Misaeng: Incomplete Life Explained

Alt Name:An Incomplete Life
Genre:Workplace
Drama
Director:Kim Won-seok
Starring:Im Si-wan
Lee Sung-min
Kang So-ra
Kang Ha-neul
Byun Yo-han
Kim Dae-myung
Shin Eun-jung
Park Hae-joon
Composer:Kim Jun-seok
Park Seong-il
Country:South Korea
Language:Korean
Num Episodes:20
Developer:Choi Jin-hee and Park Ji-young for tvN
Executive Producer:Kim Mi-na
Lee Chan-ho
Producer:Lee Jae-moon
Ham Seung-hoon
Editor:Kim Na-young
Location:Korea, Jordan
Cinematography:Choi Sang-mook
Runtime:65 minutes
Company:Number 3 Pictures
Channel:tvN

Misaeng: Incomplete Life[1] is a 2014 South Korean television series based on the eponymous webtoon series by Yoon Tae-ho. It aired on tvN from October 17 to December 20, 2014, on Fridays and Saturdays at 20:30 (KST) for 20 episodes.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

The title translates to Go terminology meaning "an incomplete life" (literally "not yet" (미) "living/birth" (생), meaning "not yet alive"). Misaeng: Incomplete Life was the first Korean drama to film on location in Jordan, where actors Im Si-wan and Lee Sung-min shot the series's prologue in Amman, Petra, and Wadi Rum.[7] Yim reprised his role as the protagonist, which he played in an earlier film adaptation, Incomplete Life: Prequel (2013).[8] [9] [10]

The series became a cultural phenomenon and recorded high viewership ratings for a cable network program in Korea. tvN is known for its record-breaking dramas.[11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

Synopsis

Since he was a child, the board game baduk has been everything to Jang Geu-rae (Im Si-wan).[18] But when he fails at achieving his dream of becoming a professional baduk player, Geu-rae must leave his isolated existence and enter the real world armed with nothing but a GED high school equivalency diploma on his resume. Through an acquaintance's recommendation, he gets hired as an intern at One International, a large trading company.

There, Geu-rae meets his boss, manager Oh Sang-shik (Lee Sung-min), who's a workaholic and has a warm personality; fellow intern Ahn Young-yi (Kang So-ra), who attracts her colleagues' ire because of her impressive educational credentials and by being extremely competent at any task; and Jang Baek-gi (Kang Ha-neul), a geeky co-worker whose anxious nature masks his inner ambition. Geu-rae learns to navigate and adapt to corporate culture, with baduk as his guide.[19]

Cast

Main

He formerly aspired to be a professional baduk player, to which he had devoted his life since childhood, but, unable to achieve this goal, he joins One International, although he has no formal skills or training. He joins Sales Team 3 as a two-year contract employee at One International.

Supporting

One International Sales Teams

Team 3 (to which Geu-rae is assigned)
Team 1
Team 2

Others

Cameo appearances

Original soundtrack

Part 5

Ratings

Original broadcast dateAverage audience share
Nielsen Korea
Average ratingPeak rating
1October 17, 2014
2October 18, 20142.5%3.1%
3October 24, 20143.4%4.6%
4October 25, 2014 3.6%4.9%
5October 31, 20144.6%6.0%
6November 1, 20143.7%5.4%
7November 7, 20145.2%6.4%
8November 8, 20145.0%6.6%
9November 14, 20145.2%6.7%
10November 15, 20145.9%7.0%
11November 21, 20146.1%7.1%
12November 22, 20146.3%7.8%
13November 28, 20147.9%
14November 29, 20145.8%
15December 5, 20147.2%9.4%
16December 6, 20147.4%8.6%
17December 12, 20147.6%9.7%
18December 13, 20148.0%9.5%
19December 19, 20147.6%9.3%
20December 20, 2014
Average

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Recipient Result
2015 9th Cable TV Broadcasting Awards[26] Grand Prize (Daesang) Misaeng: Incomplete Life
Star Award - Best Actor
51st Baeksang Arts Awards[27] Best Drama Misaeng: Incomplete Life
Best Director (TV)
Best Actor (TV)
Best New Actor (TV)
10th Seoul International Drama AwardsBest Miniseries Misaeng: Incomplete Life
Best Director
8th Korea Drama AwardsBest Drama Misaeng: Incomplete Life
Best Production Director
Best Screenplay Jung Yoon-jung
Top Excellence Award, Actor
Excellence Award, Actor
Special Jury Prize
4th APAN Star AwardsTop Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries
Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries
Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries
Best Supporting Actor
Best New Actor
2016Best Actor
Best Content Award, Drama Misaeng: Incomplete Life
Made in tvN, Actor in Drama
Made in tvN, Actress in Drama
Scene-Stealer Award, Actor

Source material

See main article: Misaeng (manhwa). With his webtoon, author Yoon Tae-ho drew an analogy between life in modern society and the game of baduk, a chess-like strategy board game. He also wrote vivid descriptions of the everyday life and struggles of Korean corporate culture as his flawed characters deal with the fierce competition for survival, interpersonal work relationships and office politics. Misaeng: Incomplete Life gained immense popularity among Korean white-collar workers in their twenties and thirties largely because its realism resonated with their experiences. It drew 1 billion hits when it was published on online portal Daum from September 2012 to October 2013, and the nine-volume paperback version sold 900,000 copies. It is now considered a must-read comic in the country.[28] [29]

Remake

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014). CJ ENM. CJ ENM. https://web.archive.org/web/20190720071310/https://watch.cjenm.com/broadcast/sub/view?contentsId=B120144130. July 20, 2019. live. July 20, 2019.
  2. Web site: An. So-hyoun. ZE:A's Im Si Wan, Kang Ha Neul, Kang Sora and More Gather for Misaeng Scripts Reading. enewsWorld. 2014-09-28. 1 September 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141012234739/http://mwave.interest.me/enewsworld/en/article/74951/misaeng-holds-script-reading. 12 October 2014. dead.
  3. Web site: Lee. Sun-young. Chung. Joo-won. Ahn. Sung-mi. New TV dramas to look out for. The Korea Herald. 2014-09-28. 16 September 2014. September 17, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140917003137/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140916000767. live.
  4. Web site: Misaeng Teasers Revealed; Im Si Wan, Kang So Ra, Kang Ha Neul Pose For Cosmopolitan. KDramaStars. 2014-09-28. 24 September 2014. November 14, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171114145129/http://www.kdramastars.com/articles/39956/20140924/misaeng-teasers-revealed-im-si-wan-kang-so-ra-kang-ha-neul-pose-for-cosmopolitan.htm. live.
  5. Web site: Office grunts clock in at Misaeng's press conference. Dramabeans. 2014-10-08. 6 October 2014. October 8, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141008092112/http://www.dramabeans.com/2014/10/office-grunts-clock-in-at-misaengs-press-conference/. live.
  6. Web site: Baek. Byung-yeul. Cartoon-inspired TV dramas on the way. The Korea Times. 2014-11-21. 12 October 2014. August 13, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230813140116/http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2014/11/201_166134.html. live.
  7. Web site: Misaeng teases realistic portrayal of salaryman's life. Dramabeans. 2014-09-28. 22 September 2014. September 27, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140927055614/http://www.dramabeans.com/2014/09/misaeng-teases-realistic-portrayal-of-salarymans-life/. live.
  8. Web site: Chung. Ah-young. Webtoon give inspiration to films. The Korea Times. 2014-09-28. 5 June 2013. August 26, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230826044252/http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2013/06/135_136962.html. live.
  9. Web site: Incomplete life: Prequel. PiFan. 2014-09-28. November 11, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171111205742/http://17th.pifan.com/eng/program/program_view.asp?pk_seq=1390&sc_category_seq=408. dead.
  10. Web site: Sung. So-young. K-pop stars find success on screen. Korea JoongAng Daily. 2014-11-21. 17 November 2014. August 19, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170819233653/http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2997371. live.
  11. Web site: New Soap Becomes Instant Hit Among Salarymen. The Chosun Ilbo. 2014-11-06. 30 October 2014. January 28, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170128113112/http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/10/30/2014103001545.html. live.
  12. Web site: Baek. Byung-yeul. Misaeng soars in ratings: Webtoon-based TV drama gains explosive response from office workers. The Korea Times. 2014-11-21. 11 November 2014. March 5, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240305133438/http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2014/11/201_167935.html. live.
  13. Web site: Ahn. Sung-mi. Misaeng syndrome grips the nation. The Korea Herald. 2014-11-14. 12 November 2014. June 12, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180612142039/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20141112000845. live.
  14. Web site: Park. Hye-min. Kim. Hyung-eun. Office drama strikes a chord with workers. Korea JoongAng Daily. 2014-11-21. 19 November 2014. November 21, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141121091924/http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=2997458. live.
  15. Web site: Im Si-wan, Kang So-ra to Promote Trade. The Chosun Ilbo. 2014-12-15. 12 December 2014. January 28, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170128121659/http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/12/12/2014121201136.html. live.
  16. Web site: Ahn. Sung-mi. Weekender: Office theme prevails on TV. The Korea Herald. 2015-01-17. 16 January 2015. January 17, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150117073116/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20150116001024. live.
  17. Web site: Who Won the Grand Prize at the Korea Drama Awards?. 2015-10-09. October 9, 2015. October 14, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151014235852/http://www.kdramastars.com/articles/100241/20151009/which-stars-will-win-the-korea-drama-awards.htm. live.
  18. Geu-rae could either mean 그렇다 ("yes"), or 그래 of 그래도 ("nevertheless" or "however").
  19. Web site: Hwang. Hye-jin. ZE:A's Im Si Wan, Kang Ha Neul, Kang Sora and More Confirmed for Misaeng. enewsWorld. 2014-09-28. 7 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141013000324/http://mwave.interest.me/enewsworld/en/article/72801/drama-misaeng-completes-casting-its-lineup. 13 October 2014. dead.
  20. Web site: Yim Shi-wan: "I had to take Misaeng". Dramabeans. 2015-01-06. 4 January 2015. January 6, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150106233527/http://www.dramabeans.com/2015/01/im-shi-wan-i-had-to-take-misaeng/. live.
  21. Web site: Park. Hyun-taek. Sung. So-young. Misaeng star stays modest amid hype. Korea JoongAng Daily. 2015-01-05. 5 January 2015. July 29, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170729214102/http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2999241. live.
  22. Web site: '아스달 연대기' 김지원, 송중기 아역 김예준 향한 '다정한 말'…"은섬이 돼줘서 고마워". Top Star News. ko. June 19, 2019. July 3, 2022. July 3, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220703145757/https://www.topstarnews.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=637348. live.
  23. Web site: Kang So-ra Gets a Taste of Salaried Workers' Life. The Chosun Ilbo. 2015-01-04. 3 January 2015. August 15, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150815081353/http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2015/01/03/2015010300374.html. live.
  24. Web site: Park. Ji-ryun. Interview: Misaeng Kang Ha Neul Expresses His Love for ZE:A's Im Si Wan, Kang Sora and Byun Yo Han. enewsWorld. 2014-12-27. 27 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141227205152/http://mwave.interest.me/enewsworld/en/article/83626/interview-kanghaneul-expresses-his-love-for-misaeng-cast. 27 December 2014. dead.
  25. Web site: Kim Hee-won Comes Out of Obscurity with Villainous Characters. The Chosun Ilbo. 2014-12-16. 16 December 2014. May 18, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240518124954/https://www.chosun.com/english/kpop-culture-en/2014/12/16/C4LSHSC3HZ6SRG3DBMVB72EQC4/. live.
  26. Web site: Cable TV Awards: Incomplete Life and producer Na Young-seok sweep awards. Hancinema. 2015-04-10. 13 March 2015. April 14, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150414215051/http://www.hancinema.net/-cable-tv-awards--incomplete-life-and-producer-na-young-seok-sweep-awards-79655.html. live.
  27. Web site: Lee. Hoo-nam. Kim. Hyung-eun. Baeksang honors new, veteran stars. Korea JoongAng Daily. 2015-05-28. 28 May 2015. March 4, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304050617/http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=3004671. live.
  28. Web site: Lee. Claire. Telling stories of 'incomplete lives'. The Korea Herald. 2014-09-28. 28 March 2014. May 18, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240518124958/https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140328000496. live.
  29. Web site: Ki. Sun-min. Misaeng creator makes art from company malaise. Korea JoongAng Daily. 2014-09-28. 19 February 2013. November 17, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231117201921/https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2967318. live.
  30. Web site: https://ent.sina.com.cn/v/m/2018-06-12/doc-ihcwpcmp4801916.shtml. zh:《平凡的荣耀》曝海报 赵又廷白敬亭联手进阶职场. June 12, 2018. Sina. zh. May 18, 2024. April 15, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230415105714/http://ent.sina.com.cn/v/m/2018-06-12/doc-ihcwpcmp4801916.shtml. live.
  31. Web site: Ping fan de rong yao . . May 23, 2023 . January 7, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230107075743/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12987608/ . live .

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