On Ma-Eum (Kim Se-Jeong), former Judo competitor, finds a new job as a webtoon producer. There she encounters the difficulties of working with temperamental artists.
K-Drama Bingo Score
Using the Modern K-Drama set
Running commentary
Kim Se-Jeong, fresh off of the great Business Proposal, is back as a former Judo athelete and webtoon fan. Personally, she oozes an assertive self-confidence (which you see in her stints as event security), but her entry into a new profession results in an endless barrage of reasons to doubt herself — from rookie mistakes to conniving colleagues. Even the characters that see her potential are strangely hands-off while they literally stand and gawk at her integrity being verbally pillaged right in front of them.
The season falters: Ma-Eum fades a bit into the background, and the survival struggle of the Webtoon department takes center stage. The love interest subplots here are weak: I literally don't know if Ma-Eum has a crush on Director Seok (and vice versa), or if he's just her mentor. PD Goo, who started at the same time as Ma-Eum, is a wishy-washy character who seems to be smitten by Ma-Eum, but has alternately been working against and in support of the Webtoon department because of his personal demons (dead sister) and his career ambitions.
In the end, the webtoon department wins the day, and its position at Neon is solidified and everyone keeps their job, yay! Evil defeated once more.
But we get no resolution to the love interests: Ma Eum never confesses to Director Seok, and Jun-Yeong confesses to Ma Eum, but she never answers him. Roll the credits. Disappointing. Today's Webtoon has all the trappings of a great K-drama, but falls short in the details.
- S01E11Jun-Yeong's sister, who used to work for Gingertoons, is killed by a car after being laid off from her job.
- S01E04Dae-Lyug is picked on by other attendees of the Webtoon Camp
- S01E08Gang-Nam sees Princess Gumiho in real life
- S01E08Staff dinner!
- S01E09Before his début, Artist Sin lived in a closet-sized apartment
- S01E08Director Seok and his ex-wife exchange finger hearts
- S01E13Long-distance standoff. Expertly filmed.
- S01E02Ae-Ri's funeral
- Bonus point for: A woman carrying a manS01E02Ma-Eum carries the lightweight home
- Bonus point for: Touching thumbs at the endS01E08Director Seok and his ex-wife make a promise
- Bonus point for: If the cause is not hunger, but need for a bathroomS01E11, S01E14Ma-Eum's belly betrays her; later, her sister (The Webtoon Witch) needs a bathroom, stat!
- S01E03Ma-Eum's talisman is a coin that DIrector Seok flipped on the day of her interview
- S01E07The tastefully-handled departure of Im Dong-Hee takes place at a playground
- S01E02Random webtoon fan on the bus gives two thumbs up for his favorite webtoon.
- Bonus point for: A woman grabbing a man instead of the more common man grabbing womanS01E12Ma-Eum grabs Pomme's stalker. Not a romantic gesture, but I wouldn't mess with Ma-Eum.
Unmatched Bingo Spaces
- (Dis)possession
- Childhood friends forgotten
- Crushing Debt
- Middle-of-the-Road Soliliquy
- Son Hyeung Min
- 강한나 (Kang Han-Na)
- 내 친구 ("My friend…")
- 한국어학교 (Language lessons)