First Episode, First Impressions -- 7th Grade Civil Servant

Title: 7th Grade Civil Servant (7급 공무원) 
Network: MBC
Episodes: 20
Starring: Choi Kang Hee and Joo Won
Aired: January 2013 - March 2013

I'm very much of the do not judge a book by its cover camp, but I definitely do judge it after a chapter or in some extreme cases a paragraph.  For the most part, I am much more forgiving of Korean dramas.  I am known to give them the benefit of the doubt right up to the very end or until I'm sidetracked by a different drama or new knitting project.  Since my plan to watch list has grown to unruly proportions, I have decided that I will be tougher on dramas and give them one episode, one chapter to convince me that I should invest a considerable amount of my time watching them.  I am horrible at making decisions so I will be going in order as the appear on my list.  First up, 7th Grade Civil Servant.
Episode one opens with a news broadcast with dire information about the economic downturn in South Korea and sky rocketing unemployment rates, as a current unemployee I can relate.  We are introduced to our two leads which can be said, like in almost every other drama I have ever watched, are polar opposites.  Kim Kyung Ja, played by Choi Kang Hee, is from a modest background working three jobs while going to school to take her civil servant exam to join the NIS(National Intelligence Service).  She lives paycheck to paycheck and is barely able to make ends meet.  At the other end of the spectrum we have Han Pil Hoon, played by the cutie that is Joo Won.  He is a rich boy that spends his time racing cars, practicing his marksmanship, and arguing with his father about taking over the company.

The two end up on a blind date when Kyung Ja takes a job from her best friend who owns a match making company and Pil Hoon is bribed by his mother, who was convinced by a fortune teller that he needs a woman in his life, with the promise of a new car.  The hit it off during the first date due mostly to the fact that they did not speak to each other, but rather both of them spent the required two hours studying on their own for the upcoming exam; her with open book and highlighter, him on his handy tablet, Samsung Galaxy 10in looked like to me. They agree to meet the following day for a second outing this time he takes her to race his car against another rich boy.  This leads to probably the worst part of the whole first episode:  She freaks out during the race and starts pulling his hair and manhandling him while he is going full out on a curvy road.  Really!!! Stupid bitch.  How the hell does that make sense??? I understand if maybe you are freaking out because of whatever, but seriously just close your eyes and curse at him really loudly.   I was so pissed off at this whole scene that I hate Kyung Ja.  I want to see her die in a fiery explosion.  Baka (Ok, I've been cheating on Korea with a few Japanese dramas).
During this first episode we are also introduced to a few peeps at the NIS and to the bad guy.  The resident baddie is played by Uhm Tae Wong, a short lived cameo it seems, and for some unknown reason he is after Pil Hoon.

I love a man in all black.

As a first episode it was alright.  It wasn't horrible, but nothing about the first episode compels me to sit through a second one.  I'll probably watch the drama once it ends in a week so I can marathon through as I work on the blanket I'm currently knitting. I was liking the drama, and even digging the "tough" female lead right up to the point where she freaks out in the car after that my whole mindset went from ok, I can give this a chance to checking how much more of the first episode there was to the end.  I hated, loathed, that scene.  It was too long, too annoying, too everything bad.  I might watch it for Joo Won but this is supposed to be an action rom-com and at this point I'm completely uninterested in the main couple being together.