“Vice Chairman Youngjun Lee and Secretary Miso Kim have been the star duo of their company for nine years…until Miso suddenly decides to quit! But Youngjun is smart, rich, and used to getting what he wants—and he wants Miso to stay. So when he discovers she's leaving in order to find a husband, the only logical way to keep her at his side is…offering to marry her?! Too bad she's just not that into him!” (IZE Press)
A modern romance tale taking place in the fast-paced world of the corporate elite, “What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?” certainly is not aiming for a story that will be massively relatable to its readership. Yet, the sharp writing and witty humor, combined with strong personas, make the modern romance tale quite an engaging piece of escapism.
Secretary Kim, in particular, is a determined businesswoman who balances feminity and calculated professionalism to make her a powerhouse in the corporate world. As the series establishes, she is the only one who was able to command the respect of the narcissistic Vice Chairman Youngjun Lee. Youngjun, comparatively, wields power but remains rather aloof when it comes to romance, with the first volume having multiple moments where his obtuseness breaks down his confidence in a hilarious manner. This relationship is the driving force behind the gleefully entertaining story, and it consistently delivers.
However, the courting of Kim by her boss Youngjin may not appeal to all fans of the rom-com genre, as far as the content of the inaugural volume goes. Notably, there is an emphasis on traditional values, with the catalyst for Youngjin to pursue his secretary coming from her desire to quit to make time to start a family. Additionally, Youngjin uses his position of power in ways to try to manipulate Kim, creating a play on power dynamics that may limit appeal. The emphasis, regardless, is on telling an engaging romance story, so while these themes are apparent they are not grossly misused and should not deter those unless they are actively seeking a book void of traditional values or the trope of pig-headed men changing in order to become the ideal partner.
Visually, the book is not overly engaging, the color pallet is oddly muted and the characters are not overtly expressive, though this partly has to do with the professionalism they convey in their respective roles. Add in simplistic backgrounds, and the series won't impress anyone with its artistic presence. However, the book itself is so well written and the characters themselves are complex in an intriguing way that the lack of strong visuals becomes moot. Essentially, the story stays consistently engaging and moves at a swift pace which, in time, can be appreciated for how well they carry the story forward. The physical edition from IZE Press, much like all their titles, is high-quality and it adds value to collecting physical over digital.
While the visuals are slightly underwhelming, and the corporate setting combined with an emphasis on traditional values may not appeal to all fans of the romance genre, “What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?” is an immaculately written rom-com that the majority will fawn over. This is particularly true of those who enjoy Korean rom-com films/TV as the manhwa lands those comedic beats with an expressive cast. In fact, the series has already seen adaptation as a single-season live-action tv series.
Ultimately, IZE Press continues with an impressive selection of titles to bring to print from the WebToon format, and “What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?” is a welcome addition to their growing catalog of romance titles like “Villains Are Destined to Die” and “The Remarried Empress“.
