‘Her Private Life’ was on my to watch list for quite a bit. And after finishing this drama I can definitely say that it was everything I expected, relatable, cute and extremely enjoyable.
Based on the Korean novel ‘Noona Fan Dot Com’ by Kim Sung-yeon, written by Kim Hye-young and directed by Hong Jong-chan, ‘Her Private Life’ tells the story of Sung Deok-mi (Park Min-young) a chief curator in an art gallery who also runs a fan-site of her favourite idol and Ryan Gold, a very talented painter who becomes the director of the gallery where Deok-mi works.
A Fangirl life
I felt this drama was quite relatable because of Park Min-young’s character and the way she perfectly balanced her professional life with her fangirl side, she enjoys the best of both in a balanced way and I loved how this was shown in the drama.
Deok-mi’s best friend Park Jin-joo (Lee Seon-joo) was one of the most lovables characters I found in this series, she is fangirl but also a mother and I found it super heartwarming how happy she was when she saw Deok-mi’s fangirling activities or just feeling happy or sad when something wasn’t going well in Deok-mi’s life. A pure and beautiful friendship.
I was also very impressed about how this drama explained being a fangirl in such a lighthearted and cute way. The writers tried to make it relatable and they achieved it. I’m sure many (including me) felt related to Deok-mi or Jin-joo and their fangirl conversations and happiness, a quote to remember:
“(…)you don’t choose to fangirl someone; the moment just hits you like a ton of bricks and you get sucked in against your own will(…)”
Art and Love
Art is a secondary aspect viewers can spot in the drama, and I really liked the way it was shown. Deok-mi as a curator shares her perspectives about art and Ryan Gold’s (Kim Jae-wook) character despite being the director he listens to and takes note of Deok-min and the other curators point of view, which I loved. It is not the typical boss- employees relationship we see in dramas.
Ryan Gold and Deok-mi’s relationship was probably one of the best relationships I have seen in the drama world. It was balanced, healthy, not too lovey-dovey and it had that chemistry and tension that was palpable even as a viewer.
My favourite part is definitely how he supported Deok-mi and how he found her fangirl side interesting rather than weird. He was supportive, non-judgmental and absolutely adorable. This was the first main role that Kim Jae Wook portrayed in a rom-com, and I was left speechless and with a fluffy feeling after watching it.
No Drama or baddies
‘Her Private Life’ doesn’t have a proper antagonist. We do get a bit of complex fan behaviour at the beginning, but as it develops the drama shows the ups and downs that some of us can have in life. Family issues, friendship and even the secrets you want to keep away from everyone are part of the conflict in the drama and I like how it was balanced and not over dramatic.
Overall I enjoyed this drama, it was cute and left me with that warm feeling of happiness and a massive crush on the main lead relationship. It is available on Viki and you can check out the trailer below.
