The Glory — An Extraordinary Journey from Trauma to Triumph
Watching “The Glory” was not just entertainment — it has been one of the most soul-wrenching, eye-opening experiences I’ve had in a long time. Not just because of its intense and gripping plot, but because of the raw, unflinching portrait it paints of trauma — not the kind we casually reference in conversation, but the kind that leaves deep, lasting physical and psychological scars. The kind that reshapes you. That haunts you.At the heart of it all is Zhuang Hanyan — and she’s not just a character. She is a walking wound, both physically and emotionally. A survivor of trauma most people can’t even begin to imagine. This isn’t just a revenge story. It’s not a romantic story. It’s the story of a girl denied the luxury of innocence, forced to survive in a world that offered her nothing but cruelty — and still, she breathes, perseveres, and ultimately triumphs against all odds.
<< A Life Shaped by Trauma >>
From the moment she was born, Hanyan’s world was one of darkness and violence. Abandoned at birth, wrongfully branded a “barefoot ghost,” she was torn from her biological parents living in Ming Dynasty Beijing, and discarded into the hands of cruel, abusive adoptive family in a remote, impoverished village called Danzhou. Her childhood wasn’t just difficult — it was a relentless crucible of suffering: beatings, starvation, humiliation, and sexual assault — all before she even had the words to describe her pain.
Most people would have broken under the weight of what she endured.
But Hanyan’s suffering didn’t end there.
When she was finally reunited with her birth family, clinging to a fragile hope for love and belonging, she was met with more rejection, manipulation, and abandonment. Her biological mother — the one person she had longed to know — responded not with warmth but with cruelty: caning her, starving her, pushing her away with chilling detachment.
And then — the unimaginable. Hanyan witnessed her biological mother’s murder, brutally and mercilessly carried out by the man she had called father. A mother she had only just begun to love, died poisoned and bleeding in her arms. Later, she would learn he had also killed her grandfather, her stepsister, her stepfather, two loyal maids — anyone who dared stand in his way.
How does a person survive that?
How do you even breathe after that?
<< The Messy, Honest Truth About Trauma >>
"The Glory" doesn’t just tell us about her trauma. It makes us feel it — bone-deep, breath-shattering. It doesn’t romanticize trauma. It doesn’t use it as a decorative backstory or a convenient excuse for sympathy. It shows trauma as it truly is — raw, jagged, messy, suffocating, and unrelenting. The kind that reshapes how she sees the world, how she makes decisions, and how she learns to survive in a life that has given her nothing but agony from the moment she was born.
Hanyan’s trauma bleeds into everything: her thoughts, her choices, her relationships. Her coldness, her rage, her recklessness, her mistrust of people, and her thirst for justice at any cost — these are not signs of cruelty or evil. They are the armour she wears to survive.
Yes, she lashes out. Yes, she is messy. Yes, she makes mistakes. Yes, she is reckless. Yes, she breaks down. But how else is someone supposed to respond when they've been told, over and over again, that they don’t matter? When their very existence has been battered, broken, and betrayed?
To expect composure from the shattered is not only unfair and unrealistic — it’s cruel.
"The Glory" reminds us that real trauma is not tidy and nice. It doesn’t produce people who are graceful, likable, or thoughtful. It produces people who are angry, cold, explosive, guarded, impulsive, or volatile. People who wrap love in fear, and safety in suspicion. Underneath it all, is a human being, simply struggling to crawl out of the wreckage with nothing but sheer will.
And yet, Hanyan keeps going — not for praise or pity, but because her pain demands justice. Because her story demands to be heard.
<< Compassion Heals: Yunxi’s Choice >>
And maybe — just maybe — that is healing.
But here’s what we often forget: healing from trauma is not a straight line. It’s not always calm. It’s not always graceful. It’s not always pleasant. Sometimes, healing looks like rage. Sometimes, it looks like destruction. Sometimes, it looks like burning everything down just to prove you still have control over something.
Enter Fu Yunxi — the one person who knows Hanyan’s brokenness most intimately. He sees her pain, has touched her scars, lived through the fire of her fury, felt the sting of her mistrust. And still — he stays. He never flinched, never turned away. He pursued her, married her — not just out of love, but because he believed in her. He trusted her strength. He knew she would protect his family. And when Hanyan prepared a divorce letter on their wedding night — not out of rejection, but a desperate gesture to shield him and his family from the fallout of her dangerous quest for justice — he burned it without hesitation. Not to possess her, but to tell her, in the clearest way he knew how:
I choose you. Even now. Especially now. You are not too broken to be loved.
If he — the one closest to her rage, her sorrow, her scars — could choose compassion over judgment — then why can’t we?
<< The World’s Quick Judgment >>
In the real world, survivors like Hanyan are too often branded with convenient, dismissive labels: “angry,” “broken,” “evil,” “irrational,” “cold,” “reckless,” “stupid,” or “beyond saving.”
But these aren’t character flaws — they’re the visible signs of invisible wounds.
The Glory reminds us of a hard truth: behind every trauma survivor is a story we cannot fully comprehend, pain we cannot measure, and suffering we may never see.
Because there are countless Hanyans among us — bearing invisible wounds from battles we may never fully know or understand. They don’t need our judgment. They need our presence. Our compassion. Our willingness to listen, even when the truth is hard to hear.
Hanyan is not a villain — she is a mirror held up to our society — a crucial reminder that people break in different ways, and that healing isn’t always straightforward. And her story, with all its brokenness and all its resilience, deserves compassion above all.
She isn’t heartless. She’s hurting.
She wasn’t trying to destroy others. She was trying to reclaim herself — to feel safe, to feel whole, to feel human.
Before we judge her for her rage or recklessness, we must ask:
What would you become, if you were taught that love always ends in betrayal, that trust is a weapon, and that your body and voice were never truly your own?
<< A Wake-Up Call for Us All >>
"The Glory" is not just a drama. It is a reckoning.
A searing reminder that real trauma doesn’t get resolved in a season or in a single kind gesture. It lingers. It shapes how you see the world. It stains relationships, and even the good moments with fear and suspicion — because trauma teaches you that every joy comes with a cost.
And that’s a lesson we desperately need today:
• Stop expecting perfection from the wounded.
• Stop demanding grace from the broken.
• Stop measuring worth by how “well” someone hides their pain.
And instead —
• Start creating space for the messiness of healing.
• Start showing up — not with judgment, but with empathy and kindness.
• Start offering understanding, not assumptions.
• Start offering help instead of knee-jerk reactions.
Because real life doesn’t come with dramatic music or scripted redemption arcs. In real life, survivors walk among us — quietly, bravely — carrying wounds we cannot see, fighting battles we may never understand.
So the next time someone seems angry, cold, distant, or hard to love — pause.
Consider what they might be surviving — and choose kindness.
<< The Glory’s Final Gift >>
"The Glory" doesn’t just tell a story. It gives trauma a voice. It gives pain a face. And it calls on us — the audience — to become better people. Not with pity, but with humanity.
Yes —" The Glory" may be just entertainment for some. And yes — the characters are pure fiction. But if, even after everything shown on screen — her backstory, her trauma, her rage, her vulnerability — we still cannot empathize with Hanyan… Then how will we ever truly empathize with a real survivor in real life?
• Let "The Glory" be more than just a show.
• Let it be a mirror.
• Let it change how we see, how we feel, and how deeply we care.
Because empathy — real, honest, uncomfortable empathy — is what makes us human.
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This review may contain spoilers
I feel like they could have done more with the characters and paced the story better.
There were parts that were compelling and gripping, and then parts where the plot dragged like crazy and I could only get through it at 1.5x speed, especially the middle. I think they spent too much time on the townspeople gossiping about Samdal and Yongpil when they had their own lives to live. I also felt like Yongpil's dad coming around was too sudden and we should have seen a gradual change start several episodes earlier. I also think the downfall of the villain was too brief for the grief she caused. Overall I feel mixed about it. I think this story could have been told and been better in 10 eps max. My favorite character is probably the little girl. She was too cute for words but was also the voice of reason a lot. I don't think I'd recommend this for most, there's better and there's worse.Was this review helpful to you?
Asuma Ibuki and Otazawa Mei are Mutsumi's classmates. They've been best friends since childhood, with the tomboyish Ibuki always at Mei's side as her constant protector and savior. Mei is shy to the point of being almost incapable of interacting with anyone else, so the two of them focus solely on each other, rarely allowing anyone else into their circle.
With Mei being so fearful of other people, Mutsumi at first sees her as his ultimate challenge, but as soon as he starts in with his usual tactics to win her over Ibuki realizes what he's up to and fiercely shuts him down.
This leads the undaunted Mutsumi to start thinking that Ibuki herself would be an even more challenging conquest than Mei. He makes a bet with two of his friends that he can make Ibuki fall in love with him, and from there the game begins.
A compelling addition to the series are occasional "self confessional" videos where individual characters sit alone and reveal their private thoughts and feelings. These segments are filmed in portrait mode as though recorded with a mobile phone, adding to their sense of immediacy and rawness. It is here that we learn how troubled Mutsumi really is, and Mei as well. In Mutsumi's case these sessions expand upon his character and make him more sympathetic, and it's through them that we learn that the feelings he's showing toward Ibuki have become real for him.
Ibuki is the most central character to the series, since the other three -- Mei, Mutsumi, and a younger student named Sakurai Nao (introduced about midway through the series) -- are much defined by the ways in which Ibuki has awakened a need in each for a deeper connection with her.
Performances are superb all around.
Itagaki Mizuki impressively navigates the many sides of Mutsumi's character, making us gradually understand why he's become so guarded and hostile, and eventually making us want the best for him. With Ibuki's encouragement Mutsumi gathers the courage to let others -- including his estranged mother -- know the real him, and it's endearing to see how much wonder he feels over Ibuki's sincere concern for his emotional well-being.
Takeda Rena as Mei fully embodies that character's vulnerability, and we cheer her on when she finally attempts to expand her world beyond Ibuki, one tiny step at a time.
Rounding out the main cast, Goto Yutaro makes a perfect Nao, androgynously beautiful and fearless in his own way, not hesitating to make his feelings known to Ibuki as soon as he realizes them.
'Sixteen Shoukougun' ('Sixteen Syndrome') is much more than a high school romance. Its complex characters will stay with you long after it has ended, and if you're like me you'll be returning to it again to pick up on what you might have missed before.
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Acting/Cast: I love seeing Wallace and Tiffany on screen together! They made the most adorable couple ever! They were hilarious and had amazing chemistry. I enjoyed almost all their scenes together - from the hilarious bickering to the sweet lovey doveyness. Some parts were heartbreaking to watch though T_T But of course, we need all that drama - but sometimes I just can't understand how a guy can have the heart to act so cold and cruel to the girl he loves! *sigh* This couple and the way they acted kind of reminded me of Alec and Vicki in Princess Pearl - their personalities are actually both quite similar The second couple was actually a little boring for me to watch - again, very similar to Zhou Jie and Ruby in Princess Pearl. Even alot of the situations were very similar. I cringed though at Gong Mi's acting.. I'm not sure who she is but everytime she talks her eyebrows will move oddly O.o and that kind of bothered me. Thank god she wasn't on screen all that much!
Music:I loved the music in this drama. The opening theme was quite catchy and bubbly, whereas the ending theme was beautiful and and emotional. I loved the ending theme alot and I can still hear it playing in my head now. I also loved how they played the female version during the later episodes - it was a totally different feeling with the same emotions (don't really know how to explain XD) I remember a few other insert songs that were modernised with the oriental music. A type of genre I really enjoy actually. One particular song that cracks me up is the 'bouncy' background music that they play whenever they (I think it's mostly Tiffany) acts all goofy and stuff. It really adds on the comedic effect.
Rewatch Value: I don't usually have time to rewatch dramas but in this case, I would rewatch all the scenes between Wallace and Tiffany. It would be amazing if someone actually cut all their scenes and made it into one big video. I'm sure that video will bring a big smile to my face whenever I need that extra cheering up!
Overall: I know I mentioned love alot already, but I must admit, I LOVE this drama so much! I'm having some withdrawal symptoms already! The story wasn't anything spectacular, but I absolutely loved it from beginning to end. This was a very light and fluffy drama with lots of romance - and I loved that! From the very first episode I was quickly reminded of Princess Pearl and throughout the whole drama I could feel the same elements used. From the characters to the scenarios, I could see all the similarities... and since I loved Princess Pearl so SO much I couldn't help but adore this just as much - though the story was a lot weaker. Wallace and Tiffany are easily one of my biased couples now although Wallace and Joe are also my bias XD I'm torn!
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This drama is easily, without a doubt, the weirdest drama I have ever watched. From the very beginning and your first introduction to Soo Kwang, I could tell this drama was going to be different. It was amazing and so poignant, and I honestly believe that it might make some strides in reducing the fear and ignorance people have when it comes to mentally ill individuals.
First off, I want to say just how amazingly well suited the cast was to working with each other. Their chemistry was just phenomenal, and there was hardly a moment that went by that you weren't just so happy to see them all together. Soo Kwang and Dong Min's relationship was touching, and how much they fought for each other, and WITH each other, just felt so real and unique. They were a house of people that most other people would scoff at and call them all certifiably insane, but they also all loved each other unconditionally and that is rare.
As a Running Man fan, I was so excited to watch this for Lee Kwang Soo. I was a little worried when I heard his character, Soo Kwang, was going to have Tourette's, but Kwang Soo played it off absolutely brilliantly. This was my first Jo In Sung drama, but it will certainly not be my last. He was able to put on so many hats in this drama, from the romantic leading man, to the hurt little boy who has to face his childhood demons. I was seriously impressed with his range.
Story line wise, this drama always felt fresh and was almost never boring. There were a few times when I was irritated a little bit by how much the two main leads fought towards the middle of the drama, but it was definitely barely enough to knock it down half a point.
I really loved how this drama dealt with mentally ill individuals. It never made you feel like they were ridiculing them, and it really did its best to try and foster understanding that just because a person is sick, it doesn't make them any less deserving of love and happiness. I also loved how this drama really made you question who the bad guys were, and if sometimes you weren't your own biggest enemy.
The music in this drama was just phenomenal, as well. Almost all of it was English, but it was all so upbeat and perfect, it just completely enhanced every episode in every way.
So far, if I had to pick top 5 dramas of the year, this one would definitely win a spot!
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excellent visuals, actors deserved better writing/editing (watch suggestions)
Overall: there was quite a bit of potential but the choppy storytelling/editing hurt the series a lot. The last few episodes were better so that week break seemed to help. Aired 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. YouTube cut version https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzTP1IMPICl6R_dsvgKnBAMp6htoQwswK (episode 1 uncut was 47 minutes 29 seconds which is what I added up the cut parts on YouTube minus the breaks between parts so there wasn't a difference in episode 1, later cut episodes removed NSFW) and iQIYI Thailand only uncut version with delayed English subtitles https://www.iq.com/play/battle-of-the-writers-episode-1-21ue1zzg12c?lang=en_us I rated the cut version a 7 and uncut 7.5.Content Warnings: non con picture taking, threat, stalking, non con kissing, drugged, non con touching?, injured/clubbed, violence/blood, manipulation, sexism, homophobia
What I Liked
- aesthetics/visuals
- good/realistic that she wouldn't give out his phone number
- tropey falls but they were cute
- supportive group of friends
- sweet moments
- good intimacy/NSFW scenes were well done
Room For Improvement
- with dreams, flashbacks, fast jumps, re-telling scenes from a different perspective, etc the series feels extremely choppy both in modern day and in the Xianxia parts
- the writing felt very contrived, the characters didn't act like real people and what people would say/do, also inconsistent characterization with the guy in black who started by being self assured and then suddenly was nervous/anxious, a character who was multilingual chose to speak a language that no one else could understand in the beginning
- having the panda face paint/jammies on the Chinese character felt a bit iffy
- completely not needed to character assassinate an established queer couple, there were multiple other ways the writers could have achieved what they wanted
- comedy sound effects detracted from the humor, the magic mushrooms in episode 3 were cringey and not funny
- the manipulation/lying by a character in episode 9
- random marriage in episode 11
- wearing socks (on feet) in NSFW scene
- no international release for the uncut version, only available in Thailand (deducted a half point for this as the uncut was better)
Watch Suggestions (it was really challenging in the beginning episodes so I included the Xianxia parts and then also included some sweet/steamy scenes)
- episode 1 part 1 beginning to 2 minutes (zero explanation of why one was blindfolded...)
- episode 2 part 1 beginning to 2:15 (pinned against tree, sword won't harm soulmate)
- episode 3 part 1 beginning to 3:10 (got something in his eye), 6:43 to the end (seem to be in school???)
- episode 3 part 2 beginning to 3:05 (talking about a character, gets a royal decree to kill the other guy? then flash forward then flashback???), 4:13-4:45 (2 other random characters talking to the guy in white), 10:10-10:30 (short fight)
- episode 3 part 4 10:50 -13:12 (introduced a noble genius character who becomes the demon guy's master???)
- episode 4 part 1 beginning to 1:25 and then jump to episode 4 part 2 at 2:55-3:12 to see the end of this scene (flower from his hair)
- episode 4 part 1 8:10-end, roasting a chicken blew out dust from his eye (same scene as in episode 3 part 1)
- episode 5 part 1 1:50-4
- episode 5 part 3 beginning to 3 minutes, 5 min to end
- episode 5 part 4 6:17-6:32
- episode 6 part 1 3:30-6:45 and episode 6 part 3
- episode 7 has a random couple introduced but they kiss at 16:30
- watch episode 7 uncut 29:50-33:15 steamy scene and then 33:30-42:30 for Xianxia kissing
- watch episode 8 part 1 3:45-7
- watch episode 8 part 2 2:40-4, 6:15-end
- watch episode 8 part 3 6-7
- watch episode 8 part 4 4-5:50
- watch episode 8 uncut 16-18:55 for a steamy scene
- watch episode 9 uncut 27-36:20 for a very steamy scene and then 43-end
- watch episode 10: part 1, part 2, start part 3 at 7:45 and part 4 at 4:30 (watch ep 10 uncut around the steamy parts for more steam)
- watch episode 11: part 1, part 2 beg to 3:30 and 11:45-13, part 4 beg to 1:45 (the elevator kissing might be a bit longer in uncut)
- watch episode 12: part 1 (watch the uncut until 10:30, they cut 4 minutes of NSFW here), part 2 and part 4 5min to the end
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You know, I watched this movie first time a year ago, and rated it 7, and when I rewatched it yesterday, I was socked how I could have 'insulted' this movie that much, maybe I can say I was not attentive enough during my first watch (though that's a lame excuse, as yesterday my eyes were glued to the screen)... Let's say I wasn't in the right state of mind for this movie at that time... I am glad I suddenly decided to rewatch it yesterday.
The cinematography is so perfect, there were scenes my breath was caught somewhere in my throat... The colors (if you decide to watch it just download it, and preferably HD, the bigger the file, the better, trust me) were driving me crazy! The hill on which they placed the mailbox became one of the places I want to visit before I die, it's the most beautiful, peaceful place! The way they shot it at least made me want to go there,sometimes it seemed I could even see the wind blowing the grass and the hair of two lonely characters standing there...
The plot is simple, and honestly I didn't need more complicated, as the scenes were so rich visually, other complications were unnecessary...
Acting is wonderful! As a big fan of Han Hyo-Joo, one more time came to adore her character.
First thing about JaeJoong I noticed was his husky voice, which drove me crazy, I was WAITING for him to talk... I think he was a perfect person to portray JaeJoon...
The music is very complimentary to the movie, perfect match... calm, relaxing and light...
Also the symbolic meaning of the movie adds to it value so much more... White lies to help people, is it right or wrong? Teaching a lesson by making the person to look at life from a whole another angle of life... Learning how to withstand the difficulties of life from zero... falling in love after being hurt...falling in love...^^
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Perhaps the daunting prospect of wrestling political debate is keeping potential fans away. There's no need to worry on that front. This drama's title can also double as the plot descriptor. Everything is about the lead couple's relationship; the political ideologies were simplified and, like the government positions held by most characters, were largely used to flavor conflicts and create an interesting atmosphere for love to blossom and persevere. Unfortunately this device over-saturated the first four episodes, which served as a foundation for the later events of the story. It's like the necessary bit of salt in your cookie dough recipe accidentally got doubled and overcame the sweetness. By the fifth episode though, a burst of romantic chemistry blows the bitter taste away, leaving the rest of All About My Romance charming and delicious.
The acting was generally good to passable, with Shin Ha Kyun blowing everyone else out of the water only to carry it to the end. Some people have said he's not handsome or young enough to play a romantic lead, but they must not have seen him smile. His whole face lights up and, if you're anything like me, you'll find yourself grinning right along with him. The personality Shin Ha Kyun infuses into his Soo Young will probably win him some attraction anyway, because it fuses the zany and romantic in a completely lovable way. Unfortunately, this great performance also means that he destroyed any possibility for Park Hee Soon (forgettable) to form a compelling second lead and badly overshadowed co-star Lee Min Jung (passable). It's lucky then that Shin and Lee look very well together and have believable chemistry, right?
Musically, the only special mention would be the excellent vocal inserts. Akdong Musician's "I Love You," and Shin Yong Jae's "Simple Love" have found themselves into my iPod. The instrumental tracks were either largely not present or too forgettable. However, watch out for the wacky Benny Hill-esque tracks which play during the fun or comedic scenes. They sound a little silly, but somehow remain completely suitable.
The low level of angst and satisfying wrap to most conflicts in All About My Romance take down its rewatchability, but in a good way. I feel like the sweet and comedic scenes are definitely worth a revisit though, and there are several I'd love to see again.
If you want something light and easy to watch, this drama is for you. Especially if you've just gone through a particularly traumatic melodrama or just want a mood booster.
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Acting/Cast- The leads had really great chemistry. The female villian was very unlikable and almost scary. The actress did a great job portraying her though. The supporting cast is wonderful!
Music- great, goes well with the scenes.
Overall- If you like HYD and Hana Kimi you will love this. One of the best J dramas Ive ever seen!
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I really liked the idea of one girl being in a school full of boys.
(I mean what girl doesn't? ^.^) Sometimes it was cute and sometimes it was a little dramatic (ok, maybe sometimes a little too dramatic). The music was catchy, the acting was great and the boys were cute. This drama has a special atmosphere. You know, when you watch those (american) movies where the lead character dramatically gives a Speech/Explanation in front of an audience/other lead character towards the end and the audience so moved by his/her words that they all cheer/kiss or whatever. This kind of atmosphere leads you through all 9 episodes. Not much romance but a lot of "fighting"-attitude, so if you don't mind a little cheesiness on the side, you should give this a try. I did and I didnt regret it.
*Fighting* (makescutefistmoveintoair)
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A feel good drama with strong FL
I watch a lot of dramas but don't often leave reviews. I had to stop and leave a review for this show. It was sowonderful to see a Chinese drama that had a strong FL that could stand up to the typical evil friend and evil mother in law.
I hope this trend continues ! Along with the amazing chemistry with the ML and FL it was a very fun show to watch a real feel good show. Congrats to the writers and the cast . The other reviews sited the low budget but I don't think it got in the way of portraying the love story.
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would like to see these actors again
Overall: it had some fun moments and I'd love to see the actors together in another series, but I struggled with the plot/how the characters were written. I set aside the actual HR nightmare that this would be when writing my review. Aired 10 episodes about 25 minutes each on GagaOOLala and Viki. Note, there are sometimes extra scenes after the initial credits including the final episode.Content Warnings: past kidnapping, trauma, kidnapping, non con touching, non con kiss turned consensual?, coercion/manipulation, manhandling, slaps, homophobia
What I Liked
- clear flashback and then what is in the present
- cute moments (especially enjoyed episode 10)
- laughed a few times
- supportive coworker
- that vice president guy calling out Xia Shang Zhou in ep 9
- how Yao Shun Yu stood up to the mom
- the interviews at the start of each episode
- (neutral) comedy sound effects
Room For Improvement
- traumatized/cold boss and the nervous/peppy employee dynamic
- the boss's sudden change of heart and the non con touching
- had a crack comedy feel, but then the boss with trauma didn't mesh well with the comedy
- was very tropey, 2 accidental falls in the first 10 minutes of ep 1 as an example
- recap too long, especially at the start of episode 2 and episode 4, I almost thought I was watching the wrong episode
- nonsense plot things like not taking him to the hospital and then not getting him crutches
- almost all of episode 9 and the poor communication throughout
- post credit scene seemed a fast 180 for the mother
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I am happy to admit that my secret romance is exactly like that. Starting it I had no expectations and I had braced myself for the impending, inevitable hard-drop! Even though, I can easily name this the cliché-est kdrama I’ve ever watched; the cheesiest, corniest, fluffiest shit I’ve ever put myself through, yet against all odds, I deeply loved it and honestly I stand here in awe of it. As a rom-com hater, how is that even possible? Well, looking back, I can name a few things.
Secret Romance, despite its heavy cliché-ridden self, had this exclusive, borderline inexplicable dosage of fresh air in it. Kinda contradicting isn’t it? Well, that is the main reason it was so good!
Starting off, the drama is characterized by its archetype characters. Cute female lead in need, shy, naive, with sad mommy issues in her backstory striving to survive and make a living y’know, usual stuff; paired with the uber classic chaebol hawt arrogant womanizer. Been there, done that. What secret romance did differently, ultimately breaking the mould of rom-coms in the best way possible is the realistic and natural expression of young adult sexuality. HELL TO THE YES PEOPLE! No more over-romantic, fake and unrealistic holding hands as the expression of ultimate love. It was ‘bout time drama gods!
More specifically, sexual jokes, innuendos and gestures, taboo job occupations, actual kissing, underwear clothing products and finally the acquittal of sex as a despicable act in kdramaland! There is nothing wrong with expressing sexuality people and it was about time we saw that in kdramas.
In all honesty, I have never witnessed a better romance development in a kdrama. The flirting felt real, the chemistry was exquisite and I enjoyed every moment they had building up their relationship. Nothing about it was really new, but it was the way that it happened that not only felt right but left extremely close to me as a person. The archetype characters strayed only a little bit away from their lanes just to make the drama that much more addicting.
Moreover, nothing about the romance was idealized here (finally); but rather, it was so fucked up that it ended up being relatable – expressing how we can hurt but also heal through an unexpected relationship, how easy it is to misunderstand and how easy it is to misinterpret. So relatable it felt too real! All in all, the best part of the drama for me, besides the lovely chemistry, was the natural expression of sexuality in its complete spectrum, while always keeping it real, cute and never filthy or awkward. I salute the writers for taking a chance here and actually making it work.
Having said all that, I cannot argue that secret romance was perfect. Critically assessing the drama, I have to admit that there were no substantial side characters or stories, most of them misused and underdeveloped. Simultaneously, while there was some basic effort to make the characters feel real giving them stories of their own to grow on, these backstories were barely ever elaborated on and were resolved abruptly at the end out of the blue.
I can safely say, the drama is not perfect and the more you think about it the more problems could be found. This is a drama to just smile and spend 13 fun hours doing nothing but letting your heart flutter. However, the fact that the drama did romance so well and touched upon -otherwise normal- stuff that are for some reason unheard of in kdramaland easily make me give this a well-deserved 8.5 just for that.
As far as the acting is concerned, no awards will be given here, but I don’t think anything was problematic.
I should mention at this point that Song Jieun is my 2nd ultimate bias in kpop (and my list is big, so I do love her) so I might be lenient and biased when I say that I absolutely loved her as Yoomi, she felt thoroughly real and behaved very accordingly to her role. She definitely had this role down and was a perfect match. Since her last project that I couldn’t help but drop, she was overwhelmingly improved and I can’t wait for her next drama.
I will not stay and talk about trite things like how unrealistically handsome Sung Hoon is, like everybody with a pair of eyes can see that. I will talk about how good he is, considering he’s a former athlete though. I am not entirely sure how flexible he is as an actor, and for a moment there I did believe that he won’t be able to act in any role other than the arrogant womanizer chaebol, but let’s not be quick to judge. I’d love to see him again, preferably in a different role next time.
Concluding, my secret romance is like a good pasta dish in a lovely restaurant. You know what it is, you’ve had it a thousand times but each time it is as good; and to top all that off, this plate of pasta has a very unique ingredient inside it to spice things up and leave a unique experience. Therefore, I would wholeheartedly recommend this drama to every rom com lover and honestly pretty much everyone who is looking for an easy watch.
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The main plot is supposed to be revenge (I mean the main lead is literaly named revenge) but in the end it was mainly focused on the love story between the two main leads and the revenge is just put aside until the last few episodes. After the first 10 to 12 episodes, the story just drags on and on. It's a passable teen drama and maybe I'm getting too old to enjoy it, but overall it's way too cringy that it's hard to watch without wanting to throw away your computer. What bothered me the most is that they're adults but they constantly act as if they were 15.
The plot also included a sort of criticism of the Korean system of education with two characters close to the burn out, but they just mention it sometimes without really getting into the subject, which is a pity.
The great thing about this drama is the cast. All actors are very good in their own roles. Yoo Seungho has nothing more to prove, we all know he's a good actor, Jo Boah is also very good even though her character is sometimes very annoying, and Kwak Dongyeon is stunning as a villain.
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