This review may contain spoilers
I know that WWWSK is a classic and I’m glad I watched it, but it’s a bit of a hot mess. Park Seo-joon is a beautiful man but there was nothing appealing about his character besides the fact that he’s rich. This was the first show of his I’d ever seen and I didn’t realize what a good actor he could be until watching some of his other work because his character is so over the top. I think what really works for this show is Park Min-young. She is the queen of rom coms for a reason. She has amazing chemistry with everyone she’s ever worked with and Park Seo-joon is no exception. Their chemistry was the main thing that kept me watching the show.
The workplace dynamics were pretty fun to watch. I really struggled with the second Secretary Kim’s romance storyline. Maybe it’s a cultural difference, but that cheap man with one outfit and no personality was so unbelievable as an office heartthrob. On the other hand, I loved Bo ra’s romance storyline so much and I’m sad there was so little of it! I found that couple more interesting than the mains.
The childhood connection storyline started off somewhat interesting and then went off the rails so badly by the end. Everything about it was executed so poorly and it was dragged out so long. The entire brother part of it was the worst and it made me hate the entire family.
WWWSK would have been more successful if it was a shorter show, since parts of it were cute but it was incredibly boring by the end. There was not enough story to fill up that many episodes and it resulted in such drawn out, uninteresting plot lines. The ending also felt very unsatisfying, as it seemed like the whole point for Secretary Kim was to be able to go out on her own and figure out what she wants to do but then they just decided that she didn’t need to do that anymore.
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✒So Simple ☕️ But Soo-joon Will Make You Swoon °6.8° °good°
WWWSK is a mini romantic getaway. A just-for-fun romcom, there's nothing else going on. The leads are special actors. Park Min-young. (Secretary Kim) always delivers. Once again, she is quite lovely in this show. She wears fluid tops, feminine outfits, soft colors, and she always looks good. Park Soo-joon seems to be having a corkin time playing an egotistical boss. He actually makes the show. WWWSK is a 2018 release that is rated 85 on AWiki. It's 1 season consisting of 16 60ish-minute episodes. The directors are Park Joon-Hwa and Yoo Jong-Sun, & it's based on writer Jung Kyung-Yoon's novel. The filming is lighthearted & breezy and animation accents add to the whimsy.The setting is at a large company. The current CEO, Lee Young-joon, works for his father, chairdad. He's comically arrogant. He's not the least bit mean-spirited, however; he just seems a little silly. Secretary Kim is his personal assistant, and has been for 10 years. In ep1, she gives notice.
He's a bit surprised but tries to act cool. Gradually, we see that things aren't cool with him at all. He tries to fathom how she could leave such a wonderful boss as he? To understand what her struggles and concerns are, we must get to know her more & he will have to get to know her quite a bit more. He also has a lot to learn about the complex world of interpersonal relationships. It's certainly no spoiler to say that they get together rather early in the show and the rest of it is trying to work out some of the struggles that they've had from back to the time they each were children.
Their first struggle in dating is how they fall back into the old habits of boss and secretary. She's making the reservations, when they're eating she's taking care of all his needs: His handkerchief, cell phone, making sure everything's laid out right. The restaurant employees look at each other and say: 'Wow, she seems more like a secretary than his girlfriend'.
He wants to spend more time with her, so he starts to lighten her load at work. He goes to makes his OWN copies, and the other employees almost have a collective stroke😮. Once his task is completed and he goes back to his office, he peeps out to her sitting at her desk in the foyer area. He points at the copies. He points at himself. He's /so proud/ of himself. It's cute.
He tries to take her places that she would enjoy, which lands them at an amusement park. He gets his first 🎢 coaster ride. Through the entire thing he sits upright, arms crossed, chin up, looking like he's on the bow of a ship. E'erbody else is squealing. It's good for some chuckles.
The supporting story arcs and romances are even more fun. Hwang Chan Sung (True to Love, My Holo Love-6.8) is the frugalmiser, and Go Gwi Nam & Pyo Ye Jin (Taxi Driver) plays the observant Kim Ji Ah. Hwang Bo Ra (Vagabond-8, Arang and the Magistrate) is the Kewpie-faced, curly-locked Bong Se Ra (she's a cutie) and Kang Hong Suk (Hotel del Luna-8.4) portrays Yang Cheol, a big-ol teddy bear. One guy in the office knows absolutely everything. He doesn't share any of it until precisely the correct time. When they're all standing around talking and wondering about something, he'll be the resource of all information. It's a funny running bit, especially given how assured and authoritative his character is when he's giving out information. Fabulous child actors also help light up this production.
WWWSK suffers a smidge from what I've labeled "MAL-content". They don't seem to have enough content to fill up the whole show. It starts to wander about two-thirds of the way in and loses focus. The plot isn't tight; it's a little sloppy. Some of the personality changes are too fluid.
8.1? This is rated 8.1 on IMDB, 8.3 on MDL, and 85 on AWiki. I was so excited to watch it - I saved it for when I needed a "sure-thing" and didn't want to take a chance. So I couldn't help but be disappointed. It makes me feel lonely, because there is no day of the week WWWSK deserves such a generous rating. I get it - the show is cute, and it's better than most of the junk that loveless Hollywood puts out. Shows should not be rated on technical aspects alone as a show that doesn't touch the emotional core is missing something. Conversely, an emotional connection will cause us to overlook all kinds of faux pas.
New viewers to Asian programming will overrate the first couple things they see out of sheer joy that this entertainment wonderland has opened up to them, and here, the leads are each fabulous, in their own rights. I saw WWWSK early in my Asian programming addiction. For a long time I just took notes but was suffering from an extreme illness and I got (almost hopelessly) behind on completing the reviews and posting them. I've since seen PMY in When the Weather is Fine-9 and Her Private Life-8, as well as a couple other shows in which her performance is better than the sum of the total production. Chemistry? She's Walter White - a walking chemistry set. She's fabulous in every role. I fell for Mr. Park from watching A Witch's Love-7.8. Additionally, I'm currently in the waning episodes of Itaewon Class. What an actor. He doesn't look the same at all. He has a serious and tragic part to play in IC, so it makes sense that he seems to be having the time of his life in this role. It makes sense that these 2 actors have beaucoup fans, and those fans are likely to view anything that they are in positively.
No doubt, WWWSK is a fun ride to take. But the romance itself is barely above average, it's IQ is medium-low, the plot has some weak points (particularly the backstory). There's lots of lesser known shows that are rated lower but are of better quality. Some examples are: Familiar Wife-8.5, Touch your heart-8.2, and Love Struck in the City 7.3 (I have to watch LSitC again. I liked it when I watched it quite a bit. Parts of the ending disappointed me, particularly with the secondary relationship, though I think they'll be fine going forward. It's stuck in my brain. I keep remembering it more and more fondly. I think there's something that my subconscious is telling me I missed. I'm going to have to revisit it and update my score eventually). These directors are capable and each have better shows. Park Joon-Hwa directed Touch your heart, Alchemy of Souls-8.3 and Because This Is My First Life (7.7 it's mostly exceptional but for the last 2 episodes), while Yoo Jong-Sun directed the fabulous Descendants of the Sun-8.3. Just go into this with your expectations set-to-mid and you shouldn't be disappointed.
In one sad scene, parents refuse psych treatment for a traumatized child. Saying "no" reflexively is a bad habit. Watching Kdramas is a good habit. WWWSK is imminently watchable - it's a good show. Romfans won't want to quit it early.
〰🖍 IMHO
📣6.5 📝6 🎭7.8 💓6 🦋6.4 🌞7 🎨7 ⚡3 🎵/🔊6 😅6 😭4 😱3.7 😯3 😖2 🤔4 💤3 🔚8
In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may also like:
Workplace Romances:
Crazy Love-7.8,
Touch your heart 8.2,
Romance is a bonus book-7.9,
Her Private Life 8,
Love to Hate You 8.9,
Oh My Ghost 10,
Be Melodramatic-8.7,
Hospital Playlist 9,
Call It Love-8.4,
My Mister 9.5,
C🇨🇳: Find Yourself-8.9,
Boss & Me-7
🌐Modern Day -
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha-8.2
Crash Landing On You 9.1,
Familiar Wife-8.5,
It's Okay Not To Be Okay 9,
Love Struck in the City 7.3,
Cheese in the Trap-7.7,
Our Blues-8.5,
My Liberation Diary-8.9,
I'll See You When the Weather is Fine 9
Something in the Rain-8.6,
🎎 -
My Only Love Song 8.7 ~ excellent comedy,
Mr. Queen 8.5,
My Sassy Girl 8.5,
Saimdang 8.5,
The King's Affection 8.3,
Mr. Sunshine 9
⚡/ -🚀
Flex X Cop-8.5,
K2 8,
Private Lives 8.1,
The Golden Spoon-8.1,
Tunnel 8.5,
Why Her?-8,
💓Romance junkies only -
My Secret Romance-7 (if you ff thru overdone flashbacks),
Boys Over Flowers-8 ~ melodrama to the max,
The Bride of Habaek-7,
Heirs-7.3,
That Winter, The Wind Blows-7,
C🇨🇳: Well-Intended Love-7.5 Rom-porn - extra points for the dopamine,
When I Fly Towards You-7.8,
Wait, My Youth-8.4,
A Little Thing Called First Love-8.5,
Find Yourself-8.9, Hidden Love-7.8
Consider a Chinese 🎎/🔮 romcom: The Romance of Tiger and Rose 9.8, Love Between Fairy and Devil 8.9, Love and Redemption 10 or Japanese romcoms: Maid Sama 10, Mischievous Kiss Love in Tokyo 7.8, Love, Chunibyo And Other Delusions 8.4, or Toradora 8.5.
Originally 〰️🖋 1/2025
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This review may contain spoilers
Rewatchable hilarious rom com with great chemistry
Rewatching this drama in 2025 and it holds up so well. Still incredibly funny and romantic. The strange childhood trauma subplot can't ruin such a classic drama couple.So many romantic comedies have aired since this drama was released but it still stands out. IMO because 1. the main couple are given so much quality screen time together 2. their acting and line delivery is excellent 3. they have great emotional AND sexual chemistry 4. very much 2 adult characters who very much care about each other and never stop trying.
#4 is so key to me -- you don't realize how much it means, until you miss it in other dramas. The way they keep TRYING. We get to see the relationship deepen step by step and how they both will accidentally do something that hurts the other and they do their best to fix it. I really love how both the FL and the ML care about each other's feelings and when they make a misstep they try their their best.
We get so much time of them dating and working things out. It's delightful!
Fantastic rewatch value because then you just fast forward past the subplots. All the core couple moments are perfect.
(If you don't like fluff and you want plot in your rom-com, you'll hate this one tbh. But if you just want a string of romantic moments and light comedy, this is perfect.)
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There's absolutely nothing wrong with 'what's wrong with secretery kim'
If perfection was a Korean Drama, I am sure this one would make the cut.Character Development: Every character involving the leads and supporting alike, will grow on you. Their individual stories morphing into a whole within an office scenario will almost compel the viewer to feel the laughter, shock and turmoil with/within each one of them.
The depth and character development hence, comes out exactly on point. Not too fast neither too gradual, just perfect.
Plot: There as such, wasn't a well defined plot in here, a theme rather. Of reconciliation, mutual admiration, acceptance layered with a veil of enigma, that were some past memories. Which lemme tell you the drama pulled off. Brilliantly.
Acting: What more can I say of the overwhelming "aura" that is of Park Seo Joon that hasn't been said already. The guy himself is a masterpiece (even when he's trying to be an obnoxious douchebag).
Park Min Young complimented him thoroughly and I was impressed.
Everyone else kept me entertained throughout.
But I'll give the credit where it's due, the child actors especially Moon Woo Jin did the finest job.
For me, the excellent portrayal of the childhood trauma was in all honesty, the highest point of the show.
Extra: The love triangle could have been avoided but I forgive them cause they didn't stretch it pointlessly for too long.
Unpopular opinion, the blooming romance between Gwi Nam and Ji Ah was more fun than that of the lead pair. I mean the duo had their own quirks and toe curling moments which I enjoyed from the get go.
In conclusion, if you're into rom-coms you really can't miss out on this one!
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I didn’t take any notes while watching this, so no long ass review this time, but this was just okay.
The premise of a secretary who’s quitting her job and slowly falling in love with her boss over the course of her last month at the company is interesting, but the whole thing is dragged down by a forced mystery side-plot about childhood trauma.
Vice-president Lee is a narcissistic clown, and while the show explains why that is, it doesn’t make him a very likeable person. Hearing him talk about himself like he’s the most perfect person in the world is incredibly off-putting. Secretary Kim is a saint, as she’s been putting up with this shit for 9 years, and seeing her reward this behaviour with her love doesn’t sit right with me. It doesn’t feel earned. It feels bought.
It’s fun enough, and around the mid-season point there are a couple episodes which are really funny, but there are better, similar K-Dramas out there. Business Proposal, for example.
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did anyone else hate this drama?
I don’t know what it was about this drama but it’s pained me to finish it! and the only reason I did it because I love park seo-joon so much.I found the female lead to be incredibly frustrating like if your leaving your job just leave!! and she never gave a clear reason why she was leaving
hated the kidnapping plot pointless and stupid and just another kdrama were they’re meant to be cause they knew each other as kids
the male lead was super controlling which was passed off as love!
awful
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This review may contain spoilers
What’s Right with Secretary Kim? Almost everything except ...
What I liked : Our office romcom queen Park Min Young, the office shenanigans perfectly uplifting the humor, the supporting cast with their own storylines, progressive rich guy's family (without the typical 'protesting cliche against marrying into not the same financial status'). The first half of the drama is especially fun, with plenty of light-hearted moments that balance the sweet romance and comedic timings.That said, there were a couple of things that didn’t quite sit well with me. First, the main lead's constant denial of their childhood connection got a bit repetitive and felt like it was dragged out unnecessarily. It’s like, we get it—just admit it already! The controlling jealousy of the main lead also felt a bit too much at times. I mean, the guy couldn’t even give his gf five minutes to talk to his brother, who she thought she had a childhood connection with, without dropping in and grabbing her. It wasn't endearing jealousy but rather borderline suffocating if this is normalized in society. I also wished FL's sisters had more developing arc besides feeling bad for her sister and accepting the guy into their family.
Despite these bumps and cliches, the drama is still a fun, engaging watch, especially if you're a fan of the office romance trope or if you are a newbie entering the kdramaland.
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bomba
ah depois fica nt chato com esse trelele do sequestro tomar no cu. eh ate legalzinho e tbm tem a beatriz do brás coreana q a tonta da gerente bong Q EH MT CHATA PENSE NUMA PERSONAGEM Q NGM QUER SABER SOBRE POR MIM ELA SUMIA. a secretaria kim eh ok ela eh uma protag inteligente pelo menos e soube ligar le com cre do sequestro MAS ESSE PKOT DE SEQUESTRO UMA BOOOMBA PQ NAO FAZ SENTIDO NENHUM DPS PQ ELE SABIA Q A SCRT KIM FOI SEQUESTRADA COM ELE E ELE FICA SE FAZENDO FALANDO NAAAO FOI MEU IRMAAAAOOOO. PQ ELE TEM MARCA NO PE E ELA NAO??? TOTALMENTE SEM SENTIDO MT RUIMafffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
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Solid Romcom
When you know someone’s weakness, short comings, flaws and all and still accept them for all that, that was Kim Mi So towards Lee Young Joon aka Vice President in this drama. He was a narcissistic character but he wasn’t a bad person. He was adverse to being touched and while we got to know the reason for it, it didn’t excuse some of his narcissism.Mr Aura-ous Vice President. The way he says that aura was always so cringe on so many levels but it was also funny and adorable at the same time.
I loved their relationship so much and boy did they have steaming chemistry.
Kim Mi So: I am not going home tonight, I’m not going to go home, I’m going to stay by your side thought out the whole night
Vice President: If you come into my house like this, I wont be able to control my pace tonight, tonight I don’t plan on stopping.
That exchange and what came (pun intended) after was so hawt and sexy, damn chills.
This was the series that made me a fan of both Park Ming Young and Park Seo Joon.
Rewatch value 10/10 (I have already rewatched so many times)
Overall 10/10
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There is nothing wrong with Secretary Kim: A trip down memorylane
Alright, buckle up, buttercups, because we're taking a joyride back to an era of K-drama that, in my humble opinion, truly slapped. We're talking 2011-2021, a golden age that birthed some absolute gems, and What's Wrong With Secretary Kim is definitely one of them. I watched this ages ago.It had slipped off my mental Top 30, but a recent rewatch for this very review? Pure magic. Seriously, it felt like seeing it for the first time. And let's be real, I've been actively avoiding anything that popped out of the K-drama oven after that glorious decade.Meet the Man, the Myth, the "Aura": Lee Young Joon
So, we have Lee Young Joon, a chaebol heir who's got more charm and confidence than Mount Everest has altitude. If you're one of those folks who loves to whip out words like "narcissist" or "misogynist," oh boy, you're gonna have a field day with him. But hold up, because this man is also the undisputed King of 2018 Rizz. His favorite quote? He simply oozes an "Aura" that makes everyone around him bow in reverence. You can love him or hate him, depending on which side of the highway you're parked on. But he's got a twisted past, It wouldn't be a K-drama if there wasn't one Right?
Secretary Kim: The Unsung Hero (Who's Had Enough)
Secretary Kim Mi So is the absolute lifeline of Lee Young Joon's existence. She's the engine circulating his oil, the glue holding his chaotic world together. But imagine his shock (and ours, let's be honest) when after nine years, she decides she's had enough. It's not that he treated her badly, but she'd been "Secretary Kim" for so long she'd forgotten who Mi So was outside of that title. Her announcement? That's the big bang that kicks off a marathon 16-episode drama. Could it have been 12? Probably. But hey, we got more Young Joon monologues, so no complaints here!
Why I Couldn't Stop Giggling (and What Could've Been Different)
What I absolutely adored about Lee Young Joon was his razor-sharp intelligence and confidence. If you're the sensitive type, you might mistake it for arrogance, but honestly, his monologues were pure gold. It's really not a bad thing to compliment yourself, and Secretary Kim had clearly gotten so used to his self-proclamations that she just let him do his thing. I kept cracking up at how he'd twist something as simple as, "I'm calling you because I miss you," into, "I'm calling because I don't want you to miss me." The sheer audacity!
Now, for a little constructive criticism. I felt there was a slight mismatch in the chemistry formula. Young Joon, bless his heart, knew from the tender age of eight that he was going to love Secretary Kim forever. When they finally became adults, he poured his entire heart into their relationship. But for her, after being his secretary for so long, it was incredibly tough to separate her career from her romantic feelings. She was so deeply immersed in her role that shifting gears emotionally, even in their intimate scenes, felt like a struggle. They even mentioned this often, how he'd want to serve her or do things for her, but she'd still have that "secretary posture" and mannerisms. Part of me secretly wished she had actually resigned, just to see her character truly grow and blossom outside of that professional mold.
The Verdict: Still a Delightful Ride
Overall, though, it was an incredibly enjoyable watch. This is probably my fourth drama with Park Min Young, and honestly, she's one of the best in the industry for a reason. What's Wrong With Secretary Kim might not be a brand-new release, but it's a testament to that golden era of K-drama, and it still holds a special place in my heart (and on my rewatch list!).
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Overhyped
I had high expextations for this drama based on the reviews but it really failed. Acting and casting was the best part, otherwise the story had big loopholes, and I did not like the ending either.How the hell did FL decide to stay in the company when the whole series was around her finding her way and resting? She did rest maybe one day, then she njust continued with her people pleaser ways. Even after ML let her go, it felt like she stayed out of guilt and did not love ML truly.
The last episodes were so boring I could almost not finish the whole series.
Do not watch this if you like consistent stories and real romance. It was just fluff and cringe.
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