Mickey
Rough around the edges, but still a hidden gem
Having an engaging opening episode is important in any drama/movie. The concept is quite new but to be frank, I wasn't hooked by this Kdrama initially. It really took some time (around episode 4) before I warmed up it since there was something that still kept my attention, almost like a hidden gem.
The charming Park In-seong (Chae Jong Hyeop), despite now being the company president, is portrayed in the most realistic way wherein he can still commit mistakes but is capable of developing himself more by adapting to the fast corporate environment. He has to "wiggle" himself between two sides of the same coin (Bumyoung vice chairman and executive director) while at the same time, trying to save the previous president Kim Seon-joo (Park Sung-woong). I was very pleased with his character and the actor himself, but to be honest, I wasn't really convinced by his acting during the more serious moments. It felt forced and foreign to him to convey more serious emotions which is in contrast with how excellent he carried the more comedic and light scenes. Still, CJH has more time to polish and he is a very promising actor.
It was refreshing to see that sub-plots - mostly the obstacles that In-seong and company dealt - were wrapped neatly within one episode and questions were answered right away. Also, since there were only 12 episodes, they did not drag certain problems unneccesarily. I liked that they were smart on how to deal said problems right away. There was a little bit of deus ex machina, but it was executed quite well.
The romance between In-seong and Se-yeon (Seo Eun-soo) was really given some time to bloom. After all, this was not the main plot, but the glimpses of their brewing romance shown per episode created a slight suspense as to when they would end up together. At times, one might think whether the "romance" part is necessary as it only has a secondary relevance to the overall story, but for me, it added some "flavor" and made the plot more tolerable, as well as providing relief during the heavier scenes.
I also loved the relationship between In-seong and his parents. I hoped that his parents could've been given more ample screen time but their relationship with their new companion, Baro 4.0 was also entertaining and wholesome.
The greatest character development has got to be Ma-pi (Kim Sung-oh). I really thought that his role would be ended after the debt would be played. I really commend that his character was given depth with a proper background story and is able to explain to us why he has come to have a macho, uber-cold external persona. Yet the writers did him dirty big time, and that also affected this show's quality to be honest. It's only here in this Kdrama where the peak was on a specific episode, then greatly went downhill the episode thereafter. The succeeding episodes were already expected and nothing new, but there was something already lacking at that point, and I suspect this is due to the aforementioned.
Although the production value is sub-par in Kdrama standards compared to other shows in the same genre (at times, camera shadows are present), it redeems on the story pacing. I like how the comedic, thriller, corporate, and romantic aspects among others are balanced out, and improves the overall direction of the plot, for the most part.
For the antagonists' side, I wasn't really convinced with Oh Mi-ran's (Lee Sang-hee) characterization. The twist as to who the real villain is was not surprising to be honest, but the real villain's wickedness could've been more amplified. It just lacked the "oomph factor" that could've challenged In-seong more.
My ultimate concern for this kdrama is that whether Kim sajangnim will still able to recognize In-seong for the things he has done in his behalf. Will not provide spoilers but I was contented with how it turned out. The ending was realistic and proper in all aspects. It wasn't rushed but it also wasn't significant to be remembered for a long time.
All in all, Unlock My Boss really is a hidden gem. It is not perfect in all aspects. Rough around the edges, but still a hidden gem.
The charming Park In-seong (Chae Jong Hyeop), despite now being the company president, is portrayed in the most realistic way wherein he can still commit mistakes but is capable of developing himself more by adapting to the fast corporate environment. He has to "wiggle" himself between two sides of the same coin (Bumyoung vice chairman and executive director) while at the same time, trying to save the previous president Kim Seon-joo (Park Sung-woong). I was very pleased with his character and the actor himself, but to be honest, I wasn't really convinced by his acting during the more serious moments. It felt forced and foreign to him to convey more serious emotions which is in contrast with how excellent he carried the more comedic and light scenes. Still, CJH has more time to polish and he is a very promising actor.
It was refreshing to see that sub-plots - mostly the obstacles that In-seong and company dealt - were wrapped neatly within one episode and questions were answered right away. Also, since there were only 12 episodes, they did not drag certain problems unneccesarily. I liked that they were smart on how to deal said problems right away. There was a little bit of deus ex machina, but it was executed quite well.
The romance between In-seong and Se-yeon (Seo Eun-soo) was really given some time to bloom. After all, this was not the main plot, but the glimpses of their brewing romance shown per episode created a slight suspense as to when they would end up together. At times, one might think whether the "romance" part is necessary as it only has a secondary relevance to the overall story, but for me, it added some "flavor" and made the plot more tolerable, as well as providing relief during the heavier scenes.
I also loved the relationship between In-seong and his parents. I hoped that his parents could've been given more ample screen time but their relationship with their new companion, Baro 4.0 was also entertaining and wholesome.
The greatest character development has got to be Ma-pi (Kim Sung-oh). I really thought that his role would be ended after the debt would be played. I really commend that his character was given depth with a proper background story and is able to explain to us why he has come to have a macho, uber-cold external persona. Yet the writers did him dirty big time, and that also affected this show's quality to be honest. It's only here in this Kdrama where the peak was on a specific episode, then greatly went downhill the episode thereafter. The succeeding episodes were already expected and nothing new, but there was something already lacking at that point, and I suspect this is due to the aforementioned.
Although the production value is sub-par in Kdrama standards compared to other shows in the same genre (at times, camera shadows are present), it redeems on the story pacing. I like how the comedic, thriller, corporate, and romantic aspects among others are balanced out, and improves the overall direction of the plot, for the most part.
For the antagonists' side, I wasn't really convinced with Oh Mi-ran's (Lee Sang-hee) characterization. The twist as to who the real villain is was not surprising to be honest, but the real villain's wickedness could've been more amplified. It just lacked the "oomph factor" that could've challenged In-seong more.
My ultimate concern for this kdrama is that whether Kim sajangnim will still able to recognize In-seong for the things he has done in his behalf. Will not provide spoilers but I was contented with how it turned out. The ending was realistic and proper in all aspects. It wasn't rushed but it also wasn't significant to be remembered for a long time.
All in all, Unlock My Boss really is a hidden gem. It is not perfect in all aspects. Rough around the edges, but still a hidden gem.
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