Marking the beginning of our new year in 2025 Korean dramas, we are treated to a sweet office romance featuring a stoic boss and her amiable secretary who start on the wrong foot yet will soon get attracted to each other and eventually fall in love.
We have some workplace politics to spice up things. But that is the least of our concerns. Let’s just follow our adorable leads and see where they will get us.
Bunny S. watches Love Scout on Netflix
Opening Week Ratings:
Love Scout Opening Week Story
“Change is scary. But you’d fall behind if you shy away from it.”
Coming fully prepared, we first meet our heroine, Kang Ji-yoon (Han Ji Min), as she chases after a talented car designer (Cameo by Lee Hee Joon) to get him to quit his job and start afresh at a new major company. As Ji-yoon makes her case, the designer declares that he has no plans to quit his job. Still, through her meticulous research, Ji-yoon manages to convince him in the end. The deal is sealed and the news about the designer’s recent move makes headlines, adding to Ji-yoon’s long list of achievements.
한지민과 서킷에서 만난 이희준
짧지만 강렬한 특별출연 많관부🙌SBS 새 금토드라마 <나의 완벽한 비서>
☞ 2025년 1월 3일 [금] 밤 10시 첫 방송#SBS새금토드라마 #나의완벽한비서#나의완벽한비서스틸 #스틸#LOVESCOUT #밀착케어로맨스 #로맨스#한지민 #이준혁 #김도훈 #김윤혜#이희준… pic.twitter.com/2n8jPIEmeO— SBSNOW (@SBSNOW) January 2, 2025
With one task off her list, Ji-yoon proceeds to another candidate. But this one proves quite challenging. Ji-yoon’s next client is a developer who has worked at the same company for about 22 years. Unsurprisingly, the developer doesn’t seem much interested in the idea of moving companies at his age. And it is here that our leads cross paths for the first time. You see, the task of negotiating with the developer falls on none other than our male lead, Yoo Eun-ho (Lee Joon Hyuk), a team manager in the HR department at the same company as the developer.
Ji-yoon is all about the salary and other benefits the developer will get at the new company while Eun-ho uses a more emotional approach, arranging a dinner with the developer’s former colleagues, reminiscing together over the old days, and dropping snacks for the developer’s son’s game. Eun-ho’s approach wins, and the developer chooses to stay at the company. But this triumph is only brief. Before long, the developer starts acting shifty, and the next thing we know he is about to board a plane and go to China to join a company there.
“Continue your conversation with her. But please give me a chance to chat afterward.”
Understandably, Eun-ho suspects Ji-yoon of being behind the developer’s sudden decision, calling her an immoral person who only cares about finishing her tasks, even if it might bring harm to the people involved. However, Ji-yoon has no hand in it. She even tried to dissuade the developer from making that decision, since going abroad at this point might backfire on his career. But the developer goes through with it, anyway. Before the developer boards the plane, Eun-ho gets to meet him one last time, but there is nothing Eun-ho can do at this point.
Since he failed his mission, Eun-ho’s direct superior, who has it out for him for personal reasons, jumps on the opportunity to give Eun-ho the boot. Being a single father to his adorable daughter, Yoo Byeol, this is terrible news for Eun-ho, who starts to search actively for a new job but his nasty former superior gets in the way every time.
“Your willingness is what counts.”
As it so happens, Ji-yoon needs a new secretary ASAP after collapsing down from overwork. I mean, Ji-yoon’s brain is pleading for her to get some rest because it can’t handle the immense workload Ji-yoon takes on by herself. So, finding a new secretary is a must. It might be tough for Eun-ho to find a new job in his field but getting the job as Ji-yoon’s secretary at least won’t be as hard.
Running into Eun-ho, Ji-yoon is shocked to learn he is her new secretary. It is all thanks to Ji-yoon’s friend, Seo Mi-ae (Lee Sang-hee) who also happens to be Eun-ho’s friend’s wife. Reaching out, Eun-ho asks Mi-ae to help him find a new job at her company. But unluckily, there is no vacant spot on the HR team. Wait a minute. After a bit of deliberation, Mi-ae realizes Eun-ho ticks all the boxes for the secretary position on top of being experienced in HR. Better yet, he can handle such a troublemaker as Ji-yoon. The perfect candidate indeed!
There is a minor problem, though. Ji-yoon isn’t all that supportive of Eun-ho, who not only causes her to fail her task but also offends her. Not that Eun-ho is thrilled about that idea, either. But the promise of spending more time with Byeol and getting a raise feels tempting enough for Eun-ho to put up with the job. Also, according to Mi-ae, Eun-ho only needs to stick it out for six months. After that, she will help Eun-ho get whatever job he wishes. We know where this arc is headed. But for now, let’s enjoy the ride.
“What is it you don’t like about me?”
With Eun-ho’s top-notch skills, it is only a matter of time before he earns the praise of everyone around except for Ji-yoon, of course, who maintains her stance, ignoring Eun-ho and not giving him a single task. Confronting Ji-yoon, Eun-ho wants to know what exactly he did to grant this treatment. And Ji-yoon counters that she detests how low Eun-ho thinks of the headhunter’s work, snatching core talents and causing turmoil at other companies. Apologizing to Ji-yoon, Eun-ho asks her to give him a chance and teach him how this field works.
Softening up a bit, Ji-yoon spends the night going through Eun-ho’s resume to check his background. Simultaneously, Eun-ho studies hard to learn more about headhunting and find a way to get his tough boss to like him. We can see some potential for this duo to work together in peace. But more than everything, it is Eun-ho’s status as a single father that got Ji-yoon intrigued.
As we come to know, Ji-yoon used to be a cheerful kid, living happily with her father. Yet, sadly, Ji-yoon’s father passed away, leaving her behind. That childhood trauma is probably the reason why Ji-yoon puts on that cold exterior and doesn’t allow people to get close to her, scared of being abandoned once again.
“The secretary that I need is one who only does what I ask.”
With Ji-yoon’s father’s death anniversary approaching, she looks sad. So, Mi-ae asks Eun-ho to watch over Ji-yoon as she eats lunch. But Ji-yoon only picks at her food. Worried about her, Eun-ho gets Ji-yoon some porridge and a painkiller since she doesn’t look fine. But Eun-ho’s kind gesture only makes matters worse as Ji-yoon accidentally spills water over some documents and scolds poor Eun-ho for meddling in, when no one has asked for his help. That is not right, Ji-yoon. The guy did nothing wrong to deserve that scolding.
In worse news, Ji-yoon receives a call that someone is going around stealing the talents she scouts, putting her in a difficult position. As for the one behind it, it is Ji-yoon’s former boss, Kim Hye-jin (Park Bo-kyung) who has it out for Ji-yoon and wants to ruin her career. (What is with the drama and nasty superiors wreaking havoc on their juniors?) Unsurprisingly, Hye-jin was the one who manipulated the developer into going to China as well.
Before starting her firm, Ji-yoon used to work for Hye-jin and the reason why she had to quit might have to do with a tragic incident where someone died and Ji-yoon got blamed for it. As we end this week, Ji-yoon heads to Hye-jin’s office to call her out on playing dirty. Heading out, Ji-yoon gets reminded of what happened back then and has difficulty breathing. Luckily, Eun-ho followed her there. Spotting her pale face, Eun-ho rushes over to Ji-yoon’s side. Just as he reaches her, Ji-yoon collapses in Eun-ho’s arms, marking the end of our premiere.
Love Scout Opening Week Musings
A workplace drama featuring a tough-to-be-satisfied boss and a warm-hearted yet competent secretary who knows how to get the job done with a smile and an opposite-attract romance story, the drama puts together every single plotline I love along with a stellar cast. Adding to the excitement, we have a role reversal here with a female boss and a male secretary. What possibly could go wrong?
Going into this, I had high expectations, and the drama didn’t disappoint even though the first episode felt a bit slow and was full of setup. Still, the drama picked the pace with episode 2 and got me hooked on the story of this can’t-be-more-different pair. Ji-yoon’s empty home where she sleeps on the couch and takes pills for insomnia is the entire opposite of Eun-ho’s warm home, which is full of smiles and laughter.
On the surface, Ji-yoon might sound like an unlikeable character who doesn’t tolerate mistakes and fires people harshly, but she is a lonely soul who had to act tough after being left alone in this harsh world. And while he might be all smiles, Eun-ho has it tough too, having to care for his daughter by himself. Before taking a paternity leave one year ago, Eun-ho’s career was thriving, but he had to sacrifice his career to look after his sick daughter. And soon after he got back to work, Eun-ho was fired by his nasty superior out of revenge.
Our leads might look entirely different on the outside. But I can see them complementing each other in a way no one else can. What one side lacks can be filled by the other side and the two of them will bring out the best in each other. If this premiere is of any indication, we have a sweet and healing romcom to warm up our winter nights and make us swoon. Give me more!
Love Scout streams on Netflix every Friday and Saturday!
Photos and Videos: SBS Drama
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