Secret (2013)

Please do not quit after 1st episode. Things are getting better and better the further you watch! This is indeed a BEST kdama for me!! I loved the acting, the plot, music and everything about this drama. SUPERB acting leaves me breathless! On top of that.... emotional rollercoaster! Call me crazy, but I watch all 16 episodes within 24 hrs. My eyes are red like tomatoes, but it's all worth it! This drama should not be neglected - trust me ! It will take the best juices out of you like a juice maker while you are watching it!......... and yes.... I am telling all my friends to watch it too!!!!

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Secret was okay as a melodrama. It was definitely better than Mask (2015), but it wasn't mind blowing like a lot of the reviews claim. The first 5 or so episodes were pretty rough to get through - watching the FMC go through her tragedy was pretty awful and it didn't get easier to watch until after she got out of prison.

The romance between MCs was decent, but it wasn't epic or steamy or particularly romantic. It was a pretty realistic build up, I just wanted more depth and tension. The actors were decent, but I didn't find that the MCs had a lot of chemistry (and they did NOT look great kissing - I disagree with that common opinion).

The plot itself was a bit slow and drawn out, which wasn't too bad, but not great either. Just kind of had me "meh."


***MILD SPOILERS BELOW***

What I really liked about this drama was the ending. The way the FMC's ex realizes how his greed caused him to lose his future of happiness as a father and husband was so well portrayed. The entire scene when he fell apart gave me goosebumps!
I also really liked how the FMC was consistent with her character by the end - she was such a good mother to her son up until the end by not insisting on ripping him away from his adoptive mother even though she was devastated and desperate to get him back. Yes, it was sad that the FMC didn't get to be with her son again as mother-son, but it was a good resolution that fit the story and characters.

***MILD SPOILERS ABOVE***


The soundtrack was decent - while none of the songs bothered me, none of them particularly stood out. *shrugs*

Overall, this drama was alright. I don't think I'd recommend it or dissuade anyone from watching it. It wasn't awful but it wasn't intense or remarkable either. I don't understand all of the hype in the reviews for this drama, but I can respect it.

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No fast forward

One of the best KDramas I have ever watched ....... Best actors.....all....love them....the driver/bodyguard/runner....even the rich father and the step mom, well written characters....believable! no boring over-d-top villains that do evil things that makes no sense.
Great ending, highly entertaining.
I don’t usually watch melodrama but this is recommended , I was pleasantly surprised , thanks to the writer and director....please do more of this caliber. I’ll keep track of their other works.
I didn’t expect the ending , I mostly don’t watch the last episodes simply I get bored and already expecting what’s the usual ending which is.....that the main characters end up living happily ever after....most kdramas have boring dead-like kisses to finalized the story....this one is really juicy, and there’s closure , there’s justice and done really well. Good writing , good cinematography....both leading actresses two thumbs.

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One of the best Kdramas all time

This is one of the best K dramas I ever watched. It flows with a great storyline and the cast has done an amazing job. There were many occasions that made me cry. This is one of the emotional K dramas I watched after a long time.
I fell in love with the series and finished the series within 2 days. Usually, I dropped watching a drama when the first 2 episodes fail to get my attention. But Secret grabs my attention since the start and I couldn't resist stopping watching the drama continuously. Main lead couple has done a great job and supporting cast also contribute to the story at their best. Also, the series has such nice OSTs which created much attachment to the scenes emotionally while watching the drama

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the best melodrama i have watched to-date, hands down

finished, yasss!

honestly this drama was brilliant in every sense of the word. particularly for the lead couple, they are the perfect cast for this drama. can't praise them enough!

i am however slightly dissatisfied with the business aspects of the story. Attorney Ahn kept repeating that he worked very hard to climb to the top, but it seemed like things got easy for him because of So Yeon, LOL. also the last plan of them when him and So Yeon teamed up to make sure Min Hyeok agrees to the marriage if he doesn't want to destroy both him and So Yeon together. they literally glossed things over and didn't elaborate properly about what exactly they threatened him with, and how those dealings came to be. they have also never bothered to show Se Yeon's politician father not even once, LMAO. would have been so nice if that part was included properly into the story. mostly we got Min Hyeok who was seen always busily chasing around Yoo Jeong for his revenge LOL, but it's a missed opportunity that they didn't show exactly what type of a businessman he is.

i feel like ep. 15 of this drama could have been ep. 19 instead, with those bits filled in that would make the story a lot more complete. i came away feeling mainly dissatisfied with how weak Attorney Ahn tried to topple him, and how rushed everything felt at the end LOL. the story would have gotten more dynamic and stronger if they made him a smarter, more ruthless/wicked villain who is willing to do just anything and more evil things to avoid the fall.

i kept comparing this drama in my head with The Innocent Man, which the latter could be said more complete (3 main characters, able to be stretched out to 20 episodes). they fleshed out the power struggle story really well there, whilst here it's the main love story and the melodramatic life of the FL that they did extremely well.

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Quand l'amour rend bête... et l'arrivisme odieux...

Il faut vraiment s’accrocher et tenir bon la rampe pour résiste à l’avalanche de catastrophes qui s’accumulent sur la tête de cette pauvre Yoo Jung, qui se retrouve en prison pour 3 ans alors qu’elle est totalement innocente !
Il faut résister à l’envie permanente celui crier « mais bon sang ! Dis que tu n’y es pour rien !!! » tellement ça paraît invraisemblable qu’une femme supporte tout ça pour les beaux yeux d’un homme ! D’un homme, qui plus est, plutôt du genre « planche pourrie » qui non seulement ne la soutiendra pas mais l’enfoncera ! Sans parler de Min Hyuk, l’héritier caractériel, qui ne pense qu’à ce qu’il peut inventer pour faire de sa vie un enfer !
Il faut aussi passer sur le scénario du début qui nous fait sauter d’années en années très rapidement, juste le temps de faire un enfant, passer deux ans en prison et en sortir et là commence vraiment l’histoire.
Mais ensuite commence ce qui fait l’intérêt majeur de ce drama : les personnages, leur psychologie et leur évolution. Parce que le « méchant » Do Hun est en fait un faible, blessé par les humiliations qu’une société de classe gérée par l’argent lui a infligées, qui veut absolument monter dans ladite société, il y perdra presque son âme. L’autre « méchant » Min Hyuk, n’est qu’un enfant qui n’en finit pas de faire le deuil de sa mère, que son père ignore ou traite comme un pion, à qui on a enlevé son unique amour, et le chemin sera pour lui difficile pour devenir un homme !
Sa fiancée officielle Se Yeon (arrangement entre fortunes) semble dure et cynique, sans pitié, mais en tant que femme elle le doit si elle veut sa place à la table du pouvoir. La moins intéressante pour moi est l’héroïne, campée dans sa stature de perfection morale persécutée, mater dolorosa et victime expiatoire, qui ne se rebelle jamais, supporte tout, est un peu lassante quand même ! Il faut remarquer qu’elle est un roc autour duquel les autres tournent et soit qu’ils s’y opposent, soit qu’ils s’y appuient, c’est elle qui va générer leurs évolutions diverses !
Donc au final, j’ai suivi ce drama avec beaucoup d’intérêt, bien que, comme toujours, je l’ai trouvé un peu trop long ! Il aurait fallu équilibrer le début trop expédié et la suite trop insistante…
Très bonne distribution, Bae So Bin excellent dans ce rôle difficile, Ji Sung parfait, Lee Da Hee aussi (cette pauvre femme, si elle continue à maigrir, un coup de vent va l’emporter sur les côtes japonaises sans qu’elle y fasse attention ! ) et une mention pour Choi Wong, l’ombre, le bras droit et l’ange gardien de Ji Sung. La musique ? Je ne m’en souviens pas donc elle doit être bien !

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I wasn't going to watch this...but I'm so glad I did

I've heard about this drama for years now, and I thought that I had no interest in it at all. I don't always love melodramas, even though I've seen quite a lot of them, and I don't always like revenge dramas...and this one was both. So I had this drama under "Not Interested" for a long time and I thought that was that. But I recently read an article about hate-to-love dramas and there were so many comments recommending this, that I reluctantly said that I would try it. And MAN. I am so glad the drama fairies made this happen. WOW. I knew that all of the actors involved were top-notch but I had no idea that this drama would bring as many feels as this one has. This was a roller coaster ride and one that I'm thrilled to have finally decided to jump on.

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Vista con el tiempo, sigue atrapando igual

Vista en 2023 y ha tenido que ser en modo maratón. Totalmente vigente y actual.
Increíbles las actuaciones de los 3 personajes principales, la pareja y el fiscal.
Ella, sobre todo, me ha hecho empatizar como nunca, llorar con ella y a la vez sentirme algo reconfortada por su fortaleza.
De él destaco el suave paso del odio a la comprensión y amor. Casi ni te das cuenta, pero ves natural su obsesión por protegerla.
Quizá yo de ella habría 'despertado' antes para dejar de pedir disculpas por todo, pero ya es opinión personal.
Digna de recomendar, disfrutar y recomendar.

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top 5 all time... bestest!

not many dramas i've watched more than once, but i lost count how many times i came back to re-watch this (at least some episodes). Ji Sung is genius for sure, and FL also exceptional in her character. is it realistic? sure not on the whole, but some scenes are sooo believable. it does rely on clichés, and we expect them to be there, but they are on a new level, burning with fire.
a lot of tension, a lot of chemistry, but not in a superficial way. support cast does the job to perfection! a lot of handsome faces, but again - there's more than just good looks to each and every one.................................................................................................
dont let the word melodrama put you off ! it's not just melodrama to this, it's really an all-rounder. cathartic!..................................
i watch this and i dont want to even blink for fear i might miss something. ☜♡☞

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