Reviews

Cute and Sweet Rom-Com with Excellent Main Leads' Chemistry

“The Secret Life of My Secretary” is a funny, sweet and fluffy rom-com. There are moments where I shed a few tears but if you want a feel good drama and a couple with excellent chemistry, this is it for you. Just don’t expect too much from other subplots outside of the main romance, as everything else pales in comparison and isn’t very exciting. The drama is very bingeable and I had a good and easy time watching it.


What I like:

1. Main romance - Do Min Ik (ML) and Jung Gal Hee (FL) make such an adorable couple. I can’t help but smile ear-to-ear when they have scenes together. I like their boss-secretary relationship in the beginning, the secret but romantic relationship in the middle, and of course their cute, shy, and adorable official relationship. It’s been a while since I last saw the main actorss in a drama, and I am totally captivated and in love with Kim Young Kwang’s portrayal of Do Min Ik, and Jin Ki Joo’s portrayal of Jung Gal Hee. I am so glad we have enough scenes of the leads together and not resort to the last 5 mins of fluffiness. They also give a few good kisses, not like the secondary couple. The first kiss they share at the end of their 12-hour date is so romantic and so sad. I LOVE that kiss.

2. Do Min Ik (ML) - He’s not the typical cold and narcissistic chaebol, like the male lead in “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim”. He’s business savvy, level-headed, and maybe a little spoiled since he is the Director after all. But he had a rough childhood that lacked familial love and trust in others. He’s not afraid to show his vulnerable side to his close loved ones, is honest and communicates his feelings. I fell in love with his shy and adorable (a little clingy) personality, but he’s also so gentlemanly, considerate and caring. Kim Young Kwang played this role perfectly. I laugh at his silliness, smile at his adorkableness and cry with him when he’s sad and hurt. He attacks his challenge head-on, and does not shy away. He studies hard and tries to live as much a normal life as possible. He is not pitiful despite the circumstances. I would say he might be one of my favorite rom-com male leads.

3. Jung Gal Hee (FL) - So glad to see another female lead who is not a pushover, despite being a secretary. She might have bent over backwards for her boss in the beginning, but for good reasons. When it matters, she speaks up and fights back. Jin Ki Joo is strong, independent, feisty, quick-thinking, and cares about her siblings. It’s not hard to love this character, and Jin Ki Joo plays the role beautifully.

4. Veronica Park (2FL) - Even before I watch this drama, I’ve heard of the character named Veronica Park. Now I know why she’s so famous/notorious. She’s just hilarious. I was afraid that her over-the-topness might annoy me, but she actually doesn't have that many scenes. So, I can tolerate her “Awwwwesome” and “Verrrronica Parrrrk” for 32 episodes. Before we have Shin Ha Ri and Jo Yoo Jung in “A Business Proposal”, we have the OG Veronica Park from “The Secret Life of My Secretary”.

5. Jung Joon Hee (FL’s brother) - He doesn’t have too many scenes but he’s a hilarious scene stealer. I am glad to see a character who is visually impaired, but lives like a regular adult with a great sense of humor. He’s not pitiful but actually knows how to take advantage of his disability and others (e.g. ML). I love the very short scene about the audiobook that he purchased based on the title of the book.

6. Funny scenes - There are quite a few memorable comedic moments throughout the drama. Without going into spoilers, I already mentioned earlier about the brother’s scene regarding audiobooks. We also have a funny scene with compression stockings, and just a simple scene of Veronica Park holding this camera with a ginormous lens. I am in the right mood and I had fun with all the craziness, but it might not be for everyone.


What I am Mixed Feelings About:

1. Secondary Romance - For me, this romance doesn’t work. I think it’s mainly because the second male lead seems a little bland. Maybe it’s the acting or maybe it’s the writing. I understand we need someone calmer to contrast Veronica Park's big personality, but the chemistry is lacking. I was quite disappointed in their kiss. I was expecting something more passionate and crazy, and a lot more PDA.

2. Secret - I feel the secret dragged out for a little too long. I would like the reveal to happen sooner, and a stronger focus in slowly repairing the main leads’ relationship.

3. Business twist - It was somewhat anticlimactic when I finally found out why the male lead is in such danger, and why someone is trying to steal that USB. Not that the cause/reason is not an important one, but I was just expecting something totally different and more controversial. The secret meetings and gatherings seem like an afterthought and not enough is shown to make me root for them.

4. Fight for the Crown - The other business part of the plot is OK. I understand the fight to be the next Chairman, but aside from the uncle trying to sabotage his nephew dethroning him here and there, this is not an exciting subplot to the drama.



Completed: 12/27/2022

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Ordinary show about ordinary people suffering extraordinarily

Sea change and tree change are popular themes of recent dramas. Lying flat is now popular amongst the young as a way of escaping the rat race. I assume the writer-nim wanted to explore these themes and Summer Strike was born.

The combination of those two themes can lead to some interesting scenarios but the writer/director tried too hard to break from the clichés by making the Show gritty and true to life. It meant that we are presented with a parade of difficult, belligerent characters who lives in a dull and rundown seaside village. Add physical/domestic violence, bullying, murders and all manners of societal ills and we have a place that tourists will choose to avoid. Yes, as the show progresses, some of the locals will show their true colours and they are not a bad bunch but most of them are still taciturn.

So rather than the show hooking us with fun in the sun, we ended up with a morbid fascination on how low can the FL go. Of course, it will not hit rock bottom, this is not Eve after all, but the first few episodes are not recommended viewing for anyone suffering from depressions. Even after the FL’s life start to turn around and she made new friends in the village, the focus simply moved to the complicated lives of the villagers. There are not a lot of unicorns frolicking around that village, that's for sure. There are certainly progress amongst the melodramas, but it is a mixed bag of pros and cons.

Typical of this type of shows, there is a turning point where the writer-nim realised that they have gone far enough with the pain and suffering and needs a way out. While she did a decent job turning the ship around, the resolution seems contrived and expeditious. The FL is once again the key to unravelling a years old mystery.

The last episode is pure fan service with the writer-nim regaling us with the theme of the show. The unicorns are finally let out and they milled around uncertainly for quite awhile. This is because the way the Show handles relationship is very ambiguous. The OTP is obviously attracted to each other, but we get the BFF vibe most of the time. It was literally in the dying minute of the Show when we get the confirmation that they have finally move up a pay grade. Even then, there is next to no skinship. The relationship between the librarian and the shopkeeper with the cute son is even more muddled. The SFL pointedly asked him several times whether she should move to Seoul, and he kept deflecting it or resorted to the “Go! Go! See if I care” cliché replies. Why? It was painful to watch the poor man suffer. Surprisingly, it is the senior high schooler couple who is much more forthright with their relationship. It isn’t smooth sailing for them neither (nothing in this show is ever easy) but at least we know where they stand.

There are some high impact and emotional scenes which the actors did well enough. It is the more mundane scenes that I find lack energy. Both the leads are trying to keep a low profile in the community which didn’t help the energy level whatsoever. The ML is very handsome, and he can certainly act cute but I find him a bit stiff when it comes to really emotional scenes.
The OST is unobtrusive to the point that I can’t recall any of the tunes. It is a one-time watch for me.

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It's nice seeing a drama where the female is the older in the couple. But this story is just not it.

It was a great start, it was cute seeing Seo Jun Hui (Jung Hae In) crushing and having a hard time saying his emotions to Yoo Jin-Ah (Son Ye Jin) and Yoo Jin Ah being confused to her feelings. But when they start being together, I found it boring and a lot of dragging scenes. I did find their relationship bit weird at the start especially that Jin Ah is the older sister of Jun Hui's friend. They look cute together but somehow the chemistry between them is lacking. Other than their wide age-gap relationship the other problems tackled in this drama was great, like how women are treated in the workplace, family problems, etc.

Overall I'll just rate this a 6/10. Out of all the characters, I only find Seo Jun Hui memorable. In my opinion Jung Hae In carried this show.

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What was the reasonnnn?!

First things first, this drama was all over the place. I love Kang Ha-neul and I've never had a problem with his acting before now. The whole North Korean façade was awful and that voice??? Atrocious.
Majority of the cast was annoying as well.

Also, what is this drama about? Was there even a storyline? It was so predictable and there's nothing wrong with that, when it's done right. This was not done right. I got an ick from this drama as well. The leads are supposed to be cousins and yet the female lead was attracted to her cousin? Incest aside, said cousin was married, with his wife right there, I mean. Granted, nothing happened until after she found out they were fakes but still. It was so uncomfortable to watch.

The whole hotel fiasco. One wanted to sell, one wanted to keep. I understood why Se-Jun wanted to sell because the hotel was what drove his parents to death and I also understood Se-Yun because the hotel is their legacy and a part of the parents. Honestly, that whole plot was unnecessary to me as a viewer.

It was really annoying that there was not much shown about the real Ri Moon-Sung. I would have liked that more. I wish there was more shown about his life and marriage. Everything was centered around the "Fake" and it was annoying and dragged. He seems like a good person and them labeling him as "a cold blooded person" was again annoying.

Mr. Jung was constantly in that room whispering with them which is once again, annoying. Sure, nobody was really paying that much attention, which they should have. I would have been so suspicious about this "cousin" being around.

Now, the SET??? It literally looked like a set. Maybe they wanted it to look like a play but honestly no. Rich kdramas are always luxurious and cute to look at, this set was a cardboard and a dream.

I hate that it was turned into a production in the end. Just my thoughts. I would never recommend this, but everyone who's interested should watch. These are MY THOUGHTS.

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The Beauty of Found Family

Summer Strike is a heart-warming drama that beautifully portrays emotions and captures a realistic approach to how one might feel about life. This drama follows multiple characters on their journey of self-discovery and happiness, but we’re first introduced to the lovely female lead Lee Yeoreum (Kim Seolhyun). Unsatisfied with her life in the city, she seeks comfort in a small town. There, she finds peace within herself, makes friends, and finds love along the way.

Yeoreum’s character was enjoyable. Her gentleness and sincerity were felt in every episode, with every character she encountered, which was nice. The male lead is An Daebeom (Im Siwan), a shy introvert with unresolved childhood trauma. Daebeom and Yeoreum’s relationship was executed nicely, for the most part, because I enjoy slow-paced dramas. I was satisfied with their ending, although a part of me still feels like something was lacking. They have no kiss scenes or anything obviously romantic like a declaration of love, but even without this you can feel how much they care for each other, and that is why I watched until the end.

The side couple Kim Bom (Shin Eunsoo) and Heo Jaehoon (Bang Jaemin) made up for what the main couple lacked. Jaehoon was such a bright light in Bom’s life and exactly what she needed. I wasn’t always happy with the way she treated him but Bom suffered so much, I literally couldn’t stay mad at her. Jaehoon was so expressive with his feelings and cared for Bom despite her complexity. Even with his own issues and eventual growing jealousy, his focus was always on her.

I think this drama would’ve been even better with 14 or 16 episodes instead of 12. I would’ve loved to see more of the relationship between the main leads and less of characters I didn’t care about, like Jo Jiyoung. I would have also liked at least a few scenes from the perspective of Bom’s brother Kim Hanuel (Shin Ki-Joon). Hanuel went through the same family struggles as Bom so I think it would’ve been super interesting to see more of him, but that one might just be me! Also, whatever happened to Yeoreum’s brother? We never heard from him again, which didn’t really matter in regards to the main story, but I thought he would’ve popped up once more.

The found family trope isn’t necessarily a favorite of mine but I grew to love and appreciate it way more because of Summer Strike. It wasn’t perfect but the message it carries leaves a lasting impression, one I won’t forget. The music was pretty, and the actors and actresses did their job wonderfully. I can see myself rewatching again if I ever need comfort. I’ll miss it!

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More of a dog’s breakfast than a degustation.

Is it a crime mystery, slice of life, healing drama, melo or a romance? Take your pick 'cause they are all in there. But far from being a degustation of delicious, beautifully crafted dishes, it’s a dog’s breakfast.

It is ludicrously ambitious to think that all these themes can be squished into 12 episodes and then served up elegantly. In fact it’s a half-baked crumpet with raw veggies and Korean BBQ belly pork. Which is a real shame because there was some great main-course potential there in amongst all the side dishes.

If I was going to choose where to put the emphasis, I’d say that by far the strongest part of it was the slice of life. If they’d settled for that and thrown in some more detailed romance and much better character development, the actors and director would have delivered an OK drama. As it was the crime mystery dominated the second half, dragged in characters that were totally peripheral, set up non-credible police investigations and generally smeared ketchup over everything.

There were some nice performances in amongst the hash. I particularly liked the secondary couple and think that Shin Eun Soo as Kim Bom was the standout. However, Yim Si Wan as An Dae Beom was the sort of bland that could challenge a béchamel sauce.

There was some nice writing in there with some good ideas and it didn’t always take the easy path, but the temptation to go for big dramatic showpieces really trashed the credibility ratings for me. It didn’t need foie gras and caviar, country pâté served with crusty bread would have been so much more satisfying.

What my rating means: 6+ Some aspects of it were OK but it had serious flaws. It will pass the time but you can find something better.

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A Masterpiece

This series is the best thing that Netflix had ever made. It is Worth Watching. The Games are on another Level. Everyone has done so well. They put a lot of effort & hard work & The series is Insane. It is the best thing that I have ever watched. It really gives goosebumps.

The Story is Insane & the Plot is Huge.These Games are really deadly & it is difficult to survive. These games of survival are made so fine. The show is very unexpected. Difficulty level is very high as compared to last season because These games are based on the Face Cards which are the real deal.

All actors had portrayed each character well. I love the Cast, Story & everything about this Series. This Series is beyond your imagination. This Show has everything in it. It tells us about the importance of life. The Players played these games of life and death only to survive. They must win all the games in order to survive.

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Need a fabulous experience watch The fabulous.

Really mind-blowing SHINee and actor MINHO is very handsome, sexy, even sometimes I forgot to read the subtitles by watching his face.I need to watch it two or more times to understand what is going on.Minho is so distracting.Coming to the drama their chemistry is mind blowing.I love the friends circle.Fashions is good liked costume.Liked their friendship..I think it's a good start for first episode ...but really MINHO is very distracting... I need to watch it again I can re-watch it again and again. Really a good drama, light hearted MINHO as an x bf is really what I wanted he is fabulous...

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Worth Watching

Alice in Borderland is the best thing that Netflix had ever made. Everyone has done so well. The whole cast is outstanding. This show is really a Masterpiece.
It really keeps the heart of audience beating fast. The Games are on another level. These are the most deadly games and the deaths are very unexpected. These games of survival are the best which are so hard to play. The players had to win the games to survive. The Theme of the series is fantastic. Each Game is based upon the deck of cards & difficulty level increases from Ace to 10th Card & Face Cards are the real deal that we will see in 2nd Season.

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A reflective slice of small town life

Summer Strike is what I would call a mood slice of life drama. It's a story about Yeo Reum "Summer" whose hectic life is falling apart when she decides to pack a backpack with a few belongings and go on strike from the life she's known. She winds up in a strange small town full of interesting characters and makes the choice to lead an unconventional life without any responsibilities or plans. The concept is pretty inspiring except for one thing... Yeo Reum is a frustrating mess. Good thing for her, the entire town is full of messy characters.

Although Yeo Reum is the main character the true star of the show is Yim Si Wan as An Dae Beom. He is so awkwardly adorable and endearing, and honestly the most interesting character even while barely saying a word. He has cute chemistry with Yeo Reum from the very beginning, and their connection is super sweet, but if you are looking for a conventional romance be warned that this is NOT it. Think more slow-burn kindred spirits who like to run a lot and you will be far less likely to be disappointed. Many of their interactions happen in the library which should give you an idea of how adorkable and wholesome these moments are.

The rest of the ensemble is great too, but full of frustrating characters, from Grandmas to single dads, HS students, and ex-cons. I don't want to speak too much about them all in detail since the interesting part of the story is learning about these characters as Yeo Reum does. The town is full of sadness and tragedy and is haunted by a mysterious murder from years ago. Of course, Yeo Reum's presence changes things in the town mostly for the better, but not the mood. This drama is still mostly melancholy, frustrating, and sad. Still, this isn;t quite the "fish out of water" trope that I expected. It's more about the town adapting to and at times blatantly rejecting a stranger's presence.

Would I watch this again? Probably not. Although I like the simple concept of the drama, I do think the plot isn't as interesting as the characters. There also aren't many scenes that I would necessarily want to rewatch. If I were a bigger fan of slice-of-life dramas then maybe just the small-town atmosphere would be enough to make me want to rewatch/revisit Angok. I thought it was nice to escape to Angok each week, but since many of the characters were frustrating, I was more than ready to say goodbye to them by episode 12... the perfect length for this drama.


Overall, this drama feels a little like reading someone's diary. Or rather, listening to someone's diary since there is a lot of narration. There isn't a major character transformation but watching feels intimate and definitely piqued my curiosity throughout. The romance and mystery parts of the story were a little disappointing because they were so played down. However, it's certainly an eventful summer, no matter how slow paced the drama feels at times. If you ever had a fantasy of running away from your life this will either inspire you or scare you. By the end, I did feel comforted by the sense of community, I was touched by Yeo Reum's imperfect pursuit of happiness, and there's an emotionally healing feeling even if it left me dry eyed throughout, so I would recommend binging this it if you're in a introspective and reflective mood, and I appreciate this simple drama reminding me to appreciate the simple things.

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A bittersweet yet perfect ending for a perfect drama

I understand the initial frustration with Reborn Rich’s ending, trust me, I avoided watching the final episode for days because I caught spoilers of what had happened, but now that I finally saw it, I am a crying mess and for good reason.

Yes, it’s quite unsettling and as I said frustrating to witness Do Joon’s entire effort for 15 episodes and 17 years go down the drain, but this is precisely why this entire thing happened. This is why Hyunwoo reborn as him. He participated in Dojoon’s death and chose to stay silent for success, for a chance to be someone. And after being betrayed, he got to be reborn as the person who was betrayed first AND HE HELPED cover his murder. Like he said, this was repentance. It’s brilliant. I can’t even wrap my head around it. It’s bittersweet, yes, but it’s BRILLIANT.

I will mourn Jin Dojoon, to be honest. He’s one of my favorite fictional characters I’ve watched in a drama and the injustice of what happened to him is what makes me cry now. But we can’t forget Dojoon and Hyunwoo are the same person. So, now, in this life, after getting his and Dojoon’s revenge and getting all of the Jin family to step down from Soonyang, Hyunwoo/Dojoon gets to live his life and be someone for his own merit without hiding behind an owner and his mistakes.

Again, I understand the frustration but if you just stop to think about it, it’s actually really brilliant.

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Definitely watchable

Before i started this show i have been avoiding to watch it becoz of some -ve comments. I am glad i watched it. It was a new plot and after watching Hyena i have started liking Law dramas. It was not as good as Hyena for me but it was still good. If you are putting off just like me, go watch it. Nicely executed and definitely awaiting season 2. It was nice seeing Kang Tae Oh as main lead and i appreciated the acting of Kang Ki Young. It was difficult role to perform and have to shout out loud for Park Eun Bin.
What i didn't like - It was getting little draggy towards the end.

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This bl's is quite different and interesting in its own way

I can see why some people dislike the bl but not why most people are hating on the bl as it goes. This work is different and it is very similar to how real gay relationships are and especially ones that started as just sex, you don't just build the next thing you trust the person completely. Taking into consideration that both of these guys are players and one with a fear of abandonment, are the perfect. No but that imperfections was meant to make them so much more worth watching.
I believe the author could have built their character a bit more there was still so much more room for growth, development and other things but because those things were not included well people are hating on his bl too much.
I am not used to give reviews but I just had to cause people were putting so much negative comments on this bl I just had to come out and say that it is better than some other bl's I have watched and it worth giving a try just be more open-minded when you are watching it.

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