Private Life (2020)

convoluted and entertaining

I agree that the plot lost its way, and was further hamstrung by multiple jumps in time. But I was never bored, and not once did I think of dropping it. I became a fan of the Uncle Han Son character, and Song Sun Mi (who was similarly delightful in Start Up) does arch b*tchiness like no other.
It's hard to believe that the two leads could maintain their innocence and naivete after years of grifting and going undercover, but sure, why not? The main value of Private Lives for me was that it led me to the writer's masterpiece, Heartless City. Having binged on that, I can forgive the zigs and zags of Private Lives, which lacked the former's compelling leads and big budget cinematography. Netflix - I beg of you to do Heartless City Season 2!!

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Very good until the last stretch

Overall I can definitely say enjoyed this drama. The acting was good, the story was well thought-out and engaging, the action was great, it was full of twists and turns, never boring, and I generally liked the vibe it gave. They ran out of steam in the last episodes, and they're a bit more tedious as a result. Still enjoyable and I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for a fun spy-ish/action/mystery drama.
I pretty much binged episodes 1 through 10, which were really great in my opinion. It was fun, fast-paced, surprising, and intriguing. I felt for the characters and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. The writing was great, each new thing working perfectly and bringing new life to the story just when it needed it. There's a bit of a change of atmosphere early on that's well-done and very intriguing. The mystery unfolds naturally and with good impact and left me looking for clues, trying to predict what would happen next.
The last episodes were still good, but the writing was less clear, I got a bit confused or couldn't see where they were going with some things. It wasn't to the point that I didn't understand anything anymore, but it meant I was more passive, no longer trying to guess what was happening because I simply didn't have enough clues or enough understanding of what I was given. The ending was not bad but a bit disappointing. After everything the characters go through, the resolution arrives quickly and pretty easily, and there's very little impact to it. I was honestly worried about how they would fit the real ending within the remaining time, until I realized that was it, it was just a bit of a non-event.
Sadly that's a problem that's not present only during the ending. Some reveals, twists, etc. did not lend very well, but they were mostly minor things, and mostly it wasn't a problem with the idea itself, but the way it was done, it's like the drama didn't pay that much attention to the twists it set up, didn't give you time to savor them, it just moved on to the next thing like there was nothing worth noting. It's frustrating to see the drama achieve that tension and nice twists consistently for most of its length, and then falter in that very thing near the end, but I'm guessing it might have been due to them running out of time in the last episodes.
I really liked the main characters, especially Seohyun's and Go Kyung Pyo's characters, however the secondary characters were a bit forgettable.
All in all, it was not my favorite drama ever, but it was definitely nice, I had a good time with it. With a few improvements on the last quarter or so, it could have been really great.

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If you're looking for a spy drama, Vagabond is much better.

I went into this expecting a spy drama but it ended up sort of becoming about politics/corporations and I feel like they were just trying to do too many things. The plot was confusing and hard to follow from the beginning, because it keeps on jumping from the past to the present. At first, I didn't mind because the pacing was still good and I wanted to know what was happening, but I think midway through the series it really bogged down and watching got tedious. Maybe it has to do with the narrative style / directing, but it wasn't my cup of tea. I stopped watching for a few weeks and then watched it on and off for in the middle section so this might also be why I found it confusing.

Watching how the FL and ML meet and fall in love is interesting. But I feel like the drama just went downhill and stagnated once they were reunited and the plot shifts to becoming a “kingmaker” drama. I finished the show because I didn’t want to leave it incomplete, but I completely lost interest in the main characters.

The FL's character was disappointing to me. Initially they present her as coming from a family of con artists and then she becomes a con artist in her desire to get revenge on Jeong Bok Hee for her dad, but she ended up not being a strong female lead. And for being a GK shadow, who are supposedly super scary, the ML was careless in some ways - not checking his car for trackers, not thinking about calls being traced. Obviously regular people wouldn't think of those things, but it's a bit frustrating when the characters get into trouble because of these things that I feel like spies should know.

My favourite characters were Jeong Bok Hee and Kim Jae Wook, who are the only two that really make the show worth watching. I found myself wishing that I remembered more of the details from previous episodes just for their story arc, and I was way more invested in their relationship although I didn’t really understand Kim Jae Wook’s actions even in the end when everything sort of got explained.

I think between ep 9-13 are probably the most tedious and then ep 14 things start coming together. I found the bad guys’ plot to make the FL an industrial spy not that convincing and the end also wasn’t that satisfying. I think this drama is one that can definitely be skipped.

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The cast carry the drama

About this drama

What I like: The cast was so good with acting and chemistry, both female leads had all my attention in their scenes, the potential romance was wasted but I enjoyed the main couple —they have an indescribable chemistry. The first episodes were so good, I was really into the story.

What I dislike: The different course the drama took with each episode, wasted potential with a good cast and story, messed up plot mixed with another conglomerates fight — I actually thought the drama was gonna be about con artists because of the first episode but it wasn't what I was looking for. Not enough screen time for Seohyun (Joo Eun) it's weird the first episode was all about her and then she appeared less and less.

Personal rate: 8/10
~ It's a good idea to watch this drama if you're looking for spies stories mixed with a little of romance.

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Immensly satisfying experience! Action, Thriller, Espionage, Romance, it has everything!!!

Well, I am not one to write reviews, but had to for this drama, considering it's criminally low rating. First of all, the cast was just perfect! No one looked out of place. The story was presented like a buffet, with elements of comedy and romance sprinkled in between our main course, Action-Thriller. The female lead was quite interesting and realistic in a sense that she was a strong woman, but, like any other human being, has vulnerabilities. Perfect drama to binge in 2-3 days!
P.S: Other reviews almost made me drop this drama from my list, so I hope my review atleast introduces this woefully underrated drama to action afficionados like myself.

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This plot is very interesting more than detective drama

প্রথমত এটা রাজনৈতিক, দুর্নীতি আর con artists নিয়ে ড্রামা। এই Genres এর ড্রামা যদি আপনি একটাও না দেখে থাকেন তাহলে এই ড্রামা দেখার রিস্ক নিবেন না।
পলিটিক্যাল থ্রিলার এই ড্রামাটির প্রথম ৪/৫এপি খুব ভালো লাগলেও গল্পের গভীরতা পলিটিক্যাল পার্টি বেশি থাকার কারণে আপনার বোরিং ফিল হতে পারে। তাই আগে থেকে বলে দিচ্ছি, তখন আবার আপনি ড্রামা দেখে সময় নষ্ট হয়েছে বলে আমাকে দৌড়ানি দিতে আসবেন না।

গল্পের শুরুটা হয়েছে Seohyun উন্নি থেকে যিনি কিনা main con artist থাকে। উন্নি তার স্বার্থসিদ্ধির জন্য কিছু মানুষকে ব্যবহার করে। কিন্তু পরবর্তীতে উন্নি বুঝতে পারেন যে তিনি নিজেই ব্যবহৃত হচ্ছেন। Go Kyung-pyo এর চরিত্রটিকে বিশ্বাস করতে বেশ কঠিন অনুভূতি হয়েছিল। কারণ প্রথম অংশটা ওপ্পাকে দেখে মনে হয়েছে যা ঘটছে সেটাই তার দোষ ৷

ড্রামার কাহিনী অনেকটাই বিভ্রান্তিকর এবং আপনি কাহিনীর গভীরতায় যত যাবেন তত সবার প্রতি সন্দেহ বাড়বে আর এন্ডিং অবধি না দেখলে আপনি বুঝতে পারবেন না আসলে কি ঘটেছিল।

Overall, I really enjoying my time with a lot of confusion.But it makes my headaches a few times. This plot is very interesting more than detective drama. If you like political thriller then you must watch this...I realized what the real story was after watching the drama for the second time.coz It was my 2nd political thriller Drama and really I'm not use to it.

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It Tried

Let me sum this up for you real quick in a way that's different from what you've already read so you can possibly not waste your time. 2 spies, 2 conwomen. 1 spy is tender-hearted and 1 is dangerous. 1 conwoman is epic and 1 conwoman sucks majorly. Who is the main focus of all of this? The conwoman that sucks, of course! The thing is, it's like she and everyone around her ignore the fact that she sucks. She is a harbinger of bad luck, and death, actually. It got to the point where I was wondering if the writers were secretly using her as a running gag. The plot is extremely weak and so is the main female lead's acting. Many episodes of running around accomplishing nothing with a lackluster finish. Waste of mostly a good cast, waste of a big budget, and waste of time. The story with Bok Ji and Edward was the only thing that kept me watching until the end. I invested too much into their relationship to not see how it was going to turn out.

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Loved the Series

This series was made for binge watching. I don't think I could have watched it on a weekly basis because there were too many back stories, twists and turns that would be disconnected and confused. I am glad this is an old series so I didn't have to to wait for new episodes twice a week.

In episode two I didn't follow why the ML acted in such a drastic way. Unfortunately, that wasn't explained until a much later episode. I think the writers should have explained that clearly much earlier. I understand the reason may have been to create suspense and questions, but as a viewer I limited in what I can carry in my memory with so many new developments and characters.

I just finished watching a different series with the same ML 2024. I was interested in comparing how he carried off both parts. He shows a poker-faced innocence in his character (or is this just how the actor is in real life). In this series it goes far in protecting his character's cover. His demeaner made it hard to make any kind of assumptions about what he was thinking and I was very surprised when he started in with the martial arts. In the 2024 series I just finished, the actor portrayed an a guy who couldn't lie. His face was fuller (more baby-faced) and portrayed the same innocense in his character. I didn't expect him to be so romantic; seemed clueless but he wasn't at all.

I loved Episode 16 because there is no hint of rushing to wrap up anything in the story lines; all were satisfying. The couple who took the church money in the first episodes, actually the female partner learned the male partner took off with all of the money and left her without anything. Those two gradually show up again after episodes pass and meet up. My favorite interaction between them takes place in Episode 16 where they discuss why he seems to keep switching sides. Then when she brings him to the clandestined meeting her justification is priceless. At the end I'm asking, "Are they up to their old ways or have they gone straight," and chuckle to myself.

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Take notes

Got sucked in through the first two episodes although now I feel more like I was a sucker. First, some positives...

Go Kyung Po is terrific as a lead. Kim Hyo Jin is tremendous as a secondary character and deserved to have better writing to support her performance. Tae Won Seok is asked to do little especially as the series progresses but is fantastic every time he has an opportunity. Same with Song Sun Mi.

The set up over the first few episodes is wonderful. The dynamics between the lead family and the chemistry between those actors is great.

There's some very slick scenes, camera work and editing. In moments, usually early on, it's a captivating package.

But things just go south. Kim Young Min is miscast although at times it's hard to judge him severely because the production veers back & forth with what direction the character should go. Supporting characters appear and seem to be important and then vanish for long stretches to inexplicably reappear and then exit just when their storyline seemed to be taking shape.

Hopefully whoever was running wardrobe on this show sobered up afterward and deeply regretted some of their choices. It is a wonder that Seo Hyun didn't simply walk off set with some of the clownish getups she had to endure.

By leaps and bounds, however, the culprit in this show is the plot which quickly squanders a promising opening act. This character is good. No, now they're bad. Maybe? Good again, but only for a moment. Eh, nope, definitely sympathetic. Here's a random betrayal from a secondary character that makes no sense. Coherence? Comprehensible? Character development? Strike one, strike two and strike three looking.

This show desperately needed someone to stop the writers and directors after the first act, tell them "this is your story, forget about the rest" and resume work only after things made any sense at all.

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intéressant

Cette série est intéressante mais il faut suivre, les nombreux flashbacks sont contre productifs.
En revanche, l'intrigue est pas mal, bien que longue à se mettre en route, les acteurs sont très bien, les personnages sont délicieusement méchants ou sympathiques.
On a bien évidemment la fameuse mère toxique coréeenne, la secrétaire pénible, mais à part cela, les personnages sont interessants et surtout ont un dévelopement étudié.
Les tenues de l'actrice principale sont superbes !!! Et il y en a un grand nombre, objectivement c'est la première fois que je vois autant de belles tenues dans un drama, la costumière mérite un award !

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Decent Show to consider??

So I binged watched this in a day. Honestly, I thought that the storyline was pretty intresting. I like a concept of things leading towards conspiracy. I also really liked the actors in this drama and they played the heck out of their roles. My only issues is that the story became a bit muddled in the middle and confusing to follow. It was almost if the writers couldn't decide what they wanted to focus on in the drama. I felt a bit disappointed with the ending as well, like their should be a season 2 to tie everything together. Look no drama is without flaws and this one definitely has a few, but I think to really decide on whether you like it, you should give it a chance by watching the 1st 3 episodes.

Overall I actually enjoyed it, I really like dramas that leave me with questions, because then I can dream up senarios that could have taken place.

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Exciting spy romance full of action and fights

Drama queen
There is no boring character and it’s due to an excellent script. It’s a kaleidoscope of different personalities and every one has its time on the screen. It was difficult for me to focus on the main leads because other characters were engaging a lot and amazing played, all of them. So we have a good spy and a bad spy, cruel boss, greedy mother, cringing gangster, kindhearted boxer, romantic detective, weird secretary, but my favourite is the father (Park Sung Geun). Sweet swindler and Christian neophyte who lives in reality he created himself. Nice.
But the queen of drama is our female lead Seo Hyun, definitely. I didn’t expect such good acting from her. I thought: oh, it’s just another idol star with a pretty face, but no! She created really captivating and attractive character. Her clothes, hairs, voice, kisses, tears – everything fits perfectly!

Undercover lovers and handsome cast
We can’t find here a fine bromance of detectives or spies, that we always waiting for, but don’t worry, we have a great womance. It’s rare to watch so intense relation between girls so drama gives you a unique impression. Kim Hyo Jin and Seo Hyun create an original couple and they are a distraction from the other handsome members of the crew.
Despite the spy-corruption-fighting-swindler theme, there is a lot of sweet romance here. Really, really sweet.

Social commentary about corruption
It’s impossible to avoid corruption problems when the story is about industrial and political espionage. So drama reveals the truth we often don’t want to see that politicians are figureheads but someone else has real power. The disgusting of the bad guys and politicians was so well portrayed that it was easy to hate them.

Fun, entertaining and Vivian
There is a lot of fun because the characters are involuntarily funny. And we can’t forget about Vivian! Bad dog.

Am I the only one who loves the drama? Hope not. If you are dreaming of something with fast action, mystery disappears, clever swindlers and sweet romance or you missed Go Kyung Pyo when he was in the army – everything is here. It’s the third drama of writer-nim Yoo Sung Yeol after ‘My Beautiful Bride’ and ‘Cruel City’. I love them all.

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