“Prodigy Copywriter, Yoon Seo-eun” begins with the protagonist joining Planet, Korea’s top advertising company.
Even though it holds the top position in the industry, Planet remains stagnant like it’s stuck in the past.
Having spent most of her life in the United States, Yoon Seo-eun found it difficult to adapt to her workplace, where she faced a continuous barrage of hard-to-understand, unreasonable situations that eventually even made her doubt whether her common sense was somehow flawed.
But isn’t that how all dramas go?
In the end, the protagonist always triumphs, right?
At the heart of this drama is the story of how the protagonist, finally recognized for her abilities, rises to the top.
Even mastering the K-corporate culture perfectly and becoming a virtuoso of office politics — is Writer Min truly creating some kind of monster?
That said, it took some time for the protagonist to truly step into her role, meaning the beginning was filled with excessive melodrama.
Especially the first episode—there was no avoiding the melodrama there.
Although Writer Min Woo-hee was lauded for her incredible attention to detail in her previous works, this time around she vividly narrated the less-than-glorious side of the advertising business, portraying office hazing with a striking realism that might even leave corporate insiders with PTSD.
Even someone seasoned in the dark world of a major black enterprise like New Religion found some scenes questionable, illustrating just how tough K-corporate culture can be.
“Wow, is she crazy? I’m so furious.”
“That’s… quite harsh.”
“Does it really happen this way in real life?”
“Honestly, the advertising industry might actually be more enlightened since it’s sensitive to trends.”
“So Dad’s workplace might be even worse, huh?”
“Such is the life of a human.”
But if the drama were to proceed this way, uncomfortable viewers might just switch channels.
Just as the family felt indignant seeing the protagonist caught between all sorts of dilemmas, salvation arrived.
“That’s… Older Sister Yoo-a!”
“What? When did you last see her to call her sister?”
“Shut up. Yoo-a is love. Wow, blonde hair and those glowing eyes, it’s insane.”
“Truly seems like a real American graphic designer.”
“Wow, her swearing skills are off the charts. Is she actually a foreigner?”
“No. She’s a mixed-race actress. Remember, the one who starred in ‘The Hill Where the Moon Rises,’ she was Yu-jung.”
“Yu-jung? That’s surprising, isn’t it?”
“That’s her real look, and when acting, she wears colored lenses and wigs or dyes her hair to adjust.”
In a cameo appearance as “Selly,” the role was of a famous foreign graphic designer that the protagonist had worked hard to arrange for help with a small company project.
The project was progressing decently, but typical K-office politics forced a change in the project’s handler, leaving the project entirely stagnant, enraging Selly who eventually flew to Korea.
This crazy freelancer poured all sorts of insults on the new supervisor who took credit for someone else’s work, effectively ruining the project but delighting the audience.
“Perhaps it’s time to think differently, right? How can someone truly showcase their abilities in such a place?”
“Initially, I thought she might manage, but now, I’m not so sure. Maybe Selly was right.”
“And what do you intend to do?”
“Still, I’ll give it a try. Thanks to Selly, I’ve realized one thing for sure.”
“What’s that?”
“That I’m right, and they are wrong. I’m going to do things my way from now.”
Selly isn’t a character who only appears to give relief and then disappears.
She instilled a strong belief in the protagonist Yoon Seo-eun that she is on the right path and empowered her to become more proactive.
Selly’s role is to nudge Seo-eun to take the first step, making her a significant supporting character.
“Yoo-a’s blonde hair is a perfect fit. When is she going to Hollywood?”
“Thinking about it, you can’t help but wonder about that actor. It feels like a storm has passed through.”
“Our Yu-jung is such a good actress. Why doesn’t she appear in dramas these days? Is there any issue?”
“She’s probably taking a sabbatical after being so busy for years. Sometimes, you need to rest.”
Indeed, Heavenly Yuah’s on-screen presence is powerful.
Even with just a few scenes, she left such a profound impression.
Clearly, a top star is a top star.
Moreover, despite being a blonde-eyed mixed-race individual, Heavenly Yuah faced no barriers in Korea.
Our mother, who doesn’t engage much with media, didn’t even know Yuah is mixed-race.
Wearing colored lenses and wigs, she transforms into an oriental beauty with caucasian features.
Appearing as her natural self, she becomes a western beauty with an oriental touch.
It’s no surprise people are confident she would succeed in Hollywood, especially since her acting was once recognized at Cannes, sparking conversations about her global career.
“Personally, it would be good if she pursued opportunities abroad.”
However, she has continued working in Korea, possibly without much interest in overseas ventures.
That said, due to the popularity of Korean dramas overseas via OTT platforms, her global awareness hasn’t been entirely absent.
From my perspective, I wish Heavenly Yuah would start thinking seriously about expanding to Hollywood so that I don’t inadvertently run into her work domestically.
After Heavenly Yuah’s cameo rocked the story slightly, the crucial supporting characters began coming into their own.
“Rank doesn’t count. Only skill does. So, do you have confidence in your skills?”
The collaboration began with a supreme but brash boss, Jo Yu-shin — who despite his rudeness, is top-tier in the office.
“Seon-woo, I trust you. Do you trust me back?”
The mysterious, possibly harboring a great secret, colleague Lion also deepens his connection with Yoon Seo-eun gradually.
“Most scenes are office settings, yet it’s surprisingly…”
“Captivating.”
“Writer has crafted the story well, and the actors give excellent performances.”
“Things are looking up.”
‘”Prodigy Copywriter, Yoon Seo-eun” is surprisingly low-budget.”
Though it’s impossible to ignore the actor salaries, much of the filming occurs inside office set locations.
Nowadays, even an average drama can cost several hundred million won per episode, making this show’s budget with top-tier actors extraordinary.
It’s all down to Writer Min’s incredible script, as we’ve noticed in her other works — truly, she’s a great writer.
Now, when will I make my appearance?
I clearly recall having a scene in the pilot, but now, as the series nears its conclusion, there’s still no sign of me.
Could it be that my scenes were pushed back?
I’d like to make my first glorious appearance with my family watching.
Of course, no one might recognize me, but it’s still about the feeling.
Especially since it’ll be hard to have the whole family together watching like this anytime soon.
“Uh…”
At the moment I began feeling slightly crestfallen, presuming my scene had been pushed to the next episode, the screen transitioned to show Yoon Seo-eun taking a stroll in the park.
A park designed with meticulous care by Writer Min and enhanced with CG effects by graphic experts to create a surreal atmosphere.
The previously rather shabbily constructed outdoor set had transformed into something magical with that high-quality CGI.
This location change signaled the beginning of my first encounter with Yoon Seo-eun.
Wait… is this my entrance? Already so late in the series?
“Oh… the park looks beautiful.”
“What is that place? Overseas?”
“Maybe it’s CG?”
“Ah, right. A place like that wouldn’t remain hidden.”
As everyone marveled at the fantastical visuals meticulously crafted as if from the soul, the camera turned to show something from the opposite side — revealing a stylishly dressed grandfather figure in a modernized hanbok.
Yes, that was me.
“Wow, he’s got amazing charm!”
“Wow…”
“Oh my…”
With my face transformed with special effects, the first episode concluded.
Is Director Yoo crazy? I am appearing in the season finale?
Such an incomprehensible situation.
*
Even after the drama concluded, our family continued to discuss it.
Particularly about the mysterious old man who appeared in the end.
In fact, most of the talk revolved around me.
“I wish I could age so gracefully. So envy him. Do you think I could age like that?”
“Dad might be capable?”
“Maybe, with me, this isn’t impossible.”
“But to achieve that, exercise is essential. That old man’s physique was impressive, but you’re starting to get a bit of a paunch.”
“No way. Can’t accept that.”
“So you should exercise then.”
“Alright, I’ll need to do the exercises you showed me.”
The old man from the drug lore seemed to shock everyone.
Hmm, did I overdo it?
However, if Elder Yoon is related to Yoon Seo-eun, the aesthetic makes sense for believability.
Yoon Seo-eun is stunningly beautiful, so a grandpa who doesn’t hold up would just come across as ridiculous.
So, Director Yoo didn’t hesitate to approve the visual appeal of Elder Yoon.
The video editing made it a bit too intense, but that’s unavoidable.
“Who’s this actor? Never seen him before.”
“Isn’t it Mr. Baek Si-u?”
“Wait… isn’t he the same name as you?”
“What have you been doing if someone of that age gets such an amazing role, and you don’t?”
“Shut up, you pest.”
“Ah! You only know to tell me to shut up? Yeeh~”
“You really are foolish.”
Next came the question of Elder Yoon’s identity.
On the drama’s homepage, we can find the cast’s names.
I even took photos dressed up as Elder Yoon and posted them along with the name.
Though no one seems to notice it’s me — that’s the issue.
Our foolish family member is accumulating unnecessary real-time history.
However, it’s somewhat inconsequential how they’re adding to their black history all by themselves.
Once the truth is revealed, the duvet will be kicked so violently, it might even tear apart.
Right now, I’m just trying to figure out why the ending scene with me was chosen, and it’s giving me a headache.
There aren’t usually dramas where a small role takes the final scene.
Especially an ending scene in the critical first episode.
Looking at it now, it’s not entirely bad.
If our family is this invested, other viewers would surely be interested in Elder Yoon — meaning my role could explode in popularity, which wouldn’t be bad at all.
The problem is the infrequency of Elder Yoon’s appearances.
Placing a character with such impact in the end of the first episode seems abnormal to anyone.
It’s not an ideal choice for the show’s success, and Director Yoo surely knows this just as much as I do.
So why did he make such an ending?
There’s clearly some issue I’m oblivious to.
There’s no doubt I need to ask Director Yoo about this.
