First of all, this drama had the workings to be something really great. It wasn't terrible, wasn't even bad, it's just I expected so much more from The Producers and it didn't deliver at all, but it could of and that's what kills me!
Majority of viewers hated the first two eps, but I absolutely loved them! I didn't love Kim Soo Hyun's character (Baek Seung Chan) as much as I did in the first two eps. He is completely lovable and adorable, and I honestly just wanted to jump into the drama and give him a big hug. But as the episodes progressed, little by little my love for him slowly started to dwindle, that eventually I just found him annoying (still cute but I didn't care about giving him hugs).
I loved every moment highlighting the PD's struggles, and I didn't think there were enough of them. I also really enjoyed Cindy's character arc and anything that had to do with her. I loved her storyline, and it was my favorite part about the last ep.
Where this drama went wrong is that it felt rushed. The last episode was completely rushed. Come on now, this is a kdrama, why was it only 12 eps. I'm left feeling so unsatisfied because there was so much more to the story. Yeah, Cindy's stuff was concluded, but what about everything else? I would have loved to see more about the struggles for female PD's, I would have loved loved loved it if they fleshed out and built a strong solid friendship between the four mains. I would have loved even more if Baek Seung Chan and Ra Joon Mo became best friends. I would have really appreciated it if they fleshed out Ra Joon Mo's character more, period, because I really loved him omg. I feel like there wasn't even enough of Ra Joon Mo and Tak Ye Jin scenes.
If this drama had delved more into the lives of PD's and worked on building friendships and establishing relationships instead of wasting all their time on a romance no one even really took seriously, then it would have been tremendously better. I think with 16 episodes this drama could have been perfect. But eh, what do i know.
The cast was honestly the best aspect of this drama. I couldn't have asked for better casting myself. I fell in love with these characters and I cared about them, which is why I'm so disappointed because I wanted and expected so much more. But listen, all my complaining shouldn't stop anyone from watching this drama. I still enjoyed The Producers, it was really fun and entertaining. Is it a must-see? Eeehhhhhh, i don't know about that. Depends, do u love the actors in this? For example, Kim Soo Hyun? Then yes, I'd say get your butt in gear and watch it. But honestly, this drama is just one to help u pass the time. It isn't thought provoking, and definitely not a 10. It could have been, but it's not. So it just is what it is. And nothings wrong with that. Now, would I watch it again? Well, maybe if I was bored, yeah sure. But considering how I just finished it, I don't think I'll be doing a rewatch any time soon.
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Kim Soo Hyun was downright hilarious and really showed his worth and growth as an actor. IU was excellent as well, and even though I didn't expect much from her, I can totally see why they cast her; she was perfect. Cha Tae Hyun and Gong Hyo Jin didn't get to do much with their characters after all, as the focus was increasingly put on Kim Soo Hyun and IU due to viewer response and a commitment to fan service. Kim Soo Hyun ended up with the majority of the screen time, followed by IU and Cha Tae Hyun.
Gong Hyo Jin's character is surprisingly irrelevant for most of the drama, except the romance. This drama seemed to concentrate too much on the story of a pop star (IU), and any work-related problems for the female PD (Gong Hyo Jin) were relatively nonexistent for a drama about the work environment of PDs.
I don't have much to say about the romantic scenes; I ended up skipping most of them because I just wasn't entertained (and this is coming from someone who barely watches anything but romantic dramas). The acting, the comedy, and the sound track are on point so I gave this drama a pretty good score, but I wish there was more of the unique documentary-style editing which they decreased once they switched directors. I expected something fresh and different, but this ended up being pretty stale and it gave in to cliches. I think someone commented somewhere about how the world in which the characters live is pretty boring and slow-paced, and I would have to agree.
I wouldn't rewatch it as a whole, but some scenes are good enough to go find to make GIFs for tumblr, if you know what I mean (lol). Basically, I don't recommend this drama unless you're a die-hard Kim Soo Hyun or IU fan.
BUT THAT'S JUST ME...maybe you'll enjoy it more than I did!
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Secondly, I want to talk about the highlights of the drama. One of the writers that co-wrote this drama penned 'You Who Came From the Stars' which also starred Kim Soo Hyun. In 'You Who Came From the Stars' and most other k-dramas, the entertainment world is exaggerated to look glamorous and luxurious. The highlight of 'The Producers' is that it is completely the opposite. This drama is probably the most authentic depiction of the industry in South Korea and that is what kept me hooked. Well, that along with the brilliant acting of the cast. Everyone knows how talented Kim Soo Hyun and Gong Hyo Jin are so I won't bore you with repeating what you already know. I had never seen Cha Tae Hyun in anything before but was very impressed with him. Last but not least, I think Miss IU did a fangirl proud. I was personally worried about her because she was placed next to such big names but I think she did brilliantly. Her character was honestly the only one who really had a solid storyline individually and showed great character growth. Thus so (though I'm probably biased) I thought her character was the most interesting.
I also really enjoyed the music of this drama. From what I can remember, most of it was slow and relaxing. However, I think it suited the drama. In terms of 'rewatch value', it depends on how much you liked it the first time you watched it. I gave a 9 because, after having watched it a first time through, it might be nice to rewatch just to take it all in.
Overall, I really loved this drama. It was authentic and different from the typical k-drama. Since its different, not everyone will like it. However, I still thinks its a gem though I might be the only one with such an opinion. :) Happy drama watching!!!
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The story of Producer was something very new and original, and it showed a lot of potential. However, it did start off very slow. And to be honest, I don't know why they even used to story of Seung Chan's one-sided love for Ji Yeon. It wasn't even necessary to the plot of the drama. But once the latter half of the drama started, it got really good. I enjoyed Seung Chan's developing love for Ye Jin (although, I'm glad the Umbrella couple seemed like the winning couple near the end), and all the elements of producing. I really liked when we saw scenes focusing on Music Bank, like when Seung Chan and Cindy were going up in the lift together. It was so cute. I also loved the small love story between Hong Sun and Yang Mi, it was so funny to watch. Anyway, despite the slowness at the beginning, it was a really great story.
There was nothing to complain in the acting department. They were all great. To start off with, I'll talk about the main cast. Cha Tae Hyun was absolutely hilarious with his character of PD Ra Joon Mo, and he showed a very realistic side of a producer. Focusing a lot of his time of 2D1N, mouthing off at the rookie and showing genuine concern for those he cares about, like Ye Jin, Yuna and Cindy. Next off, Gong Hyo Jin was a lovely actress and she perceived her character of PD Tak Ye Jin very well. Although, the density of her character did annoy me, it was because of how the writers made Ye Jin, not how Hyo Jin acted her out. She did a lovely performance. Now, Kim Soo Hyun. His character of PD Baek Seung Chan was something completely different to his previous work of Do Min Joon, and yet, he was great at it. I also loved how he immersed himself in the character, as shown in interviews in Entertainment Weekly. Lastly, IU. I absolutely loved her character of Cindy, and she was so enjoyable to watch. I loved her slow but sure love development for PD Umbrella (aka Seung Chan). I just wish she got more screen time as I believe she got the least amount out the whole main cast. All of the supporting cast were brilliant as well, and Na Young Hee did another excellent job of making me annoyed at her character. My only problem was the girl who played Ji Ni (aka the next Cindy; Cindy No.2). Her acting wasn't the greatest, and was slightly stiff.
The music for this drama was also lovely, and I loved IU's single of 'Heart'. Although I'm not 100% sure that song was for the Producer drama (as I know it was also featured in We Got Married), it was released at the same time as the drama was still airing, so I'm just going to count it. However, besides IU's track, none of the other tracks were very memorable and didn't stand out well.
As much as I have enjoyed this drama massively, the only time I would re-watch this again is when I'm really bored. I have many other dramas I wish to focus on, and I also have to get through my last few weeks of school before I start thinking of re-watching another drama.
Overall, despite one acting choice, a slow start at the beginning of the drama and not very memorable tracks, this drama is very much worth watching and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in a good romantic comedy.
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STORY
I really enjoyed the whole drama. The directing and camera had a different style, which some people might mind but I think that it fitted well with this drama. There was a drama with Hyun Bin and Song Hye Kyo about drama makers few years ago, called Worlds Within. I really enjoyed that drama because there was a reality shown rather than the typical k-drama cliches we are all used to in the k-drama land. Producer has a similar feel but it is funnier and more fast-paced, which might suit greater audience of viewers. I think that the strongest appeal of this drama is the humour and the characters. The humour simply fitted my taste.
ACTING/CAST
For this drama, they definitely needed people who seem natural on the screen because of the directing style (documentary style) and the drama team made a good choice with the casting.
Gong Hyo Jin as Tak Ye Jin was brilliant as usual. I really like her style of acting. Definitely one of the actresses that acts naturally and shines on the screen. Her character here was a confident woman working in a business where it is tough for a woman to outshine. While watching the drama you could have observed that she loved receiving compliments and misunderstood many situations.
Cha Tae Hyun's character Ra Joon Mo was a again the nice guy. CTH does not belong to my favourite actors because it seems to me that he uses overreactions while acting a lot. Here, however, I did not mind him. Many people might complain on the chemistry between him and Gong Hyo Jin, but I think that they relationship was presented as a long-term friendship of people not realising their feelings and the actors presented that perfectly.
Kim Soo Hyun's character Baek Seung Chan stole the show in my opinion. The character was so well written and Kim Soo hyun did a really good job with his acting. Actually, I might be the only one who did not like his acting in You Who Came from the Stars and I hoped that this time, it will be better. And as for me, his acting seemed amazing. Back Seung Chan sort of quirky character, his clumsiness, sense of justice, social interactions and especially his little devilish acts always made my day. Definitely, one of my favourite characters in k-drama land.
As for IU, I enjoyed her acting in You're the Best Lee Soon Shin and she did not disappoint me here. At first I found her character quite annoying but as her different sides got peeled off one by one, I became fond of Cindy.
I also have to mention Kim Jong Kook. Yes, his acting was a bit awkward but it was his first drama so what were you expecting? I really enjoyed his character ' Stefano' and his relationship with Go Yang Mi..who saw the drama will know. Anyway, if he stars in anything else, I will watch it :).
MUSIC
Music was good but not memorable.
REWATCH VALUE
I will definitely re-watch the drama because it was simply hilarious.
OVERALL
It is a really good drama full of reality, humour and life lessons. I definitely recommend it but also warn that it might not be for everyone. :)
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STORY
So we basically have a light hearted drama about the producers of the korean TV channel KBS. The protagonists have to do with the variety and music shows, while IU plays a kpop idol. As a drama, meaning the love story/triangle, character developments, backstory revealings ect, nothing extraordinary happens. Everything is pretty straightforward, we get a love triangle between the main characters and the writers played a lot around with the ships.
I said it is a wonderful drama but not for the obvious reasons exactly because the main goal of the drama isn't to showcase a specific story, it wants to give an insight of what happens behind the cameras of a TV channel, and also what happens behind the fake smiles of the kpop industry. Each episode has a main idea to explain about how the TV world works, ex: what happens when a show gets cancelled, what happens when a show has failling ratings, what happens when the producers want to cast new show members ect. And along with these questions that are explored in each episode we get closer to the 4 main characters and their (love) lives that get tangled up pretty quickly.
What i loved the most was the insight we got about the kpop industry. This was probably the main reason why i liked the drama as a whole. As a huge kpop fan, a lot of questions, ideas, or thoughts i had about the industry get explored here (ex: how bad a company treats their idols, or are the images each idol presents their true self or just a fake image their company forced them to present, also how do the idols feel, are they really happy and confident as they seem or they are as depressed as every one of us ect).
About the episode lenght, because people said the drama was too short ect, well, i started the drama because it was just 12 episodes, but it took me longer than any other drama i've ever watched to finish it. Each episode has 70-90 minutes long, the last episode is almost 2 hours. Yes, the episodes are 12 in total, but they felt more than 20 to be honest. In 80 minutes there were a bunch of unnecessary stuff being presented which annoyed me, filler sub-stories ect.
Overall, as far as the plot goes, it wasn't the best plot ever, everything that was shown has been done before, it wasn't anything super complicated, it was mostly based in the main cast ships. The show payed a lot of attention in giving an insight on the music and tv industry in korea.
ACTING
Brilliant, and top notch just like in almost every kdrama...
I think it is public knowlegde what a flawless actress Gong Hyo Jin is, nothing else needs to be said. She was as amazing as always here. Cha Tae Hyun was also good in his role, same goes for Kim Soo Hyun (he is such a sweetheart).
I want to give a special paragraph to IU, because she blew me away. I can't say i'm a huge fan of her as an idol, but i really loved her acting, she was a perfect match for this role. I am not sure if she is THAT good, but sometimes it didn't really feel like she was acting, i felt like she was herself, ex: when she was bitchy, or when she was feeling lonely, like noone was there, in need of friends ect. It seriously felt like Cindy was up to a certain point IU herself. I really liked her, and she grew on me even as a singer.
RECOMMEND/REWATCH
Hm, well this is tricky. I can understand people saying that the drama was boring, i felt bored sometimes during the episodes, (90 minutes were really too much), so about the recommendation, i'd say, watch it if you are a kpop fan like me, so you'll appreciate and expect more than just the 'usual' drama from it.
Would i rewatch it? Probably not, putting all the kpop info i got aside, the plot was 'been there, done that';.
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What sets this drama apart is that everyone is likable. There are several side characters that make an impact along with the main characters. The cast had great chemistry and they seemed to gel really well. For me this drama was largely enjoyable due to the references to the current pop culture of Korea. The references to variety shows, idols and the cameos- OMG! It had me squealing out loud with laughter.
There were times this drama was a typical Kdrama. We have a love square here (like always) but for me it was a bit difficult to guess who would end up with who. Wish they had focused lesser on that and had continued the same format it had for the first 7 or so episodes. After that the drama became a bit repetitive at times.
It felt like the writer had no idea what to do with the story later on as the drama is so short. 12 episodes is way too less for me and I felt like so much more could have been explored had it been 16 or 18 episodes. It's kind of unfair, if you ask me.
Anyway, the cast is lovely and IU really surprised me with her acting. She was terrible in the beginning but she grew on me as the story progressed. Her character has the best growth out of all. Plus I loved Kim Soo Hyun in this. I normally don't like him (yeah, throw stones at me) but here he was hilarious. Gong Hyo Jin & Cha Tae Hyun were wonderful as well. But really- Kim Soo Hyun is the one who entertained me MOST here. Also the cameos like TaeTiSeo, JYP, Hani, Dara, etc. was a true treat to someone who loves kpop.
I like the OST as well and I would recommend the song 'And One' by Baek Ji Young for a listen.
Wish there would be a Season 2 and I can probably be satisfied for real. Anyway, I am glad I watched this drama.
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It IS the winsome foursome cast (and characters) that makes this drama. After my disappointment with MLFAS Do Min Joon character, (admittedly he is dreamy) but failed to stretch Kim Soo Hyun's acting prowess. He is simply adorable here as Baek Seung Chan. It is quite similar to his Dream High Sam Dong character, but Kim Soo Hyun managed to incorporate mannerisms that is uniquely Baek Seung Chan. He is the glue that held this drama together.
IU. IU! She really ran away with this one, and the best part of this drama by mile. To think, after the first 2 eps, I was dreading how she will hold up to the 3 other actors, as I was cringing on her apathetic bored scenes. She slowly grew on her character, as her story arc gradually became the most engrossing part of this drama. As opposed to MLFAS Chun Song Yi (who is amazing, btw, don't get me wrong), Cindy didn't need any superhero to keep saving her in times of trouble. I keep waiting for someone to come and save her out of a rut, as kdrama tropes are wont to do, but she didn't need them at all.
Gong Hyo Jin and Cha Tae Hyun. They did get the short end of the stick with their story arcs, esp. Gong Hyo Jin, but it is to the likability of the characters that I was still invested in their friendship story arc by the last episode, and it is rewarding, despite the somewhat rocky path going there.
The villain is great here! MLFAS really failed me with its cartoony villain. By the end, I still didn't understand the killer's motivation. In contrast here, that the situation and motivation is something that is happening right now in our world, and the last scene with the villain is perfectly done.
The weak point of this drama is definitely the love quadrangle which went on and on, one good thing though nobody got malicious, just funny petty jealousy all around. As a fan of k-variety, I also wished for more story on the producer life. It did take a backseat when the love lines got tangled, but it did tie up nicely at the end.
I know the drama did well by me, if after the last scene, I already miss the characters, and didn't want to leave their world.
P.S. Kim Soo Hyun's ng scene of laughing boisterously at Gong Hyo Jin's aegyo drunk act is so funny! Didn't know he can out-laugh Cha Tae Hyun :).
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The set-up in the beginning is more like a mockumentary style, which I wasn't a fan of as I thought it made the whole pace a bit slow. After the first couple of episodes though, they smooth out the bumps and things start flowing a lot better. If not for the awkward pacing in the beginning (which is somewhat characteristic of mockumentaries I find), I would have given this drama 5 stars.
The best part of this show was the cast. Cha Tae Hyun and Gong Hyo Jin are amazing and their roles in this drama are no exception. Kim Soo Hyun and IU also did well in their roles. I loved the development of characters and the relationships between them. The characters are all somewhat petty, but they each have their own charm. There's a lot of dry humour and cheesy humour. The dynamics between the characters are what made me continue watching past the first few episodes.
I thought it depicted the romance aspect quite well too. The way characters dealt with situations felt realistic and there were no overdramatic moments that are so characteristic of kdrama romances.
There are a lot of Korean culture references and cameos, and if you've watched a few Korean variety shows then I'm sure you will enjoy them.
This drama isn't one that is full of action and dramatic events. One might consider it to be slower in pace, but I never felt that the drama dragged too much (after the initial couple of episodes, as I mentioned). If you can make it through the first couple of episodes, I would say this drama is rewarding with its charming array of characters that leave you with a satisfying feeling at the end.
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It’s amazing how many unreasonable people are in this show. It took me a while to warm up to this show but it did hook me by episode 4. This is such a strange show with strange characters. Even more strange than usual I would almost say.
Everyone is so full of themselves and every single character talks about their non-existent coolness. They are all trying so hard to put on a good show for everyone (literally and metaphorically). It’s weird seeing the main characters throwing around their weight so much and their sense of entitlement. They are all concerned about what everyone else thinks. To fend off their insecurities they attack each other.
Ye Jin – female lead
“You’ll know once you start editing. When someone says something and there’s no response from the other person...then that means...you have to edit it.”
It’s always really great to see a woman in a male-dominated work force.
Ye Jin and Joon Mo are good friends. They tell each other everything and then they make fun of each other a lot too.
Seung Chan
Seung Chan is the only normal guy in this drama. He gets picked on but in a way that is so ridiculous, I still laugh anyway. He’s the kind of guy that apologises for everything but he’s pretty much never in the wrong really. He likes to follow the rules.
He has very subtle ways of showing his contempt or rebellious nature.
He has passive aggression to the limit.
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Had Potential
The ProducersI remember watching an interview with Kim Soo Hyun where he was asked why he agreed to be part of this drama. He replied that he wanted to shed his Do Min Joon character and I decided to give it a try. I thought it would be also good for me to see him doing something completely different.
I didn't have any expectations going into this drama but looking at the cast, I thought maybe this was going to be amazing giving the different storyline and the fresh documentary editing style. It had great potential from the start but as it progressed and perhaps given the short numbers of episodes, nothing was really well developed and there was never really a point to anything. I did find the day-to-day struggles that PD's face in this drama was very interesting, but it failed to have proper depth, choosing instead to focus on a silly romance that was not going anywhere.
Overall I enjoyed watching Kim Soo Hyun in a new role but ultimately this drama suffered from changing directors halfway, not having more episodes, and a bit more time to develop characters and story-line.
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Producers kept changing their approach
Short: Starts out looking really different to most, if you're familiar with "The Office" UK/US shows it's like that, docu-drama comedy style. I enjoyed the character arcs and how they developed, or for those that didn't necessary develop - they had other things to make them interesting. But it was IMHO too short and deserved at least a 16 run to make full use of the characters.Detail:
Four characters in this story. The newbie producer who is probably the main thread that links it all together, coming at both work and life with freshness and naivity, but he's smart and bright so he picks things up. The two old-hand producers who have been friends for 25 years, one is constantly wrong in all his predictions (so much so that he's a reliable method of predicting the future, if you do exactly the opposite of what he says) and has a history of faltering shows including the one he's doing at the current time. The other is well established and PD of a successful Music show, but outside of work she's comically utterly oblivious to things that are going on around her, which leads to some amusing moments where you will face palm as it sounds like she's finally realised something - and then misinterprets it AGAIN. Lastly, the pop idol Cindy (played by IU) - who goes through the biggest transformation in just about every respect in this story.
This one starts out looking like the docu-drama-comedy type style with what seem like interviews and fly on the wall filming, intended to make the viewer feel like they're watching the behind-the-curtains activities of producing the TV shows they watch. If you aren't familiar with the style or it doesn't gel with you then that's going to make the first couple of episodes awkward to watch but I enjoyed it, it was different and I am always keen to see producers trying different ideas rather than just re-hashing the old favourites all the time. However, it looks like they changed their mind and this style of production mostly goes away after the first couple of episodes, returning on the odd occasion. A shame, but perhaps it just wasn't going down well with the audience when it was shown.
There's a good range of support characters too, in the office and at the various homes.
IU's character, Cindy, starts as a bratty celebrity expecting everything her way - but the story shines a harsh light on some of the brutal realities behind the lives of Idols and how fleeting things are. She comes out as a strong character who is able to wrestle back control of her life from what seem like impossible to beat odds and hers were some of my favourite scenes in the whole drama.
Overall I thought it was enjoyable, with some definite high points, but it was too short and with a cast of this level (who were all superb, as expected!) deserved much more attention than it got.
Its important to note that while it's 12 episodes - most of those are 70-80 minutes, and the final one is 1h45, so it's not going to feel short - you're just going to be left wanting more. I should also add that it does have a conclusion, perhaps more of a summary rather than a conclusion, and does feel like an ending, even if you are thinking "no, wait, more!". :)
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