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2014 South Korean TV series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Misaeng: Incomplete Life[1] (Korean: 미생 - 아직 살아 있지 못한 자; RR: Misaeng - Ajik Sara Itji Mothan Ja) is a 2014 South Korean television series based on the eponymous webtoon series by Yoon Tae-ho. It aired on tvN from October 17 to December 20, 2014, on Fridays and Saturdays at 20:30 (KST) for 20 episodes.[2][3][4][5][6]
 | Parts of this article (those related to the remake of a South Korean channel) need to be updated. (March 2023) |
| Misaeng: Incomplete Life | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster | |
| Also known as | An Incomplete Life |
| Genre | Workplace Drama |
| Based on | Misaeng by Yoon Tae-ho |
| Developed by | Choi Jin-hee and Park Ji-young for tvN |
| Written by | Jung Yoon-jung |
| Directed by | Kim Won-seok |
| Starring | Im Si-wan Lee Sung-min Kang So-ra Kang Ha-neul Byun Yo-han Kim Dae-myung Shin Eun-jung Park Hae-joon |
| Composers | Kim Jun-seok Park Seong-il |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Kim Mi-na Lee Chan-ho |
| Producers | Lee Jae-moon Ham Seung-hoon Lee Esther |
| Production locations | Korea, Jordan |
| Cinematography | Choi Sang-mook |
| Editor | Kim Na-young |
| Running time | 65 minutes |
| Production company | Number 3 Pictures |
| Original release | |
| Network | tvN |
| Release | October 17 – December 20, 2014 |
The title translates to Go terminology meaning "an incomplete life" (literally "not yet" (미) "living/birth" (생), meaning "not yet alive"). Misaeng: Incomplete Life was the first Korean drama to film on location in Jordan, where actors Im Si-wan and Lee Sung-min shot the series's prologue in Amman, Petra, and Wadi Rum.[7] Yim reprised his role as the protagonist, which he played in an earlier film adaptation, Incomplete Life: Prequel (2013).[8][9][10]
The series became a cultural phenomenon and recorded high viewership ratings for a cable network program in Korea. tvN is known for its record-breaking dramas.[11][12][13][14][15][16] [17]
Since he was a child, the board game baduk has been everything to Jang Geu-rae (Im Si-wan).[18] But when he fails at achieving his dream of becoming a professional baduk player, Geu-rae must leave his isolated existence and enter the real world armed with nothing but a GED high school equivalency diploma on his resume. Through an acquaintance's recommendation, he gets hired as an intern at One International, a large trading company.
There, Geu-rae meets his boss, manager Oh Sang-shik (Lee Sung-min), who's a workaholic and has a warm personality; fellow intern Ahn Young-yi (Kang So-ra), who attracts her colleagues' ire because of her impressive educational credentials and by being extremely competent at any task; and Jang Baek-gi (Kang Ha-neul), a geeky co-worker whose anxious nature masks his inner ambition. Geu-rae learns to navigate and adapt to corporate culture, with baduk as his guide.[19]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Roman" (로망) | Taibian | Vladimir Vysotsky | Rose Motel | 4:05 |
| 2. | "Roman" (Inst.) | 4:05 | |||
| Total length: | 8:10 | ||||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tomorrow" (내일) | Seo Dong-sung | Park Seong-il | Han Hee-jung | 3:34 |
| 2. | "Tomorrow" (Inst.) | 3:34 | |||
| Total length: | 7:08 | ||||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fly" (날아) | Park Asher | Park Asher | Yi Sung-yol | 4:46 |
| 2. | "Fly" (Inst.) | 4:46 | |||
| Total length: | 9:32 | ||||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hidden Road" (가리워진 길) | Yoo Jae-ha | Yoo Jae-ha | Bolbbalgan4 | 4:22 |
| 2. | "Hidden Road" (Inst.) | 4:22 | |||
| Total length: | 8:44 | ||||
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nielsen Korea | |||
| Average rating | Peak rating | ||
| 1 | October 17, 2014 | 1.7% | 2.8% |
| 2 | October 18, 2014 | 2.5% | 3.1% |
| 3 | October 24, 2014 | 3.4% | 4.6% |
| 4 | October 25, 2014 | 3.6% | 4.9% |
| 5 | October 31, 2014 | 4.6% | 6.0% |
| 6 | November 1, 2014 | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| 7 | November 7, 2014 | 5.2% | 6.4% |
| 8 | November 8, 2014 | 5.0% | 6.6% |
| 9 | November 14, 2014 | 5.2% | 6.7% |
| 10 | November 15, 2014 | 5.9% | 7.0% |
| 11 | November 21, 2014 | 6.1% | 7.1% |
| 12 | November 22, 2014 | 6.3% | 7.8% |
| 13 | November 28, 2014 | 7.9% | |
| 14 | November 29, 2014 | 5.8% | |
| 15 | December 5, 2014 | 7.2% | 9.4% |
| 16 | December 6, 2014 | 7.4% | 8.6% |
| 17 | December 12, 2014 | 7.6% | 9.7% |
| 18 | December 13, 2014 | 8.0% | 9.5% |
| 19 | December 19, 2014 | 7.6% | 9.3% |
| 20 | December 20, 2014 | 8.4% | 10.3% |
| Average | 5.6% | 7.1% | |
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 9th Cable TV Broadcasting Awards[31] | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Misaeng: Incomplete Life | Won |
| Star Award - Best Actor | Yim Si-wan | Won | ||
| Kang Ha-neul | Won | |||
| 51st Baeksang Arts Awards[32] | Best Drama | Misaeng: Incomplete Life | Nominated | |
| Best Director (TV) | Kim Won-seok | Won | ||
| Best Actor (TV) | Lee Sung-min | Won | ||
| Best New Actor (TV) | Yim Si-wan | Won | ||
| Kim Dae-myung | Nominated | |||
| 10th Seoul International Drama Awards | Best Miniseries | Misaeng: Incomplete Life | Won | |
| Best Director | Kim Won-seok | Nominated | ||
| 8th Korea Drama Awards | Best Drama | Misaeng: Incomplete Life | Won | |
| Best Production Director | Kim Won-seok | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay | Jung Yoon-jung | Nominated | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor | Yim Si-wan | Nominated | ||
| Excellence Award, Actor | Kim Dae-myung | Won | ||
| Special Jury Prize | Yim Si-wan | Won | ||
| 4th APAN Star Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Lee Sung-min | Won | |
| Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Yim Si-wan | Won | ||
| Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Kang So-ra | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Kim Dae-myung | Nominated | ||
| Lee Geung-young | Won | |||
| Best New Actor | Byun Yo-han | Won | ||
| Kang Ha-neul | Nominated | |||
| 2016 | tvN10 Awards | Best Actor | Lee Sung-min | Won |
| Best Content Award, Drama | Misaeng: Incomplete Life | Won | ||
| Made in tvN, Actor in Drama | Yim Si-wan | Nominated | ||
| Made in tvN, Actress in Drama | Kang So-ra | Nominated | ||
| Scene-Stealer Award, Actor | Byun Yo-han | Nominated | ||
| Kang Ha-neul | Nominated |
With his webtoon, author Yoon Tae-ho drew an analogy between life in modern society and the game of baduk, a chess-like strategy board game. He also wrote vivid descriptions of the everyday life and struggles of Korean corporate culture as his flawed characters deal with the fierce competition for survival, interpersonal work relationships and office politics. Misaeng: Incomplete Life gained immense popularity among Korean white-collar workers in their twenties and thirties largely because its realism resonated with their experiences. It drew 1 billion hits when it was published on online portal Daum from September 2012 to October 2013, and the nine-volume paperback version sold 900,000 copies. It is now considered a must-read comic in the country.[33][34]
| This section needs to be updated. (October 2020) |
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