Completed
DramaHeroine
2 people found this review helpful
May 21, 2016
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This is the best drama I've ever seen. The only way to describe it is that it isn't a drama. It is a masterpiece. It is to this generation of Koreans what Sandglass was to it's generation. It is a piece of history, a story for the ages, an important body of work that absolutely should not be missed.

(I don't rewatch dramas. I will rewatch this drama.)
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Completed
reeeeee
2 people found this review helpful
Jan 5, 2016
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
I love how it is the most real drama I've seen so far (please refer me to other dramas if ever you disagree).
The hardships of employees - both those with outstanding specifications and without.

Almost dropped this because of the first few minutes but BOY AM I GRATEFUL THAT I DIDN'T.

Roller coaster ride of emotions~

Did not like how grumpy Mr Oh always seem haha

As for rewatching, I gave it quite a low score because I rarely rewatch series but if it's your thing then why not. :)
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Completed
Olddiva
1 people found this review helpful
Apr 3, 2023
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 5.5
Rewatch Value 10

SENSATIONAL SHOW and ACTING

For almost two years, I passed by this series, annoyed that it was in my presence so much. Finally, I looked at a couple of reviews on this website, and decided, OK, “I’ll watch!” I was interested, then became mesmerized, as the series progressed. That which was comedic was hilarious; that which was drama—the basic show—was sensational! I recognized Kang So-ra (Revolutionary Love, The Beauty Inside); Kim Dae-Myung (Hospital Playlist); Im Si-Wan (Run On, Summer Strike), and Kang Ha-neul (When the Camellia Blooms). All were great, simply fabulous! Someone I had not seen and was spellbound by his acting, was Lee Sung-min! SENSATIONAL! Sung-min was/is so dynamic, I looked for other works of his and am watching. Misaeng is rewatch worthy—although long. There was only one, 10-15 minutes (maybe) that was puzzling, in the last episode. Never quite connected for me. I’m still wondering, WHY?! Could have used that time to tie up loose ends of relationships. Still, in its entirety, this show is/was a 10!

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Completed
Zazha
1 people found this review helpful
May 9, 2021
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0

Fall in love with complexity of real life and the comfort of conversations and relationships

I feel like this show is a bit predictable but a bit original, so a bit of both.

First, I like an underdog fighting its way through the corporate world. I like each intern’s little journey to develop themselves. I like little moments of humour they sprinkle throughout the show. I like how they show all the real struggles of life which makes this show really comforting to watch. I like how they relate real life to playing badeuk which makes the show intriguing and interesting.

But at the same time, I feel like each cliffhanger or some of the episode arcs seem a bit predictable but I still like watching them.

Sometimes others might think it’s too slow, but I think every scene is placed there to create the feelings.

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Completed
notherealone07
1 people found this review helpful
Aug 2, 2021
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.0

WE ALL HAVE A INCOMPLETE LIFE

Misaeng is a type of K-drama you will love if you are into business or have any knowledge about it...Its main focus is on the business aspects and it delivers on that...even if you are not into business you will still appreciate the characters and the message the show is trying to deliver.

The Story of the main character is that he wants to find his place in life...He wants to prove himself to others and find his meaning in life...The story constantly shows how poorly he is treated by others
He always tries his best but fails many times

All the characters have their own story and motivations...we see them grow and develop into better workers and people...and their stories do not make the main plot messy but it elevates it into a different level

The drama is not on the nose with its message and characters, you are shown how they feel just by their emotions...It shows how great the acting was

The main criticism the show can get is the main character is more of a silent type and may seem boring to some, but if you can understand him and relate to him you will find his character to be well written, but that’s up to personal preference

The drama is very much business focused and it may confuse you at some parts because of the heavy business knowledge this show drops on you

But it is a good watch if you like dramas like Reply 1988 and Hospital Playlist

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Completed
Eyes of Wonder
1 people found this review helpful
Sep 9, 2024
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

It is amazing!

This drama is amazing! One of my favorite k-dramas and I highly recommend it to everyone. Everything is perfect about each character. I know that first episodes are not appealing and it is all about the working life, but after you understand each character story, their personal struggles and pain, you just can't stop watching this. It is a masterpiece! And I love the entire OST!
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Completed
Zee
1 people found this review helpful
Jun 21, 2020
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.0
I am so lucky to be able to come across this drama. That is the main gist of what I want to say. I never imagined giving a drama such a high rating, especially an office drama omg. I finished this a few days ago, but it honestly took me a few days to sit down and write this because a huge part of me didn't want to let this go. Another reason would be because this drama touched me in such a way it's hard to even put the feelings into words but here I go:

Wow. Just wow. This is easily one of the best kdramas I have ever seen in my life. Half of me wants to go back in time to when this drama first came out and kick myself for looking at the plot with disinterest, because I am embarrassed to admit that at that time, I was one of those people who only watched romance dramas. However, the other half of me is so glad I watched this drama right now, as if the universe knew this is the time when I needed it; when I'm in a place so familiar to Geurae and the other newbies: struggling in a vast corporate world where I'm desperate to find my own footing.

To the people who might have found it slow, I would like to argue that's why it was so unbelievably touching. It focused on growth and actual development of characters rather than a fast moving, wacky plot; and much like real life growth is slow and progress feels almost dragging. It was so rooted in reality it almost felt painful to watch, but thats what made the high moments feel even more euphoric. It was so mirrored in reality, with some days being endlessly painful or uneventful, but then turn around and become chaotic and surprising. The plot wasn't unexpected like a gripping action movie or a suspenseful thriller, but its unexpectedness was based on its similarity to life's ups and downs, how it lands us in unfamiliar places.

Honestly, I want to keep going but I'll praise it endlessly. The actors were beyond amazing. I don't remember the last time I've seen an ensemble cast where everyone carried their own weight, everyone shone during their own time, everyone matured and grew in a way that even characters I hated, I ended up adoring. I don't even understand how it happened, but that's what happens when there is CHARACTER GROWTH and actual delicate CHARACTERIZATION instead of merely focusing on creating a unique plot. The direction was incredible; so many times the shots were taken in ways that the viewers almost had trouble grasping what the characters were thinking, so much like real life where we struggle to connect with others and understand their point of view.

Despite not knowing much about Baduk, I loved the analogies and I can only fathom how much more impactful it must be for native Korean speakers to watch this, especially Korean Baduk players. I can understand why this was such a hit, why it is still a cultural phenomenon in Korea. It truly connected with me on a level I didn't even expect. I listen to the OST's like they are the soundtrack of my life, everything was almost flawless and fit together in this show like a perfect puzzle. Now I only hope, with inspiration from Chief Oh, to keep enduring in my "misaeng" (incomplete) life and to someday win, and achieve my own "wansaeng" (complete) life.

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Completed
OneWinterDay
1 people found this review helpful
25 days ago
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 4.5
This review may contain spoilers

What a surprise that was!

The cast is INSANE!
The writing was amazing - it felt so real and so felt that no doubt writing from personal experience and deep understanding of the dynamic of big companies, mixed with inside knowledge of the essence of the work of brokerage! Wow!
I walked in these young people shoes, and recognised so much of the challenges and emotions they went through!
It’s not a rom com, it’s fast pace and I guess, if this is not something you understand or had experience might be a bit detached, but for me was 10!
There only a handful of 10s in my 400+ drama list and this is one of them!
The poster is the worst thing about this drama ???

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Completed
Lynn
0 people found this review helpful
Jan 13, 2024
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 5.0

Worth a watch :o)

This is an extremely belated post/ review because I watched this several years back. I just want to keep a record of what I have watched (as much as possible).

From what I remember, this drama is quite exciting. The acting by the leads is excellent. A slice-of-life in the office kind of drama whereby people work hard to keep their jobs/ climb the corporate ladder. I remember feeling similar feelings as the characters as they struggled and tried their utmost.

This is a believable/ realistic drama with an excellent cast of actors and actresses who can act. They delivered. They brought the feels. I recommend this drama even though it is an old one. If you have not watched it and you like office type of dramas, give this a go. :)

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Completed
axolotyl
0 people found this review helpful
Oct 14, 2024
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers
This drama is incredibly well written, most fall into cliches and tired plot-holes. This was refreshing we see a young and desperate young man trying his best in a ruthless and vicious world. He had a poor upbringing and had a singular activity which he abandons his whole identity taken away and he has little to his name, we see him gain competence, confidence and move through the corporate world in such an inspiring way. The way that office-place dynamics were represented were very unfiltered we see how harassment plays a place in terms of misogynistic workplace culture, hierarchies in the workplace and topics nuance explored and represented I think this drama gives voice to a world that is less shiny but still beautiful in it's ruggedness the way in which we see each of the interns feelings through their difficulties was so well portrayed the actors and script were amazing, bar the final episode I was taken a back from that.

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Completed
gemmagyh
0 people found this review helpful
Dec 20, 2022
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5

It teaches me a lot--literally

I watched this as I wait for the next episode of Summer Strike and it was the best thing that I did last week! God, this drama is so good. This slice-of-life drama doesn't only get me reflecting on my own life but also triggers my strategic thinking. The way the characters interact with one another also gave me some ideas on how to handle different people. The plot is also quite good, I didn't remember watching this quality in slice-of-life drama back in 2014. The scenes are all efficient. Everything that happens has its' meaning that we can see later on. There's no useless scene, really. I enjoy watching every moment in it.

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Dropped 6/20
Nico
10 people found this review helpful
Sep 17, 2018
6 of 20 episodes seen
Dropped 0
Overall 5.0
Story 3.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
Misaeng was highly recommended by friends in another website so it was with positive anticipation that I downloaded and started to watch this drama.
What a disappointment, both in Story, growth, character developments, everything felt…. Unfinished.
I really had to force myself to get through the end of this show, maybe there was no drama factor here and I completely missed the plot, it was just meant to be an “as real as possible” interpretation of office life. Show, I really wanted to love you but you ended up disappointing me from the beginning.

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Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014) poster

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  • Score: 8.6 (scored by 13,389 users)
  • Ranked: #309
  • Popularity: #429
  • Watchers: 34,634

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