A Boss and a Babe

very cute, but little else

I watched this title with my friend who loves ForceBook (after Only Friends). It's very sweet! The characters are quirky/fun and the plot is cartoonish. While it could be slow, it wasn't ever so bad that I was bored or wanted to drop it. We wanted to watch Force be hot and silly on our TV screens, and that was certainly accomplished. As a pick-me-up or feel-good show, it definitely has it's place.

That said, the story wasn't particularly original or well done. Particularly, a lot of the plot with Tian and Thoop was either haphazard, rushed, or a rather inappropriate tone to the rest of the story. It takes a sweet, unoriginal romcom and makes it just clunky and long enough to sink the rewatch value. I had fun!... but I won't be picking this up again.

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Director New suck at comedies

Let’s just get it out of the way: Director New sucks at comedies. There’s no nice way to say it. His attempt at rom-com in A Boss and a Babe misses the mark so badly it feels like he’s trying to hit a bullseye while blindfolded, and someone’s moved the target to another country.

This rom-com manages to fail spectacularly at both romance and comedy. It’s almost impressive, in a how-did-we-get-here kind of way. The problem? Director New doesn’t seem to understand that jokes require timing, delivery, and maybe—just maybe—punchlines that don’t feel like a deflated balloon. Most of the jokes don’t translate well into any language, leaving us with non-verbal humor that, well, relies almost entirely on Book making silly faces as if that’s the pinnacle of comedic brilliance. Spoiler: it’s not. And while Book isn’t exactly the world’s greatest comedic actor, I can’t say even the finest comedian would have been able to salvage these scenes. You can’t make filet mignon out of wet cardboard, after all.

And as for the romance? Oh, dear. It stumbles out of the gate in episode one, with the main characters already in love before we’ve even had time to warm up the popcorn. It’s like they pulled a Deus Ex-Machina romance card from the get-go and forgot to build any tension. Worse, they behave like middle schoolers in puppy love, even though they’re supposed to be working adults. Force plays the boss, whose primary qualifications seem to be his hotness, which, let’s be honest, kept me watching longer than I’d care to admit. Unfortunately, he doesn’t take his shirt off nearly enough to distract from the complete lack of plot or character development.

The cold, distant company boss we were promised? The one who’s meant to be intelligent, calculating, and maybe, just maybe, too focused on his work? Yeah, forget that. Instead, he immediately decides to start a relationship with his intern—an intern who would absolutely be fired in real life on day one for having no common sense, no work ethic, and bringing absolutely nothing to the office except coffee. And questionable coffee, at that. By episode 3, you’re left wondering why the "romance" feels less like a love story and more like a platonic hangout session between long-time friends who decided to play "what if."

Plot progression? Ha! What plot? The romance flatlines after episode 2, and the subplots are so neglected you’d think they got lost in transit. This story had enough material for a movie, at best, but stretching it into twelve episodes was like trying to butter toast with an ice cube—pointless and messy. None of the side characters needed to be there; they existed solely to wander around in the background, their stories left unexplored and unfinished like abandoned side quests in a video game.

In short, I don’t recommend A Boss and a Babe. With twelve episodes that feel like an eternity, it’s a wonder anyone made it through. There are far better BL series out there that actually understand how to deliver both romance and comedy. Watch those instead—trust me, your time is better spent elsewhere.

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Beyond the office rom-com: guilt, responsibility, and the growth of Cher (and Gun)

- What it seems vs. what it really tells:

On paper, it looks like a classic GMMTV rom-com: bubbly intern, stern CEO, glossy office. In reality, the moment the story steps outside the workplace and takes us into Cher’s past and hometown, it becomes something else: a tale of undeserved guilt, chosen responsibility, and the weight of other people’s judgment. The love story is there—and it works especially in the second half—but it’s a means, not the end.

- Cher: from “class clown” to someone who carries the weight (SPOILERS):

The emotional core is Cher’s storyline with the girl from his village he once loved, and her younger brother. Back home, many people despise him; they see him as partly responsible for a tragedy that happened to her. In truth, Cher isn’t at fault—and yet he chooses to shoulder part of the stigma to protect her younger brother, who would otherwise be crushed by it.
This choice rewrites the character: behind the chatty, sunshine persona stands someone who absorbs other people’s hate, acts as a lightning rod, and takes on burdens that aren’t his—simply to avoid leaving someone he cares about alone. That’s where the series stops being a workplace game and becomes a portrait of moral responsibility. If you focus only on the “cute couple,” you miss this—and that’s a pity, because it’s the backbone of Cher’s arc.

- Gun: control, shame, silence… and then a choice:

Gun isn’t just “the boss.” Early on, he copes with his position through control and silence: being a gay CEO in an environment full of scrutiny makes him fear judgment, hide, and keep things quiet (he even manages his insomnia with Cher’s ASMR before letting him truly into his life).
The turning point happens outside the office: when Gun follows Cher into his world, he listens, puts himself at service, and shows up for him and his family. That’s where he moves from distant superior to present partner. He doesn’t “save” Cher; he stands with him—and that difference is huge.

- The relationship: it breathes once it leaves the office:

Inside the company, their relationship is ethically thorny (boss/intern is slippery terrain no matter what). Outside, the center of gravity shifts: in the village and through family crises, they meet as equals. Cher drops the perpetual-performer act and allows himself to be vulnerable; Gun lowers his guard and learns to follow, not only lead.
Even the romantic rhythm makes sense from this angle: the steps forward and backward, the decision to pause so Cher can finish university and then come back on clear terms (“let’s be together—but not as ‘the boss and his intern’”) read as narrative coherence, not whim.

- Why the “village” plot isn’t filler:

Some dismiss it as a detour that “steals time from the couple.” I see the opposite: it gives the couple meaning.

1. It explains why Cher behaves the way he does (the smile as armor).
2. It forces Gun out of his habitat and makes him choose the person over the role.
3. It shifts the theme from romantic fantasy to everyday choice: caring, shouldering, staying even when it’s uncomfortable.

- Where the show stumbles (let’s not pretend it doesn’t):

1. Tonal whiplash: the jump from office gags to “small-town pain” is abrupt; some will find it uneven.
2. HR fantasy: the workplace boundaries are often ignored and remain unrealistic.
3. Side plots: a few corporate/office threads are weak and take oxygen away just when Cher’s personal story deserves more space.

Conclusion!!!

A Boss and a Babe isn’t “the series of the century,” but it’s far more than a fizzy rom-com. When it looks into Cher, it speaks of internalized guilt, chosen responsibility, and protection; when it looks into Gun, it speaks of social shame and the courage to show up.
If you stop at the cute office moments, you miss the point. If you accept the unevenness and look beneath the gloss, you’ll find a quietly powerful heart—and that’s what stayed with me.

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Cute, easy to watch show

I watched this for ForceBook after I saw them in Enchante and Only Friends. It is cheesy in places but loads of GMMTV shows are, the sound effects, over the top acting (no hate to the actors - they are directed that way) - I expect that all when watching GMMTV.
But ForceBook still let their chemistry come through, the way they look at each other, take care of each other, and the amount of affection is perfect and it made the show very easy to watch. There isn't too much drama that I was on the edge of my seat, but definitely enough to keep me watching!
The storyline is slightly strange eg. the age gap - I can't remember if they said their ages but I'm assuming Cher is 21 ish and Gun 25-30 (they're both adults I guess?). Also OhmFluke was a couple I hadn't seen before and loved them, they were adorable!
Overall a fun show with plenty of likeable characters and humour - good for a rewatch on a bad day to cheer yourself up.

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Delightfully shallow

"A Boss and A Babe" is a lighthearted office rom-com that serves as a perfect guilty pleasure for those seeking a breezy escape from reality. With its irresistibly charming male lead, Force, the show offers a visual feast for the eyes, while the storyline playfully dances around conventional office romance tropes. While it is not a show to be dissected for deeper meaning or life lessons, it does provide a humorous glimpse into the quirks and pitfalls of miscommunication that occasionally border on the toxic. Best enjoyed with a generous pinch of salt and a willingness to embrace its frothy frivolity, "A Boss and A Babe" will have you grinning as you indulge in its unapologetic simplicity.

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Sweet Lighthearted Fun, You got the Fluff all in it, plus you got the Comedy.

You want a good fun show to watch, that you don't need your brain when wating, this is the one to watch. THere wasn't to much in the story part, but that's not a bog deal with this one. A Boss and a Babe is just a fun down to earth fluff drama less funny show all rounded into 12 Eps. If you are looking for one that is more serious then this is not one you want to watch at that point, just come back to it when you want a sweet romance that will have you laughing from the sillyness.

I have to say, for a charcter like Cher I was surprised I didn't find him annoying, most of the time when they come up with a charter like this they don't do a good job, I tend to not like that charter. Those Cher I could see myself hanging out with and having a good time.

All in all, you want something that is fun and not serious that will give you good laughs along the way and have you falling for charters this is one you need to watch.

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Sweet relationship. Boss was cold but not cruel, with a softy interior.

There were a few scenes with good consent: asking for consent prior to kissing and stating that he’d take no for an answer, respecting a “no touch” boundary when he’s upset, and accepting no for an answer when physical affection is rejected.

There were scenes with poor consent as well, though: locking Cher in the car and refusing to let him out to force a conversation, dubcon kissing him when he wasn’t completely comfortable to provoke some type of reaction from him, and demanding answers about his feelings in a tone like a parent scolding a child. There was also a scene where Boss gets upset and shakes Cher, to the point that Cher says he’s hurting him. He also hugs and refuses to let Cher go during that argument, even as Cher struggles to push him off. Boss also grabs and pulls Cher along to get him to come instead of just asking him in some scenes.

The relationship was overly chaste. Very tame kisses, and the type of relationship where mentioning sex or asking for a kiss on the cheek in public is scandalous. Cher kept rejecting Boss’s affection. There were so many scenes where Boss would say something sweet or say that he loved Cher, or would hug and cuddle Cher, or would ask for a kiss, and Cher wouldn’t reciprocate whatsoever. He’d shrug Boss off or respond with a sarcastic comment. Boss would be so head over heels and meanwhile Cher would be questioning if it was really love or not. It was frustrating.

In terms of the story line, there were two things I didn’t like. First, the whole Tian story line. She’s a girl Cher used to like but she rejected him and later committed suicide after being raped by her step-father and getting pregnant. I didn’t like the set up that Cher always had and always would love her. They were kids, at the time, and they could have written it off as puppy love and instead portrayed their relationship as friends or family that he’d always love. Honestly, they could have cut the whole him liking Tian part out altogether and still had the exact same story line. As it is, I didn’t like feeling like Boss was the second choice. Also, in the end, the mom who knew about the 3 year long persistent rape by her husband of her daughter and did absolutely nothing is forgiven. And the step-dad’s fate isn’t addressed.

Second, the break up was so unnecessary that it made Cher look selfish as hell. Boss’s mom tells Cher he doesn’t deserve Boss and that he should back off. So he does. He chooses to leave and better himself. What does “better himself” mean? Winning a gaming championship and graduating college. Both of those things would have happened anyways even if he had stayed with Boss. Neither of those accomplishments had any impact on the mom’s opinion of their relationship. Cher left Boss for the second time after promising over and over to always stay by his side. He didn’t tell Boss that he was coming back. He was happy and functional during their time apart, while Boss was falling apart, and Boss just immediately forgives Cher. I didn’t believe any of Cher’s promises of “forever” in the finale after he’d already promised and broken that promise a million times during the series.

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Cute but not much else

This is mostly cute and fluffy and ForceBook are very watchable, but there wasn't much else beyond that.

First off I feel like they got together way too quickly, I think it would have served them better to make it more of a slow burn. The way their relationship developed often seemed a bit directionless, which goes especially for the last two episodes which were honestly a waste of time.

I liked Cher's back story and especially his moments with Thup, but most of the time Cher seemed immature as a character and didn't learn to express his feelings. Gun's character lacked depth which is a shame, and it bothered me that he seemed to let his mum walk all over Cher and their relationship.

Despite my issues with the story, there are lots of sweet moments and it's a good pick if you want a light watch.

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