Review: Secret Garden ~ Spoons & Slippers

I think I wont get any disagreements if I say that Secret Garden is by far, *hands down* the best Korean drama ever.

I've watched countless Korean movies and dramas, heck, I've seen this drama since 2010, but my number one favorite drama is still, Secret Garden. I decided to write about it because I'm watching the show again and I need a place to gush out how that drama makes me feel. ~kekeke

Secret Garden has everything you would want for a drama - it has a great storyline, cinematography and effects are nice, the music/soundtrack is amazing and paired with an A-list cast of actors and actress (lead by Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won) playing roles in a drama that has a huge dose of comedy, a pinch of action, gut wrenching emo scenes and of course, its bridled with a heart warming love story that I am sure every girl wishes for.

The story is about Gil Ra Im (played by Ha Ji Won), a poor but beautiful stuntwoman and Kim Joo Won (played by Hyun Bin), an eccentric and arrogant CEO, who mistook Gil Ra Im for someone else and thus starting their encounter. Joo Won immediately fell in love with Gil Ra Im when he saw her practicing her stunts and after that he can't take her off his mind. At first, he never accepted that he was in love or even attracted to Gil Ra Im because she was a girl that would never passed his (high) standards for an ideal match (told you he's eccentric). He treated it as if he was ill of some unknown disease or its just a passing trend and that he needs to see Gil Ra Im for a few times cure it or for the feeling to fade away. I really love (super giddy) on how he sees her image everywhere and he tries to deny it but his actions really show what he feels.

The other main characters, Oska (played by Yoon Sang Hyun) and Yoon Seul (played by Kim Sa Rang) adds more colour to the story. Oska is an "ahjussi" Hallyu idol -- (an internationally well known singer/artist) who is actually related to Joo Won. They're cousins who were very close before but as they grew up their relationship also grew far apart. Oska thought his first and only love Yoon Seul cheated on him and Yoon Seul also thought that Oska lied to her thus, it broke their relationship and made them turn cold to each other and to other people. Yoon Seul is trying to get Joo won as her fiancee as a sort of revenge to Oska while Gil Ra Im idolizes Oska a lot which pisses Joo Won.

The bickering relationship between these four characters: Joo won's "you're not my type but I want you here" against Gil Ra Im's "I'm an independent girl, leave me alone" and Oska "I'm famous, I dont care about you anymore" against Yoon Seul's "I despise you but you'll fall for me again" attitude is so entertaining, that I actually thought that "body swap" theme for the show isn't necessary to make the story beautiful.

One thing that I find amazing but a bit frustrating about Joo woon, is that he is honest and straight forward in saying what he feels. Honest is nice but I think he was a bit of a jerk when he told Gil Ra Im, he still had some reservations about them because he believes that the emotion would just fade away and that he won't really end up getting married to her but for now she should be with her and like him too - until he gets tired off her. Its like saying I like you but I am not serious so I'll just keep you for now until you bore me.. of course, that made Gil Ra Im (and any girl for that matter) to storm off. Good thing, the we can see he really loves her but because what he said, Gil Ra Im left him and then comes the body swap.

*Ra Im in Joowon's body and seeing Oska naked rofl*

The earlier episodes are really great and it was based on reality, so later when they added fantasy to the show by "swapping" the bodies of Gil Ra Im and Joo Won (Gil Ra Im's soul would bein Joo Won's body and vice versa) I thought it would ruin the show but because of the great ensemble of cast they actually managed to pull it off and made the story even better.

I can't help to crack up when I see Hyun Bin acting and screaming like a girl.. Omo! *rofl* Because of this body swap, Gil Ra Im has no choice but to be closer with Joo won and just about when they were already honest about how they felt their families come into the view. Gil Ra Im was just a poor but simple girl, no thoughts of getting rich while Joo Won has really high standards and expensive tastes so naturally, Joo Won's family, who knew about the relationship wished for it to stop. They tried to scare, humiliate and even bribe Gil Ra Im to break off with Joo Won. Rich families bullying poor girls/guys that their children loves is a very common ingredient in most dramas and what sets this drama apart is that, while other poor lead characters in other dramas would walk away (at times with a tear in their eye) with a very offended but proud expression in their faces, that makes the viewers pity them, Gil Ra Im (who has Joo Won's soul at that time in her body) was asking for more money from "Joowon's mother" and used up all the money to buy things, its soooooo hilarious! I can see even imaginary smoke coming out of the nose and ears of Joo won's mom.

Joo-won (reply when he was asked who Ra Im is to him):

She drives like a car racer. If she witnesses someone’s purse being snatched, someone she’s never met in her life, she’ll throw fists. She has no money and her body is covered in scars, but she doesn’t want to spend even one second of one minute with people like us. She’s that kind of woman. I’ve never seen a woman as cool as her. That…is my answer.

Joo won finally accepted that he can't be without Gil Ra Im and Gil Ra Im felt the same way so after all the funny, heart wrenching and of course, loving twist and turns they finally ended up with each other. But the story doesn't end, there because the body swap was still happening to them every time it rains. Gil Ra Im had a collision accident while doing a car stunt which put her into a comma. Joo Won who cant bear to see his wife that way decided to swap their souls so that Gil Ra Im can live within his body.

The episode where Joo Won was writing his farewell letter for Gil Ra Im to read when she wakes up in his body was such a heart wrenching scene.Some people would just use heart wrenching to describe sad event but my heart really felt heavy when I saw Joo Won crying while writing that letter. Hyun Bin Saranghae! I never cried like that for a show after Zettai Kareshi.~sob sob

Joo-won: “If we could be together even in that way… then that’s enough — let’s think of it as being together. That’s enough for us to consider ourselves as happy as other lovers.”

But for this show to be the best, the ending should be a happy one right?? So, Gil Ra Im was cured and they were back in their rightful bodies, the body swap finally ending (though there was still Joo won and his amnesia problems but you get the gist) and they did live happily . Oska and Yoon Seul are finally getting married after all their fights and dramas. Its such an amazing show wherein things and scenes that are already too derivative were changed for the better. So if you havent watched it, please do so.

3 Best Scenes in the Show (actually there's a lot but these are my fave)

1. The Sit Up Scene
---episode 3: Joo Won was doing sit ups while Gil Ra Im was holding his legs.. LOL when Joo Won tried to kick the other stunt man who asked Gil Ra Im to be his exercise partner! This is one of the best drama scenes I've seen. Simple but cute and sweet!

2. Foam Kiss

---: Joowon was wiping off the coffee foam on Gil Ra Im's lips by using his own lips! This scene made me buy several cappuccinos after watching this scene then I stopped when I finally realized Joowon wasn't there to wipe off the foam.. ~kekekekeke

3. Elevator Scene
---Joo won has claustrophobia and it was during one of their body swaps that he found himself in an elevator. HyunBin is such a great actor. It was as if he really had a panic attack while filming that scene. Kudos!