The Coupang Play series 'Workers' (directed by Kim Min and Kang Na-ra), which has rapidly risen as a new stronghold in office comedy thanks to the 'legendary tikitaka' of comedy masters, captivated viewers with a series of ad-lib battles that left guest Choi Ji-woo in awe.
The Coupang Play series 'Workers' depicts the office survival story of MZ-generation employees caught between AZ and Gen Z at the marketing company DY Planning, which is in crisis.
In the 4th episode released on 15th, the daily lives of DY Planning employees spending their lunch hours 'MZ-style' were portrayed. The confident career woman employee Ji Ye-eun, who is a 'trendsetter,' boldly challenged an English class via video call in front of the intern Shim Ja-yoon, but her impressive English skills demonstrated a humorous performance akin to pouring water into a bottomless bucket. The signature ad-lib show of DY Planning employees unfolded with the tikitaka between Ji Ye-eun and Shim Ja-yoon, marking a lively opening to the 4th episode.
This time, the 'icon of injustice,' Assistant Manager Kim Won-hoon, became the punching bag for Director General Kim Min-kyo. Kim Won-hoon had to swallow his frustration again as he was 'personally settled' for lunch expenses by Director General Kim Min-kyo, who habitually forgot his corporate credit card. Furthermore, after losing his lunch time spot, the complaints from employee Cha Jung-won, who had returned home, seemed to alleviate his pent-up frustration. However, when it was revealed that Cha Jung-won had gone home for work, it became another moment for Representative Shin Dong-yeop to score points that left Kim Won-hoon deflated. In an attempt to turn the mood around, Kim Won-hoon suggested a lunch time welfare proposal, but once again faced dire pressure from Shin Dong-yeop, leading to hilarious moments that made viewers laugh.
Angry over the continued discriminatory treatment, Kim Won-hoon called Cha Jung-won to firmly reprimand her working attitude, but the 'quick-witted' Cha Jung-won successfully soothed the overly sensitive Kim Won-hoon with a barrage of dazzling compliments starting from flattery. Kim Won-hoon's expression gradually brightened under the praise parade and evoked laughter, creating a 'bittersweet' sense of sympathy.
The brilliant performance of super guest Choi Ji-woo also shone, enhancing the charm of this hyper-realistic office comedy. To establish communication with the MZ generation, Choi Ji-woo, who requested a makeover for DY Planning, was astounded by the unpredictable behaviors of DY Planning employees, including the flustered Assistant Manager Kim Won-hoon and the '84-born visual presence' of Deputy Hyun Bong-sik. In the subsequent presentation of DY Planning's image consulting plan, solutions to tone down the viral 'Stairs to Heaven' pronunciation meme to the 'current selfie tips for young people' that would transform the 'old actor' image were thoroughly dissected, forcibly summoning elements from the past.
Even while facing intense fact bombardments from comedy masters, Choi Ji-woo, as a veteran actress, appeared to defend herself flexibly, but eventually surrendered amidst the flood of ad-lib clashes. Choi Ji-woo, who calmly countered various attacks from DY Planning employees, was brought down by Assistant Manager Kim Won-hoon's out-of-context 'eraser' joke, showing a pout, and ultimately got knocked down by Lee Soo-ji's alluring pose reinterpreting the drama 'Stairs to Heaven,' erupting with, 'Is this a prank?'
In the process, Choi Ji-woo, who had blended into DY Planning's dazzling plans, successfully achieved various successes, from the Gen Z shot created by the intern Shim Ja-yoon born in '04 to becoming an advertising model aiming for the 'national mom' image while donning a kimjang apron, all while captivating viewers with her joyful demeanor.
Choi Ji-woo drew attention by actually reflecting DY Planning's solutions in her social media posts. To commemorate White Day, she shared a memorable scene from the drama 'Stairs to Heaven,' titled 'Faith Gift Meme,' and uploaded posts utilizing the viral 'Chill guy meme,' earning fans' responses. After the reveal, comments like 'I came for a pilgrimage' appeared on Choi Ji-woo's and the previously featured Ko Soo's social media accounts, as DY Planning's image solutions extended into the star and fan culture, causing a fervent popularity after the episode aired.
Viewers continue to provide positive feedback for 'Workers', which faithfully showcases the charm of a super-reality office comedy, mixing scripts and ad-libs adequately. Comments such as 'truly the best work; I've laughed the most this year,' 'currently the number one tier GOAT comedy piece by masters,' and 'the reality humor is the funniest, so it makes me laugh together,' praise it as a perfect piece delivering 'laughter therapy' on Saturday nights. The comic collaboration of DY Planning employees and top star Choi Ji-woo has received enthusiastic reactions, with remarks like 'finding another side of Choi Ji-woo was too natural and fun,' and 'they boldly cross the line and make us laugh.'
'Workers,' a hyper-realistic office comedy that extracts only fresh laughter from real situations, has achieved a remarkable increase in viewership of 777%, surpassing 32 million views, setting a new popularity record as it boldly expands its reach. It airs every Saturday evening at 8 p.m. on Coupang Play.
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