Episode Guide
Family Day Clean YG Music Business Plan B Financial Problem Big Crunch Dark Night New Face YG Future Strategy Office doesn’t really reinvent the wheel nor does it anything particularly daring or original in the comedy genre. What it does do however, is produce a smartly written Japanese comedy oozing charm and charisma through every aspect of the show. In many ways YG plays out as a Korean version of The Office, complete with plenty of tropes seen in that show reinforced here to hilarious effect. The episode length is just right too – with 8 bite-size episodes that help the comedy continuously feel fresh and never feeling fatigued. While some of the K-Pop references are likely to be lost on Western audiences, there’s enough here to make YG Future an enjoyable comedy offering nonetheless. The story revolves around a newly formed Future Strategy Office, a branch of office responsible for dealing with talented but troublesome artists trying to progress in the music industry. A new consultant called Seungri is hired to lead the branch but upon arrival he realizes the artists are the least of his concerns. Surrounded by a bumbling group of colleagues, Seungri struggles to juggle his own expectations in his job role with his co-workers and artists they sign. This basic set-up remains unchanged for most of the 8 episode run-time, with each episode featuring its own stand-alone story with a loose thread of continuity used to help flesh out each of the characters. Each of the colleagues have their own quirks and personalities too, designed to clash with one another over the course of the series. From Lee Jae-Jin’s shoddy attendance record to the comedic duo of Baek Young-kwang and Choi Shin-deok as the slapstick bodyguards in the department, YG Future Strategy does a great job keeping its comedy flowing while giving each of its characters distinct looks and personalities. With the way YG Future Strategy Office sticks closely to the conventional comedy tropes found in shows like The Office, expect plenty of fourth wall breaks, awkward silences and slapstick humour to dominate much of the run-time. Those turned off from this style of comedy or aren’t a fan of The Office should probably steer clear of this one, although the level of comedy is far more daring here, with plenty of jokes about dwarfism, sexism and office bullying coming to the forefront in hilarious fashion. Whether you take to YG Future Strategy Office’s style of comedy is wholly dependent on how much you enjoy mockumentaries and slapstick shenanigans. The format sticks pretty closely to that seen in The Office and all the usual comedic quirks and tropes you’d expect from that show are evident here too. While the K-Pop references and various nuanced nods to how cut-throat the music industry is will be lost with many people, there’s enough here to make for a funny and cleverly written comedy nonetheless.
