Misaeng: Episode 14
by odilettante
It’s a new year — 2013, to be precise (remember, this show is set in the past) — and the One International team gears up for bonuses and promotions. All the newbies have their struggles, be it the fear of not being hired on permanently, or the cruel actions of a petty and hateful boss, or thwarted battle-plans against particularly frustrating assistant managers. As they look to the new year, Chief Oh looks to the past as he tries to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself.
EPISODE 14 RECAP
The entire staff of One International sit through a New Year’s ceremony with awards and recognitions for various team members. As other teams are awarded for their high performances from the past year, Geu-rae realizes that despite his high hopes for the Jordan used-car project, most teams out-performed Sales Team 3.
Baek-ki shows off his German skills as he speaks to a buyer on the phone. He seems pretty proud of himself until Assistant Manager Kang corrects his pronunciation.
In the resource team, Young-yi gets the go-ahead to continue with a Norwegian minerals project, and even gets assigned to help the rest of the team on their projects due to the research she’s already done. Aw, finally Assistant Manager Ha looks genuinely pleased with her work instead of bitter and jealous.
Dong-shik’s on the phone with a potential buyer in Japan to sell them rice wine, and Geu-rae listens in, even though he doesn’t understand Japanese. A fact that Dong-shik teasingly points out after Geu-rae offers his opinion on Japanese drinking trends, and continues until his mother calls about a blind date she’s set up for him. He protests that he’s too busy to think about getting married, but tells her to send him pictures of this marriage prospect, anyway.
After Dong-shik leaves for a meeting, the IT sales manager arrives to get copies of some documents. Geu-rae is happy to help out, and as he hands over copies of the requested documents, Manager Nam carefully watches him, asking him if taking up the Jordan used-car sales project again was really his idea.
Dong-shik returns just as Manager Nam is leaving, and he warns Geu-rae that the Manager Nam was probably scouting him out since his team is understaffed. Everyone now knows that Geu-rae was recognized and complimented by the CEO, and because of his status, it’s not too worrisome if he becomes useless.
He catches himself at that last statement, but it’s too late. Despite Geu-rae’s smile as he offers to take over the coffee-making duty, he knows that Dong-shik was referring to the fact he’s only a temporary contract worker. When Geu-rae returns to the office, Chief Oh is back and ready to reprimand him for giving out documents so freely without permission. But he’s mostly irritated that Manager Nam scouted out Geu-rae.
Chief Oh leaves to confront Manager Nam in person, telling him that he should leave Geu-rae alone. He’s protective of his property as he warns Manager Nam that if messes with Geu-rae, then it’s like he’s messing with Chief Oh. As he leaves, he notes an empty desk in the corner, asking what happened to the guy who was working there. Turns out he was a temp whose contract didn’t get extended.
Manager Ma eats his lunch while Young-yi delivers his coffee (and he notes that she’s wearing flats today). When he sees the rest of the resource team walking by, he shouts at Chief Jung, asking him about the Tunisia project that was stolen by Samjung. When Chief Jung tries to explain, Manager Ma just shouts him down, telling him to make it happen, no matter what.
Our newbie quartet heads to HR for a benefits debriefing, and when they meet outside the conference room, Young-yi and Seok-yul’s trolling skills are strong as they “innocently” ask Geu-rae about our favorite kindergarten teacher and if Baek-ki seduced any women while he was at the ski resort. Geu-rae and Baek-ki’s fervent protests only cause the teasing duo to burst out laughing.
The executive director runs into Chief Oh in the lobby, and he compliments Chief Oh for having such a discerning eye. But Chief Oh politely reminds him that the discerning eye belongs to the executive director, since he was the one who hired and assigned Geu-rae to his team in the first place.
As Chief Oh walks away, the executive director tells him not to worry about Chief Park, since he did what he had to do in that situation. But couldn’t have Chief Oh told him about it in advance? He adds that it would have been better that way.
In their HR meeting, the newbies get a run-down of their benefits for the new year, including mandatory skill classes for such things like data processing and English. Geu-rae blanches at the thought of having to learn English, and Seok-yul reassures them they have beginner classes, too.
But when the HR representative passes out the salary agreements for the new year, there isn’t one for Geu-rae (since he’s not a permanent employee), and he awkwardly excuses himself. He slowly wanders back to his desk, watching everyone sign their new salary agreements which are based on the employee’s evaluation by the department heads.
He can’t bear to go back to his desk quite yet, so he heads outside to continue brooding, overhearing everyone brag about their raises and bonuses. When the assistant managers step outside for a coffee and smoke break, they compare bonuses and joke about Dong-shik’s upcoming blind date. Chief Chun seems to be the only one aware of Geu-rae watching them in envy.
Geu-rae mopes his way back to his desk, and Chief Oh calls him out on his behavior, telling him to snap out of it and get back to his usual work. Geu-rae asks him if he continues to work like he always has, then he should become a permanent employee, right?
But Chief Oh tells him plainly that Geu-rae won’t become a permanent employee. Data is king when it comes to determining employment, and there are too many people with better resumes, experience, and background than him, who also don’t require as much time and money spent on training. There’s no way that Geu-rae will be able to force himself past the impenetrable fortress that is the company’s manual.
As a crushed Geu-rae leaves the office at the end of the day, he stops at the pillar where he had put his “yes” slip of paper. He’d thought this pillar symbolized his infrastructure, but it turns out he was only borrowing for a short while. Chief Chun finds him there, and he invites Geu-rae to have a drink with him.
Over shots of soju, Chief Chun admits that what he enjoyed most about working in the office was learning to drink — it helped him forget the hard times and loneliness, and made it easier to kiss up to to the people he hated. But what he regrets the most is also learning how to drink. He never was able to enjoy daily life or the leisure of taking a break.
He tells Geu-rae that drinking helps with living out the adage of “keep the head cool but the heart hot.” This is an adage Geu-rae is familiar with, having heard it many times during his baduk days. But Chief Chun surprises him when he adds that starting today, he’s going to quit drinking.
Thanks to Geu-rae, Chief Chun has finally been able to have a “hot heart” and be happy about working. Geu-rae apologizes about the difficulties he’s caused in the office, and as Chief Chun remembers what the executive director told him about being assigned to Sales Team 3, he reassures Geu-rae that having a lot of work isn’t a hardship.
Back at the office, the chief of the textile team orders Assistant Manager Sung to stay late working on a report for a morning meeting. Of course he immediately hands it off to Seok-yul, rattling off all the details and specs, finally adding through gritted teeth that he’s expecting Seok-yul to take responsibility for it. He also reassures the chief that he’ll personally go through the material to make sure it’s accurate once Seok-yul writes it up.
But instead of sticking around until Seok-yul’s finished, he heads out to meet a friend for a drink. Seok-yul’s barely been able to contain his silent frustration through all this, and later Assistant Manager Sung checks in with him. But instead of returning to the office to look through the report, he texts Seok-yul that he can just go home.
Seok-yul sees this as an opportunity to declare war, and in the morning he smirks as he rides the elevator, purposefully ignoring Assistant Manager Sung’s frantic phone calls. He drops his confident swagger to rush into the office, acting surprised when the chief tells him that the report isn’t prepared. It’s only a ploy to reveal that Assistant Manager Sung hadn’t read through the report before approving it, and Seok-yul’s pleased with himself as he prints out the report, assuming that Assistant Manager Sung will get in trouble.
But a perplexed Seok-yul soon realizes that his plan backfired as the chief accepts Assistant Manager Sung’s explanation, and the only one getting in trouble is Seok-yul for arriving to work a few minutes late.
Young-yi reports to Manager Ma about the preparations she’s made at a country club for his upcoming meeting, but all Manager Ma can focus on are all the small details, like if the caddy will be a pretty girl. He then suddenly asks her about her past relationship with Team Leader Shin, having heard about them through the grapevine. But Young-yi stands her ground, refusing to discuss it since it doesn’t relate to work matters.
Noting her sudden change in attitude, a concerned Baek-ki follows her outside, but she smiles and reassures him she’s fine. Manager Ma also happens to take his coffee break then, and when he sees her, he immediately yells at her for talking back to him when he’s only acting like a concerned parent, trying to protect his daughter’s reputation.
When she asks why she’d be his daughter, he turns around, furious at her for daring to once again talk back to him. He asks if she’s going to report him for sexual harassment, too, as he throws his cup of coffee at her. But Baek-ki rushes to intercept and is the one who gets the scalding liquid all over his chest. That only ticks Manager Ma off even more, and he storms off after Baek-ki calmly withstands his insults.
During her lunch break, Young-yi buys a new shirt for Baek-ki, thanking him for his actions earlier. He immediately offers to pay for it, and she teasingly answers that it’s 50,000,000 won. Her point is that it’s a gift, and he should put his wallet away.
Also during the lunch break, Geu-rae finds Seok-yul passionately writing up an angry screed against Assistant Manager Sung on the anonymous employee web forum. Geu-rae’s expression seems to indicate that he thinks this will not end well.
During the weekend, as Geu-rae cleans his house, he thinks about what Chief Oh said about how there’s no way for him to be hired on as a permanent employee. He gets a call from Dong-shik asking him to be on stand-by because today is his blind date, and past experience has taught him that he’ll be kicked to the curb within the hour.
Despite his best efforts, his prediction comes true as Dong-shik’s blind date dumps him, telling him that he doesn’t seem selfish enough. He tries to console himself that at least she didn’t dump him because of his looks. This does mean, though, that Geu-rae’s called upon to fulfill his duty as a consolation date.
When Geu-rae immediately answers the phone asking what bar Dong-shik is at, he’s surprised to discover that it’s actually the adorable kindergarten teacher calling him instead. She’s delighted that he’s apparently asked her to go out for a drink after playing hard-to-get for so long, while he’s just dazed that he apparently now has a date.
She and Dong-shik are happily blitzed as they complain about the modern state of dating and difficulties in finding someone to marry. When she pointedly asks Geu-rae’s opinion on marriage, he’s still so focused on his work woes that he can only blurt out that he’s a contract worker.
Seok-yul makes plans with his family to return home for the New Year holiday, but as he goes to book his bus tickets online, he decides to first check out the response from his angry rant about his boss on the employee internet forum. But he soon realizes that one of the posted responses is a polite apology from Assistant Manager Sung for not training their newbie well, and the rest are derisive comments from other employees about Seok-yul’s audacity in making the post in the first place.
He looks sick to his stomach as he arrives at work Monday morning, and when all four newbies get on the elevator, the overhear a couple of other employees discussing the ridiculous idiocy of Seok-yul’s post. He tries to keep his composed dignity as he hides in the back, but for once the chatterbox Seok-yul has no words as he silently bids the other newbies adieu.
Today is the day the company gives everyone their New Year presents, and all the permanent employees get gift bags of Spam, while contract workers get cooking oil. Geu-rae eyes the cooking oil on his desk as Chief Oh arrives, reminding him not to be greedy.
But Geu-rae asks if he has to ask permission to be greedy. It’s not about getting the permanent job, really — he just wants to continue working and stay with Sales Team 3. Chief Oh doesn’t respond, and the tense silence is broken when Chief Oh spots Dong-shik, and over-eagerly asks how the blind date went.
He excuses himself for a smoke break, and as he broods over Geu-rae’s words, he remembers when previous contract worker had asked him if she kept working this hard, she would be able to stay at the company.
Chief Oh gives his staff permission to leave early for the holidays, and he hands over an envelope of cash as New Year’s bonus. Chief Oh keeps his back turned as he puts on his jacket, avoiding Geu-rae’s polite protest. Chief Chun teasingly reminds Geu-rae that he should just say “thank you” when an elder hands him money.
When he gets home, Geu-rae quietly leaves the envelope next to his sleeping mother, but she wakes up enough to note his bonus. He sits outside to stare at the night sky, and as he thinks about his earlier conversation with Chief Oh, he sheds a few tears.
On the morning of the New Year, Geu-rae takes his mother’s advice and goes for a long walk to avoid dealing with his relatives, who were unhappy with his decision to quit playing baduk. He worries at how she’ll be able to handle them, but reassures himself it’ll be easier for her if he’s not around.
Without a place to go (and no one to enjoy it with, anyway), he finds himself back in the office. When he sees some employees unloading a shipment, he offers to help. But they tell him that he doesn’t need to exert himself unnecessarily, since it won’t exactly help him become a permanent employee. He sadly walks away, sighing once again at being reminded of his temporary status.
Suddenly realizing that it was probably wrong that he left his mother alone, he hurries back home, gasping for breath as he sprints up the road. But he shouldn’t have worried because Mom is holding court with the rest of the family, bragging about Geu-rae’s achievements at work.
Geu-rae stays hidden as he listens to her effusive praise, but she starts crying when she mentions how much Geu-rae continues to smile when his heart is suffering. His eyes fill with tears as he quietly walks away from the house and continues his aimless wandering. He reminds himself that he’s not a failure in his mother’s eyes.
Everyone returns to work after the holiday, and as Geu-rae gets settled in the office, Chief Oh meets with the executive director for a “friendly” cup of tea. He’s an unwilling guest, however, and when the executive director tells him to take a seat, he chooses the one furthest away. The executive director sips his tea as he says just how much Geu-rae reminds him of Chief Oh, when he and Chief Oh were younger and working in the same department.
During that time, he and Chief Oh had done all the could to complete their projects, even if it meant being reckless and causing other employees to be fired. When Chief Oh mentions the woman who died after being wrongfully dismissed due to their actions, the executive director nonchalantly has trouble recalling her, adding that Chief Oh always did his best to protect the contract workers. So, then, is he planning to do the same with Geu-rae?
Deputy Director Sun runs into a wild-eyed Chief Oh as he returns to the office, and she follows him outside as he tries to control his overflowing emotions. He tells her that the executive director didn’t remember the contract worker who died, adding that he’s a scary man because he can conveniently forget the things that would hurt his career.
Geu-rae stands on the rooftop just above them, having taken a coffee break outside just moments before. He quietly eavesdrops as Chief Oh passionately blames himself for her death, for not telling her the truth when the executive director just gave her empty platitudes. Ohhhh, she was the contract worker who had asked the same thing as Geu-rae, that if she just kept working like this, she would be hired on permanently.
That’s why he told Geu-rae that he wouldn’t make it — it’s pointless to give him false hope. Deputy Director Sun believes that it’s scarier to know they live in a world where even empty encouragement wouldn’t be appreciated — there are too many who are hungry for any sort of hope.
Even so, Chief Oh repeats that he can’t give Geu-rae that hope.
COMMENTS
Ooof. I knew I should be suspicious when the show started out with everyone happy, but I didn’t know I’d be sucker-punched at least once or twice or a dozen times throughout the rest of the episode.
I can understand where Chief Oh is coming from: He doesn’t want Geu-rae to end up like the former employee. But it’s still hard to see him not give Geu-rae the reassurance that he so desperately desires. It was also hard to watch Geu-rae pretty much mope through the entire episode, feeling depressed that he’s not really one of the team despite his passion and determination. I do respect that everyone around him did their best to encourage him (that scene with Chief Chun was especially heartwarming, since — yet again — we get to find out how Geu-rae has positively impacted someone’s life, even if it’s in unexpected ways).
I know that Geu-rae has to get hired on — he has to, since it wouldn’t make sense for the show to continue on for another six episodes without him, and because there needs to be an explanation of how he ends up chasing some guy in Jordan (and speaking English!).
Even so, there’s a knot of anxiety in my stomach because there’s no guarantee that he’ll stay on Sales Team 3, not with the way all these other managers keep scouting him out. I don’t know if I could bear watching him work for someone else, someone who is more blatant that they’re using him for his connections with the executive department, and who doesn’t necessarily appreciate his unique viewpoints. Mostly I just don’t want Sales Team 3 to be broken up, not when they’ve finally found their balance and groove. Not when Dong-shik is referring to himself as “hyung-nim” and Chief Chun is giving sage advice over drinks.
But let’s not dwell on that, and instead let’s think focus on the characters we’d most like get rid of. Such as Manager Ma. Ugh. While a vile little misogynist. He’s been pretty unbearable throughout the entire show, and his insinuation that Young-yi keeps using her “feminine wiles” to get her away is infuriating because it couldn’t be further from the truth, but when he threw that hot coffee at her (which looked like it was aimed at her face), I was like, “Whoa, that’s going too far.”
I’ve accepted that this show manages to change our perceptions of characters (bit by bit the resource team seems to be coming around), but there’s no way to redeem that kind of action. Sure; it gave us a reason for Baek-ki and Young-yi to get closer together, but at what cost? I know eventually Young-yi’s past with Team Leader Shin will be revealed, but I’m hoping it’s on her terms and not some petty payback by Manager Ha. But he seems so devoid of integrity that I wouldn’t put it past him to spread vicious rumors about her.
Of all the newbies, though, this was really Seok-yul’s episode. His game-plan to attack Assistant Manager Sung makes me cringe in second-hand embarrassment. He should have listened to their recommendations that he wait before fighting back, but that’s not the kind of guy he is. He wears his heart on his sleeve, more prone to react than to carefully think things through. Perhaps if he’d followed the lead of Geu-rae or Young-yi, and quietly sucked it up while dealing with the frustrating Assistant Manager Sung, he would have found a way to prove through his work that he’s worthy of being noticed.
The one thing Seok-yul’s always had is his pride — something we’ve seen ever since that flashback to his childhood when he was picked on by other kids because of his father’s job. So it makes sense that the one thing that is most difficult for him to surrender in this job is that pride. In that way, it seems like Baek-ki and Seok-yul are more alike than they seem despite their completely opposite personalities, and perhaps that’s the bromance I’m more interested in seeing develop. Baek-ki had to humble himself to learn the basics, and Seok-yul will have to humble himself to make up for his rash actions.
Neither are very pleasant options, but that’s the way to get through life — doing the things you don’t necessarily want to do to survive another day. And in a by-the-book corporation like One International, even the worst people can succeed provided they follow the rules and stay within the safety of the “company manual.”
But that just reminds me of the fact that Geu-rae prefers to work outside that manual, and despite his achievements within Sales Team 3, his qualifications on paper means he doesn’t stand a chance to be hired on permanently. And I don’t want to think about that now.
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Tags: featured, Im Shi-wan, Kang Haneul, Kang So-ra, Lee Sung-min, Misaeng
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1 cingdoc
December 3, 2014 at 2:15 PM
Sniff- the epi that made me cry....
Off to reading the recap and cry again...MiSaeng, You're my favourite right now( Tied with Coffee Prince...and that is saying a lot....)
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eva
December 3, 2014 at 2:35 PM
same here, tied with Coffee Prince, even passed it for me
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cingdoc
December 3, 2014 at 2:40 PM
Hehe, I can't pass it since my ILU( GY) won't like that at all* being delusional?
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eva
December 4, 2014 at 12:58 AM
oh, well, I can understand you, and nothing wrong beeing a dreamer ;-)
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Jon G.
December 3, 2014 at 2:42 PM
I didn't cry. There was just something in my eyes everytime I wanted to watch the final scene ...
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cingdoc
December 3, 2014 at 4:48 PM
You mean how your week is incomplete if you didn't watch this quality drama.....
Or you find there's something misaeng in your work/ daily life as you watch woori newbies struggle and now you can't find a reason to complain about your steady( but thought to be boring ) job....
Yeah, that's how much this drama owns me( and I wouldn't want it any other way)....
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Fancy Nancy
December 4, 2014 at 8:21 AM
same it's my favorite right now too. Don't know how long I could have lived without knowing such a wonderful drama existed. I didn't sleep catching up on this all last night O_O hahaha
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M-fave
December 7, 2014 at 10:07 AM
Misaeng is kinda realistic drama. All plays are powerfully acted TT Their high level acting skills makes me feel even more real. Such a great K drama I've ever seen.
Really, I can't figure out why life is so hard. Everyone has their own sorrow, and all of us are secretly suffering the pain of something others may not know.
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Beng
December 5, 2014 at 5:22 AM
i also cried so much in this episode. Misaeng, why so great?!
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Canuckgirl
December 5, 2014 at 9:32 PM
Agreed on the comparison.
As for this episode, that was quite a heavy one emotionally for me. I was in a similar situation while interning at both Blue Cross Blue Shield and Sirius XM. I wanted to be a part of the companies but when I did not get an offer, I was heartbroken and had to stare at the possibility that I would be unemployed. It's been two years and I still haven't found anything. That stuff is hard to handle sometimes
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2 Jon G.
December 3, 2014 at 2:28 PM
The whole final sequence of this episode ... just WOW! Starting from Oh meeting the exec. director, the positioning and camera during their sit-down in the ex.d's office.
Oh starts to lose it physically when the ex.d starts reminiscing about their mutual past.
"The one who died?!"
Oh runs into Mrs. Sun and there is basically no dialogue, and that's not necessary, the trembling Oh and the facial expressions do most of the talking here.
Do I remember correctly that it was Mrs. Sun who made the "Magnolia" reference about "we may be through with the past, but the past ain't through with us" in some earlier episodes?
Once again, the scene culminates in a stilbruch when Mrs. Sun suddenly does a theatre move, she turns away from Oh, steps to the metaphorical edge of the stage and delivers the aphorism.
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houstontwin
December 3, 2014 at 8:01 PM
What's a "stilbruch"... is that a staging technique?
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Jon G.
December 4, 2014 at 12:54 AM
A breach of style. You use a technique that is usually not part of the genre or medium.
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houstontwin
December 4, 2014 at 8:11 AM
Thanks. Like a lot of viewers, I really appreciate how special Misaeng but am not always aware of the specific craftsmanship that results in such a fine drama.
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3 TG
December 3, 2014 at 2:40 PM
I think the magic of this show is how human and relateable, on a very small but emotional level, all of the characters and experiences are. Very few shows can handle such mundane experiences and emotions and keep you interested. We've all had those "my parents are proud of me" realizations that are so meaningful; we've all had those Baek Ki moments where we are jealous of our colleagues successes even when we know we shouldn't be. The reason this show makes me tear up over and over is that I can fully relate to these moments. And somehow they aren't boring the way simple human life can be very boring when dramatized.
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Maryse89
December 3, 2014 at 8:15 PM
Yes, yes, a million times yes. You said it so nicely...the amazing thing about Misaeng is that even though it's a very specific portrait of Korean corporate culture, it's also so universal that everyone can relate to it, no matter where we live
Art that can make the specific universal is very very rare and should be treasured :)
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4 Jon G.
December 3, 2014 at 2:41 PM
So, who are the best performing people? Mister Misogyn Ma, of course. Among the assistant managers, it's Baek-ki's boss Mr Kang and, of course, Seok-yul's boss Mr Psychopath. This show just keeps giving ...
A propos Mr Kang: Baek-ki's "w" is totally fine. It's, in fact, better than yours.
Baek-ki, don't feel bad, your pronunciation is okay and you don't learn German intonation by studying German literature.
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Newbie
December 4, 2014 at 3:46 AM
Lol about the German part. Actually I thought Kang's w to me better.
Are you German, Jon?
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Jon G.
December 4, 2014 at 4:06 AM
No, but I learned German as my first foreign language and I have been working there for more than 12 years (and I know many east/north/west German dialects by now).
My "language critique":
Kang's "w" is too close to the German "f", Baek-ki's "w" is just a little bit too soft.
Baek-ki's "s" and "sh" are his main pronunciation problem (and many Koreans share that when they try to learn/speak German).
And, of course, his intonation is all over the place and it does NOT sound like someone speaking who actually understands what he says. (But that's par for the course for K-dramas.)
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Newbie
December 4, 2014 at 4:12 AM
I just wrote it a few comments down the page: To my (German) ears Manager Kang's pronounciation sounded perfect. So good actually, that I started to look through the net whether the actor studied German or not.
And Kang Ha-neul did a pretty decent job. This must have been a really difficult scene to shoot. Kudos!
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5 Den
December 3, 2014 at 2:45 PM
Hurts. So. Good.
And it's not even a romance drama. Love, love, love!
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6 ju
December 3, 2014 at 2:47 PM
I feel so frustrated for Chief Oh. He always had a way to answer to difficult situations even if it is by triping up the infuriating guy but here he seemed so powerless and, at the same time, very vulnerable on this precise subject. Ah, even if I value to see his moments of weakness (Yes, he is a normal salary man after all), I need my heroe back!
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Jon G.
December 3, 2014 at 2:52 PM
We've seen before that THIS issue is way beyond his self-control. He physically attacked co-workers over it, he attacked Mgr. Ma over it and he had his resignation letter ready over it.
It's devastating for him, of course, when the executive director shows no trace of remorse, or even memory, of the event.
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cingdoc
December 3, 2014 at 5:00 PM
Ah, but remorse needs to come from a human ,and ED is not one....I believe he has traded his soul long time ago to the Devil as he advances to his position( while stepping on his loyal workers( minions to him))... It's ok, karma is a bitch,and ED will get his comeuppance...Later on, other workers will also ask " who??" when his name is mentioned...
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ju
December 4, 2014 at 2:41 AM
Yeah Jon G. I remember the intensity of this moment now that you mention it. But regarding Geu-rae and his team, he was still like a pillar.
In this episode, he wasn't even able to give him some support. I wasn't surprised when he said he couldn't give Geu-rae empty words because it's not his style but previously he always found a way to show he was in his side.
That's why I think that today we really saw his weak point. He experienced such a tragic moment and here with Geu-rae, he is afraid to make same mistake. I think he lost his confidence here, his "daredevil" way of life. That's why I want my heroe back. But maybe here it is Geu-rae's time to take some actions and make a miracle happen for our chief oh's sake.
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Jon G.
December 4, 2014 at 3:39 AM
Oh has shown this "demotivational" side before, remember the "I don't want Geu-rae to make it" discussion with Dong-shik. When Geu-rae started as an intern and Oh slowly recognised his talents, he still kept trying to curb Geu-rae's occasional optimism.
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Kennedy Rose
December 4, 2014 at 4:58 AM
..because he knows how hard it is when you are so optimistic about something then suddenly something goes wrong and you will fall back to earth with a thud. hurts a lot.
7 alua
December 3, 2014 at 2:55 PM
Baek-ki's German was atrocious. It took me several sentences to realise that he was speaking German. His superior wasn't much better!
Not too fond of the kindergarten employee, I can't relate to girls that call up guys they've met once and go "You've been waiting for my call, haven't you?" I'm glad the Geu-rae is just totally non-reactional to her (I confess, in part because I like him with Young-yi, and also because I thought the kindergarten employee plus Dong-sik would be interesting... as he'd be someone she'd instantly dismiss though he's such a good guy). Of course, with this drama I do know that this is how kindergarten employee is presented and that if they choose to develop her more, they'll peel away layers and possibly give us someone much more interesting.
Seo-kyul... he had it coming. A bit surprising that he was that dumb to post comments on an online forum, even if anonymously. Such a no-no! But interesting in the sense that he was at the beginning of the series presented as someone who seemed to know it all already, and was totally professional. And now it's becoming ever clearer that he has plenty to learn!
Manager Ma.... uhhh... he's thoroughly awful and he's throwing coffee at Young-yi – why hasn't this guy been fired? It's not just that he's a total misogynist and sexually harasses her, but that's a physical assault. So glad Baek-ki stepped him (which made it ever so clearer how awful Manager Ma is –blaming Young-yi for not getting burned by his coffee!).
So much heart break in this episode for Geu-rae and his temp class status. I get why Oh-ssi is not giving him hope, he's being honest although it's hurtful. I'm glad that Geu-rae overhears the conversation on the rooftop, because it ensures that he'll understand where Chief Oh is coming from, though I hope that even without having heard that conversation he would feel that Chief Oh is really out to protect him and his biggest champion.
Uri kachi keso. The words of this episode... I repeated them to myself several times. I love how Geu-rae just speaks the truth to bluntly, how he's fully honest like this. He says the words that no one else dares to say though they are fully true: there's absolutely nothing wrong with him asking to work with them forever. No one needs to be given permission to have dreams.
And lonely Geu-rae at the end: I wish he would reach out to his companions – he does have friends, even if he doesn't recognise it each and if the friendships need to be build further. Call up Dong-sik, Young-yi, Baek-ki, Seok-yul. They'll all be his friends. Fighting!!!
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alua
December 3, 2014 at 3:01 PM
*doesn't recognise it YET; builT further...
[should proofread]
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Jon G.
December 3, 2014 at 3:08 PM
I disagree on the German language skills. I understood most of what Baek-ki said, tbh. Of course, German is a second language for me, I'm a bit tolerant towards accents. His intonation is nothing like actual German and makes it hard to follow, but otherwise, not bad. Mr Kang's pronunciation of "Wurst" was almost perfect northern German.
"Not too fond of the kindergarten employee, I can’t relate to girls that call up guys they’ve met once and go “You’ve been waiting for my call, haven’t you?” I’m glad the Geu-rae is just totally non-reactional to her"
We discussed the problem of GR dating here before they brought Teacher Ha back in the previous episode: GR is way too passive for any kind of dating. He needs an extremely aggressive female counterpart, and even then, he only manages to text her when he doesn't but Seok-yul does it. And he only takes her phone call because he thinks it is Dong-shik.
I'm more than half sure she is actually joking when she says that. Still, she IS very forward.
(And I for one am really, really glad there are girls like this. ;) )
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alua
December 3, 2014 at 3:29 PM
Baek-ki's German sounds like Kang Ha-neul never learnt any German before and had to memorise the lines without really knowing what he was saying. I understood what he was saying once I realised he was speaking German and I concentrated.
Someone "aggressive" might get something out of Geu-rae, but I'm not sure that he needs someone like that specifically. He just needs more social confidence and experience (you can see what he's like even with just making friends), and he'll slowly get there. He is not always passive – we've seen him quite a few times to be the one to speak up and make an unexpected move. So if he's compelled, he can certainly do it. (Even if he'll need reassurance once he's done it.)
Yeah, I guess some people might like the kindergarten teacher's approach, but it makes me cringe. I'm all for taking the first step (calling rather than waiting to be called – all those "dating rules" are plain dumb IMO), I just find her choice of words a bit too egotistical, esp. because the way she says it is supposed to be considered "cute" (the whole aegyo thing). Well, that's how it would play out in too many k-dramas, while here indeed it might just be her joking (in which case it would be a whole other thing and would make her so much more interesting).
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Jon G.
December 3, 2014 at 3:50 PM
Teacher Ha:
The whole phone call seems to be a not-too-serious scene. He picks up the phone and, without any kind of introduction, asks "which bar?". I'm pretty sure she noticed by now that this is rather out-of-character for him (and even teases him about "playing hard to get" in a playful(?) tone). It could be a bad case of aegyo, but I'll give her the benefit of a doubt.
She ends up in the bar with Dong-shik and Geu-rae, and doesn't seem to be too bothered by that. I'll take that as (weak) evidence in her favour. (Also, I'm in a good mood, because two merry strangers discussing sociological topics always softens me up.)
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miilo
December 4, 2014 at 1:40 AM
I didn´t think for a second that she was trying to do some aegyo, because... that just dosen´t make any sense:D As the flirting was so forward, it seemed pretty dorky (and funny) instead, because it was bound to fail with Geu-re.
CaroleMcDonnell
December 3, 2014 at 3:59 PM
I thought she was nervous...and her flirty way was simply born from her nervousness. I could be seeing things that aren't there though.
I'm okay with the bad accent. Funnily enough a friend of mine who studied German hated the way Christoph Waltz sounded in Django Unchained. She said it was the most fake German accents ever. I gently told her that he was Austrian and that was his real accent...and that there are many German accents.
But all that said, actors are humans. They cannot be expected to be perfect in everything. They have to memorize lines, bare their souls as they act in front of people who are judging them on their acting, their hair cut, their abs or lack thereof. It's a very harsh and demanding job full of rejection and they brave it to give us entertainment. So perfect accents would be icing on the cake but we can't go slamming an actor who probably studied and studied and studied to get the accent somewhat right.
I'm a very harsh reviewer by the way... But I'm careful who and how i critique. I always say, "Could i have done this better?" If I could have, then i slam away. But if i personally couldn't have done it, and since i don't know squat about the skill of acting, I feel it's best to let that accent thing slide. I'm Jamaican American, lived in the US for 43 years since i was twelve. And i still have a Jamaican accent. So..i don't judge accents.
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alua
December 3, 2014 at 4:14 PM
Oh, I don't blame Kang Ha-neul for a second! I just cringed, just like I cringe when we get Engrish in a K-drama!
I don't mind accents at all – but what Kang Ha-neul had wasn't an accent, it was just a Korean speaking German without ever having learnt it at all. (Again, not something I blame him for. These things happen in dramas.)
Jon G.
December 4, 2014 at 3:45 AM
Well, considering there are many characters in K-dramas who cannot pronounce their own name, Kang Ha-neul did a good enough job.
Most of the time when actors have to pretend to speak a language they don't actually speak, things end up like that, or worse. It doesn't happen often that you have an actor who has some skill in the languages that are needed for the role.
Arawn
December 3, 2014 at 8:07 PM
Well, it's same thing with Young-yi's Russian. I read somewhere that Kang So-ra had studied Russian intensively for this role only but... no. Just no. It was pretty horrible. I was barely able to understand a few words of her Russian. :D
Anyways, just like Alua I definitely do not blame Kang So-ra in the least. It is extremely difficult to learn to pronounce a foreign language in a month or two if the language has very different sound structure from your own.
What did get my attention was Baek-ki muttering he majored in Germat lit. Really? And he was hired into this big trading company and in steel team? That is interesting. In my country a person who majored in any literature would have never hired in Baek-ki's position unless he already had extensive work experience from the field. So in Korea getting a degree from correct uni is what matters, not the subject of study so much?
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Maryse89
December 3, 2014 at 8:21 PM
I thought the same thing when we saw the flash of Baek Ki's resume earlier!
on the other hand, in the United States, it's the same. I knew a girl from my high school who majored in Art History at Harvard and now she's working at Goldman Sachs on Wall Street sooo....yeah, once you get into that elite level, I guess you're pretty much set! Totally unfair, of course
alua
December 4, 2014 at 10:30 AM
That's a good point about majoring in German lit... didn't even realise that. Do Korean universities actually have majors (like in the American-style system)? Or would it have been the only subject he studied (which would seem a bit strange, given he's working in a trading company now?).
I guess the idea would be he'd have language skills for the trading (but then again, anyone I'd hire on the basis of language skills, I'd except them to have specialised in two languages at least – though I imagine Baek-ki speaks English as well)... but I'd still think he'd need some qualifications in economics/business studies. Hmmmm.
Newbie
December 4, 2014 at 4:07 AM
About Kang Ha-neul's German. Yes, it sounded like he memorized it. The writers made some pretty awful mistakes, too. I think he said 'Aufhören' as finishing line for the phonecall, at least that's what I understood, and that is plain wrong. But overall he made a good job. Some sentences were really good actually. It is a difficult language after all.
Manager Kang's pronounciation otoh was so spot on, that I started to reasearch if this actor learned German, but I found no info on this matter.
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Jon G.
December 4, 2014 at 4:15 AM
Baek-ki said "Auf Wiederhören", and did, like most Germans do, swallow much of the inner syllables, just not exactly the right parts.
The only actual mistake I found was the use of "die Wasserbehälter", where either singular or indefinite article should have been used. That's much better than most US premium cable television shows do.
Kang had the advantage of only speaking single words instead of sentences. Intonation is much easier. But his "Wurst" was rather impressive, sounded almost like a Tagesschau announcer.
Newbie
December 4, 2014 at 4:38 AM
Really? We swallow the inner syllables? Color me surprised. I always thought we swallow the last syllable, which would have made for an 'Auf Wiederhör'n'.
I'll keep my ears open to confirm your theory. It's interesting to get an insight from someone who learned German as a foreign language. Thank you.
Jon G.
December 4, 2014 at 5:20 AM
Yep, the vowels of the final syllables are mostly swallowed or at mumbled, but especially for standard phrases, many other things are contracted.
For example, in slightly Obersächsisch coloured Standard Language (many parts of Eastern Germany), "Auf Wiederhören" often becomes something like "aufi:erhörn". Of course, many people drop the "auf" completely (and THEN they pronounce the "d").
Newbie
December 4, 2014 at 6:00 AM
That is of course correct. But Baek ki is supposed to speak Hochdeutsch and not Obersächsisch or some other dialect. And swollowing any syllables speaking Hochdeutsch is in deed news to me except someone uses a sloppy pronounciation and is therefore swallowing the final parts of a word.
But we are nitpicking. Kang Ha-Neul did a really fine job. We could understand him and/or guess the meaning which is a lot given that he most likely didn't understand a word of what he was saying.
Jon G.
December 3, 2014 at 3:14 PM
"Manager Ma…. uhhh… he’s thoroughly awful and he’s throwing coffee at Young-yi – why hasn’t this guy been fired? It’s not just that he’s a total misogynist and sexually harasses her, but that’s a physical assault. So glad Baek-ki stepped him (which made it ever so clearer how awful Manager Ma is –blaming Young-yi for not getting burned by his coffee!)."
Seriously, this is a dangerous assault. I could barely understand that people push down his harassment talking as merely patronising or something, but this is a physical assault.
When Ma started to trash Young-yi, brought up Mr. Shin, I somehow hoped Young-yi would just stay there and let him finish. Because this way, Ma WOULD have talked himself deep into another case of sexual harassment.
Then again, we wouldn't have had the following scene where Ma followed Young-yi out. Not that it was a pleasant scene by any means, but I loved the way Young-yi struggled to keep her head up and her eyes fixed on Ma (which got her another outbreak by Ma and finally the coffee almost in the fact, of course).
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Jon G.
December 3, 2014 at 3:29 PM
"Uri kachi keso. The words of this episode… I repeated them to myself several times. I love how Geu-rae just speaks the truth to bluntly, how he’s fully honest like this. He says the words that no one else dares to say though they are fully true: there’s absolutely nothing wrong with him asking to work with them forever. No one needs to be given permission to have dreams."
Word.
(Also, these words where individual tag-lines of early episodes.)
The "uri kachi keso" scene is the anchor scene of the episode, it "triggers" Oh's "Eun-ji" flashback and it allows him to fully realise the reasons for his earlier demotivational speech to Geu-rae, which sets up the final sequence of the episode.
At the same time, the scene itself gets a nice lead-up with the "new years presents"/"temporary workers" motifs.
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CaroleMcDonnell
December 3, 2014 at 3:47 PM
I'm hoping if kindergarten teacher doesn't end up with Dong Shik that Geu Rae will give her a chance. I think he has a crush on Young Yi but he'll have to drop that. I just don't think that's gonna happen. I can understand if he just doesn;t like kindergarten teacher. Or if he is too stressed at the moment to open his heart. But if he's got some typical idea about how girls "should behave" I'll be disappointed. Because being an outsider for so long, i want him to have an open heart toward outsiders.
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Kennedy Rose
December 3, 2014 at 6:42 PM
i don't GR even think of getting a gf at the moment. this kid is still trying to adapt to the world outside baduk. he would prefer to find firm footing first.. get a full time job, stabilise his family's economy.. before thinking about relationship. i think he's still a bit clueless about 'love' too.
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miilo
December 4, 2014 at 1:59 AM
Oh the scene at the bar, where they were drunkenly discussing the woes of modern dating and asking GR´s opinion on marriage and he goes bluntly: "I´m just a temp." I laughed so much!
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Jon G.
December 4, 2014 at 3:41 AM
That scene was absolutely awesome. And needed among all the depressive stuff ...
Kennedy Rose
December 4, 2014 at 5:06 AM
and dong shik said, "thanks for the good news." LOL
alua
December 4, 2014 at 10:27 AM
I doubt he some typical ideas about how girls behave. He's got no idea about how girls behave, I think! I'm guessing there are few female baeduk players... don't think any came up in flashbacks yet? (And, in any case, they'd definitely not be your 'average' Korean girl.)
I'm not even sure he has a crush on Young-yi. Sort of maybe. He did initially stare at her when he met her, but right after that she helped him out a lot – so has plenty of reasons just to admire and appreciate her. I'm going to guess that she might also have been one of the first females to talk with him (as a baeduk player / geek / nerd surely the girls in his school ignored him). The kindergarten teacher followed soon after, but he hasn't actually seen her since, while he's had the chance to interact with Young-yi on a daily basis.
I don't think any relationship is going to happen at this point! Not even with the other characters.
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Tulipsaki
December 3, 2014 at 9:13 PM
Two things I don't get: YoungYi's face couldve been burned, possibly permanently, and so why weren't charges pressed or human resources contacted, at least?
Next, SeokYul: how is he going to get out of this situation without resigning? We all know he should've stayed quiet, not let the Assistant Mgr know what he was thinking, etc, and then shown the guy up. But now, he'll always be under suspicion.
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Jon G.
December 4, 2014 at 3:49 AM
Coffee-assault: Seriously, that's WAY out of line. Is it really possible to get away with something like that?
Psycho-boss: Especially because assistant manager psychopath is very highly functional. It's not just some guy who uses his power, he is really good at playing this kind of game without his own superiors even noticing that he is playing it. Seok-yul is totally at his boss' mercy by now.
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Ppasun
December 3, 2014 at 9:55 PM
"Uri kachi keso"
Actually if it's romanized, the last word should be kesok. Not blaming you or anything, but if you spoke these words out loud, they may sound to the Korean ears what BK's German sounds like to your ears.
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alua
December 4, 2014 at 10:17 AM
Proofreading would help, wouldn't it! Need to stop posting just before I go to bad, but I can never wait till the next morning when a Misaeng recap is up!
:-D
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8 Jon G.
December 3, 2014 at 2:59 PM
On the (lighter) romantic front:
So Dong-shik is a nice guy? Noo waaay?!
That's what I saw when I watched the scene:
Ms. Blind Date: "Look, there is no point in dating you, because I'm not going to marry you. You are the second lead nice guy who never gets the girl. You are NOT the first lead narcissist jerk we women want. Sorry."
More skinship for Geu-rae and his true love: the One International building. Take a room, you two! I also like the secret messages Geu-rae exchanges with "her":
"Date" ... "YES"
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pigsnout
December 4, 2014 at 3:12 AM
Hahaha Geu Rae/One Inter building is the otp of this drama, you may be right. He even gets caught patting one of the columns by Chief Chun, like it was skinship.
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Kennedy Rose
December 4, 2014 at 5:09 AM
come to think of it, yeah, geu rae has fallen in love with one international.. i supposed that's why he moped around. 'she' is not in love with him..breaks his little heart..
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9 Elena
December 3, 2014 at 3:31 PM
That proud mother speaking about his son broke my heart. Best and saddest moment in the episode.
On a lighter note, Baek Ki and Young Yi interactions are too cute :D The way he smiled when trying the shirt she gave him...and the way she looked at him when he followed them to the gift shop, she was like "what's happening here?". Sooo adorable, I hope they keep getting closer, hehe!!
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Jon G.
December 3, 2014 at 3:53 PM
The shop scene was one of the things that let me realise why I DON'T want to have a bigger love line in the show. Baek-ki jealously tailing Geu-rae and Young-yi is NOT something I'd like to see on a regular basis.
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Elena
December 4, 2014 at 6:59 AM
Well I disagree, haha!! :D
I do not want this to be a romantic comedy. In fact I love this drama for how realistic it is and how it portrays human feelings that all of us can relate to. But this includes daily interactions with people you like.
For me it is indeed very funny and cute to observe how Baek Ki tries to get closer to Young Yi and how she was oblivious at the beginning and now it seems she noticed that "something" is going on.
I do not think we are going to the chapel soon, but it will be nice if they keep dropping these small romantic moments here and there.
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10 CaroleMcDonnell
December 3, 2014 at 3:39 PM
Us. Together. Always.
Oh geeeeeee. My poor soul! The idealistic salaryman's dream. The community of love and friendship and work. Paternal. Bromantic. Forever.
Aiiiiiiiiiiiigoooo, my sweet Geu-Rae! To be so disingenuous, so transparent, so real, so dang needy and human enough to admit that. Aigooooooooooooooo.
Thanks for the recap of a great show.
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Newbie
December 4, 2014 at 4:20 AM
My heart broke in tiny little pieces watching his plea.
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Kennedy Rose
December 4, 2014 at 5:12 AM
i dunno why..no matter how many times i heard or read those 3 words, my eyes tear up. this drama is bad for my poor tear ducts.
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Saima
December 4, 2014 at 3:27 PM
Yes, instantaneous tears! When I first read this recap I got teary-eyed and had to furiously blink to keep them tears at bay!
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pogo - sailing HMS Queen of Tears and HMS Sailboat Lovely Runner🍉
December 4, 2014 at 1:34 PM
It's especially poignant because we know what Chief Oh and Dong-shik and the team have come to mean to Geu-rae, and he to them - he's their boy. But there's still a line imposed by the limits of a professional relationship, and if the company manual takes him away from them they can't do anything to help him. :(
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Saima
December 4, 2014 at 3:21 PM
The impact those three words (in a drama) had on me!! Goshhhh, I was a blubbering mess! And, the look on Chief Oh's face!! ooofffff!
The following were beautiful as well:
"I only smiled as I didn't want to discourage him after he failed in Go. Now he's smiling at us when he's suffering inside! That's how Geu Rae is like!"
"It's scarier we live in a world where irresponsible consolation and empty hope can't be given. Since there are so many who are desperate for that empty hope at least."
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11 Pearl~ai88
December 3, 2014 at 4:05 PM
Me at the end of this episode= ABSOLUTE SOBBING WAILING MESS D''''':
Please remember you have the power to destroy my heart Show- let Sales Team 3 stay together!!
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12 halfmoon
December 3, 2014 at 5:28 PM
Comment was deleted
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Bea
December 4, 2014 at 1:38 AM
It's probably more like the exec director feels jilted because chief oh used to be one of his people, and then he left the team because of what happened to eunji. So for the exec director he wants to punish what he sees as betrayal and desertion
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13 Adal
December 3, 2014 at 5:36 PM
Seok Yeol committed the biggest NO in Corporate life. NEVER badmouth your boss online, if you want to keep your job and/or get a decent reference when you leave. It doesn't matter how provoked one is, there is literally nothing anonymous online that cannot be traced back to you. It's too bad he has to learn from bitter experience.
As for Geu Rae, it sucks to be a temp/contractor. In most organizations, they are treated as second class citizens. I was a temp for a few years and it sucked. I've worked with people who were promised full time positions from contract work for years only to be disappointed, so I fully empathize with their plight. But Jang Geu Rae cannot expect any different as he does not have the qualifications to be hired full time, though he is super talented and an asset to the company. I still think it's wrong for Chief Oh to not encourage him , though. Jang Geu Rae can go to night school, work on getting his certifications and foreign languages, and in the end, even if he doesn't get hired by One International, there will be other companies that can use his experience and qualifications he has earned. He can still improve himself and move forward in life.
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halfmoon
December 3, 2014 at 6:19 PM
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Kennedy Rose
December 3, 2014 at 6:52 PM
ah, yes. han seok yul. darling boy, why do you have to be hasty? the answer he's seeking for was given to him by his three buddies. he should listen!(well, technically, he did but he refused to really 'listen') that mr. sung is quite cunning. i hope SY's next battle plan is similar to what the rest of the newbies used.. step back, stay cool, stay low... and wait for the right time to attack.
as for GR improving educationally, can he afford it? he's not rich, mom's quite sickly.. and being a temp, his pay is not as high as others. unless, he got scholarship or something from the company(i doubt it)...
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Tulipsaki
December 3, 2014 at 9:19 PM
I think he's got a massive Scarlett Letter, though. He'll not live this down and he won't get promoted easily, if at all.
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Canuckgirl
December 5, 2014 at 9:54 PM
Yep, right on target on everything. I was cringing when Seok Yul was typing his rant online. I was basically talking to the screen telling to stop, you simply do not badmouth your boss! As for Geu Rae, even if does not end up with One International, he should be encouraged to go to school and increase his chances to get hired somewhere else
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14 Peeps
December 3, 2014 at 6:11 PM
GRILL HIM! Sautee! Fry! TEAR HIM FROM LIMB TO LIMIB!
How dare he, that misogynistic Ma? How dare he!! Since YoungYi is neck/shoulder-height with BaekKi, and considering that BaekKi actually leaped a little, that scalding hot coffee WOULD have landed on her face! The face where all her important eyes, nose, mouth and ears are!
Sue him! It's no longer just stupid sexism any more. This is assault!
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15 Kennedy Rose
December 3, 2014 at 6:36 PM
ahem. i wasn't crying, y'know. i happened to be peeling onions and cutting dried chillies by the sacks whilst watching this episode. needs lots to make that special spicy dipping.. to smear on mr. ma's foul self. jerk. i supposed he's 'safe' from any complaints since he's one of the elite and buddy-buddy with the ED. untouchable.. ugh. i hope the newbies will join forces and find a way to rid of that pest.
what an emotional episode! those three words.. i shed tears every time they show the scenes. GR just want to belong somewhere. he struggled hard to be accepted and he learned to love his 'little' family at the office. he was always alone and when he became part of ST3, i supposed he felt alive again. breaks his heart knowing that he's not really belong to the place he now loved most. any temp/contract workers will tell you the same. you got attached after a while and it's so frustrating to learn that you have to leave and start looking again for that sense of belonging.
if i were to have a son, i want him to be like GR. there's nothing lazy about him, he cares for his mom, so obedient, and i never heard him raise his voice at her. his mom understands him, though she refused to show it. a mother knows when her child's suffering. they really need a good break.
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16 James
December 3, 2014 at 7:19 PM
Does anyone know who the past contract worker is?
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shinayame
December 3, 2014 at 8:03 PM
She's the worker who left the company and then had an accident and died. The one whose death chief Oh is supposedly responsible for.
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Kennedy Rose
December 3, 2014 at 10:34 PM
her name was lee eun ji.. she's a temp that work for mr. oh's team when he's still an asst. mgr. something when wrong with the team's project and they had to pay for the mistake. in order to save themselves, they need to find a scapegoat.. and that girl was IT. she was blamed for the failed project and fired. mr. oh did nothing to help her, maybe out of fear of being jobless.. i guess mr. choi put the fear in him.. but becoz of that incident, the girl ends up doing business with her mom and died in an accident soon after(i think she was making some deliveries or something). mr. oh felt guilty becoz of that and became estranged from mr. choi.
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17 Maryse89
December 3, 2014 at 8:09 PM
Sooo many thoughts on this episode, but I'll try to condense them into three main points:
1) How the hell has Mgr Ma not been fired yet??? We know that they have an HR department at One Inter, and a few episodes ago, Ms. Sun said something to Mgr Ma like (paraphrasing) 'if you get another sexual harassment accusation, you'll get more than just a stern warning'...then he goes and violently assaults Young Yi in the courtyard in full view of everyone? Is it just that Baek Ki and Young Yi wouldn't want to report him/file a complaint since he's so much of a senior to them? I know this isn't real life and he's actually there for dramatic purposes...but it's just driving me crazy haha
2) If this were an American TV show, the last 10 minutes or so of the episode would be Lee Sung Min's submission for the Emmys. Seriously flawless acting... the actor playing the ED is also superb at conveying such subtle menace...chills all around
3) I've accepted that there won't be a traditional love line in Misaeng (at least not this season!!!), but this episode brought me around to Baek Ki and Young Yi. Their relationship has developed in a really natural and sweet way. He's backed off ever since she told him to stay out of her business in earlier episodes, and he's much more respectful of her space, which seems to actually make her like him more (wish guys in real life would get this haha)...
Plus he got scalding hot coffee in the face for her! And then she bought him a nice new shirt and talked about 'showing love for colleagues'! It's all so cute!
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Tulipsaki
December 3, 2014 at 9:21 PM
On the chest. She would've had it on the face. And I cannot understand why this was let go.
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maryse89
December 4, 2014 at 5:54 AM
you're right of course, I rewatched the scene...it was perfect for his shirt to get ruined so they could stick that product placement in later lol
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18 coby
December 3, 2014 at 8:16 PM
I love how this show surprises me. I didn't think that Geu-rae was actually not sulking about being a temp, but rather having a job with the team he loves.
sniff sniff.. I cried as he says "us", "together"
Kang Sora introduced herself as Young-yi of One International on last night's MAMA. Haha!
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19 Zogzog
December 3, 2014 at 9:57 PM
Please marry me chief oh! you had me front the start. lol :D
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Zogzog
December 3, 2014 at 10:02 PM
*from the start (sorry, too much fangirling, I'm out of my mind)
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whitewire
December 4, 2014 at 2:56 AM
NOOOOOO! Lee Sung-min (Chief Oh) is mine, lady!
But, getting in line is not bad either. :-D
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20 Marge
December 3, 2014 at 9:59 PM
I have been waiting for this episode's review simply because I want to share how much I have criieeeeeeeddd all throughout this one particular episode.
CANT CONTAIN MY FEELS.
Sometimes, even if we know we're not alone. We can't help but feel alone. Geu-rae must not want to burden other people with this feelings or appear helpless.
I don't know. That's just my opinion...
With Mr. Oh on the other hand, it's painful to see somebody to go through that. Deep down he does feel responsible for somebody else's death. And it isn't just "anybody" it appears that Mr. Oh develops a genuine love and care for his subordinates despite his rough exterior. I often wonder if the top businessmen are human, or do they see these things as other people's misfortune as their own fault.
Mr. Oh carries a baggage that weighs him down, especially as Geu Rae mirrors the past so heavily and heartily to him.
I love this show so much.
SO
MUCH.
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Kennedy Rose
December 3, 2014 at 10:43 PM
mr. oh is becoming more fatherly towards geu rae, eh? yes, he seems gruff and sounds so cruel, but he's like some daddies of this world. they sound cold and brutally honest about the facts of life but deep down, they love their kids and try to protect them in any ways possible. you can see how mr. oh looks at geu rae proudly sometimes though i think he rather die than to admit it. and the look on his face when mr. choi seemed to imply something sinister towards geu rae! now, i am afraid to think what that cold man would do to our ST3..
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Marge
December 4, 2014 at 1:59 AM
Yeah, I agree with you. I'd say Geu Rae needs a man like Mr. Oh as much as Mr. Oh needs a hearty guy like Geu Rae- especially in that bloody work environment.
Maybe in the real world professionalism means setting bounderies to your self despite the bosses desire to reach out to their subordinates or whatever.
I dont know but it's a lovely picture I'd like to see first hand and experience even.
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Kennedy Rose
December 4, 2014 at 5:20 AM
oh, it could happened. i used to work in a small company and our little group is tight. the boss treated us well and we bond really well with each other. there was no 'romance', rather we view each others as siblings. we went through bad and good times together. the hardest part is leaving your office 'family' so i think, it's best not to be too attached to your colleagues.
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21 Ppasun
December 3, 2014 at 10:14 PM
Now I think this episode overdid it with PPLs. Even Director Ma would not be crazy enough to throw hot coffee to a woman's face but they had to come up with such a forced story line to advertise Basso. The same thing with BK stalking GR and YY at the Jeong Gwan Jang red ginseng shop. And Yugane Chicken Rib chain restaurant. Once or twice was nice and even mouth-watering, but now I just want to yell at them, come on, Ajeossi's don't go to such kiddy places to drink after work! Let's be realistic! They go to tripe places like in the 2nd episode! I thought their PPLs were done more subtly and better compared to other dramas, but this episode changed my mind.
Besides the overdone PPLs, this episode was good. Especially the scene where GR realizes that whatever he is to others, first and foremost, he is his mother's joy and pride. Supposedly all Korean mothers who watched that scene cried buckets and rivers.
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Jon G.
December 4, 2014 at 3:54 AM
I'm probably mostly PPL-blind, so I don't care about it too much as long as it doesn't compromise the story.
The only element I was very uncomfortable with was Baek-ki's stalking. It's just plain unnecessary.
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Kennedy Rose
December 4, 2014 at 5:23 AM
i dun mind the PPL too. it's okay and more realistic (rather than blurring out the brand names).
i agree about BK's stalking. seems like he's staking his claim on YY because of the shirt thingy..
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alua
December 4, 2014 at 10:34 AM
I didn't notice the PPL at all.
I guess if I were living in Korea or had visited I'd recognise the chicken rib chain restaurant but since I don't notice that at all. Plus, if it doesn't compromise the story or becomes blatant as in "I'm going to buy XXX coffee now", I don't care too much.
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Canuckgirl
December 5, 2014 at 10:02 PM
I have seen worst PPL in most of the SBS and KBS shows where you could tell the cafe they were hanging out was one of their biggest sponsors and was utterly annoying. I was okay with it in this show
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22 Zogzog
December 3, 2014 at 10:27 PM
Thank you odilettante for the great recap! I really love this show, this episode feels like I'm watching the first episode lot of feeling that is really hard to describe. I feel like I can take it out all the adjective words from dictionary just to describe this feelings. :)
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23 whitewire
December 4, 2014 at 2:57 AM
Chief Oh is getting hotter by the minute. Hate this life! All good men are in dramaland!
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zogzog
December 4, 2014 at 2:09 PM
And that's why I love him very much girl! I really fall for him when he forcefully said what his past worker said the same thing with geu rae. Aughh..
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24 comment
December 4, 2014 at 4:07 AM
Mr.Ma didn't intend to harm her.
It was an accident by swinging his arm.
His reaction and face after the accident explain all.
He is an asshole but not that evil.
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Jon G.
December 4, 2014 at 4:23 AM
Accident? Sorry, maybe assault on impulse, but accident? I don't buy it. He gives the cup way too much momentum for an involuntary movement, he also opens the cup just in the right direction.
Baek-ki was able to read his intention so he could step in. Young-yi was able to read his intention to step aside.
Ma's reaction is to attack Baek-ki because he stopped Ma from throwing the coffee into Young-yi's face.
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tweetpandora
December 4, 2014 at 10:43 AM
Agree with you
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25 Jon G.
December 4, 2014 at 4:43 AM
Few funny scenes:
Geu-rae "advises" Dong-shik with the Japanese issue. "Do you have a Japanese girlfriend or what?"
When Mr. Ham wants to scout Geu-rae, Mr Chun makes an interesting remark how rude that is on New Year. I half expected him to add "Stealing other team's member is clearly a summer activity."
More of a black comedy element: After Mgr. Ma pokes him with a file, the resource chief complains about how horrible Mgr. Ma treats him to do something like that to him. Yeah, Mr. Hypocrite, I really feel your pain here. And not only me, judging by assistent manager Ha's facial expressions.
Cue to the entrance of the Kopi fairy ...
Next scene, Young-yi and Seok-yul team up to do a double cross examination of Baek-ki's and Geu-rae's holiday activities (read: love lifes).
Another one of those Fantastic Four scenes that makes you wonder when the newbies have time to rehearse those performances ...
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26 tweetpandora
December 4, 2014 at 10:41 AM
This episode made me so sad. Baek-Ki really has the hots for Young-yi now doesn't he, gosh stalking them when gift buying heh! Good on him for protecting her from coffee burns, surely that's gotta be assault!
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27 Rinovi
December 4, 2014 at 12:10 PM
Comment was deleted
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hazel
December 7, 2014 at 7:28 AM
I think India has the worst
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August
December 8, 2014 at 7:09 PM
The 4 newbies, are they the Promised Land Generation for patiently enduring?
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28 pogo - sailing HMS Queen of Tears and HMS Sailboat Lovely Runner🍉
December 4, 2014 at 1:30 PM
I have a lot of thoughts...
but suffice it to say, I got quite a few onions to the eye while watching this episode. It's so hard watching Geu-rae go through being made to feel lesser and alienated from his peers again because of it, and SO HARD watching Chief Oh watch him, desperately wishing he could give him hope but ruthlessly refusing to do it because he can't make an empty promise.
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Kennedy Rose
December 5, 2014 at 7:55 AM
remember epiode 2? when geu rae said.. "sweat, tears and frustrations..how much more i have to shed?" just as he started to be happy with his job, feeling he's belong somewhere finally, not being alone anymore..then..here comes the locomotive smashing into him.
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29 thursdaynexxt
December 5, 2014 at 4:54 AM
Arriving late to the Misaeng party this week, as my life has recently turned into an episode of Misaeng, complete with dramatic resignations and promotions, wild rumours, turning tables, bleak company cost-cutting measures and bittersweet successes!
It really brings home the fact that Misaeng really does carry a universal message! Geu Rae does indeed treat One International as the object of his affections (referring to see Jon G's comment @ 8 with pigsnout & Kennedy Rose) - it's like his first love and first serious long-term adult relationship. But the company can also be an impersonal juggernaut that grinds up people and spits them out and holds its employees to be as dispensable as cheap cooking oil.
That's why I Love Chief Oh for still caring about Eun Ji, even now. He made a good point about the ED being a scary guy because he can focus purely on the statistics, balance sheet, and bottom line, and conveniently forget about the most complicated factor in the equation - the lives and wellbeing of your employees and a couple of intangible assets, like morals and morale!
On a lighter note, I like the different dynamics that the 4 newbies have with each other, but I'm more than happy to skip any serious office romance. Young Yi and Seok Yul are the more "outgoing" types, and are particularly good at ruffling Baek Ki and Geu Rae's feathers. Young Yi's work style is probably closest to Geu Rae, in that she's not as conservative as Baek Ki, even though she and BK are the 2 "elites" of the group.
Now that Seok Yul's method has been tried - and failed spectacularly, I hope the other newbies can support and comfort him!
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30 kikidee
December 21, 2014 at 1:48 PM
Let me preface by saying I love this show. However, I didn't love the ending of this episode. What I love most about this show is how subtle and quiet it is, but the ending of this episode seemed overwrought to me.
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31 pogo - sailing HMS Queen of Tears and HMS Sailboat Lovely Runner🍉
October 18, 2015 at 1:11 PM
THIS SHOW. I'm still in disbelief about it sometimes, like I can't believe I watched something this good.
and now, on to the five star!
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32 erwinia
December 12, 2015 at 10:12 AM
Just started watching this series and it hit silently but so hard at every episode especially this one. The part where Geu Reu looked so dejected of the potential of not being a permanent was so heartbreaking and the pained look of his colleagues who wanted him to be part of the team permanently knowing his fate is out of their control.
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33 edgepee
May 3, 2017 at 5:29 AM
Kang Ha Neul in that white shirt is love. DAMN.
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