Top Management (2018)

To maintain a 'watch-life balance', even thriller-suspense lover audience needs to watch light, refreshing drama like this one. I have seen several dramas on life of idols but this one felt different. This is because, even though the main story is the struggle of an idol group to regain their popularity after they face bashing for plagiarism, here the manager was in the focus, not the idols. Seo Eun Soo has pulled the role of a bit clumsy but determined manager perfectly. I liked different songs they have come up with in this drama also. As they have announced it would have another season, I don't have any complaint about the open ending. I felt the chemistry between the main leads is a bit clumsy but I think this might be intentional as this drama will have another season and the main leads probably will have more scope to show their chemistry. In a nutshell, enjoyed this drama thoroughly and will be waiting for the next season.

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lovely, cringy and fun

this is the first ever review that i wrote for a kdrama in my life XD hope u will find it helpful

this drama is just for u if u want to chill and watch some rom-com with a bit of fantasy (and ability the mc have, i wish tho they would have use the ability a bit better in the story but they used it ok and it didnt over shadow the whole plot).
i wont go much into details becuz it will spoil the fun of the drama but i can say that its very enjoyable and quite fast paced, the episosed are not long, except the first one.
the cast is amazing, i like how they casted great actors and musicians. and YES ITS 50% CRINGY BECUZ ITS SO CHEEZY, there are a lot of moments where u will laugh or just feel sad and angry which is very nice. most music related dramas about idols and music can drag a lot with the story but this one is just the right amount in my opinion, i love dramas like that, also it showes some inside things about how idols/ artist and the managements compnies work, im sure they didntreveals all the industry secrets in this one but its close enough to make ppl who underate real idols/ actors and ppl who work in this field.
also one of my favorite things about this as a bts fan, is that they referanced a lot of bts's things each episodes: like they mentioned them and their works in a nice way that was related to the situation itself, i liked it also cuz most dramas mention famous artists without a context but this one did it right. (and im biased a bit so what can i say)
there were also some annoying things, most ppl will brush it off and enjoy the drama but i can honestly say that if you get annoying easily about some things when it comes to this types of drama, that dont watch it cuz u will just feel like u wasted 30 minutes per 16 episodes.
ONE THING THAT IS IMPORTANT AND ITS FOR YOU DEAR FANGIRLS: THE WRITER OF THIS DRAMA IS 100% KNOWS THE KPOP FANDOMS fangirls LITTLE DIRTY SECRETS hahahahahah, they spilled fans online life out in the open XD i wont spoil it: if u want to find out: GO AND WATCH IT :P

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This was a really light, self-aware mini-series that I think does everything you want an idol-themed drama to do. Focusing on a manager who has had to given up her own dreams of becoming an idol was an interesting angle to come from. It showed how people can have different skillsets that go undervalued, and I felt that she was a strong heroine.

I kind of wish that both her powers of precognition and her unresolved dreams were touched on a little more in depth - it's clear at the start of the season that she still wishes she could become an idol, but this plotline kind of just fades out rather than allowing her to see her worth as a manager. She did not use her powers very often and they did not often tie into the story that well, and it meant that it often just felt like a plot device. It's a shame because by the end of the season you are starting to see that her powers have very real consequences when they are used, but you rarely see the benefits of them in the plot. The very inconclusive ending of the series shows that this would probably become something that is touched upon more in future seasons (and we have to at least get a second season right? with THAT ending???)

Although this is a romcom the romance actually doesn't feature that heavily, which adds to the feel that there will be a second season where things might get resolved a little more. There is a love triangle with two very strong male leads, and a few secondary pairings that have adorable moments, but minimal skinship and not a lot of relationship screentime (which makes sense, given that its a drama about and featuring idols).

Because this drama is by YouTube and clearly has an international audience in mind (with points where they explain aspects of the idol industry, or define different words in korean/mongolian slang for the benefit of the audience) it was very self aware at times. It made a lot of genuinely funny jokes about kpop and kdrama fandom that gave it a unique feel as a drama. I loved the times the fourth wall was broken, like the fact that Yunwoo stars in a drama called 'My Mother is Weird', or the fact that they kept referencing the actor's conflicting schedule in the final episode as a reason for him not being present.

There was also a moment (I think/I hope, but I definitely interpreted that way) that implied one of the characters was potentially LGBTQ. I liked that touch.

As I've touched on, and other reviewers have mentioned, the ending is quite inconclusive, with hints at a second season. I basically want more people to watch this so that second season becomes a reality (!!)

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Where is the Ending

I love the show and with it being so short it's not hard to watch. In fact, the stuff they put in each episode is all worth watching due to the small amount of time. I don't think there was one boring moment in the whole show. I originally wanted to watch the show because Jinyoung from GOT7 made a song for the show but then I also saw the Eunwoo was in it. Both things were enough for me to give it a shot and the rest of the cast was just wonderful. I only have a few complaints and only one is a major complaint. The first one is at the end of every episode they would do a preview and they would show scenes that they had deleted or were 4 episodes ahead. I would be expecting to see these scenes that made my heart jump for more and just never did or it was much later. Another complaint I have is how Eunwoo's character gave up so easily and over something that just didn't make sense. So she had one of the people she's managing songs on her music player or phone, so what? That doesn't mean anything at all and any scene that could have led to him thinking that was practically non-existent or he just wasn't there. I had a major second lead syndrome for this show which I normally do not have and it felt like they just got bored of it and swept it under the rug. Doesn't help that he practically did not appear on the show after that either really and some of the best scenes were with him in it. Finally, the biggest problem is, drum roll please, where is the ending?? Like really where is it. The way the show ended was on a huge cliffhanger and I mean huge. It has been three years now and I am not finding anything out about a season 2 so how are you going to leave a show on that big of a cliffhanger with no guarantee of continuing. That makes no sense whats so ever. I would recommend this show to anyone but the fact that it gives you a middle finger at the end makes me want to not tell anyone else about it and there really isn't a way to say thats not what the show did. So I am not going to go in the details of the ending because I do not want this to be too spoilish, mostly none but the lack of ending, but anyway if you want a good show to watch and you don't mind being left with an F-u than watch this show. It is still really good and worth the watch honestly and that is saying something.

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Let me go ahead and tell you what you want to know now and say that this is a really good web drama and definitely worth watching. Great story, great acting, well paced, pleasantly realistic (minus the seeing the future part), fabulous music (I even bought the soundtrack, something I haven't felt compelled to do with dramas until recently), and an honest (if albeit limited) focus on the difficulties of the Kpop industry. For those curious about how Cha Eun Woo fares, I don't know if his acting is just getting better, or I've just come to understand and appreciate his acting style, but I found Eun Woo downright pleasant to watch. It probably helped that the drama addresses the criticism towards his acting by making his character a 'face' who is also criticized some for his acting, and his character even makes jokes about it, always in a lighthearted way.

My One and Only complaint.

The ending frustrates me. A lot. Everything is laid out so perfectly. Except for the romance which is left just kind of hanging. I. Do. Not. Do. That. Shit. Not that I'm against open endings. Open endings are perfectly fine if they make sense within the framework of the overall story, but it does not make sense here. People are saying that maybe there's going to be a second season, and that's why the ending is open ended. Well, I hate to burst everyone's bubble, but I Seriously doubt that's going to happen, even if it is a YouTube drama making the rules possibly different. Not saying that I wouldn't watch a season 2, because I would watch the Fool out of that. I'm just saying that's not going to happen, and it's best not to get your hopes up.

Which makes how the romance was left unfinished at the end all the more frustrating.

But barring that one aspect of the finale, this web drama is good, and I really enjoyed it.

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Just lovely!

It's light and easy to watch. It is pleasant and the group members of S. O. U. L. are genuine and hardworking. I think it does a good job of giving us a clear picture of what it's like to be in the music industry in the K-pop scene and in a way that's short and memorable. It captures the struggles of the management and the stars well and the moments when there's success. As much as there are others who are jealous or resentful of others, there are others who want their fellow idols to do well. Even when they think they are alone, there is someone who is always rooting for them. The fans can be vicious and demanding, but they always have their idols' backs and it's their support that keeps them going. It somehow made me feel like I can achieve my dreams and that I won't be standing at a dead-end road forever. The fact that I'm proud of them for releasing their song and want them to make a comeback (even though it's a drama), shows how well they captured my heart. I'm happy that I watched this.

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I quite liked it.

I think it was a fun idea to name each episode after k-pop songs (wish the songs would have been added to each episode in some capacity, maybe as an instrumental or by having someone humming it? I feel like that would have been a nice Easter egg for the fans, and it's not like YT doesn't have the money to pay for it. Huge missed opportunity imo)

There was a bit of music but nowhere near as much as I would have expected give the idol studded cast they had to work with. But they were nice songs at least.

Bit disappointed with the ending, as they clearly left it wide open thinking there'd be more seasons.

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Top Management offers an inside on what is like to manage an idol group who are about to make a come back. The story is cute and overall nice, however, the last episode was really bad. They didn't conclude the events nicelly and it was confusing as well. The magical abilities of the leading lady were confusing as well, as they were introduced rather awkwardly and they only used once or twice to aid the plot's progress. I did like the story though. Apart from those mishaps, the main plot was interesting and the romance cute. The performances were good as well. Aslo, I liked that each episode was named after a popular kpop song.

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This drama gives a glimpse into idol life. It is a slice of life and a bit of romcom together. After getting selected by the agencies how the life of trainees are - this is showcased in this drama perfectly. The story is told from the angle of their Manager.

An ex idol trainee who ends up as a kpop boy group manager - can see the future. Can she use this power to her advantage? Is it a boon or curse? Watch the drama to find out. As a manager how she handles the situations faced by the band is portrayed here.

What goes on in those agencies where they recruit trainees and idols? If you are curious to know that, then watch this drama. This also shows the life of other staff at Entertainment agencies - especially the managers of idols and how busy they can get.

This shows the ups and downs in traineeife, the busier life of entertainment agency staff, the idol life behind the scenes etc etc.

Overall a different, realistic storyline as far as K dramas are concerned.

If you are a kpop fan, then this is a must watch to know behind the scenes of kpop life.

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A gender-reversed travesty that ruined the original author's career

It is absolutely criminal what this adaption did to 장우산's career (author of the original Top Management web novel, i.e., the source material for this work.) The original is a wonderful piece of fiction, and the travails of Jung Sunwoo (the actual main character), and his relationship with the members of Neptune and in particular Lee Songha (the female lead) are a delightful story and one of my favorite web novels to date. This gender reversed abomination ruined 장우산, who could no longer finish the web novel (and whose career has since floundered) because of the stress and misery resulting from this adaptation and the production company's disregard of their input, which adaptation quite frankly p!ssed all over the original work. I encourage everyone to read the source material, and skip this garbage.

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An extremely light drama!

Not particularly my choice of recommendation but perfect to leave something in the background while doing other things.

Really simple / easy to follow - cute/humorous!

Loved the acting from everyone - super adorable - especially the two ML's! Loved Ahn Hyo Seop's naive / foreign acting ~
While this was my first time seeing Cha Eun Woo act as an idol (even though he was one prior - never have seen him as I only have seen him as an actor/in dramas).

The main female lead was cute but I did think her stature/posture made the drama a little awkward for some scenes etc.

Not much really else to add? Just watch if you want to enjoy a cutesy light hearted drama in the background!

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