Branding in Seongsu (2024) Episode 2

Feb 16, 2024

Branding in Seongsu Episode 2 picks up where the previous episode left off. Na-eon asks Eun-ho to meet her at a hotel. Following this, Eun-ho is introduced to XU Beauty CEO Jin-seok at the hotel where he has hurriedly arrived. To assure him that CEO Jin-seok is innocent of any wrongdoing related to animal cruelty, Na-eon invited him to the hotel. He is also shown petting a bunny to emphasise his intent.

After the meeting, Na-eon is seen driving the car while Eun-ho is in the passenger seat. However, she urges him to get off while they’re over a bridge. Nonetheless, she sends him a short message requesting that he drop by XU Beauty’s factory the following day.

The next day, Na-eon is spotted in a meeting with the company’s upper management. Her coworker, who previously sabotaged her meeting with CEO Jin-seok, is present there as well. Accusations of client theft from her coworker lead Na-eon’s supervisors to ridicule her halfway through the discussion.

Workplace drama also unfolds in the office. Jung-woo is seen flirting with Na-eon. He wants to know why she hasn’t found a partner yet. But Na-eon switches the subject right away. After she leaves, Yoo-mi messages Jung-woo. A photo of the two of them has been saved as her desktop picture, which he notices. He confronts her about it when she sneaks up on him and tells her that they are only friends and that he has no intention of crossing the line.

We watch as Na-eon contacts CEO Jin-seok to verify if his company is indeed cruelty-free and environmentally conscious. His responses are evasive, though, and he assures her that he will speak highly of her to her superiors. Since Na-eon is more concerned with advancing her career than with upholding moral principles, she will stop at nothing to clear his name in the event that he is implicated in any questionable activities.

Upon his first inspection of the factory, Eun-ho finds nothing suspicious. However, later that night, he goes to the factory to get his phone, which he previously forgot there. In the final moments of the episode, he discovers a rabbit in the factory. The episode ends when he switches on the light, which triggers a slew of confined animals to start making noises.

The Episode Review

In the second episode, Na-eon arranges for Eun-ho to pay a visit to the factory of XU Beauty. It turns out that Yoo-mi is truly smitten with Yung-woo. In the manufacturing unit of XU Beauty, Eun-ho finds animals.

We have a better sense of what’s being put up here as the plot advances in this episode. The episode keeps confusing matters, but it’s still entertaining. Additionally, neither the main nor the secondary characters are being introduced properly.

A major criticism of the show is that its central characters have unlikable traits. The primary protagonist, Na-eon, is portrayed as a driven and ambitious woman. However, she comes across as cruel, indifferent and truly unlikable.

On the other hand, Eun-ho’s demeanour is completely immature and unprofessional. He lacks the appeal and charismatic qualities that would make us root for him. Furthermore, his views are so opposing from one another that they verge on being naive. This is because each of his perspectives is incompatible with one another. This element in particular doesn’t really make sense for his character.

Compared to the previous episode, this one was a letdown. Like before, the plot is unclear, the character arcs are underdeveloped, and the viewpoints are puzzling.