I know, I know I’m like 10 episodes late or whatever but I am not independently wealthy and am currently shackled by capitalism’s cruel chains. I just squeeze this in whenever I can.
Anyways, let’s dive right into episodes five and six of the local adaptation fo What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim!
At the end of episode four, we find out that Secretary Kim is going to go on a blind date arranged by her sister with some reporter. And all before BMC could ask her out the “Brandon” way.
Of course, BMC isn’t happy about all this dating business and is fuming about it. And I know that I sound like a broken record at this point but Kim Chiu really does charm your pants off on this show. This show fits her acting wheelhouse perfectly and the way she spells out late to BMC is so charming!
It’s the two Secretary Kims plot from the original that this episode is adapting and Kim really does carry it for the most part. I know, I know, beating a dead horse etc. etc. but what can I do! I wouldn’t even consider myself a Kim Chiu fan!
Another thing that this adaptation does right is bringing that distinctly Filipino dynamic to Secretary Kim’s family. I can’t really expound on it but there’s just a difference in TV families in Korean dramas compared to Filipino ones. I think the best way I can explain it is there’s still something formal about the family dynamic in Korean dramas even betweent he supposedly “freer” family of the poorer character. Filipino TV families are looser and more carefree. And that dynamic is something ABS has perfected and you can easily spot in its shows. Also Romnick is still hot after all these years.
And then we get the theme park scene from the original adaptation! Quite honestly, I feel like this happened a little too quickly than I remembered but then again it’s been years since I watched the original so I may be wrong!
We get the requisite montage of them enjoying the theme park and the addition of BINI as background music really heightens the cuteness. Paolo Avelino and Kim Chiu breaking on Anchors Aweigh was also a really human moment that felt lie it wasn’t acting at all. That whole scene at the carousel was also so soft and very well done.
I did get jolted out of the fantasy by the next scene at the restaurant because I have been to that theme park multiple times in my life and that park doesn’t have a restaurant that serves wine or have facy-ish food. I say ish because the food served doesn’t look that fancy to be fair. And it’s hilarious to me the miniscule bites Kim was taking before declaring that she was so hungry from all the rides, like girl those small bites aren’t going to quell your hunger.
It’s on this episode that we finally get a whiff of the other soap opera plot line that the original Korean one had and I can’t help but sigh in defeat. I did not like that plot line in the original and quite frankly I don’t have high hopes about liking it in this new adaptation.
BUT we’ll get back to that in some other episode because we’re getting the fireworks scene and Kim Chiu and even Paolo Avelino are both bringing the cute and the kilig here, because quite frankly Kim has been carrying it for the most part.
We get this adaptation’s equivalent of the claw machine cuteness from the original if I’m remembering it correctly but thsi time around they’ve translated it to one of those perya games that people of a certain generation grew up with. And you know what it gives Paolo Avelino better opportunities to show his comedic chops so I guess it’s not too bad of a translation. Although I got to admit I felt a little bad of having the theme park workers have to wait around for you but then again i suppose that also happened in the original it just wasn’t shown.
And I guess it’s ~worth~ it because Secretary Kim and BMC have a totally cute moment with each other near the tail end of the episode. Would I have personally picked Carabae as the name of the stuffed toy? Maybe not! But that’s probably the best way to translate the pun that was used in the Korean original.
But that cuteness is broken up by the arrival of BMC’s brother and as I’ve made clear this whole plot line isn’t something I like from the original and I am already dreading in this one. We do get a ridiculously obvious product placement again though, which is something?
Sorry I know I usually do this in two episode increments but I’m really tired and need to sleep 😭😭😭😭😭
Ron Does Stuff 
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