Cute couple dragged down by story line...
Personal Taste is a 16 episode 2010 kdrama where the two leads strive to make this drama work but the story line eventually stymies' their efforts leaving a B-grade drama.Our male lead, Jin-ho, lies to our female lead, Kae-I that he is gay so she'll rent a room to him in her father's house which he wants to study for an architecture design that will make or break his company. They fall for each other but the lie stops their romance. He eventually confesses, she is a doormat and accepts this huge deceit with ease. Their romance is the best part the show. They have chemistry and work hard to be likable. The middle episodes are their best. Unfortunately the story line is littered with annoying characters and plot decisions that pull entire series down.
What I liked about Personal Taste:
1. Lee Min-ho as Jin-ho. He has loads of appeal and the camera loves him. His character starts out as a cold fish in the initial episodes, warms up nicely in the middle, then is an idiot in the home stretch until the final episode epilogue where he sparks up again.
2. Son Ye-jin as Kae-i. She has excellent chemistry with Lee Min-ho and they clicked as a couple. Her doormat character was annoying in the initial episodes, cute and charming in the middle, then a bit sad in the final episode where she offers him blind trust in the form of herself. The emotional payoff is in their epilogue scenes.
3. Jung Sung-Hwa as Sang-Jun. He is Jin-ho's friend. He is funny impersonating Jin-ho's gay lover. I was horrified that the writers pair him with the despicable In-hee in the final episode, lazy storytelling.
4. Ryu Seung-ryong as Do-bin. As the quiet, lonely director, this actor embodies this character with human kindness and is an emotional touchstone.
What I did not like about Personal Taste:
1. Wang Ji-Hye as In-Hee. Supposedly Kae-I's friend but she is selfish, willing to use and abuse to get her way. This annoying character had no growth during the series.
2. Ahn Seok-Hwan as Yun-Seop (Chang-Ryeol's Dad). I loved this actor in Delightful Girl Chun-hyang but here he portrays a one dimensional annoying character that sneers, bribes, and bullies his way through life.
3. Choi Eun-Seo as Hye-Mi. Another annoying character that believes she has a chance with Jin-ho. Worthless and whining, the script this character was given was a waste.
score 7/10
fprefect-685-281084 5 November 2013
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2900159/15149
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