Good Manager () is a South Korean television drama starring Namkoong Min, Nam Sang-mi, Lee Jun-ho, and Jung Hye-sung. It aired on KBS2 from January 25 to March 30, 2017 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 22:00 (KST) for 20 episodes.
Synopsis
Kim Sung-ryong, a certified public accountant who becomes a middle manager at TQ Group company in order to embezzle a large sum of money, ends up fighting for his employees' fundamental rights.
Cast
Main
- Kim Sung-ryong used to be a small-time accountant from Gunsan, a small city in North Jeolla Province, working for a mobster. He was investigated every year for accounting fraud and tax evasion but was proven innocent every time. Then, he got accepted to TQ as the chief of their accounting department.
- A strong and ethical woman. She is the assistant manager of TQ's accounting department.
- Seo Yul used to be an ace prosecutor until the chairman of the TQ group appointed him to be the Director for Finance.
- A police officer working undercover as an intern of the Finance department, who was hired as a spy by a prosecutor.
Supporting
TQ Group Business Operation Department
People at TQ Group
People at Seoul Central District Prosecutors
People at Gunsan
Extended
-
Lee Sung-wook
-
Park Kwang-jae
-
Jeon Ye-seo
-
Nam Sang-baek
-
Choi Kyu-shik
-
Choi Jae-sub
-
Eom Ji-man
-
Jo Jae-won
-
Heo Sun-haeng
-
Lee Yoon-sang
Special appearances
-
Kim Eung-soo as Bae Deok-po, gang leader (Ep. 1, 20)
-
Lee Sang-hoon
-
Song Yeong-gil
-
Jung Kyung-ho as man blackmailing Kim Sung-ryong
-
Lee Si-eon as Prosecutor Park Yong-tae (Ep. 20)
-
Kim Kang-hoon as Kim Sung-ryong (young)
-
Choi Jae-Hwan as Joong Gun, union leader (Ep. 5)
-
Park Ji-il as Head of department Choi Ik-joong (Ep. 17)
Production
-
First script reading took place on December 15, 2016 at KBS Annex Broadcasting Station in Yeouido-dong, Seoul, South Korea.
Original soundtrack
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Reception
Despite competing against big-budget drama
Saimdang, Light's Diary in the same time slot and having no big-name stars, the drama managed to top ratings during its run and enjoyed explosive popularity.
It received positive reviews for its punchy and satirical lines on the corrupt corporate owners and the society, which resonated with the viewers; and the multifaceted performance of lead actor
Namkoong Min, whose perfect amalgamation of character creation and acting saves "Good Manager" from what could have been an average office crime comedy.
said that the drama "has the ability to tell uncomfortable stories (story of embezzlement cases, mass layoffs and other societal issues regarding fierce competition) in a witty way".
Ratings
In this table, represent the lowest ratings and represent the highest ratings.
Awards and nominations
Adaptation
It was announced on March 24, 2017 that KBS Media will publish a book titled "Chief Kim's Work Book" set to be released in April related to the drama that will contain great tips for work life. The book will feature the drama's best scenes, best lines, and all of the illustrated episode endings. The illustrations will be drawn by
webtoon artist Yang Kyung-soo, who partnered with the drama to create the ending scenes for each episode. This project is the first collaboration between a drama and a webtoon.
External links
