so will you. The words corporate politics put me off for a while, but then I finally picked this drama. I wasn’t familiar with any of the other cast.
Now I can’t believe I was about to pass this gem off! Starting from the story, it’s a very intense one in terms of being in Business, Business Ethics, Corporate Politics, and the Law & Justice world, since it all starts from that and ends with that. The story is about a bunch of righteous people who strive to bring justice back to their company, and the whole plot develops around that.
Simply, there are some bad people who need to be put under limits, and there are good people who try to do that, sounds familiar & very typical, huh? I don’t think so, it’s different here.
It’s different because Chief Kim himself, brings unexpected ways to solve things, and he – with his very hilarious personality – never fails to make this drama one of a kind.
From the beginning you can feel the changes he’s going through, turning from a bad person (not really bad, but reckless& carefree?) to a very good person who fights against injustice by putting his life on the line all the time for the sake of helping others, that quick changing wasn’t in a very cheesy and unrealistic way, but it happened very smoothly and genuinely (Shout out to the writer Park Jae-bum).
It’s obvious that he’s a good human (originally) but it was only (covered) beneath Gunsan with its random thugs… Yes, he was
(Gunsan’s Trash) once & he admits that, proudly.
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I think it was only a matter of time and environment change for him to let that good side appear, I guess – Thanks to Denmark. I don’t want to lie, I started watching this drama only because I am a big fan of Nam Goong Min (One Dollar Lawyer), I did it even without reading anything about the story and the plot.
He’s a brilliant actor, hands down! but I honestly believe the reason why this drama went this far, is mainly because of him being our Kim Sung-ryong, his genuine funny moments are so great that you burst into laugh even if he doesn’t spell a word, his hilarious facial expressions along with his goofy body language are more than enough to make your day!
Let’s talk about their bro-romance! – From where shall I begin?
The TQ Psycho and his Gluttonous Sociopath!
I was enjoying Lee Dong Wook and Gong Yoo’s bro-romance in Goblin, but Hush!, Kim Sung-ryong and Seo Yool are much better in this from all angles, they’re true, blending so well together and their chemistry is TOP, totally in another level.
That love-hate relationship with the very naughty kisses from Kim Sung-ryong and (Jagiya, let’s go back to bed?) – was so fun to watch, cute, adorable and so absorbing, especially in the last few episodes, I bet they had so much fun shooting all these scenes –
Okay, can we talk about the beginning of Ep 15? I cried so hard. Anyway, I guarantee you that till the end, this bro-romance was so satisfying! They definitely deserve the best couple award of the year. And honestly, I am looking forward to seeing more of Lee Junho works.
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The rest of the characters in this drama are great and so well played by the actors and actresses, everyone had to be there and everyone had a fundamental role, they all complemented each other actually.
There are a few who really grabbed my attention and I really wish to see them more in some more interesting dramas, Park Myung Seok for example, he’s such a cute and irreplaceable addition to this drama, Dang Ho deserves more attention from the drama directors.
I’m quite sure that his performance in Chief Kim will open so many doors for him in the future, well done Dong Ho! His steady and logical character development was so cheerful to watch, his Tanzanian accent, his way of imitating his dad’s deep voice, all those moments were so well played by his bright acting.
Choo Nam Ho, he’s a really fine actor, and I really enjoyed his (father and son) relationship with Kim Sung-ryong, it was so lovely and adoring to watch them sharing the happy and the hard moments together and being there for each other, I get emotional every time I watch their scenes.
I am not really a big fan of the female leads, especially Yoon Ha Kyung, I couldn’t digest her existence till the end, and I personally didn’t find her blending with any of the male leads, and for that reason specifically, I’m so glad that this drama skipped the real romance that most of K-Dramas deeply engages the audience in.
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Yes, there’re some slight romantic moments between Yoon Ha Kyung and Seo Yool, and I think those very light quick moments were more than enough for this serious drama, it was a sweet addition.
The Music is really good and so matching with the storyline, though it was so basic in my opinion, I mean the nature of this drama didn’t even require that much attention to its music, the minimal the better, I guess.
Definitely, it will also remind me of those good vibes that this drama is all about, it’s so energetic and so lively, the lyrics are so beautiful and it uplifts your morale no matter what suits Kim Sung-ryong’s character a lot.
“Will you love me?” is also a good song, pure, sad, and sweet.
Last but not least, if I could summarize this drama, then I would say that it is mainly focusing on two things, the bright COMEDY which Kim Sung-ryong brings to it (along with his partner in crime, friendship, the whole journey, Seo Yul), and all those very funny moments that make you forget your grief in a second.
It zones you out from your real world, and it just makes you laugh so hard, I was tearing up every time I’m watching this drama, and laughing so loudly from time to time in a way that freaked my mother out.
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And It was a good one indeed, especially for me right now, where I am in the middle of achieving the dream in my life, and having a mental breakdown, this drama was like an aid for me, it really helped me out in a way or another to forget my hard and sorrowful life and laugh out of my heart for few hours every week, so sad that it ended now.
The second thing is the moral story behind the whole thing, I think the writer and this drama’s makers were only working toward one goal, which’s merely about Business Ethics. And let’s say… Life is all about Karma, you do good, good comes back to you, and vice versa, this drama might be trying to teach this lesson to all who hold powers in corporate life, hey, you. Just watch out!
The creative balance between this COMEDY and the SERIOUSNESS is so phenomenal, and the satisfying portions of both are what made this drama so interesting & thrilling.
Yes, 20 episodes with 60 min in each is quite long, which might seem to be boring for someone who didn’t start watching it, but let me tell you, it’s the first KDrama ever that I never felt lazy to continue or felt bored in the middle of.
16 Ep. – not to mention the thought of dropping it before it ends like many of KDramas that prolongs the plot where the story loses its spirit -. This one never fails to keep you entertained throughout these whole 20 episodes, at the end of each, you’ll look forward to the next one with absolute excitement, no doubt!
Verdict: Good Manager K-Drama Review
A happy and so satisfying ending, you will never regret investing your time in this, I’m telling you. The only thing that I personally wished to see in this drama, is.. if they could show more of Kim Gwajang’s superb accounting skills at the end, where things were getting complicated more and more, rather than just taking a simple action or suggesting a random solution.
I wished that his main talent (Playing with the numbers) could lead them to victory, it would’ve been a very surprising way of ending this battle, but anyway, the way it ended is no less than perfection, all good & great!
