There is such undeniable quiet beauty in this drama rendering it such a joy to watch. But paired with a story where characters engage in behavior that isn’t acceptable in society increases the difficulty for me to write about it. It’s shallowly dismissive to say that watching Secret Love Affair equals condoning adultery or not watching it means having high … Continue reading →
http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z392/Jomo143/sla8/8SLA-00001_zps59668f34.png I am not sure what to think of Sun Jae. I would hate to say he’s perfect. He is confident, clear-minded, hard-working, and let’s not forget clean. To make it more interesting, let’s compare him to Hye Won. Where she is afraid, he is brave. Where she lies (and lies and lies) to him, he tells her the truth. … Continue reading →
This was a very painful episode of Secret Love Affair, painful yet I still managed to chuckle a few times here and there. That’s life, isn’t it? Even in the middle of a maelstrom a person is capable of laughter, the complications of the human psyche deep and unfathomable. We only try to make sense of ourselves, and attempt to … Continue reading →
As I watch Hye Won doing the dirty work for and getting humiliated by the Seo clan, I have to ask why. She’s smart, beautiful, talented and fun to be around. Why doesn’t she tell them to get lost? Why does she let Young Woo hurt her? Yes, Seo paid for her schooling, and yes, Young Woo supplied a husband … Continue reading →
While the two lead characters in Secret Love Affair are having their personal axis shaken after meeting musical kindred spirits in each other, the drama deftly leads the audience into feeling the same sense of discombobulation. It does so by stripping this story of any context. Did you notice that we know nothing about any of the characters prior the … Continue reading →
[There are multiple layers to experience Secret Love Affair, from auditory to emotional to a sensation of peeking via corners and doors or even cameras. The characters are living in their world and we’re just glimpsing at a mere sliver. The kiss at the end of episode 3 encapsulates that, with the camera choosing to have Sun Jae and Hye … Continue reading →
The simplest description of Secret Love Affair as seen up to episode 3 is the exploration of the thrumming attraction of a much older former pianist with a diamond in the rough young wunderkind. It’s exactly as the synopsis laid out, but to watch it is to marvel at the undeniable truth that this drama is so much more than … Continue reading →
[Please join me in giving a warm welcome to jomo, a long time drama friend of mine as well as a delightfully effusive and witty commentator here at the Playground. I think she’s been sucked deeper into the world of this secret love affair than I am, but that’s the power of Yoo Ah In on the biggest acting roll … Continue reading →
I’ve written too many recaps to count but it all starts from one common impetus – a drama that hooks my heart snugly in its entertaining embrace. Be it a rom-com with potential for romantic swooning, an action thriller that launches with rollicking tension, or a melodrama that promises tears and catharsis aplenty, I have to really connect to want … Continue reading →
I really can’t complain that Korea only knows how to pair up older men with pretty young things, the industry has objectified its share of strapping young men and now seems quite on a roll with the older woman-young man (noona-dongsaeng) offering. I think cable does it better and the recently wrapped up tvN drama I Need Romance 3 had … Continue reading →
The upcoming jTBC cable drama Secret Love Affair with Kim Hee Ae and Yoo Ah In is about as low key and non-buzzy as it gets. It’s scheduled to air in March after Can We Love with Uhm Tae Woong and Eugene wraps up. Speaking of which, heard Can We Love has gone bonkers and I’m so glad I was … Continue reading →
It might be too early yet to look deep into 2014 for what’s coming on the K-drama horizon though the networks have indeed plotted out their entire year more or less. So far the leaks and rumors have only gone as far as the Summer projects but I thought it nice to lay out what I know so far on … Continue reading →