Sometimes it takes just one great moment to turn the tables and change our perception of the drama reality we’ve been given, and this episode had one of those great moments. History of the Salaryman is loud when it wants to be, but it’s in the subtlety that this show really shines – even though the very unsubtle visual gags and jokes were enough to have me crying from laughter during the first half of the episode. I just can’t heap enough praise on this show – it’s fun without being fluffy, and entertaining without being too slick. In short, it’s a textbook perfect drama.

(...)
Read the rest of History of the Salaryman: Episode 12 (3,814 words)

© HeadsNo2 for Dramabeans, 2012. | Permalink | 58 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: featured, History of the Salaryman, Hong Soo-hyun, Jung Kyeo-woon, Jung Ryeo-won, Lee Beom-soo

This episode definitely ups the drama, and sacrifices nothing to do so. All of the conflict we’re seeing has been set up perfectly and believably throughout the first act of the series – so now that we’re getting some upped stakes, the requisite angst is inevitable. I didn’t expect to feel so much when History of the Salaryman had such a quirky and hilarious opening, but now that I do, I can’t help but be in love.

(...)
Read the rest of History of the Salaryman: Episode 11 (4,261 words)

© HeadsNo2 for Dramabeans, 2012. | Permalink | 46 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: featured, History of the Salaryman, Hong Soo-hyun, Jung Kyeo-woon, Jung Ryeo-won, Lee Beom-soo

It’s war, and it’s brutal. This was really a milestone episode, taking us into the next level of emotional involvement for our heroes as we delve deeper into the harsh realities and hardships they have to face. To say that Yeo-chi stood out especially is almost doing a disservice to the rest of the wonderful cast…

That being said, Yeo-chi really stood out this episode. She still manages to surprise me with her nuances, and just when I think I have her pegged down she proves me wrong. In short, she’s just awesome.

(...)
Read the rest of History of the Salaryman: Episode 10 (4,013 words)

© HeadsNo2 for Dramabeans, 2012. | Permalink | 36 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: featured, History of the Salaryman, Hong Soo-hyun, Jung Kyeo-woon, Jung Ryeo-won, Lee Beom-soo

Any drama that uses “Welcome to the Jungle” effectively and convincingly wins serious brownie points – and it was in that moment that I remembered why I love this show so darn much. We’ve got more drunken shenanigans than you can shake a camera at, high stakes bets, and fancy parties that actually look super fancy (and not like, say, our high school prom). Bang takes a step up as he works to protect his job and the everyman, love lines are crossed, and it’s a general good time all around. Looks like it’s going to be another great week for History of the Salaryman.

Also, apologies for the lateness of the recaps this week. I was struck with a bad bout of food poisoning and – let me tell you – watching all the vomiting that went on during this episode was not easy. Even though it was really entertaining. Long live Yeo-chi, the drinking queen!

(...)
Read the rest of History of the Salaryman: Episode 9 (3,402 words)

© HeadsNo2 for Dramabeans, 2012. | Permalink | 45 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: featured, History of the Salaryman, Hong Soo-hyun, Jung Kyeo-woon, Jung Ryeo-won, Lee Beom-soo

Ratings this week settled in at 12.8%, which isn’t too bad – though considering that its only big competition this week was MBC’s Light and Shadow, those ratings aren’t necessarily great, either. And with Dream High 2 airing next week, the chances for History of the Salaryman to become a ratings hit are slim. Ratings for this show have been uneven since the beginning – which is a bit strange, since most of the time we either see a steady (or massive) rise or decline. In this case, the ratings just sort of jump around week to week on a whim. The series high came during last week’s Episode 5 at 13.5%, though they dropped to 11.5% at Episode 6. And now we’re back at 12.8% – go figure.

I sincerely love this show for all its quirks and absurdities, which might be the very thing working against it as far as mainstream audiences go. I find myself wanting Salaryman to succeed all the more – precisely because it is such a breath of fresh air in the drama landscape. Either way, my fingers are crossed for next week. Let’s make some magic happen!

(...)
Read the rest of History of the Salaryman: Episode 8 (3,561 words)

© HeadsNo2 for Dramabeans, 2012. | Permalink | 33 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: featured, History of the Salaryman, Hong Soo-hyun, Jung Kyeo-woon, Jung Ryeo-won, Lee Beom-soo

My stomach still hurts from laughing so hard. I can’t help but love a show where the traditional drama makeover scene gets a makeover, and where the hero suddenly finds himself unable to lie at the most hilariously inappropriate times. History of the Salaryman, why are you so awesome? Surely we don’t deserve you.

(...)
Read the rest of History of the Salaryman: Episode 7 (3,323 words)

© HeadsNo2 for Dramabeans, 2012. | Permalink | 43 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: featured, History of the Salaryman, Hong Soo-hyun, Jung Kyeo-woon, Jung Ryeo-won, Lee Beom-soo

Feelings! Character growth! Jealousy! Situational comedy! Lots of exclamation points! It shouldn’t surprise me that History of the Salaryman continues to get better and better in balancing its raucous brand of comedy with plenty of heartfelt moments – and it’s something I can’t help continuing to notice, because this show really has made that delicate balance into an art form. When the comedy happens, I’m laughing like a loon – and when the serious moments come, I’m riveted to the screen. That’s pretty much a win-win, isn’t it?

(...)
Read the rest of History of the Salaryman: Episode 6 (3,501 words)

© HeadsNo2 for Dramabeans, 2012. | Permalink | 45 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: featured, History of the Salaryman, Hong Soo-hyun, Jung Kyeo-woon, Jung Ryeo-won, Lee Beom-soo

It’s always fun to have a well-crafted fish out of water story, and Yeo-chi definitely fulfills that quota this episode. The bickering is brought to a whole new level as Bang and Yeo-chi find themselves on the run from the law, and the screen just lights up whenever these two are on it. We have a delightful cast of characters, each with their own issues and layers (surprise, Grandpa Jin may have a heart!), but Bang and Yeo-chi really bring both the drama and the funny. More of that, please!

(...)
Read the rest of History of the Salaryman: Episode 5 (3,418 words)

© HeadsNo2 for Dramabeans, 2012. | Permalink | 33 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: featured, History of the Salaryman, Hong Soo-hyun, Jung Kyeo-woon, Jung Ryeo-won, Lee Beom-soo

Here’s a look at the quirky new gallows-humor romantic comedy Neverending Story, starring Uhm Tae-woong and Jung Ryeo-won as two people who meet on the day they each get diagnosed with a terminal illness. How’s that for a meet-cute? With six months left to live, they decide, eh why not, and start to date… as they prepare to die. Their dates consist of shopping for coffins and burial clothes, and other hilariously dark non-datey activities, but their romance is every bit the traditional bickering cuteness.

Uhm Tae-woong plays a happy-go-lucky unemployed loser who can’t live without the lotto, and Jung Ryeo-won an uptight, exacting bank employee who can’t live without her diary. What cracks me up is that in the trailer, Uhm Tae-woong seems the closest to his real persona that I’ve ever seen (not counting 1 Night 2 Days, of course). And in fact, it seems so out of his normal wheelhouse that it seems like a part borne out of his 1N2D persona. His character is kind of a doofus, and really inexperienced at love, to the point that Jung Ryeo-won has to coach him on how to seduce her. Him: “Do you… not have to go h-home?” Her: “You have to MAKE me not want to go home! Cry and beg, or jump into the ocean or something!” Ha.

(...)
Read the rest of Uhm Tae-woong and Jung Ryeo-won’s Neverending Story (184 words)

© girlfriday for Dramabeans, 2012. | Permalink | 88 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Jung Ryeo-won, Uhm Tae-woong

As funny as this show can be, it also isn’t afraid to take us to some dark places – and that’s what makes the experience all the more rich and entertaining. We can have our band of misfit corporate spies led by an heiress who’s literally unaware that people can’t just wish money into existence – but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a heinous cover-up operation for a murder either. Just because we have some great shenanigans doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice heart, and that balance is what I love the most.

(...)
Read the rest of History of the Salaryman: Episode 4 (3,539 words)

© HeadsNo2 for Dramabeans, 2012. | Permalink | 39 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: featured, History of the Salaryman, Hong Soo-hyun, Jung Kyeo-woon, Jung Ryeo-won, Lee Beom-soo