Since I just reviewed A Gentleman's Dignity, with reference to Secret Garden, I felt it only fair to give Secret Garden it's review too. This 2010 drama was the highlight of my early 2011. It was a lighthearted romantic comedy, with that little hit of fantasy mixed in with tension. It gave me everything and more that I could want from a K-drama. I stumbled upon this particular drama upon the recommendation of my sister. The synopsis of the drama was not one to grab my attention as it spoke of a body switching. And to be frank, I can't stand those kinds of dramas in English anymore since I've seen so many, so I was not at all interested in watching on as a K-drama. As seems to be the case with Kim Eun Sook's drama, I was pleasantly surprised.
The body switching premise was important to the drama, however, it was the characters that got me hooked. The chemistry between Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won as Kim Joo Won and Gil Ra Im, respectively, was off the charts. Joo Won is the snobby elitist chaebol that you can't stand. However, what is most intriguing about Joo Won is that the things that he speaks are not the truth. He faces the fact that his life as a chaebol is a Merger and Acquisition deal, and love is an unnecessary element. He simply wants the best relationship to assist his business and believes rich should stick with rich, since that is the way it is meant to be. He does not have a condescending attitude about him, just a matter of fact one. But in saying such things, it comes across as being insulting and condescending. Ah, how I love the conundrums of K-dramaville.
Of course, Joo Won's perfect philosophy is obliterated when he meets stunt actress Ra Im. She does not conform to his preconceived notions and does not give him the time of day. Sound familiar? It will because its a trope repeated frequently in K-dramaville. The difference in this drama I find is the way the actors portray these characters. I enjoy watching Ra Im take Joo Won by surprise and watching him fall slowly for her without any rhyme or reason. To him it is completely mystifying and I enjoy that. His chanting of the mantra "Kim Soo Ah Mo" whenever his daydreams of her began to pop up were a welcome element to highlight his conflict.
By the time the body switching came around, I was already so invested in the characters emerging relationship, that it took me by surprise and I had to go, "Right that is a major part of the plot." Being in each others bodies did provide chances for them to learn more about each other, and also brought a new twist into the proximity resulting in a love situation. By literally pretending to be each other, it led to development in the relationship. Another plus for this drama was how utterly fantastic Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won performances were as swamped persons. Hyun Bin's facial reactions when he was a female totally thrilled me to the core and brought several laughs along the way.
What I also enjoyed about this drama is how everything was tied together neatly. Connections that were established were explained and one could see how the characters got from point A to point B. It was coherent and well presented, which is not an easy feat in a production with a fantasy element. For these reasons, Secret Garden gets a well-deserved 4.5 out of 5. For its rich and interesting presentation of the typical tropes. I could continually watch this drama and still not get enough of it.
According to Bel: You will want to switch bodies with someone after this.
