[Drama sequels] A second helping of dishy bromance
by Guest Beanie
By @kdramaship
I am a newbie when it comes to K-drama, barely a year old! In the past year I have binge-watched countless hours of K-dramas and spent a lot of my lunch time at work scrolling through various K-drama-related websites and most of it was spent on Dramabeans. I have always looked forward to writing on a topic that I knew enough of. When I saw that this month’s topic is drama sequels, I couldn’t wait to write about it.
Like most newbies, I watch dramas for romance. However, in most dramas, I feel the 16-episode arc covers all the aspects of a romance. I would rather re-watch it than watch them go through the ups and downs of a relationship in a sequel. For me, the drama that needs and deserves a sequel is Chief Kim! I can’t believe I am saying this, especially when I was so skeptical about watching it and had even planned to drop it halfway. Also, I have to thank everyone at Dramabeans for recommending the drama.
Why do I want a sequel? Two reasons: Namgoong Min and Lee Junho! Their bittersweet relationship at the beginning of the drama to their saccharine sweet friendship towards the end took bromance to a whole new level.
Most of the drama was fraught with mistrust and tension between the duo, though not at a villainous toxic level (they were more like frenemies). Only towards the very end do they come to be on the same team, and though the bromance scenes are aplenty, I can’t help but want another sequel with them as a corporate crime-fighting duo with many more antics (more scenes of Junho singing badly as he does in the bar scene when singing and looking oh so adorable, also eating away like there’s no tomorrow) and bromance between the two.
Namgoong Min and Lee Junho headlined the drama and anchored it extremely well but what made every second of the drama even more fun and interesting were the secondary characters, such as Nam Sang-mi as the ethical and righteous assistant manager. Her chemistry with both male leads was fun to watch. With Namgoong Min she went from being suspicious to a trusted and trusting friend, and there was the almost-romance with Junho. A sequel can definitely develop both these story lines! And with Junho being so good at his new romantic roles (Just Between Lovers and Greasy Melo), I can’t wait to see him being mushy in an office romance.
The talk of secondary characters is incomplete without the mention of the eclectic co-workers at TQ’s finance department who cared so deeply about each other, each with their own quirks and backstories. There’s also the bumbling duo of investigators who were so much fun to watch, with the bumbling rookie spy and her spying skills and the quirky investigator she reports to.
This was one drama that had made me invested in each and every character and even in the finale I kept looking forward to more. Writer-nim, a sequel please with a second helping of dishy bromance (and maybe a romance or two)!
RELATED POSTS
Tags: Theme of the Month
![[Beanie Recs] Cast of Queen of Tears](https://d263ao8qih4miy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/BeanieRecs.jpg)
Required fields are marked *
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
1 lemoncello
July 9, 2018 at 9:27 PM
Dear, that seems impossible no matter how much we want it (I WANT IT TOO!)! Heard the news, Junho will be enlisted soon! "Greasy Melo" is gonna his last drama before his two years hiatus in the military. Gonna miss him for sure.
Required fields are marked *
tonal
July 9, 2018 at 9:57 PM
I've been on a Junho binge for a few weeks now...Life will be bleak without a new Junho show for two years!
Required fields are marked *
kdramaship
July 9, 2018 at 10:15 PM
I know but one can always hope!
Required fields are marked *
WishfulToki
July 10, 2018 at 3:29 AM
I'm losing all my handsome oppas to the Army this year. *cries*
Required fields are marked *
kdramaship
July 10, 2018 at 7:09 AM
I agree!
Required fields are marked *
kpopcrazymuggle
July 12, 2018 at 2:18 AM
What?! Oh no... I'm gonna miss him
Required fields are marked *
Alessar
July 18, 2018 at 9:31 AM
Ah that explains why he did so many right away. I thought he was just building on his breakout success but at least he's cemented his status.
Required fields are marked *
2 tonal
July 9, 2018 at 9:55 PM
I've just finished rewatching Chief Kim for the umpteenth time and I find new things to appreciate and old things to squee over (namely the almost romance) each time! Sung-ryung, Yul, and Ha-kyung are three of my favourite characters that I've come across in dramaland and I'd totally sign up for the sequel if it ever happens! I feel like if I were ever to write a fanfic it'd be about these three characters. They're so amazing! :D
Required fields are marked *
kdramaship
July 9, 2018 at 10:16 PM
I know right! The almost romance is so cute!
Required fields are marked *
3 PakalanaPikake
July 10, 2018 at 12:27 AM
Thanks for your essay on CHIEF KIM, @kdramaship. It was a show I didn't watch until six months after it aired. I never thought forensic accounting could be so much fun. As a Namgoong Min fangirl, I was intrigued to see how he would pull it off, and was not disappointed. Junho was a complete revelation, which led me to watch JUST BETWEEN LOVERS -- even though I'm not a fan of melodrama. It was a riveting performance.
Required fields are marked *
kdramaship
July 10, 2018 at 2:16 AM
I am so glad you liked the essay! Yes, this drama also lead me to discover Junho and subsequently to Just between Lovers! :)
Required fields are marked *
WishfulToki
July 10, 2018 at 3:42 AM
It is still my favourite Junho role. I really wanted him to take on a villain role afterwards, but he's just gone from gruff adorable to more gruff adorable.
Required fields are marked *
kdramaship
July 10, 2018 at 7:10 AM
haha yeah. He played the handsome villain so well.
Required fields are marked *
4 Midnight
July 10, 2018 at 12:29 AM
Chief Kim is one of the very few dramas that I rewatched twice immediately. I usually rewatch most dramas that I have enjoyed but wait for a few month so that I don't get bored or impatient because of remembering every detail. But Chief Kim! Chief Kim can be on on an infinite loop and it won't ever bore me.
Required fields are marked *
kdramaship
July 10, 2018 at 2:17 AM
I know right. they wrote each scene and character so well and in turn they were so well executed by all the actors.
Required fields are marked *
5 mary
July 10, 2018 at 1:48 AM
Chief Kim is such a fun watch! Just looking at all these screenshots makes me want to see them again.
Required fields are marked *
kdramaship
July 10, 2018 at 2:17 AM
Writing the essay brought such happy memories of the show!
Required fields are marked *
6 Ghost of Tim (eccentric observations from a male perspective)
July 10, 2018 at 3:15 AM
Great article! Now I want to see this show too.
Required fields are marked *
7 WishfulToki
July 10, 2018 at 3:39 AM
Squeeeeeeeee a Chief Kim article! Gluttunous Sociopath could eat his way through a sequel Let's Eat, Chief Kim!
You know, I was left wanting more but it was also a perfectly-wrapped up series. I did want to see more of Chief Kim and Seo Yul take on the world of corruption together. And I agree that the "almost-romance" could turn into something more. It did in my imagination, but a mushy sequel might spoil it for me. My little baseball ship. 💓
There's one character who deserves a sequel: Myung-Suk (played by Dong-Ha). I would have love to see him grow into his position at the head of TQ Group while still being petty and adorable around Chief Kim.
Thank you for the essay @kdramaship! Keep spreading the Chief Kim love!
Required fields are marked *
Midnight
July 10, 2018 at 4:39 AM
Agree with every single word!
Required fields are marked *
kdramaship
July 10, 2018 at 7:13 AM
I absolutely agree, in fact when i was writing the essay, I really wanted to write about Myung-Suk as well but that will be whole another essay on the very well written and well executed growth of a somewhat minor character!
So, glad you enjoyed the essay, cheers to more Chief Kin love!
Required fields are marked *
Linda Palapala
July 10, 2018 at 12:08 PM
They did win the "best couple" award. I don't remember which awards is was but it was big!
Required fields are marked *
kdramaship
July 10, 2018 at 10:18 PM
Yes and re-enacted the kiss scene with Junho planting a kiss on Namgoong's cheek this time around! They also root for each other on their instagram.
Required fields are marked *
Alessar
July 18, 2018 at 9:37 AM
I honestly, seriously, believe that Chief Kim might have actually been gay and actually had a little crush on Junho's character (which he mostly reined in because he could tell the other guy was straight). There was that scene where he and the female lead where mistaken for a couple and they gave each other a shocked look and if they had both yelled "gurl, no!" it would not have been out of place. But seriously the dude had a couple very pretty women flinging themselves at him and he was all "you're so nice let's be friends" with all of them. As a gay man he reminded me of myself so much. I think Namgoong Min is a really great actor, I know he is actually straight and has a girlfriend, but I think he might have just made a decision about how he was going to play this character and just went for it. And that really filled in motivations and emotional texture and made it such an authentic performance.
Required fields are marked *
8 TurtuallySarcastic
July 10, 2018 at 4:20 AM
GLUTTON! :P If only, right? This K-drama helped me realize what was going wrong in my life at the time and how to fix it, so it will obviously always have a special place in my heart. I even wrote an entry about it last year. :) Now, we might not get a sequel, but we can still play Bingo- the gluttonous sociopath edition :p
Required fields are marked *
9 bogoshipda
July 10, 2018 at 4:48 AM
The trio Junho - Goongmin and the naive Prosecutor work together and investigate chaebols or huge companies sounds too good to be resist! Now that you feed the ideas, I hope for this sequel!!! 😂😂😂😂
Required fields are marked *
kdramaship
July 10, 2018 at 7:14 AM
haha so glad you want a sequel too!
Required fields are marked *
10 pipette
July 10, 2018 at 9:41 AM
Another sequel post after my own heart! Oh happy day!! ♥️♥️
I completely agree with you OP. I want to check back in with all the lovely, adorable and funny TQ folks (except for the chairman cause he was a butt) and see how things are going. The way the drama ended left room open for more stories to be told!
I want more bromance and more romance and more shenanigans!
Required fields are marked *
kdramaship
July 10, 2018 at 10:19 PM
Yes, yes, and yes!
Required fields are marked *
11 Linda Palapala
July 10, 2018 at 12:05 PM
Thank you for your dream! Chief Kim is the only Junho drama I haven't seen and you made me want to start it right this minute!
I felt like I was punched in the gut from the comment about Junho's military enlistment. It doesn't seem like he should go until next year since he was born in 1990. And what will he do with his adorable kitties?
Heartsick.
Required fields are marked *
kdramaship
July 10, 2018 at 10:20 PM
yeah i love his cat posts on instagram!
Required fields are marked *
Alessar
July 18, 2018 at 9:38 AM
What?? How did I miss this ;_;
Required fields are marked *
Linda Palapala
July 18, 2018 at 9:42 AM
https://www.instagram.com/le2jh/?hl=en
Required fields are marked *
12 Linda Palapala
July 10, 2018 at 12:15 PM
Watching the latest episodes of Greasy Melo and I realized the reason I like Junho so much is he gives off such a warm, affectionate and emotional vibe naturally.
Since I haven't watched Chief Kim yet, I'm wondering if he does that even as the "villian"?
Required fields are marked *
Midnight
July 10, 2018 at 12:27 PM
He sure does. He isn't even the villain, he is the delightful naughty smart boy who has suddenly decided he wants to be bad, but comes head to head with another delightful naughty smart boy.
Required fields are marked *
Linda Palapala
July 10, 2018 at 12:39 PM
For Greasy Melo he studied with a chef. For Just Between Lovers he became a loner to understand the role better. I wonder what he did for his role in Chief Kim!
Required fields are marked *
Midnight
July 10, 2018 at 12:43 PM
I haven't watched those two dramas yet, I didn't know he has done so much work for his roles.
Required fields are marked *
bbstl 🧹
July 10, 2018 at 12:49 PM
I'm no cook but I think it really shows in Greasy Melo. He's very convincing in the kitchen.
Required fields are marked *
WishfulToki
July 10, 2018 at 2:12 PM
Apparently he didn't eat enough so he could be convincingly grumpy as Seo Yul :(
From behind the scenes one can tell Namgoon Min helped him a lot too, and they had fun filming.
Required fields are marked *
bbstl 🧹
July 10, 2018 at 2:21 PM
Ha that's great! He was also very convincingly ravenous!
kdramaship
July 10, 2018 at 10:24 PM
I loved watching the Bts of this drama.
Jig
July 10, 2018 at 12:38 PM
He has this lost puppy aura still going on that if only someone would show him some love and the right way of living all would change. I think it's most prominently shown in how he eats and his little crush on Nam Sang-min. Of course Chief Kim and Nam Sang-min are the perfect candidates for the job.
Required fields are marked *
kdramaship
July 10, 2018 at 10:21 PM
Please watch it. His growth in terms of character and the way he acts is pretty phenomenal. You'll love him here even more than Just between lovers.
Required fields are marked *
13 bbstl 🧹
July 10, 2018 at 2:05 PM
I saw the headline and thought, wow what show had great enough bromance that it would warrant a sequel?
🤔 Hmmmmm . . . really just Chief Kim, was my answer.
Imagine my delight when I saw the picture!
I watched as a longtime fan of Namgoong Min's who wondered if he would ever get his big lead role. I'm glad Junho has already avoided a long wait of his own.
Required fields are marked *
kdramaship
July 10, 2018 at 10:22 PM
Yes, Namgoong Min was the reason why I watched this too, right after watching him as the quirky lawyer in Beatiful Gong Shim, another favourite of mine.
Required fields are marked *
Linda Palapala
July 10, 2018 at 11:19 PM
The only thing I have left to watch with him is the movies Twenty and Memories of the Sword. And Chief Kim, which is next to start. I did cheat and watch part of the last episode.
Required fields are marked *
kdramaship
July 10, 2018 at 11:40 PM
He's kind of shadowed by Kim Woo Bin and Kang Ha Neul in Twenty but all the same he is puppy dog adorable in that as well!
Required fields are marked *
Lin
July 12, 2018 at 8:59 PM
I guess performance is a really objective matter, bc the first time I saw Junho was when I watched Twenty and he was the only one that stood out to me. But that might also be bc his character was the only one I found endearing and not obnoxious lol. Just something about the underdog Dongwoo doggedly pursuing his dream against all odds that just tugged at me. And his huge smile as the ending scene was ridiculously adorable.
luzitania
July 12, 2018 at 2:40 PM
Twenty was hilarious. Highly recommended if you like watching 20's trying to figure out life.
I found it very relatable.
Required fields are marked *
Linda Palapala
July 12, 2018 at 2:48 PM
I was 20 once.
14 gotojapan
July 11, 2018 at 12:19 AM
Luvss me my chief kim too! and he ----who has been scary chef from Girl Who Sees Smells ---can use 'gluttonous sociopath' affectionately!
Required fields are marked *
15 whoopeeyoo
July 12, 2018 at 2:02 AM
I miss Chief Kim *queues a rewatch*
Required fields are marked *
16 kpopcrazymuggle
July 12, 2018 at 2:22 AM
Enjoyed reading this article, so well written and precisely points out what I loved about this quirky drama. If only we could actually get a sequel to this show somehow...
Required fields are marked *
kdramaship
July 12, 2018 at 2:27 AM
Thank you. I know a sequel will be so good!!
Required fields are marked *