Search WWW: A Spotlight on the Modern Woman

Search WWW is a tvN drama starring Im Soojung, Lee Dahee, and Jeon Hyejin. The drama is about Korea’s online industry and puts a long overdue spotlight on the modern woman. The three actresses are supported by Jang Kiyong, Lee Jaewook, and Ji Seunghyun.

Synopsis

Search WWW follows the story of three women who are in charge of Korea’s leading web portal companies: Unicon and Barro. Bae Tami (Im Soojung) and Song Gakyeong (Jeon Hyejin) are directors at Unicon. The two are at odds with each other because Gakyeong uses her position in the company to delete trending keywords under orders from her mother-in-law for political purposes. Tami takes the fall for it instead and ends up getting fired by Unicon.

Barro has always come second to Unicon in market share and the company CEO decides to hire Tami with the aim of getting Barro to the top. Eager to get back at Unicon, Tami enthusiastically takes the job. She is partnered with Cha Hyeon (Lee Dahee) and the two must work together to bring Barro to the top.

Tami meets Park Morgan (Jang Kiyong), a music composer who earnestly pursues her. Tami tries to keep her distance from Morgan because he is younger than she is and they both share different views about marriage. She, however, gives in to her feelings and agrees to have a relationship with him.

Gakyeong is married to Oh Jinwoo (Ji Seounghyun), the youngest son of the conglomerate company KU Group. Theirs is an arranged marriage and the couple has mutual understanding to live separate lives. Gakyeong is under the control of her mother-in-law who asks for favors in exchange for helping her parents’ failing business.  

Cha Hyeon meets Seol Jihwan (Lee Jaewook), an actor from her favorite morning drama. He is an upcoming actor and Cha Hyeon does many favors for him in the name of being his fan. This ends up putting a wall in their relationship even after they realize their feelings for one another.

Review

*This review contains some spoilers. 

Search WWW is a refreshing and relatable drama that emphasizes the issues of the modern woman who is ready to fight for what she wants and believes in. The biggest highlight for this drama is that it gives viewers strong-willed and successful female characters, a necessary feat considering that K-Drama viewers are mostly composed of women. Tami, Hyeon, and Gakyeong are not the typical “damsel in distress” characters and often times are the ones who save the day. This is a testament to the modern, independent woman who is strong and no longer needs saving. Each has her own strengths, presenting a diversity that we can all appreciate.

The drama also shows a beautiful female bond between the three lead characters. Even with their own differences, they’re able to keep things professional without letting their personal issues affect their work or how they relate with each other. There are a lot of problems between them, which mostly leads to a falling out, but it’s good to see the characters put them aside and work together toward achieving a common goal.

Search WWW also has interesting love stories. The first couple, Tami and Morgan, is plagued with issues concerning their age difference and their ideas on marriage. Tami is clear about not wanting to get married while Morgan wants to have a family in the future. Their conflicting views on marriage eventually catch up with them and they break up. They eventually get back together, but I do have mixed feelings about their reconciliation as they never really sort out the marriage issue, which means that it is bound to put a strain on their relationship once more. This presents a thought-provoking subject on how the modern independent woman views marriage and commitment. Is it necessary to get married? What is the future of a relationship if marriage is not the ultimate goal?

The second couple, Cha Hyeon and Jihwan, is adorable but they took the long route to each other which almost gets annoying due to their constant hesitation. It pays off in the end, though, when they finally admit their feelings for each other.

The third couple, Gakyeong and Jinwoo, are the only married couple and one that I find most interesting. Theirs is not a romantic bond but they have the best relationship. Theirs is one built on respect, mutual trust, and understanding. Jinwoo’s unwavering support for Gakyeong, even in the wake of divorce, is admirable. He listens to her, never pressuring her, and lets her have her way without interfering. At first, it seems like they do not love each other, but they do in their own way; one does not always need romantic gestures to show affection. It’s disappointing that we never get to see them go past the polite and cryptic conversations, but that’s essentially the beauty of their connection.

Search WWW is a celebration of the modern woman, a delectable drama for every K-Drama fan.