Watch Korean Drama VIP on KOCOWA

Title: VIP

Director: Lee Jung Rim

Writer: Cha Hye Won

Network: SBS

# of Episodes: 16

If you’ve started 2020 watching a new drama and haven’t watched VIP on KOCOWA yet you are going to have to run it back fam! This drama is hands down some of Jang Nara’s best work yet and you can see why after she took home the Producer Award at the 2019 SBS Drama Awards. Not only did she provide an amazing performance, but her co-stars also nailed their roles in the drama. Lee Chung Ah was awarded Best Supporting Actress for her role as the cool and collected “know it all” employee at the office, Pyo Ye Jin won Best Character Award for her role as the new employee at VIP who’s always plagued by rumors, and Lee Sang Yoon took home the Excellence Award in a Miniseries (Male) for his portrayal as the main character’s cheating husband.

Honestly speaking, I had given up on following Jang Nara’s work since I had just pegged her for an actress stuck in RomComs that plays the same role over and over just in different dramas. However, watching her play a more serious role was nice and refreshing. Seeing her balance, a character who’s not only caring, but stern, tactful, and angry at some points made me understand that she’s much more capable than what I gave her credit for. Moving forward I hope she’s able to book more roles with a serious character to show how versatile she can really be than just the RomCom genre that she has already mastered.

sbs vip kdrama — Jang Nara as Na Jung Sun

Another character that I want to touch on is the character played by Lee Chung Ah. She’s definitely that “ice princess” archetype but with so much more to offer. She knows everything about business just as much as she knows herself. She stays in her lane and tries to keep out of office gossip because she has bigger things to worry about; herself and her family. I know it’s probably not #womancrushwednesday but I’m always a sucker for these types of characters. In any case, Chung Ah’s character is far from innocent as she has some skeletons in the closet that she has to confront both in and out of the office.

VIP Lee chung ah — Lee Chung Ah as Lee Hyun A

If you need further convincing about this drama, the cinematography is very pleasant. Although the filter used is noticeably darker than the average, it definitely sets the mood by giving it a cool tone throughout. The episode introductions are also kind to the ear in that they are reminiscent of Final Fantasy with a type of glass or crystal-esque sound to them as you’re introduced to each episode title. What really makes you stand at the edge of your seat however is how this drama makes the use of text messages oh so vague. Every time a text is sent between the cheating husband and the mistress, the camera cuts to every character receiving a message. As it is a drama around the office, everyone is busy receiving texts so guessing who’s the homewrecker is rather difficult until the middle episodes where the character involved in the affair is explicitly revealed. Luckily the director knows when to wean off of this throughout the later episodes so as not to have it be too played out.

Finally, the character development! This drama does a great job of developing their characters so as to better understand why they are the way they are. Throughout the drama there are episodes that dedicate the time to flesh out how the characters know each other outside of the office or how they behave with family and loved ones. You’re able to understand why Jang Nara’s character is so neurotic about the affair, or how Lee Chung Ah’s character becomes such an “ice princess” after she graduated college. The culmination of this as well as all the other points made throughout this article is why I think you should really watch VIP before you start any other drama. Be advised, this is NOT a RomCom, so if you’re expecting lighthearted and fun, you’re going to have a rough time. Otherwise, really give VIP a chance and leave your thoughts in the comments below!