The Potato Lab - A Confused Blend Lacking Depth
What can you say about a drama that doesn't quite know whether it wants to be a romantic comedy or a heartbreaking love story? The Potato Lab tries to be both – but doesn’t really succeed at being either.
The series revolves around a woman working at a company specializing in potato research. Suddenly, the company is acquired by a larger corporation, and a man is sent in to streamline operations. Naturally, sparks begin to fly between him and the main character, following the classic love-hate trope. But the drama intensifies when it turns out the new parent company is run by her ex – a "jerk" who ended their relationship in a really ugly way. Of course, their paths cross again. He still has feelings for her, but she has moved on.
This is where the show starts to lose me. I never really felt anything strong for the main character. There’s a lack of depth, not just in her, but in most of the cast. Maybe one or two colleagues in the department had some potential, but none of them truly stood out.
Maybe I’m alone in this, but for me, her first love – the ex – was the most interesting character. Even though he acted selfishly, I still sympathized with him the most. Perhaps because life is just like that sometimes – we make mistakes, take the wrong turns, and it’s not always easy to undo those moments. He wanted love, a new beginning, a future – but he chose the wrong path.
The script is written by Kim Ho Soo, who also created Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung – a series I truly enjoyed. That show managed to balance romance, humor, and historical drama with clarity, development, and emotional depth. Unfortunately, that’s not the case here. In this drama, we get loud arguments, shallow conflicts, and a string of side plots that don’t really go anywhere. You don’t know who to focus on, and the story feels scattered.
It seems like they tried to create a narrative with strong female leads, but it ended up being silly and confusing. I didn’t have high expectations going in, but I still hoped for a stronger love story with a clearer direction. Instead, we get several parallel storylines – both involving the main character and supporting roles – that never really take hold.
The settings are beautiful, and it’s refreshing to see a show take place in the countryside rather than a big city. There's an attempt at realism in the everyday surroundings and clothing – but sadly, that’s not enough. When the dialogue falls flat and the characters feel shallow, it doesn’t help how stylish or quirky they try to be.
Potato Research Center had potential, but ends up falling flat. It's neither funny enough to be a comedy nor deep enough to be a love story. For me, it was mostly confusing – and honestly, quite frustrating.
The series revolves around a woman working at a company specializing in potato research. Suddenly, the company is acquired by a larger corporation, and a man is sent in to streamline operations. Naturally, sparks begin to fly between him and the main character, following the classic love-hate trope. But the drama intensifies when it turns out the new parent company is run by her ex – a "jerk" who ended their relationship in a really ugly way. Of course, their paths cross again. He still has feelings for her, but she has moved on.
This is where the show starts to lose me. I never really felt anything strong for the main character. There’s a lack of depth, not just in her, but in most of the cast. Maybe one or two colleagues in the department had some potential, but none of them truly stood out.
Maybe I’m alone in this, but for me, her first love – the ex – was the most interesting character. Even though he acted selfishly, I still sympathized with him the most. Perhaps because life is just like that sometimes – we make mistakes, take the wrong turns, and it’s not always easy to undo those moments. He wanted love, a new beginning, a future – but he chose the wrong path.
The script is written by Kim Ho Soo, who also created Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung – a series I truly enjoyed. That show managed to balance romance, humor, and historical drama with clarity, development, and emotional depth. Unfortunately, that’s not the case here. In this drama, we get loud arguments, shallow conflicts, and a string of side plots that don’t really go anywhere. You don’t know who to focus on, and the story feels scattered.
It seems like they tried to create a narrative with strong female leads, but it ended up being silly and confusing. I didn’t have high expectations going in, but I still hoped for a stronger love story with a clearer direction. Instead, we get several parallel storylines – both involving the main character and supporting roles – that never really take hold.
The settings are beautiful, and it’s refreshing to see a show take place in the countryside rather than a big city. There's an attempt at realism in the everyday surroundings and clothing – but sadly, that’s not enough. When the dialogue falls flat and the characters feel shallow, it doesn’t help how stylish or quirky they try to be.
Potato Research Center had potential, but ends up falling flat. It's neither funny enough to be a comedy nor deep enough to be a love story. For me, it was mostly confusing – and honestly, quite frustrating.
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