Chicken Nugget (TV series)

Not to be confused with Chikn Nuggit.

Chicken Nugget (Korean: 닭강정) is a 2024 South Korean comedy mystery television series written and directed by Lee Byeong-heon, and starring Ryu Seung-ryong, Ahn Jae-hong, and Kim Yoo-jung. Based on the Naver webtoon of the same name, it is a comic mystery chase drama about the struggles of a father to recover his daughter who entered a mysterious machine and turned into a chicken nugget, assisted by a man who has a crush on her.^[3][4] It was released on Netflix in selected regions on March 15, 2024.^[5][6]

Chicken Nugget
Promotional poster
Hangul	닭강정
Revised Romanization	Dakgangjeong
McCune–Reischauer	Takkangjŏng
Genre	Comedy Mystery
Based on	Chicken Nugget by Park Ji-dok
Developed by	Kwon Mi-kyung[1]
Written by	Lee Byeong-heon
Directed by	Lee Byeong-heon
Starring	Ryu Seung-ryong Ahn Jae-hong Kim Yoo-jung
Music by	Kim Tae-seong[1]
Country of origin	South Korea
Original language	Korean
No. of episodes	10
Production
Producers	Kang Mi-kyung[1] Jang Jae-ho[1] Lee Jong-seok[1]
Cinematography	Noh Seung-bo[1]
Editor	Nam Na-young[1]
Running time	28–37 minutes
Production companies	Studio N[2] Plus Media Entertainment[2]
Original release
Network	Netflix
Release	March 15, 2024 (2024-03-15)

Synopsis

Choi Min-ah, the daughter of a company president, mistakes a new machine as a device which helps her with her fatigue, and she is accidentally turned into a chicken nugget. As her father, Choi Seon-man and intern Go Baek-joong who has a crush on her, try to turn her back into a human, they discover unexpected secrets.

Cast and characters

Main

• Ryu Seung-ryong as Choi Seon-man^[7]

The president of More Than Machines, who tries to turn his daughter back into a human.

• Ahn Jae-hong as Go Baek-joong^[8]

An intern who has a crush on his boss's daughter, Min-ah.

• Kim Yoo-jung as Choi Min-ah^[9]

Choi Seon-man's daughter who enters a mysterious machine thinking it is a fatigue recovery machine and turns into a chicken nugget.

Special appearances

• Jung Ho-yeon as Hong Cha^[10][11]

Korea's best taste columnist.

• Park Jin-young as Yoo Tae-young^[12]

Yoo Tae-man's handsome older brother.

• Ko Chang-seok as Baek-joong's father^[12]
• Moon Sang-hoon as Jeong Hyo-bong^[12]

A man who is entangled with a mysterious machine and appears at the right time.

• Yoo Seung-mok as Yoo In-won^[12]

A doctor crazy about mechanical research.

• Jeong Seung-gil as Yoo Tae-man^[12]

A man who has the strongest presbyopia complex.

• Kim Tae-hoon as employee of More Than Machines^[12]
• Hwang Mi-young as employee of More Than Machines^[12]
• Jeong Sun-won as employee of More Than Machines^[12]
• Lee Ha-nui as employee of More Than Machines^[12]
• Kim Nam-hee^[12]
• Yang Hyun-min^[12]
• Heo Jun-seok^[12]
• Park Hyeong-soo^[12]
• Lee Joo-bin^[12]

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	"Episode 1"	Lee Byeong-heon	Lee Byeong-heon	March 15, 2024 (2024-03-15)
2	"Episode 2"	Lee Byeong-heon	Lee Byeong-heon	March 15, 2024 (2024-03-15)
3	"Episode 3"	Lee Byeong-heon	Lee Byeong-heon	March 15, 2024 (2024-03-15)
4	"Episode 4"	Lee Byeong-heon	Lee Byeong-heon	March 15, 2024 (2024-03-15)
5	"Episode 5"	Lee Byeong-heon	Lee Byeong-heon	March 15, 2024 (2024-03-15)
6	"Episode 6"	Lee Byeong-heon	Lee Byeong-heon	March 15, 2024 (2024-03-15)
7	"Episode 7"	Lee Byeong-heon	Lee Byeong-heon	March 15, 2024 (2024-03-15)
8	"Episode 8"	Lee Byeong-heon	Lee Byeong-heon	March 15, 2024 (2024-03-15)
9	"Episode 9"	Lee Byeong-heon	Lee Byeong-heon	March 15, 2024 (2024-03-15)
10	"Episode 10"	Lee Byeong-heon	Lee Byeong-heon	March 15, 2024 (2024-03-15)

Production

In November 2022, it was reported that filming is currently in progress.^[13]

In an interview, director Lee Byeong-heon said, "We recently finished filming and will be released on Netflix at the earliest at the end of 2023, or early next year at the latest".^[14]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 5 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10.^[15] Pierce Conran of South China Morning Post wrote that "even among Netflix's growing catalogue of dystopian dramas, twisty thrillers and sci-fi tentpoles, Chicken Nugget stands out, thanks to its saturated colours, heightened tone and absurd sense of humour".^[16] Jonathan Wilson of Ready Steady Cut rated it a 3.5/5 and wrote that the series is a "work of sneaky genius".^[17] Joel Keller of Decider wrote that the series "is silly as hell, but it promises to be one of those shows where two people go on a crazy adventure" and "just happens to involve a woman who becomes a chicken nugget".^[18] Sarah Musnicky of But Why Tho? rated it a 8/10 and wrote it "dials everything up to a ten and then some" and "it is absurdist, comedic fun and spares no expense or time in embracing its quirky energy".^[19] Joly Herman of Common Sense Media wrote that "some sinister undertones and the copious use of language makes this show a better choice for older teens" and "fans of irrational sci-fi will appreciate this one the most".^[20]

Viewership

Chicken Nugget ranked tenth in Netflix's Global Top 10 TV (Non-English) category for the week of March 18–24, 2024, and received a warm response in seven countries including South Korea.^[21]

Listicles

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement

Publisher	Year	Listicle	Placement	Ref.
NME	2024	The 10 best K-dramas of 2024 – so far	Placed	[22]

References

1. Chicken Nugget. Episode 1. March 15, 2024. Netflix.
2. Kim, Chae-yeon (February 6, 2024). 류승룡x안재홍 '닭강정' 첫 스틸 공개..이 중에 김유정이 있다 [Ryu Seung-ryong and Ahn Jae-hong's first still from 'Dakgangjeong' released... Among them is Kim Yoo-jung]. OSEN [ko]. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024 – via Naver.
3. Lim, Jeong-won (September 30, 2022). "Actor Ahn Jae-hong, director Lee Byeong-heon to work together on 'Chicken Nugget' Netflix series". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2022 – via Naver.
4. Suacillo, Angela Patricia (September 30, 2022). "Kim Yoo-jung, Ahn Jae-hong and Ryu Seung-ryong to star in upcoming Netflix K-drama". NME. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
5. Nam, Ji-eun (October 26, 2023). '극한직업' '무빙' 이번엔 '닭강정'이다...류승룡 치킨 유니버스. The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 5, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023 – via Naver.
6. Kang, Hyo-jin (February 15, 2024). 김유정, 닭강정 됐다...넷플릭스 '닭강정' 3월 15일 공개[공식] [Kim Yoo-jung, chicken gangjeong is done... Netflix's 'Dakgangjeong' to be released on March 15 [Official]] (in Korean). SPOTV News. Archived from the original on February 15, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024 – via Naver.
7. Kim Nara (September 30, 2022). '닭강정'으로 변한 '국민 여동생' 김유정...류승룡X안재홍까지, 이병헌 감독 신작 출연 [공식] [Nation's younger sister' Kim Yoo-jung, who has turned into 'Chicken Gangjeong'... Ryoo Seung-ryong X Ahn Jae-hong to appear in director Lee Byung-hun's new film [Official]] (in Korean). My Daily. Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2022 – via Naver.
8. Kim Na-Yul (September 30, 2022). '닭강정' 안재홍, 엉뚱한 인턴사원 役..'멜로가 체질' 감독과 재회[공식] ['Chicken Gangjeong' Ahn Jae-hong, the wrong intern role ... Reunited with the director of 'Melodrama' [Official]] (in Korean). Herald Pop. Archived from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2022 – via Naver.
9. Kim Soo-young (September 26, 2022). [단독] 김유정, 이병헌 감독 만난다...'닭강정' 출연 최종 조율 [[Exclusive] Kim Yoo-jung meets director Lee Byung-hun... Final coordination for 'Chicken Gangjeong' appearance] (in Korean). The Korea Economic Daily. Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2022 – via Naver.
10. Jo Yeon-kyung (November 8, 2022). [단독] 월드스타 정호연 '닭강정' 특별출연...'오겜' 이후 첫 韓작품 [[Exclusive] World star Jung Ho-yeon makes a special appearance in 'Chicken Gangjeong'... First Korean work since 'Squid Game'] (in Korean). JTBC. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022 – via Naver.
11. '닭강정' 된 김유정, 울부짖는 류승룡X안재홍...3월 15일 공개. Naver (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 15, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
12. 공개 앞둔 '닭강정', 정호연·이하늬·이주빈 등 신스틸러 출동. JTBC (in Korean). March 14, 2024. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
13. Kim Young-jae (November 25, 2022). 류승룡이 떡 먹고 웃음 터뜨린 사연 [리포트:컷] [The story of Ryu Seung-ryong bursting into laughter after eating rice cake [Report: cut]] (in Korean). TV Report. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022 – via Naver.
14. Kwak Myung-dong (May 4, 2023). 이병헌 감독 "'닭강정' 연말 넷플릭스 공개, 미친 듯이 웃긴다" 기대감↑ [Director Lee Byung-hun "'Dak Gangjeong' released on Netflix at the end of the year, it's insanely funny" anticipation↑] (in Korean). My Daily. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
15. "Chicken Nugget". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
16. Conran, Pierce (March 15, 2024). "Netflix K-drama Chicken Nugget: Ryu Seung-ryong, Ahn Jae-hong are a scream in surreal and whimsical comedy that may not be to everyone's taste". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
17. Wilson, Jonathan (March 15, 2024). "Chicken Nugget Season 1 Review – Deranged nonsense obscures some genuinely interesting ideas". Ready Steady Cut. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
18. Keller, Joel (March 15, 2024). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Chicken Nugget' On Netflix, A Koren Comedy Where A Woman Gets Transformed Into A Chicken Nugget (Really!)". Decider. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
19. Musnicky, Sarah (March 16, 2024). "REVIEW: 'Chicken Nugget' Is Absolutely Ridiculous, Dumb Fun". But Why Tho?. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
20. Herman, Joly (March 27, 2024). "A Killer Paradox TV Review". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
21. Jang, Min-soo (March 27, 2024). '피지컬100 시즌2', 넷플릭스 글로벌 1위...'눈물의 여왕' '닭강정'도 톱10 ['Physical 100 Season 2' ranks 1st globally on Netflix...'Queen of Tears' and 'Chicken Nugget' also in top 10] (in Korean). MHN Sports. Archived from the original on April 24, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024 – via Naver.
22. Tamar, Herman (June 27, 2024). "The 10 best K-dramas of 2024 – so far". NME. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2024.

External links

• Production website at Plus Media Entertainment (in Korean and English)
• Chicken Nugget on Netflix
• Chicken Nugget at IMDb 
• Chicken Nugget at HanCinema
• Chicken Nugget at Naver Webtoon (in Korean)