Chief of Staff

This is a must watch show on Netflix. The leads are great as politicians and the show is fast paced.

A series that you can't seem to stop watching. Always have the urge to know who outwits the other.

The plot, which is complex and full of twists and turns, provides an excellent insight into the cut-throat world of politics. I would have given 5 stars to the series if the romantic relationships had been a little less shallow, which would have helped the viewer care more for the "good" characters. The actors are all excellent, with a special mention for Shin Min-a and Lee Elijah, whose roles are unfortunately a bit subdued. In that sense, there is an old-fashioned feel to the show that could have been averted by giving women strong storylines rather than using them as accessories caught in the flow of events.

Although it's politically themed drama but it's a watered-down surface-level politics and the excessive overdramatization didn't fit its theme. Repeating the exact same dramatic flashbacks multiple times throughout both seasons further highlights my point. It ended up relying on these melo moments rather than having a better written political drama and a more engaging dialogues as you would expect from a good political drama to have. What also didn't fit its theme is the male lead constant overreacting and overacting for his role. The romance of the main leads and the pair up of the secondary leads were all out of place. On the other hand, the OST was nice, it reminded me of Comrades (2010). The drama is okay if it was your first political drama, can serve as an easy introduction to the genre.

Lee Jung Jae plays a chief of staff trying to change a corrupt system with the help of the beautiful Shin Min Ah, an assemblywoman of the opposing party. In this well acted drama he is faced with the dilemma that to change the system he has to stoop as low as the people he despises. Well paced with a story that holds the attention and an excellent supporting cast.