While it can get quite dark and emotionally traumatizing to watch (having to see the characters you've come to love go through awful hell), there are also moments that are indescribably beautiful - of re-discovering oneself, of strength, of love. At the very least, it will likely leave you questioning and reflecting upon yourself, of how you have lived your life up to this present point.
If you're on the fence about whether or not to watch this, I would say take the plunge if you're not afraid of trying something different and if you're open to shades of grey in life. :)
P.S. This is the first time I have ever liked a drama so much that I felt compelled to leave a review right after finishing it. That action in itself shows how much it has affected me.
Was this review helpful to you?
Firstly, why is the title ''Secret'' Love Affair? I mean, their affair was so obvious and pretty much everyone knew about it. And, to be honest, I know that some people might be put off by the title and the fact that the drama is about an affair, but trust me, it's not that much of a problem. It is true that the female lead is married to another guy, but me and Yoo Ah In are more husband and wife than them.
My favourite thing in ''Secret Love Affair'' is definitely the romance and the chemistry between the main leads, who are also great characters. Watching two people slowly falling in love through music was such an amazing experience. It's hard to put my feelings into words, you just have to feel the atmosphere and the intensity between them to get what I'm talking about. Both Oh Hye Won and Lee Sun Jae are wonderful and strong characters, both being a salvation for each other. I loved the development of their relationship and even though it was slow I loved every second of it.
However, as much as I loved the romance, I can't deny that the overall plot and the supporting characters felt quite bland. The first half was very good, the second one became a bit draggy. I don't think the supporing characters were introduced well, they just felt super flat and their scenes ended up being just boring. Some dialogues were very well-written, others felt just pointless. The husband was the most interesting character out of the supporting characters -- I know a lot of people hate him and he a bastard for sure. I just couldn't bring myself to hate him though, I think you can blame Park Hyuk Kwon and his wonderful performance for this.
Yoo Ah In is brilliant as always. No matter in what drama or role, he always does a stellar job and never fails to make me emotional. A lot of people say that this is his best role and I understand them. (still prefer his Bang Won though) Kim Hee Ae is also amazing and I fell in love with her character!
Overall, I do recommend ''Secret Love Affair'' to all the (noona) romance enthusiasts out there. And if you don't mind a different atmosphere and vibe, then I think you should give this a try. However, know that the story is very slow-paced and it can become quite depressing and heavy at some point.
Was this review helpful to you?
STORY
The controversial concept of an older lady falling in love and having an affair with a young man (and a student at that) is a taboo topic that is rarely approached in movies and shows. This drama approaches it very well and I have no complaints there. With that said, it starts off really interesting but by the time you reach the end of this drama, you might feel like you've aged ten years. Everything was really dragged from a certain point. The whole corporate storyline was confusing (but I'm sure it's just because the Netflix subtitles were awful) and a whole lot boring towards the end. The suspense of the forbidden love is what kept me going until the end.
ACTING/CAST
The casting choice was very interesting. Though the supporting roles lacked the ability to capture my interest, the main actors stole the show for me. Yoo Ah In is a fan favorite and I absolutely loved his acting. It was superb and exhilarating. He managed to capture the essence of a young and passionate pianist who falls deeply in love with an older woman who finds him as astonishing as he finds her. Kim Hee Ae was a bombshell in this drama. Swept me off the feet with her charismatic elegance. She portrays a strong female character who is a slave to the corporate system and manages to correct her errors by finding herself in the arms of a young student. Hye Won is in a loveless marriage when she meets Sun Jae. The actors have incredible chemistry and for a moment you seem to forget they aren't supposed to be catching feelings. But as I said, everyone else seemed stiff in comparison to them.
MUSIC
Everything in the drama revolves around the art of music. Hye Won and Sun Jae fall in love by their mutual love of piano. Those were my favorite parts of the drama. Whenever there were scenes of Sun Jae playing the piano, I gushed so hard. Yoo Ah In manages to pull off being a virtuoso pianist so well. You could feel the energy emanating from the screen. It might be boring to those who perhaps don't enjoy classical music, but it was a breath of fresh air in my opinion.
OVERALL
I will not rewatch this, simply because I think it could have been shorter thus more enjoyable. Those who like realistic portrayal of love, the struggles of meeting your own expectations and those of the society, will enjoy this drama. And those who like Yoo Ah In too, I guess. (He was great in Chicago Typewriter, but he is on a whole different level here.) It is mostly worth it for those who study music. For me, it's a tad bit nerve-wracking and slow paced.
Was this review helpful to you?
Sloow but interesting
Sloow, sloow, fast, slooow, slooooooooooooow, slow... boom done... so goes the pace of this drama... As they show us that music can be more erotic than math, a Wook, a poetry reading, getting ones hair washed and motorcycle put together,,.. If a picture can say 1000 words then a piece of music could probably say a 1000 emotions and a bunch of words too... or so it seems as most of the dialog in this drama is replaced by classical music. Unfortunately I do not speak classical music that well... but what I did understand was pretty intense... It could also be the accompanied heavy breathing sweat and looks on the performers face... Forever changing the way I hear the sound of the piano and yes I have seen both the movie The Piano and Do you like Brahms this is in a league of its own...The drama incorporates politics complicated and sophisticated enough to put any historical to shame. As the female lead here is equally as smart as she is scary... Is she an evil mastermind, just another cold female lead, is everybody just a pun in her very elaborate game? Or does she have a kind heart hidden in there somewhere... Well one thing is sure the only time she seems human is when she listens to music and the only time she smiles is with the male lead who just happens to be 20 years younger, poor.... lonely but kind and a musical genius... How they interact, who´s got the power and if there is a heart in there somewhere is what you get to find out if you trouble yourself with watching this drama.
However this is slow, like really, really slow... you could probably easily watch it in triple speed just to slow down for the few moments of dialog and you will just think the music is a bit fast... but other than that you would not notice anything.
Bingabilaty: low
Entertainment: medium
Interesting story with interesting twists: high
Leads: top, top. top
Annoying side characters: not so much
Another strength this drama has is how they show extremes... poor/rich, good/evil, smart/not so smart.... Musical genius who knows only music/regular people... as well as the difference between sugar mommy, age gaps, romance, friendship... An age gap that bothered me less and less as time went by.
So in short it is definitely a drama worth watching but you have to have a lot of patients and enjoy power struggle humour, political twists and sloooooooooow paced everything....
Was this review helpful to you?
Needless to say, I got over my biases and I was rewarded. Secret Love Affair is a stylish, intriguing drama that confronts its heroine with the most impossible of choices: Give up everything you ever lived for and live in poverty for love or continue to live for ambition and deny your feelings unto eternity. I knew the first option was unlikely. (K-Drama does not do poverty and squalor even if passionate love is at the heart of it.) I thought the second option was the only option but a bad option nonetheless. As it turned out, there was a third option, and it revolved around a funny development in the story. Everyone, who means anything to the two lovers, finds out about the affair, but no one condemns the couple. Friends are supportive, and friends who aren’t real friends promise to sweep it under the rug provided the heroine takes the fall for the financial indiscretion of a higher up, or so I gathered. (My attention waned towards the end.)
As befitting a heroine, the heroine defies her enemies and protects her lover. The way she does it—acting as if she has done nothing wrong—however doesn’t do much to build the drama to an exciting ending. It was fun getting there though.
Was this review helpful to you?
I found myself cheering for those two and the drama was compelling enough to keep me playing one episode after another (and I said it isn't my kind of drama). I was dying to see what would happen next. Nonetheless, I feel like this could be well narrowed into a 2h film instead of a 16 episode drama without any losses. But once more I say: this isn't my kind of drama. Yet, there's nothing I can bring forward to stand for my 8.5 rating. I feel like I'm still being unfair but I'll leave it at it. If, like me, you think this doesn't suit your taste, don't watch it unless you're interested in having an unbiased look through the show or you won't be able to properly enjoy it. This is completely different from the shows I'm used to and I have a strange feeling now that it's over but I'd still recommend.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
the story is great, about love that can happen to anyone, doesn't care about age and what the world will say. This is about an affair between a naive genius piano boy with a strong independent woman.
the story so good that my heart ache and pray that they will end together.
the different age is about 20 years old and i think its so big, in the beginning i will just try the first episode, if its good then i'll watch it and if its not i'll just watch other, BUT i fell in love with this drama after i watch it, this drama exceeding my expectation.
the music does not need to be asked is wonderful.
a really good romance drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
If PARASITE was a drama
This is not an easy watch by any means. I urge you to not watch this if you`re not open minded, if you`re immature or moot to the brutal realism of the capitalism run world. If the movie "Parasite" was a show, this is a whole circus.The acting is immaculate. I actually have no complaints whatsoever about any actor. They all did their jobs brilliantly. Kim Hee-Ae and Yoo Ah-In`s chemistry is palpable, raw, it morphes from something animalistic into something frail and true. In fact, the scene where she reads his diary while he plays the piano for her gave me the feeling of being around my long-time crush and steadily spending time, all the while these butterflies kept flying around freely in my stomach. Even my fingers got tingly every time these two were on screen. I have never felt that in a drama and the feeling never went away. At times I was uncomfortable because the things the characters were dealing with hit too close to home as I live in a corrupt country where these situations are all too common.
As I`ve mentioned before, the topics discussed in this drama, which aren`t clear and you have to search for answers yourself, won`t appeal to someone whose biggest problem is what they`re going to wear for the day. I`ve recently had a short discussion about this drama and more importantly, about Hye Won as a character, with someone who sees drama characters as blueprints of how we should live or wish to, so he thought that Hye Won was a pathetic older woman who put herself in this situation and can get out of it any time she wishes to. He blamed her for ruining Sun Jae, pegging him for a victim and saying how she used the Chairman as much as he used her. So I very well understand the polarizing consensus. It doesn`t matter how well acted or written something is, if you aren`t able to place a mirror to yourself and the world and see that people aren`t morally positive or negative, good or evil. Hye Won is a case of a character caught in a monetary trap out of which she cannot escape as a consequence of her co-dependency on money and stability. There is a big difference between born and raised parasites, such as her snobby husband, who acts as a morality gatekeeper when he is nothing more but a puppet, or her anger management issues struck boss Young Woo, who can only live with someone else`s help. Hye Won has to solve their issues and pretend to be a parasite for survival. Nothing she has truly belongs to her. No one recognizes her as an equal even after decades of hard work. So of course she`s going to be drawn to something warm and welcoming, someone who worships her, like Sun Jae.
Some may say that the writing is convoluted, and I think I could see it from their perspective. Little is ever explained and what is, isn`t typical for a drama. It`s ugly, unfair, ruthless and disgusting. And it exists. Right now, someone may be living like this and it`s a sad, sad life. Does that mean that you should justify her behaviour?No, as she herself fed into this carnivorous world. But one should try to understand her because that is the only way to understand the statement behind this drama. Life is messy, sad, pathetic. You have to deal with bullies and corrupt individuals, but there is no happy ending at the end of the tunnel. We all live to survive. But you still root for Hye Won and Sun Jae, because you either understand them, or find redeeming qualities about their characters. Or both.
Whatever the case may be, this is a masterfully acted drama talking about themes that are too uncomfortable for most. But not in the graphic, over the top, violent way. Just in an unfiltered way.
Was this review helpful to you?
Here are so many good comments and reviews on this drama. And I agree with almost all of them, but want to say something too.
First of all, I avoided to watch this drama for last 2 years 'cause I thought that love between two of 40 yo and 20 yo will look awkward. But in fact was NOT awkward at all.
Seeing the 40 yo woman who is still so beautiful, fresh, smart and attractive, I felt inspired and refreshed. I wanted to be like her when I'll be her age. She is tough and soft at the same time as well. She is not an ajumma with stoned and old mind. She is mature and strong but has young mind. Such a rare combination. Just loved her.
That 20 yo boy admiring the woman... I felt his passionate love during all the drama. It is his passion that kept me in bitter-sweet tension so that I couldn't stand but kept watching the drama non-stop, tho my body&mind was naturally tired in the middle. This role really suits to Yoo Ah In. I agree with all praises to him written in the reviews. Btw I've watched an interwiew with him after, and his answers and comments were so deep and thoughtful, - which I never expecting from him, - that I started to respect and like him as a person pretty much.
I felt alive for some time thanks to this drama.
May be it wouldn't impress me so much if there were not the unique cinematography.All colors are darken so it looks like an art of movie. Seems like this color trick smoothens all flaws of acting and environment. My eyes were having rest from all that bright, light and colorful other dramas.
It was great that there are alot of classical music, and they play piano a lot. This makes drama about music the drama about music. And the music is great and it shows their soul, their passion so well. Oh sometimes too well: when playing music feels and looks like sex or even better.
Bad thing here for me is the business talks. I tried to scroll them as much as possible. Though this side of our main heroine's life is interesting. Just for me, it is shown boring.
Half of supporting cast didn't seem good at acting. Only that's why I rate acting 8, not 10.
I don't think I will want to rewatch it soon. The reason is... The drama is slow and it seems that almost nothing changes and all scenes just repeat and repeat but just in different shot and with slight changes to continue the story. That's why it feels like I've already rewatched the same thing many times )) Don't worry, all that repeatitive and similar scenes are so deep, beautifull, intense and passionate that it's rather enjoyable repeatition ))
Was this review helpful to you?
I thought that the chemist between the two leads was FIRE!!! they were definitely the best part of the show which is also why I gave a total rating of 8.5 because the rest of the storyline wasn't strong. I understand why it was what it was, that her being corrupt allowed him to come in and "save" her from herself. But whenver they weren't on screen together I just didn't care about what was going on.
I still really enjoyed the show and have already rewatched some scenes on YouTube. All in all, I'm satisfied. For a kdrama that aired on cable, this is a passionate romance that I'll think back in frequently and may rewatch again one day. Seeing how hye won changed as a person and fell in love, was beautiful.
Also I must say, some of the camera shots were nicely done.
Was this review helpful to you?
