Drama Recommendation: Shizuka-chan to Papa
In dramas, it seems almost mandatory for chaebols to have a personal secretary. Secretaries are supposed to have a work-only relationship with their bosses, but in the cases I'll present below some have elevated this relationship onto a more personal level. Because of the loyalty and understanding they show their bosses, these characters have gained a place in my heart.
These are seven endearing and unforgettable secretaries who I will always remember fondly.
The sidekicks
These secretaries are inseparable companions to their bosses and, knowing every little secret about them, help them hide their weaknesses. They are often almost like family to their chaebols.
Ahn Gook (Choi Won Young) from Kill Me, Heal Me
At first, Secretary Ahn was the only person Cha Do Hyun could trust. He knew about the multiple personalities his boss kept secret from all save his psychiatrist, and often came to aid when one of those personalities took control. Secretary Ahn was prepared for anything. He basically had to be, with one of Do Hyun's personalities fond of explosives, another suicidal, and the last a temperamental teen.
Not only this, Ahn was expected to perform as a kind of Sherlock Holmes, entrusted as he was to discover the mystery hidden in Do Hyun's childhood.
Among the secretaries in this list, I have to say Secretary Ahn also has the looks—he's the cutest ahjusshi here!
Kim Gwi Do (Choi Jung Woo) from The Master's Sun
Secretary Kim was like a father to Joo Joong Won and knew all about his past sufferings. He also helped with the relationship between Joong Won and Gong Sil, as he understood the connection they shared.
This character also had more backstory than viewers might have thought. Once his secrets are discovered, the relationship with Joong Won deepens, giving more meaning to the overall plot.
The Evil
If the boss is an evil character, changes are so too will be the secretary. In this case, an "evil" secretary might either be hated or pitied, since they might just be following orders.
Oh Tae Won (Jeong Gyoo Soo) from Healer
Secretary Oh was pure evil.Though he lacked in martial skills (and well, morality) one could not say Oh was unskilled; he was actually rather prolific,dabbling in disguise, chemistry, and assassination. While he moved on Kim Moon Shik's orders, in reality someone else was pulling the strings.
The Confidantes
I think many of us have the idea of secretaries being present in almost every K-drama involving a chaebol family, but there are also secretaries present in J-dramas. As J-dramas are shorter in episode count, they don’t tend to have so many side characters; as a result, secretary-type characters don’t appear very frequently in them. But here are two secretaries I really liked from J-dramaland:
Maiko Muraoki (Koike Eiko) from Sekaiichi Muzukashii Koi
Maiko Muraoki is the only female secretary in this article, here because I liked her backstory and how she became Reiji's secretary. He saw her good points and hired her for them, giving her an opportunity to start over.
After that, it was so lovely to watch Muraoki help Reiji with his love life. She was like an older sister to him, always loyal and ready to give honest advice. Their relationship was really cute. You could tell she wanted him to succeed in his first love.
Nishida (David Ito) from Hana Yori Dango
Time to talk about Nishida. He was actually secretary to the mother (Kaede) of the male lead (Tsukasa), tasked to follow his every move. At the beginning, he followed Kaede's orders without a second thought as the usual secretary might. But as the story advanced Nishida saw how the female lead (Tsukushi) positively influenced Tsukasa, and that he needed to protect their relationship. That's why as episodes progressed, we saw Nishida developing as an ally to the couple, giving them advice and helping out in any way he could. Though he wasn't a major character in the drama, I think Nishida played an important role in Tsukasa and Tsukushi's relationship and will remember him fondly for helping my favorite OTP in dramaland.
The Unofficial Secretaries
The following characters are not secretaries as we commonly know and define them but, for me, play a similar role.
Kim Jae Suk (Im Ji Kyu) from The Greatest Love
Jae Suk was Dok Go Jin's personal manager, in charge of his schedule and
transportation. Their bromance was so endearing! Jae Suk saw his boss
as an older brother; because he was the younger, he often called Dok Go
Jin "hyungnim," which was so cute.
I will never forget the scene in episode 12, when Jae Suk was drunk and grabbed Dok Go Jin all over his body. It was hilarious.
Hyung Sun (Jung Eun Pyo) from The Moon that Embraces the Sun
Hyung Sun is my favorite eunuch ever. For me, eunuchs are the predecessors of the present secretaries. We saw him by the prince's side since the time the prince was young. How unforgettable it was when he went over the palace ceiling in order to throw flower petals over the prince and his love interest! Hyung Sun always risked his life in order to fulfill the prince’s requests, because normally they weren’t things you could approve in the palace.
The prince then became the king and Hyung Sun continued to stand by his side. He always wished for the king to found happiness and love again. And he was the happiest person when Yeon Woo returned.
These were 7 drama secretaries that did a great job and will remain forever in my memories. Do you have an unforgettable secretary character? Share with us!
