Introverted Boss (2017)

The best thing about Introverted Boss is the middle part. That and the leading actor. The story is about a boss, whom all call a monster who hides from everyone. However, the truth is that he is just introverted and extremely shy, to the point that he can't speak up for himself. So, the girl was simply annoying at the first episodes, always sticking her nose where she shouldn't and creating trouble. Plus, everyone in the drama treated the shy boss like he was a criminal. Basically, the drama bullied it's lead male till he had hit rock bottom. Things picked up when the script changed and we got a better idea about the mystery regarding the death of the secretary. Plus, the relations in the office got better, as the guy started interacting more with his team, and the later started to understand him. And even though the girl's character was improved, the second male lead got seriously unlikable. Unfortunately, the last two episodes were seriously boring, as the mystery was unveiled and the story had nothing more to say. Finally, one of the pros of this drama was that it gave out the vibe of the "Another miss Oh" drama. So, 3.5 out of 10.

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Honestly this show delivered far more than I expected. The handling of introversion and suicide was done beautifully. It never tried to make anyone the "bad guy" nor made CEO Eun look like someone who needed to be "fixed". As an introvert I appreciated how they delved into the mindscape of someone who lives like this daily, and how there is no right or wrong way of communicating. Also they addressed the "mom in the workplace" as a valuable contributor to the team, not just a throw-away character.

The cast was great and played well off each other, and the music matched the scenes nicely. I felt the ending left a bit unanswered but it was nothing significant enough to change my opinion of the show overall.

Chances are I will watch this again in the future!

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Apanthropy - An aversion to human company; love of solitude.

Ahh, I can relate. As somebody who works all by myself I've come to love being alone -- (really) immersing myself in my work. Methinks solitude is bliss; albeit, I do also share desires to do kind things for others (like the protagonist of this show); albeit, I also prefer to help people in secret, avoiding comprising my apanthrophy. All I want to do is to be with my words. The two words that I thought of whilst watching "My Shy Boss" were "apanthrophy" and "tropoclastics" [the science of breaking habits] because obviously for a while the protagonist was finding bliss in solitude and then it gets into that self-improvement arc thingo particularly when he meets up with the love interest. Yadayadayda ... Kdrama goodness ROMANCE etcetera. . I'm avoiding spoilers LOL. Give this show a watch. It may not be your favorite show of all time or anything, but you'll surely enjoy it. If you're a Kdrama I'd be muckstruck if you don't enjoy this one.

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Summary: This show is a semi-mediocre plot with a surprisingly great male lead. If you are a fan of Yeon Woo Jin, I would highly suggest this drama as he is very lovable and plays a truly unique personality that's not often seen in any leading characters. Also, it would probably be best when binged watched as you won't have much time to be bored with the somewhat slow progression of the story. Finally, I feel like the conclusion of the show leaves the greatest impact on how well you remember and like a drama and I felt like it was just a little blah, nothing outstanding.

+/- Plot:
The initial episodes of the drama were all over the place--at times it felt like the writers were trying to grasp at too many genres, a little horror, a little comedy, obviously romance. It just felt a little messy, like they were trying for too many things and weren't excelling at any of them. It's not until about the 5th episode where we find out some of the backstory, which makes this drama satisfactory--so if you're interested in watching this show make sure to keep that in mind! In the beginning of the show I was completely opposed to having such an introverted lead, but as I struggled through the episodes I developed a further understanding of him and even grew to be fond of him--just as many of the other co-workers. The key that makes this show achieve the minimal amount of greatness it has is all due to Yeon Woo Jin's character and his slow, but steady progression towards opening up to others and coming out of his shell. Every time there was a scene where he would honestly speak his mind I was honestly moved by what he had to say; not only because of the encouragement and approval he spoke, but also because we came to understand the difficulty he went through to do so.
Overall, the progression of the story is a bit slow and felt that it was a bit too unrealistic as the female lead basically forgives the unforgivable. However, I can't say that this drama was a complete failure as I enjoyed a decent portion of it, and am also a fan of the theme selected by the writers. This show is all about being comfortable with yourself, no matter what others may think of you, and finding strength in those around you to help you through times of struggle rather than relying on your own abilities. And because we got to see some character development, in terms of Yeon Woo Jin, in the direction of these themes I can't complain.

+/- Character/Acting:
As I stated before Yeon Woo Jin is the show stopper in this drama. Prior to watching this show, I had never seen any of his other works so I was quite shocked and pleased with his performance and portrayal of his character. He plays his sweet, yet introverted personality very convincingly and makes it even relatable to the audience as I'm sure even extroverts have experienced at least one of his situations.
Park Hye Soo played out her cute role well, however in the introductory episodes I found her character very, very annoying. It isn't until about a quarter of the way through the show where this starts to get toned down a bit and the cutesy traits are turned up instead. While her acting wasn't outstanding, because of the opposites in the two personalities I thought that the two worked well together--they had a decent amount of chemistry, which was better than I expected.
The second leads, Yoon Park and Gong Seung Yeon, were also a little annoying throughout the show. Primarily because of their character's personalities. But I guess with the progression of the show we come to understand them and their choices a little better. Gong Seung Yeon played out her character well, however because of her character's issues I was thoroughly disappointed with her development as I felt that almost in an instant she made a 180 turn towards mental stability. Yoon Park's character also seemed to deal with some issues of self-worth which were likewise, magically fixed--there was hardly any development of either of these second leads and because of it I felt like there were some missing elements to the show.

+/- Music:
The majority of this drama's OST is quite bubble-gummy and I'm really not a fan of the genre, so it was a miss for me.

Rewatch Value: I'm going to have to say I wouldn't rewatch this show, simply because there wasn't anything too outstanding about it. I enjoyed it while I was watching and for that I'm grateful for all the efforts that went into making this show.

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Let's start this review, which I have to say is my first low rating for a long time. You can see my first impressions here if you missed it: https://mydramalist.com/profile/8270201/feeds/6b6vAFl

First of all, I have to say, what a mess up script. The screenwriter Joo Hwa Mi doesn't have many works, so I can say if this is especially a weak work, or if she is actually not so good. The fact is that we have a good premise here. The random scene of the suicide at the beginning of episode one breaks the expectation of a simple romance and pushes us to the mystery from the first minute. But the following events are very confusing and superficial. The motive of the female lead starts so strong, but she loses this strength in every single moment. I think her personality is the main problem here. If we had a determined female lead, the plot would be very interesting. The inconstancy in her decisions, the way how she interacts with the Boss even knowing that he is her focus... A great part of her disturbed me a lot. Park Hye Soo is funny, cute, and I think that some improvements in this character would be perfect to show the necessary intensity. I was expecting "Dear M", I hope that now the rumors are calmed down, we can see her soon.

Kang Woo Il (Yoon Park) was a character that I really hoped for more. I liked the fact that he wasn't just a bad guy, but had a story and background that make his character a little more complex and interesting. I would like to see more details in his changing in the process, but I think the script wasn't made for this. The same for Eun Yi Soo (Gong Seung Yeon). Her character started a simple support role, but suddenly we could see many nuances of her. Too suddenly, without preparations. The most wronged characters in my point of view.

But not everything is a disappointment. I have to make a big mark here for my favorite character in this show, our Eun Kwan Ki (Yeon Woo Jin). I love when a plot maintains the constancy of a character and doesn't just change everything as magic just to fit the story. The disorder of Kwan Ki is present and we see little changes in the process, but the essence of the character is the same and I really love this. Kwan Ki was a very oppressed guy, and the way how slowly he takes control of his life is very beautiful to see. I cried many times in his scenes struggling with his condition. This character was the highlight for me and what make me watch it until the end. The chemistry between him and Chae Ro Woon was also pretty good, they are very cute and funny together, but the problems with Chae Ro Woon made me not enjoy this so much.

I'll put this as an "I'm not so regretful" one (★★★★★). I had some fun watching it, but the low points are considerable if you don't have time to lose. If you like elaborated endings, maybe you should avoid this too. The magic of the last episodes is present here until the bones.

P.S.: I don't give spoilers here, so I'll try to not go deep in this, but I have to ask... WTH was that bathtub scene in the last episode???? Seriously, what a no sense reconciliation in a no sense place. Ok, now I'm done.

See you soon!
XOXO, Mari.

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My Shy Boss (aka Introverted Boss). I just finished this drama and found it utterly charming. It stars Yeon Woo Jin as Eun Hwan Ki, the CEO of a PR firm who suffers from crippling social anxiety. Park Hye Soo plays Chae Ro Woon, the irrepressibly outgoing young woman who ends up falling in love with him. The story struggles a little bit to find its footing in the early part of the series, especially as Chae Ro Woon pursues a revenge plot and spends some time doing things that will make you go 'who /does/ that?!?' but that resolved itself pretty quickly. The crux of this story is all about lack of communication and miscommunication. There are some fairly tragic outcomes due to people's inability to communication their feelings. Even with those, the show itself manages to keep a pretty upbeat feeling and wraps up adorably.

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You know when you read the description of a show and you pass over it, several times. Then one day when your bored you come across it again and think, why not, I've got nothing better to do. Then one episode turns into five before you know it. Introverted Boss is that type of drama. Just a feel good drama that makes you enjoy all of the different characters as they all grow throughout the drama. It's good to have a show like that every so often. I felt that the story was very well thought out. The writers managed to keep it flowing filling in the needed parts in a timely fashion. I also like how the story does tend to teach an age old moral along the way and that by following that moral a good ending can be achieved. The acting was also good even among he supporting characters. Although you can tell the main actress is not very experienced but she is a rookie after all and does very well considering. Overall I enjoyed this drama much more than I expected and would recommend it to people that need a good light hearted break from serious shows every now and then.

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Okay ..So starting episodes was quite good, after that it feels like there was no such surprising moments which will make you excited.
Female lead looked cute before but... became kinda annoying with time. Male lead was little Irritating. I agree he was introverted but he can't even explain her sister that she is wrong, and keeps feeling guilty for others wrongdoing. *Introverts are not like that* seriously.
And chemistry between leads was nice when it started but When they reveal reason of death of her sister it was really unacceptable.. how could she be together with him. I can't believe!
One major thing, why she have to do suicide for that reason. Why give up your own life for whom who didn't even loved her. And what's the point of keeping everything itself. I couldn't finish this title.
I had really high expectations from this. But it disappointed me.

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I started this drama because of the writer and Yeon Woo Jin, which I appreciated in his previous works. I've gotta say, I've liked this drama ever since the first episode despite it had a rough backlash because of the main female character. Yes, she is too nosy in the first episodes, but in my opinion the story gets better as it progresses. It mixes your office romance (but in a very subtle way) with a bit of mystery because you want to find out the backstory connected to the beginning of the drama as well. The main point here wasn't even the romance, but the relationships between the characters. You have this one-of-a-kind boss who is an introvert and acts weird in front of others and have a great variety of different people who work in the same environment, and of course the main female character who is exactly his opposite. You see how they grow together and form strong bonds and work to improve themselves. This drama has many comical moments as well as emotional scenes, and they made my heart flutter because I found them deep and also very, very, cute. You should give a change to the MFC because she shows her personality better as the story goes on.

In the acting department, Yeon Woo Jin was very good at playing the shy boss. Besides being super cute, he brought out a character who is relatable to life, with many layers to his personality that always surprised me. He and Park Hye Soo had a nice chemistry, imo. They were adorable together and shared some emotional scenes. She may have been a bit exaggerated at the beginning with her character, but then she finds her way. If you watched her in Age of Youth, here you'll see she is able to play a completely different character. Although I liked her performance, I think she needs to improve more. Well, she's young and has a long career ahead of her, so. The supporting cast was also great. I've seen Yoon Park in other dramas as well and I wish for the future that he'll land a main lead role, I'd like to see how he would do.

The music was cute and tailored perfectly for this drama.

Overall, is surely a drama I would rewatch because it's simple and light but it makes you think. It was such a pleasant story to watch unfold. If you love comedies, then I think you may like this because it is a refreshing story.

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I'm writing this review in order to show people who haven't watched this drama that they definitely should give it a try before judging by the ratings. Please be aware that the ratings are not realistic at all and probably rated by teenagers whose oppa didn't star in this drama :D. This is one of the most underrated dramas i've seen... It's sad because there are many reasons why it should be among the best rated ones. First of all, the topic is new and refreshing. The main male role is an extreme introvert with no social skills whatsoever, which definitely goes against the usual kdrama stereotype of a manly, bold and superhero-like male character. The main female role is also a rare seen type of female character in kdramas, she's the opposite of the male lead, an extrovert with no sense of shame :D (very cute and funny). I could talk about other characters in this drama as well because they all have their charms and throughout the series you get to love them all, but the review would be too long lol. It's the show in which you can clearly follow the characters development and growth, and throughout the series you get to love them and understand each of them and their problems. The psychological issues portrayed in this drama are very realistic and writers succeeded in showing how humans are actually fragile beings and how nothing in life is black and white, the complex of life and living is really portrayed well in this drama. It's one of the rare dramas that focus on the growth of the characters, their psychological problems and relationships in general. Secondly, besides the serious part of the drama, it's very funny and many scenes are just hilarious. Hwan Gi (the main lead)'s personality is shown in a funny way too. He appeals to people like a cold, strange person, even a psycho, but as they get to know him they realize how good and sweet he actually is, but the problem comes from his incapability of expressing himself so he hides in his office and avoids people and social interactions. His friend is in a role of a president of the company because he's good in communicating with people, while Hwan Gi as a real CEO hides in his office and does things quietly from there. Roo Won (the female lead) also thought of him as a bad person, and she actually came to work under his company with the thoughts of revenge. Roo Won's sister killed herself in that company; she was Hwan Gi's secretary. Although Roo Won came with such thoughts, working under him made her realize how he is actually a very good person, incapable of hurting anyone, and since the beginning she helps him to overcome his problems and to express himself better. You can see him slowly becoming more confident and less introverted and shy, and throughout the series his character grows a lot and he actually makes friends and falls in love. I like the fact that Roo Won always tells him how he doesn't have to change, that she likes him the way he is but instead he should learn how to love himself and how to communicate with people in his own way, which naturally happens. I believe it's the thing that is very important because it sends a message that you don't have to necessary change for other people to love you, you just have to learn to accept yourself the way you are and people will learn to do it too. Honestly, they are one of my favorite, maybe favorite kdrama couple. Their chemistry is just amazing, and their relationship is just beautiful and really sweet. I loved all of their moments together, they're just great. I really recommend this drama to everyone who is looking for something new, refreshing, sweet and funny. It's a great mix of comedy, romance and drama. P.S you probably heard that the script was edited after the first four episodes because of the complaints and low ratings, but i liked those episodes too and all of the episodes later get better and better. Anyway give it a try :)

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Cute & funny with a dark past

To begin with I wasn't really sure about this drama. With some of the incidents that happened in the first couple episodes, I found it to be a bit ridiculous and over the top. The car scene where Chae Ro-un keeps banging on Eun Hwan-gi's door, and when she chases him to his apartment etc. In these moments I was hoping that the drama wouldn't continue this way. Thankfully it didn't!

When it came to the scene where they are in the toilet cubicles and have a heart to heart is when I felt like it became okay.

The story from the beginning is quite dark and upsetting. I think I might have cried even.

It does get a little repetitive with the flashbacks. I've lost count how many times I've seen Ji-hye on the bed with Ro-un drawing that picture.

I couldn't make up my mind about Kang U-il. The relationship he had with both Ji-hye and his finaceé was weird. For them to get back together at the end was also strange.

10/10 for character development on Hwan-gi's part. I felt like we got to see him grow so much and become more comfortable around other people.

There were so many cute moments that I ate right up! It wasn't the most swoon-worthy drama but it certainly did have sweet and romantic moments.

All of the kiss scenes were exceptional! Especially one of the ones in the final episode where the camera pans around them both.

One part that was really cute was when Ro-un unexpectedly saw Hwan-gi dancing in his apartment. The camera focused in on him when he saw Ro-un and his reaction was priceless!

All of the side characters were interesting and I liked them all. They had a big enough part that didn't stray away from the main characters too much.

Let's talk about the ending. The rain was a little too 'The Notebook' for me, but I was still glad it ended happily. The fact that Hwan-gi danced in front of everyone and declared his love for Ro-un was really sweet, and showed us how far he'd come. However, I would have liked to have seen something bigger or better. I feel like in the end we just had to settle because the writers didn't know how to wrap it up.

The music was great; I don't think I really disliked any of the songs. Each time they played, it was just at the right moment!

I feel like I would re-watch this again some day.

-E

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