While it can get quite dark and emotionally traumatizing to watch (having to see the characters you've come to love go through awful hell), there are also moments that are indescribably beautiful - of re-discovering oneself, of strength, of love. At the very least, it will likely leave you questioning and reflecting upon yourself, of how you have lived your life up to this present point.
If you're on the fence about whether or not to watch this, I would say take the plunge if you're not afraid of trying something different and if you're open to shades of grey in life. :)
P.S. This is the first time I have ever liked a drama so much that I felt compelled to leave a review right after finishing it. That action in itself shows how much it has affected me.
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Firstly, why is the title ''Secret'' Love Affair? I mean, their affair was so obvious and pretty much everyone knew about it. And, to be honest, I know that some people might be put off by the title and the fact that the drama is about an affair, but trust me, it's not that much of a problem. It is true that the female lead is married to another guy, but me and Yoo Ah In are more husband and wife than them.
My favourite thing in ''Secret Love Affair'' is definitely the romance and the chemistry between the main leads, who are also great characters. Watching two people slowly falling in love through music was such an amazing experience. It's hard to put my feelings into words, you just have to feel the atmosphere and the intensity between them to get what I'm talking about. Both Oh Hye Won and Lee Sun Jae are wonderful and strong characters, both being a salvation for each other. I loved the development of their relationship and even though it was slow I loved every second of it.
However, as much as I loved the romance, I can't deny that the overall plot and the supporting characters felt quite bland. The first half was very good, the second one became a bit draggy. I don't think the supporing characters were introduced well, they just felt super flat and their scenes ended up being just boring. Some dialogues were very well-written, others felt just pointless. The husband was the most interesting character out of the supporting characters -- I know a lot of people hate him and he a bastard for sure. I just couldn't bring myself to hate him though, I think you can blame Park Hyuk Kwon and his wonderful performance for this.
Yoo Ah In is brilliant as always. No matter in what drama or role, he always does a stellar job and never fails to make me emotional. A lot of people say that this is his best role and I understand them. (still prefer his Bang Won though) Kim Hee Ae is also amazing and I fell in love with her character!
Overall, I do recommend ''Secret Love Affair'' to all the (noona) romance enthusiasts out there. And if you don't mind a different atmosphere and vibe, then I think you should give this a try. However, know that the story is very slow-paced and it can become quite depressing and heavy at some point.
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STORY
The controversial concept of an older lady falling in love and having an affair with a young man (and a student at that) is a taboo topic that is rarely approached in movies and shows. This drama approaches it very well and I have no complaints there. With that said, it starts off really interesting but by the time you reach the end of this drama, you might feel like you've aged ten years. Everything was really dragged from a certain point. The whole corporate storyline was confusing (but I'm sure it's just because the Netflix subtitles were awful) and a whole lot boring towards the end. The suspense of the forbidden love is what kept me going until the end.
ACTING/CAST
The casting choice was very interesting. Though the supporting roles lacked the ability to capture my interest, the main actors stole the show for me. Yoo Ah In is a fan favorite and I absolutely loved his acting. It was superb and exhilarating. He managed to capture the essence of a young and passionate pianist who falls deeply in love with an older woman who finds him as astonishing as he finds her. Kim Hee Ae was a bombshell in this drama. Swept me off the feet with her charismatic elegance. She portrays a strong female character who is a slave to the corporate system and manages to correct her errors by finding herself in the arms of a young student. Hye Won is in a loveless marriage when she meets Sun Jae. The actors have incredible chemistry and for a moment you seem to forget they aren't supposed to be catching feelings. But as I said, everyone else seemed stiff in comparison to them.
MUSIC
Everything in the drama revolves around the art of music. Hye Won and Sun Jae fall in love by their mutual love of piano. Those were my favorite parts of the drama. Whenever there were scenes of Sun Jae playing the piano, I gushed so hard. Yoo Ah In manages to pull off being a virtuoso pianist so well. You could feel the energy emanating from the screen. It might be boring to those who perhaps don't enjoy classical music, but it was a breath of fresh air in my opinion.
OVERALL
I will not rewatch this, simply because I think it could have been shorter thus more enjoyable. Those who like realistic portrayal of love, the struggles of meeting your own expectations and those of the society, will enjoy this drama. And those who like Yoo Ah In too, I guess. (He was great in Chicago Typewriter, but he is on a whole different level here.) It is mostly worth it for those who study music. For me, it's a tad bit nerve-wracking and slow paced.
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Sloow but interesting
Sloow, sloow, fast, slooow, slooooooooooooow, slow... boom done... so goes the pace of this drama... As they show us that music can be more erotic than math, a Wook, a poetry reading, getting ones hair washed and motorcycle put together,,.. If a picture can say 1000 words then a piece of music could probably say a 1000 emotions and a bunch of words too... or so it seems as most of the dialog in this drama is replaced by classical music. Unfortunately I do not speak classical music that well... but what I did understand was pretty intense... It could also be the accompanied heavy breathing sweat and looks on the performers face... Forever changing the way I hear the sound of the piano and yes I have seen both the movie The Piano and Do you like Brahms this is in a league of its own...The drama incorporates politics complicated and sophisticated enough to put any historical to shame. As the female lead here is equally as smart as she is scary... Is she an evil mastermind, just another cold female lead, is everybody just a pun in her very elaborate game? Or does she have a kind heart hidden in there somewhere... Well one thing is sure the only time she seems human is when she listens to music and the only time she smiles is with the male lead who just happens to be 20 years younger, poor.... lonely but kind and a musical genius... How they interact, who´s got the power and if there is a heart in there somewhere is what you get to find out if you trouble yourself with watching this drama.
However this is slow, like really, really slow... you could probably easily watch it in triple speed just to slow down for the few moments of dialog and you will just think the music is a bit fast... but other than that you would not notice anything.
Bingabilaty: low
Entertainment: medium
Interesting story with interesting twists: high
Leads: top, top. top
Annoying side characters: not so much
Another strength this drama has is how they show extremes... poor/rich, good/evil, smart/not so smart.... Musical genius who knows only music/regular people... as well as the difference between sugar mommy, age gaps, romance, friendship... An age gap that bothered me less and less as time went by.
So in short it is definitely a drama worth watching but you have to have a lot of patients and enjoy power struggle humour, political twists and sloooooooooow paced everything....
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Needless to say, I got over my biases and I was rewarded. Secret Love Affair is a stylish, intriguing drama that confronts its heroine with the most impossible of choices: Give up everything you ever lived for and live in poverty for love or continue to live for ambition and deny your feelings unto eternity. I knew the first option was unlikely. (K-Drama does not do poverty and squalor even if passionate love is at the heart of it.) I thought the second option was the only option but a bad option nonetheless. As it turned out, there was a third option, and it revolved around a funny development in the story. Everyone, who means anything to the two lovers, finds out about the affair, but no one condemns the couple. Friends are supportive, and friends who aren’t real friends promise to sweep it under the rug provided the heroine takes the fall for the financial indiscretion of a higher up, or so I gathered. (My attention waned towards the end.)
As befitting a heroine, the heroine defies her enemies and protects her lover. The way she does it—acting as if she has done nothing wrong—however doesn’t do much to build the drama to an exciting ending. It was fun getting there though.
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I found myself cheering for those two and the drama was compelling enough to keep me playing one episode after another (and I said it isn't my kind of drama). I was dying to see what would happen next. Nonetheless, I feel like this could be well narrowed into a 2h film instead of a 16 episode drama without any losses. But once more I say: this isn't my kind of drama. Yet, there's nothing I can bring forward to stand for my 8.5 rating. I feel like I'm still being unfair but I'll leave it at it. If, like me, you think this doesn't suit your taste, don't watch it unless you're interested in having an unbiased look through the show or you won't be able to properly enjoy it. This is completely different from the shows I'm used to and I have a strange feeling now that it's over but I'd still recommend.
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This review may contain spoilers
If PARASITE was a drama
This is not an easy watch by any means. I urge you to not watch this if you`re not open minded, if you`re immature or moot to the brutal realism of the capitalism run world. If the movie "Parasite" was a show, this is a whole circus.The acting is immaculate. I actually have no complaints whatsoever about any actor. They all did their jobs brilliantly. Kim Hee-Ae and Yoo Ah-In`s chemistry is palpable, raw, it morphes from something animalistic into something frail and true. In fact, the scene where she reads his diary while he plays the piano for her gave me the feeling of being around my long-time crush and steadily spending time, all the while these butterflies kept flying around freely in my stomach. Even my fingers got tingly every time these two were on screen. I have never felt that in a drama and the feeling never went away. At times I was uncomfortable because the things the characters were dealing with hit too close to home as I live in a corrupt country where these situations are all too common.
As I`ve mentioned before, the topics discussed in this drama, which aren`t clear and you have to search for answers yourself, won`t appeal to someone whose biggest problem is what they`re going to wear for the day. I`ve recently had a short discussion about this drama and more importantly, about Hye Won as a character, with someone who sees drama characters as blueprints of how we should live or wish to, so he thought that Hye Won was a pathetic older woman who put herself in this situation and can get out of it any time she wishes to. He blamed her for ruining Sun Jae, pegging him for a victim and saying how she used the Chairman as much as he used her. So I very well understand the polarizing consensus. It doesn`t matter how well acted or written something is, if you aren`t able to place a mirror to yourself and the world and see that people aren`t morally positive or negative, good or evil. Hye Won is a case of a character caught in a monetary trap out of which she cannot escape as a consequence of her co-dependency on money and stability. There is a big difference between born and raised parasites, such as her snobby husband, who acts as a morality gatekeeper when he is nothing more but a puppet, or her anger management issues struck boss Young Woo, who can only live with someone else`s help. Hye Won has to solve their issues and pretend to be a parasite for survival. Nothing she has truly belongs to her. No one recognizes her as an equal even after decades of hard work. So of course she`s going to be drawn to something warm and welcoming, someone who worships her, like Sun Jae.
Some may say that the writing is convoluted, and I think I could see it from their perspective. Little is ever explained and what is, isn`t typical for a drama. It`s ugly, unfair, ruthless and disgusting. And it exists. Right now, someone may be living like this and it`s a sad, sad life. Does that mean that you should justify her behaviour?No, as she herself fed into this carnivorous world. But one should try to understand her because that is the only way to understand the statement behind this drama. Life is messy, sad, pathetic. You have to deal with bullies and corrupt individuals, but there is no happy ending at the end of the tunnel. We all live to survive. But you still root for Hye Won and Sun Jae, because you either understand them, or find redeeming qualities about their characters. Or both.
Whatever the case may be, this is a masterfully acted drama talking about themes that are too uncomfortable for most. But not in the graphic, over the top, violent way. Just in an unfiltered way.
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Here are so many good comments and reviews on this drama. And I agree with almost all of them, but want to say something too.
First of all, I avoided to watch this drama for last 2 years 'cause I thought that love between two of 40 yo and 20 yo will look awkward. But in fact was NOT awkward at all.
Seeing the 40 yo woman who is still so beautiful, fresh, smart and attractive, I felt inspired and refreshed. I wanted to be like her when I'll be her age. She is tough and soft at the same time as well. She is not an ajumma with stoned and old mind. She is mature and strong but has young mind. Such a rare combination. Just loved her.
That 20 yo boy admiring the woman... I felt his passionate love during all the drama. It is his passion that kept me in bitter-sweet tension so that I couldn't stand but kept watching the drama non-stop, tho my body&mind was naturally tired in the middle. This role really suits to Yoo Ah In. I agree with all praises to him written in the reviews. Btw I've watched an interwiew with him after, and his answers and comments were so deep and thoughtful, - which I never expecting from him, - that I started to respect and like him as a person pretty much.
I felt alive for some time thanks to this drama.
May be it wouldn't impress me so much if there were not the unique cinematography.All colors are darken so it looks like an art of movie. Seems like this color trick smoothens all flaws of acting and environment. My eyes were having rest from all that bright, light and colorful other dramas.
It was great that there are alot of classical music, and they play piano a lot. This makes drama about music the drama about music. And the music is great and it shows their soul, their passion so well. Oh sometimes too well: when playing music feels and looks like sex or even better.
Bad thing here for me is the business talks. I tried to scroll them as much as possible. Though this side of our main heroine's life is interesting. Just for me, it is shown boring.
Half of supporting cast didn't seem good at acting. Only that's why I rate acting 8, not 10.
I don't think I will want to rewatch it soon. The reason is... The drama is slow and it seems that almost nothing changes and all scenes just repeat and repeat but just in different shot and with slight changes to continue the story. That's why it feels like I've already rewatched the same thing many times )) Don't worry, all that repeatitive and similar scenes are so deep, beautifull, intense and passionate that it's rather enjoyable repeatition ))
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Ahn Pan Seok has a certain way with his dramas. The themes may not always be the exact same but the atompshere and auras are instantly recognisable. There is a lot of secret, underwordly dealings regarding corruption and extortion. It's a battle for control. So when you have the young, pure hearted Sun Jae who just wants to play piano and be with Hye-won, there is a wide contrast. And that's what makes this such a good drama. The story is so compelling with its characters, how they react to each other and the constant changing in surroundings. Despite the age and class gap between our leads, there is undeniable chemistry between the two. Whether it's on the computer chatting under aliases or when playing music, especially when playing music, in fact. You are rooting for them from their first meeting. And while Sun Jae is also in a very ambigious relationship with his friend/girlfriend Da Mi, you can only root for Sun Jae's quest for Hye-won's heart. Although it's hard to tell who is the most passionately driven in the relationship. It's unbowing. Perhaps Hye-won's actions for the ending prove that she was indeed the most in love.
Yoo Ah In is the best actor that can get so much out of hardly any expressions. In the series, he comes off as so shy and withdrawn and yet we can feel his drive and love. Kim Hee Ae is tremendous as the classy, elite director. She is bold and calculating but under tempation, we see a whole other world of emotions. The chemistry between the two is quite high up for K-Drama couples as far as I'm concerned. It's quite amazing that they were able to take in their age gap and make that even better for their chemistry. Yoo Ah In's character calls Kim Hee Ae's character a goddess numerous times due to her age and it totally works and perfectly sums up their relationship. The younger character is so humble and naive that he would consider the older character like that. Just little things like this makes Secret Love Affair a wonderfully crafted drama.
Plus this has the best use of music than any other musically themed drama I've seen. It brings to life the very meaning behind music. The music and the performances of Sun Jae perfectly tell us what he's feeling without words. That is music. Come for the great cast and acting but stay for the music.
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The Beauty and Tenderness of Love
Anyone who watches this series, hoping for a depiction of a torrid, passionate love affair will be disappointed.This series is handled with a certain delicacy; a restraint that doesn't prevent or hold back, but depicts the tender beauty of two people in love. I submit that a viewer may find it very difficult to pass judgment, for how does one justify judging love? Can love be judged?
To the naive viewer, Sunjae Lee is a young man, barely 20, who thinks and feels with his hormones. This is a gross misinterpretation and understanding of who he is. Sunjae Lee is a simple young man who knows how to do things in only one way: with love and passion. A gifted pianist, Sunjae is able to captivate his audiences, whether they be a concert hall or a few listeners, not with just the beauty of his play, but with the heart and passion he puts into it. Several viewers are so captivated by his play, that he moves them to tears. It is a bit ironic that a young man of 20 already knows the secret to love and living simply.
Oh Hyewon is a middle-aged woman, approximately twenty years older than Sunjae. A renowned pianist when she was Sunjae's age, she has now found herself pulled into the world of wealth and power. She works for a Seohan Art Institute as an executive/accountant. She loves the life that her money buys for her, and she has long forgotten the passion and her own love for music. She is married to a university professor, who also works for the institute. They share a house and a life that is more like those of roommates than of spouses. There is little tenderness or warmth in their relationship or in their house, which looks like a cold bastille atop the street. It is somewhat ironic that the only room in the house that has any warmth at all, is the music room.
Sunjae's talent is soon discovered, and he's asked to come over to the professor's house to play. Hyewon is asked to listen, given her musical background. Immediately, she is taken back to a time when she used to share the same love and passion for music that Sunjae has. Hyewon can't help but be enamored by the young man, unable to realize that she has already captivated him.
There is a certain degree of irony in their relationship, in which Hyewon attempts to teach Sunjae about her world; the world of power and treachery. It is a world that is completely foreign to Sunjae, and he already realizes that he wants no part of it. He is not interested in money or acquiring things. And yet, it is his simple and complete way of loving, that makes him Hyewon's teacher in that regard.
The acting performances are all first-rate, especially those of Ah-in Yoo (Sunjae) and Hui-ai Kim (Hyewon). The relationship between these two characters is handled deftly, like a piano piece...full of love, beauty, and grace. Viewers may find themselves longing for their own "Sunjae"...someone who can love so unequivocally and unconditionally as Sunjae can. His love is all the more profound in the little things that he does to ensure her comfort.
One cannot mention this series without the incredible musical performances. Nearly every episode has a piano piece that seems to perfectly coincide with the feelings of Sunjae and Hyewon. Watching this series is like listening to a long concert, and by the end, you feel all the better for it!
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Detailed:
So, the tags for this one include things like Infidelity and Corruption, and I saw others using words like "Revenge" - I must admit I hadn't seen this one as a likely hit for me. I like positive dramas and after watching a couple of Revenge ones I found they're just not to my taste at all. But... it was listed on a recent article on this site in a list of five dramas, four of which I had seen and agreed wholeheartedly with the article author - so I felt that surely this one must be a good bet. I thank the author, Devil's Advocate, for their recommendation!
The infidelity topic is a sensitive one, it's not something I'm normally interested in watching either because often it's somewhat sleazy or purely sexual - and while i'm certainly no prude, it's just not what I come to KDrama for. I was interested to see how this was portrayed, and also because dated in 2014 before Adultery was decriminalised (Korean Penal Code 241), how/if they would handle the criminal aspect of it.
This is a slow paced drama, it's about the imagery of what you're seeing, how you take in the emotions and feelings of the characters and understand what they are going through. Where this one takes it a step further however is through the use of music, particularly the Piano - my favourite instrument. It was a joy to watch the actors perform on the Piano, I don't know if they are as classically trained as it appears but at the end of the day that doesn't matter, they are believable in their performances with keystrokes matching the sounds and the raw emotion of the pieces expressed throughout their whole body movements as they played. When a musician plays a piece of music, they don't just play the Piano with their fingers or hands, it's played with the entire body, and that's exactly how they portrayed it. There was a particularly brilliant scene early on in the drama where the two are playing a two-person piece together on the same Piano and it's super obvious that it's a sexually charged scene with all the energy that implies and yet there's just two people playing the Piano.
Throughout the drama there are many times that you'll be sitting and listening to the music, whether it's because that's what is happening in the story or because there's something else going on and the music is accompanying. You're going to want to like slower contemplatory scenes with the music to listen to or you may find your focus drifting away, personally I was captivated.
The director has also done a magnificent job, the scene where they first get together in his home, with some seemingly random stationary camera shots at various objects around the room you almost feel like you're in the room looking around at anything you can to not look at the two, but you can't help but hear odd things that they say. It was probably one of the better ways i've seen of expressing that "they hooked up" without going anywhere near anything traditional for this. The rest of the drama continues with a similar quality approach.
The FL goes through a personal journey of discovery about what is important to her, and where she is in her life and her status. While the ML's character is great he is there to shine a light on her life, this is her story more than it is theirs.
They DO cover the criminal aspect of Adultery as well just to resolve the point I raised earlier.
Many recognisable faces in the cast but I absolutely felt that Kim Hee Ae was glorious in her performance and I shall certainly be looking out more from her (and indeed the director).
Only minor dent for me? and it really is minor given the weight of the rest of the story - I just like them to end a little longer, it was a nice ending but I wanted more. Maybe I just didn't want it to end. I'm like that when I get into good characters in a good story though.
I loved it and certainly recommend it.
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