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An Adaptation with its own charms and Thai flavors!
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25
A 7.5 MDL rating currently for “Dear My Secretary” seems a little low. It might not be the perfect rom-com out there, but it was an enjoyable watch for me. Maybe fans of the K-version and webtoon are disappointed? I actually watched the Korean "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim” and really appreciate this version’s Thai flavor. It’s not a cookie-cutter adaptation. The general plot and the important plotlines (that I remember) are there, but the execution has a more casual vibe. The Korean version definitely had a bigger budget as you can tell from the sets that everything was just bigger and fancier.
But “Dear My Secretary” has its own charm. I really like Jes playing the narcissistic Vice President. I think he’s more adorable and less over-the-top than Park Seo Joon. Having only seen Jes in “4 Minutes”, I am quite impressed with his comedic timing and applaud him for playing such a different character. Jes also has great chemistry with Bua, who plays Secretary Preem. I love their kisses as well! It’s not easy to find passionate kisses in a Thai non-BL drama. We all know “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” has some amazing kisses, and this adaptation lives up to that reputation. At a certain angle, Bua even looks like Park Min Young. She is beautiful but Secretary Preem appears to be a little less business-like than Park Min Young’s character.
The drama really focuses on Thi and Preem from start to finish. Although there are side characters with their own small plotlines, they don’t take away screen time from the leads. The mystery plot also starts from the beginning, thus, it doesn’t feel like the darker plot/trauma was sprung out of nowhere in the middle of the drama. This version sets the stage quite well to incorporate the mystery with the romance. I was actually very engaged from the start until the reveal of what happened 25 years ago.
However, after that the pace slows down and the writing quality decreases. The brother’s recovery happened too easily and too quickly, and without giving it the proper closure when such a big part of the drama was connected to it. I wish his road to recovery was shown and not told to the viewers. Additionally, despite loving the main couple’s sweet and cute moments, I find the part about family approval drags on for longer than it should. The conflict that happened in ep 15 was resolved rather quickly even with the explanation. It really didn’t need that many episodes to wrap everything up.
Although I don’t remember much about “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” since I watched that some time ago, I do think there are quite a number of memorable scenes that did not happen in "Dear My Secretary”. I’ll share more of that at the end of the review, as it could be a spoiler.
Overall, I had a great time watching this drama. I think I am finally getting used to the Thai-style. I like this smaller, cozier, slightly more casual version of “Dear My Secretary”. I love the integration of Thai culture: the bigger-than-life personality of some of the supporting cast (but still tolerable), the beautiful traditional attire and the Thai festivals and traditions. I wish just the writing was tighter in the quarter of the drama and that it kept me interested from start to finish.
Completed: 6/23/2025 - Review #594
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Memorable scenes (to. me) that were missing from the Korean “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim”
1. 3-legged sports day race and hugging of co-worker
2. Closet kiss when FL’s sisters were visiting
3. Pushing FL’s chair away when almost caught kissing
4. Beautiful waterfall as the backdrop for the brother’s QA and wedding
5. Their very passionate and iconic first night at ML’s gorgeous and humungous house
A 7.5 MDL rating currently for “Dear My Secretary” seems a little low. It might not be the perfect rom-com out there, but it was an enjoyable watch for me. Maybe fans of the K-version and webtoon are disappointed? I actually watched the Korean "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim” and really appreciate this version’s Thai flavor. It’s not a cookie-cutter adaptation. The general plot and the important plotlines (that I remember) are there, but the execution has a more casual vibe. The Korean version definitely had a bigger budget as you can tell from the sets that everything was just bigger and fancier.
But “Dear My Secretary” has its own charm. I really like Jes playing the narcissistic Vice President. I think he’s more adorable and less over-the-top than Park Seo Joon. Having only seen Jes in “4 Minutes”, I am quite impressed with his comedic timing and applaud him for playing such a different character. Jes also has great chemistry with Bua, who plays Secretary Preem. I love their kisses as well! It’s not easy to find passionate kisses in a Thai non-BL drama. We all know “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” has some amazing kisses, and this adaptation lives up to that reputation. At a certain angle, Bua even looks like Park Min Young. She is beautiful but Secretary Preem appears to be a little less business-like than Park Min Young’s character.
The drama really focuses on Thi and Preem from start to finish. Although there are side characters with their own small plotlines, they don’t take away screen time from the leads. The mystery plot also starts from the beginning, thus, it doesn’t feel like the darker plot/trauma was sprung out of nowhere in the middle of the drama. This version sets the stage quite well to incorporate the mystery with the romance. I was actually very engaged from the start until the reveal of what happened 25 years ago.
However, after that the pace slows down and the writing quality decreases. The brother’s recovery happened too easily and too quickly, and without giving it the proper closure when such a big part of the drama was connected to it. I wish his road to recovery was shown and not told to the viewers. Additionally, despite loving the main couple’s sweet and cute moments, I find the part about family approval drags on for longer than it should. The conflict that happened in ep 15 was resolved rather quickly even with the explanation. It really didn’t need that many episodes to wrap everything up.
Although I don’t remember much about “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” since I watched that some time ago, I do think there are quite a number of memorable scenes that did not happen in "Dear My Secretary”. I’ll share more of that at the end of the review, as it could be a spoiler.
Overall, I had a great time watching this drama. I think I am finally getting used to the Thai-style. I like this smaller, cozier, slightly more casual version of “Dear My Secretary”. I love the integration of Thai culture: the bigger-than-life personality of some of the supporting cast (but still tolerable), the beautiful traditional attire and the Thai festivals and traditions. I wish just the writing was tighter in the quarter of the drama and that it kept me interested from start to finish.
Completed: 6/23/2025 - Review #594
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Memorable scenes (to. me) that were missing from the Korean “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim”
1. 3-legged sports day race and hugging of co-worker
2. Closet kiss when FL’s sisters were visiting
3. Pushing FL’s chair away when almost caught kissing
4. Beautiful waterfall as the backdrop for the brother’s QA and wedding
5. Their very passionate and iconic first night at ML’s gorgeous and humungous house
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