Rhea
Malaysia
This review may contain spoilers
Is This The Best 2019 Rom-Com K-Drama?
Many fans would definitely see Her Private Life as the best rom-com for 2019 despite the year being just halfway through. I have to admit that it would be a romantic drama that is hard to beat because of the pairing of Kim Jae Wook and Park Min Young. Basically, you won’t be giving high marks for the plot but you will be swept along by the explosive chemistry between the two leads. Watch the behind-the-scenes (BTS) clips and you will understand why you will miss Her Private Life when it concludes. In fact, some fans find the BTS to be even more romantic than the scenes in the drama itself!
Thanks to the nature of the story, it allows the two characters to express their feelings in a very sweet and tender way. So, together with the off-the-roof chemistry of Kim and Park, the drama will fulfill viewers’ expectations of a very loving couple for a romantic comedy. In this aspect, Her Private Life beats What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim – the tenderness and supportive nature of the two lovers just overwhelms you in the former.
While Ryan and Deok Mi as a couple is very adorable to watch, Her Private Life is also refreshing for its handling of a romantic drama. There are no unnecessary big arguments, jealousies, tantrums or break-ups that are so common in such shows. Instead, it moves along based on how to be an understanding, supportive, and communicative partner. Contrast that to rom-coms such as Put Your Head On My Shoulder and you will see the difference in maturity in the relationship. Park and Kim nailed their roles very well to portray such a matured couple in the drama.
Where It Disappoints (With Spoilers)
The plot pertaining to Ryan’s past is nothing original. In fact, the link to a childhood problem gets kind of old. The last 2 to 3 episodes that suddenly brought up Deok Mi’s brother and her subsequent memory loss are unnecessary to me. I guess they have to throw it in to explain why she did not know that Ryan is the kid from her childhood. Anyway, the background story to their past just isn’t that realistic because Ryan was 7 at that time – old enough to give others clues about his mother and where he lives.
Furthermore, Deok Mi’s private life as a diehard fan of Shi An remains a secret. Shi An was never told who was the owner of Shi An Is My Life fanpage. In fact, he was sad when the page was put on hold as Deok Mi started to get more involved with Ryan and subsequently had to move to New York for a year for work. Thus, the fangirling topic kind of dropped off halfway too when it is supposed to be the theme of the drama. I don’t know why they couldn’t put in a scene to reveal the secret to Shi An because that would be interesting to watch. After all, Deok Mi is his brother’s girlfriend and future sister-in-law.
I also feel that Eun Gi’s sudden romantic interest in Deok Mi is kind of awkward. He has been like a family member since they were brought up together. I guess it is a way to give some competition to Ryan and competing for a girl is almost always part of the plot in a romantic drama.
My Verdict
Yes, Her Private Life is worth watching to me. But don’t put high hopes on the plot. Watch it for the romance and kisses. The chemistry between the two leads will make your heart flutter with sweetness all around. The kisses are not so much about sex or a lead-up to a bed scene but they are more about love, passion, and tenderness of the moment. So, it is easy to get emotionally invested as you watched their romance unfolds.
A word of warning though. I find the first few episodes to be a little cheesy. The fangirling thingy leads to much daydreaming that is over the top. Sit through all that and you will find that it gets better from around episode 4 onwards. The kissing starts from the end of episode 6 and begins to heat up in episode 8 onwards. Also, you can swoon over Ryan Gold as the perfect boyfriend. Happy watching!
Thanks to the nature of the story, it allows the two characters to express their feelings in a very sweet and tender way. So, together with the off-the-roof chemistry of Kim and Park, the drama will fulfill viewers’ expectations of a very loving couple for a romantic comedy. In this aspect, Her Private Life beats What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim – the tenderness and supportive nature of the two lovers just overwhelms you in the former.
While Ryan and Deok Mi as a couple is very adorable to watch, Her Private Life is also refreshing for its handling of a romantic drama. There are no unnecessary big arguments, jealousies, tantrums or break-ups that are so common in such shows. Instead, it moves along based on how to be an understanding, supportive, and communicative partner. Contrast that to rom-coms such as Put Your Head On My Shoulder and you will see the difference in maturity in the relationship. Park and Kim nailed their roles very well to portray such a matured couple in the drama.
Where It Disappoints (With Spoilers)
The plot pertaining to Ryan’s past is nothing original. In fact, the link to a childhood problem gets kind of old. The last 2 to 3 episodes that suddenly brought up Deok Mi’s brother and her subsequent memory loss are unnecessary to me. I guess they have to throw it in to explain why she did not know that Ryan is the kid from her childhood. Anyway, the background story to their past just isn’t that realistic because Ryan was 7 at that time – old enough to give others clues about his mother and where he lives.
Furthermore, Deok Mi’s private life as a diehard fan of Shi An remains a secret. Shi An was never told who was the owner of Shi An Is My Life fanpage. In fact, he was sad when the page was put on hold as Deok Mi started to get more involved with Ryan and subsequently had to move to New York for a year for work. Thus, the fangirling topic kind of dropped off halfway too when it is supposed to be the theme of the drama. I don’t know why they couldn’t put in a scene to reveal the secret to Shi An because that would be interesting to watch. After all, Deok Mi is his brother’s girlfriend and future sister-in-law.
I also feel that Eun Gi’s sudden romantic interest in Deok Mi is kind of awkward. He has been like a family member since they were brought up together. I guess it is a way to give some competition to Ryan and competing for a girl is almost always part of the plot in a romantic drama.
My Verdict
Yes, Her Private Life is worth watching to me. But don’t put high hopes on the plot. Watch it for the romance and kisses. The chemistry between the two leads will make your heart flutter with sweetness all around. The kisses are not so much about sex or a lead-up to a bed scene but they are more about love, passion, and tenderness of the moment. So, it is easy to get emotionally invested as you watched their romance unfolds.
A word of warning though. I find the first few episodes to be a little cheesy. The fangirling thingy leads to much daydreaming that is over the top. Sit through all that and you will find that it gets better from around episode 4 onwards. The kissing starts from the end of episode 6 and begins to heat up in episode 8 onwards. Also, you can swoon over Ryan Gold as the perfect boyfriend. Happy watching!
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