Refresh Man Episode 1 Recap and First Impression

Drama: Refresh Man (Taiwanese, ????????)
Episodes: 20
Airs: Sundays

Episode 1 Recap By Ninja
As the senior secretary of MUSE Cosmetic, our heroine Zhong Yu Tong fully expected today be the day she is made the head secretary to the new incoming CEO and finally reach the pinnacle of her career...that is until she suddenly gets a shocking text that the president of the company has gone missing and might very well be dead. 

Swallowing the panic that threatens to overwhelm her, Yu Tong quickly give out a series of orders to make sure an important contract signing meeting doesn't get interrupted. To make things even worse, the media somehow got wind of President Chin's disappearance and has flocked to the company. Sweating as all attention turns on her to explain the recent rumor of President Chin's possible death, Yu Tong is saved at the very last possible second when President Chin suddenly shows up. 
Greatly relieved to see President Chin alive and well, Yu Tang pats herself on the back for avoiding a crisis. Her attention caught by sounds of clapping, Yu Tang turns around to find a familiar looking man walking towards her. Recognition dawns as the sharp looking stranger matches up to a long distance memory of an all too familiar trouble maker, Yu Tang yells out "King of Zeros! Ji Wen Kai!" and greets Wen Kai happily. King of Zeros refers to Wen Kai's track record of getting a big fat zero on all his tests. 

Still stuck in her past memory of Wen Kai as the guy who is always the last in their class, Yu Tang quickly assumes Wen Kai is there to interview as a company guard...

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Until President Chin introduces Wen Kai as THE new CEO. 
Eager to reminisce the "good old days" with Yu Tang, as the new CEO, Wen Kai remembers EVERY shame he suffered under the hand of the then model student Yu Tang 10 years ago. Dismayed as Wen Kai recites familiar phases such as "You are the solider and I am the commander so you have to listen to me" or "Do I have the right now? (this one refers to Yu Tang's declaration to their teacher that a trouble maker such as Wen Kai wouldn't have the right to be her friend)", it doesn't take much for Yu Tang to guess that Wen Kai is determined to get some pay back. 

Cheering herself on that she can be the perfect secretary so Wen Kai would have no reason to pick on her at all, Yu Tang's professional confidence soon takes a huge hit when Wen Kai brings in the truly impeccable secretary, Elsa. 

Awed by Elsa's superb secretarial ability, Yu Tang can't help but start to wonder if her dream of becoming the head secretary is about to fly away. 

Rushing to the office the next morning after a night of drinking with her best friend to comfort her wounded pride, Yu Tang is severely offended when she shows up to find Wen Kai and Elsa had worked through the night to finalize an emergency contract with a client. 
Angry that she had been purposefully left out of an important work meeting, Yu Tang confronts Wen Kai and Elsa for not contacting her. Shaking her head in disbelief when Elsa explains "We did call you. The first time we left a message with your friend to call us back and when your call never came we called again but by then your phone was turned off." Yu Tang's heart sinks as her call log confirms Elsa's words. 

Hanging her head in embarrassment as Wen Kai asks "I really wonder who has been doing your job for you? What should your punishment be?" Yu Tang casts a quick glance at Elsa then dejectedly replies "You don't need me anyway. I can just resign." 

Sneering at Yu Tang's suggestion of resignation, Wen Kai shows her the contract she signed with MUSE Cosmetic that promised she would work for at least three more years in exchange for the paid training she did overseas. Smiling, Wen Kai informs Yu Tang that unless she is willing to pay the exorbitant amount of money to break the contract then he all but owns her for the next three years. 

Already horrified when Wen Kai declares that Elsa will become the head secretary immediately, Yu Tang's yelps in shock when Wen Kai then reassigns her to the legendary "Sales, Department Three". 

Arriving at the department where "all talents goes to die", Yu Tang immediately gets a round of applause from her zombie like co-workers for changing a long burnt out light bulb. Feeling every ounce of her professional future being sucked away as she looks at her depressing surrounding, Yu Tang can't help but wonder if she will soon get assimilated by her hopeless co-workers. 
With a secret grandiose plan in mind, Wen Kai shows up at Department Three and announces to everyone there that their good old days of just doing nothing has come to an end. Giving Yu Tang a pointed look, Wen Kai warns that he is going to be watching Department Three closely...very very closely. 

Ninja's First Impression
Hmm... not bad, not bad at all. The premise of Refresh Man is not quite as intriguing as Bromance but I guess not every show can have Megan Lai dressed up as a boy. 

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 So far, I am really liking the two leads' chemistry with one another. While it does seem a bit strange that a guy would harbor a 10 year grudge, I guess all things can be forgiven if the guy looks like Aaron Yan AND he is only holding on the grudge because he has a crush on you. 

By the way, the one part of the story I found kinda unbelievable was how perfect the secretary is supposed to be in this show. Heavens, with secretaries like Elsa around who really needs executives? The girl can speak multiple languages and pretty much sign contracts on her own!  

Anyhow, a bit too early to declare this one a winner yet but episode one was certainly a promising start and I am eager to see how the next episode will go. 

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