Lee Young Joon started off as a self absorbed manager and quickly rose to being a very capable Vice Chairman with one person by his side, his lovely and equally capable Secretary Kim Mi So. The partnership is flawless after 9 years of being together, but it was a long road to get there.
Now that Secretary Kim has decided that she needed a change, Vice Chairman Lee Young Joon is at a loss.
The story of how they ended up together goes back beyond the working relationship and adds an interesting catalyst and gives it a fated love feel.
You get to know Vice Chairman Lee Young Joon is very different from the facade he presents while hiding a devastating secret.
The lead actors work well together and shows the tender passion and love the story calls for. I know most American series go pass the kissing to an almost obscene level, but just barely lip touching and freezing in one pose doesn't convey much passion either.
The supporting cast is surprisingly great as their own love stories are revealed. They show a united front when one of them is labeled as sleeping her way to the top. Vice Chairman's sound board buddy, Directory Park offers sometimes useful advice in the midst of his own love crisis. A drunk Vice Chairman is hilarious as well as he tries to please Mi So's rocker father in later scenes.
The sounds effects added are hilarious and perfectly timed. The series overall is great and I would recommend it highly.
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No love triangles, wholesome pairing, funny side characters
I absolutely love Park Seo-joon and had to watch it after I've read the plot and saw some scenes on youtube.It's wholesome, funny, classy and just an all-rounder.
I'm not a fan of love triangles or trust issues between characters and unnecessary flights. So this had everything I wanted and nothing that I hated. The main characters had a clumsy start into their romance but thanks to a - sometimes helpful - friend and communication they improved and learned how to treat each other and be happy together.
There's even some I dare say "mystery" in the Drama because of an incident that will be solved throughout the series.
I cried, laughed, worried and was full of tension during some scenes. I loved their awkward moments, their cute ones and their serious ones.
If you love Kdramas and want something light, funny but still intriguing then this is the perfect one for you!
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"Aw, look how sweet he is to her."; "Aw, are they really kissing again?!"; "Aw, her clothes and earrings are so cute!";"Aw, they both haves such great families"; and "Awwwww yeeeaaah! He's taking his shirt of again!"
This is the kind of show you watch when you are in the mood for a cute overload. This is the giant fudge sundae of dramas. If this drama were a diamond, it would be at least 6 carats. If this drama were a color, it would be the brightest, happiest color you could think of. I could go on and on with my comparisons, but I think you get the picture. This is a happy show.
While there is a little mystery added to make things more interest, this show is mainly about relationships. And not only the relationship between Kim Mi Soo and her boss. They focus on just about every relationship there is and they do it in a very healing manner. Even when people fought, by the end of the fight they were closer and understood each other better. I defy you to watch this show and not walk away feeling at least a little optimistic about your life because I really think that's what the makers of the drama set out to do. They didn't want to make the kind of drama that frustrated you and made you cry. I think they almost tried to make up for those other dramas. It was as if they were saying "I know those other dramas made you sad so come here and let me make it all better."
This focus on happiness and beauty was a great things, but it did sacrifice some of the interest in order to keep the themes so light and fluffy. After the mystery was revealed (Wasn't really that much of a mystery in the first place.), they focused even more on the romance. This isn't a bad thing, I like romance, but it could feel like a bit too much at times. But it was very nice to watch a drama about people being in love instead of just falling in love. I got to see how the main couple and the side couples worked through their issues, and that showed how solid their relationships really were. It was great that Kim Mi Soo accepted how conceited Lee Young Joon was, but she also wasn't afraid to let him know when he was going too far. And Lee Young Joon loved how hardworking she was, but would be the first to let her know when she was focusing too much on the wrong things. Their relationship was surprisingly relatable. There were also three equally as adorable side relationships that could have easily been the focus of their own drama. Great romantic writing!
And before I go, I must write a little bit about how much I adored the main actors Park Seo Joon was just as handsome and charming as ever, and Park Min Young is just about as pretty and adorable as they come. How two people can be that good looking and still have the nerve to be likable, I don't know. But I do know, I had a great time watching their characters fall in love. They were "partners" in the truest sense of the word. From the very first episode, it was obvious how much Young Joon respected and appreciated Mi Soo's skills at her job, but it didn't take long for him to realize that he also appreciated and loved her for what she added to his life. Watching him chase her, and seeing how much she enjoyed being caught, was a lot of fun. And I can't wait to watch it again soon.
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This is the quintessential K-Drama for me.
What's Wrong With Secreatary Kim was an enjoyable experience for me. Both times. It was the second K-Drama that I watched (after Strangers from Hell) so a lot of the tropes that the series does run through (unfixed childhood trauma, cutesy office romances, knowing each other from childhood, etc bleh) didn't register to me yet. But on re-watch, it still doesn't bother me as much, although a few of those tropes are the weakest aspects of the series. I think this was still a funny drama that captured esseance of what this was going for perfectly. Our male lead, Lee Young Joon, is an arrogant prick (pardon my swearing) but he's likable despite that. It's endearing and you can't help but smile as he looks at himself in the mirror. And I think things like that sum up this show's tone - a lot of it is played for chuckles and light hearted emotions. Kim Mi So is the opposite to Lee Young Joon as she isn't as affluent, more humble and nicer. I personally don't buy that she is dirt poor but that's a nit-pick. Together they are a great pair of leads for us to follow with some great chemistry. They were funny together, especially when Young Joon was feeling jealous or angry, both acted well enough individually, etc.Where the show lacked was the plot with Young Joon's brother and the confusion between the two. It's not explained well at all. None of it. We don't really know why LYJ's name was changed (it's evident that it was done for a surprise that wasn't a surprise). The Sung Yeon character was just poorly written from start to finish. It's awful. It's a real black mark on what is otherwise a good drama. The supporting plots were all good and added something to the series. It added some depth to our main leads seeing how they are intergrated together. It did make the series feel more than the Mi Soo and Young Joon show. Ji Ah and Gwi Nam's relationship was just the sideplot that makes up for the aforementioned Brother/Mistaken Idendity story.
Park Seo Joon stole the show with a great performance. He brought the Lee Young Joon character to absolute life. Never had a bad scene despite the writing or the plot. He made what could've been a dispiasble character into a ML that everyone loves. Quotes galore, facial expressions galore. He was brilliant. And he matched with PMY perfectly. We all know that Park Min Young isn't the deepest actress (although she is great in When The Whether Is Fine in a darkest, more subtle role that she usually has) but she was really good as well.
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May contain spoilers.
Based on a novel turned webtoon, “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim,” tells of the story of a secretary who has been dealing with a demanding boss for the past nine years. After finally clearing her family’s debt, she decides to quit and take the chance to live her life the way she always wanted. Park Min Young, as the titular secretary to Park Seo Joon‘s Lee Young Joon, is so effortlessly charming and radiant throughout, your eyes can’t help but be drawn to her. Her natural chemistry with Park Seo Joon also makes their scenes together deliciously swoon-worthy.All I can say is this is a must watch show.And must watch show for rom-com lovers.All that you can ask for is in this show.This lighthearted one will live with you forever.Was this review helpful to you?
I loved it~
This drama really hit it for me! You know the feeling that everything about the drama manages to satisfy you and make you happy and feel the joy? That was it for me. The cast has great chemistry, you like watching everyone, because everyone did a great job. From wild cat Secretary Kim, to our narcissistic , cheesy yet endearing President Lee. The humor is also up my alley. I loved how the drama was shot and edited, I always love me some cute sfx to make it better too. I watched it with bubbling happiness, if I'm being honest.The CAST was really the best part of it, I love it when I can enjoy everyone's play. Starting from mains. Park Seo Joon did a really good job, from the very first "AURA!" you knew it was cringe, but it was a healthy cringe. His character also grew and changed. Kim Mi So also managed to.. manage his mess and basically who if not her could deal with his temper. Although the story and beginning might not sound that astonishing, but who cares? They managed to pull this plot and make it a memorable journey :D Scenes of Seo Joon and Kang Ki Young were also one of my favorite, I just liked their friendship. And in general wasn't the crew good? Weren't the stories of other characters entertaining? I think they were :)
And I also liked their relationship and how it was built. Mi So due to her life experience can't share a dating experience or family life stories like her friends, who talk about dates, husbands, kids, while Mi So is married to her work. And she's not a simple secretary, but a secretary to the president, which promises less personal time and more responsibilities. To me she was almost like a life assistant too. They didn't start on a passionate note. At first our president Lee didn't feel falling that deep, although she was practically the only woman he could allow to be closer than others. Due to work of course they know each other well, or so he thought. Her sudden wish to resign gave him a wake up call and consequent events allowed to see her other sides and not the politely smiling Mi So with formulaic expression. The barrier between the two started to crumble at that moment. You can't say that only Young Joon changed, but Mi So also became more accomodating. The cherry on top should be their childhood story, but it's wonderful that they came together not basing their relationship on that.
All in all I find it a good watch, I'll be happy to re-watch it in the future and also recommend it to others. I watched it in good spirits and it also gave me joy.
PS: What is your most memorable funny moment? Mine would probably be Mi So's father having a gig and diving, but forgetting that his public are all older people and they def won't catch him.
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The supporting characters were engaging as well. Fellow secretary Kim Ji Ah, played by Pyo Ye Jin had an interesting story arc with Go Gwi Nam, portrayed by Kwang Chan Sung. I thought the two of them were as funny together as Kim Mi So and Yeong Joon.
The first episode starts with Kim Mi So giving her notice to Yeong who is very upset and does not want to let her go. She had spent the last several years working to pay off family debts and now Kim Mi So wants to find herself. From the beginning the boss proposes to the secretary and she understandably turns him down. For the remaining sixteen episodes, we see the two grow closer for various reasons including a strange childhood backstory that involved his brother.
The supporting characters are fun and cute as well (meaning: they didn’t repulse me, nor did they knock my socks off). The music was descent and so was the cartoon-y graphics. Yes, I’m one of those strange people that likes the little cartoon graphics they put in comedies sometimes to make a point. Without giving any spoilers, Secretary Kim is a fun and entertaining show that won’t wow you nor will it make you very angry with a terrible ending. The best part of the show will be watching Park Seo Joon play the ever-changing Lee Yeong Joon. And for the record, he can sing me a lullaby anytime he wants.
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This review may contain spoilers
Just finished watching this drama as it was a recommendation by a friend. I can say that I enjoyed it a lot, but there were some small details I personally disliked. Beginning with the plot, which was a 7/10 for me. I don't understand why every single K-drama has this childhood trauma factor, I found it overly dramatic and unnecessary for the plot. It made me want to skip all those scenes.
It's funny because for the first half of the series, I thought that the relationship development was going too slow, the male lead constantly trying to conquer the girl and failing, trying to kiss several times but someone/something interrupting them, etc. until they suddenly start dating, by chapter 12-ish(?), and two weeks later they get married.. what the hell? I know this is K-drama land, but make it a bit more realistic, lol. Their parents didn't even know each other and they were already planning on the wedding! I would have given it a better score if they ended up as boyfriend and girlfriend instead of that rushed marriage.
The acting was one of the best things. The main leads are very good at acting and they had good chemistry, in my opinion. They also made me laugh a bit. They had much better moments of intimacy than the rest of K-dramas (at least the ones I have watched). Secondary characters were also very interesting and I would definitely watch a drama with their stories as main plots, lol. Damn, even the child actors were amazing!
I don't usually pay much attention to the music, but the drama had a great soundtrack overall. I loved Gfriend's song, also the one that says ''It's yoooouuu..'' which is stuck in my head. The sound effects were so funny and unique as well.
I definitely recommend it to everyone who's looking for a funny drama and easy to watch.
9/10
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Excellent Chemistry Yet Overly Dramatic
While I liked the main romance between Mi So and Young Joon, I felt ambivalent about most of the other parts of the story.❤ I absolutely adored Park Seo Joon as Lee Young Joo. Am I surprised? No, of course not. It was a difficult role to nail as he had to be equal parts egotistical asshole and vulnerable romantic lead. I wasn't as sold on Park Min Young as Kim Mi So. Her character wasn't all that interesting despite the intriguing premise. I wanted to love her, but I didn't. That said, the two leads had amazing chemistry and heart melting moments together.
❤ While the secondary characters were played by some of my favorite character actors (looking at you Kang Ki Young!), I didn't like any of their romances. While they all had potential, none of them were given the time and attention needed to make them a viable, interesting foil to the main lead's romance. When I compare this to Hometown Cha Cha Cha, which did an excellent job layering the ensemble cast's stories without overwhelming the main romantic story, it just doesn't hold up.
❤ The brother's storyline was by far the worst part of this show as it was overly convoluted and added nothing of value to their characters. It reminded me of the worst parts of a soap opera. Then again, rarely do I enjoy love triangles so perhaps that aspect tinged my engagement of it.
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Great show but predicable
This show is so funny and charming. Story is very predictable though but the 2 main cast are really fun together and have great chemistryThe FL is very beautiful, elegant, funny and charming. The ML also is charming. His role doesn't require him to do much but he did great for what was giving to him.
This show did get really dark by mid way through since the main leads do have some really dark back stories.
But it was predicable though as things went along.
What's wrong with secretary kim is definitely a must watch for anyone who likes funny and charming kdrama.
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Feel-good and giddy drama for rom-com Drama Lovers
What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim is a feel-good and giddy drama. Park Seo-Joon and Park Min-Young had wonderful chemistry. The way they interact with each other on screen is so believable that you would really enjoy watching their scenes together. The storyline is a dime a dozen. An extremely rich and handsome CEO executive who owns the company falls in love with his unassuming perfect and beautiful secretary. It’s as cheesy as they come. But if you love romantic comedies and are in the mood to watch something moderately gripping then this series is for you. [kdramabinge.com]Was this review helpful to you?
