My Secret Romance
Apr. 13th, 2023 11:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaI liked it. It did that thing where it adds unnecessary and, honestly tedious, angst leading up to the finale that I wish I could have skipped but overall it was a cute series and I don't regret spending the time watching it.
+ I loved Jin Wook. I haven't seen Sung Hoon in anything before but I thought he was great. He gave some excellent reactions and pining and was very nice to look at. Good at comedic timing too.
+ I thought the show did a fairly good job in showing why Yoo Mi would linger in Jin Wook's thoughts for years and even why he fell for her. I love that he was 100% committed from the very start.
+ I liked Yoo Mi's uncontrolled hiccups when she was attracted to Jin Wook and him picking up on that and taking a lot of satisfaction and glee in it. His smile in the swimming pool when she started hiccuping was gorgeous and I loved it.
+ Jin Wook/Yoo Mi were very cute and fun. I loved that this whole story is of Jin Wook being totally gone on Yoo Mi from their first night and then upon being reunited, and her acting like she doesn't know him, of him jumping into petty pigtail pulling antics to keep her attention while trying to seduce her into loving him back, all while pining desperately for her. I loved that one POV shot where we saw her as he does - surrounded by sparkles and dramatic movie wind and lighting - adorable. It's great how he loves everything about her, and how even her foibles and awkwardness are cute to him, and something to love. I enjoyed his attempts to help her (and him hiding it under cover of being a jerk, of course.) I loved every part of his pining over her. ... actually I guess I just really loved the Jin Wook side of this romance.
+ I liked Yoo Mi fine but I didn't love her which was disappointed. I wish I did. I liked her determination to pursue her passion in food. I like that she didn't give up. It would have been nice if she'd been good at her job at the start despite some minor bumps but I like that she put in the effort to improve afterwards. But as a character she's just kind of - there. idk. She didn't really resonate with me.
+ I felt a lot of sympathy for Yoo Mi and her obvious trauma over the bullying and judgment she received after her mom's work came out. Her choice to run away from all the rumours and gossip was completely in character and I got it. But at the same time this would have been an excellent opportunity for her to show character growth by contemplating running but ultimately choosing to stay and fight for the life she'd made for herself, and it would have been so much more satisfying. (And enjoyable to watch then what we ultimately got.)
+ What I did not feel any sympathy for was Yoo Mi walking away from Jin Wook crying and her sadness afterwards. Why is she even walking away?! She knows that he loves her and wants to be with her. I don't understand. Is it really because of Dae Bok's words? Because that is dumb as hell. It's all just so dumb and unsympathetic and painful to watch. ALSO! Yoo Mi "breaking up" with Jin Wook while he was sleeping, what the hell? That is not a thing! I can't even.
Also she knows how upsetting he found it when he woke to find her gone on that same beach three years ago and she now knows about his mother abandoning him while he took a nap as a child and yet she still abandons him asleep again??! Girl. No. Basically all her misery in this short time frame was entirely 100% her own fault and it was frustrating and annoying to watch.
+ I was also annoyed with her thinking for even a moment that Jin Wook was with her because he thought Dong Goo was his son.
+ Mi Hee's live interview was nice and I liked her doing that to help her daughter. I would have liked it and how it played out even more if it had happened during Yoo Mi's self-chosen exile and cutting out Yoo Mi and Jin Wook meeting and "breaking up". I think it would have worked much better that way.
+ I loved that both secondary love interests just weren't. Neither of their interest was ever returned. There was never any flirtation. There was never any hint that they could be a thing. It was rather refreshing. I mean there was still a some angsting jealousy and interference but I really liked that they were never an option. Hyeon Tae was only Yoo Mi's best friend and she never once considered him as more not even when he confessed his feelings. Hye Ri meanwhile was never anything more than a persistent nuisance who gained an ally in Jin Wook's dad but who Jin Wook wanted nothing to do with and was very clear about.
+ I liked Hyeon Tae. He was a sweet guy and an excellent friend. I loved that his response to overhearing Yoo Mi's involvement with another man was to try and prevent interference in their relationship and refusal to be that type of person. It was great. And I like that Yoo Mi not seeing him that was doesn't change how he interacts with her because he's still her best friend who has her back. I liked their friendship.
+ The kissing was sadly very disappointing. Frozen statue female lead syndrome is never fun.
+ I liked the resort manager forcing Jin Wook to apologise too because it's also his job as director. I loved Yoo Mi and the resort manager's shared amusement over the situation.
+ I really liked Yoo Mi sitting down beside a drunk Hye Ri and telling her to let it out and that she'll sit and listen to her grievances. It was a very compassionate thing to do and was one of my favourite moments of hers.
+ I was honestly excited for the potential Dong Goo misunderstanding and the hijinks that could ensue. I thought the show could have a lot of fun with it. And I did enjoy the initial part with Jin Wook being adorable with Dong Goo and his reaction to thinking he might be his father and him immediately trying to be a part of Dong Goo's life. But then almost immediately Dae Bok got involved and it ended up frustrating angst instead and I was very disappointed.
+ Jin Wook's relationships with both his parents ended up feeling weirdly - unfinished. His mother especially. She abandoned him when he was three. Left while he was having a nap and apparently never tried to contact him again. Their meeting again and him having the chance to eat her porridge again was a lovely scene but that's all we got? It was lacking closure. He was apparently was never angry at her for her abandonment which makes me wonder if he knew the reasoning even if we didn't but if so that's a weird approach to it. And then she never shows up again. Did he continue to have a relationship with her? With his dad I liked their final scene and that they ended up with a better relationship. But the scene of Jin Wook quitting felt like a culmination of a plot barely sketched in. idk. Like it was lacking the depth leading up to the choice.
+ I liked that moment of Yoo Mi considering the tape of Ready to be Popped and then putting it back on the shelf instead of the give away box but also I wish there'd been anything leading up to it showing why she's decided to be okay with her mom's past.
+ I loved Jin Wook. I haven't seen Sung Hoon in anything before but I thought he was great. He gave some excellent reactions and pining and was very nice to look at. Good at comedic timing too.
+ I thought the show did a fairly good job in showing why Yoo Mi would linger in Jin Wook's thoughts for years and even why he fell for her. I love that he was 100% committed from the very start.
+ I liked Yoo Mi's uncontrolled hiccups when she was attracted to Jin Wook and him picking up on that and taking a lot of satisfaction and glee in it. His smile in the swimming pool when she started hiccuping was gorgeous and I loved it.
+ Jin Wook/Yoo Mi were very cute and fun. I loved that this whole story is of Jin Wook being totally gone on Yoo Mi from their first night and then upon being reunited, and her acting like she doesn't know him, of him jumping into petty pigtail pulling antics to keep her attention while trying to seduce her into loving him back, all while pining desperately for her. I loved that one POV shot where we saw her as he does - surrounded by sparkles and dramatic movie wind and lighting - adorable. It's great how he loves everything about her, and how even her foibles and awkwardness are cute to him, and something to love. I enjoyed his attempts to help her (and him hiding it under cover of being a jerk, of course.) I loved every part of his pining over her. ... actually I guess I just really loved the Jin Wook side of this romance.
+ I liked Yoo Mi fine but I didn't love her which was disappointed. I wish I did. I liked her determination to pursue her passion in food. I like that she didn't give up. It would have been nice if she'd been good at her job at the start despite some minor bumps but I like that she put in the effort to improve afterwards. But as a character she's just kind of - there. idk. She didn't really resonate with me.
+ I felt a lot of sympathy for Yoo Mi and her obvious trauma over the bullying and judgment she received after her mom's work came out. Her choice to run away from all the rumours and gossip was completely in character and I got it. But at the same time this would have been an excellent opportunity for her to show character growth by contemplating running but ultimately choosing to stay and fight for the life she'd made for herself, and it would have been so much more satisfying. (And enjoyable to watch then what we ultimately got.)
+ What I did not feel any sympathy for was Yoo Mi walking away from Jin Wook crying and her sadness afterwards. Why is she even walking away?! She knows that he loves her and wants to be with her. I don't understand. Is it really because of Dae Bok's words? Because that is dumb as hell. It's all just so dumb and unsympathetic and painful to watch. ALSO! Yoo Mi "breaking up" with Jin Wook while he was sleeping, what the hell? That is not a thing! I can't even.
Also she knows how upsetting he found it when he woke to find her gone on that same beach three years ago and she now knows about his mother abandoning him while he took a nap as a child and yet she still abandons him asleep again??! Girl. No. Basically all her misery in this short time frame was entirely 100% her own fault and it was frustrating and annoying to watch.
+ I was also annoyed with her thinking for even a moment that Jin Wook was with her because he thought Dong Goo was his son.
+ Mi Hee's live interview was nice and I liked her doing that to help her daughter. I would have liked it and how it played out even more if it had happened during Yoo Mi's self-chosen exile and cutting out Yoo Mi and Jin Wook meeting and "breaking up". I think it would have worked much better that way.
+ I loved that both secondary love interests just weren't. Neither of their interest was ever returned. There was never any flirtation. There was never any hint that they could be a thing. It was rather refreshing. I mean there was still a some angsting jealousy and interference but I really liked that they were never an option. Hyeon Tae was only Yoo Mi's best friend and she never once considered him as more not even when he confessed his feelings. Hye Ri meanwhile was never anything more than a persistent nuisance who gained an ally in Jin Wook's dad but who Jin Wook wanted nothing to do with and was very clear about.
+ I liked Hyeon Tae. He was a sweet guy and an excellent friend. I loved that his response to overhearing Yoo Mi's involvement with another man was to try and prevent interference in their relationship and refusal to be that type of person. It was great. And I like that Yoo Mi not seeing him that was doesn't change how he interacts with her because he's still her best friend who has her back. I liked their friendship.
+ The kissing was sadly very disappointing. Frozen statue female lead syndrome is never fun.
+ I liked the resort manager forcing Jin Wook to apologise too because it's also his job as director. I loved Yoo Mi and the resort manager's shared amusement over the situation.
+ I really liked Yoo Mi sitting down beside a drunk Hye Ri and telling her to let it out and that she'll sit and listen to her grievances. It was a very compassionate thing to do and was one of my favourite moments of hers.
+ I was honestly excited for the potential Dong Goo misunderstanding and the hijinks that could ensue. I thought the show could have a lot of fun with it. And I did enjoy the initial part with Jin Wook being adorable with Dong Goo and his reaction to thinking he might be his father and him immediately trying to be a part of Dong Goo's life. But then almost immediately Dae Bok got involved and it ended up frustrating angst instead and I was very disappointed.
+ Jin Wook's relationships with both his parents ended up feeling weirdly - unfinished. His mother especially. She abandoned him when he was three. Left while he was having a nap and apparently never tried to contact him again. Their meeting again and him having the chance to eat her porridge again was a lovely scene but that's all we got? It was lacking closure. He was apparently was never angry at her for her abandonment which makes me wonder if he knew the reasoning even if we didn't but if so that's a weird approach to it. And then she never shows up again. Did he continue to have a relationship with her? With his dad I liked their final scene and that they ended up with a better relationship. But the scene of Jin Wook quitting felt like a culmination of a plot barely sketched in. idk. Like it was lacking the depth leading up to the choice.
+ I liked that moment of Yoo Mi considering the tape of Ready to be Popped and then putting it back on the shelf instead of the give away box but also I wish there'd been anything leading up to it showing why she's decided to be okay with her mom's past.
