Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014)

This wasn’t too tedious as a 20-parter, thanks to its exciting pace and great acting.  Still, we must bear with some repetition – how many times do we have to endure our four newbies being bullied, ignored and put down?  How many times do we have to applaud Mr Oh (Lee Sung-min) and Ms Sun (Shin Eun-jung) for saving their team members and treating others respectfully? 

 

The saddest thing about this is that millions put up with discrimination, victimisation and sabotage every day – in classrooms, boardrooms and workplaces all over the world.  

The newbies represent different ways to deal with the toxicity.  Perhaps one can try to fight it, or stand up for one’s ‘rights’, or win over others with one’s zealousness. It is under-qualified, ridiculed Geu-rae (Im Siwan) who passes this test best.  I don’t know a thing about baduk but it is clear that his years of training as a player developed the traits by which he survives, and goes on to outshine the others.  He has patience; willingness to learn and to defer to seniors; ability to see the big picture, to anticipate and strategise, to think quickly and clearly on the spot, to pre-empt, to think forward and backward, to identify problems and think of solutions; no (or little) fear of failure and making mistakes; swift recovery from put-downs, failures and wrong moves.  

Geu-rae with his young self, played by cute Kim Ye-jun

Very early on, Mr Oh advises him to find the centre of the tornado, where it is peaceful, but Geu-rae already lived this way from childhood.  He may get frustrated, annoyed or caught off guard but always maintains an inner peace that helps him move efficiently towards a way out.  In contrast, Baek-ki (Kang Ha-neul) and Seok-yul (Byun Yo-han) are at a loss about how to deal with their bosses.  

The acting and characterisation are generally strong, though I would have liked to see more depth in some characters, such as Ms Sun.  All the main and secondary actors played their roles well (and all the languages they speak!).  In my books, Im Siwan can hardly put a foot wrong.  Lee Sung-min lives and breathes Oh so realistically that he very unsurprisingly won Best Actor for this.  

The many minor characters are necessary for the office/work context but the kindy teacher is one unnecessary character.  No idea why she was in the show and was hoping that somehow, she would get paired with Dong-sik (Kim Dae-myung)!!  

 

Young-yi’s (Kang So-ra) backstory is well-developed, though I thought we had a little too much of it.  She has her cute and sweet moments with each of the three guys and I wanted her most to be paired with Seok-yul!  They were the funniest together.  However, like Dong-sik, she ends the show without a partner.

 

One International’s management

In general, the seniors are mean and especially nasty to newbies.  On top of that, their rivalries, ambition, bad-mouthing, backstabbing, lying and constant hope that others would commit grave mistakes are simply incredible.  With all the unfairness and unethical practices, it is no wonder that the junior bosses turn out awful as well.  

the most hateful of the lot, Mr Ma

 

Dong-sik stands out as a wonderfully supportive senior (but what was up with that hairdo?!) to Geu-rae, while the other assistant managers are severely lacking in team and leadership skills.  It is true that Baek-ki has a lot to learn from Mr Kang (Oh Min-suk), and Baek-ki starts out so full of himself, but Kang’s method of ignoring him is surely not the best way to teach him!  If only he had communicated properly with Baek-ki about why he needs to strengthen his basics, the young man could have developed a lot faster and more positively.

Mr Sung (Tae In-ho) is an outright twit but he and cheeky, playful Seok-yul are the most interesting pair, and how is their boss Moon (good old Mr Bang!) completely clueless that Sung is sponging off Seok-yul's efforts when they are all right under his nose?!  And Sung is on par with Kang as one of the top bonus earners??!!  Poor Young-yi has to be a doormat to her team, then suddenly assistant manager Ha (Jun Suk-ho) inexplicably starts to appreciate her.

assistant managers' night out, followed by the singularly hilarious hotel scene where they deal with mightily drunk Dong-sik

How does such a management system develop staff and why do people fight to work there? 

 

They also have ridiculously old-fashioned and staid ways of doing things.  I don’t see what is so radical about Team 3’s presentation.  Isn’t it the norm to try to ‘impress’ your audience at the start of your presentation?  Those guys are not only irked by the ‘unconventional’ introduction but behave like a bunch of immature and idiotic young boys throughout, also rudely passing comments during the presentation and laughing at Geu-rae’s name and his nervousness.  What a poor example of organisational leaders.

 

Thus, one of my favourite scenes is when Mr Kim leaves One walking out in as dignified a way as he can.  He knew he would get the axe when Team 3 began investigating Park’s corruption and yet he told Oh to go ahead.  The one time one senior person prioritises integrity.  Hence, he is redeemed as Oh’s new company’s CEO!

However, ostracising Team 3 for being whistle blowers?  For doing the right thing?  And blaming them for messing things up within the company?  Unbelievable.

 

Team 3, always unfavoured and often treated like outcasts, is of course the best team by far.  Oh and Dong-sik are the best mentors, Cheon – a late addition – is at least positive, and Geu-rae is the most outstanding of the newbies.  While the other three are still doing menial tasks, he is fully involved in projects and striding ahead of the competition but sadly, is let down by the cumbersome, traditional system that disregards merit and values qualifications above all.

Scene stealers

Oh’s sons – so funny and cute in all their scenes

 

Oh Min-suk as Kang – both he and Baek-ki are know-it-alls but he is so understatedly confident in himself.  The scene with him and Ha being attracted by the two polar opposites of HR staff was priceless.  (It was also funny that the HR manager was reprimanding and embarrassing her junior when they were there to conduct a workplace climate survey!)  I like how Kang is astute and easily recognises Geu-rae’s ability, which Oh tries to downplay but is actually very pleased to hear.  (In his turn, Oh is completely correct about the abilities of the newbies.)

high-achieving Kang, who never seems to want to even look at Baek-ki

Well done, Geu-rae and Mr Oh!  Well done, Team 3,

team 3 together again!

and goodbye, our foursome!

tvN, 20 episodes