What’s wrong with Secretary Kim?

What’s wrong with Secretary Kim?

The manga and anime market is having a historic resurgence in Spain. Thanks to this growth in the number of fans of Japanese popular culture, titles and demographics have been published that hardly fit in this country, because they were normally considered to not sell. Now we can enjoy a wide variety of titles of all kinds of oriental origin, such as the case manhwathe korean origin comic.

So in the past 27 Sleeve Barcelonathe editorial Kitsune Manga brought us closer to this type of comics, bringing as a novelty the first volume of a romantic series, called What’s wrong with Secretary Kim? After reading the argument, I knew that this title was addressed to someone like me. Although I had previously watched Korean series and dramas, this is my first manhwa that comes into my hands within the romantic genre. Even so, the origin of the work is not really important to highlight when it comes to why I liked it so much. We are facing a total and resounding salseo soap opera that will fascinate all those who enjoy these readings.

Kimbiseoga wae geureolkka is the original title of What’s wrong with Secretary Kim?. The original story belongs to Jeong Gyeong Yunin charge of the script, while the artistic section is due to the hands of kim myeonmi. Both began to publish this work in 2016 for the magazine KakaoPage from the publisher Kakao with a total of six volumes compilations. In Spain it is Kitsune Books the one in charge of bringing us this series for lovers of Korean dramas.

Action or Yeongjun

Even though I don’t know Korean, if I had to translate the word “narcissist” I would say it would be something like… “Yeongjun”! Lee Yeong Jun he is a handsome and intelligent man. A successful man who becomes the vice president of a major company, the group Yuil. A man with whom anyone could fall surrendered at his feet, because he is just…perfect. But no, here we are not playing Action or Yeongjun to get the prize for the best praises. The reality is that our protagonist is a cocky, arrogant and capricious man who only loves himself. And it seems that this reality is only capable of seeing Kim Miso, the protagonist of this beautiful love story.

Kim Miso is a 29-year-old woman who has worked for the vice president for nine years. However, tired of working practically 24/7, she decides to quit her job as a secretary for Lee Yeong Jun. It is from this moment, when yeongjun he stops thinking about himself a bit and really focuses on Miso, not understanding how he can leave his “luxurious” position after so long.

Given the yeongjun He considers himself perfect, for him it is incomprehensible that someone wants to stop being by his side. Even more Kim, who assists you at any time and place. However, miso have other aspirations that are totally incompatible with his current job and his decision is resounding. However, the reasons for miso They are not enough for our protagonist to leave work, so he will do everything possible to make her stay and remain in her job.

After reading the first two volumes of What’s wrong with Secretary Kim?, it can be seen that it is not a romance that tries to innovate and that it is going to contribute something new. However, the charisma of both protagonists makes you hooked from the first page. Especially since, even though yeongjun He is an arrogant character, his concern for the protagonist is from minute one and he reveals his most sensitive side. A point that little by little is becoming fond of him and surely he is capable of softening more than one heart among readers.

someone irreplaceable

If there is something with which a person could feel identified, it is Kim Miso, the protagonist of this story. Kim shows great dedication to her work at all times, but she realizes that all her efforts are not valued as much as she should be. For this reason, there comes a time when she decides to leave him to continue with her dreams. She seems like the ideal job in the eyes of many, the director’s secretary, her right hand. However, she barely has a life with this job and decides to put it aside in order to dedicate time to herself. This is what I liked the most, honestly. This part is very real. Who has not debated more than once about leaving a job between necessity and quality of life? I think that in the end it is something key and it is a hoot to start reading this story in this way, since you enter directly from the side of the protagonist.

However, the reason why he wants to leave it may not be so easy for readers to empathize, since we would enter into debates about the machismo of Far Eastern societies and, after all, we are facing a first-hand romance and we know how to what are we up against But this is the icing on the cake as well, because the reason for Kim Miso ignites the protagonist and is the spark that starts this beautiful and fun story.

The drawing

the drawing of kim myeonmi It is one of the aspects that stand out the most in this series. Unlike the Japanese manga, the manhwa drawing style is usually more proportionate and, furthermore, the fact of having all the pages in color makes the series enter the eyes the first time.

As for the faces, it maintains the essence of the oriental romance comic. Sweet, sharp and Apollonian faces in the case of the protagonists. However, the author does mark the difference between these characters and others that are considered uglier, making the difference explicit on an artistic level. However, each character enjoys great expressiveness with the features of the face, such as the eyes, and in aid of the use of the plots.

The authors

Jeong Gyeong Yun is a Korean novelist and screenwriter. He has three works published so far in his career, being What’s wrong with Secretary Kim? his debut work. In 2019, she was again in charge of the script for another manga, titled Date on Christmas and, in 2021, he made an alternative series to the protagonist of this review, entitled What’s Wrong With Your Online Life?

kim myeonmi is the cartoonist (and also scriptwriter) of this work. The artist has several titles published within the genres of romance and comedy. Her first work Oh My Romantic Kumiho, was published in 2010 and has nine compilation volumes. Later, he continued with Trot Stara work published in 2014 that revolves around a group of idols who tries to succeed in music trota style of Korean folk music.

Subsequently, the author published since 2016 the manga that concerns us in this review, What’s wrong with Secretary Kim? The series consists of six volumes and an adaptation to live action, which was released in 2018 and consists of 16 episodes. The live action It has had a great impact in the world. otaku and lovers of Korean dramas, as it has Park Seo Joon in the skin of the protagonist yeongjun and with Park Min Young In the role of Kim Miso, two popular actors within the Korean film industry. Whoever wants to enjoy this drama can see it through the chain Viki Rakuten.

Currently, the cartoonist and screenwriter is working on what is the author’s longest work to date. Its about Josei An hour of romance and it is a series with supernatural touches and gender bender which today has 117 published chapters plus the prologue.

The edition

The edition is carried out in Spain by Kitsune Booksbeing What’s wrong with Secretary Kim? one of the first manga that the editorial publishes within its collection Kitsune Manga. The volume presents a format in A5 size, so its larger format already makes it especially striking. In addition, the covers have colors in pastel tones starring a specific main character, which makes them especially attractive. Also, they do not have a dust jacket, but it is quite resistant despite being a soft cover.

Each volume contains 240 glossy pages and is entirely in coloras usual in the series manhwa. Another characteristic that makes us understand that we are not dealing with a series of Japanese origin is that the reading sense is western. This is because the Korean alphabet, the hangulis written and read horizontally and from left to right, unlike Japanese.

At the moment, Kitsune Books He has published the first four volumes of the six that the series consists of in total. Each volume is priced at €14.95.

Conclution

Kim It is a series that could be enjoyed by all kinds of audiences who love to read romance and comedy works. When you open the first pages of this series you know what you are going to look for and you find it in the foreground. Everyone who enjoys this type of story will be hooked from the first moment and will empathize with both characters, because Kim is a protagonist that captivates from the first moment, while the evolution of yeongjung it is so dizzying that it keeps you expectant all the time.

Also, the fact that it is in full color and the larger format tome makes it very visual. It is a series that already attracts only by its cover, where in each one we see the protagonists in different attitudes.

However, if you don’t like romantic comedies then this manhwa definitely not for you. It is a manual sauce, it does not innovate as such nor does it surprise you during its outcome.

The best

• Kim is not a mushroom protagonist, she is a very mature character and the reader can empathize with her from the first moment.
• The full color edition is gorgeous. In addition, being of a larger format, all the details of the drawing are better perceived.

Worst

• It is a typical soap opera, it does not try to innovate. This may cause some stragglers among readers who do not enjoy these stories.