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.
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?!?!
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!
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!
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?
