On The Verge Of Insanity

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Drama: On The Verge Of Insanity (English title) / No One But a Madman (literal title)
Revised romanization: Michiji Angoseoya
Hangul: 미치지 않고서야
Director: Kim Keun-Hong, Choi Jung-In
Writer: Jung Do-Yoon
Network: MBC
Episodes: 16
Release Date: June 23 - August 26, 2021
Runtime: Wednesday & Thursday 21:00
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

Choi Ban-Seok (Jung Jae-Young) is a veteran engineer, working as a developer in the consumer electronics division of Hanmyung Electronics. He has a calm disposition and a warm heart. He also has a sense of humor, but he faces the biggest crisis of his 22 year working career. To avoid being caught up in a wave of dismissals, he is transferred to the personnel department. He is completely unfamiliar with the personnel department. He decides to survive in the personnel department and not quit this job.

Dang Ja-Young (Moon So-Ri) is the leader of the personnel department. She was promoted to the position recently. She is a workaholic and she wants to become the company's first female executive. Choi Ban-Seok is a new member of the personnel department. She doesn’t know what to do with him, but her life slowly changes by working with him.

Notes

"On The Verge Of Insanity" takes over MBC's Wednesday & Thursday 21:00 time slot previously occupied by "Here's My Plan" and followed by "May I Help You" on October 19, 2022.
Ep.11, which was originally scheduled to air Wednesday, July 28, 2021, will air Wednesday, August 11, 2021. The delay is due to broadcasting of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Cast



Jung Jae-Young	Moon So-Ri	Lee Sang-Yeob	Kim Ga-Eun
Choi Ban-Seok	Dang Ja-Young	Han Se-Kwon	Seo Na-Ri

Hanmyeong Electronics Changin Campus Research Building

Research Center Director

Kim Joong-Ki

Go Jung-Sik

Quality Assurance



Kim Nam-Hee	Park Sung-Geun	Jung Yeo-Jun
Shin Han-Soo	Gong Jung-Pil	Gil Chang-Hwan

Purchasing Team



Park Won-Sang	Son Ye-Ji
Paeng Soo-Gon	Park Da-Som

Product Planning Team



Jung Sung-Hoon	Oh Yoo-Na
Yoon Ki-Joon	Heo Ga-Young

Research & Development



Oh Yong	Ahn Nae-Sang	Song Sub	Goo Min-Hyuk
Pyeon Dong-Il	No Beyong-Kook	Yang Hyung-Tae	Jeon Myung-Woo



Dong Hyun-Bae	Baek Min-Hyun	Kim Kyu-Do	Kim Yoon-Seo	Jung Hyun-Chul
Ki Jung-Hyun	An Joon-Soo	Cha Kyu-Won	Jung Sung-Eun	Sung Do-Gyun



Yoo Jung-Rae	Kim Ye-Eun	Lee Hye-Ji
Eo Hae-Mi	Oh Hye-Yeon	Kim Hye-Ji

Motor Team



Lee Sam-Woo	Yang Jae-Hyun
Kang Min-Goo (ep.3-4)	Yoo Woo-Jong

Hanmyeong Electronics Changin Campus Office Building



Cha Chung-Hwa	Lim Hyoun-Soo	Cheon Hee-Joo	Kim Jin-Ho	Lim Il-Gyu
Shin Jung-A	So Sang-Wook	Kye Bo-Ram	Bae Jung-Tak	Oh Jae-Il

Hanmyeong Electronics HQ

Jo Bok-Rae

Chairman Han Seung-Ki



Kang Joo-Sang	Kang Yeon-Woo	Park Jin-Soo	Kim Jin-Goo	Kim Shin-Yul
No Jae-Yeol	Park Hoon-Jung	Seo Yoon-Taek	executive	executive (ep.5)



Park Ki-Ryoong	Jang Dae-Woong	Son Seon-Geun	Park Byung-Wook
Park Ki-Ryoong (ep.8,16)	executive (ep.10)	executive (ep.10)	executive (ep.10)

Hanmyeong Electronics Others



Song Yo-Seb	Choi Duk-Moon	Lee Sung-Il	Kwak Min-Suk	Jang Joon-Hyun
Jin Seung-Ho (ep.1)	Kim Young-Soo	auditor (ep.8-9)	Lee Hyun-Joong (ep.10)	Lee Kyung-Hoon (ep.12)

Hanmyeong E & C



Park Keun-Rok	Kim Sang-Il
Han Seung-Jin	Mr. Yoon (ep.15)

AA Electronics

Kim Han-Joon

Mr. Jung

QK Korea

Kim Kyung-Min

Shin Jong-Sik (ep.8)

GR Tech



Kim Jae-Il	Kim Pan-Kyum
Kang Jae-Hyuk (ep.16)	CEO's assistant (ep.16)

Choi Ban-Seok's Family



Nam Neung-Mi	Jung Ye-Na
Choi Ban-Seok's mother	Choi Sun-Yi

Dang Ja-Young's Family



Chun Young-Hoon	Choi Yoon-Jung
Dang Ja-Young's father	Dang Min-Young

Others



Jeon Yeo-Jin	Jung Doo-Kyum	Kwon Hyuk-Soo	Jung Young-Do	Hwang Tae-Kwang
headhunter (ep.3)	mayor (ep.11)	Han Seung-Ki's uncle (ep.14)	reporter (ep.14)	Son Tae-Sung (ep.16)

Uhm Hye-Soo

Lee Han-Sol (ep.16)

Additional Cast Members:

Choi Myoung-Gil - Choi Hye-Soo
Yoo Sang-Jae - Son Hyung-Ki (finance team)
Chu Eun-Kyung - Jo Sun-Young (ep.1)

Trailers

Episode Ratings

Date	Episode	AGB
Date	Episode	Nationwide	Seoul
2021-06-23	1	3.0%	NR
2021-06-23	1	3.9%	NR
2021-06-24	2	2.7%	NR
2021-06-24	2	3.3%	3.8% (20th)
2021-06-30	3	2.7%	NR
2021-06-30	3	3.6%	NR
2021-07-01	4	3.0%	NR
2021-07-07	5	3.2%	NR
2021-07-08	6	3.0%	NR
2021-07-14	7	3.8%	NR
2021-07-15	8	2.7%	NR
2021-07-21	9	3.3%	NR
2021-07-22	10	3.3%	NR
2021-08-11	11	3.8%	NR
2021-08-12	12	3.7%	NR
2021-08-18	13	4.0%	4.3% (18th)
2021-08-19	14	3.6%	NR
2021-08-25	15	3.5%	-
2021-08-26	16	4.3% (18th)	-

Source: AGB Nielson

NR denotes not ranked within the Top 20 TV programs (including news, sports, variety, etc.) for that day according to AGB Nielson.

Awards

2021 MBC Drama Awards - December 30, 2021
- Excellent Actor (Lee Sang-Yeob)

Comments

sgt_doom Jan 16 2023 11:04 am Incredibly reality–based (to be expected from great Kdramas) ----- have experienced all these events myself, almost exactly as portrayed!!!

Another great corporate work series!!!

WK Jan 22 2022 12:50 am One of the best drama regarding "insanity" at workplace when faced with difficult situations. The acting is very good. Well-written script. For those who have worked in big corporations it's all so real. I nearly missed it because of the ratings but the ratings really do not reflect the high quality of this drama. I really missed the kind if camaderie shown here.

Arrite Jan 07 2022 5:38 pm It was good show but actress who played dang ja young was misfit for role. She only gives one expression all the time,role eyes upwards and scoff. She didnt have charm for carrying that complex role, actress who played her roommate or many other actresses like soo ae or sky castle tutor, or yoon se ah should have played it. Anyqays, kang da jungs character was very unlikable she heartlessly fires ppl but when shes fired she calls herself victim and cries banging her head. We didnt see fired male employees crying why femal employee is so weak that when shes rightfully fired she cries and sheds tears? Drama was good but what made me angry was that all senior male executives, including chaurman han and han se guen were shown evil gor doing evil things, kang ja young also did evil things infinitely but somehow writers didnt show her as evil and painted her as victim, which was very unfair. She was evil and greedy and rest and should be shown as such and not painted as nice just cause shes drama FL..

Otherwise good show. 8 on 10 , deducted 2 marks for showing djy as victim

Grace Nov 21 2021 6:33 am I watched this drama without much expectations but I ended up loving this drama!! especially the scene when the workers were forced to resign voluntarily.. well written script, the casting is seriously one of the best ever! A huge pity about the ratings, but I'm never one to skip any drama because of its ratings. I was watching wo skipping any episodes. it was riveting and relatable. the cast is what makes a drama good, and in this case, this lack of an young idols cast, to me, is perfect!!

Terry Oct 03 2021 7:10 pm I wouldn't call this the best kdrama of the year but it was good. I just didn't understand how the actions and greed of two people, the Han cousins, could/should affect so many people. I also didn't understand how at the end of the day they blamed everyone but themselves for the consequences and continued to seek revenge.

Thom Sep 30 2021 1:39 pm This drama series reminds me of some companies I worked for! LOL. I like how Ban-Seok Choi hired Han-Soo Shin and convinced Ja-Young Dang to join his new company. Also it was a nice surprise to see Dang bring in Na-Ri Seo ! Ha Ha Ha!!!

dramafans Sep 20 2021 2:24 am why i ship ms.jang with chairman han the third cousin of that bastard han se gwon???

kdramafan Sep 19 2021 4:49 pm of course am not gonna watch this cz of the very low ratings not only that they are horrendous especially in seoul mbc is no thatt bad i watched lots of good dramas from them in the past dont know why they are doing so badly sorry fans

Michele Sep 18 2021 4:50 pm Excellent drama. Loved it so much. Extremely well written and acted. No slow or dull spots. Highly recommend.

ridwan123 Sep 14 2021 10:37 pm best kdrama in 2021 i think.... idk misaeng is maybe good, i miss lee is good too but 'on the verge of insanity' is best office kdrama so far. as the title said, it is really stressful and on the verge of insanity for doing work in real company is. your competence, social adaptation, and attitude is challenge this drama is not draggy and no boring at all for every episode you cant predict what will happen next. it is very focus in office slice-of-life drama and working/company problem, minimal romance or unnessacary filler. very neat and focus. this should be daesang in mbc drama award. i gave this drama my daesang award

D.A. Sep 14 2021 8:29 am I think this has a good story-line: it is realistic in many ways and the acting from all casts are very believable. It reminds me of 2 or 3 big companies I've worked with in the past.

Id Aug 31 2021 6:40 am Definitely one of my favourite drama for 2021.

Best Aug 30 2021 10:43 am One of the best drama in 2021

Steve Aug 29 2021 7:51 pm This is a good drama. Well written and acted. None of the characters are particularly sympathetic, but I think this serves to underscore the stressful nature of any workplace. You go to work to work and if you are lucky, you develop a friendship or two along the way. Both the male leads are excellent. Jung Jae-Young almost never disappoints. A litmus test for Korean actors is have they performed in a film by Hong Sang-soo -- both Jung and Moon So-Ri have passed the test. Would recommend this drama. It's too long by an episode or two, but what Korean drama isn't.

marivic Aug 28 2021 6:24 pm i love this drama...so satisfying ending,,, must a watch full of lessons and realistic scenes,,,,

TaeMin Aug 27 2021 8:15 am I love the drama. This definitely a successful drama that has touched me deeply. Congratulations!!!!

RAKW Aug 27 2021 4:20 am I really enjoyed this drama. The actors, crew, and everyone else involved in its creation and execution did an outstanding job. It is so sad that many potential viewers who might have enjoyed it missed out because some current, popular idol actor or actress was not involved to draw their attention.

Lola Aug 27 2021 4:02 am What an amazing drama ... It's a must Watch!!!

Tony Aug 25 2021 10:41 pm A very entertaining and amusing drama that I look forward to watching every week. I believe it is not rated highly because it does not have the usual lineup of kpop-type handsome and beautiful actors revered and expected of by viewers.

Eunkwang bbobbo Aug 25 2021 9:48 pm Han Se-Gwon is totally a trash till the end. Lee Sang-Yeob is a great actor. His character in this drama is really annoying, immature and very childish which is very different from what I've seen in his previous drama. Even when he play as Lee Yoo-Beom in While You Were Sleeping didn't make me this angry. Another actor and actress also give their best in this drama. Two thumbs up for all the actor, actress and crew. Such a good drama.

Lola Aug 25 2021 5:37 pm Great drama, good storyline, amazing cast ? Reminds me of Misaeng! Deserve high ratings and viewership.

Isabelle Aug 23 2021 1:17 am Such an underrated drama ! I like office drama, and this one is one of my favorites. The script is amazing, the characters are well-developed (and not only the main ones) and the actors are perfect !

May Aug 21 2021 1:43 am I love stories that you can't tell what's going to happen next. Add to that good actors that can portray their characters well to a point you are affected emotionally. I wonder why it didn't rate that much.

SITI AISHAH Aug 18 2021 10:46 pm amazing drama, good actors and actress, thumb up to writer-nim. real life stories. one can never depend to the tv rating. One of the best kdrama.

Prince Aug 15 2021 2:26 am I'm disappointed that the ratings are this bad but I expected it.. an amazing drama irregardless!

Marivic Aug 12 2021 7:05 am I cried when Mr. No resigned...so sad Episode 11

Isti Aug 11 2021 10:36 am Why did they postpone episode 11? It makes me really on the verge of insanity for waiting so long.. TT

Suho Aug 08 2021 9:42 am One of my favorite ongoing korean dramas this 2021. Slice of life kdramas hold a special place in my heart. The acting skills of the actors are topnotch and the story is relatable. Thank you for the brilliant story telling, writer-nim! On the verge of insanity cast hwaiting!!!!

RphHH Aug 01 2021 8:48 am watch the drama because of Sang-yeob but this type of drama is so boring for me so I stop watching it, for me, "slice of life" genre is so boring.

Chiemerie Jul 26 2021 8:56 pm Am really lovely this drama

yummi Jul 22 2021 11:32 pm what satisfying episode, not only was han se kwon completely dissed, but his father also.

Lyr Jul 22 2021 6:40 am This drama is getting better every episode, well written script, tight gripping plot, interesting characters and superb acting. Glad I decided to watch it, one of the best office kdrama ever produced.

Country bumpkin Jul 19 2021 1:45 pm Crap is about to hit the fan. Big time craps. Lol. She gonna got dragged into this. She got that sleazy backstabing manipulative flair. A truly corporate warrior. This is now really on the verge of insanity. I can't wait till next week. He would be the only one stands the ground, the rock. Not because he is such a righful person, but because he is a stubborn, no-frill, straight talking man.

Kfan Jul 15 2021 1:28 am The drama is intetesting.. with vet actor Jung jae young. I don't understand why so low ratings? Hmm... Anyway, I'm enjoying the show. Gambatae

drama-on-tuned Jul 11 2021 5:22 pm giving me the vibe of "Misaeng". To everyone looking fo "slice-of-life" genre, this drama provide it so well. The depiction of selfishness, greed inside an office, was so good ?

Country bumpkin Jul 10 2021 9:20 pm Awesome plot. Office politics, so real. How the writers could come up with these..., nevermind. Those who think that pass through school years with flying color... better watch this drama to better prepared yourself before got flushed down by reality of life. Maybe they assembled a group of corporate warriors as writers for the drama. My utmost respect to the writers, and the thespians. Good job!

chase111085 Jul 09 2021 9:09 am This is so realistic office related drama, this is also happening in real life THO, sooo freaking funny too both Jung Jae Young and Moon So Ri, so excited on the next episode, I can sense love is in the air both jae young and moon sori, hahaha

wendy's kb Jul 08 2021 9:11 pm waaah can't wait until august 26! hahahha I'm so loving it!

ABC Jul 08 2021 7:41 am The beginning of the first episode made it hard to continue, but surprisingly as I keep watching I keep wanting more. Jung JaeYoung's so good. His snapping back and forth with Moon SoRi is hilarious. The other ajusshis too are old favorites,

On top of that, the problems are realistic but not depressing.

And I also hope Lee SangYeob gets a turn-around character development, that he is sincere towards his girlfriend, not just because she has connections.

A+ Jul 08 2021 3:13 am Funny and realistic. Moon So-ri and Jung Jae-young are once again nailing their characters! I like their dynamics very much. Loving this trend nowadays in K-dramas where veteran actors are making a comeback! Been a while since I've seen Moon So-ri (last was Life and wow, she was so infuriating there hahaha).

Idontgetit Jul 07 2021 9:04 pm Han Se-Kwon character seems to be a fast talking moron that use people to his advantage.

How did they ever get married?

sarah Jul 04 2021 5:49 am i feel like jung jae young is what lee min ki will look like in a few years, i wondered if they're related because they look so alike

jess Jul 03 2021 1:03 am The Moon So-ri character is supposed to be around 7-8 years older than her ex-husband, if not more. In the flashback to their first meeting, Dang Ja-young tells Han Se-gwon she has been in HR for 14 years, whereas - according to her notes - Se-gwon is still adjusting to the company. We don't yet know why they got married in spite of the age gap, but I get the feeling it was a pretty strategic move for Se-gwon. Anyway, assuming Se-gwon as a team leader is in his late 30s, that means Ja-young and Ban-seok are in their mid to late 40s. Which makes sense to me, since Ban-seok has been at Hanmyeong for over 20 years.

janni Jul 02 2021 5:26 am the story is promising. simple but realistic as per the story in a work place. I just think that jung jae young and moon so ri are a bit of age for their roles. for team leaders.. late 30's or early 40's would be fine. moon so ri and lee sang yeob has a big difference in their age that is so obvious in the eyes of the viewers. this age gap is just unrealistic. production team could have chosen someone younger than jae young and so ri or an older one for sang yeob's role. i have nothing against the actors and actress. they are all good in portraying their characters but their looks on screen is something really OFF.

I don't think lee sang yeob has the face of a slimeball. his looks are good and has expressive eyes. he's very natural in his acting and has proven his versatility in playing different kinds of roles. he can be good, sweet, mean and funny. he has a joyful face and i think, a good personality in reality. watch the reality/variety tv show trans-siberian pathfinders. it's like a documentary show without a script.

i only hope that he stops playing villain/antagonist roles for he has proven his capacity and worth as a great actor. he can put life into any lead role be it in drama, romcom, action or combination of all mentioned. i wish that he be given a real hard action with romcom on the side. it would be perfect to show off his acting prowess.

TaeMin Jul 02 2021 3:58 am Liking this drama so much. Not much dramas related to HR thing. Very realistic. HR manager has a difficult task mediating what the head mgmt wants and the employees. :)

Mark Villon Jul 01 2021 2:14 am Lee Sang-Yeob villain again?! Come on, dude.

baga Jun 30 2021 10:57 pm the nastiness in the drama is so korean workplace like, lov it.

Ahjummacraft Jun 25 2021 9:48 pm Before watching it i thought it would be the 'heavy' kind of drama, however i was wrong. It's quite 'light' to follow and the story i would say realistic and enjoyable to watch. The casts are all superb! Can't wait for the rest of the episodes.

Country bumpkin Jun 25 2021 3:42 pm All ajussis that i know of are in this drama.

jess Jun 25 2021 11:38 am Very realistic and funny workplace drama. I enjoyed the first two episodes very much.

Jong Urn Jun 25 2021 5:46 am So simple yet so fun

bjlee Jun 25 2021 12:02 am poor sng yeob, with face like like his, all he can play are slimballs ansd ahols

Roy Jun 24 2021 11:12 am I like the plot! This is what I love in kdramas, they have genres from teens, young adults and to older adults. I hope this would have a good storyline along the way. Cause adults like me don't like to waste our time.

Roy Jun 24 2021 11:07 am I like the plot, this is what I love in Kdramas, they have genres from teens, ykungb

Alice Jun 24 2021 12:09 am I enjoyed the first episode. Dramas like these don't get high ratings, but are the most enjoyable. Seems like a solid storyline...

iamestee Jun 18 2021 8:22 pm I'm here for Lee Sang-Yeob <3

BumbleBee Jun 14 2021 8:29 am Looks interesting. Asa!!

YukiChan Jun 05 2021 4:57 am Not that Kim Ga Eun. But Kim Ga Eun (1989) who starring Because this is my first life as Kim Min Seok girlfriend

MiniMe1290 Jun 04 2021 8:00 am Another slice-of-life drama. Can't wait to watch

ch Mar 10 2021 7:34 am omg jung jaeyoung!! liked his character in partners for justice :) hope this drama will be good!!! meanwhile, still waiting for partners for justice 3!!

Tina#Tz Feb 25 2021 1:24 pm I see lee Sang yeob i click ...im gonna watch this as long as he's in ... Liked every drama you're in so far ...keep up darling

Ahjussifan Feb 23 2021 1:56 am Jung Jaeyoung and Moon Sori?? Perfect!

Mrss..... Feb 22 2021 11:03 pm Still waiting partner fir justice season 3?

Yaya Feb 04 2021 10:25 pm This is a psychology student drama XD

jess Feb 04 2021 2:52 am Yay! Jung Jae-young and Moon So-ri!

Shayleen Feb 04 2021 1:04 am Wah! Jung Jae Young!

External Links

Official Website

On The Verge Of Insanity

Contents

User Rating

Profile

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

Notes

Cast

Hanmyeong Electronics Changin Campus Research Building

Research Center Director

Quality Assurance

Purchasing Team

Product Planning Team

Research & Development

Motor Team

Hanmyeong Electronics Changin Campus Office Building

Hanmyeong Electronics HQ

Hanmyeong Electronics Others

Hanmyeong E & C

AA Electronics

QK Korea

GR Tech

Choi Ban-Seok's Family

Dang Ja-Young's Family

Others

Trailers

Episode Ratings

Awards

Comments

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External Links