The Coupang Play series "Office Workers" (directed by Kim Min and Kang Na-ra) has received enthusiastic support with the explosive popularity of its first episode, and has proven its popularity in the second episode with fresh chemistry with top guests.

The Coupang Play series "Office Workers" is set against the backdrop of the crisis-ridden small marketing company DY Planning, depicting the office survival stories of MZ individuals becoming the "sandwich generation" between AZ and GenZ.

"Office Workers" received rave reviews from viewers right after its first episode was released last week, with comments like "a truly well-made office comedy has been born." The second episode, released on 1st, depicted the laid-back working reality of DY Planning employees who openly aspire to be "salary thieves" so much that even the newly hired agent Hyun Bong-sik said, "The employees aren’t working at all." The episode humorously portrayed their lackadaisical work ethic, leading to genuine laughter among real office workers. Notably, in this second episode, Cha Jung-won and Shim Ja-yoon, who made their acting debuts through "Office Workers," perfectly embodied their new employee characters. Cha Jung-won established her character as a "jack-of-all-trades" who excels at everything and makes upper management feel cautious around her, while Shim Ja-yoon actively utilized her own freshness and GenZ charm in her character, also showcasing fantastic synergy with the super special guest, adding vitality to the show.

In a previous scene, as the representative Shin Dong-yup, equipped with a "warm smile," triggered the sensitive mood of the salary negotiation, the assistant Kim Won-hoon, who had only experienced the "glares of discontent," was drawn in a situation where he pushes welfare improvement requests onto the employee Cha Jung-won with a mindset of "you should experience it once." However, Jung-won, alongside cheers, rose to become the director general of welfare, making the viewer sympathize with Won-hoon, who was unjustly cast as the "official punching bag" again today.

Comedy masters, portraying DY Planning employees, exhibited the peak of hyper-realism in their sketches, and the performance of the super special guest also shined in the second episode. In this episode, the appearance of "all-time legend" handsome actor Ko Soo became another hot topic for "Office Workers." Ko Soo, a top star and veteran actor racing toward a 30-year acting career, expressed a desire for advice on how to present himself moving forward, requesting image consulting from DY Planning. In response, the staff of DY Planning, armed as "true office workers," delivered counter punches that subtly aggravated each other under the pretense of image consulting, crafting an office comedy narrative unlike anything seen before.

Veteran actor Ko Soo was unable to avoid the dazzling barrage of ad-libs from comedy masters, delivering a "smile bomb" to viewers. Despite being labeled as "old-fashioned" and a "boring actor," Ko Soo remained unfazed. However, upon experiencing the humiliation of falling behind vegetable coriander in search rankings and receiving a name change suggestion, his eyes reflected disturbance. Following an outrageous name proposal from Cha Jung-won, laughter was unleashed, showcasing a comedic chemistry that transcended reality and the drama with the staff members. In this process, Cha Jung-won captivated Ko Soo's attention with a PPT presentation, while Shim Ja-yoon demonstrated youthful GenZ poses to extend Ko Soo's acting lifespan, showcasing quick-witted agility. By the time Ko Soo left DY Planning, he perfectly executed the GenZ-style aerial shots and successfully underwent the name change, reaping the benefits of image consulting.

As a hyper-real office comedy that intricately blends scripted lines and ad-libs, the unpredictable scenarios and lines simultaneously provide entertainment and laughter, leading to exponential viewer reactions. "Coupang has released a premium product; can’t wait for the weekend," "It’s such a workplace comedy; everything is ridiculously funny," "Laughing like crazy alone in the early morning," "It was so funny I cried. It’s the best," "I laughed until I cried," "I had the biggest laugh in a long time," "This is real comedy," and "A legendary work has come out" are among the overflowing praises. Additionally, it quickly climbed to the top spot in popular works within its first week of release and is rapidly gaining momentum online. Comments recommending the show for a seasonal format are already pouring in, such as "It’s so funny. Keep it going," "How do I wait another week?" and "I love it. It’s amazing. I hope it continues."

"Office Workers," a hyper-realistic office comedy that elicits both empathy and laughter from workers with its otherworldly ad-libs and presents a realistic office life, is released every Saturday at 8 p.m. on Coupang Play.

[Photo] Provided by Coupang Play

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