Secret Garden (2010)

Well damn, that didn't last as long as I thought it will. Twenty episodes, right? Sure felt hella lot shorter than that.

The reason why I picked this drama was because I've seen Big Bang's parody of it, which of course, provided many spoilers, but I liked the tale and decided to give it a shot. And oh boy, how happy I am for that.

Acting is the best I've seen so far, and not only the main roles, which made it a pleasure to watch and go to through the story flow with these well-made characters.

There's a few songs and they weren't awkwardly plastered in the scenes, thankfully, so the music is quite alright, if forgetable.

Overall, I rate it a high 8, mainly because it was interesting to watch, and oh, there was lots of skinship. However, I didn't like the slowing of the plot in last part of the story, and the cliché that they always use at that point in the tale. If it wasn't for it, the rating would be higher.

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I think Secret Garden is by far the best kdrama I've ever watched, hands down!!!! <3 this drama will make you smile like an idiot, laugh your ass off, and cry your eyeballs out!!! great storyline and also great acting skills by Hyun Bin & Ha Ji Won. my god, their chemistry is undeniable and sparkling like crazy!!!! ;) Hyun Bin's character is super adorable, not to mention his cuteness will kill yaaa! seriously never been this obsessed with a drama before. oh, and y''all should listen to their amazing soundtrack. this drama blew me away. IF YOU HAVEN''T, GO WATCH IT PEOPLE!!!!! you're missing out a BRILLIANT drama! :D

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Sprinkled with plenty of laughs, tears and little bit of magic, this drama, which can make you cry your eyes out and meanwhile laugh your head off, is one of the most unsurpassed Korean dramas ever and will really flabbergast you. You’ll be so hooked from the very start of the drama, you won’t be able to let go. The characters are all excellently played, the background music is hauntingly stunning and the storyline is absolutely smashing. To tell you the truth, there are no words enough in this world to describe this amazingly beautiful series. In the drama you’ll really experience the true problems, which are exceedingly complicated and realistic that you’ll forget the fairytale twist in it, when a poor girl falls in love with a rich arrogant man. The real beauty of the drama isn’t only in the story, but also in how it is told. The dialogue is so witty and the twists and turns of the story, which keep you puzzled till the very end, aren’t only enjoyable, but also keep you on the edge of your seat, leaning forward in anticipation. You shouldn’t miss watching this drama at all!!!!.

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Secret Garden is your stereotypical rich man/poor woman formula with a slight twist but nonetheless, still your somewhat fail proof formula that is bound to guarantee viewers. People like this type of shit and this is no exception. Ha Ji Won starres as a stuntwoman who despite being poor can really afford shit that made my sister and I go, "how come she practically has the same cell phone as the CEO in this story?" Nonetheless, let's not fuss about those minute details. Hyun Bin is her love interest who is arrogant and despite being rich consistently wears the same track suit that has become a staple in drama parodies. Cue evil mother, some water throwing, a body swap and you have Secret Garden.

Ha Ji Won in the beginning is a very endearing and strong character but in typical Ha Ji Won fashion, she is soon reduced to giving you doe eyed looks and being saved by Hyun Bin from the evil mother. She also gets dragged around by Hyun Bin a lot if the formula tells you anything. She has absolutely no reason to be charmed by him but really she does get charmed by him.

I did not focus on the body swap because other than to add some comedic effect, it didn't do much for the drama. Anyway, I've bashed a bit so let's focus on the positives. The supporting characters are great in carrying this drama. They add humor where needed and make this quite the enjoyable experience. Oska despite being loud mouthed is actually quite charming and overall, the supporting cast make this formulaic drama quite enjoyable. The drama drags a little in some areas but not enough for me to lose interest and while the end for me was a little tedious, I still think this is a decent romance recommendation for anyone who is partial to the genre.

PS. The OST is a plus in my book and one of the best OSTs in my opinion.

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"Secret Garden" had pretty high ratings back when it was airing, and even by episode two, you can sort of see why. It has it all; slick directing, witty dialogue and A-list actors- not to mention an intriguing premise and complex characters, but that doesn't mean "Secret Garden" was perfect.
Story: I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with this drama. When it's good, I wanted to clap and jump around with joy, when it's bad, well... I kind of wanted to throw my tablet out of the nearest window. The story goes from interesting and funny to frustrating and sloooowwww. And when I say slow, I mean *slow*. The story gets repetitive in the last quarter and we're stuck with the same mama-drama that any other makjang drama can offer. If I wanted to watch nearly four hours of the rich upper class mom looking down up the dirt-poor main lead girl with a heart of gold, I would have watched "Boys Over Flowers". Yes, we realize your son deserves the best or whatever, but don't you have any other reasons? Actually, there was a reason that actually made sense, but that was said in episode 20, and by that time I just wanted this drama to be over.
Another issue I had with the story were the characters. I understand that dramas have to be funny and they will all inevitably have scenes where the characters act like kids, but here is was a bit excessive. They started out normal enough, but the characters slowly became more and more childish. In the beginning, I loved them all. Joo Won a pretty awesome character, because just when you start to think he's your typical drama chaebol, the writer completely turns that around and makes him awesome. Not to mention how diverse the main characters were. You have a stuntwoman, a chaebol, a singer and a sort-of director all together. Their interactions were interesting, because they sometimes had to work together with their jobs.
On a side note, I liked how well the body-swap was used. In the beginning, Ra-im and Joo-won had a push and pull relationship. They would argue, get back together, argue and go forth in that continuous cycle. The body-swap sort of helped them understand each other and was essential for their relationship to work.
Acting: Hyun Bin was awesome. He pulled everything off perfectly, and I can't imagine any other actor in his place. Ha Ji-won has been in one of my favorite dramas (King2Hearts), so I already knew what her acting was like. To be honest, I never had much love for her, and I still don't, but you can't deny she's good at what she does.
Music: Meh. Nothing special in my opinion.
Rewatch Value: Maybe for the funnier scenes. I'm not particularly interested.
Overall: Equal parts frustrating and entertaining, "Secret Garden" is one of those must-watch dramas that you grow to be annoyed with after it keeps popping up, but it was fun when it was new.

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I started watching this show because I had heard such great things about it from my friend. However, when I was halfway through it I lost all interest and decided to give it up. The main leads are okay but I found Oska's plot to be terribly boring. None of the sub plots worked for me. I have a short attention span when it comes to dramas, so I simply couldn't go on with this one.

However, I do think that majority of the people enjoyed it. I would recommend to all Hyun Bin's fans. The lead actress was pretty but this show's gender bender arc was not at all engrossing. I think investing my time in a drama that I would enjoy would be wise rather than criticizing something that I did not enjoy.

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Actually, I just watched this drama about a week ago because I usually not-so-into drama. But this is the drama that caught my heart right trough when I watched the first episode.

This is the best drama that I have ever seen in my life. The plot, the music, the story, the setting, the dialouge, the casts... All have been count perfectly.

Even the OSTs of this drama ranked in the chart. Although I just finished watch it a week ago, I feel like I still need to watch it again. Because believe me, when the first time you see this drama, you can't take your eyes off it.

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I finished watching this brilliant story about a week ago and debated writing a review. But I loved this story so much I decided to give my opinion (:



The story is great! It's original, funny, sweet, sad. There were parts that made me laugh so much, parts that made me cry. I loved almost all of the characters - and it's always nice to see a main girl who knows how to defend herself. I think this is one of the few dramas I've watched where I've even found myself liking the second main lead girl. I knew I would love this drama by the end of episode 1 and I wasn't wrong. It's hard to choose a favorite among the characters, because they were all great! Including Secretary Kim and Ah Young.



The acting is amazing! Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won did a terrific job - especially during the parts when they switched. They really acted each other out well! And the other actors did great, too (You really get a feel for the characters).



The music is great! I love the soundtrack! My favorite song was "Scar," but I loved "That Man" and "Appear" as well as the other songs.



I will definitely watch this drama again, I've just seen it and I've thought about rewatching it again sometime soon.



Overall - it really is a great drama to watch (as I keep mentioning, haha). If you're the type who enjoys romantic comedies with a twist, this one is great (: I agree with all of the other reviewers who have rated this drama well, it really is a wonderful story - so... watch it! (:

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I love Secret Garden. Absolutely LOVE it. This is the first drama that I rewatched. When someone asks me what dramas they should start with to get into Kdramas, Secret Garden is the first thing out of my mouth.

The characters are wonderfully different in a perfect I can't stand you/can't stop thinking about you mix that leaves me giggling like an idiot from the moment they meet. Watching them play each other is hilarious, especially seeing how terrible they are at it.

The two main actors, Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won have instantaneous chemistry that lasts throughout the series, and they play off each other so well.

I love Gil Ra Im's balance of strength and meekness that makes her one of my favorite complex characters in any drama. And don't get me started on the hilariousness of Kim Joo Won's "Kim Soo Han Moo" chant that he has to take his mind off of Ra Im. By the end of the drama, you'll find yourself trying to learn the whole thing!

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This drama is amazing! You will fall in love with Gil Ra Im, you will fall in love with Kim Joon Woon. You will love them apart, you will love them together, you will love the secondary characters, you will even love the evil mother! You will love Kim Joon Woon's house, you will love his car and you will love Gil Ra Im's tiny apartment. This drama is that captivating! The chemistry between the leads is great, the OST is great and so is scenery through out the whole drama. The dialogue is smart, fast and witty. And Kim Joon Woon's little chant, OMG, it is even cuter than his sparkling tracksuit.
Secret garden is very rewatchable and you will notice new funny moments every time you watch it again. Nice love scenes as well! Great drama!

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