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I deserve a medal after finishing that drama, honestly. My main grievance is that her fangirl identity wasn’t even revealed? Wtf????? The only thing I was holding out for tbh, what the hell. But god, where did this drama go so wrong? It started out okay but it was like a downward spiral. Ok, first things first, I still didn’t really ship Sung Duk Mi with Ryan Gold / Heo Yoon Jae. No offence to the actor, but for some reason he just looks so much older than her??? I couldn’t get past it. And personally, couldn’t really see the chemistry. That’s just me. And the only part I liked, turned out to be a dream!!!! Jfc
And my GOD did it get boring after like episode 10 I think it was? (after we had to suffer a whole episode of unnecessary angst with their ‘break up’) Maybe it’s because I don’t care about art, but the whole storyline was then based around the gallery and those bubble paintings and I could not have been more uninterested. And then that episode of flashbacks and drama (with their child abandonment stuff and she just all of a sudden had a little brother that died???) god why. It was just so boring, I couldn’t take it.
Then the writers just totally forgot all about the fangirling side of things, entirely. Which was what drew me to the show!! I wanted to see more of it!
You might think I’m being harsh giving it a 4.5 but I just have such disdain towards this drama.
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"Like fanfiction with a splash of art—charming, sweet, and just a little too much fluff."
"Her Private Life ): 8/10 – A Fluffy, Self-Aware Rom-Com That Embraces Its Own Chaos"✨ WHY IT’S DIFFERENT (AND LOVELY):
Park Min-young as a fangirl – Finally, a FL who owns her obsession instead of being shamed for it. (K-pop stans, this is your victory lap.)
Kim Jae-wook’s artistic himbo energy – A CEO who’s awkward, hot, and supportive? Unrealistic, but we’ll take it.
No toxic exes or evil parents – Just healthy communication and mutual respect. (Gasp!)
🎨 THE "THIS SHOULDN’T WORK BUT IT DOES" MOMENTS:
The fake dating trope – Used ironically because they’re both terrible at lying.
The fanfic-worthy confession – "Be my girlfriend… for real." (Cue squealing.)
The entire gallery subplot – Aesthetic and absurd in the best way.
🤷 THE "OKAY, FINE" FLAWS:
The second-half slump – A mild case of "we ran out of plot, so here’s filler."
That one unnecessary breakup – Three episodes of avoidable drama.
The villain-lite coworker – More annoying than actually threatening.
🎯 VERDICT:
"Like fanfiction come to life—self-indulgent, hilarious, and unapologetically sweet." Watch if: You love fluff, K-pop references, or men who simp hard. Skip if: You need gritty realism (this is a fantasy, babes).
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Great drama!
I really enjoyed this drama!!!!! The chemistry between the main characters is amazing and their banter was so funny, especially at the auction. Ryan's story is so sad ☹️😢🥺. I felt really sorry for him. I loved their relationship and how they slowly fell in love with each other. The ending was good and fitting to the story. The music was great, especially the main song. I'm still obsessed with it, lol. This drama gives us a glimpse of how Koreans become so obsessed with K-Pop artists. It was funny seeing a grown-up woman stalking a K-Pop idol and then becoming his sister in law.Was this review helpful to you?
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Male lead smolders ,but only 4 out of 16 Episodes were good
I really wanted to like this The [premise was good, the actors were attractive, had good chemistry & did a good job]. BUT; episodes 1-10 left me more irritated than interested.I put it on hold for 5 months before I went back to finish it Here's why:
1)The screaming mother who hit everyone.
2)Sindy the stalker fan
3) The BFF who was cold & uncaring about her long suffering husband but swooned over her idol singer.
4) Secondary characters that mooned over the lead characters & wouldn't take "no" for an answer.
5) Bickering. fan obsession.
The plot got ridiculous & I just didn't like any of the characters.
Then comes episode 10 and the tone completely changed to one of an abundance of
cutesy romance & romantic drama -with way too much sentimentality & much too much kissing (so that it felt like viewer Voyeurism!)
By the time the end of episode 14 came along I felt like it was the perfect ending as it gave a sense of completion tidying up most things (& had somehow pretty much erased my irritation from the first 10 episodes!) But, no, Episode 15 is just sad. It's about resolution of some plot points but it was totally unnecessary. It was like it was on a mission to make sure that EVERY plot point was completely tied up perfectly. And while the drama does avoid most drama tropes, the fact that everyone got thier happy ending seemed really forced.
The one plot point that they completely ignored was Ryan's adoptive parents- it would have been great to have known something about them (are they dead ?) I was so sure I'd love this but even though the male lead is smoldering & does a great job acting in this, I just won't re watch it because out of
16 Episodes, only 4 were good & that's not enough for me.
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...
the production was good, I can't complain .I also say that the performance was incredible, it would be a sin if I complained.
I love the actors, I loved the characters.
Of course, not everything is perfect, I can't lie, but what a drama that doesn't have a single flaw.
So in conclusion, I recommend...
I say it's worth watching, maybe it's bad for some, but for me it was good.
This is just my opinion, you better watch it and have your own opinion.
I don't know what to say, because I think everyone has their own opinion.
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And I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I also feel like they have too much kissing and love dovey scenes that it took away the time slot to explore more more on the side story. I wish we see more of the family dynamic, the side lovelines, and maybe even more side stories about being a fangirl. It feels like being fan girl was purely used as an arc but not fully explore. By midway, there's almost no mention about the Road to Sian any more.
And the story about the kids/childhood... come on... so absurb, and even more unbelievable comparing to Secretary Kim. I cannot they used 2 accidents, and even a death just to justifying to action of the adults. There is no need, at all.
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Art Fangiring and the greenest flag in kdrama history
Enemies-to-lovers? Check. Boss-employee tension? Double check. Fake dating, healing arcs, and one of the healthiest, swooniest romances in K-Drama land? Absolutely. Her Private Life had me laughing almost nonstop every episode — the humor, chemistry, and charm are all top-tier.Kim Jae-wook plays possibly the greenest of green flags ever written. That man’s patience and emotional intelligence deserve a national award (and yes, the jawline deserves its own spin-off). Park Min-young absolutely shines, and Park Jin-joo once again proves she’s the ultimate best-friend MVP — hilarious here and just as lovable as in Our Beloved Summer.
This drama is pure serotonin — mature, romantic, and genuinely healing.
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A mature relationship = communication ❤️
First of all, the chemistry between the ML and FL is off the charts !!! It’s really heart fluttering and gives you a very honest reminder that you’re single 😂.But that’s not the best part of the drama. I think you really cannot overlook how much mature their relationship was in the sense that they were able to share each other’s pain and help each other heal. One of my favourite moments in the drama is when Ryan starts to paint again with Deokmi’s encouragement. She is was really a safe space for him to process his childhood trauma and come out on the other side as someone who has processed the pain of the past and had something else to live for. Similarly with Deokmi’s past hurt. I think he open up a side of her beyond what we see as Deokmi the fan girl ; and adds more colour to her life.
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A fun and heartwarming story
I absolutely LOVED this drama!!!! It started off lightheartedly and funny, almost even silly with her hiding her real identity and her Private life from everyone. Towards the end it actually got deeper and sadder. One of the dramas I cried the most!!! It broke my heart sooooo much!!!! Seeing the final picture that was missing with the boy aka Yun Jae on it, Duk-Mi’s story of loosing her brother and her memory at the same time and just how they were all connected since their childhood. Of course, very unrealistic like what are the odds of that happening? But that’s such a popular K-Drama trope and tbh it’s one of my favorites 😂😂😂The side characters were also all super cool especially her bestie and Eun-Gi. I was annoyed a bit at him for a while especially when he was trying to break the main couple apart but I quickly went back to liking him! However, his romantic feelings towards Duk-Mi were not neccessary. I wish they would have kept him as her fake brother and given him another second female love interest (which I hope is NOT Hyo-jin 😰😰😰)
I was definitely rooting all for Ryan Gold 😍😍😍 I was whipped for him the second I saw him at the auction!!! omg!!! Yes I want it!!! 😂 Kim Jae-Wook is so hot and his acting is superb!!! his dreamy eyes and the voice omg!!!
Some critique point was the amount of accidents used as a cause for tragedy in both sides: Yun-Jae’s mom getting into an accident and not making it to pick up her son and then Duk-Mi and her brother getting into an accident and Duk-Su dying… That was a bit too many accidents for my taste…
But all in all really amazing drama with beautiful quotes, music and characters!!!
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Sometimes KDrama Rom-Coms can be funny...
I don't need Oscar-worthy acting or groundbreaking plots for my rom-coms. Give me something I can melt into, giggle with, and dwell on as I fall asleep."Her Private Life" delivered that most of the time. It was so optimistic at the very beginning. Female gets to live the best life possible by being in a financially stable and posh occupation and has the spare time to exercise a hobby... that hobby being the obsessive but acceptable stocking of a Kpop idol. Should we, the audience, question this hobby?! No! And that's what I want in a rom-com. Blissful ignorance!
Of course, an attractive new boss comes her way, and they don't see eye to eye, until they have to see eye to eye, then they intimately see eye to eye, and love blooms.
I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning to middle of the show. There were plenty of 'will-they, won't-theys.' Some characters had strong comedic moments. Everything felt comfy, cozy, and warm. Some tender scenes between mom and son were refreshing (I think KDramas overdo it on the tender moments in rom-coms, so this was huge).
There was an energy that was strong and consistent from episodes 1-10. At the end of ep. 10, the show made its first mistake. I won't state that mistake here but, if you have seen the show, you might agree. The big revelation at the end of 10 could've been delayed. A lead character could've waited longer to play the ace up his sleeve; and if written right, it would've been funny.
The real problem comes at episode 13. The mood shifts. It feels gloomy, slow, and cumbersome. Its not the same show anymore. I wish I could advise everyone to pretend that the last 4 episodes do not exist but I'm a firm believer in watching from beginning to end.
If the writers had not felt obligated to manipulate the story for a dramatic plot twist (and why do they? why does every Korean rom-com have to have some trauma?), this show would be... maybe... my 2nd favorite show. But the writers did a real nosedive into sappy, depressing, and boring. It really is a shame.
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