Scene from "High Kick 3" [MBC]

MBC sitcom "High Kick 3" - Monday to Friday 7:45. p.m.'Anus' and 'depression' are the keywords to “High Kick 3” as well the keywords to producer Kim Byung-wook’s world. The excretion motif has always been the main material for Kim Byung-wook’s sitcoms and his work acquired strong pathos appeal when it went beyond being plain comical and became a metaphor for excess and indigestion from capitalism. Hence the appearance of proctologist Lee Juck (played by Lee Juck), who embodies both keywords, raises anticipation that just like in the way he puts a magnifying glass up to his patients’ embarrassing areas, the latest sitcom will be an expanded introspection into Kim Byung-wook’s world. The show, which from the very first episode declares that 2011 was the year of money for Korea, sharply satirizes on the irony of capitalistic societies by showing Lee Juck, suffering from depression, as someone who “looks at people’s anus’ everyday to make money.” And the reason Lee Juck thought of Nae-sang’s (Ahn Nae-sang) family first is because they were an example that showed a core aspect to our society.

An expensive residential area, the breadwinner who is authoritative and shows off his affection through money, the wife who leisurely gets massages, the eldest son who is free from worrying over entering college because he has an sports scholarship and the eldest daughter who is studying overseas. Nae-sang’s family started as the typical middle class family which “was making good money in Seoul.” But them being degraded to a homeless family overnight because Nae-sang’s business goes bankrupt, shows how weak a materialistic society can be. The passenger van, on the verge of getting scrapped because it is a piece of junk, is a metaphor of their reality. However, this is when the counterattack to Kim Byung-wook’s world starts. The last scene where Nae-sang is shot into the sky through the use of Yoo-sun’s (Yoon Yoo-sun) cynical remark, “Is there reason to set off fireworks [and make the world know] about your failure?” foretells that the firecrackers of satire will aim for the anus of our capitalistic society. The lovable characters of Kim Byung-wook’s world that are somewhat similar yet different to those from his previous works continue to parade in this show as well. The ‘real deal,’ which will make you want to leave from work on time on weekdays, has returned to screen.

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10 아시아 Reporter : Wee Geun-woo eight@
10 아시아 Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@
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