Awl (2015)

I didn't expect to get excited, laugh and cry over—labor, of all things. I'm not sure how much appeal this will have for younger viewers who aren't in the workforce, but quite a few scenes resonated with me. Don't be scared off by the plot. Even though Awl covers unions, labor law and workplace issues, it's not a lecture (except when it is, but even then it's fun!). Despite delving into the ugliness of reality, you never lose sight of the fact that the workplace is ultimately populated by people—and that we are equally capable of cruelty and kindness. A key theme is that there are no good guys in a fight; unions defend the mean and poor against the cruel and rich. Despite all that, we get our escapist fun with a dash of faith in the basic good of humanity.

The MC is an uptight manager at a supermarket. He refuses an order to illegally fire employees and quickly ends up organizing a union with the help of a wizened labor lawyer. Per the title, he is the spike that drives a wedge into this closed society. But soon the show moves past him to feature other's stories and motivations. It might be one righteous individual that drives the first swing, but it's the actions and support of many others that widens the crack. The show also explores how he withstands the pressure—you have to hit an awl, it's not a sledgehammer.

The plot started out slow, with a big emphasis on exposition. I ended up sitting at the edge of my seat pretty quickly. There are some comedic moments that felt forced, but overall the cast gave great performances. For fans of Ji Hyun Woo and Ahn Nae Sang, this is a must see. They acted out rich, mutidimensional characters with finesse. If you came for a supporting character, I still suggest you watch—sub-plots are brief, but develop over time, and show off each actor's strength.

This is a show that easily deserves 16+ episodes. The ending wrapped up far too quickly, with huge leaps. The writing wasn't exactly slipshod, but needed saving by the actors. But when do we ever get a great ending? Still, it got pretty good ratings (almost 2% average on cable), so I'm hoping this will be the "awl" for similar works—there are only so much high schoolers and makjang that one can take.

If you watched the movie Cart, which is based on the same true story, the plot is quite different.

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