Every now and then, an unexpected gem comes to the home theater, and that's exactly what happened with MBC's ambitious new drama, “Director Meng's Malcontent.” It was the winner of the MBC Playwriting Competition, and it showcases the fresh perspective and ambition of a new writer. MBC has often presented experimental but high-quality dramas in the form of one-act plays or special projects to discover new writers and provide viewers with a variety of entertainment, and “Director Meng's Bad Plot” is considered a successful example of this intention.
“Director Meng's Badmouthers” is based on the hilarity and warm humanity of MBC dramas, but it also tackles a darker aspect of modern society called “badmouthing” head-on. The story centers on Meng Gong (Park Sung Woong), a legendary basketball coach who was once known as the “One Team Man” and led his team to the championship. When he is suddenly transferred to a rival team, he is labeled a “traitor” and a “money-grubbing snob,” and from that point on, he is subjected to an unstoppable baptism of bad words.
The protagonist, Coach Meng Gong, is played by Park Sung-woong, an actor synonymous with depth, who is charismatic yet delicately conveys his inner anguish. The indiscriminate abuse directed at him only intensifies as his former biggest fans turn against him. As the saying goes, “it only takes a moment for love to turn to hate,” and they turn into haters, hurling curse words at Meng and the entire team he leads. The setting serves as a realistic reminder to viewers of how deeply hurtful a culture of thoughtless criticism that relies on anonymity online can be to individuals, and how far the ripples can reach.
Your team is at a critical juncture in the playoffs, and to make matters worse, your captain and ace player get into an on-court fistfight during a game. To rally his team and prevent further chaos, Coach Meng decides to sue all of his detractors en masse. Among them is Go Hwa-jin (Park Soo-oh), a still-young high school student, which adds to the tension as the story enters a new phase.
Go Hwa-jin firmly believes that Coach Meng is partially responsible for the death of his older brother, a once-promising basketball player, who ended his career in an unsavory incident. This deep misunderstanding and festering anger has turned him into a vicious blogger, and he even plans to socially bury Coach Meng in revenge. However, the drama suggests that there were unavoidable circumstances that forced Coach Meng to change teams, and shows that he has been silently withholding the truth, bearing all the blame and misunderstandings alone in order to honor the last vestiges of loyalty and courtesy to his former team. This twist reminds us of the dangers of rushing to blame and judgment.
As a drama based on basketball, the cameo appearances of basketball stars from the past, such as Hyun Joo-yup and Kim Hoon, add a touch of nostalgia for basketball fans. In addition, the OST of Kim Min-kyo's “The Last Game,” which led to the basketball drama craze in the 90s, is appropriately utilized as background music to enhance the immersion of the drama.
Despite being a two-part drama, ‘Coach Meng's Malcontents’ manages to deliver a high level of quality thanks to its fast-paced plot, well-organized structure, and strong acting. It's a well-made drama that tackles complex real-life issues without weighing them down too heavily and gives you something to think about, so you can enjoy it with a relaxed mindset. It's currently available to re-watch on major OTT platforms like TVING and Wavve, so if you haven't seen this fascinating show yet, we recommend checking it out.
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