Misaeng (Incomplete Life) is a drama I would recommend to anyone, but especially to people who don't like Kdramas. Why? Because everything about Misaeng is different from 95% of other dramas, from the plot, the characters, and the music. First of all, it tells a very mature story and completely relatable and realistic. Most of it takes place in an office, and focuses on a newbie who tries to fit in and survive. "Survival" would be the word to describe this drama - it shows the harsh realities of the corporate world and how anyone can be gone at a moments notice, and how anything can happen, both good and bad.

There is hardly any romance to speak of. This is a rarity in the Kdrama world and many people will criticize Kdramas (and often rightly so) that there is too much romance, and that it is often stupid and cringe worthy. Not with Misaeng. You think at the start that there would be romance, but then you realise that the story doesn't focus on that at all. This drama to me, was all about subverting expectations. Melodramatic and over-the-top music? None of that. Corny acting? None of that. Predictable plot? Not at all. Every episode ends on a happy, or at least somewhat happy ending? Certainly not. This drama goes to some very, very dark places and that's why some people can't handle it. But if you want to watch something realistic, and not have everything end with "happily ever after", then this is for you.

On top of all that, the acting is first-class. I loved how most of the actors in this weren't extremely well-known, and they chose quality over popularity. The main actor Im Si-wan is great, and you will feel sympathy for him from the first episode. The supporting cast are also wonderful. But it is Lee Sung-min who truly is the best, and gives a world-class performance. I believe he is one of the finest Korean actors of all time.

Finally, when it comes to the plot, Misaeng is also original. The story is a mixture of over-arching story lines, as well as smaller stories contained in each episode. It is by no means an episodic series, but many episodes do contain self-contained plot lines as well as stories which are continued onto the next episode. This is what I love about Misaeng, because it balances both of these out. I usually dislike dramas which focus way too much on plot-lines and having crazy twists at the end of each episode, and not enough time is spent on character development and smaller plot-lines in the background. Misaeng has the perfect mixture. By the end of the 20 episodes, I guarantee you will feel attached to all the wonderful characters, and you'll be very sad. Not because it has a devastatingly depressing ending (it doesn't), but because you'll hate saying goodbye to all the characters, and wishing that the series was longer.