SECRET'S secret of a successful drama - THE CAST
My first review although I have been having sleepless nights watching dramas throughout the lockdown period. BUT i had to give a review on this because one character who stood out though a mere supporting character. But the character Gwang Soo was my ultimate favourite in this series. A through and through loyal assistant who never flinched and would never stop a second from carrying out a task given by the hero Min Hyuk. The story was not typical but it was too melodramatic for me to give it a full-scale 10. But every character was aptly cast hence the acting was impeccably played. the romance was just nice without the normal cliche of falling in love very quickly. it was steady progress and took place at the perfect timing.Was this review helpful to you?
Captivating melodrama
One of the things that made this drama an enjoyable watch was the plot. I couldn't help but feel bad for everything Yoo Jung was going through but it was great seeing her trying to make her way of living after being in prison. Liked the fact the drama didn't focus too much on Yoo Jung's time in prison.The acting was so good especially from the leads.
Music was well suited for the drama.
My rewatch value isn't that high because it was so sad in the beginning and I thought there's no way a person can endure that much.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
NO WORDS FOR THE CAST!
I love how the story is quite different and it portrayed how much can one person do in the name of love and success. THE ACTORS DID REALLY GREAT. I love the music used in this drama.SPOILER ALERT:
The end part kinda weirded me in a way because Do Hoon admitted to his faults just because he felt guilty upon seeing his son living with another family. I get it since he is the father but with his character, I think he won't let his successful career go down the drain just because he felt sorry for his son AFTER ALL THOSE SACRIFICES TO GET UP THERE. Another thing, Min-hyuk's father in the end just allowed his son to do what he wants when he spent his whole life pushing him to be the heir. Se-yeon on the other hand broke up with Min-hyuk even if she said that it's fine being unhappy as long as they're together. If this is character development, it's good. But I don't think the situations that occurred is enough for them to suddenly have character development. It's like they changed suddenly because the show will end already. Just my two cents.
Was this review helpful to you?
Absolutely must watch.
I've watched this drama about 10 times and continue to watch my favorite parts.They have other versions, Thai and Turkish. This is the best version.
The story, acting, music, etc... everything is a 11/10. I don't speak the language, but I have all the songs on my playlist and listen to them as I drive to work.
Don't give it a second thought, just watch it, you'll have no regrets.
Fell in love with both the ML and FL, have watched a few more dramas with the ML. and his movie PS is absolutely a must watch also.
Was this review helpful to you?
One of the classics ever!!
It starts pretty off and we think that it is totally unfair but when we get into the further episodes, we just binge watch and the characters portrayed the roles very well and I am not writing any spoilers but yeah a must watch one and all the cast lived up to the mark and story went very well and the resentment from the leads after knowing the secrets is so well shown and I can deliberately say that these type of dramas are rare now a days..MUST WATCH PERIOD!!Every thing in this drama made much more sense and every death had a cause and also the chemistry between leads was phenomenal....whenever female lead tears up,,we tear up too omg she was fabulous
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Really puts you through the wringer
After watching more than 50 Kdramas over the last couple years, this one for me tops them all for the amount of angst, emotional turmoil, and tears. That's saying a lot. But I can't think of another lead character who goes through as much tragedy and suffering as Yoo Jeong. She has to put up with everyone unjustly thinking she's a murderer, and she has to go through the humiliating and scarring experience of being imprisoned. And on top of that, her beloved dad is murdered by her traitorous boyfriend. Her baby is stolen from her and turned into a stranger by her evil stepmother. Her fiance, for whom she sacrificed her life basically, turns into her worst enemy. And then this crazy rich guy chokes her and constantly tortures her because he mistakenly believes she's a murderer. No wonder she cried so much throughout this whole show.But it's frustrating because much of this is her own damn fault. One thing that Kdramas have taught me is that honesty is the best policy. I get frustrated at how much the main characters in Kdramas lie or refuse to reveal important information out of some self-destructive and idiotic sense of duty or twisted sense of morality. But of course, this deceptiveness and secrecy almost always hurts not only them but the people they're trying to protect. So imagine if Yoo Jeong had simply told the truth at the beginning and admitted that Do Hoon was driving the damn car. She would have avoided jail, her dad would still be alive, and she would still have her baby. Do Hoon would have gone to jail, but he was going to jail anyway, except she would have spared him his complete descent into pure evil, so he would only have to feel guilt about the hit and run, which was nothing compared to the horrible stuff he ended up doing to Yoo Jeong. He would have been released in a couple of years, and actually, Yoo Jeong would have probably waited for him, and they would have probably become married. Maybe as an ex-con, Do Hoon would have had to change careers, but he and Yoo Jeong would have been much happier, even if he ended up doing something less prestigious than being a prosecutor.
Now of course, in this alternate universe, Do Hoon would have had to face Min Heok's obsessive hatred at the beginning, rather than at the end. So maybe Min Heok would have tried to take Yoo Jeong and the baby away from Do Hoon as his revenge. Maybe Min Heok would have seduced Yoo Jeong while Do Hoon was in jail as his revenge. So then the final results would have been similar, except that Yoo Jeong would still have her dad and the baby.
The point of all this rambling is just to express how frustrated and angry I was at the stupid or despicable actions of all the characters. If you want to watch this show, you have to be ready to go through an emotional rollercoaster, and you'll probably end up crying, groaning, yelling, and possibly throwing things at the screen. So this drama really did a great job of pushing my buttons and getting me hooked. I was staying up late every night watching it, even while I was often disgusted by the improbabilities of the plot and the stupid behavior of the characters.
One last flaw I want to mention is that after taking you through so much tragedy and sadness, the show suddenly gives you a happy ending at the very end that's so abrupt that I found it a little confusing and unsatisfying. So Min Heok and Yoo Jeong had to give each other up for the sake of Min Heok's father and the company. But then after he goes away for a few years to Armenia and comes back, the father is now OK with Yoo Jeong? I'm not totally sure what really happened at the end with Min Heok, his father, and the business. But beyond that, when a show gives you lots and lots of darkness and tragedy, I think they need to give you at least a full hour or more of happiness and joy at the end to help balance things out, rather than just the last few minutes, otherwise it could leave you unsatisfied.
But I'll remember this show and the character of Yoo Jeong for a long time, because of the huge emotional impact it made on me. And that's one of the main reasons why I watch TV shows and movies and read novels, so despite its flaws, I'm glad I watched it.
Was this review helpful to you?
The acting is good and characters in the storyline are great. Overcoming the the feeling of hatred towards the person you believed have done bad in your life, turning it into something special and bringing deeper relationship between the leads. I so love how the male lead slowly falls inlove despite the anger kept within.
Praise to the writer for the story plot.
Give points to the director which result to good ratings and multiple awards and nominations.
overall ... i love this kdrama...
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama defined the thin line between love and hate.
Started this drama for Ji Sung after watching Kill me, Heal me. He's an AMAZING actor and I loved the chemistry between the main leads.I LOVED this drama. Didn't like the stupidly of the FL at first, but after 4 episodes, I started to like her more.
Music: Perfect. All the sound tracks went so well with all the scenes, it made them so much more dramatic and let you feel the tension.
This drama really shows you the thin line between love and hate. It shows the difference between love and obsession and love that starts from obsession. The opposite of Wuthering Heights.
Main Leads (Min Hyeok and Yoo Jung): I loved Min Hyeok immediately and throughout. I also loved Yoo Jung, she grew on me, but at first she was just plain naive and stupid. Min Hyeok and Yoo Jung, though they seem a world apart, especially in the first few episodes, they were really alike. Out of every character in this drama, they were the only two who truly knew how to love another person and sacrifice for them. Min Hyeok was at first obsessed with revenge, but his stalking of Yoo Jung litterally saved her life countless times. He was there for her when no one else was. I found it ironic and quite funny that the person who said they hated Yoo Jung the most, was the person who was always there for her to lean on and rely on. His revenge was an obsession, but his love for her was real unlike the relationship between the second leads.
Second Leads (Do Hoon and Se Yeon): I really liked the Se Yeon at the start (the first half) of this drama. She had a really nice friendship with Min Hyeok whome she was engaged to. She was a really nice person in general, which is why the Do Hoon started obsessing over her. I wouldn't say Do Hoon ever truly loved her because he didn't have the emotional capacity to love. At the start she was simply friendly to the Do Hoon and very clear that she only wanted friendship. But when she started actually siding with the Do Hoon, and not just to make Min Hyeok jealous, I started to dislike her, I HATED her double standards. Her love for Min Hyeok was an obsession, similar to Do Hoon's obsession with her. Her downward spiral was very satisfying though I did find it a pity that such a good person went down as she did. I'd blame it on Do Hoon, but she helped further instigate him by leading him on and telling him to go up the social ladder, entirely so that she can make Min Hyeok jealous. The only satisfaction I found with Se Yeon and Do Hoon's relationship was that they were both pathetically clinging on to each other and using each other, and were both too stupid to realise this.
My favourite quote:
- Min Hyeok after he reads Wuthering Heights says: "Revenge that starts from love ends in tragedy. What I'm curious about is, if it's the opposite, love that starts from revenge, what happens to that?"
- Min Hyeak to Do Hoon (FL's ex) after he starts dating Yoo Jung: "Pitiful bastard. Do you still not know what you've lost?" (He truly appreciated the Yoo Jung, something the Do Hoon didn't have the capacity to do and couldn't fathom why Do Hoon treated her so badly).
Ending (SPOILERS):
The thing I was anticipating the most in this drama is not the main leads ending up together, but the second leads getting what they deserve. I really wanted the Yoo Jung to get her justice and by episode 15 it really seemed like she would. But, I was NOT satisfied with the justice she got. Do Hoon and his mother deserved MUCH worse. They both needed to be punished for EVERYTHING they did, but they didn't. I didn't care much for Se Yeon, the fact that her love wasn't reciprocated and would never have been reciprocated by Min Hyeok was enough for me.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I'm not a huge fan of melodrama and romance together but however, this drama could be perfectly summarized into two words: A masterpiece. It had some flaws but I'm glad that I watched every last bit of it, although I have had my moments where I was so frustrated and wanted to drop it within the first few episodes, this drama definitely won't fail you once you pick it back up again. Let's start with the actors. I've seen Hwang Jung-eum's acting before in Kill Me Heal Me, but I found her acting in Secret to be more likeable than KMHM. Some people won't like Yoojung's personality at first as people might view her as submissive and somewhat of an idiot but I found Yoojung to be the optimistic but naive girl that by showing her kindness, the world would repay it to her the same way. However, that wasn't the case as she suffered and endured a lot and had a total 180 with her personality to the point where I cried every time she did and felt her pain to the max. Ji Sung did a superb work with portraying the rich but a huge jerk of a guy that thought he could have it all but then started to develop a sense of responsibility for all of his actions, while also having an obsession disorder that I think was portrayed amazingly. Bae Soo-bin and Lee Dae-hee. Amazing. Bae Soo-bin is the definition of the guy whom you thought was the perfect boyfriend to the person whom you wanted to crush him every time you saw him and Dae-hee was the perfect classy but petty second female lead and I couldn't help but want to see more of them. Truly wonderful actors.
The story was a reversal of Wuthering Heights. A love that resulted from revenge that was not an easy plot to realize into a likeable drama like this one, but I was so fascinated with every plot twists and obviously, the 'secrets' that were uncovered, which would make you view the whole drama from a whole new perspective. However my one critic is that the ending was a bit unreal for me and how Se-yeon let go of her grudge so quickly was questionable. The ending was fast-paced and all of Yoojung's problems were all solved and uncovered by themselves, which I thought was going to be bit-by-bit. In spite of that I rooted for the poetic justice that Yoojung has finally received.
The music is amaaazing!! I still get shivers and I have all of the OST's on my playlist, definitely a masterpiece OST that truly convey what each of the couple's are truly feeling. Rewatch value is a 9 for two things: The crying and the melodrama. Even if you rewatched the drama a couple of times you would still sympathize with the characters and cry with Yoojung and that what makes it even more amazing, but not for sensitive hearts like mine haha. ;w;
Overall, this drama is a 10/10. definitely would recommend. If you're looking for a quality drama, quality actors, tear-jerking music that would truly 'steal your heart', a drama to cry your eyes out while still cherishing those happy moments once in while, then definitely go for it. Don't watch it if you're looking for a time-waster or watch it while multitasking cause this drama WILL TAKE UP YOUR ENTIRE SCHEDULE. Seriuously, I binged watched it while i had my finals #sorrynotsorry. :D
Was this review helpful to you?
Wow.. Very dramatic but also so beautiful
How can one bear this many dramas ? Maybe because she is loved by far much...A very dramatic melodrama, a tearjecker and at the same time, it was wonderful. Great acting, great story, great lovestory, very well paced, gripping...
I bingewatched it cause I couldn't let go after episode 6. The actors are soooo good and the chemistry between the 2 leads is amazing. It's a story about revenge, hate, family, impossible love... and how far one person is willing to go to keep a lie, how far one is willing to go for love... and how love can save someone.
It's a must watch.
i didn't give the drama a 10 because i'm just a littlfe frustrated by the end, i wanted a little bit more of them together :-)
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I should've watched sooner - Recommended!
I had this series in my watchlist for quite a while. Finally decided to watch and boy must I tell you I should've watched this sooner. This drama was incredible good despite the fact it's already 10 years old! Now, I actually expected a more rom-com like drama, boy was I wrong. I am not an easy crier I must admit, but I have cried my eyes out for poor Yoo Jung. What she went through was absolutely insane. She has all my respect and I am glad that she could recover from all that trauma. This drama was amazing and I highly recommend watching it.However, there are a couple of things that made me have so many feelings at once. (Emotions slipped a little while typing)
- Ahn Do Hoon (Her ex-fiancé); At first I felt very mixed about him. He wasn't that great of a boyfriend and Yoo Jung was blinded by love and accepted his proposal. He hit a goddamn person and as a prosecutor he still decides to run off? Now, I understand that he must've been scared for the consequences and his job etc. but him just leaving her to die is insane. Letting Yoo Jung pay for HIS actions and not even thinking about stepping forward and instead letting his innocent fiancé go in his place really did it for me. I actually felt bad for him due to the pressure he had to face after all that not anymore. But come on, how could Yoo Jung still think that being together while and after the whole trial + imprisonment was okay like he didn't do anything wrong? She trusted him way too much and it annoyed me so much. After all this bullcrap of his and after he reached a higher title he suddenly acted all high and mighty, it disgusted me so much that each time his face came on screen I had to remain calm not dragging him 100m into the ground. Him threatening both Yoo Jung and Min Hyuk like he isn't the problem of this situation. It was so satisfying to see him on his knees, apologizing like a dog and getting water splashed over him. But Kidnapping Yoo Jung's father because his minf was sharp and regained memories made my blood boil. That man treated him as his own and even forgave him yet fear took over Do Hoon. All I can say is that I'm glad he finally gave in and hope he rots in prison. Props to the actor Bae Soo Bin for being great at his job as actor lol.
- Shin Se Yeon; Incredibly irrelevant. Imo she was just an unnecessary obstacle and I hated the sight of her. Not much to be said about her since I skipped parts of her.
- Do Hoon's mother; What a disgusting witch. Giving her grandson away with the most stupidest reason. She had no right to do so and still thought she did the right thing but visits her grandson as much as she'd like? No wonder Do Hoon turned like that, his mother is as evil and nasty as him. Hated her, absolutely hated her from the beginning. She should serve til death.
- Yoo Jung's father; He knew, he KNEEEEEEEW! Yet kept his mouth shut. It angered me, I get that Do Hoon was like a son to him or whatever but please... I love her father so much but that caught me off guard.
- Girl that hurt San (Forgot her name); AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. How could she do such thing to a baby and still begging for forgiveness while crying like a baby. Hated her.
- Relationship between that Kwang Min and Min Joo; UH WHAT? It lowkey grossed me out and was so random like I thought he was like 50 and Min Joo like 18. Idk how old they were supposed to be but glad it was only 1 scene of her holding his arm.
- Min Hyuk (I love Ji Sung); I loved him but sometimes he was so intense (I still loved it) but the car scene where he kissed her and just ate her up like it was his last meal seemed kind of like assault as she didn't want to kiss him. I might've misinterpreted it, but that was the only thing that made me go like wow step back.
- San; Not about San himself but I was so sad when Yoo Jung saw her son and wanted him back so bad and I did feel bad for Do Hoon aswell seeing your child with 2 strangers that are his parents must've been so hard to accept for the both of them. Yet I'm glad Yoo Jung chose to let him go and held that family together even though it hurts. It was definitely the right choice but also the hardest.
All negatives aside, I definitely enjoyed watching it and loved the 2 broken hearts reparing eachothers and eventually love eachother ^^ Min Hyuk was so obsessed with her that he fell for her and made her fall for him.
Was this review helpful to you?
What A Good Surprise
As the headline says, this drama took me by surprise. I had been going through quite a number of K-dramas prior and was not expecting much from this one. However, I got glued to it from the beginning right to the end. The plot was highly acceptable, the acting was superb and the script intelligent. I found myself not fast forwarding and even rewound some parts to understand the plot more, which is so unlike me.So there you have it. A story about love which started with revenge, electrifying chemistry where Ji Sung (Jo Min Hyeok) did a great job! with Hwang Jung Eun playing Yoo Jeong (lead roles). My heart pounded watching Min Hyeok's hate turning to love for Yoo Jeong.
Supporting roles were also extremely believable by Jung Soo Young (a friend made by Yoo Jeong whilst in prison) and ex boyfriend Ahn Doo Hoon who acted his mean part well. The friendship between Min Hyeok and his assistant Gwang Soo had me laughing quite a bit too. They were cute together.
The Directors had the flow of the drama plotted out really well with no boring moments and enacted in a clever way. I was tensed and looked forward to every scene as the real reason for Yoo Jeong being betrayed unfolded.
A drama worth watching and not to be missed. Ji Sung was fabulous. This would be a drama I would want to watch again real soon.
Was this review helpful to you?
