Forget the Heavy 'Undercover', The Beginning of a Cheerful and Lively Office Infiltration tvN has ambitiously introduced Undercover Miss Hong as the new Saturday-Sunday drama responsible for the weekend home theater. Usually, when the subject matter of "Undercover" is used in movies or dramas, one tends to think of dark and humid noir genres or life-threatening espionage action. However, recent trends are a bit different. While adopting the setting of hiding one's identity and infiltrating a specific organization, the trend is to unravel the chaotic episodes that occur within it in a comical way. Undercover Miss Hong also defies the solemnity exuded by its title; upon opening the lid, it is closer to a lighthearted comic office drama blending bouncing characters with 90s nostalgia. A drama perfectly suited to the tastes of viewers who waited for a show they could enjoy with a laugh rather than a headache-inducing revenge play on a weekend evening has been born.
'Trusted Actor' Park Shin-hye, The Class of a 'Rom-Com Queen' Unchanged Even After Marriage and Childbirth The most powerful driving force leading this drama is undoubtedly the protagonist, Park Shin-hye. Having built solid acting skills since her days as a child actor, she exudes an irreplaceable presence in this work as well. Although she is actually 35 years old (born in 1990) and has become a mother after marriage and childbirth, on screen, she still retains the freshness of her early debut days. The role she plays, 'Hong Geum-bo', is also 35 years old, matching her real age, but the setting requires her to disguise herself as a 20-year-old new employee, 'Hong Jang-mi', for an operation. Park Shin-hye perfectly persuades viewers of this setting, which could easily be awkward, with her unique youthful beauty and lovely acting skills. Her "Rom-Com Power," unchanged by the passage of time, is the number one contributor to making viewers immerse themselves in the drama.
From Financial Supervisory Service Ace to Parachute Intern, Hong Geum-bo's Double Life The "main character" Park Shin-hye plays, Hong Geum-bo, is an elite among elites who holds the title of the first female supervisor in the history of the Securities Supervisory Board (currently the Financial Supervisory Service). Although she was on a roll with cool-headed judgment and unstoppable drive, she faces the crisis of being placed on a waiting list due to being swept up in a certain incident related to Hanmin Securities. The method she chooses to restore her honor and uncover the truth is to get a job as a "parachute" (nepotism hire) intern named 'Hong Jang-mi' in the planning team of Hanmin Securities. A situation where a seasoned 35-year-old career woman has to return overnight to being a 20-year-old rookie, the youngest in the office. This extreme change in status becomes a key fun element of the drama and the starting point for numerous incidents that will unfold.
"Do-Re-Mi-Fa-'Sol'~!" 2000s Gen X Sensibility Armed with High Tension Park Shin-hye's efforts to play the 20-year-old 'Hong Jang-mi' are both tearful and adorable. To hide the maturity of a 35-year-old and appear like a fresh 20-something, she presents acting calculated thoroughly from her tone of voice to every single action. In particular, her high-tension voice, trying to maintain the "Sol" pitch of the "Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol" scale, is like the signature of the Hong Jang-mi character. She also attempted a drastic visual transformation by perfectly digesting the "Gen X" fashion popular in the late 90s, such as flashy scrunchies, hoop earrings, and wide pants. Although it is a setting that could look exaggerated, Park Shin-hye digests it slyly, keeping the atmosphere of the drama bright and cheerful throughout. Instead of the tension unique to spy genres, eccentric and lively energy fills the screen.
Birth of an Intern with Maxed-Out Abilities, Catharsis from Unhideable 'Inner Strength' The biggest pleasure Undercover Miss Hong gives comes from the "misunderstanding" setting. On the outside, she is a clumsy parachute intern, but on the inside, she is a veteran supervisor who has been through it all. Whenever ability stats that are hard to expect from a 20-year-old new employee—from fixing copiers to reciting complex financial regulations—suddenly pop out, the surrounding characters are astonished, and the viewers feel a sense of gratification. Even in front of a boss giving unfair orders, Hong Jang-mi's confidence, reciting legal clauses internally and warning "Just try getting caught," plays the role of "Cider" (refreshing satisfaction) soothing the joys and sorrows of office workers. The well-founded confidence coming from the belief that she has a place (her real identity) to return to makes her even more attractive.
My Ex-Boyfriend is My Boss? A Risky Hide-and-Seek with Go Kyung-pyo Even the invincible Hong Jang-mi has a sole weakness and a natural enemy she wants to avoid: 'Shin Jung-woo' (played by Go Kyung-pyo), the president of Hanmin Securities. The two were seniors and juniors in college and are ex-lovers who loved passionately and broke up. The moment the identity of the 20-year-old Hong Jang-mi is discovered by Shin Jung-woo, who knows the 35-year-old Hong Geum-bo better than anyone, the infiltration operation will turn into bubbles. Hong Jang-mi's struggle to dodge Shin Jung-woo whenever she runs into him in the office corridor or elevator induces chewy tension along with the excitement unique to romantic comedies. Although Go Kyung-pyo did not have much screen time in episodes 1 and 2, expectations are gathering on how the "Hate-Love Romance" and past narrative the two will show as they get entangled will unfold.
Ha Yoon-kyung's Drastic Transformation, 'Tiki-Taka' Womance with Park Shin-hye Another discovery in this drama is actress Ha Yoon-kyung. Having shown an intelligent and calm image in Hospital Playlist and Extraordinary Attorney Woo, she has transformed into a character 180 degrees different this time. Ha Yoon-kyung, who plays the role of 'Go Bok-hee' in the secretary's office of the Hanmin Securities president, steals the spotlight from her appearance with tacky makeup, frizzy permed hair, and a personality full of scatterbrained energy. Go Bok-hee, who looks somewhat simple and ignorant but has self-esteem piercing the sky, bumps into Hong Jang-mi, who has to hide her identity, at every turn, creating a chaotic chemistry. The "Womance" of the two actresses, who seem anxious to eat each other alive but strangely fit well at decisive moments, is a laughter point not to be missed in this drama.
Just Before the 1997 IMF Crisis, Nostalgia and Romance of That Era The background of the drama is 1997, just before the shadow of the IMF foreign exchange crisis was cast, when the South Korean economy was booming. The drama actively utilizes retro props and backgrounds such as pagers, PC communication, Gayo Top 10, and popular songs of the time to stimulate the nostalgia of viewers. Beyond simple visual fun, it satirically depicts the social atmosphere of the time where the belief that "investing in stocks hits the jackpot" was prevalent, leaving a bitter aftertaste. Watching how the huge tidal wave of the era called the IMF will affect the fate of the protagonists in the story to unfold, and how Hong Jang-mi will navigate through that crisis, will also be an important viewing point.
Vertical Rise in Ratings, The 'Park Shin-hye Magic' Worked Again Despite being a drama with a somewhat long breath of 16 episodes compared to recent trends, the initial reaction is very hot. Undercover Miss Hong, which started smoothly with a 3.5% rating in the first episode, vomited a spirit of jumping to 5.7% in just two episodes, riding on word of mouth. This seems to be the result of the star quality possessed by actor Park Shin-hye and the viewers' needs for a comic genre that can be enjoyed lightly matching exactly. Signs are showing that Park Shin-hye, whose batting average for the success of previous works was good, will hit a "homerun" this time as well. Her potential to lead the play not too heavily, but not too lightly either, is expected to continue drawing an upward curve in viewership ratings.
Vitality of Weekend Nights, A Retro Comic Action Drama to Enjoy Comfortably Undercover Miss Hong is a drama that chose cheerful laughter and warm nostalgia instead of complex mysteries or headache-inducing conflicts. The audacious office life of a 35-year-old sister disguised as a 20-something, the risky romance with her ex-boyfriend boss, and the realistic appearance of office workers in the 90s are mixed to present a time that the whole family can comfortably enjoy on weekend nights. As it is still the early part, once the character buildup is finished and the full-scale incidents unfold, the fun will double. Enough to say "When life is tough, look at Hong Jang-mi," I decide to tune in next week, looking forward to the activities of Park Shin-hye full of positive energy.
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