Secret Garden (2010)

This is one of those rare times where I am so glad that I was wrong! I started this drama, made it the 6 episodes in to where they make the switch and I dropped it. I was so in love with Lee Philip, the guy who plays Ra Im's director, I just knew there was going to be heart break for him, and I didn't think I could handle it. I'm not going to say he wasn't hurt, but I really think this drama does a great job with handling all of the body switching zaniness!

Can I just say, the chemistry between Ra Im and Joo Won was absolutely insane. Joo Won was a total jerk (and if you were hoping for a reformed bad boy by the end, you might not want to hold your breath!). Some of the things he said to her, if I were in her place, he'd have been missing a few teeth by the end of the show. All of that being said, Gil Ra Im completely holds her own against him, and it ends up being a lot of fun to watch them bicker.

I think this show made me cry the most times out of all of the dramas I have seen, and definitely laugh the most times. It knows how to burrow itself deep down and tug those heartstrings at the drop of a hat, so definitely be prepared with a box of tissues! If you are looking for a really, really good romance with a heavy dose of comedy thrown in, and some dramatic roadblocks thrown in the way of the couple along the way, then this is what you want to watch. Seriously. Go watch it right now!

Leggi di Più

For me, this is a drama that's hard to review because my opinion changed so drastically over the episodes.

The first 10 episodes were amazing and I couldn't stop watching. They were funny, entertaining, dramatic and sad at the exact right time. The writing was incredible and I loved all of it.

The second half of the drama disappointed me a lot, though. The story started dragging and it felt like they could have easily put what was left of the plot into 5 episodes instead of 10. Things started to get repeated and the characters' actions frustrated me, episodes went by without much happening and I had to fight my way through them at times.

Still, I overall really liked the story. I think it was more a pace-problem than a story-problem.

The acting was phenomenal. The main actors did an amazing job acting two roles at once, everything seemed natural and I really felt like they were in character the whole time.

The characters themselves were interesting, entertaining and nice to watch. I liked the side characters, too. (Except for the second half of the drama where they got really, really clicheed.)

The music was nice and fitting, the scenes were beautiful and I'll definitely rewatch parts of this drama, too.

After watching the second half, I actually didn't want to rate this better than 8, but thinking back to the first half of the Drama I would've rated it a perfect 10, so combining them I'll just take the middle-way.

Leggi di Più

I really liked the first 6 episodes, but honestly I really did not like the middle episodes (ep 7-12ish?) -it took me forever to drag myself to even watch the end of this drama because I disliked the middle episodes so much. However, the last few episodes were amazing. I thought the whole story was really well done overall, but the middle episodes could have used some teaking. This is very unique compared to most other K-dramas even though the premise is very similar. Music was very good from what I remember and the acting was superb. I most likely will rewatch this drama, but I may skip some of the middle episods since they just didn't jive with my taste. I loved all the stunt team action and the main lead was did so well with his character's quirky nature (tracksuits anyone? lol XD).

Leggi di Più

Lopsided Love

Perhaps this was THE drama to watch back in 2010 but watching it now more than a decade later, I was much less entertained with this drama compared to Crash Landing On You.

With CLOY, I could see and understand the budding romance between the leads although there were more reasons for the FL to fall in love with the ML.

With SG, it was clear to see that why the ML fell in love with the FL but I am struggling to understand how she fell in love with him when he constantly talked down to her and humiliated her.

The story was interesting in itself and the body swaps were well done. So I just had to keep ignoring the nagging feelings I had about “why does she love him?” in order to enjoy the drama. I’ve come to expect a little twist at the end of Korean dramas and this drama didn’t disappoint with its touching version.

Both leads acted well which kept me watching particularly the ML with his internal struggles of trying to figure out why he is attracted to the FL. The FL was a cool stuntwoman character and seeing her in action was very believable. Another plus point was seeing the ML looking so young after seeing his more mature self in CLOY. Definitely prefer him older with a squarer jawline. His younger self was the typical skinny pretty boy look which I am not keen on especially when he was wearing his designer track suits.

At times, I wished the FL would end up with Oska as he clearly treated her so much better all the time. But I knew it was wishful thinking since he is not the ML. Thankfully, it wasn’t written as a love triangle and Oska had his own love interest.

If you’re after a more balanced relationship in your romance drama, it’s best to look elsewhere.

Leggi di Più

Must watch for body swap fans, the rest not so much

Aside from the few episodes dealing with the body swap, which are amazing and hilarious by the way, this show is really nothing special once it goes back to painfully average melodramatic romantic comedy stuff you've seen countless times before.

But you've got a few episodes in there of Ha Ji-won playing an incredibly arrogant man in a woman's body and well, I don't regret checking it out. Also male lead Hyun Bin was excellent even though his character was a bit toxic.

Overall, it was kinda mediocre. You even had scenes changing colors midway through. That production quality!

Also a contender for worst action directing of all-time, the chase sequence in the first episode was truly nauseating (luckily it's about the only action sequence in the whole season so… not a big problem ultimately).

I think the most hilarious part was Ha Ji-Won being handed the script to Sector 7, a dreadful movie (in my opinion) she played in right after. But she looks cool in it wearing a tank-top, so I guess there's that.

Now I need to find more of this kind of stuff because I'd watch a whole show of just these body swap shenanigans. Any recommendations?

Leggi di Più

Silly romantic body swap

I really don't know what to feel about Secret Garden. It is one of those iconic old dramas that you feel an obligation to watch if you want to understand the references and enjoy the wonderful soundtrack. For me, 16 episodes would have done nicely and overall made the story seem less dragging.

From a comedic standpoint I did find this drama funny, but most times it was awkwardly silly if anything. I also did find that both leads had good chemistry together and they certainly carried this drama. Hyun Bin plays your stereotypical rude, rick guy that has kind of an idiotic flair, that makes him obnoxious yet funny at the same time. Ha Ji Won also plays the stereotypical stoic “strong female lead” that is actually physically strong, because that was the only way they knew how to portray strong women back then.

Plot-wise, there isn't much going on that makes this drama stand out from other romantic comedies aside from the body swap trope, which only served to prolong the push and pull between the leads without actually making for a compelling love story. Other than the fantasy aspect, it has exactly the same clichés and the same over-the-top situations as in other Korean romantic comedies.

Leggi di Più

This kdrama was the hype for the winter season of 2010-2011. There were lots of mixed reviews but the rating just went higher and higher.

Secret Garden is one of those drama where you would have a love-hate relationship with the main characters. i.e. Joo Won’s character was a pure hell-egoistic-bastard but he does have his points to fact. Like being very loyal, analytical and annoying which makes you like him because you have no choice that he is annoyingly always there.

Ghaaaa… where can you find a good looking annoying guy like him?

WHERE???

Only in dramas.

As for Gil Ra-im, the pretty innocent-strong-vibes-persona her character emits is an ace. If a deck of cards tells you what’s the highest card? It’s the ace. Ra-im is an ace. She may not be THAT pretty, but man… if you fall for her your head goes bonkers just like Joo Won.

The writer of Secret Garden has a twisted mind; that I am sure of. If you’ve seen the ending of “Lovers in Paris” and “What happened in Bali”? You would understand what I am talking about. I’m not writing these things because I hate the writer, I am saying this because I am glad that there are writers like her who explores things beyond people’s expectations.

The music score was so-so for me, along with the rest of the cast. The drama had a very good story line and two great actors to lead it with but… it just wasn’t one of those dramas that gave me the “I shouldn’t miss” feel in it. I loved it for what it was but didn’t really look forward to watching it too much. Maybe it’s because of Oska? Who knows? All I know is I watched it for Hyun Bin and Ha Ji-won.

Leggi di Più

I had watched a dozen or so dramas before I stumbled upon Secret Garden. Before, my favorite Asian Dramas had been Hana Kimi and Personal Taste. However, Secret Garden is my new favorite. I'm not sure what other Asian Drama fans look for in dramas, but what I look for is character chemistry, a good balance of unrealistic and realistic plot lines, and a dash of honesty amongst all of the silliness that is usually found in these productions.







Secret Garden had almost all of those things. The actors were really, really good. And not only did they have chemistry, and some sexual tension (unlike many dramas I've watched), their characters actually develop fully. I was astonished. So far, all of the K-Dramas I've watched had next to no character development. This was different, and I was impressed by how much growth took place. I wanted to quit watching halfway through - that stubbornness that is inherent in what seems to be all Korean characters was getting very annoying. But I pulled through and am very glad I did.







As for the plot, it definitely wandered and had little focus. I was left wondering what the writers were aiming for. However, the love story is sweet and the end is worth the wait, I thought. There are even some very funny, sad and cute scenes that are unique to Secret Garden, which is something that can't be said for every drama.







Conclusion? I recommend you watch it! :)







One more note about this... The characters are in their 30's, which helped to keep the entire drama more mature and sensible than dramas I've watched about 20-somethings. Just a note! :)

Leggi di Più

I was very unsure about Secret Garden before I began watching it. I was used to really good looking characters and these guys seemed so average. I had to see what all the fuss was about this show though because its had good ratings on all the websites I've been to and everyone said they loved it!

So I started watching it and I was very unsure with the first 2 episodes but I continued on and found myself getting pulled in.

You get attached to the characters and it really just becomes a fun show. Lots of funny moments and sad moments but I especially loved Oska for her personality, he always made things better throughout the whole show and he was always there to cheer Ra Im up with his silly smile and laugh.

Overall I reccomend this show to anyone, it wasn't the best Kdrama I've watched but it is definitely one of the top ones for me, great ending.

Leggi di Più

I can see why this drama is a fav in the kdrama fan group I belong to. I was hooked in the first 20 minutes of the first episode.

Many scenes were set up and shot beautifully, very artfully done. Beautiful from a filmmaking perspective.

MDL should also have a category for wardrobe/costumes. As an American, I've watched some dramas and thought - what dorky clothes, is that what Koreans really wear? SeGa's characters all had cool/tasteful/lovely outfits befitting their personalities.

The story moved along well, not too slow for the most part. A few hackneyed plot twists, but a good story nonetheless. Just a few of the inconsistencies and plot holes I've come to expect in kdrama.

Overall a great story with a top notch cast. Well worth watching.

Leggi di Più