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Misaeng: Episode 4

It’s D-Day for the interns as they finally give their presentations in hopes of passing one more hurdle on their way to becoming official employees. Only a select few will be able to pass this round, though, and there’s a strong chance Geu-rae’s strategy in selecting Seok-yul the “dog wall” as his partner has come back to bite him. But for the intern who could only come up with “effort” as his useful qualification, there’s no such thing as giving up.

 
EPISODE 4 RECAP

In a voiceover, Geu-rae says that he now has to sell an item to the one person he doesn’t want to, and down on street level, Chief Oh watches the executive director’s car pass him by. Then it stops and he runs up to it, bowing deeply. He humbly asks the executive director to drop the disciplinary case on Dong-shik as a favor, but instead of directly answering, the executive director orders his driver to continue on.

On the rooftop, Geu-rae and Seok-yul are reeling from the news about the second part of their presentation. Geu-rae sees it as another game strategy: It’s about revealing yourself through your partner. If he decides to buy his partner’s item, it will only make his partner look good. But if he rashly rejects the item, then it makes him look petty.

Seok-yul proves that he doesn’t care about seeming petty, though, as he warns him that no matter what Geu-rae tries to sell him, he’ll never buy it. Never.

All the interns are busy working on their presentations and staying late at the office, keeping careful tabs on how each other is doing. As everyone researches the company archives or tries to find unique ways to figure out what one item their partner would surely buy, Geu-rae considers his partner’s motivations.

Seok-yul had said that he doesn’t consider someone without onsite knowledge to be a superior, which means he either only cares about the onsite factory locations or doesn’t care about office clerical work. But as Geu-rae looks back at Dong-shik’s and Chief Oh’s empty desks, he realizes that the onsite work can only come from office approval.

Chief Oh and Dong-shik are at a restaurant, silently pouring each other shots of soju. Dong-shik eventually screws up his courage to tell Chief Oh that he could have just left it alone. He knows how much his boss hates asking the executive director for favors, and he was just going to be put on probation for a few months — it’s not worth the threat of Chief Oh losing his own job.

But Chief Oh points out that the error Dong-shik made was just a mistake. Dong-shik should be worried if it happens more than once, because then it means it’s a lack of skills.

Geu-rae tidies up the office, and as he comes across a blank contract form, he pretends that he’s presenting it to Seok-yul, telling him that factory work is completed in the office, and in order for all the products to be made onsite, it needs his signature and the signatures of upper management for approval. So his solution is to sell the pen needed in order to sign off on the factory order.

He sighs that this presentation is no good, though, and is startled by Chief Oh’s agreement as he arrives back in the office. Chief Oh adds that Geu-rae sounds more desperate than persuasive.

Geu-rae is convinced that the clerical work is just as important as the factory work, but he’s struggling to come up with a way to defend his opinion. Chief Oh points out that if only the factories were important, then this big office building would be pointless — site work is completed in the office. Both divisions are equally needed in the trading industry.

As Chief Oh leaves, he nonchalantly gives Geu-rae some more of his cryptic Yoda-isms: “Run as if your feet were on fire when you’re at the site; work until your feet sweat when you’re in the office.” That suddenly gives Geu-rae an idea, and he searches under all the desks in the empty office, pleased to have found what he needs for tomorrow’s presentation.

The next morning he eats breakfast with Mom, who wryly tells him she’s increased her laundry service since he’ll be unemployed tomorrow. When he grumbles that it sounds like she doesn’t want him to pass, she says that it’s okay if he doesn’t — because if he does, she’d no longer be eligible for her public-assisted laundry job. So she’s not sure if she should hope for him to pass or fail.

Aw, but Mom totally cares as later on she keeps an eye on the clock and wonders if he’s presenting now, trying not to be too worried since she knows he’s faced worse pressure in his baduk tournaments.

All the interns gather outside the meeting room, their arms filled with boxes of their items to sell to their partners. Seok-yul is not in a friendly mood as he snidely tells Geu-rae to please try and do well. Geu-rae wishes the same to him, but Seok-yul warns Geu-rae not to be concerned about him.

They’re led into the meeting room where the tables are set up to accommodate a few dozen judges from the executive departments. Included in the judging panel are all the department chiefs, and as Chief Oh settles into his seat, the woman next to him, Deputy Director SUN JI-YOUNG (Shin Eun-jung), muses that it reminds her of when they went through their own presentation interview.

She takes special note of Young-yi, having heard that many teams want her, and Chief Oh confidently declares that she’ll come to his team “Because she recognizes my devilish charm.” Pfft.

As the moderator goes through the presentation rules, Geu-rae notices Seok-yul frantically digging through his pockets. Back at his desk, Seok-yul’s phone buzzes, and when Geu-rae asks if everything’s all right, Seok-yul says he forgot to bring “it.”

But it’s too late to go back and get whatever it is, because the executive director has started his opening speech, pointing out that this may be the last day he sees some of the interns again. He reiterates that the company is looking for progressive and positive-minded thinkers, and wishes them all the best of luck as they begin their presentations.

The first group is enthusiastic in their attention-grabbing costumes and energetic choreography, eliciting a few smiles and chuckles (and Bitter Intern sighs that they should have thought up such a creative approach). But they’re immediately shut down by the executive director who reminds them that this is a professional business environment, and orders them to change back into their suits and start again.

During the presentations, the panel of executive judges doesn’t let anything get past them, pointing out every little misstep, from the way the powerpoint presentation was put together, to a nervous intern who keeps misusing English words. The only interns to get approval are Seok-ho (and his department chief practically beams in pride), Baek-ki (whose smooth presentation makes logical sense, but Chief Oh points out that it has no heart), and Young-yi (who confidently answers all the questions the judges throw at her).

As the presentations continue, Seok-yul’s phone keeps buzzing at his vacant desk, and eventually someone calls one of the other workers in the office, only to be told he’s still in the middle of his test. But we hear the message left on his phone, asking if he remembered to take his herbal medication.

It’s finally Seok-yul and Geu-rae’s turn, and Seok-yul is visibly nervous as he takes the microphone. After a few shaky breaths, he haltingly begins the presentation. Geu-rae desperately tries to telepathically shout at Seok-yul to remember to breathe, look up, and not sound as though he’s reciting a script.

Finally Seok-yul stops and apologizes, asking for a minute to go take his herbal anti-anxiety medication. The executive director permits it, but since it would be unfair to the other interns to give them extra time, the clock will keep ticking. Suddenly Geu-rae speaks up: “I’ll do it!”

As he takes the microphone from Seok-yul, he thinks back to what his baduk teacher told him when he was younger: When you make a move, you always need to have a purpose behind it. But in a crisis, you sometimes have to let go of something unnecessary. He had chosen Seok-yul to be his partner for his eloquence, but now he must surrender that eloquence in order to survive.

Geu-rae stammers his way through his presentation, using simple layman terms instead of the technical ones, and even he realizes that this time his effort isn’t enough. But Seok-yul thinks back to his father with his permanently grease-blackened hands, who worked all his life at a factory only to be laid off, and the ensuing taunts from his childhood peers who mocked him for having a father who didn’t go to the office every day.

Aw, and the reason his phone was ringing so much was because his father and all the other men at the factory were trying to get in touch with him, wanting to wish him well on his exam since they knew he would be able to escape the blue-collar life. But they’re also worried about his extreme stage fright.

One of the directors finally stops Geu-rae, chiding him for repeating himself, and another asks if he’s ever toured one of the factories before. He admits he hasn’t, and some of the directors grumble about how interns no longer like to leave their cushy offices anymore.

This awakens something deep in Seok-yul, and he takes the microphone back from Geu-rae. He eloquently and passionately finishes the rest of the presentation, mentally telling his father that he’s not ashamed of him or his association with the factory.

As Geu-rae notes the nods of approval from the judging panel, he realizes that Seok-yul has taken back control — in the space of three minutes, Seok-yul became the male version of Young-yi.

During the break between the team presentation and the individual ones, Director Sun says it’s a pity Geu-rae fumbled the presentation, since his written report is excellent. But Chief Oh points out it’s a miracle that Geu-rae even made it this far, and he admires the fact that he knew when to give up. Director Sun cryptically adds that even though we think the past is holding onto us, it’s actually the other way around — which is what she thinks of when she sees Chief Oh.

Dong-shik calls to ask how Geu-rae is doing, and Chief Oh basically describes him as the biggest idiot around, ha. Besides, it’s Young-yi who’s the one to pay attention to. But Geu-rae is in the restroom washing his hands as the chief enters, and just as he leaves, Chief Oh gives one last parting Yoda-ism: “If you can’t do anything else, at least trip him. Then you can watch him fall.”

The individual presentations continue, and newly-medicated (and therefore no longer nervous) Seok-yul dismisses the awkward efforts of his fellow interns. The worst, perhaps, is Bitter Intern’s attempt to sell Young-yi a “memory,” aka a video montage of a day in her life at the office. Ugh, that has to be so mortifying for her to just stand there as it plays, much to the amusement of everyone else. But she manages to keep her composure. She’s not the “ace” for nothin’.

Finally, it’s Seok-yul’s and Geu-rae’s turn, and Seok-yul pulls out a long string of fabric samples that he’s compiled from his onsite work. He offers to sell it to Geu-rae, as well as a small notebook with his personal and detailed analysis of the communication issues between the various different departments at the factory.

Seok-yul cockily awaits Geu-rae’s answer as Geu-rae just stares at him. After taking some time to think about it, Geu-rae decides to pass on the fabric samples, but he’ll take the book. His rationale is that he can get fabric samples himself, but the analysis in the book will be a helpful time-saver when working with the factory.

But Seok-yul isn’t willing to give up so easily, pointing out that this fabric was tested personally by him so he could build up an expert database of knowledge, even though all the effort he went into acquiring that knowledge earned him the nickname of “pervert” and “dog wall.” He tries to defend his actions, but Geu-rae draws the conclusion that in the end, he still admits to inappropriate butt-grabbing.

The directors ask Geu-rae to make his final decision regarding the item, and he says that if he had to put in so much effort as Seok-yul did to understand the fabric so he could sell it, then instead of purchasing it, he would choose to sell it with Seok-yul: “What do you say — will you sell it with me?” Cannily, Seok-yul says that his answer depends on what Geu-rae will try to sell him.

Seok-yul’s ready to automatically dismiss whatever it is Geu-rae has to offer, but is momentarily dumbfounded when Geu-rae shows off his item: a used slipper. Ah, so that’s what he found underneath the desks (and it looks like he took everyone’s slippers from the office, ha!). The one he’s holding happens to be Chief Oh’s slipper, and the chief sits up in astonishment as he recognizes it.

Geu-rae’s argument is that the slippers are the combat boots of the office, because the office workers try to keep their street shoes neat for client meetings, but do the majority of their work in their slippers — hard work means the slippers eventually get worn down to the insole and smell of sweat.

The judges are impressed with Geu-rae’s argument, but Seok-yul still refuses to buy it, passionately defending the factories where they have to wear steel-toed boots to protect their feet in case equipment falls on them. In his estimation, those are the real combat boots of the workplace.

But Geu-rae points out that the only way the items made at the factory can even begin to exist is through the endless effort of the office workers who spend hours making sure every single number and word in each document is correct — documents that will approve the creation of the specific items the factories will eventually produce.

Echoing the words of his old baduk teacher, Geu-rae says that there’s no such thing as a meaningless product. Both the office and the factory are connected, and everyone is aiming for the same goal. In the end, the two work sites are not that different after all. The directors are enthralled by Geu-rae’s speech, and even Seok-yul gives a genuine smile.

With the presentations over, and therefore at the end of his internship, Geu-rae is back to juggling all his part-time jobs as he delivers chicken and waits tables at a bar. Once again he goes against the flow, returning home early in the morning as everyone else is headed off to their office jobs.

At One International, Dong-shik and Chief Oh are busy as ever, and Dong-shik automatically asks Geu-rae to photocopy some documents before remembering they no longer have their intern. Aw. Chief Oh tells him not to miss Geu-rae, since he’s convinced Young-yi will be assigned to their department.

There’s actually a good chance that will happen, since she, Baek-ki, and Seok-yul receive messages that they’ve passed the exam. In his excitement, Seok-yul wonders if Geu-rae has heard anything, too, but stops himself from sending a message.

Geu-rae is busy at his courier job, delivering documents from one office building to another, and he takes a moment to stop and look around the lobby before pulling out his phone and calling Mom: “I made it.” He’s now a two-year contract employee. Yessssss!

In the morning, he dresses for the office, but this time he’s prepared with a slip-on tie. Mom brings over the necktie she bought him, telling him that by now a grown man should know how to tie a tie. She does it for him, all the while telling him his father’s rules about being an adult, such as being able to tie a necktie, and always having neat shoes and a belt without holes. He needs to not just act an adult through his words, but behave like one through his actions.

Except, ha, she doesn’t know how to tie a necktie either. But Geu-rae takes her advice to heart and confidently walks to the office in his suit (with his necktie properly tied by the local barber).

As they arrive at the lobby of the One International building, Baek-ki isn’t exactly thrilled to find out that Geu-rae also made it through. But Seok-yul is delighted to see him, and Young-yi smiles her congratulations. Apparently Seok-ho made it through, too! Yay! But he’s already been assigned to a different branch.

The four ex-interns meet with the executive director, and as they all sit nervously in his office, he looks through his files on them and makes a few remarks on their impressive past performances. Hahaha, it’s hilarious how poor Geu-rae keeps jumping to attention each time the executive director says “yes” (“geu-rae”) as he talks to the others.

But when it’s actually Geu-rae’s turn, the executive director simply smiles and tells him to “work hard.” The different treatment towards Geu-rae does not go unnoticed by the others, particularly Baek-ki.

After filling out HR paperwork, the four finally get their ID badges and work assignments. Baek-ki tries to hide his disappointment that Young-yi is assigned to the team he wanted, but Seok-yul is thrilled to be in the textile team. And Geu-rae?

He’s reunited with Sales Team 3, much to Dong-shik’s delight and Chief Oh’s horror. Geu-rae was told Chief Oh had specifically requested him, but Chief Oh doesn’t have a chance to argue, because the executive director stops by to confirm that the team looks happy.

Geu-rae returns to the rooftop and remembers his first day there, when he was in his father’s ill-fitting hand-me-down suit and Dong-shik found out how how inexperienced he was. Chief Oh joins him moments later, and the two men stand next to each other as they stare out at the cityscape.

Chief Oh admits that he’s not happy to have Geu-rae back on his team because they need someone who can handle a million different tasks, and then he bemoans once more that he didn’t get Young-yi. Even so, Geu-rae is now here, so he needs to learn to survive. Because here, endurance is work, and to endure means that you figure out how to live a complete life by whatever means possible.

Chief Oh tells Geu-rae that in baduk there’s such a thing as an incomplete life/state of being (mi-saeng) and a complete state (wan-saeng): “Here, we’re all still incomplete.”

In an epilogue, Geu-rae arrives outside the One International office building, and slowly runs his fingers along one of the metal pillars holding up the building. He stops to write down “YES” on a piece of paper and then tightly folds it up, slipping it between the gaps of the pillar.

 
COMMENTS

There’s something about this drama that is able to masterfully put you into the character’s shoes (slippers?) and make you identify so clearly with each agonizing moment. Even though I was comfortably at home, sitting on my sofa, I could still feel the burbling of a panic attack while watching Seok-yul’s first attempt to get through the presentation. I don’t think of myself as having stage fright or a fear of public speaking, yet for those brief seconds, my anxiety for him was palpable. So, too, was my anxiety when Geu-rae attempted to cover for him. Each faltering word and awkward sentence made me want to hide under a blanket until the episode was over.

Yet this is one major reason why I love this show as much as I do (and not because I’m necessarily a masochist). Despite what is an incredibly simple plot on paper, I’m continually drawn to how deeply we become entrenched in our characters’ lives, even the ones we don’t really like at first.

Just an episode ago, I would have never guessed that I would be tearing up over Seok-yul’s back story and then sincerely cheering for him when he was able to regain his confidence and composure. Yes, I still wanted to slug that smug face of his during the individual presentation because I’m forever protective of Geu-rae. But in the end, I’m pleasantly surprised that this show has managed, in such a short amount of time, to get me to completely turn my opinion around.

Well, maybe not completely, because he still seems worthy of the “dog wall” nickname. But now that we’re able to understand the motivation behind his swagger, he seems like less of an obnoxious threat than before. I’m actually happy and excited that Geu-rae has an ally and a peer in this corporation, and because they both come from unexpected backgrounds and have a lot to prove, I’m anticipating that this is only the beginning of a beautiful bromance.

Despite Chief Oh’s incessant protests about wanting Young-yi, I’m also excited that we get to keep our Sales Team 3 trio together! Not that I ever had any doubt — well, okay, maybe I did a little bit. Due to the gritty reality that underpins this show, I was slightly worried that it might be a longer journey to reunite everyone.

I’ve been onboard Chief Oh as his mentor since day one, and there’s definitely so much that Geu-rae needs (and wants) to learn. But there are also lessons that Chief Oh must learn, and it seems like Geu-rae may, perhaps, be that teacher for him. However hilarious it is to have Chief Oh try to use baduk as a life lesson assuming Geu-rae doesn’t know anything about the game, I think it’s actually incredibly powerful. Baduk is the language Geu-rae’s known for so long, and even though the chief may not be aware of it, he’s somehow been able to unlock the key to communicating with this kid who is still figuring out the basics of the corporate world.

I wonder if it’s actually because Geu-rae spent so much of his childhood looking up to his baduk teachers that he clings so tightly to Chief Oh. Where the rest of the office sees a rumpled, sleep-deprived middle-aged man that perhaps hasn’t been able to move up the ladder as fast as his peers, Geu-rae sees another wise instructor, one who will teach him how to navigate the game of office life.

This is a man who has gotten where he is because he’s fought hard, perhaps too hard. He isn’t the type to have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. As Geu-rae pointed out, he pours everything he has into his job, even wearing down his slippers. Yes, he’s bull-headed and prone to making mistakes, but he’s willing to fight for what he believes is right. Most importantly, he’s willing to fight for the integrity of his team — even humbling himself before the executive director, even though it goes against every fiber of his being.

While I’m content to let the show gradually unfold everyone’s backgrounds at the languid the pace it’s already set, I’m still dying of curiosity to know what the deal is between Chief Oh and the executive director. Clearly there’s some antagonistic history, yet I get the feeling assigning Geu-rae to that department isn’t the punishment Chief Oh seems to think it is. So, too, am I curious about the connection between the executive director and Geu-rae. The way he said, “Ah, so you’re Jang Geu-rae” seems to imply that this was the first time he’s actually knowingly met Geu-rae.

Which makes me wonder if Geu-rae’s contract-employee hiring is still somehow a connection, or if he truly earned it with his presentation. I believe he earned it, because even if the team presentation was a near-failure on his end, he was able to completely dominate the individual portion. Someone who is that passionate and persuasive, and who his able to make most of the executive staff sit up and take notice, couldn’t be dismissed so easily.

Although I’m apparently not the only one to be suspicious about the details of Geu-rae’s hiring. I haven’t talked about Baek-ki much since he’s been a relatively minor character who’s predominately flown under the radar (despite being one of the top interns, and, y’know, Kang Ha-neul). But I get the feeling we’ll start to see what’s truly behind that pleasant smile of his. My best guess is that cunning intelligence and ruthless ambition lurks behind his pretty face.

To be fair, those are traits needed to survive in the corporate world (er, the intelligence and ambition — although I’m sure the pretty face helps, too), and I can understand any frustration on his end for feeling looked-over despite doing everything “right” (going to a good school; doing well on his tests; giving excellent presentations; making the right connections). I don’t know that I would be able to blame him for feeling resentment towards Geu-rae, since he assumes Geu-rae just succeeds in life thanks to everyone else giving him those opportunities, and not due to having the right skills and requirements.

However, unlike baduk where two opponents face off, the corporate life is a communal game that requires cooperation between all teams and departments. Just because one person succeeds, doesn’t mean another is therefore automatically the loser. That’s a lesson that may be difficult to understand, especially in the competitive arena of job-hunting — but thankfully that’s one that Geu-rae has already begun to grasp.

 
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Love this episode. So many feels. Thank you!!!!

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This show will be the death of me. Cause - feelz overload. Once I started full on sobbing from the 5 minutes backstory we were given of smarmy partner, I knew this show had me by the heart and soul.
Never thought a drama would over take SLA for my favorite drama of 2014 but this one just might.

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*gasp* I wouldn't go as far as Misaeng replacing SLA in my heart (because SLA was so much more. Story, music, direction, every layer was just perfect.) But Misaeng is definitely a candidate for a very close second place. I've got so much love for this show, Geu Rae and Mr. Oh. SO MUCH love.

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What is SLA?

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Kdrama "Secret Love Affair"

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Oh, what a great episode! To be honest, I nearly dropped Misaeng after the first 2 depressing episodes but now I'm glad I continued it. I've been replaying certain scenes in this episode lots of times daily and it's amazing every time. (FTLY was the last show I've replayed scenes and rewatched) Hope some of the other currently airing dramas would've been as good as this one too. Misaeng, fighting!

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I don't know what this drama has done to me, but I find my taste going higher. Just too realistic and made me regret watched another K-Drama with "cinderella story" elements.

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I know, right? It's pretty much unfair competition.

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I hope this drama will be as successful (or more) as the webtoon, so that more k-drama writers start considering more realistic, more slice-of-life tales rather than constantly falling back on the same old stories with the same tired tropes.

They can keep doing some chaebol-candy stories, but there should be a realistic drama like this whenever a new round of different series starts, not just once in a blue moon as it has been up to now...

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Cheese in the Trap, another webtoon, is getting a drama! While it's built on the classic cliches of girl-meets-boy, girl-meets-2nd-boy, it has surprising psychological depth and tons of socioeconomic commentary, and it gets all the trials and tribulations of college culture spot on. It doesn't hurt that the female main is stinkin' awesome and super relatable.

Let's hope that it's adapted as well as Misaeng is. Lord knows we'll need a good, substantial drama to tide us over once Misaeng ends.

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Seriously?! I love Cheese in the Trap! And I've thought for a long time now that it would make an awesome drama and now it's actually happening?!?! Do you know when? Or, really, any further information?

So excited~~~~! XD

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Ohhh! I've read bits and pieces of Cheese in the Trap... whatever was translated when I last looked (which wasn't much, unfortunately).

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Yay for a web toons as another source for stories. I'm enjoying Misaeng and have checked out Cheese In The Trap, which should make for a wonderful drama.

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Naver is officially translating it into English now, but I don't really like it. The English and typesetting seem... off.

I much prefer Odd Squad's translation. They've been really consistent and as of now they're only 40-some chapters behind, out of the ~200 chapters currently released.

There's also some lovely people over on the Cheese in the Trap Invisionfree forum (a simple google search will get you there) who thoroughly summarize the latest chapter each week.

@Ellen No idea when, though the soompi article mentions that they'll be casting "soon" and that it will be produced by Eight Works. I've never watched anything from them, so I can't really judge what the end result might be like. :/

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Yes this drama is awesome and so far the ratings are rising every episode, from 1.60% in episode 1 to a rating of 3.49% in ep 4, the ratings are increasing 1% per episode, if this keeps going on we might have another 'Reply 1994' in our hands in terms of ratings, also the reaction from the korean netizens have been excellent, they have been praising this drama like no other, most of them are even saying that they stopped watching the regular programs they used to watch in this timeslot to watch Misaeng, I'm very happy that the drama is getting recognition as it rightfully deserves.

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Me too. I wanted to watch some of the sillier new ones, just can't seem to care about them when I'm so worried about Geu-Rae!! Completely in LOVE with Misaeng!!

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God, what a rollercoaster of an episode! I was at the edge of my seat during the presentations, cringing at times and feeling proud at the end. This drama's soooo good at developing its characters that just over 70 mins, it takes me from wanting to punch Seok-yul to giving him a hug and high-five him (not to mention how much I want to give Baek ki a kick in the shin for his schadenfreude). I am sure there's more to see from a lot other characters, their backstories and I can't wait for it! Bring it on, Misaeng!

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So much love for this drama.

I love how it both delights and destroys me. Delights me with its little details – the barber helping Geu-rae with the tie, Oh learning little lessons from Geu-rae without even realising that this kid has things to teach him, Oh talking about baduk without knowing Geu-rae's history with the game. And then of course it destroys me whenever something goes wrong, especially whenever Geu-rae has to suffer – even just him responding every time that the executive director says "Yes" because he thinks the guy is saying his name... or the executive director clearly treating him differently from the others (how cruel!).

I thought it was great that, in a sense, Geu-rae and Seok-yul saved each other with the presentation. The whole thing played out completely differently than I had expected – I thought at first maybe Seok-yul was just pretending and was going to mess up the presentation on purpose, but he was truly struggling, and while Geu-rae couldn't deliver the presentation himself, him trying to do so allowed Seok-yul to overcome his anxiety.

I'm (still) hoping that Baek-ki won't become a full-fledged rival, but just someone that is ambitious and at first (secretly) resentful towards Geu-rae, but that he befriends later. I have the same hope for the Bittern Intern (his sales pitch for Young-yi just made me cringe), who also remains rather one-dimensional, but given what we've seen with other characters, I expect that everyone in this drama has a story, a story that once revealed colours them many shades of grey and makes them more likeable (just like happened with Seok-yul in this episode).

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"Delights me with its little details – the barber helping Geu-rae with the tie, Oh learning little lessons from Geu-rae without even realising that this kid has things to teach him, Oh talking about baduk without knowing Geu-rae’s history with the game."

All of those!
The show does very well both with those nice, tight vignettes (like the barber, or the delivery scene), as well as with plot continuation fragments (like Geu-rae's "I'm sorry" to Young-yi when they meet in the lobby after they passed the presentation - referring to the "promisses" they made in an earlier episode).

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But don't you love the subtlety of Kang Ha-Neul's performance here? He's a really patient actor who doesn't seem to have the kind of ego or vanity that demands attention. He doesn't show all his cards before the script/character needs it. Right now you just have a sense that there's more to him than meets the eye.

That said, in other shows, I think he's been under-utilized and not given a real opportunity to show what he can do. So I'm glad he found his way to this script and character.

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+1000

I was so impressed with his performance in this episode, extremely subtle and yet also completely transparent to the audience. I loved when he was just about to give a vindictive smile at the executive director's terse treatment of Geu-Rae and then pursed his lips to stop it at the last second. Baek-ki is so good at playing the perfect nice guy and yet Kang Ha-neul shows us exactly what he's really feeling in every moment. I can't wait until we really get to focus on his character, it's gonna be awesome!

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I love pretty much everything about this drama so far.

There's definitely more that meets the eye with Baek-ki, I have no doubt. Can't wait to find out what it is, and I really hope they won't stick the normal k-drama approach here either.

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Bittern Intern did not get in thankfully. This episode should be the last we'll see of him (again thankfully).

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Yay the recap is here.

You have no idea how many times I've watched the PT and was impressed. To make an opponent into a partner. Now that's an employee you want in your team. The ability to work with someone instead of always being the competitor.

This writer is amazing. Also I felt absolutely gutted watching Manager Oh debasing/ humbling himself for his subordinate. I want a boss like him; who watches my back.

I just love, love LOVE this drama.

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"To make an opponent into a partner. Now that’s an employee you want in your team. The ability to work with someone instead of always being the competitor."

This! Well said! I think that is what the hiring directors and managers noticed too in GR.

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Thank you for the recap! This drama is just so good! My favourite scene is when Geu-Rae goes to the rooftop after being made an employee and the flashback to his first day as an intern. I just wanted to give him a hug in his hand-me-down, too big clothes but now I'm immensely proud of him.

I haven't had a drama that hooked me this year, having dropped most of them halfway even FTLY, but this is definitely shaping up to be a great drama. I hope it keeps it up, ya hear me Dramagods?!!

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I got teary-eyed during the flashback!! I felt so proud of our boy Geu-reu!! *sniffless*

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Somehow I felt this was the weakest episode so far, and it was still fantastic.

I felt that the presentation sequence, with all the build-up in previous episodes, did not fully deliver, was dramatically overdone, challenged my suspension of disbelieve and was too stretched out. A lot of "office wisdom" that is presented seems rather trivial and moot, but I probably should not forget that this is still K-drama. Finally, the "grae" running gag is starting to annoy me (seriously, the CEO is not going to call him just "geu-rae" instead of, say "jang geu-rae shi").

Other than that, flawless.

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Yes, that gag was over the top for me too. Since it's such a realistic show, things like that don't go unnoticed like they would in regular dramas.

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It's not really about the CEO calling his name but about his thinking the CEO is calling him that. I think he's character who would be nervous in front of a CEO...especially if the CEO is yet another male figure and he's probably had a lot of people call him Geu-Rae without calling him by the full name.

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Here's what I don't get about Geu-Rae, it is perfectly exemplified by this. He's supposedly calm under pressure because of his personality and large game experience but he acts like that when the story calls for it? Wasn't the director addressing everyone formally? We all got that he was thinking he was calling him, but to me at least, it doesn't seem like the sort of mistake he would make. I have no problem whatsoever with him stumbling around in the office and fumbling with a copy machine but sometimes his behavior feels odd to me.
Having said that, I found out that, to my surprise, I have come to like Misaeng, mostly because I was just hungry for more realism in kdramas.

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A lot of people who perform well in competitions or in structured situations have few social skills or little experience in the subtleties of interactions with people of a different class. It was telling that the (other) working class kid in the room had to stop in the middle of his sentence and lower his voice because he realized that he was too loud.

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What Joanna said. I think Geu-Rae has a bit of the hikkikomori in him. We aren't talking about a regular guy who has been given chance to be an intern. We are talking about someone with really bad social skills and who is emotionally damaged with an inferiority complex becoming an intern in a place where everyone is "better than he is."

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Am I the only one that finds Siwan's beauty distracting? The boy has beautiful eyes. Sometimes I get lost in the middle of a scene and have to replay.

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Yes, he's SO pretty!! *_*

The child actor playing the younger Geu-reu is precious as well!

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No.

But with his slow reaction times, the camera lingering on his face for minutes before he answers a simple question, I understand the effect ...

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Yim Si Wan is so gorgeous I rewind / replay every scene because I admire him so much this is the second drama I am watching with Yim Si Wan the 1st. one was Triangle and I cried so much when he died :( I hope the ending of this drama will be different "Happy Ending".

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Can someone please explain if there was like a deeper message behind the paper with "yes" written at the end or if it was like his way of celebrating getting hired? I've been so curious about it!!

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I think it's like a cornerstone concept, but not to be displayed for all the world to see. Just placed there in a humble, secretive way. Maybe it reflects Geurae's determination to work hard and to become an important part of the company? His name means yes or that is so in Korean. Essentially he wrote down his own name (and power of positivism?) and folded it and hid it in a building pillar.

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Like you say, it's like Geu Rae is stating "I am no longer just passing through the doors, but am inserted as part of this world now and I am one of the pillars that holds up this corporate space". So powerful!

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+1000

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It immediately made me think of Jerusalem's Wailing Wall.

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Ahhhh... thank you. I was sure there was something I wasn't getting there. :)

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Office slippers. I like the way you think, Geu-rae. I loved Manager Oh's reaction to the whole scene.

"Could you take out the trash?" scene: Wow, that was perfect.

Magnolia shout-out? Seriously? "We may be through with the past, but the past ain't through with us."

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gahhhhh, I LOVE this show so much!! I was absolutely squeeing when Oh's all disgruntled to find Gre-reu as his new team member only to have the latter smile/gush! HA!!

I've been re-watching the episodes and was impressed that the show makers had Baduk greats like Yu Chang Hyuk and Cho Hoon Hyun come on the show albeit for a few seconds (E3 - during Geu-reu's dream sequence when different teachers teach him the strategies)

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By the end of this series, we will have learned some serious baduk strategies for life.

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Love this episode. That was one tense episode. I like it that the PD/writers didn't compromise on creating an entire episode based around technical stuff. I love that kinda committment.

Why did Exec Director ask female perfect heroine if he had met her before?

Am thinking Seuk-Yool will become a good friend of our Geu-rae one of these days. I always liked him despite (because of) his nervous braggadocio.

Oh did i say that I am totally in love with Exec Director? The character and the actor. Got the beginnings of a crush on him in Vampire Prosecutor and yep...crush is still there.

Thanks for the recap.

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Honestly, another great intertwining of plot and character establishment, the way he treated Geu-rae, he basically "dissed" Baek-ki ("yeah, we need the talents for the Resource department" -> Young-yi).

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yeah... Poor Baek-ki thought he should aim to show his mind but miscalculated. He basically auditioned for the wrong dept ...which he didn't know he ws doing. He has zip people skills..and is pretty "steely"

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"Why did Exec Director ask female perfect heroine if he had met her before?"

They were both in the movie "Sunny." This drama has a lot of winks, nudges and meta references to other K entertainment stuff.

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Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Thanks.

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When I watched that scene, I was reminded of the call that Young-yi did not answer in an earlier episode where her cell phone shows an incoming call with a blank ID name, although she seems to know who is calling. I'm interested in her backstory, as well.

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Yes, the actor playing the executive director is very handsome. You're not the only one Carole :)!

I loved this episode. I liked the battle of wills (of sorts) that played out between Sookyul and Geurae during the second portion of the internship project. I also loved that Sookyul is someone who is not ashamed of his background, although he has to overcome the blue-collar worker vs. white-collar worker dichotomy he firmly believed in. Geurae told him that both sides have to work intimately together, if you will (whether or not this is always true in real life is another story). His works have begun to take an effect on Sookyul's way of thinking. I look forward to the development of their relationship. I also look forward to Baekki opening up more.

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Yay, someone else who thinks Exec Director is hot!

Ahussis can be hot too. I think Baek ki won't be a professional rival for professional rival sake. He'll engage in rivalry because he wants the girl. I can see him being very cruel if he has to be. I actuallyfear him and his future calculating machinations.

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Exec Dir n Chief Oh were in the recent movie KUNDO together and in that movie their positions were reversed. Good to see them in this drama together so shortly after seeing the movie when it played in the US a couple of months ago.

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I think he is hot too. Attractive older men are my kryptonite.

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I love this cast and this scriptwriter almost beyond the telling of it. Special props to ... nope, pretty much love 'em all.

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yes..such good scriptwriting..and such trust in the intelligence of the viewer!!! Other writers might have dumbed the episode down or shrunk the whole presentation scene...but these writers and directors believe in the story, the webtoon, the characters and in their audience. I love it that they challenged us. Heck i might get lost in the minutiae of business (or even with the puzzles in Liar Game) but I'm "game" and committed to learning about the character's worlds...and games these characters have to play.

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Nicely done with the recap.

What interests me most in the drama is the feel of it.

Despite the occasional earthy salty meaty slightlyoff texture to the drama that pings k-drama-ish-ness, MiSaeng doesn't sound like a k-drama, doesn't act like a k-drama, doesn't read like a k-drama and doesn't plot like a k-drama.

I think we are seeing the growth of k-dramas, and no wonder we find it on cable, as it is grittier and edgier in a very subtle way. Not edgier and gritter in a Miss Korea hit-you-over-the-head sort of way, which was very korean and very k-drama-ish, but edgier and grittier in an indirect manner.

Like a fish out of water, GeuRae needs to learn how to breathe corporate air if he is to survive. And it aint the visible enemies that will kill GeuRae, it is the very air itself that surrounds him that will do him in.

Fun to watch, fun to feel the drama tones so different from the normal k-drama fare.

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I think this drama uses a lot of word plays. For example, when Geurae said he would "같이 팔겠습니다" the patches of fabric SY was trying to sell to him, it could mean he would sell them together with SY. But considering how they were talking about SY "발품 팔다" in order to amass data about those products, he could also have meant that he would run around with SY to study and learn about the products they are marketing.

I am looking forward to the next episode.

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Mr. Oh's reaction when Gu-rae is the new (still) team sales employee is so so so epic. I rewind it like 5x and still laughing so hard ?

Misaeng is becoming my favorite drama all year and maybe my All Time favorite. Thank very kamsa for the recap ?

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Out of curiosity, has anyone here watched any of the prequel films? I've watched about three of them (there are no subs. I got the gist of two of the stories). There is a prequel Baekki story. I'm not sure how the prequels tie in with the actual drama and characters. Maybe these prequels are meant to convey certain themes that the drama will explore and certain aspects of the characters. They may have no actual correlation to the drama (or even the webtoon) in other words.

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I've watched the prequels for Geurae, Baek Ki, and Young Yi (they're really easy to find on youtube). The one for Jang Geurae is really well done - it perfectly captures his emotional state before joining the company. Young Yi's story actually gave a lot of insight into her character and explains why she's slightly standoffish. The Baek Ki one though... was kind of weird (it had a horror element which was unexpected and not appreciated as I was watching late at night) but does give a rationale behind his disdain for Geurae.

But man, it has been a very long time since I have become so emotionally invested in a show. The music for this series is great too and so on point - does anyone know if the OST is out yet?

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OST Part.1 was released 5 days ago I think. Dream by Rose Motel.

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Yes, I didn't expect the Baekki story to be a horror film! And I really liked the Geurae one as well.

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Wow!!! Really? Now i've got to go look. You can in-box me on fcebook with one of the links if you can. thanks.

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I'm joining you in excitement and going to search those YT....
This drama has got me since the first hello/ epi... Definitely Top 5 of my Kdrama favourite...will rewatch it

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So, just watched the prequels....WARNING: do NOT watch it at night..... ???

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I know right! I just was not expecting that.... It's probably not that scary for other people, but I just hate all scary movies.

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Hee... I'm a chicken so I screamed ???

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And without subs, I don't even know the content of what I was screaming about( besides the obvious)

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Me too! Didn't know they existed!

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got to watch those prequels! yay!

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They were so good. There were about 6 of them. Thanks, Peridot!

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You're welcome, Carole :)

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Thanks for mentioning "prequel films", I was not aware of what that was. They explain our characters more in-depth.

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I must admit I am curious as to what the deal is between Chief Oh and the executive director. However I've stopped wondering what the connection is between Geu-rae and the executive director, as I came to the realization that it's not important.

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This show kills me on the regular. Absolutely love it.

The most irritating part of this episode was when Bittern Intern made the video of Young-yi. I just got this gross feeling that because she was the only woman in the group of interns, he felt like he could get away with doing that because if she made any complaints, then she would be too serious/can't take a joke. She's as cool as a cucumber, but that was pretty shitty. Anyway, thank you for the recap!

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The interesting thing was that many of the (male?) audience members heartily enjoyed the video. They might not be appreciating it in terms of presentation evaluation (we will never know), but nobody thinks it is over the line of actually stopping him (unlike the choreographed presentation at the start of the first part, for example).

And that's actually not too surprising. Bitter intern seems to be under the impression that getting touchy and ignoring the sphere of privacy of a female coworker is the right thing to do, so that those female coworkers can feel special and stuff. He probably watched too many K-dramas and thinks this is gallantry. Many of his male coworkers probably agree.

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Considering that none of Bitter Intern's co-workers seem to follow his lead when it comes to Young-yi, or express approval of the way he treats her (the general feeling is more like ;it's her problem to deal with, we don't interfere') I doubt the veracity of that last statement,

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I'm disappointed that the writer did not include some kind on response from the female assistant director sitting next to Chief Oh. It would have been a nice addition if she could have said something through gritted teeth about the disrespect. But not to the entire group of course.

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I LOVE this show! Young-yi is awesome, but Geu-rae steals the show. His individual portion was well-executed, and I don't think there were connections involved this time around. Otherwise, his mother wouldn't have been nervous. Although I'm still curious why the executive director doesn't know him. How was he the connection then?

Chief Oh, you have my heart.

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I will follow Chief Oh anywhere.

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Wasn't it the CEO who referred GR?? Is the ED the same person as CEO? I think they mentioned that in the first episode.

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My subs said executive director. And I thought the animosity between the ED and Chief Oh worsened how Chief Oh was against Geu-rae. I'm not sure though.

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Such a good episode! I was duelly impressed with both Gu Rae and The Dog - his back story really got me, all along I was pretty much hating him but I really like how Gu Raw tied in the whole site work+office worker thing.

Ah how I love this show!

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You say that you "get the feeling assigning Geu-rae to that department isn’t the punishment Chief Oh seems to think it is" and I get the feeling that you might be right. When the executive director pops in to see sales team 6 he says that he's glad that Dong Shik did what he did -- as in, he's glad that Dong Shik messed up so that Chief Oh finally swallowed his pride and bowed to him, and that Geu-rae is his little reward. But maybe I'm reading too much into it. :)

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Ah, and by reward, I mean in the way you give a dog a treat when it sits and does tricks for you. As in "see how much easier it is when you just do what I tell you to do instead of fighting back". But again, maybe I'm reading too much into it. :)

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I thought it meant he was glad Dong Shik challenged yet still supported Chief Oh. A subtle hint to chief Oh that he would forgive.

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I just thought he said that to remind Director Oh that he now owes him a huge favor.

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I cried during Geu Rae's sales pitch, particularly when he said "we can be made to feel small" and then applied his baduk teachings to the corporate world. Brillant. I would have hired him in a heartbeat. When he looked under everyone's desks, I had guessed he would be selling a foot massager. Seok Yul's item was great, too. I'm glad Geu Rae bought his book. But wow, Geu Rae dropping the bomb of how Seok Yul touched a female employee's butt in a room full of executives could have gotten him fired for sexual harassment.

I felt so nervous for those interns. How do they judge when only one partner is presenting? The other partner is only changing the slides. Geu Rae would have never shown his limitations had he not been forced to take over without warning. Young Yi is a star. Screw Bitter Intern. He tried to demoralize her because a woman was better than him. I am insulted.

Is the executive director really Geu Rae's connection? I know he more than proved himself in the presentation, but Baek Ki will continue to think he parachuted in when the executive director didn't even bother to mention his credentials. I noticed how Geu Rae was slouching during the meeting like his confidence was being taken from him. Again, why does Sales Team 3 only have three employees?

Love the baduk bond between Geu Rae and Chief Oh. Misaeng is easily the best show on television. Besides being tempted to learn trade terminology, I also want to learn how to tie a tie through this show. Thanks for the recap, odilettante!

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I'm amazed by how much GR was able to use stuff he learned from baduk in the workplace. It's all about those transferable skills ~

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If nothing else, that is a GREAT lesson to take from this show. Any childhood we have (no matter how painful, unfair, boring, even easy) is not a waste. The experiences we had will definitely aid us some time, somewhere. Every mistake is a way to know how to grow and get better, every weakness can contribute towards our strength.

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Growingbeautifully, Well said!

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Thank you! *blush blush*

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You almost made me cry. I needed to hear this.

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It broke my heart to see him back on his different part time jobs. And I love how happy Seok-yul when he saw Geu-rae.

I like but also wonder why Geu-rae nonchalantly reported to his mom the good news. I thought he will be jumping for hours. And this is what I love about the show that my usual expectations were not met therefore I am surprised!

Thanks for the recap! Can't wait for the next episodes!

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Refreshing to have a non alpha ''look at me'' rich flower boy lead. I cannot understand korea's fascination for sexist narcissistic male leads, we live in the 21st century goodness sakes.

So when i watch a lead character such as geu rae, *breathes in fresh air. Keep up the good work, and writers your doing a good job, don't cave in on any adolescent fantasies, such as flower boy bromance with the three guys. Or making the lead female character a typical korean female lead "i submit to my male counterpart, no matter how much you degrade me i would still come back to you" candy girl.

As for romance, their are many types of romance, some are quiet, respectful, endearing, and private. which i don't mind for the show.

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Indeed. So happy to find Misaeng after SLA, all those chaebol-candy stories aired between SLA and Misaeng are just sooooo lamentably lame and similar.
Also really happy to discover young actors other than Yoo Ah-In who act with such depth and thoughtfulness.
I felt like I am watching Geu-rae himself struggling, not Im Siwan acting as Geu-rae, the same with Baek-ki and Seok-yul.
Thank you Misaeng for ending months of K-drama drought

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Oh, take a 1000 recommends.... agree with every word you write.

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Reading through the comments and...i guess i'm the only one who feels strongly for Seokyul for this episode...i feel like he stole the show n owns the ep even though Geurae's the one pouring lots of wisdom words (great acting from Byun Yohan to make me instantly care for his character, n great character writing i guess)...and he's starting to like Geurae...A LOT...lol. just seeing him so happy to see Geurae, before pretending to be unaffected in front of Geurae made me grin like idiot...well, also, Geurae's idiot smile that straight away tell which department he got when asked about it. and Chief Oh pretending to be all upset when everybody knows what he really feels seeing Geurae again. haa. also, I like how Youngyi seems uncomfortable with her partner's item presentation, but at the same time had a tiniest hint of smile...Kang Sora play this character with great restrain that makes it feel really real...well, okay all the actors did that great. anyway, Cheif Oh and Geurae would probably bond more through baduk...won't be surprised if Chief Oh's actually a pro at it or something...
Anyway, even though the majority of the episode is made of the presentation scene...i can't seem to get enough of it. Here's hoping for more budding friendship between Geurae n Seokyul.
Okay i'm off, just need more outlet to spazz.
Thanks for the great recaps btw.

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I also feel strongly about him! Kudos to both the character and the actor!

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I mentioned him above, reply 14.3 :).

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Thank you for another great recap, Odilettante! :)

I also think they're doing an excellent job at getting us to feel like we're in the characters' shoes. It's hard not to relate to them all on some level, especially when their worries and fears are presented in a way that's so realistic and palpable. Even the most mundane situations in this show put you on the edge of your seat, there's really no way of feeling indifferent to everything that unfolds.

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Reading the recap I realize I probably misunderstood something... I thought that the tactic of Geurae during the presentation was to provoke Seokyul so he would take over... that he was bad intentionally... (I just wouldn't expect somebody who prepared the whole presentation to be so bad with terms... and everything... Especially when seeing the contrast later in presenting the selling items to each other...)

I just thought Geurae was willing to sacrifice himself to let Seokyul shine (to sell their presentation well). And I liked this better than the plain bad presenting skills...

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I have to say, that idea never crossed my mind. I was stunned too how bad he was at presenting something that he prepared so thoroughly (when in the next sequence he shows his "stand-up" presentation skills, a much tougher task on all levels, and they are awesome).
But to think that he sacrifices himself and his presentation for the very slim chance that Saek-yul would recover even without his medication, in a situation where their presentation is going downhill fast (which ADDS pressure to him, and this never helps to overcome anxiety), I'm probably not sophisticated enough.

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I'm not sure, I didn't feel he was sacrificing himself or trying to provoke Seokyul – it's not like he even knew what exactly Seokyul's problem was.

I thought the presentation just showed that both have weaknesses and strengths – and thus something to learn from each other.

Geu-rae wasn't bad per se, he knew the content but didn't have the confident eloquence to deliver it. It was probably the first time he ever did a presentation for an audience. He did okay, enough for one audience member to say "The content is good, your delivery is lacking". People who are truly bad... there wouldn't be even any content, or you wouldn't be able to figure out the content.

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Thanks for the recap. A very good drama & for once, viewers from abroad & ratings agree on that.

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I am confused as to how he ends up in Jordan. Maybe he gets fired from his job and ends up working for the Korean government to catch ISIS members.

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[Spoiler Alert]

Jordan is the biggest importer of Korean used cars.

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Thanks for that tid-bit.

I too was wondering what the opening scene had to do with the story thus far.

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odilettante ~

Thanks for the recap. What a pleasant show. Good writing and acting. Misaeng has been full of surprises.

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Finally realized Bitter Intern was in Emergency Couple. I knew I've seen him somewhere before.

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**still clasping hands in prayer that this show stays as fantastic as it is**

It's funny when you think about it, but I can't think of any drama, korean or otherwise, that managed to make a 70-minute episode largely devoted to corporate presentations and prepping for them (deadly boring) actually seem interesting and worthwhile. Ordinarily the presentation bits would be stuff I skip, but not with this drama. Byun Yo-han turned out to be a true dark horse - he is so good, I'm adding him to my mental list of "please get all the roles and do really well" now. And there's no praise that is adequate for Lee Sung-min - Geu-rae might be the face of Misaeng, but he is the beating heart and soul of it. And together, they make this show great. Many props for Kang Haneul and Kang Sora too, and the rest of the cast - not a single one, not even the smallest supporting player, is anything less than flawless in their performance.

Also, I was so happy about the five who made the cut - I was starting to worry about poor Kim Seok-ho, but thrilled when he made it too!

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the rest of the cast – not a single one, not even the smallest supporting player, is anything less than flawless in their performance.

I beg to differ. Did you hear that guy playing one of the 2 friends trying to dissuade Geurae from quitting baduk? "But Geurae-ya, are you sure you will not regret this?" I thought he was reading it off of a Korean textbook. Talk about "foot acting."ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

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Jang geu-rae is the only one who hired as 2 year contract employee. Others are hired as regualr employee. (Because Jang geu-rae don't have college degree.)

You can see Jang geu-rae's employee ID card is blue. Others are white.

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Thanks for the clarification.

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Ahh thank you, that's an important detail.

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I just had another Misaeng moment. Had my fourth interview with a company this morning. Process has been going on since June! Last manager I spoke with said they should have a decision next week. I hope so.

Needless to say, I relate to this drama! :-)

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Fighting Revlow!

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Thanks!

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Hey revlow, all the best! And I trust that they will treat you better than your other experiences in your past jobs, if they do take you on.

WRT to the blue card, I did not notice it!!! But that could also explain why the CEO only said "Work hard" to him and nothing else. It was not to make him feel bad at the different treatment but maybe he had nothing else to say since it was the first time they'd met and there were no other higher qualifications to mention. Better not say anything rather than say something that might embarrass the newbie?

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please does anyone know the title of the song on the last scene of ep 4, the rooftop scene, been trying so hard to know what was that beautiful song on the ending of the episode

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It's Han Hee Jung - Tomorrow (내일) / Misaeng OST Part 2
The OST is out already.

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Hi all,

General ratings for tvN dramas seem to be around 1% compared to mainstream dramas. ~10% or so.

Just wondering, how common is it for koreans to subscribe to cable channels like tvN?

Can't wait to know the background story of each of the characters!

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I loveeee this drama... is close with my office situation.. but yeah mine is much better I guess then gue rae has..

This ep especially makes me nod nod in agreement.. my HRD need to watch this drama.. its equal between site and office.. no need to differentiate.. we are equally important!!!

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I'm pretty sure it is due to the different climates in the countries but Korean drama office workers sure do wear suits and ties daily to work.Seems like a hassle.Also they are always wearing white dress shirts.Is this a norm.

In my country Malaysia being a tropic climate,men usually only wear dress shirts and rather coloured ones instead of just whites.

I usually watch this drama on my work commute and I find it a struggle to watch if I had a not so great day at work.And it also feels like I am continuing my work tasks by watching this drama.

But I still stick to it cause LeeSungmin is just a gem and I really wanna see a kdrama just about daily office workers grind.

I am one of such person although I work in a bank BPO.That is also why I would not leave my bank job for a company.Man the hours those people put in and the job requirements are a killer.

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This drama just grows on me for every single episode that came out. Jang Geu Rae is a relatable character which I found to be endearing and I cried on the first episode because of how he explains about his life. Im Siwan prove to be a solid actor with an amazing ability to deliver his role perfectly that in every episode I root for him to strive. The songs also felt mutual to the story and I know for sure this story will forever remains in my heart. The feeling I get after watching this drama is undescribable.

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Whoaa and I'm 2 years late here. *wink wink*

Just finished it some days ago and it totally got me and made its way to the number 1 best Kdrama in my list. Everything about it is superb, in a very subtle manner. The reason I post my comment here in this episode is that because I fell in love with this series starting from this episode. I loved Suk-Yool saw YES in a more favorable light. It is a big cornerstone for this series for me. And everything after this was getting better and better.

Love this series to bits. MISAENG

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Great episode. Only wish we got to hear/see yuk seol's response after geu Rae made his big speech. I know we're to assume that he "bought" the slippers, but I just want to be gratified with the details. ? Off to ep 5!

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