Set in the cutthroat world of branding and marketing, our latest drama focuses on the oddball pairing between a marketing team leader at the top of her game and an idealistic intern who grates on her nerves. It’s a classic tale of opposites attract that, so far, remains utterly unattractive.
Editor’s note: This is an opening review only. For a place to chat about the entire drama, visit the Drama Hangout.
EPISODES 1-2
Branding in Seongsu is the latest drama released by LG’s streaming platform U+ Mobile TV, but rather than the quality we’d expect from a standard 12-episode K-drama, this drama — with help from its nontraditional airing schedule — somehow manages to have the rushed pacing and low-budget feel of a web drama. Right out the gate, our leading lady KANG NA-EON (Kim Ji-eun), a team leader at Seongsu Agency, is dropped into our laps via a high-pressure situation designed to acquaint us with her astute business acumen and her ability to get the job done — no matter what obstacles are in her way. If her coworker moves a meeting with a potential client to an earlier time and intentionally fails to update her, then she’ll pay a taxi driver 500,000 won to go off-roading to avoid a traffic jam.
The client is the CEO of XU Beauty (Shin Hyun-soo), and he denies all rumors that his cosmetics company lies about its products’ ingredients and engages in animal testing. But he’s, like, the SHEIN version of Shi-oh from Strong Girl Nam-soon, so all signs totally point to possible shady business practices.
The CEO needs a skilled marketing team for the launch of his company’s latest product, and so far he’s unimpressed by Na-eon’s colleague — and competitor — who tried to steal her pitch from her. When Na-eon arrives 47 minutes late to her 50-minute appointment, she remains unfazed. She’s so phenomenal at her job that she only needs three minutes to convince the CEO that she’s the woman to entrust with his marketing needs. She will not only make his product a huge success, but she will also rebrand his whole image to get rid of all those nasty rumors plaguing his company — just like she did for a celebrity with a criminal history.
For some unknown reason, the CEO wants to open the pop-up store for the launch of his new product in an old shoe factory, where workers are currently protesting the relocation plan that will put them out of business. Na-eon, determined to give her client what he wants, sends interns from Seongsu Agency to convince the protesting workers to give up and let them take over the space for their pop-up.
This struggle with the workers turns out to be another exaggerated and unrealistic scene intended to quickly provide insight into our leading man’s character. SO EUN-HO (Park Solomon), the oldest intern at Seongsu Agency, has actually partnered with the factory employees to blockade his own coworkers from gaining access to the building. And if opposing his boss and coworkers wasn’t a clear enough indication that he’s an idealist and a supporter of the environment and underdogs everywhere — the exact opposite of our leading lady, the heartless tinwoman — then surely the save-the-planet themed enamel pins decorating his backpack are enough to drive the point home.
Despite actively working against Seongsu Agency’s interests, Eun-ho is not fired, but it seems unlikely that he will be hired after his internship. And in the rare event he does stay on at Seongsu Agency, he will probably be assigned to the worst team in the company — a subtle way of encouraging him to leave of his own accord.
Like all workplace dramas, this one is not without its share of office gossip, and a good bit of it is centered around Na-eon and Eun-ho. It turns out Na-eon was Eun-ho’s college sunbae, and even though she told him early on that he was too righteous to have a career in marketing, Eun-ho still followed his dream career path — and Na-eon — and got an internship with Seongsu Agency.
Because she’s his sunbae, Eun-ho has a habit of expressing a familiarity that’s entirely inappropriate — not to mention unwelcome — at work, which makes Eun-ho’s friends speculate that the two of them are in a romantic relationship. After all, Na-eon is rumored to release all her pent-up stress through sex, and Eun-ho isn’t bad to look at — if you take away his crappy wardrobe. So, of course, after hearing all of these rumors, Eun-ho fears the worst when Na-eon asks him to meet her at a hotel.
But she doesn’t summon him for a night of depravity. Instead, she’s arranged for him to meet the CEO of XU Beauty, who gently pets a bunny while doing his best to prove to Eun-ho that he’s really one of the good guys. Even though the whole stroking-a-fluffy-white-animal shtick gives off some major Bond villain vibes, Eun-ho is appeased. Eun-ho’s idealism is paired with a desire to see the good in people, which makes him easily manipulated. And because he’s now a supporter of XU Beauty, he’s excited that Na-eon asks him to check out their manufacturing plant — until he realizes it’s located in the middle of nowhere.
So far, I’m not impressed with Branding in Seongsu. The obvious attempt at gender role reversal falls flat because our leading characters are so excessively cliché. Na-eon is so no-nonsense that she lacks any hint at a personality that could potentially make her more likable as the story progresses. And Eun-ho, well, his idealism is more aptly described as idiocy. Even though I prefer his good-guy nature more than our emotionless leading lady, I find him annoying — like a child left unattended at a restaurant.
The secondary characters aren’t much better. The interns exist to gossip, provide a sense of place, and to offer up the cliff notes version of our main characters’ backstories. DO YUMI (Yang Hye-ji), the ditzy female member of Na-eon’s team, is actually more incompetent than Eun-ho, but she’s somehow managed to stick by Na-eon’s side even though she clearly fails to meet Na-eon’s high standards.
The only person at Seongsu Agency that seems professionally — and personally — on par with Na-eon is graphic designer CHA JUNG-WOO (Kim Ho-young). He’s excellent at his job, and he possesses the confidence to hit on Na-eon and then back off when she deflects and rejects his obvious flirtations. Jung-woo was actually the only character that left me wanting to know more after these first two episodes, and it’s a pity that Yumi seems to have a childish crush on him that’s likely to devolve into petty jealousy if she doesn’t get her way.
Maybe this drama’s particular brand of humor and pacing will appeal to others, but for me, Branding in Seongsu feels like a watered down amalgamation of characters and tropes we’ve seen before. So far it brings nothing new to the table that makes me curious enough to keep watching, and I’m someone guilty of intentionally watching certain rom-coms for their formulaic predictability. Supposedly, there’s a fantasy element that will be introduced later in the story, but that actually makes me less inclined to stick around. After two episodes, I’m already perplexed that this drama simultaneously has too much and too little going on with its plot, and I can’t imagine adding another genre to the mix will improve the situation.