The acting was outstanding, and in spite of focusing on the female leads, there was plenty of male eye candy to keep one happy. Overall, this was the most engaging drama I've seen in a long time. Bravo!
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this is like a revolutionary drama~ a full on wonderful women's world drama! I loved all of them, I'm gonna miss it though I'd LOVE a 2nd season~
+ I loved all of the female cast! every single one
+ the drama was full of interesting diverse women
+ I loved the male casts too~
+ I just loved the whole "world"
+ scarlet and jihwan are my couple of the year~
what I didn't like:
- I'll be honest, I was over tammy's character and her relationship troubles.. she started off as a confident independent woman, but throughout she became a little selfish and self observed that I was worried if the show continued she'd just push everyone away with her arrogance.
- morgan was too perfect that even Chang Ki Yong seemed to have a hard time "connecting" to his character.. he did everything else well, the cute stuff and the flirting, but other times he was too, detached?
I'll blame these two points on the fact that all writers have a problem with showcasing a steady healthy relationship because they think it'd be "uninteresting"..
my rewatch values are either a 1 or 10, but I think now that I know the ending I'd love to rewatch it~
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I almost forgot to mention the second couple Ji Hwan and Scarlet at the beginning I didn't expected their story to have much time because ty are 2nd leads and I was hoping for them to have their own story there but again I wass wrong the screen time they had was perfect they were so cute that my heart melted
I can't pick a favorite coule because also the third couple was like go and back but their actions were justified because they love each other but doesn't show it
Over all it's really a beautiful drama may be someone can find it boring but this series targets more peoples from their 23' and over it has a background for mature people
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well-written women-centric K-drama and unique main plot!
I loved it but I also think it's not for everyone. If you're looking for fluffy romcom, this probably isn't it because you'll end up getting impatient over the lack of romcom scenes since it focused more on the life and work of Bae Ta Mi as a career woman in the industry—which I did end up falling in love with.I think the overall plot is amazing and I ended up loving it more than I expected. There's just so much to commend about this, specifically in the story writing.
I initially wanted to watch this for the romcom of it (Jang Ki-yong ftw) but I stayed for the story established from the very beginning (the Netflix preview had me hooked and I just had to watch it). Amazing story writing. The characters were realistic and the story went full-circle for everyone. I didn't feel like they established something early on only to forget it halfway. Everything was closed, thankfully.
I love that everyone had a distinct character, personality, and individual screen time that made you appreciate them and actually see them as beings and not as mere side characters. Though others were probably just plot devices to push the story forward, I like that they still had depth and their own stories. All the mini arcs of the characters in the TF team made me tear up and I was so happy for everyone.
Bae Ta Mi and Scarlett's friendship is one people should aspire to have at work—someone who'd constantly support you and back you when they know it's necessary, but also challenge your decisions to your face, not shying away from confrontation and correction.
Song Ga Gyeong was also a character you can't exactly hate from the very beginning. Her backstory was established early on which made her choices make sense. She definitely had the most character development out of the three female leads.
I also want to note Na In Gyeong who switched sides in the end which helped Song Ga Gyeong win the case and so cause the downfall of KU Group. It was satisfying and fulfilling, and I love that they redeemed her character even though it wasn't really necessary.
Episode 13 was the climax and I'm glad the ending was extremely satisfying. The plot was so perfect from start to finish that I almost ended up dreading the romance subplot because I was more invested in the lives of the three women than in Bae Ta Mi's relationship with Park Morgan. 😂
This was obviously a women empowerment show but I also like that the antagonist(s) was(/were) female as well. I also love how it was done in such a way that the characters were still imperfect, making them human and not mere Mary Sues, and the other character filling their lack.
A few personal preferences regarding how the individual character arcs ended:
- I hope Bae Ta Mi would've come to want to get married in the end or at least implied that she's ready to open up her heart/mind for it. I just think it would've completed her "full circle". But I also understand and like that it ended that she was still against it because it adds to the human aspect of the character that there are some beliefs that are just hard to let go.
- I hope Song Ga Gyeong would've ended up with her ex-husband, that after the divorce was official, they'd end up dating and starting over; but why they didn't also made sense and it brought a bittersweet feeling that hurt but still felt good.
My only real negative comment about this is probably, as someone with background knowledge in film, many shots were unpleasant to *my* eyes. Aesthetically, they were wonderful to look at; but technically speaking, some shots were just wrongfully directed in the sense that I hope they would've been more consistent in which side and direction characters were in each scene. One scene that comes to mind is their first meeting in the arcade wherein I had a hard time figuring out whose hands and face they were showing on the screen because the sides and direction were inconsistent with Bae Ta Mi initially being on the right but shots of Park Morgan cut into the shots also being on the right side, so the inconsistency gave me a minor *metaphorical* headache. But I still stayed.
Overlooking the technicality aspect of it, it was interestingly written and I like how it didn't give too much too early and slowly unpacked each necessary detail right at the perfect moment. It was perfectly paced and exciting. Wonderful. Satisfying.
+ I was surprised to see Lee Jae-wook become a consistent side character! I thought he was just a guest. I was so happy 😍
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Messy plot with bad romance
This show is everywhere. It’s so messy. It’s has a bit of corporate slice of life, artsy film, rom-com, social commentary, philosophical discussion about internet ethics, government corruption, feminist agenda, corporate greed, terribly spoken English, arranged marriage, terrible parents, and random English names. I know I’ve left some out but you get the point.Wow. That’s quite a list.
None of it is really offensive except the main couple’s romance and random English names.
First, the romance. There’s no chemistry at all. And you constantly wonder what Morgan sees in Tae-mi. She doesn’t have much going for her except that she’s the main character of the show but Morgan, who is 10 yrs younger, keeps on pursuing her. Why? She keeps rejecting him but he’s persistent. Their time together is the worst part of the show. They spend most of their time together talking about how their relationship can’t happen. On and on and on. It’s slow and ridiculous. But Morgan comes back for more every time. And the romance scenes really messed up the pacing because when they ran out of corporate ideas, they would just interrupt the flow and insert slow and dull romance scenes.
I know Koreans are obsessed with English. But, wow…. Nobody, I mean, nobody wants to see these actors speaking in terribly memorized English. It’s so embarrassing for them. People outside Korea are watching these shows. Please stop. Stick to Korean. There’s no shame in speaking your own language. And the company Tae-mi works for uses random English names instead of titles??!? When the characters call each other in broken English, it is so jarring and disruptive. Sigh. It took me a minute to snap out of these name callings and get back into the show.
I think the three main characters themselves were acted and casted well. Tae-mi and Scarlet played off of each other well and their scenes were funny. I liked the way their relationship progressed from untrusting rivals to love-hate friendship. I wish they showed a bit more about why Director Song became what she is other than she’s married into an evil rich family under an evil mother in law. Especially, how ruthlessly she was treating Tae-mi. And how all three seemed like they were all friends at the end didn’t make sense considering how evil Song had been to Tae-mi. Maybe they made up off screen.
The supporting characters were great, especially, Tae-mi’s team members. I wish they spent more time on them instead of needless romance scenes. I didn’t care for the YouTube girl. She didn’t add much to the show.
I wish the show’s main subject matter of internet ethics was explored more. It was fascinating to me, especially, in the age of big techs with agendas controlling who sees what. But at the end of the day, it was only used as a backdrop and ended up being a black and white issue with the government being the bad guy. Let’s get more creative with bad guys, please.
Another show with an interesting premise that was hurt by trying to be all things to all people. I wish the writers would just stick to their guns and just tell a story they wanted to tell.
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A tedious chore of a show
I liked the first episode but then everything after that was tedious. Tami and Ga Gyoeng both very unlikeable. I thought this was a show about adult women but they all behaved liked children. I also hated that the writer's wanted to make Ga Gyoeng sympathetic. Cha Hyeon was the only main character I liked but even she was annoying.I was all for Tami's perspective regarding being with a person who wants to be married when she doesn't. I liked that she expressed it. IMO its a deal breaker especially if you think it could be a serious relationship. I hated that they always had Morgan trying to analyze her reasoning. I really liked his character at first b/c he knows what he wants but he became super annoying too. Their relationship was ao annoying and I could not root for them in good conscience and I was super pissed off that they got back together in the end. Tami kept pushing Morgan away but wouldn't let him go either.
What the series did do well was the way they showed how internet companies and portals work and how things can be manipulated and why the goverment should not be allowed to manipulate and control that information.
7/15/25
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It could have been so great
Firstly, I started watching because of 3 reasons : Lee Jaewook, mamamoo's OST and Netflix's cute thumbnail for the drama.The drama as a whole was actually very good, but don't expect a great romance between the main couple you'll be highly disappointed. They're both quite boring and kind of toxic for each other. Them being together doesn't even make sense tbh. Meanwhile Scarlett and Jihwan are just as cute and simple and sincere as a couple inlove can be. Nobody talks about Ga-Gyeong's husband but i think they're cute too, in their own way.
The plot inviting you to the world of navigation and its stakes, which seems boring at first, is actually so interesting and you can grow very attached to the characters being part of this system. Although it's clear that the writers wanted to depict powerful "women of the 21st century", it didn't seem forced to me and felt quite natural to see women as the main asset of a company.
The last 2 episodes were really thrilling and couldn't have been better (except for 1 thing but no spoil) !!
P.s : shoutout to Lee Dahee (Scarlett), Lee Jaewook (Jihwan), Kwon Haehyo (Brian), Ye Soojung (chairwoman Jang) and Jo Hyejoo (the influencer) 's perfomance. They really brought their character to life.
P.s 2 : if you want to see the best of Lee Jaewook, just watch episode 10. I almost died of heart attack...
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Power to the woman + serious heartache
The idea behind this drama felt quite unique to me. I liked the imagery and the way it was filmed as to make the viewer feel as if they were present in the moment on screen. I liked to see the women in their job at work. All had their own unique love story, and I have to say I fell in love with Song Ga Gyon's character and style. Her love story was definitely the most mysterious one and one which left you longing for more. All actors gorgeous looking and beautifully dressed- kudos to the fashion style team.I also think it is important to say that this is not a light-heart drama. If you have ever been in a long relationship, being loved and heartbroken, then this drama will hit you hard. It is quite heavy in this sense, with each episode the story evolves and you can truly empathize with the heartache feelings that the actors portray so well. I have found myself numerous time in their shoes, tears hit me hard, almost with each episode. Fortunately the drama ends on a positive and light note - one in which all female triumph both in their careers and in their personal lives.
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Not for me
Story:Was boring for me. Sometimes it's serious, sometimes it's too much comedy. As a very emotionally intense person, I enjoyed the serious scenes.
Acting:
The actors did a good job on the serious, intense scenes.
The character, Scarlett, stood out the most to me because she is a person that shows great character and great morals. I am really impressed by her morals when it comes to friendship and being civilized at work when she has to work with Bae Ta Mi. Not a fan of her chaotic side, but her soft side & her logical side really got to me.
Music:
I am somewhat a fan of the OST.
Rewatch Value:
I am a person selfish with my time, so I rarely rewatch shows. If I were to recommend people to watch it though, I would highly not recommend others to watch it.
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Traditionalist/romantics may not like - those that like "woman power"/don't need a man might
7.5/10 is my rating. What has become apparent in the modern world is how information can be manipulated to suit the agenda of powerful businesses and political figures. Bae Ta Mi (Im Soo Jung) finds herself caught between the ethics of a free public domain and the pressures brought to bear on the companies that provide Internet search services. After dedicating her youth to a company she helped to build to the top search engine, she is chosen as the fall person in a high stakes political inroad. She ouththinks/outsmarts the political players only to lose her job.Distraught over being stabbed in the back by someone she thought of as a friend and mentor she goes to play a video game to burn off some steam. She is very competitive and used to winning at everything so when she loses the game to Park Mo Gun/Park Morgan (Jang Ki Yong), she finds the younger man intersting enough that their encounter develops into a one night stand. Park Morgan sees things differently, he has for once encountered someone he find unforgettable and decides to pursue this elusive woman whose life focus is on her career.
Park Morgan is the CEO of a company that composes music for Video Games, a part of the industry Tae Mi is involved in, so they encounter each other frequently. Meanwhile, the top competitior knows that Bae Ta Mi has the skills they need to beat Bae Ta Mi's former copany in ranking, after all she is the one that has kept the edge over them all these years. Theyg recruit her to help their company surpass and finally come out on top. This is a slice of life in the high stakes world of internet search engines with three women determined to make their mark in the industry. Can modern women really have it all?
Spoilers* I liked this but did not love it. I learned a lof in the slice of life of internet search engine industry - things I had never thought of. I really enjoyed that aspect. What I was watching it for though was the romance and that fell a bit flat. I thought the Park Morgan character was literally the perfect boyfriend/romantic partner but Bae Ta Mi was somewhat flat and cold as a character. He showered her with love and affection and I felt like she spent more time closing herself off emotionally than returning the love he so freely gave her. Others have commented, and I have to agree, that her constant emotional distancing became tiresome and it made me feel sorry for Park Morgan and feel he might be better off without her. I might have felt more sympathy for her character if they had revealed what happened to make her emotionally distant but they never did - she just was. I found the side romances more interesting than the main romance. But even those would get irritating at times. Scarlet (Lee Da Hee) was so insistant she was only a fan of Sul Ji Hwan (Lee Jae Wook) who was a rising actor, but that luckily turned the corner before it became annoying. However, when they finally came together and it turned out he was up for mandatory military service her fatalistic attitude about their relationtship was excessive. Bae Ta Mi's former mentor and major rival, Song Ga Kyung (Jeon Hye Jin), was living a miserable life in an arranged marriage under the thumb of her "evil" mother-in-law. It was apparent though, that her husband, Oh Jin Woo (Ji Seung Hyun), was in love with her and that she was with him. They were actually well suited for each other. He took responsibility for all the heartbreak and bad treatment she suffered and was willing to do nearly anything for her. I really wanted to see the two of them figure it out and reconcile sooner. None of the relationships resolved in anything that was long term. The main leads basically agreed to disagree and just let's see what happens in the future. But they broke up over that before so there was no feeling that anything resolved. Scarlet's boyfriend was still in the military and there were no promises made that she would wait for him. And CEO Song divorced her husband and was traveling and had "disappeared" from public life. There was a Thelma and Louis type ending where all three ride off into the sunset together in a show of strong women/solidarity so I suppose if you were more for the strong business woman element you might find that ending satisfying. I am a more traditional romance/happily ever after ending so I did not find that rah rah go women moment rewarding.
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Mediocre Mess
I have tried to watch this drama several times since it aired, but always found myself dropping it around episode 2 or 3.I managed to stick with it this time around and finished all episodes, skipping portions toward the end.
The story was okay, but we were left with several loose ends, almost like they wanted to cram as many scenarios into this show as possible and then only resolved a handful.
The actresses and actors were okay .. I was not impressed by most as they either over exaggerated their roles or under exaggerated them.
I did not care for the FL or ML, especially their 'romance'.
She was a toxic hot mess with the EQ of -10 and he was overly eager for no good reason.
I kept hoping they would break up and stay broken up.
I did not root for them, I was not invested at all in their romance, and would often skip scenes toward the end when they were on screen together.
They had no chemistry and she often looked constipated.
Song and her husband / ex husband were a couple I started to like in the last few episodes.
I did not like them much; they were both broken, used up punching bags of the old lady, but you could tell that is what brought them closer.
My favorite characters(and couple) were Scarlett and her 'actor'.
The way they met had me kicking my heels like a fan girl "Eeeeek!"
Their chemistry seemed natural and they were both great in their roles.
The whole "Girl Power", feminism, or whatever edge this show was going for was over done.
Almost to the point of being ludicrous.
I have many unanswered questions pertaining to the loopholes, but those clearly will reman unanswered.
This is not one I would re-watch unless I fast forwarded through all scenes and only focused on Scarlett and her 'actor'.
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Glad I watched until the end
When I first started watching Search: WWW I thoroughly enjoyed it. Towards the middle the romances that were developing were somewhat frustrating. However, once I let go of wanting the leads to stop with their angst and get together I was okay.I loved the surprise ending. Seeing three strong career minded women able come out on top without compromising their integrity was a win win for me. The best payoff was getting back at the mother in law. It was difficult as I watched the daughter in law be treated as the MIL’s dog; and satisfying to also watch the dog bite its master.
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