In “A Comprehensive Look at Gaus Electronics 2022“, get a closer look at the Korean business comedy, ‘Gaus Electronics’ with plot and character analysis, series highlights, and an explanation of the ending.

This review contains significant spoilers for ‘Gaus Electronics’. If you haven’t watched the series yet, we recommend you do so before reading further to avoid any plot revelations.

Marketing Team 3 in the appliance department of Gaus Electronics is known more for their clumsy missteps than their career success.  In fact, joining this department is seen as a kind of company dead end.  But even so, the member’s continue to do their best.  So they are devastated when a rumor begins circulating that the company intends to dissolve the team for poor performance ratings. 

With one last chance, the crew bands together in a desperate attempt to save their team and prove their worth to the company.  But when they begin to suspect someone within the company is leaking sensitive information to their biggest rival, Power Group, they realize there could be more at stake than just their small department.  

Lee Sang Shik is the newest member to join Marketing Team 3.  He lives in an apartment near the company, and has recently got a new roomate.  But his cozy, off-work paradise is threatened when he finds out his obnoxious new neighbor is none other than his prickly, work nemesis, Associate Mangaer Cha.  The pair agree to ignore each other out of the work place. 

Sang Shik has had a crush on his worker, Mo Hae Young, since they were college students together.  And Hae Young’s thoughtless acceptance of Sang Shik’s help over the years has kept him hanging on.  But when Sang Shik finally gets the nerve to confess his feelings to her, she turns him down flat.  And as he tries to piece his broken heart back together, he finds himself turning more and more to Na Rae for comfort and support.  And when news gets out that the company is thinking of getting rid of their team, the pair will work together to save their work family.  

Lee Sang Shik is optimistic and cheerful.  But despite his best efforts to be a good, productive employee, nothing ever seems to go his way.  But none of this seems to phase him, as he continues to put give his all for the company.  I have always liked Kwak Dong Yeon.  He has a knack for silly, overstated humor, and I liked him in this role.  His chemistry with Go Sung Hee made them a fun couple to watch and I liked the development of their relationship.  

Cha Na Rae is an Associate Manager for Marketing Team 3’s appliance department.  She is hard working and would love to rise through the ranks of Gaus Electronics.  But her team, and particularly Sang Shik and his clumsy blunders, make them more of a liablility than a dream team.  

After years of living at home and commuting into work, Na Rae finally has her first taste of freedom when she rents a small apartment near the office.  So she is irrate when she finds out her noisy, obnoxious new neighbor is her biggest work liability, Sang Shik.  But when Sang Shik has his heart broken, Na Rae keeps finding herself trying to give him comfort.  And before she knows it, she realizes her own feelings for him have deepened.  

Cha Na Rae is efficient and hard-working.  And she expects the same from those working under her.  But her desire to succeed professionally can make her seem sharp and critical.  Outside of the office, she has an unexpectedly generous side that people like Sang Shik are surprised to discover.  Go Sung Hee plays this fiery, passionate character well, and I thought she was a good fit for the role.  

After-Credit Commercials

I really enjoyed the way this drama used the commercials at the end of each show to represent their work selling appliances while also bringing in the themes from each episode.  The short little sketches always made me smile and I thought it was a fun way to keep the business theme.  

Nice Touch of Romance

Generally when I hear business comedy in the world of kdrama, I assume there won’t be much romance.  So I was pleasantly surprised to find that this drama added a healthy dose of cute romance without turning it into a full blown rom-com.  The balance was nice, especially for those who like a more understated romance plot.  

Aziz

The character of Aziz in this drama was a lot of fun.  So often, when international characters are added, they don’t get any real character development.  Aziz was a great comic-relief character.  And although in the beginning, he seems to fit a certain stereo-type, he is able to branch out and show his own fun personality.  And I loved when they brought him in as the new intern at the end.

2. Power Group

The idea of Gaus Electronics being spied on by their biggest rival made sense.  And the fact that it was Ma Tan’s parents made it more integral to the story.  But I didn’t feel like we got much of a sense for who Power Group really was.  They were the villains because they told us they were and then arrested them.  But the development of all that felt kind of rushed and lacking.

3. That Hair!

I know this drama is based on a webtoon, and  I’m sure Ma Tan’s ridiculous single curl made sense in the comic version.  But it really drove me crazy through this series.  It looked so silly it was distracting, and it really made it hard for me to take Ma Tan seriously, especially as a love interest for Kang Mi.  Maybe if they could have just toned it down a little bit, it would have been fine, but as it was, I didn’t like it.  

‘Gaus Electronics’ does a nice job of giving everyone their happy endings.  The spy is revealed, and Team 3 is safe from disbandment.  Biggest surprise award goes to the totally unexpected pairing of Wa Wa and Hyung Mi.  And now that their secret is out, no one can believe their over-the-top cutesy pda. 

Ma Tan’s secret identity is also revealed.  But the crew on Team 3 have already come to accept him as part of their family, so no harm is done.  After his father is arrested for embezzellment, Ma Tan decides to stay right where he is at Gaus Electronics.  In another fun twist, we meet the “invisible” team member Na Mu Myung (I have no name!!).

Sang Shik decides to prove to himself and Na Rae that he is a capable businessman by training in the India Office of Gaus Electronics.  But while the pair plan their dramatic long-distance romance, they found out the program has been cancelled due to lack of interest. 

So with that, we have a bit of apartment shifting.  Sang Shik moves in with Na Rae and Ma Tan moves into Sang Shik’s old apartment with Aziz.  And the final moments show Ma Ran getting his own new intern to train under him.  And that intern turns out to be his new roommate, Aziz!!  And with that, the lights go out on another zany day at Gaus Electronics, with the promise of many others to come.  

The humor is definitely over-the-top and a bit cheesy at times, but the cast pulls it off in a way that made me invested in their crazy hi-jinx.  For me, the charm of this drama is in the fact that it never takes itself too seriously.     I give “Gaus Electronics’ an 8 out of 10 ramen.

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