What IS it about a good chaebol trope?🥰 I find I tend to watch a lot of these, so here are my favorites. I've included some office romances as well. (Check out my Skinship/Romance list to see my skinship rating guide for these symbols: 🚫💋,💋,💋💋,💋💋💋,🫦🫣.)

CEO (and Office) Romances

Shen Manning’s (Li Mo Zhi) world is turned upside down the day she’s kidnapped and brought face-to-face with her doppelganger, Zhuang Xinyan (Li Mo Zhi). Before they can explore their uncanny resemblance, Xinyan dies, leaving Manning to assume her identity as the fiancée of Yan Xingcheng’s (Fan Zhi Xin). Initially, Manning and Xingcheng despise each other, but their animosity gives way to intrigue when they uncover a shared connection to a 17-year-old mystery. As they team up to unravel the past, a fragile bond begins to form between them. But is it strong enough to withstand the secrets and danger that lie ahead? As mysterious as it is romantic, this 2023 Chinese series was directed by Chu De Jian.

My Lethal Man

How To Kill A CEO

Lee Yeong Joon (Park Seo Joon) is the arrogant hotshot vice president of his family’s company, thanks to the tireless efforts of his incredibly talented secretary, Kim Mi So (Park Min Young). With her by his side for the last nine years, Yeong Joon has been able to appear like the shining star he believes he is. But when Mi So suddenly decides to quit, Yeong Joon quickly realizes just how important she is... and not just to his career. Jealous over his older brother, Lee Seong Yeon’s (Lee Tae Hwan) growing relationship with Mi So, Yeong Joon decides it’s time to get his secretary back, no matter what. Based on the novel of the same name by Jung Kyung Yoon, this 2018 South Korean romantic comedy series was directed by Park Joon Hwa.

What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim

The Perfect Secretaries Team

JTBC

Born from a long line of women gifted with monumental strength, Do Bong Soon (Park Bo Young) is far from ordinary. Only able to use her power for good, Bong Soon agrees to work as a bodyguard for Ahn Min Hyeok (Park Hyung Sik), the recently endangered chaebol heir and CEO of gaming company Ainsoft. With dreams of developing a video game of her own, Bong Soon hopes that by working with Min Hyeok, she’ll find a way to turn her dreams into reality. Meanwhile, her childhood friend, Detective Gook Doo (Ji Soo), is on the hunt for a kidnapper whose path soon crosses with Bong Soon. Using her gifts for the greatest good, will Bong Soon find her life full of everything she’s dreamed of and more? This is a 2017 South Korean romantic comedy series directed by Lee Hyung Min.

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

Small but Mighty Team

Tencent

Jiang Yi Cheng (Xing Zhao Lin), a brilliant programmer previously betrayed by a woman, refuses to hire women at his company. Lu Li (Zhu Xu Dan), an admirer of Yi Cheng’s work, disguises herself as a man to get hired. Maintaining her disguise proves challenging, and when Yi Cheng discovers her identity, Lu Li brokers a deal that opens the door for romance. Directed by Wu Qiang, this is a 2021 Chinese romantic comedy series.

Cute Programmer

⌨️ Ctrl + Love 😍

Years ago, misunderstanding and misfortune drove young lovers Min Hui (Wang Yu Wen) and Xin Qi (Wang Zi Qi) to part on bad terms. In their time apart, Min Hui has become a tech hotshot, while Xin Qi made a name for himself in the business world. When “fate” reunites them at a business event, they begin to talk, and Xin Qi learns that Min Hui has been hiding a very big secret… Will they resolve past mistakes – and maybe rekindle their romance? This 2023 Chinese drama series was based on a novel by Shi Ding Rou and directed by Ding Ying Zhou.

The Love You Give Me

OMG I suddenly have a SON

Mango TV

Though a successful businessman, Song Hao Yu (Xie Bin Bin) is utterly hopeless when it comes to raising his son, Song Xing Chen (Zhang Yan Bo). In desperate need of help, this single father will do almost anything to better his relationship with his son, including proposing a marriage of convenience with Qi Si Le (Zheng Qiu Hong). A single mother in desperate need of a miracle, Si Le agrees to Hao Yu’s proposal, as doing so will provide her with the funds she needs for her daughter’s life-saving operation. Joining their single-parent families, Hao Yu and Si Le have no idea they’ve just started down that path that may ultimately lead them to love. This 2023 Chinese drama series was directed by Li Jie.

Please Be My Family

Welcome to the Family

As a small business owner, Gu Xi Xi (Wang Yu Wen) created a successful life for herself working as a fashion industry shopper who helps brides-to-be find the perfect dress for their big day. Her happy life is soon derailed when fate forces her into a contract wedding with Yin Si Chen (Wang Zi Qi), the cold-hearted CEO of a major company. The pretend “happy couple” spends most of their time hating each other, until Xi Xi’s long-time friend, Mo Zi Xian (Ian Yi), comes back into her life. Si Chen finally starts to realize that she means more to him. Can this ice cold CEO win the heart of his contracted bride? This 2021 Chinese romance series was directed by Li Yao Bo and Chu De Jian.

Once We Get Married

Till Contract do us Part 

Cheng Yao (Zhang Ruo Nan)’s dreams of becoming a top lawyer are about to come true – or so it seems when she is unexpectedly recruited by a leading legal firm. She moves into a new house to be nearer the office… but is soon horrified to discover that her new roommate Qian Heng (Chen Xing Xu) is also her hard-to-please office superior at the office. Heng turns out to be a very prickly “boss,” but Yao is undaunted. Could her efforts be rewarded with success – or even love? This 2024 Chinese drama series drama was based on a novel named “What Comes Around Goes Around” by Ye Fei Ran and was directed by Chen Ming Zhang and Chen Shi Yi.

My Boss

Persistent in Love Team

Youku

When wealthy business group heir Ling Yue (Liu Te) collides with deliveryperson Gu An Xin (Zhao Lu Si), the former ends up in hospital with injuries and amnesia. Terrified, An Xin takes Yue back to her house to care for him. The pair ends up living together, despite their differences – and both start to feel the pull of attraction. But what will happen to their romance when Yue’s memories start to return? This 2021 Chinese romantic comedy drama was based on a novel by Chun Feng Yi Du and directed by Zhong Qing.

Please Feel At Ease Mr. Ling

The Rabbit and Wolf Team

After being dumped by her ex-boyfriend on their six-year anniversary, Miyabi Sayama (Yuuka Sugai) immerses herself into her job on the sales team at a real estate firm. Meanwhile, Tsukasa Donose (Takuya Kusakawa), is a highly successful company CEO, seeks a marriage of convenience to satisfy societal expectations. When he meets Miyabi, he proposes a “business marriage” where she can live rent-free in a luxury apartment, and he can present a “wife" to the world. There’s just one clause: If they develop genuine romantic emotions, they must divorce. However, cupid has other plans, and their arrangement beings to falter as emotions come into play. This 2024 Japanese drama series was based on a manga series of the same name by Kirato Ruka and was directed by Takayoshi Tanazawa.

Business Marriage

 Love for Rent Team

Three years ago, the fun-loving son from a wealthy family, Cha Jin Wook (Sung Hoon) – had a one-night stand with Lee Yoo Mi (Song Ji Eun). At the time, she was a naive young woman who’d never had a boyfriend. Presently, Jin Wook has grown more mature and has reformed his playboy ways. When he’s reunited with Yoo Mi by a twist of fate, he realizes that his feelings for her are deeper than he thought. But has this long-time cad really changed his stripes? And will Yoo Mi ever trust Jin Wook enough to give him the keys to her heart? This 2017 South Korean drama was produced by Kang Chul Woo.

My Secret Romance

Determined to land a front-page story, reporter Zheng Shu Yi (Bai Lu) does everything she can to score an interview with the country’s most talked about CEO, Shi Yan (Dylan Wang). With plans to invest in several promising startups, Shi Yan agrees to an interview with Shu Yi, but only if she writes about the local startups that have so far gone without notice. Meeting time and time again, the working relationship between Shu Yi and Shi Yan grows into something more. Could this spark between them be the first bloom of love? Directed by Guo Hu, this is a 2023 Chinese romantic drama series.

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