(Updated Review 2022)

Wow. What a difference time (and age (I’m getting old, folks)) makes. I don't remember when I first watched this drama (pretty sure the date for my original review is wrong), but my thoughts today are so vastly different from what they were then, that all I can say is.... I was wrong. Very wrong. Like cringing with embarrassment as I read my old review through my fingers, wrong. (You can also cringe-read that review below this updated one, as I've left it up for posterity's sake.)

Sometimes you have an inaccurate understanding of a stories characters, their motivations, their life experiences, what the writer is trying to convey/portray with their actions, and I would say that was definitely the case for me with this drama. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, including the leads. I found the romance unbelievable (I couldn’t see him falling in love with her, even when I held up a microscope). I wanted to throw the secondary leads into a fire (I mean, what’s new with these old-school dramas, lol). Basically, I DETESTED this drama.

But I was also in my rom-com’s only, don’t really care about what’s happening outside of the romance, only secondary characters who are happy and fun please, phase. There's nothing ultimately wrong with this, in my opinion, and I still very much have that side of me at times, but I’ve definitely changed as a drama-watcher since first watching Personal Taste. I’ve expanded my list of genre’s I’m willing to sit down in front of my computer for, I’ve found I actually enjoy stories that aren’t solely about romance or maybe don’t have romance at all, I’m genuinely interested in all of the side characters and watching their story arc progression, and I’ve even become more open to understanding the ‘evil’ secondary leads and seeing them as 3-dimensional characters rather than simply ‘the bad guy(s) out to stop my OTP.’

I was unsure going into Personal Taste a second time if it was really worth it to give the drama another chance, but I was also very curious to see if my perspective had changed. And I'm here to say that I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying this drama. Not only did I not need a microscope to see the romance, I Liked the main couple. A Lot. All of the stuff with the house and the competition and trying to figure out the perfect design bored me before, but I was firmly invested this time. The heartbreaking circumstances of the death of the female lead’s mother and her subsequent feelings of guilt and self-loathing and worthlessness struck a real chord with me. And believe it or not, I found myself feeling sympathetic for both secondary participants in the drama’s love octopus. The second male lead has a fantastic period of growth in the story where he becomes just plain likable. They kind of ruin it for a bit towards the end, but they do ultimately choose to leave him a redeemed man, which I’m happy with. My sympathy waned over time for the second female lead as the writers don’t do a lot to make her particularly sympathetic, but her motivations made sense to me, and I pitied her to a certain degree.

Overall, this is just a much better drama then I gave it credit for before, and I’m glad I re-watched it, because now I can set the record straight on how I feel about it. I think it’s pretty dang great, and I recommend it.

Original Review:
I don't remember most of what happened in this drama as I found the whole thing completely uninteresting.

The leads had Zero chemistry. Like, none. They put in an admirable effort, but it was just not there. Which is disappointing, because more chemistry between them might have made this a better drama for me. (Being able to believe in a romance is key.) But I couldn’t believe in them as a couple, and watching them be romantic with each other quickly went from cute to awkward, and then from awkward to uncomfortable. The final scene…made me want to close my eyes and pretend it wasn’t happening.

I have No idea why this Love Octopus (love triangle) existed. Park Kae In being hung up on him, sure. I can understand that. But why was he so determined to get her back???

HE DIDN'T LIKE HER, FAM.

He should have been tossed in a fire and never seen from again.

The second female lead? I’m honestly not even sure why she dumped the second male lead to begin with since she knew the whole time she was dating him that he was seeing her ‘best friend’ too and didn't seem all that upset about it. Just marry the dude and get it over with. The two of you clearly deserve each other. (Hate is Not a strong enough word to describe how I feel about the secondary leads.)

And does it not seem a little unrealistic that after all those years of living in that house that she would have never moved the pallet out of the middle of her living/dining room and seen that there was a glass floor underneath? Did she never spill her food and have to clean it up? Like ever?

Honestly, the farther away from this drama I get…the more I hate it. Very little chemistry between the leads. The secondary leads were awful. The Love Octopus should not exist. The overarching storyline was uninteresting. The ending was completely awkward and lackluster. And you would think with those two living in close quarters like that, we would get more awkward, romantic, run-ins. But no, the drama denied me that.

This is not worth the watch, in my opinion.

At least her house was pretty though?