Protect the Boss (through episode 8)

Okay, I admit it.  My first impression of Protect the Boss as a Secret Garden knock-off was wrong, wrong wrong.  There are some similarities but what really matters is how it all plays out and this is definitely its own show.  


Spoilers after the jump...

For one thing the male lead likes the female lead first, but he likes her in a needful, vulnerable way.  It's not arrogance more that she is a life-preserver and she's the only thing that's keeping him from drowning.  But! And here is where I'm really appreciating the direction the show is taking, that his love is a real burden.  Cha Ji-heon may be rich but, well, he's a loser.  He has a complicated, needy, immature, neurotic personality that is exhausting to be around even though he is likable.  

And the show actually faces this head on with a female lead that is direct and frank with everyone.  No Eun-seol wants to work, but her job is so much more babysitter and therapist than secretary.  When she realizes in Episode 8 that if things continue in the direction they are going that she will become lost to a life of being Cha Ji-heon's crutch it was truly heartbreaking.  It's not that she doesn't want to help him, but she has to preserve herself.  As Eun-seol says, he always needs to lean on her, but she has problems too.  Who is she going to lean on? And you can see from the look on his face that he doesn't really get it. 


I have faith that we are going to get to a place where he does.  That Ji-heon's character arc will take him to a place where the caretaking is much more mutual.


As  a side-note:  Ji-heon's grandma is awesome.  Also, the second female lead is interesting because she's kind of a twist on the cliche of the crazy second lead.  Girl-friend is just as crazy as Ji-heon and I'm finding it strangely endearing, especially because Eun-seol so clearly has the upper hand on her.






FYI:  I've watched episode 17 of King 2 Hearts but I want to finish episode 18 before I put up my post.