Reviewed @ch191
I just binged this across I think 3 days or so.
It's great.
At first I thought this was going to be a story very similar to Reborn Rich. In fact after reading Reborn Rich I purposely didn't dive right into this series for a couple weeks because I thought I should leave some time between them so I don't read something too similar and not appreciate it.
But while the premise of regressing through time and being a businessman again but with expert skills early might be the impression you get from this series' description (ala Reborn Rich's set-up) this is not the case!
This series is actually not about navigating the business world of conglomerates and big players.
It's actually a very grounded series. It's about navigating office politics. Yes in a big company, but in a way that feels more realistic and relateable (to whatever degree can be the case when not raised in a korean corporate culture)
Our lead doesn't want to be the most successful businessman and get rich and be the top yada yada.
He's already lived that and it was empty.
He wants to care for people using the methods he knows how. Rescue that talented worker who was wrongly fired. Keep the company on a path where mass lay-offs won't happen this time. And, above all maintain his times with his friends, his family, his good coworkers and even the serving staff in a way that he can truly savour the people in his life.
The series is very strong with its cast. Very likeable characters, including the lead, who is given more than sufficient depth for the driving character of the series. With some of the supporting characters giving a similar feel. The antagonists gradually come on in a way that the threat generally feels ever present, even if you get in the habit of being pretty sure things will work out.
The business plots and developments feel real. Apparently the author worked in the Display Department of LG (the company in the series, Hansul, being LG in real life. It's rival Insung being Samsun).
I will say that one fault in the series is that, like Sherlock Holmes, it'll sometimes not give the reader relevant information to be able to figure things out until they've come to pass.
The series often juxtaposes who he is now with who he was before, to great effect. Both in his change in philosophy, his change in personality and his change in methods in that there are lines/methods he won't quite use this time.
I would give Reborn Rich a 9. Maybe a bit higher. I loved it.
But I have to admit this series is simply...better. It's got more heart. It does have some luck (rarely) for the mc but it delivers it in a style where it reinforces who he is as he is filled with gratitude.
Also Reborn Rich, from what I've read so far (~97 chapters) has a poor romance plot because it simply keeps it in the background and focuses on the business.
This story is also very slow for the romance but when it rarrreely pops up, it feels just more intense as we see another side to him, another struggle. (you'll understand when you read it). And I'm really looking forward to how that goes on, possibly hundreds of chapters from now idk.
This is a huge comment. In short, I very much approve and am so so so tempted to give it a 10. I probably will come back and bump it up some day, even soon, knowing myself.
edit: I'm gonna bump it down to 9.5. In retrospect things do his way a bit too much at times.