I think what perfectly sums this show up is that the Hye-won's husband, Joon Hyeong isn't even upset at the affair - as he has no real affection for her (and vice versa) - only when the relationship no longer benefits him is when the Husband takes action. This is a world of selfish people - "foxes" as Chairman Seo puts it. The only purity in this world is Sun Jae's passion for music and his friends.

Ahn Pan Seok has a certain way with his dramas. The themes may not always be the exact same but the atompshere and auras are instantly recognisable. There is a lot of secret, underwordly dealings regarding corruption and extortion. It's a battle for control. So when you have the young, pure hearted Sun Jae who just wants to play piano and be with Hye-won, there is a wide contrast. And that's what makes this such a good drama. The story is so compelling with its characters, how they react to each other and the constant changing in surroundings. Despite the age and class gap between our leads, there is undeniable chemistry between the two. Whether it's on the computer chatting under aliases or when playing music, especially when playing music, in fact. You are rooting for them from their first meeting. And while Sun Jae is also in a very ambigious relationship with his friend/girlfriend Da Mi, you can only root for Sun Jae's quest for Hye-won's heart. Although it's hard to tell who is the most passionately driven in the relationship. It's unbowing. Perhaps Hye-won's actions for the ending prove that she was indeed the most in love.

Yoo Ah In is the best actor that can get so much out of hardly any expressions. In the series, he comes off as so shy and withdrawn and yet we can feel his drive and love. Kim Hee Ae is tremendous as the classy, elite director. She is bold and calculating but under tempation, we see a whole other world of emotions. The chemistry between the two is quite high up for K-Drama couples as far as I'm concerned. It's quite amazing that they were able to take in their age gap and make that even better for their chemistry. Yoo Ah In's character calls Kim Hee Ae's character a goddess numerous times due to her age and it totally works and perfectly sums up their relationship. The younger character is so humble and naive that he would consider the older character like that. Just little things like this makes Secret Love Affair a wonderfully crafted drama.

Plus this has the best use of music than any other musically themed drama I've seen. It brings to life the very meaning behind music. The music and the performances of Sun Jae perfectly tell us what he's feeling without words. That is music. Come for the great cast and acting but stay for the music.