Hi everyone!

Today I’m sharing my episode 1-2 notes on Love Scout, because I am loving it right away, and I was wondering if you’d like to join me? 🤗

These are my episode 1-2 notes, exactly as they appear on Patreon, ie, without screenshots (I’m saving those for the actual review).

I hope you all enjoy, and I hope you’ll consider joining us over on Patreon, for the rest of the discussions! ❤️

Episode notes:

E1-2. My friends. This show is giving me the goofy grins, just two episodes in. Eee!! (Is it too early to squee? 😅)

That is saying a lot, since I’d been looking forward to this show A LOT, ever since it was announced that Han Ji Min and Lee Joon Hyuk would be headlining this one.

..And yet, Show is living up to, and even exceeding my expectations. I am very pleased about this – just so you know. 😁

Overall, this kinda-sorta feels like the lighter, rom-com cousin of One Spring Night.

First, we’ve got Han Ji Min as our female lead, and she’s poised to romance a young, handsome single father – AND, her only friend (that we know of) is played by Lee Sang Hee, who also played Han Ji Min’s bestie in One Spring Night. 😁

Not that this is a bad thing; I’m just quite amused by this.

So yes, thinking of this as the rom-com cousin of One Spring Night works for me right now, and I think that biggest adjustment here, is that I need to roll with some of the sillier, more comedic sort of beats which are quite typical of a rom-com, but not typical of One Spring Night. 😅

These episodes are clearly our set-up episodes, and overall, I think they do a solid, clear job of helping us get a sense for our characters, at least in broad strokes, and getting things in place, so that our lead characters’ worlds collide – and we are positioned to root for love to blossom.

Importantly, I don’t find Han Ji Min’s character Ji Yun unlikable, even though she’s shown some pretty darn brusque behavior, in these initial episodes.

I think part of that has to do with Han Ji Min’s personal charm; I have a huge soft spot for her, and I think my brain is largely programmed to like her, heh.

I think it also helps, that Show tells us that her not-so-nice behaviors could be to do with an actual medical condition, where her brain’s under too much stress, and is therefore causing her to say things she doesn’t mean, and not remember things.

That definitely helps to explain why she’s having trouble not only remembering her staff members’ names, but what her car looks like, and even the fact that her office door opens in a certain direction rather than the other way around.

This makes all her tough reasoning for speaking the way she does, suddenly look like a cover that she’s using to protect herself, rather than an actual explanation that she necessarily believes in.

Another part of it has to do with how Show demonstrates that Ji Yun’s mostly putting on a brave and strong front; that underneath that prickly, defensive outer layer, there are a lot of hidden hurts and wounds.

Putting that all together, I find it easy to want better and happier things for Ji Yun.

And then there’s Lee Joon Hyuk, whom I am thrilled – literally OVER THE MOON – to see in a romantic male lead space, finally. 🥲🥲

It has been wayyy too long since I’ve seen him in this space (it was last in family drama Three Brothers, circa 2009!), and every cell in my being is ready to swoon, just so you know. 😁

I think Show does a really effective job of setting up Eun Ho as a character.

First, we learn how capable and efficient he is at his work, with how his supervisor gives him the tough task of prevent Mr. Yang from being scouted away from the company.

It’s a task that most people deem doomed to fail – and yet, he succeeds, with a combination of shrewd analysis, diligence, and the willingness to go above and beyond, in order to achieve his goal.

This is also when we have Ji Yun and Eun Ho butting heads, since Mr. Yang is considering an offer made via Ji Yun’s headhunting firm, Peoplez.

But thennn.

My heart really went out to Eun Ho, when we see that his supervisor actually holds a grudge against him for taking paternal leave and basically choosing his daughter’s mental health over the company, and is determined to not only force him out of the company, but ruin him in general.

UGH.

Shady Supervisor is just awful, with the way he humiliates Eun Ho time and time again, and then goes in for the kill, falsely blaming Eun Ho for colluding with Mr. Yang, to leak company secrets.

Worse, Shady Supervisor then spreads rumors about Eun Ho, so that he won’t be able to get a job elsewhere either.

(To Show’s credit, I thought this was all very efficiently handled, and in particular, I thought it was smart for Show to have this last bit be stated for the record during Mi Ae’s conversation with her husband, so that we wouldn’t actually have to witness it for ourselves.)

Adding on the layer where Eun Ho has a daughter for whom he must provide, and I can easily see why he would be desperate enough to entertain a job with Ji Yun, despite the bad blood between them.

And, given Ji Yun’s poor health, hectic schedule and inability to manage it all on her own, I can see why Mi Ae would jump at the chance to hire Eun Ho.

I must say though, I found the highlight reel of Ji Yun badgering Mi Ae – even while Mi Ae’s in the toilet cubicle – a bit too much, but I just filed it away as a bit of rom-com humor, and rolled with it.

Yes, I am primed to forgive as much as I can with this show, because that’s how much I want this to be good. 😅

On the upside, I was very, very engaged and enthusiastic, at the part where it starts to dawn on Mi Ae, while she’s at Eun Ho’s apartment, what a perfect candidate he is, to be Ji Yun’s secretary.

(Oh, on that note, I actually much prefer the Korean title for this show, which translates as “My Perfect Secretary” – why couldn’t we have gone with that?)

I kept snickering and giggling and even clapped my hands, with each light bulb that goes off in Mi Ae’s head, as she rattles off the qualities she’s looking for in Ji Yun’s secretary – and gets evidence, right there and then, of how perfect Eun Ho is, for the role.

For some reason, I was quite thrilled with this part. 🤩

The only narrative element that I’m not so hot on at the moment, is Kim Do Hoon’s character Jeong Hun, who addresses Ji Yun as “Noona” and is basically a total flake at work.

I don’t like him very much (yet).

He doesn’t try to sugarcoat it, but his whole “work is play” attitude perplexes me. He’s clearly not interested in the work, and he’s clearly from a moneyed background; who is he, really, and what is he doing here?

I don’t think he’s Ji Yun’s actual brother, since we learn that her father had been her only family, and now that he’s gone, she’s basically all alone in the world.

Anyway. I’m sure Show will fill us in on the details around that, as we go.

In the meantime, I very much enjoyed episode 2, which is mostly Eun Ho trying his best to get on Ji Yun’s good side, even though she’s stated flatly that she doesn’t want to work with him.

Honestly, I do love the idea that Eun Ho’s so good at his job, that he quickly wins over the entire office, such that when he does make some headway with Ji Yun, he’s got everyone cheering for him, in his wake.

That’s so cute. 😁

I do appreciate that Eun Ho’s making progress in small increments, and that some of his efforts fail, while some yeild positive results.

This makes it feel more believable, and the failures also make his successes feel more hard-earned.

And I appreciate that we see Eun Ho putting in the work, to understand Ji Yun’s schedule and habits, and trying to meet her needs.

On the potential OTP front, that scene in the middle of episode 2, where Eun Ho and Ji Yun have A Moment, when he comes upon her in the storage room, was quite electric, I thought. I definitely felt a crackle when he levels his gaze at her, and just looks at her. 🔥

But the real turning point in their work relationship really is when Ji Yun finally lets on the real reason that she doesn’t work with Eun Ho; because she wants to work with someone who would at least respect the work that she does – and Eun Ho’s said some not-great things about headhunters and the way she works.

Ahhh. That makes so much sense! And yes, I can totally understand that from Ji Yun’s point of view, having a secretary that despises the work that she does, would be a deal-breaker.

No wonder she’s been so adamant about not working with Eun Ho.

To Eun Ho’s credit, his apology does land as sincere; I believe that he really does regret saying that (and I paraphrase) headhunters have no conscience, and only care about money.

And, I do like that he immediately throws himself into learning more about the work of headhunters; he’s not just paying lip-service, he really does want to correct his understanding of headhunting. I like that about him.

Honestly, I am loving the fact that because Ji Yun’s got some klutzy tendencies, like bumping into corners etc, that Eun Ho ends up doing very romantic-looking things for her.

Like, I legit squeed when she was crouched under her desk looking for something, and Eun Ho put his hand on the edge of the desk, and followed her movements with his hand, so that if she ever bumped her head, it would be buffered by his hand.

SCHWEET! 😍😍

And then, the fact that he knows where everything is, and pulls out the exact file that she’s looking for, gives me “I’m taking care of you” vibes, and I squee again.

And how about the fact that he installs corner guards on everything in her office, and even makes it such that her door opens both ways?? That gives me more “I’m taking care of you vibes” – Eee!! 😍😍

Yes, yes, I know this is all in the line of duty, but my fangirl instincts are kicking in anyway. 😁

At this point, I guess I should stop for a moment and acknowledge the existence of second female lead Su Hyeon, who’s also a single mom.

I can see why she’d be attracted to Eun Ho.

At that scene in episode 2 where Eun Ho’s playing in the playground with his daughter and her son, he looks like PERFECT father material, and I’d be shocked, really, if Su Hyeon was immune to that. I know I’m certainly not. 🤭

So far, Su Hyeon seems like a perfectly nice person, so I’m hoping that she stays that way, even after she eventually inevitably realizes that Eun Ho doesn’t feel the same way about her the way she does about him.

As we close out episode 2, Ji Yun’s really starting to struggle, what with her father’s death anniversary AND that sunbae rival who’s not only stealing her business, but even accusing her of causing the death of their ex-boss.

Gosh, just how much burden does Ji Yun have to bear? 🥺

I can see why Eun Ho talking about being there for his daughter would hit a raw nerve for her, even though it’s not at all Eun Ho’s fault.

And I can also see why Ji Yun would storm over to see Sunbae Rival, to throw down the gauntlet and lay down the law.

It’s not hard to see why Ji Yun might teeter on the brink of passing out, with so much weighing on her.

..Which is why I’m so glad and relieved that Eun Ho comes charging up that escalator to reach her, even though she’s told him not to follow her.

Significantly, just as Ji Yun looks like she’s about to pass out, she reaches for him – and he catches her by the arm, just before she sinks into him, in an apparent faint.

Aw! He’s there for her, when no one else is. 🥲 Could this be the beginning of a beautiful partnership..?

All in all, if you couldn’t already tell, I am extremely pleased with these initial episodes, and I am so looking forward to more episodes of this.

Like I said, I’m ready to squee! 🤭

*This show is being covered on the VIP Early Access (US$15) Tier on Patreon*

To view episode 1-2 notes in Patreon, along with everyone’s comments, you can go here!

You can find my Patreon page here, and for all future episode notes for this show you can click here.

Episodes 3-4 notes will be out soon! I hope you’ll consider joining us!

It’ll be a way to have fun, and support me at the same time? 🥲❤️

PS: For more information on what the Patreon experience is like, you might like to check out my Patreon update post for January, which you can find here!