Secret (2013)

One of the best melodrama I've ever seen and also one of the best dramas period. To be honest when I first started watching it, I dropped it at the first episode because it bored me, but then I tried it again after reading the reviews and right then and there I was hooked. I pretty much finished in 2 days and didnt even skip a second of it. Everything about this drama is perfect, from the cast to the acting, to the story, the romance and the chemistry between the leads were incredible Hwang jung eum's acting was on a different level. I actually cried every time she cried. (lots of crying in this one) That was how convincing she was. Ji sung was amazing too but I feel like his talent is showing more on KMHM. In the end of it all, this drama broke me into little tiny pieces but I will never regret watching it and re-watching it over and over again.

Citeste mai mult

Oh my this ONE abused the sht out of my heart!

The acting was amazing. There was so much crying, but each one never lost its value.

It was a btch to get through since most the story was so sad, but I suggest you don't watch it in such a narrow minded view. Put yourself in each characters point of view and try to understand each one because for me that's what made it bearable.

I finished the series in 2 days because I felt so bad for KYJ and I was just eagerly just waiting for her to do her quirky adorable laugh. I really hate sad dramas, but I got a much greater "feel good moment" effect from the little bits and pieces of happiness in this drama then a drama dedicated completely for "feel good moments".

I fell in love with the main couple. Look at my list I usually drop as soon as the main couple gets together but on this one I kept going because I actually wanted them to get closer and closer. To me their love was believable and on episode 15 their was a moment I even cried out of jealously because it is the kind of pure love I truly want.( you will understand when you get there)

What I also liked about this was the deaths weren't just some random conveniently timed events. Each one had a purpose and were connected. We didn't the moments where a character finds something out, and right then they die that usually happens from a out of the blue car accident.. Like that sht makes me go CRAZY!

Re watch value of me was low because I don't think my heart can handle it lol.

Citeste mai mult

An inverse function... Consider the journey the reward. Truly captivating.

Two core components of KDrama characterize the recipe of "Secret": Firstly, the rich and powerful can obviously get away with anything. Secondly, a secret not only changes those who know about it, but eventually comes to light. Yet the brilliant mixture of this pastry makes the difference: the fatal initial constellation of the relationship dynamics is so cleverly shifted, twisted and tricky in several emotional loopings that the emotional world is completely turned upside down - an inverse function...

For quite some time I avoided this KDrama, because (from the description) I thought I already knew how the story was going to go. ...Quite familiar, already seen many times... However, at some point I just wanted to have a glimpse (probably because of Ji Sung). What a surprise: it was truly captivating...

Moments of foreboding and predictability, yes, there are. But believe me, that doesn't stop you from wanting to see HOW things in their complicated entanglement can still turn out for the best. On the contrary, you CAN´T WAIT to experience that! The destination may be known, however, consider the journey the reward.

Citeste mai mult

Your time is precious? Roger. Then let this drama fullfil it's value.

1- If you're the skipper type who skips scenes. Then believe me, in this drama you won't dare to.

2- If you're the 'I-dont-miss-any-second-of-drama' type then this one will make you replay each scene twice.

One word describtion for it, Brilliant.

Story: '10' wow! It blow's off the mind and it teaches you a lot about the real world.

Acting skills: '10' they make every scene so real.

Music: '10' each song suits the scene it's on for and the music with the amazing lyrics deepen's the feeling you have.

Romance: '10' think you know what's prefect chemistry is? You thought wrong. Because unless you watch this one. Then you know nothing about chemistry.

Speed: '10' nothing was rushed, and nothing was slow. Every piece of lego was placed in the right place.

Overall: '10+' why? Because the hidden secret behind the title is "This Is Perfection". Made up for all the dramas I spent watching forecfully in 2013.

a one ending sentence: A-Must-Watch!!!!!

Citeste mai mult

You know this feeling you get when a drama you loved to pieces ends and you're left overwhelmed with happiness because it had everything you ever wanted, yet a part of you feels empty because it seems as if no other drama could ever compare? Well, that's the way I feel right now after finishing Secret Love.

STORY: There's no point denying it, I'm more of a romantic comedy kind of girl. Mainly because melodramas are often black and white and revolve about people crying about everything and anything instead of actually doing something about it and the end isn't always worth all this pain. That's why I think Secret Love is so perfect: you can either see it as a sad -okay tragic- romantic comedy or a hilarious melodrama. You just get the best of both genres. The writing plays obviously a big role in it. The characters are layered and feel authentic so you can't help but being drawn to them, drawn to the story itself.
Bonus point, it definitely makes you want to read Wuthering Heights and anyone that promotes -good- literature has my approval.

ACTING/CAST: The cornerstone of a drama is its two main leads. They need to be good actors since they carry the show and to have chemistry together. The one behind Secret Love's casting couldn't have done a better job. I don't see anyobdy who could have played MinHyuk better than JiSung did, showing both his tenderly sulky side and his ruthless side. It's his acting that makes MH's character so lovable. HwangJungEum -oh HJE- it's the first drama I see her in and I hope it's not the last. I don't know how to put it into words, her character would usually be one that annoys me to no end but from the start I just really cared about her. When she cried -and man does she cry- it doesn't annoy you, it just breaks your heart and when she smiles, it's just like "yes, yes do get some happiness for once girl, you deserve it!". Don't even get me started on the chemistry between these two. Just their first scene together screamed OTP. Let's not forget BaeSuBin who did an amazing job as AhnDoHoon. He is just as perfect at playing nice guys as he is at playing scheming ones. I love the actor but man did I want to punch ADH in the face more than just once. I think I could rant on every single actor that starred in this drama so I'm gonna stop with the main three. I'm just going to add that with IHYV and now Secret Love LeeDaHee keeps growing more and more on me and I hope to see her play in more dramas.

MUSIC: The soundtrack of the drama may be its weakest point. Don't get me wrong I love it but the track Secret Love (why autotune WHY) doesn't really match the mood and the lyrics of Ailee's song (well the English verse really) sounds a bit cheap. I have both these songs and the rest of the soundtrack on my phone but yeah you have to call a spade a spade. Also since JiSung sang for the soundtrack -which I defintely won't complain about- I would have liked to also have a track sang by HJE -I mean she was a SINGER before turning actress- or even better both of them doing a duet. Oh well maybe I'm just being too greedy.

REWATCH VALUE: Like I said earlier the characters are layered and the writing isn't just one hot mess. The acting is great and the soundtrack just fits. Also I utterly loved the ending. So yeah I could definitely watch it over and over.

OVERALL: A well-written story, so well-written that I'm actually keeping an eye on ChoiHoChul (I mean if his first screenplay was THAT good, can you imagine the ones that will follow!?). It doesn't matter if you are more drawn to melodramas or romantic comedies. The bottom line is there's a high chance for you to love it.

Citeste mai mult

I love this drama so much!

Story: It's similar to another drama, but I won't tell what the name of that drama is because you either know already & seen it or not seen it or have heard of it but want to watch that drama too. But I can tell you it's a little more darker & the writers make the plot their own later down the line. The plot was entertaining from beginning to end!

Acting/Cast: Ji Sung was awesome in this drama! Hwang Jung Eum was amazing as well. I didn't watch a lot of their dramas, but I was so surprised by their acting here. They have amazing chemistry! Bae Soo Bin was amazing in his role as the villian! I hated his character more here than in 49 Days(I won't spoil his character for you if you want to watch that drama yourself). I love the side characters(the main guy's secretary(guy) & the main girl's friends) so much!

Music: It was very beautiful especially "Tears Stole my Heart" by Alee & "Incurable Disease" by Navi ft. Kabee.

Rewatch value: I won't watch this often becuase I cried so much in this drama. But I would we watch this for the side characters & the character development from each character

Overall I give this a ten because this was a lovely drama.

It's for people who love melodrama, romance, comedy(believe me, there are some there) & love character development(there is a lot). It also for people who are fans of the main actors/actress(Ji Sung, Hwang Jung Eum, Bae Soo Bin & Lee Da Hee or other actors/actress).

Citeste mai mult

I hate melodramas, and at first I only watched this for Ji Sung. I eventually became addicted. Bad things happen in this show, yes, but they work for the plot. I never got bored, although sometimes I was frustrated by the characters.

I was really confused by the reviewer who said the two leads didn't have chemistry. The scenes between them were hot! My love for Ji Sung has only gotten stronger. I know he's married, but let's be realistic, we were probably never going to hook up even if he was single. Okay, I've gotten off topic...



The music was great and the story was solid. One thing I loved was the little touched of comedy. I probably won't rewatch the jail episodes, but I'll revisit this series at some point. I found the first few episodes a little slow and Min Hyuk a little hard to deal with at first, which is why this doesn't get a perfect score.

Citeste mai mult

I just finished writing another review where I wrote that there aren't many kdramas with strong female characters. Now I seem like a liar because this drama is yet another example of a kdrama with a strong female character. The character in this drama goes through so much yet she is never weak or defeated. The thing I love the most is she isn't dumb. She catches on to things and even though the things she finds out are heartbreaking and I am sure they are things she wishes didn't happen yet she doesn't let her emotions cloud her judgment. She stands up for herself and she doesn't let herself be a victim instead she owns up to her mistakes and she takes responsibility for them. She doesn't want people to see her as helpless yet she isn't afraid to ask for help even from someone she hates. Why? Because she has a goal and will do whatever it takes to reach that goal. I could continue my lovefest for this character but I will move on. Don't get me wrong though she isn't perfect and I didn't want to watch a drama with a sacrificing woman but the way the story develops and the characters grow make it worth it.The character development for all of these characters was great. No one ever changes so much that you are left wondering what happened. Everything is a process and a well done process at that. The actors were great and every week I was left waiting for the next week to come. Before the last episodes the writer of this drama said that the ending would be something totally unexpected and trust me it really was. I was always on here commenting after every episode and not one of us predicted that ending. Best kdrama of the year, sorry Master's Sun.

Citeste mai mult

Omg. This Drama was so DAEBAK!! I don't even know where to begin!

ACTING/CAST: I felt as though I could relate with each and every actor/actress. No matter what role these people had, they were able to convince me that they were in fact, that character. This drama will make you emotional. There will be times where you WANT to flip tables, cry, d'awh, etc.

STORY: I made the mistake of starting this drama while it was airing. The cliff hanges after every episode made me want to rip my hair out, literally. I wanted to know what was next!! GAH! I basically marathoned like the first 8 episodes in one day. OTL Anyway, the storyline will most definitely keep you interested. If you enjoyed Innocent Man with Song Joongki x Moon Chaewon, get ready to fall in love with Ji Sung and Hwang Jung Eum.

MUSIC: The music was beautiful. I felt like crying at some parts. Sorry, I'm such a softie. Derp. /) ~ (\

REWATCH VALUE: If you need a buddy to cry, punch walls, flip tables with, etc while watching this drama, I'm your girl. Hit me up. It's THAT good. ;D

OVERALL: WATCH IT NOW WOMAN/MAN/WHOEVER YOU ARE. I promise you will NOT regret it. If you hate it, I'll take full responsibility. (okay, maybe not FULL, but srsly go watch it now. :DD)

Citeste mai mult

Hey guys..Instead of writing this review i should be either sleeping or studying but i couldn't hold myself 'cause this drama was so OUTSTANDING !!!

First of all, the cast was a total success since I'm a huge fan of Ji sung and hated as much as hell Bae so bin after watching brilliant legagy..Of course I can't forget Hwang Jung Eum ..The chemistry between Ji sun and jung eum was great but the love story that started with revenge was even more pleasant to watch..How that hatred turned into love just by watching each other and getting to know the other party is my favourite ..

More then that the ost was incredible I really liked ' incurable disease - navi ' and ' tears stole the heart - ailee '..It was choosen carefully and fitted the scenes..

I also liked this drama because there isn't to much of the scary step-mother scenes that i hate the most plus the step-mother liked min hyuk and didn't bother Yoo jung alot..well it's a change from the other dramas that i've watched ..

I'll definetly rewatch it and enjoy it as if i was watching it for the first time..This drama is for sure going to be one of my favourite top 3

Citeste mai mult

At first I wasn't sure about this drama. I'm not a fan of melodramas and reading the plot itself didn't really make me want to watch it either. But I took a chance with this drama and I feel no regrets. Secret is AMAZING! It has an amazing story, cast, drama, and music. The perfect combination for a great drama. It's quite addictive and I found myself going crazy waiting each week for two more episodes. Every week the episodes continued to get better and better.

Secret is not your typical drama. It's very dark sometimes and these characters are dark as well too. None of these characters are perfect and have battles to face with some of the decisions they decide to make. So if your expecting a drama with a whole bunch of cutsy mushy romance then this might not be for you. Not saying there isn't any romance at all. The main couple has a great chemistry that will make you swoon.

I also loved the questions that this drama posed. Is it okay to sacrifice yourself for the one you love? Is love more important than family? How far should you go for love? Should you sacrifice your own happiness for someone else? And by the end of the drama I think each of these questions were answered very well. Which makes me love the drama ten times more.

The cast is amazing. I remember seeing Ji Sung on Protect The Boss as the goofy and immature rich son but to see him portray Min Hyuk was amazing. Ji Sung is great and now has made his way into my top actors list. I think he brought this character to life and had an amazing chemistry with Hwang Jung Eum. I didn't know what to expect from her thinking about the role she played in Full House Take 2 but she's really a great actress and knows exactly how to pull emotions from her viewers. They weren't the only great ones in the drama either. Bae Soo Bin and Lee Da Hee were too. Bae Soo Bin takes on the role as Ahn Do Hoon who has spiraled out of control and really becomes the definition of someone who isn't human anymore. He really does a great job! I can't wait to see more from each of these people.

The cast is amazing but I think one of the greatest things about this show is the development of each character. They might have not become a better person but each character developed into someone different from who they are. Each character changed and it was amazing to watch.

No, this drama isn't perfect. I do think the last episode was a tad bit rushed but this drama was so good that I thought it very much deserved a 10. But taking my personal satisfaction aside I gave it a 9 on here because I wanted to be honest. But taking some of those little problems away it's still very much a great drama.

I never pay much attention to OSTs but this one is really good and I ended up downloading the music as well. It always went perfect with every scene and found myself singing along.

This drama took me on a roller coaster ride and I loved every minute of it. It's very addictive and the perfect drama to marathon. As you you can see I said amazing a least five times so it must be amazing. So if you're looking for something like this then this is the perfect drama for you.

Citeste mai mult

Let's face it, we know what we expected, another melodrama with unrealistic scenes, bad dialogues and horrible end. However, this drama was slightly different.

To be honest, I was planning to drop this drama after the first episode because I really wasn't in the mood for a tragical drama. Then, I gave it another chance and I am glad that I did it. With each episode, the drama got better and better and I was almost biting my fingers when I had to wait for the next episode. This drama is addictive for sure. I usually can predict almost every situation in drama and I really appreciate when the drama is unpredictable and it is still surprising and shocking for me to watch and this drama obeyed my needs.

So why didn't I rate this drama as "outstanding"? That is easy. I didn't like the last 3 or 4 episodes. Those episodes were, well, not really good, in my opinion. But I sort of like the ending, even though it wasn't really a dreamed ending.

Another requirement for a good drama is the music and here, the music was outstanding! If you love OSTs as much as I do, you will love the music, both - the instrumental and vocal.

The cast was great as well. Frankly, I started to watch this drama just because of Ji Sung and he didn't disappoint me and I found few actors, who were new faces for me and I am planning to watch something with them afterwards.

So to sum up, if you are looking for a real DRAMA, this series is just the right one for you! Great music, great acting and addictive plot.

Citeste mai mult