My Secret Romance (2017) User Reviews

A fun romance until they killed it with flashbacks...

[armalis · 7/10 · 15 May 2020]

It may be a cultural, but after watching a few of these comedies there are always flashback, snow, and someone ends up sick.

This is a fun series that makes me shudder as a Canadian. I kept thinking: "Harassment lawsuit." However, maybe they do not have those in South Korea?

I am also confused by some character actions. Once again, this is likely cultural.

I would have given this show 9 Stars - maybe even 10 - until the last 4 episodes. That's when the flashbacks started. Thankfully, Netflix has the skip button. Please, STOP with excessive flashbacks. They slow down the story and serve no purpose.

Casting is superb. Acting is excellent. I love all the actors, from the minor roles to the leads.

Cinematography: 10 Stars; Plot: 7 Stars; Casting: 10 Stars; Entertaining: 7 Stars; Watch again? No.

Fairly Typical Romantic K-Drama

[spasek · 7/10 · 16 April 2021]

As far as romantic K-dramas are concerned, this one is pretty typical and predictable. Frankly, I prefer romantic K-dramas that think more outside of the box. Such series like "Lovestruck in the City," "Because This Is My First Life," to infinitely far superior series like "It's Okay to Not Be Okay" or "Crash Landing on You" are far more preferable.

Still, the series works, for the most part, despite the significant drop-off in the last three or four episodes that had me waiting for the series to just finally end with the repetitive cliched formulas. I mean, how many times can a girl run away and have the guy chase after her? Once, okay. Twice, and you're pushing it. More than that, and it because tedious and completely overused. Such plot devices show a lack of creativity on the writers' part.

We also have the typical, "only a rich man can save a woman." It's sad that this is such a misused and overused plot device that must seriously mirror the cultural norms of Asian countries. How sad that nothing can be further from the truth.

So, we have the spoiled, rich son of corporate tycoon who is conceited and only interested in his own pleasures. However, Jin-Wook might be said to have grown and matured the most by the end of the series. He is also not afraid to step out of his father's shadow and go against the norm. He will also speak his own mind.

Then, we have the relatively shy, immature, and very insecure Yumi who sees herself as a victim of what everything thinks about her and her mother (who happens to be a former adult film actress). Yumi has no idea how to take life by the reins and not care about what everyone thinks. She blames everyone else for her problems, which also tends to make her quite the coward. She fabricates stories and excuses to hide her insecurity as well as the shame she feels regarding her mother. And when things blow up (as you know they will in K-dramas like this one!), she again blames everyone else for the messes that she, herself, creates. In short, she is incapable of taking any kind of responsibility for herself and her actions. And somehow, she no longer needs glasses after the second or third episode!

Of course, we also have the friends (one man and one woman) who each also have feelings for our two protaganists. After all, it wouldn't be a standard K-drama without at least one. One is a spoiled newscaster who thinks the world revolves around her. The other is a quiet, shy young man, who is much like Yumi herself. He failed to help her as a classmate, and now he sits in the shadows with anger and jealousy for his own ineptitude.

Despite all of these things, the show still works. Perhaps it's because of the obvious chemistry between the two leads. For the first nine or ten episodes, I was also hopeful that this wouldn't end up being a typical K-drama, as I found himself quite vested in the story, which started to crumble in the last few episodes and became very typical.

Frankly, I'll keep seeking out series like the ones I mentioned above; those writers who are capable of writing something new, different, and something that pushes the envelope. I find those types of show far more enjoyable!

My first drama...

[andreachintemi · 7/10 · 10 February 2019]

I watched this almost 2 years ago and was my first drama ever, and since then I couldn't leave kdramas! I watched not so long ago and I liked still, obviously I have changed a lot since then and I watched better dramas but still is heartwarming, and funny and lovely. Is not a must watch but is a must...

Dimestore Harlequin Novel On 📺 °VG° Lite-Snack Romcom

[50fiftillidideeBrain · 7/10 · 11 June 2021]

This is not an instant classic. Nor will it be studied in a film class. It is a classic, somewhat cheesy, romance without any major flaws. Classic, here, means it's akin to those cheap paperback novels that were written by the grosses a few decades ago, the biggest publisher being Harlequin. My sister would read them by the bagfuls.

Yumi is a girl who is trying to live a better life than her narcissistic ex-adult film star mother. She was teased relentlessly in school over her parentage, so she doesn't want to be equated with her mother anymore. Enough already. She needs distance. She wants to be a *whole world* away from her & her mother's pasts. To draw a solid line between her and Oma, Yumi keeps herself buttoned up and tries to stumble her way through life in the background.

She embarks on a weekend trip for mom's second (Wait. It was the 3rd, maybe?) marriage. For Yumi, the weekend is one fiasco followed by another, culminating in a one night stand. In a convertible. On the beach. With a dude so good looking, he's almost too pretty. None of this makes Yumi feel better about it. She's disgusted with herself. She doesn't even know his name! (But HER mother wouldn't be so ashamed). She wakes first in the morning, slinking off with some of dude's clothing, leaving him exposed to the elements... and gawkers- quite a crowd, actually. All ages. They loved the show. He received loads of fanfare, too.

Yumi, next, slinks back home to focus on putting her life in order. She graduates with a dietary sciences/nutrition degree and is thrilled to land a job at a large corporation that offers great benefits. She's thrilled /until/ she runs into HIM. She has to figure out how to best slice and dice this situation pronto.

That sets the table. You'll have to watch it to see what's on the menu.

MSR is not devoid of quality elements. "No matter how many bad things happen in a day, if one lucky thing happens, it's a lucky day," says Yum-i, while buddy-chugging wine from the bottle, in a convertible, surfside, under the magically lit sky. 🌊➕🍾➕🌌🔜💓⏩💣⏩🚀. 15 min later they have a 1 night stand.

🕛Timeout: That's never a good idea. It's an unacceptable risk to one's physical and emotional health, and one will win the lottery before it leads to committed love. That's one reason it's a fun thing to watch and wonder, and then walk away🕧

This is a show to which lovers of romance, who need a mental vacation, can relax and enjoy some healthy snacks. Their little chess game, misunderstandings, series of non-communications, and many memorable meals, will make loveaholics smile. Cha Jin-hook (Played by the otherworldly gorgeous Sung Hoon) tells his father, who is pushing for his marriage: "My wife is right here," metaphorically meaning the business. However, his wife is literally #there, in the building. Nice morsel. I suspect that Yumi's name is a play on the English word "Yummy" - also a clever detail.

There are scattered problems: Some minor, some moderate, but they don't bring on indigestion. MSR is what it was designed to be, as a whole - simple escapism. However, it could be improved on. Starting in Ep11, there were too toooooo 2*2*2 many sappy flashback scenes, with sappy background music. They could have made it an episode shorter, or, better yet, make optimal use of that screen time with more content. Do yourself a favor, and FF thru them. When Yumi is singing Karaoke, be warned: They do the #whole song with flashbacks. Then Mr. Cha goes down memory lane. It gets ridiculous, but some quick remote control work takes care of it. Trust me on this one.

The actors are likable, and they did a great job. The secondary romances are brief pleasures. It's easy to root for them. The CEO's aid wears over-the-top-flowered-polka dot-paisley-anything-suits. He's amazing, and wears them proudly. He's one for the highlight reels.

This is a good enough aperitif between heavier shows. If you are at a loss as to what to watch next, but in the mood for a heroine-exits-cocoon style romance, this will do as nicely as an afternoon tea.

IMHO... 🎬7 🎭7.4 💓8 🦋7 🤔6 🎨7.6 😅6.6 🌞7.7 🔚8.

I'm suggesting Age 16+ My reasoning: Her mom is an ex-porn star, which has been a lifetime vexation for Yumi. Also, they have a one-night-stand when they hardly know each other. There's so many other great Kdramas to watch, so there's no rush for teens to see this one.

🐮

Great!

[ottemis · 9/10 · 26 December 2019]

Aww I am firmly in love with this drama and male lead Sung Hoon. Be still my beating heart!

From a one night stand that shook them to the core to finding each-other again, resolving misunderstandings and dispelling fears to a happily ever after that was super sweet. Yeap. Here for it.

Can we get the female lead to be a bit more into the kissing though, pretty please. A little bit too passive!

Not bad

[tay-sedai · 7/10 · 11 May 2020]

I quite enjoyed this drama, although I don't think I'd class it as one of my favourites. I liked that it was a little more "modern day" and progressive than other Korean shows, in terms of the way in which the heroine and hero originally met. It made me laugh, but also melted my heart at times.

It was more light and fluffy than many Korean dramas I've watched, in that there was no dark, dangerous secrets to be uncovered or any of that. Each of the main characters had their own personal struggles, but overall it was a light and fluffy story. If you're looking for something light, sweet, and funny, then I'd recommend this one.

Fun and more adult Kdrama.

[daisymae29 · 10/10 · 19 November 2018]

I really enjoyed this show. It has a more adult type scenarios than most kdramas, but nothing explicit. I enjoyed the chemistry, the sweetness, and the twist of fate plot. It's not perfect, but it is fun. So give it a chance.

Funny & Sex Worker Positive But That Budget Was Tighter Than Jack's Frozen Grip On Rose's Hand

[elvirammomo · 7/10 · 13 May 2021]

Y'all couldn't spare some of that cooking ingredients budget on some new mics or a new sound engineer?? I could barely hear what the actors were saying! I'm thinking most of the clearly small budget went to buying ingredients for the heroine to cook. Nevertheless it was still very funny and brought some new twists to the 'irresponsible parent that won't grow up' trope. The heroine's mom is a sex worker in the adult film industry and she's very proud of her work but the heroine isn't at all. I thought they'd shame her mom for it the whole time, but I liked how they presented a different story. I really enjoyed about 3/4 of the show, but it gets a little repetitive towards the end. Still recommend! Lol.

Straight forward romantic comedy

[leahcubed · 9/10 · 22 January 2020]

Cha Jin-wook (Sung Hoon) and Yoo-mi (Song Ji-Eun) meet and have a one night stand. Yoo-mi wakes up and disappears leaving Jin-wook preplexed as to why she didn't stay after what he considered a life changing encounter. Three years later Yoo-mi shows up as a nutritionist at the company Jin-wook's father owns. She pretends not to know him out of embarrasment of having a one night stand. Jin-Wook is determined to win over this woman he has never forgotten. He is not the only contendor for Yoo-mi's heart though. And Jin-wook also has a woman his father has identified as his perfect match. Can Jin-wook convince Yoo-mi they belong together? Will he be able to overcome his father's expectations as heir to a company? I thouroughly enjoyed this series. The chemistry between the leads was over the top. I could see how the situation would have evolved. It was predictable, but in a good way. I recommend this to anyone that enyoys a straight up romantic comedy.

Too long for content

[geewhiz46 · 6/10 · 21 September 2022]

This was a nice enough romance - a guy and a girl have a one-night stand and then she disappears for three years. They meet again when she gets a job at his company and his interest in her revives. The two leads had good chemistry and the acting was ok. The problem with it was that it took too long to get going and then the constant wide-eyed surprise of the heroine got somewhat tedious - not to mention the hiccups which have been done several times before.

The scene in the beginning in the car on the beach - I have to ask - do Korean productions employ make-up artists? The FL's lipstick was ludicrous - No lipstick on the cupid's bow and just a smear on the inside of the bottom lip - Is this a fashion in Korea?

The beach scene was pretty risqué for a Kdrama.

I found it odd that a bunch of women would approach a parked car on the beach - nobody approaches what is obviously a private space that very likely is being used by a courting couple. No explanation as to why she took his clothes as well as her own.

There are the requisite rivals for this couple - the female is particularly dislikeable - the ML said he wished she would grow up - she should have been locked up with that attitude. There are the usual wrong assumptions and misunderstandings that drive the plot along. I have to mention the kissing scene at the swimming pool - this guy - Sung Hoon - is one of the best kissers I have ever seen - it is worth watching just for him.

For me the worst bit was when we are near the end and there is yet another delay in their final getting together - it was beyond irritating.

Ten episodes would have been plenty for this story.

Feeling

[lozaboshbosh · 10/10 · 27 April 2020]

I loved it so much i stayed whole night to watchit in a row i couldn't leave it cause ifelt it is really so interesting i adored the characters looks and they made perfect match I loved the kisses its so natural and the feelings are true I know that this k drama is romanticism and fantasy but i really liked it and i wish i will live in a love story once

Different than other Kdramas. Loving the kissing scenes

[baschimapanem · 6/10 · 11 February 2021]

From the beginning on I was hooked. It differs in a relaxing way from all the other k-dramas I watched. (Even if I just got started I noticed that some scenes and plots and characteristics are typical for k-drama) This one was a bit different. More kissing, the one-night stand and the mother being an adult actress. It wasn't that innocent. I loooved the kisses. But at the end, saying the last two episodes, I had to skip nearly half of every episode. Maybe because I watched the whole series in 4 days and could remember all the intimacy and the scenes of them being together I got bored by watching those scenes over and over again in their memories. And there wasn't a lot of story in the last two episodes. It was all flashback and being sad about not having each other. But all in all I really enjoyed how the plot evolved and it was a heartwarming and easy-to-watch romantic series.

I don't mind a few chlichés...

[ninchenbienchen · 4/10 · 7 May 2020]

...but this series included every single one known by the books.

The beginning was alright, quite funny actually. But the last few episodes were so predictable and full of clichés. It was as if someone watched thousands of romantic dramas and used all of their cliché scenes for this one. I was pretty much numb to everything happening on screen at that point because I was so disappointed.

And don't even get me started on the bonus episode. That was the most needless bonus episode I've ever seen. It pretty much repeated the storyline of the whole show in this one episode.

But since I still made it to the end and I actually loved two characters very very much (Yumi's best friend Hyeontae and Mr. Jang, Jinwook's secretary) I leave 4 stars.

I definitely won't rewatch though.

I'm going to follow my heart

[alaningle7 · 7/10 · 17 January 2021]

An arrogant company heir has a one night stand and three years later she comes to work at his company as a nutritionist. At first things are uncomfortable but are both parties hiding the fact it meant something more ? An enjoyable well acted drama although not much depth is given to any of the characters.

Sweet and romantic

[romawidewi · 10/10 · 16 January 2019]

Enjoyed this kdrama. Adult scene but very sweet. Sung Hoon and Ji Eun chemistry very good. love it

This kind of shows must end

[Arianrhod_B · 14 May 2022]

After watching one of the best Korean TV shows "Coffee Prince" from 2007, I wanted to discover more Korean series like this with a lot of enthusiasm. Apart from some good ones like "Our beloved summer", the rest was all disappointing to the bone. There's too many wrongs in how they treat and portray women in the series to a point of them being bullied, mobbed by the main lead, being grabbed by the arm as he pleases, getting too close with no boundaries that I can't let go off my dislike and ignore these absolutely incorrect, toxic behaviour.

Coming back to this series, there's two leads who happen to have a one night stand (which is surprising for a Korean series as even normal couples are represented as very shy when it comes to intercourse and they start acting childish) and meet up several years later. The problem starts right in the beginning; the female character presented in the first episode changes dramatically when she starts her job. She is no longer this strong and affirmative woman anymore; rather she is extremely easy-going, acting as a people-pleaser, apologetic for no reason and easy to bend. Of course the male character is super rich and happens to be the son of the chairman of the company. He takes pleasure in bullying her, grabbing her by the arm and basically treats her like a dog on a lead by making her follow him here and there.

For the young women who are watching this: this behaviour is not okay. Do not think this is love or respect of any kind. If a man in power at work tries to bully you around or tries to get too close without respecting your boundaries, talk to a supervisor. Also in romantic relationships, no one should be treated like this, neither men nor women.

Lastly, there is no story at all, no character development as a result of some lazy irrelevant flashbacks and the scenes of the side characters can easily be removed. It is sad to see that nothing can come close to the success of "Coffee Prince" since 2007. This kind of series should come to an end and Korean TV should finally start creating "realistic" shows. No once acts like this in real life and please stop with these terrible kissing scenes. The actors look ridiculous when they press their lips against each other like robots without any head movement. Nobody kisses like that, people are not dolls! Learn from "Coffee Prince", do your homework!

Cut short

[tendayipeyton · 7/10 · 13 July 2020]

I feel like this could've been a great drama if they had the full 16 episodes. I feel like a lot of the character's motivations were removed due to the shortened schedule. The last few scenes felt rushed, I genuinely did not realize it was the end. I would've loved to have watched a more full, fleshed out series but the story is very cute!

Kinda sweet kinda lame and 100% romance

[Giselle1710 · 10/10 · 3 September 2020]

The typical rich guy with childhood tragedy is such a k drama cliche. But I still liked it due to pure touch of romance. It was short. Didn't have unnecessary side lines. A guy who happens to be a casanova just stops dating after seeing a oddly imperfect girl! Unrealistic but loved it. I honestly thought and hoped the child was theirs but the writers confused the audience for nothing!

Low Budget Melodrama with Fantastic Chemistry

[fake_moviestar · 6/10 · 21 February 2023]

My Secret Romance was on my watchlist for a very long time, however I continued to put it off because of the mixed things I had read about the show. So let me be very clear on what is good and what is bad about this drama.

The bad: low budget for sure, the overall quality was pretty weak in this drama. It also was melodramatic for many parts, and the ending was overly drawn out, with the second half filled with so many flashbacks I started to fast forward through them.

The good: the chemistry between the leads was blazingly hot! I rarely see two actors that have such natural chemistry in kdramas, and these two were so starry-eyed for each other it was extremely intense and fun to watch! The plot was simple, straightforward, and not too insane with no overly dramatic twists. And the side-characters were fun and enjoyable to watch (with the exception of the SFL who was obnoxious and annoying). Seung Hoo was a super stud in this show, which was an obvious plus!

Overall, subjectively I loved this show and would give it a 9 based just on how much I loved watching the leads together. But objectively I have to give it a 6 because of its weak points. But if you are a fan of rom-coms definitely watch this show, it is extremely enjoyable and very funny at times!

Hilarious

[lovinwater · 10/10 · 5 May 2020]

The funniest kdrama ever! The first episode is slow but it picks up on the second.

loved, pretty good!

[sadies-76083 · 7/10 · 20 March 2022]

Very cute, good atmosphere and the chemistry between main duo is fantastic. I think there could be some cut back on the main rival female character, but other than that the love story is entertaining and interesting.

I like how it progresses and the side characters are overall fun. Main characters are very beautiful and the way they love is too.

Cute, Romantic

[KdramaInStudio · 9/10 · 5 May 2020]

If your wanting to watch a comedy romantic drama this is perfect. The two main actors are perfect for each other and he especially is very good with his emotions. It's impressive. It takes a good actor to really play the part of a man confused with love. The supporting actors are very good as well. It was just a tad slow with the main actress coming around to deal with her issues and she's a lucky gal because he waited!

Interesting story with some flaws in execution (mild spoilers)

[OldGuyUS · 7/10 · 31 January 2023]

I don't want to spoil anything so I'll keep this review pretty high level.

I think you should watch this series, but a few things to keep in mind from my POV.

Pros The story was cute and the premise was interesting. Good job! The story line relating to the FL's mother's past career was unexpected and really made you think.

The FL, Ms. Song, was totally awesome. She is so pretty and energetic and her expressions and overall acting was perfect for the part. She carried the series for me. After I finished the series I discovered her singing and was blown away how good she is. A real talent! She needs more lead roles in top notch KDramas.

Cons I'd like to start out by saying that there was one huge flaw that really spoiled the series for me, but it does not reflect on the story or acting. The sound was totally fouled up. In some scenes I could barely hear the ML. In some scenes the music was clear and the dialog was really muddy sounding. In some scenes all the sound seemed distant. This drove me nuts! (My wife did not mind as much, so?) I think it might have been in the mixing because my TV/Streaming/Sound setup sounds great on other series. **Note** I streamed this via Netflix in the U. S. I have never had any such issues with Netflix (or Viki) before. I have read a long article on why sound mixing is so horrible for U. S. TV these days. Could it be the same for Korean series/movies? Was it Netflix's fault? As I speculated above was it the mixing before it was handed over to Netflix? Don't know but it sure sucked.

The ML seems quite stiff and somehow his acting just did not do it for me. I saw him in Oh My Venus and it was similar, but his part was smaller and maybe it fit his role better there. I wonder if my less-than-stellar impression is partly due to the sound issues? Again, I am not sure.

The dialog was not quite as "deep" as in my favorite KDramas.

Overall I watched the whole series. I did indeed want to find out how things worked out in the end, but I was not as emotionally invested in this series as I was for some others. So, a 7 for me. I feel bad about that because of how much I liked Ms. Song and the basic arc of the story, so it is too bad.

Uneven

[klara-persson · 4/10 · 10 September 2020]

This is an uneven drama at it's best And an extremely frustrating one at its worst. The female lead as one of the most frustrating characters I have come across. She simply has no edge. The attraction between the two main leads is fabulous at the start but it's way too little focus on this attraction and the love between them. Since this drama is so uneven I cannot give it a very good score. I am sorry to say but, except for the occasional kissing scene , it is not rememberable or remarkable.

Should have been a mini series

[doug2go · 6/10 · 3 April 2022]

This could have been a 9 rated 10 episode mini series instead of a 14 episode season 1 with no hope of a season 2. The story was weak but fun for a while but got silly when Jo Wook in episode 10 assumed that Yo Mi had his child and ask her " Isn't there something you want to tell me " when 999 out of 1000 men would have ask " when were you going to tell me you had my son " - the difference is a contrived additional 2 or 3 episodes , and increasingly edgy story line and a less entertaining series. The first 9 episodes were fun and I would rate a 9 - after episode 10 the show pretty much tanked.