Misaeng: Incomplete Life
Misaeng: Incomplete Life[1] (Korean: 미생 - 아직 살아 있지 못한 자; RR: Misaeng - Ajik sara itji mothan ja) is a 2014 South Korean television series based on the webtoon series of the same title by Yoon Tae-ho. It aired on tvN from October 17 to December 20, 2014 on Fridays and Saturdays at 20:30 for 20 episodes.[2][3][4][5][6]
| Misaeng: Incomplete Life | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Also known as | An Incomplete Life |
| Genre | Workplace Drama |
| Based on | Misaeng by Yoon Tae-ho |
| Developed by | Jinnie Choi and Park Ji-young for tvN |
| Written by | Jung Yoon-jung |
| Directed by | 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(s) | Kim Jun-seok Park Seong-il |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language(s) | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Kim Mi-na Lee Chan-ho |
| Producer(s) | Lee Jae-moon Ham Seung-hoon |
| Production location(s) | Korea, Jordan |
| Cinematography | Choi Sang-mook |
| Editor(s) | Kim Na-young |
| Running time | 65 minutes Fridays and Saturdays at 20:30 (KST) |
| Production company(s) | Number 3 Pictures |
| Release | |
| Original network | tvN |
| Picture format | 1080i |
| Audio format | Dolby Digital 2.0 |
| Original release | October 17 – December 20, 2014 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
The title translates to Go terminology meaning "an incomplete life" (literally "not yet" (미) "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.[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 high school equivalency exam 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, who's a workaholic and has a warm personality; fellow intern Ahn Young-yi, who attracts her colleagues' ire because of her impressive educational credentials and by being extremely competent at any task; and Jang Baek-gi, 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
- Im Si-wan as Jang Geu-rae[20][21]. 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.
- Kang So-ra as Ahn Young-yi[22]. She is a valued member of Sales Team 3.
- Kang Ha-neul as Jang Baek-gi[23]
- Byun Yo-han as Han Seok-yool
Supporting
One International Sales Teams
Team 3 (to which Geu-rae is assigned)
- Lee Sung-min as Oh Sang-shik
- Kim Dae-myung as Kim Dong-shik
- Park Hae-joon as Chun Kwan-woong
- Kim Hee-won as Park Jong-shik[24]
- Seo Yoon-ah as Lee Eun-ji (ep. 14)
- Kim Won-Hae as Park Young-ho (ep. 20)
Team 1
- Shin Eun-jung as Sun Ji-young
- Kim Sang-won as Mr. Um
- Shin Dong-hoon as Cha Soo-jin
Team 2
- Ryu Tae-ho as Go Dong-ho
- Park Jin-soo as Assistant Manager Hwang
- Kim Ga-young as Jang Mi-ra
Others
- Yoon Jong-hoon as Lee Sang-hyun
- Yeo Eui-joo as Jang Ki-seok
- Kim Jong-soo as Kim Boo-ryun
- Shin Eun-jung as Sun Ji-young
- Kim Kyung-ryong as Lee Shin-tae
- Nam Kyung-eup as CEO of One International
- Lee Geung-young as Choi Young-hoo
- Son Jong-hak as Ma Bok-ryul
- Jung Hee-tae as Jung Hee-seok
- -- as Cha Jung-ho
- Jang Hyuk-jin as Moon Sang-pil
- Choi Gwi-hwa as Park Yong-gu
- Shin Jae-hoon as Yoo Hyung-ki
- Jeon Seok-ho as Ha Sung-joon
- Oh Min-suk as Kang Hae-joon
- Tae In-ho as Song Jeon-shik
- Park Jin-seo as Shin Da-in
- Hwang Seok-jeong as Kim Sun-joo
- Jo Hyun-sik as Kim Seok-ho
- Kim Jung-hak as Lee Seok-joong
- Kwak In-joon as Audit team leader
- Han Kap-soo as One International Jordan branch manager
- Choi Jae-woong as One International Jordan branch employee
- Sung Byung-sook as Geu-rae's mother
- Nam Myung-ryul as Geu-rae's baduk teacher
- Lee Si-won as Ha Jung-yeon
- -- as Senior colleague Kim
- Oh Yoon-hong as Oh Sang-shik's wife
- Lee Seung-joon as Shin Woo-hyun
- Cho Hunhyun (cameo)
- Yoo Changhyuk (cameo)
- Oh Jung-se as Husband of Chungsol's CEO (cameo, ep. 20)
Ratings
In this table, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AGB Nielsen | |||
| Average rating | Peak rating | ||
| 1 | October 17, 2014 | 1.6% | 2.8% |
| 2 | October 18, 2014 | 2.35% | 3.1% |
| 3 | October 24, 2014 | 3.11% | 4.6% |
| 4 | October 25, 2014 | 3.49% | 4.9% |
| 5 | October 31, 2014 | 4.55% | 6.0% |
| 6 | November 1, 2014 | 3.70% | 5.4% |
| 7 | November 7, 2014 | 5.15% | 6.4% |
| 8 | November 8, 2014 | 4.67% | 6.6% |
| 9 | November 14, 2014 | 5.06% | 6.7% |
| 10 | November 15, 2014 | 5.49% | 7.0% |
| 11 | November 21, 2014 | 5.95% | 7.1% |
| 12 | November 22, 2014 | 6.13% | 7.8% |
| 13 | November 28, 2014 | 5.80% | 7.9% |
| 14 | November 29, 2014 | 5.81% | 7.9% |
| 15 | December 5, 2014 | 7.02% | 9.4% |
| 16 | December 6, 2014 | 7.03% | 8.6% |
| 17 | December 12, 2014 | 7.37% | 9.7% |
| 18 | December 13, 2014 | 7.90% | 9.5% |
| 19 | December 19, 2014 | 7.24% | 9.3% |
| 20 | December 20, 2014 | 8.24% | 10.3% |
| Average | 5.38% | 7.1% | |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Misaeng: Incomplete Life | Won | |
| Star Award - Best Actor | Im Si-wan | Won | ||
| Kang Ha-neul | Won | |||
| Best Drama | Misaeng: Incomplete Life | Nominated | ||
| Best Director (TV) | Kim Won-seok | Won | ||
| Best Actor (TV) | Lee Sung-min | Won | ||
| Best New Actor (TV) | Im Si-wan | Won | ||
| Kim Dae-myung | Nominated | |||
| Best Miniseries | Misaeng: Incomplete Life | Won | ||
| Best Director | Kim Won-seok | Nominated | ||
| Best Drama | Misaeng: Incomplete Life | Won | ||
| Best Production Director | Kim Won-seok | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay | Jung Yoon-jung | Nominated | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor | Im Si-wan | Nominated | ||
| Excellence Award, Actor | Kim Dae-myung | Won | ||
| Special Jury Prize | Im Si-wan | Won | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Lee Sung-min | Won | ||
| Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Im Si-wan | Won | ||
| Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Kang So-ra | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Kim Dae-myung | Nominated | ||
| Lee Geung-young | Won | |||
| Best New Actor | Byun Yo-han | Won | ||
| Kang Ha-neul | Nominated | |||
| 2016 | Best Actor | Lee Sung-min | Won | |
| Best Content Award, Drama | Misaeng: Incomplete Life | Won | ||
| Made in tvN, Actor in Drama | Im Si-wan | Nominated | ||
| Made in tvN, Actress in Drama | Kang So-ra | Nominated | ||
| Scene-Stealer Award, Actor | Byun Yo-han | Nominated | ||
| Kang Ha-neul | Nominated |
Source material
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.[27][28]
Remake
- In July 17, 2016 ~ Sep 18, 2016, Misaeng: Incomplete Life will have a Japanese drama remake titled HOPE〜期待ゼロの新入社員〜.
- In June 2018, it was announced that Misaeng: Incomplete Life will have a Chinese drama remake titled Ordinary Glory; starring Bai Jingting, Mark Chao and Qiao Xin.[29]
International broadcast
| Country | Network(s)/Station(s) | Series premiere | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
 | PPTV | October 28, 2015 | หนุ่มออฟฟิศพิชิตฝัน (Num Office Pichit Fun)[30] |
 | 8TV (Malaysia) | January 8, 2015 | (Misaeng - Incomplete Life) [31] |
| Southeast Asia | tvN Asia | 2016 |
References
- "Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014)". CJ ENM. CJ ENM. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- An, So-hyoun (1 September 2014). "ZE:A's Im Si Wan, Kang Ha Neul, Kang Sora and More Gather for Misaeng Scripts Reading". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-28.
- Lee, Sun-young; Chung, Joo-won; Ahn, Sung-mi (16 September 2014). "New TV dramas to look out for". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2014-09-28.
- "Misaeng Teasers Revealed; Im Si Wan, Kang So Ra, Kang Ha Neul Pose For Cosmopolitan". KDramaStars. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-28.
- "Office grunts clock in at Misaeng's press conference". Dramabeans. 6 October 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-08.
- Baek, Byung-yeul (12 October 2014). "Cartoon-inspired TV dramas on the way". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
- "Misaeng teases realistic portrayal of salaryman's life". Dramabeans. 22 September 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-28.
- Chung, Ah-young (5 June 2013). "Webtoon give inspiration to films". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2014-09-28.
- "Incomplete life: Prequel". PiFan. Retrieved 2014-09-28.
- Sung, So-young (17 November 2014). "K-pop stars find success on screen". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
- "New Soap Becomes Instant Hit Among Salarymen". The Chosun Ilbo. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 2014-11-06.
- Baek, Byung-yeul (11 November 2014). "Misaeng soars in ratings: Webtoon-based TV drama gains explosive response from office workers". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
- Ahn, Sung-mi (12 November 2014). "Misaeng syndrome grips the nation". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2014-11-14.
- Park, Hye-min; Kim, Hyung-eun (19 November 2014). "Office drama strikes a chord with workers". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
- "Im Si-wan, Kang So-ra to Promote Trade". The Chosun Ilbo. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
- Ahn, Sung-mi (16 January 2015). "Weekender: Office theme prevails on TV". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2015-01-17.
- "Who Won the Grand Prize at the Korea Drama Awards?". 2015-10-09.
- Geu-rae could either mean 그렇다 ("yes"), or 그래 of 그래도 ("nevertheless" or "however").
- Hwang, Hye-jin (7 August 2014). "ZE:A's Im Si Wan, Kang Ha Neul, Kang Sora and More Confirmed for Misaeng". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 13 October 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-28.
- "Im Shi-wan: "I had to take Misaeng"". Dramabeans. 4 January 2015. Retrieved 2015-01-06.
- Park, Hyun-taek; Sung, So-young (5 January 2015). "Misaeng star stays modest amid hype". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
- "Kang So-ra Gets a Taste of Salaried Workers' Life". The Chosun Ilbo. 3 January 2015. Retrieved 2015-01-04.
- Park, Ji-ryun (27 December 2014). "Interview: Misaeng Kang Ha Neul Expresses His Love for ZE:A's Im Si Wan, Kang Sora and Byun Yo Han". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 2014-12-27.
- "Kim Hee-won Comes Out of Obscurity with Villainous Characters". The Chosun Ilbo. 16 December 2014. Retrieved 2014-12-16.
- "Cable TV Awards: Incomplete Life and producer Na Young-seok sweep awards". Hancinema. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
- Lee, Hoo-nam; Kim, Hyung-eun (28 May 2015). "Baeksang honors new, veteran stars". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2015-05-28.
- Lee, Claire (28 March 2014). "Telling stories of 'incomplete lives'". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2014-09-28.
- Ki, Sun-min (19 February 2013). "Misaeng creator makes art from company malaise". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2014-09-28.
- 《平凡的荣耀》曝海报 赵又廷白敬亭联手进阶职场. Sina (in Chinese). June 12, 2018.
- "MISAENG หนุ่มออฟฟิศพิชิตฝัน". truelife.com (in Thai). 23 October 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- http://8tv-addicted.blogspot.com/p/list-of-korean-dramas-for-2015.html
External links
- Official website (in Korean)
- Misaeng: Incomplete Life at HanCinema
- Misaeng: Incomplete Life on IMDb
- Misaeng webtoon on Daum (in Korean)