Secret Relationships

Green Flag, Yellow Flag, Black Flag, Or Well... A Psychopath

I like to call this the red string theory, the ending proved how Da On was meant to be with Seong Hyeon from the start but it wasn't the right time or place. Honestly I really liked this story, it was very interesting from start to finish, so with this review I would like to talk about each person individually starting off with our Black Flag aka our psychopath, its honestly so interesting how I first thought Su Hyeon was gonna be the most toxic of them all, and thats what they wanted us to think until we started to find more and more about Jae Min, he is honestly just so lost in his own meaning of love that he doesn't realize how messed up everything he does is, he thinks its love and sacrifice, but its just obsession, I like to know characters background when it comes to breaking down the reason why they're this toxic but there wasn't much background information about Jae Min like the other characters, so im guessing this is just the way he is cause he was born this way. But it still doesn't excuse any action he did towards Da On, and the fact that they were all so harmful either to Da On or the people he cared about. But anyway, thats all I have to say, next one is our Yellow Flag, I thought about labeling him a Red Flag and honestly he's a bit of both, so maybe he's like a Orange Flag, but you can tell he was way more sympathy than Jae Min. Su Hyeon is honestly someone I can see kind of like a misunderstood character, I feel like he isn't a bad person deep down he was just in love and was pushed to his limits by Jae Min and also his own personal life with his family putting the immense pressure of the company and honestly just pleasing them with whatever they asked him to do. You can tell he can be caring when we saw the scene of him being super kind to his niece, that showed a different side of him I feel we would be able to see if Su Hyeon wasn't just pushed to the brink of insanity. I honestly felt bad for him at times, he did do horrible things to Da On as well and wasn't the best person to be around but I really do feel sympathy of what he could've been if it hadn't been for the actions he made because of once again love and obsession. This leads me to my next point before I talk about Seong Hyeon and Da On, Jae Min and Su Hyeon saw Da On as a possession rather than a person they wanted to love and take care of, they were both fighting like cats and dogs over another human being with feelings and emotions and making dumb decisions like fake dating between each other just for what? At the end of the day Da On liked both Jae Min and Su Hyeon at some point, if either of them had done the right thing and done things properly like Seong Hyeon, they could've had the happy ending the so craved with Da On. But they chose to be dumb and toxic about it and look where that lead them. I do feel for Su Hyeon, maybe because in a way he was manipulated by Jae Min into fake dating him so neither of them could have Da On but Jae Min always had an ulterior motive, theres a reason he's labeled Black Flag, this man was no doubts the villain of this story and it infuriated me whenever he would pop up and ruin everything again. But anyway, lastly we have our Green Flag, he's honestly all there is to a Green Flag and what we all look for in a partner, he managed to love Da On and care for him properly, no single toxic behavior was done, everything he did was for him, this man risked his life for him, he did everything thats expected of someone that truly loves someone else, a literal sweetheart, even when he woke up after being stabbed the first thing he asked was "how did the presentation go", LIKE HELLO?! He's just perfect. And I'm so happy things worked out for both of them and they got their happy ending, the way we all wanted it to go. It just shocks me how he was able to deal with 2 men who were so toxic and dealing with Da On trying to push him away, plus waited a whole year to be with Da On again. That's just true love man. He cared so much about Da On, and Da On deserved this love. Now this brings me to Da On, our main character, I felt really bad for him, and understandably so. He came from a broken family, a gambling addict of a father and an absent mother/sick? Not sure about what was her deal. Having to have young siblings in which I'm sure he took the role of being both father and mother and taking care of them, once he had the chance to escape he did and tried to make a life for himself, regardless of all the trauma he was about to experience with Jae Min and Su Hyeon, he had already experienced some trauma with family, his dad always asking for money so he could continue his gambling addiction, and ruining his reputation in his work place by showing up and making a scene. Then when Jae Min ordered that guy to make him drunk and then took pictures of him in bed almost shirtless, the shit this man experienced was honestly devastating. He deserved to feel love and be loved but instead he had days and days of misery because 2 guys didn't know how to love properly. It hurt me so much when it got to the point that Da On was saying how he doesn't deserve to love or be loved because in the end they all end up being hurt. I was like "NO" because he deserves love and more, he deserves to feel what it is to truly be in a happy healthy environment and relationship. And Seong Hyeon was that for him, so I'm glad once again that things worked out and we got our happy ending, I would be a mess if we didn't. But anyways, this is the longest review I've done in a long time but I just had so much to say about this series, its so different from the others, I haven't seen a love square ever because not even love triangles are my thing but this one was very interesting. I recommend watching, it's an 8.5/10 for me.

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It has the most toxic and green flag characters

This is my new top series of all time. I absolutely love (fictional) toxic queer relationships. And, I enjoyed guessing who was more unhinged and being very surprised!

I really liked how the story unfolding, and going from hating a character, tolerating them, being sympathetic, pitying them, then REALLY enjoying them.

Joo is such a golden retriever, I love him <3

The only thing that REALLY irritated me was the miscommunication between Daon and Joo. I understand that it was for tension, but still.

With each f*cked up thing that happened, I got more and more excited. Nonstop calling? yessss. Possessive behavior? Yesssssss. Stalking? YES. OBSESSIVE behavior? YES! Alliance of unhinged behavior? YESSSS. EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION??? HELL YES I’M IN. (Especially because it somehow manages to have a happy ending, so I went through this emotional rollercoaster and still finished in a positive mood.)

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Secretly Awful Friends for Poor Daon

I have mixed feelings about what I'd personally rate this drama. There were parts about it that I absolutely commend it for, but then there are parts that I felt were too rushed or poorly done. That being said, I still think I liked more about this show than I disliked.

I personally really liked how they showed how there are different ways of being abusive to someone, whether it be physical, financial, verbal, or emotional; Daon when through it all with dealing with his parents and his "so-called" best friends from university. He very much was a victim of the people in his life and I really commend this show for actually giving him his happy ending with Seonghyeon. Unfortunately, a lot of romances (especially BL for whatever reason) love to give their protagonists an ending with the people that treated them poorly compared to someone that treated them well.

And, in comparison to many romance stories with protagonists stuck in an unfortunate situation, Daon doesn't really feel like a blank state. He actually learns respect for himself by the end and it was genuinely satisfying to see considering how much control his abusers thought they had over him. Seeing him not giving in to his parents' demands because he knew it would ultimately be for the worse was extremely satisfying to witness because of how often characters in stories are shown to let avoidable circumstances have power over them. Yes, he was gullible when it came to Jaemin, but that was easily because of the way Jaemin molded him and strung him along to be the way he wanted him to be. With Seohyun, Daon learned not to stretch his hope out thin that he would return or change, and that scene when he returned the ring was really powerful. He decided to be straightforward and honest with Seohyun and that showed just how mature Daon was in comparison to him and Jaemin.

Jaemin and Seohyun are a good example of what to avoid in a partner or friend. The series did well to show how although they have many differences, they are both two different types of abusive. Seohyun was stubborn, extremely ill-tempered, demanding, and impulsive. His anger issues made his attempts to win Daon over fall void and this would cause him to lash out as a result. Daon knew to just distance himself from someone like this whenever he acted this way, which seemed to start back when he pretend dated Jaemin. Jaemin, on the other hand, was far more intimidating as he actually paid off on his threats. He was manipulative, obsessive, selfish, and unhinged. He really was far more selfish than Seohyun to the point that he wanted to keep Daon pining after him forever without ever giving him the satisfaction of confirming his feelings for him. He would put his own self-satisfaction above ever making Daon truly happy because he was only concerned with what he wanted in the long run and naturally assumed Daon would comply with that. Oh boy the way he was on edge when he realized that Daon was learning to respect himself and move on from him after Jaemin was cruel with his rejection. He only had eyes for one thing ("thing" as a word choice because both Seohyun and Jaemin seemed to view Daon as a prize to win), and once he realized he was losing it, he wanted to take it with him into his grave. He had an extremely perverse nature that he hid behind a flawless facade. People like that are truly terrifying and I think the show did a good job of showing that.

Seonghyeon was an actual green flag that was refreshing to see in BL land. You rarely get to see a healthy romance flourish but Secret Relationships was clear about writing him in a way that felt possible yet also idealistic. I enjoyed how much he contrasted with the toxic duo because it showed all the more what traits in a healthy partner should look like. He was caring, playful, earnest, and loyal. He never wanted to usurp control over Daon from the other guys and he was honest about his intentions with Daon. Daon truly deserved to be with someone that actually valued his opinion and respected him as a person like Seonghyeon did. I commend them breaking the tropes that are sadly attached to much of BL media.

That being said, I have a few issues with the show. First, I feel like the runtime was the main issue that spawned the other issues as a result. Much of the characters' backstories felt underdeveloped which left me wanting to know more. If we got to see more of Daon's life growing up then his current actions would be better explained and he would be more sympathetic. As for Jaemin, we never get to see much of anything about him past a few vague memories of Daon seeing him when he was younger. We never get to see what Jaemin was like before Daon nor what all caused his obsession to begin and persist for 11 years. However, I'm inclined to believe it may have been done on purpose to show that Jaemin had always been perverse and selfish deep down; something that a backstory might take away from by making him seem "misunderstood" or "sympathetic." I was still curious to see the extent he went through for 11 years to possess Daon though, so much so that I felt his insanity break at the end felt a little misplaced and spontaneous. Seohyun's backstory was alluded to being demanding because of his family situation, which definitely explains how he got a personality as ill-mannered as he has, but I still feel like there was such a drastic change between when Daon knew him in university versus the present time that I wanted more context of what happened when he was abroad to cause that. Seonghyeon's backstory being included would have also been nice but I understand it wasn't a necessity compared to the other three because his kindness was much more blatantly caused by a kind influence like his grandmother in his life.

Also, why did Daon jump in Seohyun's ride just to avoid Seonghyeon? That seemed too dangerous for him to use just as an out.....and although it was very vague, I think in like episode 6 Daon and Seohyun were alluded to have slept together after Daon dragged him into his house to stop him from fighting Seonghyeon. And if that's true, that was most definitely forced and changes how I'd view Seohyun from being a potential threat to an actual one. It made me really uncomfortable because of how forceful and intimidating Seohyun had been with Daon just moments prior; especially the forced kissing. That scene was the one that made me the most uncomfortable in the entire show-that and when Jaemin forcefully gave Daon a hickey. Daon really did just serve to please these two in their eyes.

My other issue is why the hell did he give a presentation when his love is knocking on death's door???? I don't think I would be mentally well enough to do that considering how his best friend of 11 years he was in love with just attempted to murder-suicide him after chloroforming him, his psycho ex-friend tormenting him recently and coming out of nowhere, and oh of course his lover was just STABBED by his psycho bff of 11 years. What the fuck Daon!?!??! I got to know what was going through the author's head at that point, man.

In conclusion, I really liked the message of this show: have respect for yourself and don't let people treat you terribly, regardless of how long you've known them. Find someone that will treat you with mutual respect and don't let people have control over how you view yourself.

Would I recommend this show? I don't know. I think that the idea was great, but the short runtime took away from the impact it deserved to have. If the Webtoon it is based off of is more complete (and the art style isn't terrible), then I'd recommend reading that instead. Also, the actor who played Jaemin was unsettling as hell and I 100% want to watch anything else he appears in because he did really well (though they all did well).

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Honestly, I didn't expect much from it, because we've seen a lot of Korean BL and I expected it to be nothing like the previous ones. Actually, the only reason I wanted to watch it was my beloved Junseo. Anyways, I was pleasantly surprised. The guys have extremely great visuals and each of them plays a completely different character, like completely. I didn't expect it to be fun and that it would be such a hit. The Koreans pleasantly surprised me with this one and I still can't get over how great it was. Usually there are actors who do a great job with the fact that the plot itself is about nothing, but this was something completely different. The description itself was not much either: a love triangle, okay we get it and a lot of people will judge it accordingly, but I think it's a mistake, because this series was really great and I'm still a little bit left out of it. Truly one of the best Korean BLs for me!

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Im hurt that its over...

I don't usually write reviews, but this time around, I have to.

The series grabbed my attention from episode 1 until the last episode.

I just finished it, and I must say I'm so hurt.
Don't know if I'm hurt because it was too short . I don't know if im still hurt because of what Daon has been through. I also feel very sorry for the 2nd lead Su Hyeon who was used by that psychopath. I feel like he really did love Daon, but he didn't know how to express love and his family background also didn't help. He comes from a family of dictators , he couldn't have learnt how to love from such a background.I'm also happy that Daon ended up with the green flag guy, who is so perfect for him, who is not as complicated as he is. They are a perfect match, exactly what Daon needs to heal. This series will be with me for a very long time.Why did it have to be over so soon😒

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THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT! THAT'S HOW YOU DO A BL!

It's been a long time since I've felt this kind of feeling while watching a BL, definitely a good drama with an amzing story and most importantly, the angst! I'm such a fan of this kind of drama with a heavy and heart breaking emotion, they gave what I wanted. The story didn't go too fast or too slow, no dull moments and such. Although I wish there were more episodes but I think 8 episodes was already enough and the delivered the story well with amazing twist and interesting recaps about their past life.

I was not expectiong for kissing scenes or some intimate scenes knowing that one of the protagonist is a member of a Kpop group, but I was shocked when Daon and Seonghyeon kissed! That makes this drama a hundred better, they didn't try so hard to make it a BL without a kissing scene, instead they really did it and that's how you do it.

I love how the story progress and Daon relationship with each of them. I dont really like Jaemin since the first episode, I just dont get his vibe and I felt something is weird from him and I was right. As for Suhyeon, I felt sad for him because he did everything for his love towards Daon, but everything was a mess and I hate his temper.

Daon and Seonghyeon relationship was good, no awkwardness and I love how it develops. They portray their character really well and they have a strong chemistry!!! I would definitely watch more dramas of them together if it will happen.

This entry for 2025 BL was great, I fear how the upcomings BL will surpass this. They set the standard high! Anyway, I really enjoy it, I was kinda late since it was released last month but I'm glad I discovered it earlier than the others haahaha will surely rewatch it a hundred times! I highly suggest this series!

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Trust No One In his BL Drama

There are so many plot twists with characters changing from bad to good & back again, you just need to watch it completely out before you know who you're rooting for in this excellent BL Drama.
Jun Seo is amazing in his role, along side of Sun Hyung. Both are a great fix together.
All the actors in this are great throughout.
I found that once I started watching it, it was really difficult not to binge episode after episode. Each one ended, where you just wanted more. Your heart aches Jung Da On with so much torment in his life. This is really way beyond a normal BL series, but rather a mix of a strong drama along with a few thriller moments as well.
Very enjoyable with lots of excitement.

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A Tale of a Blank Canvas caught in-between a Good Psycho, a Bad Psycho, and a Non-Psycho.

I guess binging this and not watch it weeks after weeks during the hype do change your perception of the drama.

Do I find it better than most Korean bland, sappy poorly acting BLs out there? Definitely.

But is it a good story? Well err... I'm not sure. Instead of "Secret Relationships", I would call this "A tale of 2 psychos" or "A Good Psycho, A Bad Psycho, A Non-Psycho and a cute guy caught in-between though WHY are they all obsessed with him is a mystery" (yeah I know the last title is a bit long.

I went into this one not knowing anything about the plot. The ratings used to be way higher than this, but it has greatly diminished in the last few months... probably due to more recent viewers like me.

If we consider it compared to most Korean BLs... I'd say it's definitely one of the best out there. Doesn't mean it's necessarily good given how much they suck overall but still... HOWEVER if you compare to what it produced by Taiwan, Japan and Thailand ( and I know Thailand especially have some terrible ones, but they produce so many of them yearly that you do end up with a fair share of good ones), it's pretty average. It's longer than most Korean BLs but still too short for what it wants to tell. It's about time we moved to longer episodes. You can't fully immerse your viewers with such limited format.

I'm not really sure how I feel about this one... I don't hate it. But I don't like it either...but again I had all episodes available contrary to people who had to speculate for weeks about how cray cray they both were.

You know in a typical classic K drama we would have witnessed a redemption ark for Su Hyeon and I would be rooting for him instead of the obvious right choice that was Seong Hyeon. My drama red-flag lover self might be unconsciously disappointed I didn't get to watch this ship sail... because do I love my red flags turning green ( something that let's be real... is only possible in dramas). Also I will always be weak against overly possessive male leads. I know it's toxic, but sorry, not sorry, this is my drama jam.

All in all I kept watching for the two nutcases who were the highlights of this drama. Jae Min was truly sick in the head and made for a good antagonist while Su Hyeon was the red flag I wanted to win in the end . Next to them Da On and Seong Hyeon were just too bland as characters. Completely utterly NOT interesting.

Could have been better with Su Hyeon at the center of the story. I wouldn't have preferred a drama focusing on his journey to win back the blank canvas that is Da On whom he was strangely obsessed with... But the length didn't make this possible. Sad for what it could have been.

Maybe that's why I can't like this show I don't know. Given its short length, there could be no satisfying ending except for that one... BUUUUUUUUUUT I want the hate to love, enemies to lover, the toxic overly possessive jealous red flag turning into goop and having to learn to humble himself to get his boy.

Wouldn't have bothered if it wasn't for the hype it got when it aired.

I know my heart should be satisfied with the ending, but I must be into sadomasochism, I will forever mourn that the Su Hyeon - Da On ship never was to be (also both actors had more chemistry in my opinion). Seong Hyeon is a good guy... but in dramaland, I will always root for the red flag as long as he genuinely cares ( but just doesn't know how to express his love in a healthy way), isn't overly manipulative and doesn't cross the rape line. In my head, I'm creating a longer timeline in which Su Hyeon properly redeems himself and wins back Da On who realizes it was always him, and not the other psycho. I'm sorry Seong Hyeon. You're "too good" for a drama.

I WANT THE TEA.

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