Judging by the first episode (another one clocking in at about 90 minutes), this is not going to be one of those sunny fairytale dramas. In fact, you might call it a modern-day Dickensian tone poem. Spoilers after the jump.

Let’s see, we’ve got the in-debt, orphan-ish (ailing grandmother and brother? appearing to be her only kin), struggling waif and temp worker Lee Ji-ahn (using her real name, btw) who’s running off with her grannie and 50 million wan in bribe money for starters. And she’s not too concerned about using the only guy who seems to notice she exists (who’s not breaking into her ramshackle apartment and coercing her for money and beating her up when she spurns him, like Jang Ki-yong’s handsome thug). We’ve got three loser brothers, with Lee Sun-kyun the least loser-ish (for now) in the middle, unemployed/unemployable older brother and the slacker/delusional filmmaker wannabe younger brother who collectively don’t look like they’ve got the proverbial pot to piss in. Lee Sun-kyun (for now) has a job that is stressful and below his skillset because he appears to have been moved to some department because he was the sunbae of an ambitious, resentful pr#ck at university (who also happens to be having an affair with his wife). The company he works for looks like some inner circle of hell with security (spy) cameras everywhere and executives jockeying for position, knives poised to stab someone/anyone in the back.

Yes, it’s no picnic so far.

And yet, as anxious as I am as I watch this I appreciate the cinematic qualities of the production. The director handled Signal and Misaeng, most recently, and even Sungkyunkwan Scandal, so I’m not suprised at the look and feel of the episode. I feel sure that we’re in capable hands here. The writer is coming off Another Oh Hae Young, so again, cautious optimism for this one. One thing is clear though, this is not one for binge watching!

#iu, #lee-ji-ah, #lee-ji-ahn, #lee-sun-kyun, #my-ahjussi, #my-ajusshi, #my-mister