Chief Kim (2017)

If you're having any doubts about picking this up because of the lack of 'romance' tag or the synopsis or just anything, please throw all those doubts out of the window and watch this right now! I don't generally watch non-romance dramas, and I'm not a big fan of office politics or just politics in general, but I LOVED this! And believe me, so will you.
The words corporate politics put me off for a while, but then I finally picked this drama because of Gung Min. I wasn't familiar with any of the other cast. Now I can't believe I was about to pass this gem off!
Here are few of the reasons why I loved Chief Kim-

-Sometimes, it doesn't require an unique plotline to make a successful drama, but what matters is it's execution. A group of people fighting against the corruption in their organisation might not seem like anything new, but Chief Kim is executed brilliantly. Not to mention, hilariously.
-I feel like, with the given plot, there could have been a lot of crazy misunderstandings, what with him being a bad person at the beginning. But the writer chose to deal with that fact in a straightforward manner, instead of going round and round in circles. I'm really thankful for that because it made it way more enjoyable.
-I really enjoyed the pacing of this show. In a typical kdrama, things go well in the start, and then around the last 5-6 episodes, everything goes wrong horribly which doesn't get resolved until the last episode. But I felt that wasn't the case with this drama. The pacing was a bit more consistent. Good and bad happened throughout the drama, not at any specific timings/ episode.
- I legit loved every interactions between every characters in the drama. Whether it may be Chief Kim & Seo Yul, Seo Yul & Ha Gyeong, Chief Kim & Myeong Su, Chief Kim & Ga Eun and any many others, each one was immensely enjoyable.
-I'm a big fan of bromances. Well, who isn't, right? The main lead, Chief Kim, is surrounded by a lot of guys. There are number of bromances going on simultaneously. My personal favorite being TQ's Psycho & Gluttonous Sociopath. They are just sooo cute!
-The chemistry between the characters is really good. Not just with the leading characters, but also between the supporting characters.
-There might not be any romance, but you can still ship two particular characters (I'm not saying who), I know I did.
-The comedy is SPOT-ON. This drama might not keep you on the edge of your seat, but it sure will have you falling off off it- with laughter!
-Last but not the least; watch out for the some drama scenes parodies. I loved them, and I'm sure you'll too. I'm not going to say which dramas, 'cause that'll spoil the fun, but they were pretty popular ones.
I'd like to end the review by saying that I'm not a drama re-watcher, but I'd gladly re-watch any episode of Chief Kim any-day! So please, give this a chance!
Happy Watching!

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One of the best dramas of 2017. And I am not lying, not even a little bit.
If there is only one word that could describe this drama perfectly. That is 'Awesomazing'. From the A to the Z it is the most funny, dramatic and almost realistic drama I saw.
The most funniest drama I had seen ever. Ever.

Don't believe me? Let me tell you why you should.

The cast is Perfect. I don't think anyone could had done those characters more justice then people who played them. Though I am not familiar with any of the cast members but I am glad that I still tried it. Because they were perfect.
Nam Gung Min is the funniest actor, I know. Then there is Lee Jun Ho with him. And it's just perfection on it's own.
There are lot's of other people too. And You are going to like each of them for their characters. You just have to.

The story is amazing. I'm not going to say anything about it, except that you will love every single second of it. You will love, scream and cry (for all the good reason). In the end you will just wish if there was more, more and more.
Funny & crazy lead. Smart women characters. An antagonist that you will love. A corruption story told with the right balance of comedy. And with a few lessons for life (Don't do corruption!).
There isn't a bucket load of romance in it. But there is this one couple that you will be shipping from the first episode. *hint* hint* And if you are me, then there will be two or more.

The bromance...
You are probably hearing a lot about the Chief Kim & Director Seo's bromance. And none of the things you heard is a lie. If you thought Goblin & Grim Reaper's (From "Goblin" ) bromance was epic. Then this one is just a step farther. It is funnier, cuter and seriously has that felling that just makes you go 'aww' at them. TQ's Psycho & Gluttonous Sociopath, they are just to CUTE to resist.
Every time they were together, there was Bang bang bang. Every line, every scene, every time their eyes meet...there was Bang.
This is the most romance I have ever seen in a bromance. And there are kisses. Yes, kiss but in plural!

The music. The songs are amazing. Beautiful and light goes perfectly with the story and the scenes. You will be humming them all the time.

Rewatch - 10/10. I am so going to re-watch this. Actually I'm already re-watching it now.

So if you think 'Ah, it doesn't has romance in it. It probably isn't good.' Then I will like to tell you, "You are so wrong. It does has romance in it. Just not a bucket full of it. The story, cast, music, the bromance, comedy everything else makes up for it. When you reach the end of the first episode you won't even care about the romance anymore"
It's an amazing drama not to mention a hilarious one. One of the best of 2017.
I'm hoping for a 2nd season.

For all of you my advice is, "Watch it! Watch it! Watch it!"

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Chief Kim does something miraculous. It turns a show about accounting fraud into an absolute delight. Bookkeeping and balance sheets may not sound especially sexy, but if you’re in the mood for a quirky comedy underpinned by serious themes, you’ve come to the right show. Namgoong Min is stellar as a petty crook who decides that taking down the man is more fun than working for him, and he’s surrounded by an off-beat band of misfits whose superpowers range from strategic coffee delivery to aggressive janitorial espionage. I also highly appreciated Nam Sang Mi’s female lead, a sharp, capable career woman who was never relegated to token love interest.

While I don’t claim to have emerged from the show as an expert on cooking the books, the writer’s clearly done his research, displaying an impressive command of both the intricacies of financial fraud and the real world pain that such chicanery can cause. The drama argues that the devil is often very much in the details, showing how numbers on spreadsheets can destroy lives. While there’s tons of broad humor, the rage at the specific ways the system’s rigged is palpable, and the show knows how to land its serious moments as effectively as its silly ones. Best of all, it allows its characters to grow and change. Its sinners aren’t magically transformed into saints, but they learn how to come together to fight for a better future for themselves and others.

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I gave a 10 to all. You might think I'm biased but I don't usually give reviews to every dramas I watch. But this drama is very exceptional. It's not like the dramas I watch although the plot is similar to others. The way they executed it in solving the conflict here was different. I thought there would be romance between the Chief Kim and Ha Gyung but I'm sorry to say, there wasn't. But that wasn't a big deal because every episode, you'll laugh so hard. It was like a medicine if you're down or something.

I definitely recommend you all to watch this. You'll not regret because this drama is truly amazing.
Aja~

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I went into this drama because of Gung Min and didn't know what to expect, but was so glad in the end - and not only because of him. This is a drama that entered my top 5 list without me realizing it. It caught me off guard in a good way. It's actually not so much about the story but the characters. And in a way story and characters are bound to each other like: One half doesn't work without the other. As the story goes on, you will love each and every one of its "puppets". Even the bad guys. You will enjoy watching them grow - for better or worse - and you will anticipate every new encounter. You will find yourself lost if you don't see them at least once a day.

I'm normally not a fan of comedy dramas, but I made an exception for this one since it captured my heart in an instant. The producers were some smart dudes, when I think of how they displayed the comedy parts. Of course there are your obvious jokes, but it still manages to not look too exaggerated. Then there's comedy that is subtle and looks like it doesn't want to be funny, but it is nonetheless. And then there are hilarious incidents within all the seriousness and you can't help but laugh about it, but at the same time you feel something like pride and satisfaction.

Nevertheless, this show is about corruption and it is certainly not only made of happy and/or amusing moments. It also has a knack for creating suspense in its very own way. It's hard to explain but once you watch it, you'll understand.

You don't like business dramas? There's no romance, why start this thing?

Let me tell you some reasons:

- Nam Gung Min
- Lee Jun Ho
- Jeong Hye Seong
- Dong Ha
- Im Hwa Young
- Kim Won Hae
- Jung Moon Sung
- ...
... I could probably list the whole cast but I think you get my intention.
...
- clever, well done comedy
- an unusual bromance you'll adore to the core
- strong female characters
- strong side and guest characters
(- of course also strong male characters - don't let us forget about them either)
- many surprising, unexpected, freaky turn of events
- a business story about corruption that is well executed an told with a good balance between comedy and seriousness
- maybe one or two lessons for life itself

One word to describe this show? Rewarding. In every way possible. A surprise drama and highly recommended.

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So I am not really into writing the reviews although I always feel like saying a lot after finishing every drama I watch, yet Chief Kim is definitely a drama that you can't let away without sharing the emotions you've developed throughout the whole series.
And be ready to read so many things now, because I'm gonna write a lot!

Starting from the story, it's a very intense one in terms of being in Business, Business Ethics, Corporate Politics, and Law & Justice world, since it all starts from that and ends with that.
The story is about a bunch of righteous people who strive to bring justice back in their company, and the whole plot develops around that.
Simply, there are some bad people who need to be put in limits, and there are good people who try to do that, sounds familiar & very typical, huh? I don't think so, it's different here.
It's different because of Chief Kim himself, he brings unexpected ways to solve things, and he - with his very hilarious personality - never fails to make this drama one of a kind.

From the beginning you can feel the changes he's going through, turning from a bad person (not really bad, but reckless& carefree?) to a very good person who fights against injustice with putting his life on the line all the time for the sake of helping others, that quick changing wasn't in a very cheesy and unrealistic way, but it happened very smoothly and genuinely (Shout out to the writer Park Jae-bum). It's obvious that he's a good human (originally) but it was only (covered) beneath Gunsan with its random thugs.. yes, he was (Gunsan's Trash) once & he admits that, proudly hahah XD
I think it was only a matter of time and environment change for him to let that good side to appear, I guess - Thanks to Denmark, LOL

I don't wanna lie, I started watching this drama only because I am a big fan of Nam Goong Min, I did it even without reading anything about the story and the plot. He's a brilliant actor, hands down! but I honestly believe the reason why this drama went this far, is mainly because of him being our Kim Gwajang, his genuine funny moments are so great that you burst in laugh even if he doesn't spell a word, his hilarious facial expressions along with his goofy body language are more than enough to make your day!

Lee Junho - it's my first time to watch him and I'm quite surprised by his talent, Man! He's so into his character that you - for a second - might forget that he's only acting, this guys is genius & genuinely so real.
He made me hate him and love him, sometimes I felt like smashing his face through the screen and sometimes I just stared at him feeling his cuteness, and this, if it indicates to something, then it indicates to the power of acting that Lee Junho has - He's genius.
Seo Yul along with Kim Gwajang- are so attractive with their fancy suits! Man, it was torturing me all the time :"|
They might not have the very perfect features, yet they are so strangely attractive, seductive, and so beautiful - okay I'm crying while writing this :"( - bouchon namja ya, neohui dul da!

Let's talk about their bromance (Sigh)! - from where shall I begin?
The TQ Psycho and his Gluttonous Sociopath!
I was enjoying Lee Dong Wook and Gong Yoo's bromance in Goblin, but Hush!, Kim Gwajang and Seo Yool are much much better in this from its all angles, they're indeed, blending so well together and their chemistry is TOP, totally in another level.
That love-hate relationship with the very naughty kisses from Kim Gwajang and (Jagiya, let's go back to bed?) Lol - were so fun to watch, cute, adorable and so absorbing, especially in the last few episodes, I bet they had so much fun shooting all these scenes - Okay, can we talk about the beginning of the Ep 15? I cried so hard :"(
Anyway, I guarantee you that till the end, this bromance was so satisfying! They definitely deserve the best couple award of the year.
And honestly I am looking forward to seeing more of Lee Junho's, he's a new member of my (To-be-stalked) list! LOL.

The rest of the characters in this drama are great and so well played by the actors and actresses, everyone had to be there and everyone had a fundamental role, they all complemented each other actually.

There are few who really grabbed my attention and I really wish to see them more in some more interesting dramas, Park Myung Seok for example, he's such a cute and irreplaceable addition to this drama, Dang Ho deserves more attention by the drama directors, and I'm quite sure that his performance in Chief Kim will open so many doors for him in the future, well done Dong Ho!
His steadily and logical character development was so cheerful to watch, his Tanzanian accent, his way of imitating his dad's deep voice, all those moments were so well played by his bright acting.

Han Dong Hoon, I liked him and his red head (Cutie, I think), he has an adorable character though he isn't appearing that much there except for the last few episodes, but anyhow, he was a good addition.

Choo Nam Ho, he's a really a fine actor, and I really enjoyed his (father and son) relationship with Kim Gwajang, it was so lovely and adoring to watch them sharing the happy and the hard moments together and being there for each other, I get emotional every time I watch their scenes.

Hmm, I am not really a big fan of the female leads especially Yoon Ha Kyung, I couldn't digest her existence till the end, and I personally didn't find her blending with any of the male leads, and for that reason specifically, I'm so glad that this drama skipped the real romance that most of KDramas deeply engages the audiences in.
Yes, there're some slight romantic moments between Yoon Ha Kyung and Seo Yool, and I think those very light quick moments were more than enough for this serious drama, it was a sweet addition.

The Music is really good and so matching with the story-line, though it was so basic in my opinion, I mean the nature of this drama didn't even require that much attention to its music, the minimal the better, I guess.
"Doragal gireul chatji mothane .. Neomu meolli wabeoryeotdane", the music at the beginning will always remind me of Kim Gwajang's smirking face and the victorious spirit!
Definitely it will also remind me of those good vibes that this drama is all about, it's so energetic and so lively, the lyrics are so beautiful and it uplift your morale no matter what, suits Kim Gwajang's character a lot.
"Will you love me?" is also a good song, pure, sad, and sweet.

Webtoon also adds lots of uniqueness to this drama, it's creative as usual and so entertaining that it made me wait for every episodes' ending just to see what they have created this time, different thing that I've never seen before in KDramas.

Last but not least, if I could summarize this drama, then I would say that it is mainly focusing on two things, the bright COMEDY which Kim Gwajang brings to it (along with his partner in crime, friendship, the whole journey, SeoYul: Stop winking at me!), and all those very funny moments that make you forget your grief in a second.

It zones you out from your real world, and it just makes you laugh so hard, I was tearing up every time I'm watching this drama, and laughing so loudly from time to time in a way that freaked my family out.
It was a good one indeed, especially for me right now, where I am in the middle of nowhere in my life, and having a mental breakdown, this drama was like an aid for me, it really helped me out in a way or another to forget my hard and sorrowful life and laugh out of my heart for few hours every week, so sad that it ended now.


The second thing, is the morale story behind the whole thing, I think the writer and this drama's makers were only working toward one goal, which's merely about Business Ethics.
And let's say.. Life is all about Karma, you do good, good comes back to you, and vice versa, this drama might be trying to teach this lesson to all who hold powers in corporate life,hey, you.. just watch out!

The creative balance between this COMEDY and the SERIOUSNESS is so phenomenal, and the satisfying portions of both is what made this drama so interesting & thrilling.
Yes, 20 episodes with 60 min in each is quite long, which might seems to be boring for someone didn't start watching it, but let me tell you, it's the first KDrama ever which I never felt lazy to continue or felt bored in the middle of its 16 Ep. - not to mention thought of dropping it before it ends like many of KDramas that prolongs the plot where the story loses its spirit -. This one, it never fails to keep you entertained throughout these whole 20 episodes, at the end of each, you'll look forward to the next one with an absolute excitement, no doubt!

The Ending: A happy and so satisfying ending, you will never regret investing your time on this, I'm telling you.
The only thing that I personally wished to see in this drama, is.. if they could show more of Kim Gwajang's superb accounting skills at the end, where things were getting complicated more and more, rather than just taking a simple action or suggesting a random solution, I wished if his main talent (Playing with the numbers) could lead them to the victory, it would've been a very surprising way of ending this battle, but anyway, the way it ended is not less than perfection, all good & great!

ANYWAY... If you're hesitating, DON'T please.
Go watch it now, I'm already re-watching it with tears in my eyes - Oh my Goddness.. I terribly miss them! :"(
Thanks Kim Gwajang Team, SUGO!

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Nothing exciting

Issue identified - A little help from his friends - Kidnapping - Issue solved. This is the repeating pattern of this drama storytelling, and there were 5 or 6 issues that where solved with the same boring, uninspired sequence of events. After episode 10 I was straggling to complete this show because there wasn't any stimulation. There was no other interesting aspect apart from the humorous acting. The story was based on a boyish rivalry. The bad guy was always sitting in an armchair, scolding his subordinates repeating the same dialogues. The female lead role was flat. Unfortunately I was expecting much more since the popularity and the ranking were high.

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