Name: Personal Taste / ‘Gae-In ni Chwihyang'(Gae-In’s Choice)
Date of Release: March – May 2010
Writer: Kim Hee-Ju
Actors: Son Ye-Jin, Lee Min-ho
Director: Son Hyung-Suk, Noh Jong-Chan
Rating:
- Production – 4 ****
- Story – 5 *****
- Chemistry – 5 *****
- Actors – 5 *****
- Swoon – 5 *****
Overall: 4.8
Where to watch: viki, Kissasian, Dramanice, Dramacool
Description:
One of the best realized romantic comedy series I have ever watched, and I have watched a few. It brings everything that makes a good romantic comedy together in a delightful way.
The trope here is mostly forced living arrangement under false pretenses. The false pretense in this case however is not a marriage setup but a misunderstanding that Jin-Ho is gay. This plays out right till the end, and not in an offensive way, which for 2010 is a nice achievement.
Jo Jin Ho is an uptight architect who is driven, dedicated, a workaholic, and he likes things to be ordered and neat. His emotions and feelings tend to be quite organized too. Our Hero.
Park Gae In is a furniture designer, whose creativity stems out of chaos, she is surrounded by clutter, is disorganized and tends to wear anything that is nearby, even if it is not co-ordinated. Our Heroine.
We can already see how they could be good for each other.
They meet by accident first, each one trying to get the better of the other. And then their paths cross due to their shared connection with architecture and Gae-In’s ex boyfriend who also the son of the man that betrayed Jin Ho’s father and thus Jin ho’s childhood. While Gae In doesn’t even realise that she is being cheated on, Jin Ho lives each day living with a knowledge of defeat and trying to make up for his father’s loss. However he lives well.
Gae In’s father is a famous architect, who has built the traditional korean house with modern features ‘Sanggojae’ in which Gae-In currently lives. This is also, as it turns out, a key feature in the bidding for the DAM Art Gallery that Jin-Ho is involved in. The house itself plays a big role in their meeting, separation and final reunion.
The drama comes alive with humour, love and emotions. Our hero has a moment when he feels he is endlessly running to reach nowhere, one really feels his desperation and hopelessness in that moment. When Gae-In is rejected repeatedly by her father, we feel her pain. We get glimpses into both the characters, their childhood traumas and how that has shaped them. This gives us a very good base to connect with the characters and cheer them on in their journey towards each other.
A heartfelt, feel good series, directed and acted very well, leaves you with flutters.
ireview 