A three-way battle of romance dramas will unfold on TV screens starting from the beginning of the new year.

Each broadcasting company is attracting attention by introducing the ‘K-romance’ genre, which is popular both domestically and internationally, featuring popular stars.

The new year‘s home theater romance war begins with SBS’s ‘My Perfect Secretary’, which will be aired for the first time on the 3rd.

The drama starring Han Ji-min and Lee Joon-hyuk focuses on the sweet love story of the two main characters under the title ‘Intimate Care Romance’.

In the drama, Han Ji-min plays the role of a successful headhunter CEO and Lee Joon-hyuk plays the role of the secretary who takes good care of Han Ji-min.

The fact that the male protagonist plays the role of a company CEO and his secretary is a woman, breaking the stereotype, stimulates curiosity.

In the drama, Han Ji-min plays the role of Kang Ji-yoon, a picky and persistent ‘workaholic’ who pours all her energy into work and is therefore a ‘fool’ who doesn‘t know how to do anything else.

In contrast, Lee Joon-hyuk plays the role of Yoo Eun-ho, who is polite and considerate and assists his boss with his outstanding abilities.
In response, Lee Min-ho and Gong Hyo-jin will begin a viewership competition in tvN’s ‘Ask the Stars’, which will air from the 4th.

The drama tells the story of Eve (Gong Hyo-jin), a boss who works in a zero-gravity space station, and Dinosaur (Lee Min-ho), an obstetrician and gynecologist who goes into space with a secret mission.

Fans at home and abroad are showing deep interest in the chemistry between the two, who are specialized in romance dramas, even before the broadcast.

MBC‘s ‘Motel California’, starring Lee Se-young and Na In-woo, is also considered a dark horse in the new year’s home theater romance war.

‘Motel California’, which is advertised as a ‘first love romance’ drama, is set in a rural motel and tells the story of a woman who was born and raised in a motel and returns home to reunite with her first love.

Although it is considered relatively weak compared to the two competing works, it is based on a solid story based on the novel ‘Home, Bitter Home’ by author Shim Yoon-seo published in 2019, and with Lee Se-young and Na In-woo, who are considered the ‘representatives of first love’, joining the cast, it is raising expectations that a major reversal in viewer ratings is possible.


Reporter Lee Jeong-yeon annjoy@donga.com