‘My Secret Romance’: Cheesy And Predictable But Charming Enough To Keep You Hooked
When My Secret Romance premiered on April 17, viewers were shocked with the premise. At the end of the first episode, lead characters played by Sung Hoon and Song Ji Eun succumbed to a one-night stand in a car on the beach. While this occurrence is normal for Western television, the drama is Korean after all, and as such, events usually build up slowly leading to the first kiss. For K-dramas, sex is taboo and is not always blatantly shown. However, this is what makes them so addictive. It’s the Koreans’ ability to write and produce cute and uncomplicated stories. Moreover, it’s how they skillfully hook you to the moment of the kiss. Add to that, they are masters in leaving just enough cliffhangers in the end to keep viewers clamoring for the succeeding episodes.
So when a bellhop, who is actually a hotel owner’s son and heir, Cha Jin Wook, charmed hotel guest Lee Yoo Mi, after sharing a bottle of wine on the beach, the morning after their more than implied “event” was met with mixed reactions by viewers. Episode 2 was a different story though. After running away the morning after, Yoo-mi has left Jin-wook frustrated and wondering why he woke up by himself in the car. Adding to the insult was waking up to three nosy ajummas (older women) whom he realized were laughing at him because they assumed that the girl he slept with ran away because he wasn’t good in bed.
The time hop to the next three years reveals that Jin-wook is still single, but has now proven himself to his father. He is now running the family business, and as chaebols go, he is stoic, unapproachable, and overbearing. Behind this façade, though, is a guy whose machismo is injured by a young lady who ran away with his expensive coat, whose name he doesn’t even know. So imagine how fate laughed at him when one day he discovers that his company’s new nutritionist is Yoo-mi—the girl who’s led him to question his bedside talents. Now he thinks he can exact his revenge on the girl who hurt his pride. Of course, little does he know or realize that he has actually fallen in love with the girl who ran away.
My Secret Romance has all the elements of a fluff K-drama. There’s the chaebol hottie who can get any girl he wants. Then there’s the naïve, unlikely girl, who ends up driving the heartthrob crazy. Of course, there’s the other second lead to add a bit of competition to push the male lead to the right direction of winning the girl. Somehow, My Secret Romance makes it work. The story might be predictable, but it’s the kind of feel good K-drama that just keeps on supplying the viewer with warm and fuzzy feelings.
“We filmed this drama in a very family-like atmosphere and the viewers will also be able to sense that warmth. Since the filming atmosphere was so good, no words are necessary about the loveliness of the drama,” said producing director Kang Chul Woo.
According to Chime Connect, My Secret Romance is airing simultaneously in the United States with the local broadcast through DramaFever. Warner Bros acquired the streaming service in February 2016, from Japan’s SoftBank. Aside from the U.S. and South Korea, the OCN drama will be available to fans in 120 countries which DramaFever caters to.
“Television production in Korea is consistently raising the bar and delivering stories that transcend country and language barriers,” said DramaFever president and co-founder Suk Park. “We look forward to bringing our insight and expertise regarding both Korean drama formats and the U.S. television market to this fast-growing genre to create significant and memorable content.”
My Secret Romance was shot in Jeju Island and Seoul and is set to run for 12 episodes. Catch it on OCN every Monday and Friday at 9 p.m. KST.
[Featured Image by OCN]
