Netflix’s highly anticipated TV show Chicken Nugget has finally been released, and it’s bizarre, to say the least. The series centers around Choi Sun-Man, a man in charge of a machine company with just one employee and an intern. Ko Baek-Joong, though pressured into mechanical engineering, shines in his true passion for creating catchy jingles. Their dynamic shifts when an enigmatic machine suddenly materializes outside the office, leading to an unexpected turn of events: Sun-Man’s daughter undergoes a peculiar transformation into a chicken nugget after entering the device under the notion that it’s a fatigue reliever. There’s absurdity, and then there’s Chicken Nugget. From moisturizing a sweet and sour chicken head (Cassandra O’Brien couldn’t even in her dreams) to purple aliens, this show will leave you with your jaw on the floor, both laughing and in awe of the creativity of the human mind. Chicken Nugget isn’t serving your average dry-fried nugget. This is saucy, sweet, and sour, with a texture like no other, and you will want another bite. The show has a heavy-hitting cast of big names, not only in the main roles but also as cameos. So let’s dig in.
Ryu Seung-Ryong as Choi Sun-Man
If the main man of Chicken Nugget looked familiar to you, you’ve likely seen Netflix’s Kingdom or Disney+’s Moving. If you’re an older K-drama fan, you may have seen the actor in the Lee Min-Ho starrer Personal Taste or My Love From The Star, but the actor has also been in some of the highest-grossing Korean films of all time, including the recent comedy Extreme Job and 2014’s The Admiral: Roaring Currents. The actor plays Choi Sun-Man, the single father who loses his daughter to a machine that turns her into a chicken nugget. There’s a delicate balance between comedy and melancholy that he must portray in this show, and he does it with extreme precision. Choi Sun-Man is dismayed when his daughter unexpectedly turns into a chicken nugget, and he will do anything in his power to bring her back. Even try and live for over 100 years, if that helps.
Ahn Jae-Hong As Ko Baek-Joong
If you’re a K-drama watcher, you’re probably familiar with Ahn Jae-Hong’s face. The actor is a comedy favorite and became popular after the hit show Reply 1988. Though the actor is more of a movie star, he has a handful of terribly popular TV shows he’s been in, all unique and fantastic, including Fight For My Way, Be Melodramatic (a personal favorite and heavily referenced in this show), Kingdom 2, and Netflix’s very own Mask Girl. The actor is a master of comedy, and the ease with which he delivers the most bizarre dialogue is why he does so well in the genre. The actor plays the intern and Sun-Man’s comrade in the journey to find Min-Ah and reverse her nugget-ification. Baek-Joong wanted to be a musician all his life, but his father forced him into mechanical engineering (the story of the Asian household). So, to rebel against his father, he wears yellow pants to work every single day, not knowing these yellow pants will possibly one day become iconic.
Kim You-Jung As Choi Min-Ah
Adorable, stunning, and the nation’s most admired child actress. For someone who is barely 25, this actress has done so much in her career already. She’s not only known as the “nation’s first love,” she’s also known as the “global first love,” thanks to her performance in the highly popular Netflix film 20th Century Girl. The actress was most recently seen in the beloved fantasy drama My Demon, so it was quite a shock to see her come back to our screens so soon after. The actress plays Choi Min-Ah, the daughter of Sun-Man, who turned into the infamous chicken nugget. Yes, a single piece of chicken. Sorry to disappoint you, but she’s barely in the show. You get to hear her a few times, but she appears only in a couple of episodes in just the one outfit (haw!).
Yoo Seung-Mok as Yoo In-Won
There are South Korean actors, and then there are South Korean actors. Yoo Seung-Mok has been in the business for a long time, and he’s almost unrecognizable as the mad scientist in Chicken Nugget. The actor has been in many globally popular films by equally popular global directors, such as The Host and Decision to Leave. At the same time, he’s been in most of the popular TV shows you’ve probably seen. Recently, A Good Day To Be A Dog, Moving, Taxi Driver 2, and so many more. Yoo In-Won is the scientist who discovers the purple box, which is the machine that transforms Min-Ah into a nugget, and has been researching it for a while.
Jung Seung-Gil as Yoo Tae-Man
Yoo In-Won’s nephew, actor Jung Seung-Gil (52) plays a 25-year-old who has aged drastically because of herbal medication. Though he’s more intelligent than your average 25-year-old, he detests the world because of his rapid aging. You may have seen actor Jung Seung-Gil previously in Dream, The Matchmakers, Strong Girl Nam-Soon, and Hospital Playlist 2. The actor does a fine job of being resentful of the world he lives in in Chicken Nugget.
Kim Tae-Hoon as Baek-Jung
Actor Kim Tae-Hoon was most recently the bad guy in My Demon,but the actor has been on the scene for many years now. The actor does a fantastic job at being pure evil, so it was quite interesting to see him play a sober and calm character in Chicken Nugget. He’s the owner of a chicken nugget store, but there’s a little twist that you’ll learn about much later. Along with him are Hwang Mi-Young, Jung Soon-Won, and Lee Ha-Nee, who are part of his family.
Jung Ho-Yeong as Hong Cha
Squid Game superstar and South Korean supermodel Jung Ho-Yeon plays food blogger Hong Cha in Chicken Nugget. Though it’s a short role, it’s a memorable one. Along with being a popular food blogger, Hong Cha is Ko Baek-Joong’s ex. An additional surprise cameo includes Jin Young from GOT7, who isn’t really in the show as much as he’s mentioned, playing the older brother of Tae-Man.
- Advertisem*nt -
