“Still, it is a life worth living”,,, Yes Misaeng thank you for reminding me that yes indeed it is. This one sentence now brings tears to my eyes whenever I read or think of it thanks to Misaeng because I saw myself there too.
Misaeng aka incomplete life, is my life and your life and everybody’s life out there. You may see the cover and think “this is office life it has nothing to do with me” yes to some point it is office life and all the struggle and challenges office workers go through but it’s LIFE in every way possible and in every level. It’s how life works and all about enduring, facing challenges, not giving up and learning human interactions. These things aren’t just in office it’s in our daily life which is what makes Misaeng LIFE I don’t even want to categorize it as a drama because it isn’t. We are all still living an incomplete life and working our way to make it complete.
• “Even if you think you won’t make it, fight to the end. In life, there are many things you start even if you know the predetermined end”. Oh Sang-Sik.
• Courage isn’t defined by readily jumping into risky situations, avoiding these situations and silently going on your own path requires courage too. Jang Geu-Rae.
• You made it anyway so try to survive here, surviving means going towards a complete life. We are all still incomplete lives. Oh Sang-Sik.
• Just because you forget a dream doesn’t mean it stops existing, just because you don’t see the road doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Oh Sang-Sik.
• Sometimes life throws tough tests at you to make you feel helpless, then leaves hints for you in funny places. But, of course there’s no guarantee that you’ll come up with the right answers. Jang Geu-Rae.
• A path is not simply for walking. Its purpose lies in moving forward and improving oneself. A path that fails to do so is not a path. The path is open to everyone but not everyone can walk it. Jang Geu-Rae.
And finally my favorite of all “What do you think life is? Life is a collection of choices. The choices you make in each moment make up the quality of your life” Han Seok-Yool.
Thank you Misaeng, I will keep this in my mind and remember everything I’ve learned here or been reminded of and I promise you I work my way through it and whenever I feel that I’m at the verge of giving up I will give myself another Miseang dose even if I had to watch it all over again, I’d be glad to do so.
Story?
To some it could be a boring, dull, raw, depressing real office life with no action no thrill no twists no comedy and certainly no romance thus no fairytale. Why watch something which is practically taken from real life, a spin of life I shall say so why? Yes, that’s a good question. We all want to run away from our real life and enter the drama world, where we get to enjoy a whole new different world than the one we live in. Our lives are stressing enough we don’t need to go through the same things while watching drama when dramas are supposed to be fun right? You are absolutely right I won’t argue there, but sometimes we need a wake up call sometimes we need something which reminds us “Still, it is a life worth living” I know I did. I needed this in my life. Let’s face it, as much as we want to run away from reality as much as we always desperately search for something that could help us get through it. No matter how old we get we still learn, leaning never ends especially when it’s about life. Wouldn’t you love to invest your time on something that not only gives you “hope” and fills your spirit with “positive energy” but also teaches you valuable lessons? Misaeng has all that and much much more. There are no words good enough to express my feelings about this (not a drama) but a journey into life.
For the first time in my drama history that a story challenges me mentally and emotionally to the point where I could not bring myself to watch more than 1 ep (2 eps max a day) and would take a break the next day. I have never thought I’d ever come across a show which I absolutely cannot marathon no matter how much I wanted to (and I mean it in a good way). The thing is, when I’m done with one ep I cannot start the next because I would be thinking of that ep none stop and grasping the whole thing in my mind, thinking about the message in that ep and the characters’ expressions and the way they behaved and taking note of everything that I’m supposed to grasp from that ep. Misaeng challenged me mentally in a way no other drama or movie ever did and it’s not even scientific (where your brain is needed) but each ep carried on a very strong heavy content which I felt I need to think about and take my time through it. It would be waste for me to watch Misaeng and marathon through it like I normally do with other dramas. This is not a drama every minute/second is precious here and should not be wasted.
Acting:
I’m sorry, no matter what I say no matter how many rows I write in regards of how well the cast did it won’t be enough and won’t give them 1% justice. Possibly the most justified 10 I have ever given for acting. I am thankful for the production company for tvN and for everyone who participated in this drama but mostly for choosing this cast! I wouldn’t take any other way. I’m not only talking about the main cast; I’m talking about the whole team from main to supporting to guest everybody is perfectly selected here.
I’ll mention the characters which affected me the most:
Lee Sung Min: Chief Oh, would you please be my mentor? I would do anything to have a person like you as my real mentor sir. I LOVE YOU FROM THE BOTTOMN OF MY HEART. Kudos to my favorite mister of all times!
Im Si Wan: Jang Geu Rae, whenever I look at Siwan now I think my heart will ache because all I’ll be seeing is Jang Geu Rae forever... Jang Geu Rae I love you but I also hate you because I am you and you reminded me of myself many times and that was very painful for me. To all the Jang Geu Raes in this world I’d like to hug each and every one of you and say “Fighting” stay strong.
Byun Yoo Han: Han Seok-Yool, is an example “never judge a book by its cover”. The best character development I have ever witnessed in drama land. I loved his character the most maybe because many of the situations he went through I have been through them myself so I could totally understand/relate to him from the very beginning I never judged him. Though his character is the sweetest character on the show and his scenes gave sweetness and funny moments to the show but he had his own battles to fight constantly and even then he would still be there for his friends and support them with at least a hug. I have so much respect for him for the fact that till the very last moment he never gave in to the wrong temptation and stood still by his ethics and principles. Byun Yoo Han, yet again stunned me with his wonderful flawless performance. An actor whom the industry and us the audience are lucky to gain in drama land :)
Overall:
Misaeng is a must watch by everyone but it is not a drama for everyone. It is a must watch drama because projects like these will add something to your life and we don't get such a privilege very often (almost never). When I say it's not for everyone, that's because as I said you have to be willing to give up your fantasies which we normally have in mind when watching a drama in general. You will have to be ready to embrace Misaeng the way it is and the purpose it is created for. If you are willing to do that then I can guarantee, you will see the beauty in this one ^^
If I could I would go personally and thank everyone who participated in making this happen <3
Was this review helpful to you?