Couch Soup logo

Beyond Absurd: Unveiling the Hilarious Chaos of Chicken Nugget

by: 
hello world!
Iain McParland
| April 24, 2024
hello world!

I watched Chicken Nugget.

You might be thinking: “What the f*@k do you mean you watched Chicken Nugget? Did you go to McDonald’s, order a 6 piece, and then just stare at them?” No, dear friends. I did not. 

I mean, I watched Chicken Nugget.

Chicken Nugget is a Korean comedy series that centers around a ridiculous concept. A girl is accidentally transformed into a chicken nugget (although it’s probably more of a sauce-dipped fried chicken ball than a nugget, semantics, I guess), and it’s up to her father and his assistant, who has a crush on her, to figure out how it happened and how to reverse the process.

That is the elevator pitch. 

And, yes, it’s as amazing as it sounds.

Story

When a mysterious device is delivered to More Than Machines, a small engineering problem-solving outfit in South Korea, disaster strikes. Choi Min-ah (Kim Yoo-jung), daughter of the owner Choi Seon-man (Ryu Seung-ryong), is inexplicably transformed into a chicken nugget. It is up to her father and his plucky intern, who has no fashion sense and a gift for creating catchy tunes from mundane subjects, Go Baek-joong (Ahn Jae-hong), to try to reverse the metamorphosis. 

But nothing is as simple as it seems. Warring factions are trying to get their hands on the mystical transformation device, attempting to do GOD KNOWS WHAT with it! Along with that, Bossman and Yellow Pants (the intern) are pretty damn incompetent, so hijinks and shenanigans are afoot! 

Based on the webtoon of the same name, this fast food comedy series is a hoot and a half, but, seriously, how did this get made?!?!

Bordering on Farcical

Nooooooooooooo

This comedy will not be for everyone. Chicken Nugget doesn’t really do subtle gags. It’s in-your-face, often slapstick, and often quirky. If you’re in the realm of Fawlty Towers, then you’re not far off. There’s shouting, funny walks (a little like The Ministry of Silly Walks), objects knocking people out, and a cast of zany characters. 

The jokes have no hidden messages, so it’s easy, especially as a non-Korean speaker, to immerse yourself in the world. You don’t need to think about clever wordplay because everything is plain to see! 

Choi Seon-man plays the part of an exasperated and panicky father so well. He’s scatty and incoherent. However, he does everything he can for his poultry daughter. He’s very convincing, shouting her name, MIN-AH, almost randomly in frustration. I would love to know how many times he screamed her name in the show. It’s not a small number.

If all of that is not your thing, then I can’t recommend this show to you. BUT I DAMN WELL WANT TO!

Perfectly Written

What in the world…

I’m a huge fan of comedies with confused characters. The more puzzled, the better. In that respect, there are many similarities between Chicken Nugget and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. A lot of stuff is happening to different people; everybody is hella befuddled, and nothing makes sense. 

Until it does. 

The story builds, crescendoing at just the right time, and then everything makes sense. Well, we’re still talking about a girl transforming into a chicken nugget, but narratively speaking, it makes sense! The details you’ve been learning throughout the 10-episode run-time all fit together so nicely that, when you take a step backward, you can see the complete jigsaw puzzle of weirdness. 

And it’s weird. I’m not going to spoil anything, but if you thought the chicken nugget thing was the strangest thing in this show, you ain’t seen nothing yet. The most surreal moment involves a nuclear missile, a deer, and BTS. Trust me, it’s excellent.

The ending is similarly odd. It does utilize a trope I severely dislike but in this case, it was well implemented, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of our main characters. It wouldn’t have been my choice, but it’s decent!

Summary 

Anyone for some chicken nuggets?

There’s so much more I want to write, but I wouldn’t do Chicken Nugget justice with my words. This series has to be experienced first-hand. 

Yes, it’s farcical, but it’s funny. Yes, the concept is bizarre, but the story is complete and well thought out. Yes, it’s about CHICKEN NUGGETS, but don’t let that fact distract you from its quality. 

Chicken Nugget is available to stream on Netflix right now! So, please go and watch it!
OK, now I’m hungry. Maccy D’s, anyone?

Hey fellow nerds! Before you dive back into that gaming session or start your next binge-watch, here’s the deal with Couch Soup: we’re a completely independent pop culture site run by genuine fans who get just as hyped as you do about the latest games, comics, movies, and TV shows. No corporate overlords, no AI-generated content, just real people who know their Metroid from their Mass Effect.

Unlike the big corporate sites, we don’t chase clicks or stir up drama. Sure, we might have some hot takes (looking at you, controversial season finale), but they come from a place of genuine passion and respect for the creators and fandoms we cover.

Want to support what we do and join what we think is the coolest community of pop culture enthusiasts on the internet? Check out our supporter tiers – each packed with perks that’ll level up your fandom experience. Every contribution helps keep us independent and lets us keep nerding out with you!

Thanks for being part of our quest – now, back to our regularly scheduled geekery!
Drew Lewis,
Editor-in-chief
Membership
Monthly
Yearly
Members Only Newsletter
5% Couch Soup Store Discount
Ability to Comment on Articles
Unlocked
Access to Couchsoup Community
Circle Forum
SIGN UP
Everything in free +
No Ads on the Site! Woohoo!
5% Couch Soup Store Discount
Monthly AMA chat with CouchSoup team members
Early access (up to 72hrs) to new
episodes
Access to exclusive members only
content (video & articles)
JOIN
Everything in free +
No Ads on the Site! Woohoo!
5% Couch Soup Store Discount
Monthly AMA chat with CouchSoup team members
Early access (up to 72hrs) to new
episodes
Access to exclusive members only
content (video & articles)
JOIN
Everything in free +
No Ads on the Site! Woohoo!
5% Couch Soup Store Discount
Monthly AMA chat with CouchSoup team members
Early access (up to 72hrs) to new
episodes
Access to exclusive members only
content (video & articles)
JOIN
Everything in free +
No Ads on the Site! Woohoo!
5% Couch Soup Store Discount
Monthly AMA chat with CouchSoup team members
Early access (up to 72hrs) to new
episodes
Access to exclusive members only
content (video & articles)
JOIN
Annual Membership
Everything in free +
No Ads on the Site! Woohoo!
5% Couch Soup Store Discount
Monthly AMA chat with CouchSoup team members
Early access (up to 72hrs) to new
episodes
Access to exclusive members only
content (video & articles)
JOIN
Annual Membership
Annual Membership
No Ads on the Site! Woohoo!
5% Couch Soup Store Discount
Monthly AMA chat with CouchSoup team members
Early access (up to 72hrs) to new
episodes
Access to exclusive members only
content (video & articles)
JOIN
Annual Membership
Everything in free +
No Ads on the Site! Woohoo!
5% Couch Soup Store Discount
Monthly AMA chat with CouchSoup team members
Early access (up to 72hrs) to new
episodes
Access to exclusive members only
content (video & articles)
JOIN
Annual Membership
Everything in free +
No Ads on the Site! Woohoo!
5% Couch Soup Store Discount
Monthly AMA chat with CouchSoup team members
Early access (up to 72hrs) to new
episodes
Access to exclusive members only
content (video & articles)
JOIN

About the Author

  • Iain McParland

    A northerner from England, Iain is passionate about all things film, TV, and video games (he has an obsession with popping them trophies in PlayStation games). When not consuming pop culture, Iain can be found drawing on MS Paint, learning Mandarin, watching football (soccer), or at pub quizzes. Mostly the pub thing, although he actually has not drunk a drop of alcohol since a messy Christmas Eve over a decade ago...

Share This

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Comments are for members only. Sign up here to become a member for free.

False

Get our Newsletter!

Featured

Dream Sequence: A Nightmarish Little Horror Podcast for Halloween

Dream Sequence gave me insomnia. Is there something in my dreams that’s out to get me? This nightmarish narrative from Blumhouse, Realm, and iHeart Radio is the perfect horror podcast to close out the spooky season
by Iain McParlandNovember 2, 2024
1 2 3 849

Read more

10 TV Shows You Should Be Excited About in 2024

You didn’t think I would leave you all without a list of TV Shows for 2024, right? RIGHT? Of course not! I’m back with the Top 10 list for your entertainment. Let’s see all the releases and which one should get you all giddy and excited.

Spike Chunsoft’s Newest Sleuthing Masterpiece: Master Detective Archives: Raincode

What is the spiritual successor to Danganronpa like? Ben goes in-depth about the game in this spoiler-free review!
by Ben HazellNovember 17, 2023 
1 2 3 259
© 2024 CouchSoup, LLC. All Rights Reserved
Terms of Service | Privacy
© 2024 CouchSoup, LLC. All Rights Reserved
Manage Cookie Settings chevron-down