1. For me this is the first drama where the character of (woman) lead actor is really strong and cool, also what is more imortant writers kept the individuality and speaciality of the character till the end. It was important to me, because in my opinion it is more realistic and people do not change so easily in real life, especialy when their traumatised with something.
2.I started watching it raw, I wanted just to try understand do I like it or not to watch it in the future, but I got addicted to it and even if I know only 3-4 words in korean, actors were playing so well that I didn't have hard time trying to understang what they were talking about. I mean their actions, emotions and face expresions were enough for me.
3.The story is unique and not repetitive even if it is a remake of japanese version. I tried to watch j-version but could not get used to actors.
In short it's definitely worth watching. It is refreshing, funny and wise drama.
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Story: Though it may seem your typical 16 ep romantic comedy k drama but it's really not, it is definitely not a typical K drama and that's one of the reasons why I loved it. For once no evil characters no crazy insanely jealous characters no annoying love triangle and clingy characters... The story points out something very important in Korea "contract workers" and work environment... though the topic is serious they brought it out in a very comical way this drama was so funny I couldn't stop laughing not a single episode was boring... it's my first time finishing a romantic comedy drama in just two days because I watched none stop. They presented the story in a way that you understand how hard work environment while also laughing it out. I loved how they put it in a really funny amusing way I'm not a person who laughs so easily but this drama never failed to make me laugh out loud in each and every episode.
Acting: I'm totally in love with Miss Kim (Kim Hye Soo)... I've never seen this actress before but let me just say she really deserved the 1st place in critics evaluation for best actors... Miss Kim is my favorite female character ever made in K drama !! FOR ONCE not a push over weakling and a doormat for everyone character but rather strong, independent and super cool female character. This just proves that Queen of The Office is really not your typical K drama and Kim Hye Soo (Miss Kim) is worthy of your time trust me !!
Finally I would say it's a complete loss to anyone who haven't watched it yet and I do mean every word !!
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Ok - finally completed this intelligent, funny, serious, oh heck - 'one hella of an emotional roller-coaster' drama. Each episode carefully rolls out a tightly interwoven story of intersecting lives of disenfranchised & lonely people unbeknownst to them. This is a story of adults in the workplace facing crappy conditions for contract or non-contract workers in a tight job market,while dealing with all the societal & workplace issues: sexism, agism, office jockey games, and favoritism. Comical to the point of stomach pains and tears to fill a cup full with characters you grow attached via each episode. Romance? Yes-Lite; Conflict? Yes, passive & aggressive; Music? well-suited_spot-on! Watch Again? Yes!
If you like drama that has a strong female lead, adult-issued storyline, no sappy happy endings, & strong writing give this kdrama your time, it will be worth it!
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Anyways, I admire the writer of this drama because it is very entertaining. Whoa, I love the chemistry of the lead actor and actress who amazingly portrayed their characters so well.
The kissing scene just tickles me, even if I don't understand I went to the next episode just to see if he was slapped. To my surprise, he wasn't. Hay, how I love that scene.
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This review may contain spoilers
A light-hearted glimpse into the conditions of contract workers in corporate Korea.
Mary Poppins: Korean Office Edition. An outrageously competent, practically perfect woman who goes exclusively by "Ms. Kim" (played by the amazing Kim Hye Soo) joins the marketing & sales team of a big soy sauce company as a contract worker for 3 months, and she makes it clear she has absolutely no intention to stay longer. Someone has a problem? Ms. Kim is on it. Just don't bother her during her lunch break or any time after 6:00 p.m. unless you want to be charged an arm and a leg for her overtime pay.Her lack of motivation to devote her life to a single company results in truth bombs regarding toxic (classist, elitist, misogynistic) workplace culture. Ms. Kim constantly butts heads with Jang Gyu Jik (Oh Ji Ho), one of the two assistant managers in the same office. He is wildly unpopular but capable in his own way, with his emotional baggage hidden behind his douchebag persona. His best friend, the other assistant manager and Ms. Kim's direct supervisor, Mu Jeong Han (Lee Hee Joon), is sweet, considerate, albeit naive. While he doesn't always agree with either of their ways, his main conflict is to balance his morals with the harsh realities that the more cynical Ms. Kim and Mr. Jang have already internalized.
The office has a set of supporting characters that are really there to provide the commentary for every situation. Most notably, the ingenue Jeong Ju Ri (played by the lovely Jung Yu Mi) is another contract worker learning the ropes of this setting. Her mishaps often provide the battleground between Jang and Ms. Kim, although each take the opportunity to teach her in some way.
Now for the Good, OK / Meh, and Bad points.
The Good: The whole show rides on Kim Hye Soo's star power. While the direction was questionable at times, and reactions so crazy they're almost cringe-worthy, KHS proves her versatility: from subtle tears and expressions that forgo the use of the internal monologue like in "Signal", to straight up cartoonish comedic chops like in "Hyena", just like Ms. Kim, she can do it all.
The character of Ms. Kim was also pretty great in that she stuck to her beliefs until the end, though with very subtle signs of wanting to change and being ready to move on from her grief. Too often, these dramas make the character turn 180 degrees under the guise of character development. I like that she never really succumbed to the brewing love triangle and that they didn't take the character down the romantic path at all. Same for Ju Ri's character. For me, it sends a good message that just because someone, or even two people show their interest in you (especially a superior), you shouldn't feel obliged to return their feelings. However this may not fly well for those who expect a romantic storyline.
Some would argue that Mr. Mu was too meek, but I really liked him. He wasn't Superman by any means. I appreciated that his actions towards Ms. Kim weren't for the sake of seduction (even though he knew early on that he was attracted to her), but more driven by guilt and genuine concern. He doesn't overstep his boundaries, at least not physically, so Ms. Kim didn't need to put him in his place as much as Mr. Jang.
The focus on contract workers, though satirical and cartoonish at times, is a refreshing take especially in 2013, wherein love stories between chaebol heirs and lower-income daughters have dominated the screens. In this drama, the cause of poverty and desperation isn't just a lack of money, but a corporate system that encourages self-preservation and ego-boosting over honesty and hard work, which is much more realistic.
The OK / Meh: The supporting cast wasn't bad and the characters were OK in serving as the chorus that would voice different perspectives on a given situation. It was nice that some of them like the older Mr. Ko had some significant use but could have been more fleshed out.
The music and OST were appropriate but not particularly memorable.
The friendship between Ju Ri and the rich Bit Na was nice since they didn't fight over a man. Bit Na herself was naive but pleasant and she never really took anyone's class against them. Sometimes I would forget she was well off. But apart from her desperate need to get back together with Gyu Jik, her character seemed unnecessary apart from meeting a kind of quota in the cast.
Bad: Ms. Kim's backstory was pretty easy to guess, you would probably put it together by the third episode. So after that, you're just waiting for everyone else to find out. The event linking Mr. Jang, Mr. Mu, and Ms. Kim was not necessary. I think it's better to understand each other through different episodes of grief rather than having some magic connection to the same issue. I was just shaking my head by ep 15.
You have to really suspend your disbelief through a lot of this show, especially when they throw numbers around. I get that Ms. Kim's 124 certifications were for comic relief and to add to her characterization. But to say that she's had 98 stints as a contract worker, many of which ended in exactly three months between 2007 and 2013, not to mention the long vacations she would take abroad right after each job, felt so off. Maybe my math isn't right or she counted those before her bank job and during her stints abroad, but with 98 consecutive jobs and 124 certifications it was so unrealistic.
I liked that Mr. Jang wasn't from a rich family and that deep down he seemed to understand the plight of contract workers, but his actions and his comments toward them made the overall characterization really disjointed for me. Based on the reveal at the end, he should have been softer than Mr. Mu towards Ju Ri and the other girls. Surely his mother must have told him some things that her managers have done just because she was a contract worker for over ten years too.
Overall, not a perfect drama, but enjoyable enough if you don't take it too seriously. 8 / 10.
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This review may contain spoilers
I loved the show it was based off of (the Japanese one), but I legitimately can't stand the male lead in either version. He's such a disgusting, cringe character the entire time I was watching (which is 2 episodes), and I don't even really recall how he "redeems" himself during the series. He was constantly overstepping, did sexual harassment, and was so goddamn petty, the only reason he shone was so he could be flattened by Miss Kim in ridiculous ways. It sucks so much because I absolutely adore how Miss Kim handles herself, but just knowing that they're the main couple makes me nauseous. Plus, the fact that she purposely lost (episode 2) after all the stuff that guy said... It was just disappointing.The entire show is within a 3 month period. You can't just slap off all the petty, narcissistic behavior he did and just call it romantic comedy because the female lead lets down her guard around this guy! Jeez.
Also, god, I hate his hair. She makes fun of it, but in the end, they still kept it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ LOL.
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Il ne faut pas se fier aux apparences !
Là, je voudrais dire un mot d'un drama que je viens de voir et que j'ai bien aimé, "the queen of office". Je l'ai regardé pour Oh Ji Ho, les plus belles fossettes du PAC, et pour Kim Hye-Su que j'ai adorée dans "Signal" !Heureusement, ça ne va pas tomber directement dans plan "je-te-déteste-mais-à-la-fin-je-pars-avec-toi", bien qu'il y ait quand même un petit quelque chose de ce genre entre eux !
Non, au travers de leurs démêlés on a un aperçu très intéressant du statut de travailleur temporaire dans la société coréenne, l'attente tous les trois mois de la décision de prolongation ou de fin du contrat, la ségrégation entre les titulaires et les temporaires, et c'est un aspect que je n'avais vu dans aucun drama !
Mais c'est une comédie, hein ? pas de tragédie du chômage ni de suicide de faillite en vue, mais des scènes amusantes et légèrement burlesques où missKim met en application les nombreux et très variés "certificats" qu'elle a acquis au cours de tous ses contrats ! Les acteurs sont bons, les dialogues bien écrits, les chansons très supportables (ou alors je m'habitue, qui sait ?? ) et la fin est très bien faite, pas ridicule, ni dans le sens "happy end à tout prix" ni dans le sens "fin ouverte qui ne veut plus rien dire" !!
Je le recommande à celles qui n'ont pas envie de se prendre la tête, mais qui veulent quand même quelque chose d'un peu consistant à se mettre entre les oreilles !!
Les deux personnages principaux :
Kim Hye Su, une fort belle femme, soit dit en passant, ça repose de ne pas voir un squelette ambulant, mais quelqu 'un qui a tout ce qu'il faut là où il faut !
Et j'en ai autant au service de Oh Ji Ho, un vrai régal !!
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