Secret Love – Series Review & Episode Guide

An is an orphan whose parents died when he was young. They were trapped in an elevator during an accident. An survived, but his parents didn't. After the tragedy, he was taken in by Jin's family, who were close friends of his parents. Since then, Jin's parents have raised An as their own, treating him like a second son.

Jin is the only child of a wealthy family. His rebellious nature often clashes with his strict father, who demands discipline and high academic performance. However, his mother tends to spoil him. When An moves in, Jin quickly bonds with him. The two grow up with a close relationship, almost like brothers.

One day, Jin overhears a private conversation between his parents. His father reveals plans to pass the family business to An, his adopted son, instead of Jin, his biological heir. Jin's mother argues against the decision, but his father remains firm in his choice. Jin feels betrayed, and resentment begins to fester. This revelation drives a wedge between him and An, causing their close bond to fracture. Since then, they have drifted apart.

Due to his misbehaviour, Jin's father sends him overseas for high school. Years later, Jin returns and enrolls in the same university as An, who has become a top student. However, his father's plans remain unchanged. He still intends to pass the family business to An. Jin continues to act rebelliously, causing trouble for his family. An tries to stop him, wanting to protect Jin's father from further pain. His efforts only escalate the tension between them.

Secret Love bored me from the start. The central storyline revolves around who will inherit the family business. The biological son or the adopted child? Honestly, I don't care. Although the characters act like this is such a big deal, I have no interest in watching fictional characters fight over imaginary assets. Besides feeling tedious, the endless scenes of scheming and arguing create an unpleasant atmosphere. I was getting annoyed by these rich assholes. Do they have nothing else going on in their lives besides this company?

Secret Love may be enjoyable if you're a fan of over-the-top theatrics. The story is like a full-blown soap opera, packed with secrets, scandals, and hidden agendas. Emotions are exaggerated to a ridiculous degree. The characters also have intense arguments instead of trying to reconcile reasonably. In one episode, the father throws a cup at his son's head in a violent outburst, making me gasp. Rather than a realistic narrative, this series always maximizes the melodrama. For me, it's too much. Some may like the excessive conflicts, angst, or twists, but I find these scenes more exhausting than entertaining.

Jin, the biological son, is a nasty piece of work. I hate how he becomes possessive over his love interest and behaves irrationally over An's platonic friendship with Tong. Jin has never met the guy or seen them cross boundaries, yet he reacts with outrage and throws a hysterical tantrum. His jealousy spirals so far out of control that he ends up sexually assaulting An. Although he stops midway, this attempted rape destroys any possibility of romance. After such an ugly incident, it's impossible to see the couple's relationship the same way. This is not love. This is abuse.

It's perplexing why the story includes an attempted rape scene, considering both leads already have mutual feelings for each other. They could have easily gotten together without Jin forcing himself on An. If you can look past this ugly stain on their romance, the consensual encounters are decent. The second half of the series highlights the couple's bliss, including several lovey-dovey BL moments. However, Secret Love commits self-sabotage by contradicting its sweet relationship arc with an awful scandal. No matter how much Jin dotes on An, he can't redeem himself.

Although the leads aren't the strongest performers, they share decent chemistry and seem compatible on screen. The actors look good together as a couple, and their interactions have a natural spark. On the production side, everything appears polished and professionally filmed. However, the 81-episode format frustrates me. The series is broken into extra short episodes, some featuring nothing but a pointless interaction. It's tiresome to constantly pause and resume the story. The structure feels needlessly disjointed, disrupting the flow of the narrative.

After endless convoluted melodrama, Secret Love wraps up with a happy ending. These obnoxious rich people finally decide who will run the family business, not that I ever cared about the outcome. At some point, the story's absurdity becomes an ironic guilty pleasure. I roll my eyes at ridiculously hysterical scenes, like An sobbing in a rainstorm in front of his parents' tombstones. I also laugh at how much Jin's father despises his biological son. Despite the unintentional comedy, Secret Love is a terribly written mess. This drama is tacky, trashy, and not worth anyone's time.