TVING original ‘Becoming a Legend as a Mess Cook’ broadcast capture

Actor Kang Ha-gyeong stood at the center of the story through Kim Gwan-cheol’s narrative rooted in tender memories with his grandmother in the drama. With a standout performance, Kang Ha-gyeong effectively conveyed the heavy sincerity behind the humor.

On the 7th and 8th episodes of the TVING original ‘Becoming a Legend as a Mess Cook’ (written by Choi Ryong, directed by Cho Nam-hyeong, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Studio Dragon and Studio N, provided by TVING), which aired on the 1st and 2nd, the hidden past and changes of Corporal Kim Gwan-cheol, head of Barracks 2 at Gangrim Outpost, were depicted in earnest. Moving freely between prickly charisma and human warmth, Kang Ha-gyeong solidly fulfilled the role of the central axis of these episodes.

In the broadcast, Kim Gwan-cheol revealed his true colors as soon as his archenemy Yoon Dong-hyun (played by Lee Hong-nae) left for vacation. He unabashedly displayed a ‘No-Yoon, Kim-is-king’ attitude (meaning that if Yoon Dong-hyun is absent, Kim Gwan-cheol is king). Volunteering as a kitchen assistant, Kim showed jaunty confidence to Park Jae-young (Yoon Kyung-ho), who doubted him, saying “Al-jal-kal-ttak-sen.” Yet when left alone with Kang Seong-jae (Park Ji-hoon), he annoyingly took breaks, and he funneled extra portions only to the soldiers of Barracks 2, signaling the start of a full-fledged ‘Kim Gwan-cheol supremacy’ and piquing interest.

The reveal of the twist-filled past of ‘Gangrim Number Two’ Kim Gwan-cheol heightened viewers’ immersion. As a private living alone with his grandmother, he was a monitored soldier who wore a smiley badge. He reassured his grandmother not to worry because he had become a mess cook, and he flashed an innocent smile as he watched seniors enjoy hamburgers made by his grandmother. In delicate contrast to his current brusqueness, Kang Ha-gyeong portrayed a pure past, solidly building the character’s backstory.

News of his grandmother’s passing in the past left viewers with a lump in their throats. He stopped eating altogether, saying, “She would have been alive. If only I had not been dragged into this lousy army.” After eating a hamburger made by Kang Seong-jae and thinking of his grandmother, he burst into tears, and then, at a new turning point, he threw himself into cooking with tremendous knife skills. With his signature lived-in performance, Kang Ha-gyeong convincingly depicted the character’s dramatic emotional shift.

Even amid a typhoon-induced crisis, Kim Gwan-cheol’s performance shone. Though he grumbled about enduring on emergency combat rations, at Kang Seong-jae’s request he stepped up as a reliable aide, even procuring lemon juice from Hwang Seok-ho (played by Lee Sang-yi).

Kim Gwan-cheol also finally opened his heart to Kang Seong-jae, who had weathered the emergency with him. Letting go of his hostility toward Kang, he added warmth with a chic smile, saying, “I will enjoy the meal.”

From breezy slice-of-life acting to deep emotional work, Kang Ha-gyeong ranged widely, playing a key role in steering the emotional arc of episodes 7 and 8. By convincingly unraveling the hidden wounds and sincerity behind the prickly senior, he drew viewers deeper into the drama; with only four episodes left until the finale, attention is turning to what feats and changes Kim Gwan-cheol will show.

The TVING original ‘Becoming a Legend as a Mess Cook’ starring Kang Ha-gyeong airs every Monday and Tuesday at 8:50 p.m. on TVING and tvN.