Bitter and Sweet is one of director Lee Myung-Se's most critically divisive films. The film depicts the everyday life of a large corporation in the 1990s in a somewhat exaggerated way. The film has been met with sharply divided opinions until now. Some have criticized the film as too childish, overly cartoonish, and weak in cinematic construction, while others have praised the director's unique and vivid imagery, abundant imagination, and biting satire of corporate culture at that time. While all of the ten characters from Osung Electronics's New Product Development Department can be considered as protagonists, Manager Ahn Sung-ki is the central figure of all. Manager Ahn Sung-ki, played by Ahn Sung-ki himself, suffers from severe timidity. His stomach gets upset when he has to present in front of his boss, he is not respected by others and even gets defeated in the promotion by a junior colleague due to his timid personality. He represents a pitiful ordinary middle-aged man. Centered around Manager Ahn, the film unfolds a hard week in the lives of characters including director Yoon Joo-sang, always shouting at his subordinates, Kim Hye-soo, the boldest among them, a newly hired mama's boy Park Sang-min, and deputy manager Song Young-chang, with a mental problem for extreme jealousy. However you liked the film, it would be difficult to call it funny as it sharply turns dark toward the end of the film. Although the film was produced by Ik Young Co., Ltd., then a major production, it could be considered a cult film even, as it shows a distinct directorial imprint of Director Lee Myung-Se. Hence we include this in the Special Focus program. (MOON Seok)