Kdrama review: Her Private Life and some fangirling shenanigans

It’s been more than a week since I finished watching Her Private Life, and I
still think of Ryan Gold and his pretty face. It’s the first Kim Jae Wook drama
I’ve seen and maybe it’s time for me to broaden my horizon and start watching
dramas of actors that are complete strangers to me. Anyway, this drama was aired
in 2019, and I finally watched it because one, I’m a Kpop fan now and I knew I’d
relate to this; two, it’s Christmas break and there’s nothing else to do; three,
Ryan Gold is irresistibly adorable.
image source

All things relatable

Not gonna lie, the main reason I was compelled to watch this drama is
because of Doekmi’s (Minyoung) fangirling. Man, she’s obsessed with Cha
Shian, a member of a fictional Kpop group White Ocean. If I didn’t happen to
be into Kpop, I’d wonder if her fangirling shenanigans actually happen in
real life. Her studio apartment is a dream to all the fangirls out there,
from her Shian standee to all of Sian’s portraits she made herself. If there’s a
need for an ultimate fangirling guide, one must tear a page out of Deokmi’s
book.
that ultimate fangirling moment
Apart from being a fangirl, Doekmi is the curator of a fine arts museum,
something I almost did some years ago. Okay, writing artwork descriptions is
different, but still. My love for fine arts intensified while watching this
drama. If you’ve been reading this blog (of if you follow me on Instagram),
you’d know. It made me want to abruptly end my solitary confinement and
visit galleries and museums so to quench my lust for artworks and analyze
what they could possibly mean. 

The dark side of fangirling

If there’s one thing I’d never understand about Kpop fangirling, it’s that
fans are enraged when they learn that their idol is involved in a romantic
relationship. I mean, c’mon. It doesn’t take a lot of muscles to be more
mature about it and accept the fact that idols are also human with emotions
and naturally they can also fall in love. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I
saw tweets from fans cancelling EXO’s Chanyeol because his pictures with his
alleged ex-girlfriend circulated online, and these fans were all prepared to
believe some poorly edited snapshots rather than empathize with their idol
in his silence. It’s sad when fans hated Chen just because he was suddenly
getting married and wanted to be happy. Sure, it’s sad because the
possibility of them dating these fans someday is gone, but that doesn’t
warrant so much hate to the point of hating Xiumin too, for owning Chen’s
signed albums. The things Doekmi would have had to go through if our charming
Ryan Gold wasn’t there to save her were pretty horrible, criminal even.
Although to be fair, Doekmi tried to explain how the fans must have felt – they feel betrayed because they poured every ounce of love and support they could give to their
idols and only to be fooled like that. But with or without her explaining
things, I’d never understand why there has to be so much loathing. In the
end, all went well, because it paved the way (some big words there, huh) for Doekmi and Ryan to get
closer and eventually fall in love. 

The kind of guy…

Look, if you can’t get to date your idol, make sure to at least find a guy
who supports your fangirling shenanigans. Find the guy who realizes it when
he’s at fault, never refuses to admit it, and says sorry. Find the guy
who’s brave enough to face his fears, by telling you about it and allowing
you to help him get through it. Find that guy who goes to the park with your
family for a picnic. 
But a guy who’s allergic to coffee… well, I’m not sure. 😀

Will you date a co-worker, though?

The things I share in this space are mostly my first-hand experience,
otherwise I witnessed them happening to my close friends. So when I say that
dating a co-worker is a disaster, believe me, because the odds are, I’ve
been there and I know what I am saying. It’s messy and awkward, I kid you
not. Doekmi and Ryan, along with Miso and Youngjoon (What’s Wrong With
Secretary Kim) and Nanase and Kairi (Love Lasts Forever) have successfully brought butterflies in our stomachs as they get to spend
more time with each other simply because they’re in the same workplace. It
really looks fun, and it’s because nothing wrong has ever happened in their
relationships. When Doekmi finally decided she was falling for Ryan and
ended their fake relationship, it was awkward as hell, not only for them but
for their other colleagues too. It’s like walking on eggshells, and can you
really imagine your work friends ranting about how crappy your boss is
and he happens to be your boyfriend? Or worse, what if you broke up? And he
starts dating someone else? Okay, let me be clear though. I’m not generally
against it, but dating a co-worker has been long ago scratched from my list.

We stan character developments and undying friendships

Fangirling isn’t exclusive to just ogling at the pretty face of your idol
all day everyday, may it be on vLive, variety show reruns, dramas, or
posters on your wall. It gave me an enjoyable workload, as I am now asked to write a paid article about Kpop stars. Neat, right? Sun-joo, Doekmi’s best friend and fangirling buddy
isn’t just the best friend who follows Doekmi around. She has her own
life, own story, and own heartbreak that Doekmi also becomes “the best
friend” at some point, and I’m totally living for it. She’s the epitome of
fangirls who finally woke up from the dream and created her own happily ever
after. It wasn’t perfect by all means, at some point she was betrayed and
heartbroken. But fangirls must have hearts stronger than anyone else. 
Love does not hurt. Your expectation does.
Cindy, another die-hard Shian fan, is your typical spoiled-brat who does
whatever the hell she wants. Having someone like her as an intern is a
pain, but really. All she needed was time and, a huge trigger, and a
second chance to prove she was more than that. I mean, I know she appears to be
a lot of work to become a reliable employee, but it all worked out
in the end. Girl, if you know someone like Cindy, maybe you shouldn’t give
up on that person just yet 
even if my patience is about to snap I still hope that one day she’ll
come around
.
And do you ever wonder why second leads remain on being friend-zoned? It’s because they’re damn too slow to confess!

The soundtrack

Just like What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, this romantic comedy also has a great list of soundtracks. I particularly like Hong Daw Kwang’s Boom Boom – it’s a feel-good song and the guitar reminds me of my Yongieee! <3
I’m really happy to have come across this drama. It’s light, entertaining and made my fangirl heart flutter even more. I think I may have found the Kdrama version of my life. 
What’s the last Kdrama you’ve seen?
xo

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.