Race (2023)

Unmasking Corporate Realities: Friendship and Ambition's Empowering Journey

I was pleasantly surprised by this show, as it exceeded all of my expectations. Set in the world of business marketing, it combines elements from various genres such as life drama, business & romance.

The story follows the journey of the female lead who lacks a college education but possesses eight years of marketing experience from small company. She manages to secure a position in big company like Seyong & strives to establish her name despite her lack of higher education.
Throughout the drama, several issues are highlighted, such as the challenges faced by pregnant women in receiving promotions after taking a break & the consequences of negative marketing etc.

The drama provides realistic portrayal of how large companies operate, showcasing office politics at both higher & lower levels & how they impact the lives of the employees.

One aspect I particularly enjoyed was the strong friendship between the two leads. They always supported each other unconditionally & their friendship scenes were heartwarming.
Even when the male lead rejected the FL's love confession, I was glad to see that they remained true friends.

I also loved the character of the second female lead, who held the position of CCO. Despite her high position, she displayed no arrogance or rudeness and was solely dedicated to her work.

The cinematography and color grading used in the show were excellent, providing a refreshing visual experience & boosting positive energy.
The upbeat OSTs & background music also helped elevate the mood.

After Misaeng, this business drama became my favorite. Its realistic portrayal of the subject matter was a major factor in my liking towards this drama.

In conclusion if you are interested in a drama that focuses on business, office politics & friendship, I highly recommend giving this show a chance without any hesitation.

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Some Romance but more life challenges in an office setting spolighting women in the workplace

The office scenes and situations were quite well portrayed and the idea of everyone RACE-ING constantly to some unknown was also well portrayed. While there were good examples of toxicity in the workplace it was good that they showed hope for positive workplace initiatives as well. The show felt mature in that sense.
It is rare to find a drama without truly annoying characters. There were unlikable characters but none truly annoying to me. I especially enjoyed the lack of female characters who disrespect other female characters. In fact, women uplifting and supporting women is one a compelling theme for me.
The relationships also had a similar feel. We saw the tough parts but also the supportive friendships and colleagues. I did not really “feel” the romance between the main leads. They did, however, have wonderful friendship and a deep connection which I appreciated. I also appreciated the attempts further normalize diversity in the romantic interests (same-sex, age-gap etc). Most importantly (for me) was a SML that wore his heart on his sleeve in his personal and professional life.
The music was wonderful as well and “Waterfall” of course is my favourite. https://youtu.be/4h-DAdMTECU
The overall feel of the drama was a decent mix of rom-com and pertinent societal issues. I would have rated this higher if it was in the mood for thoughtful drama content. I was not ready for it to make me think as much as it did. Plus the main couple romance… so even though the suggested is 9, I'll go for 8.5.

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