The Potato Lab first impression: Kang Tae-oh and Lee Sun-bin's K-Drama is full of cliches but still so enjoyable

Story:

Kim Mi-kyung fails to protect her company but can retain The Potato Lab. The drawback? She has to come face-to-face with her daunting past. Will she be able to handle it all?

Review:

The Potato Lab has the cutest beginning we could have seen in a while. It might take you back to the world of Brewing Love briefly, except Lee Han-wi is a pookie who introduces you to the world of potatoes. The sudden shift to The Potato Lab, with a focus on eye make-up, is weird and dangerous to even think about. Yoo Seung-mok's Bu Jae-joong has an amusing entrance too.

Overconfident Lee Sun-bin, in the role of Kim Mi-kyung, tries to leave a mark but it only happens during her negotiation with Han-wi's character. Her character and the reaction to her job frustration is one that will make you grin. Everything around her since, especially the scene of the merger news, is dealt with precision. Her life is seeing the downward graph and she's back to facing her traumatic past. The Hello party turning to Hell sounds just about right when it comes to her life. The scene with her ex will also take you back to No Gain No Love.

Enter Kang Tae-oh's So Baek-ho. A brief, impactful scene and he is gone. The entry was just the tip to show the different worlds our leads come from. While one is partying despite failure, the other is all about business and ruthlessness. You can already guess which world does our male lead belong to, but not what he brings to the table. Baek-ho is a no-nonsense man who states the facts out loud even to the chairman in the form of giving out advice. All you can do is respect his dedication in the moment, even if his acting skills are not fully tapped into just yet.

Lee Hak-ju's Park Ki-se has a mild introduction, just a professional getting acquitted with Baek-ho. While that scene goes on a mild tone, comes a wild ride with Heo Jung-do's Mr. Cho being the centre of attention. The very scene ends up being hilarious for the failed action sequences. The frustration scene and everything that follows builds up Baek-ho's personality too.

Mi-kyung's family being weird fits right in with the plot. You understand her personality traits more-and-more with each scene. Most of them leave details about why our female lead is obsessed with plants and nature over humans. Her re-introduction scene with her employees from The Potato Lab is the typical cliche - the gangsters who meet more savage people right around the corner.

From a bird (Sunnyeo) attack to The Bourne Identity reference, comic relief is at every corner with just one episode of this series. At the same time, the episode deals with emotional scenes in the right way. And yes, an umbrella scene also exists in the very episode. In fact, it ends at that, marking a cliched but perfect end to the beginning of The Potato Lab.

Verdict:

Keeping all the references from recent K-Dramas apart, The Potato Lab is an enjoyable watch. The character build-ups are cute and the vibe is lively, just what the dramas are known for.