Highlights: Chicken nuggets

“Chicken Nuggets” tells the bizarre story of a father’s efforts to save his daughter from being a snack forever.
photo: Provided by/Netflix

One of the great things about the streaming revolution is that non-English TV shows have become more accessible. In the Dark Ages, if you wanted to watch a show in Hungary or Thailand, you were out of luck.

South Korea’s rich entertainment industry, which includes K-pop, Squid Games Countless Korean dramas and comedies have appeared on our screens.

A product that has recently caught my attention is called “Snacks” Fried chicken nuggetsthe story of a woman who accidentally turns into… a chicken nugget.

How could you not try a premise like this for at least one episode?

Based on a Korean webtoon, Fried chicken nuggets By turns hilarious, silly and deeply moving, the story spans centuries and incorporates everything from robot dogs to K-pop-inspired kung fu to aliens and an obsessed mad scientist.

One day, a small Korean electronics company receives a strange closet-style machine. When Min-ah, the company president’s daughter, enters the machine, she is suddenly and inexplicably transformed into a small chicken nugget. Her shocked father and the bumbling comic intern who has a crush on her embark on a strange quest to save her from a fate worse than death: chicken nuggets.

It’s a bit like Being John Malkovicha Looney Tunes cartoon and Squid Gamesis full of frenetic energy (with lots of shouting in Korean), has a premise that can only be described as endearingly silly, and a story that constantly takes unexpected detours.

If this is just endless madness Fried chicken nuggets can be annoying – but it also has a warm heart underneath, and the endings to its many inventive mysteries are both bittersweet and satisfying.

Ryu Seung-ryong as the confused and heartbroken father and Ahn Jae-hong as the awkward intern both give particularly strong performances, alternating between oddball comedic and tense dramatic moments.

The performances by some of the rest of the cast are a little over the top, but then again, a show about a guy turning into a chicken nugget isn’t meant to be subtle.

It’s just one (chicken-flavored) taste of the wild world of foreign entertainment filtered through streaming services these days, even if its proud silliness might be off-putting to some. Fried chicken nuggets For those who like alternative styles, it is worth a try.

trailer:

Is it worth watching?

Story: 3.5/5 (The twists and turns in the story may not be for everyone, but it’s a fun ride)

Production: 3.5/5 (Although the story takes place in many drab offices and warehouses, there is a lot of style here)

Watchability of the series: 4.5/5 (10 episodes in total, each episode is about 30 minutes)

If I like this, what should I watch next?

beef – The story of two Asian Americans who sparked chaos due to road rage.

Parasites – Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning class satire captures the many conflicts of South Korean society.

SpongeBob SquarePants – Although Chicken Nugget’s style is more adult, its screaming, frantic energy reminds me of life under the sea.

Chicken Nugget is currently streaming on Netflix.