Review – Personal Taste
I just rewatched Personal Taste, after several years, and have to admit… it’s still a funny, cute, and charming K-Drama. Sure, it’s a bit dated. Sure, it’s over the top and almost laughably preposterous. Sure, it’s full of gay jokes that are just thin layers hiding serious homophobia. “You were born as a man but unable to fully live as one.” Jeez. You’ll just have to accept the icing on the cake is homophobia and let that go to enjoy the humor. Though on the flip side, it did feature one of the coolest gay dudes in K-Drama history, the classy Director Choi of the Art Museum. Anyways, despite the chips on the veneer – it’s so freakin’ adorable. Full of sex jokes and innuendo, this show knows how to have fun with its context and its subtext and pull you along for the ride.
First of all, Lee Min-Ho has never been better cast as the fussy heterosexual everyone easily mistakes for a flaming homosexual. This is one of his best roles, in my opinion.
Secondly, the female lead is absolutely lovable and adorable. The frumpy furniture designer living comfortably in her father’s badass house while her personal and professional life flounders. She’s such a “good girls come in last” stereotype, but instead of being pathetic – I really admired her and wanted to be her friend. I mean, I really, really wanted to be her friend. Why can’t I have friends like that? Why can’t I have friends like her friend? No, not the boyfriend stealing one or the money stealing one, but her bestie girlfriend, the humorous and loyal companion who will have your back for life. I loved her best friend. She’s the type of friend who will key the car of the person who hurt you and then buy you ice cream and say you look beautiful when mascara is running down your cheeks.
I will kill for you, bitch!
I love stories where the couple fall in love while sharing a house. I mean, it’s hard not to really get to know someone when you are co-habitating. That goes triple when you are sharing a house with paper walls. Literally, rice paper walls.
To me, one of the best staples of a classic K-Drama is the arch nemesis who has no conscience. Personal Taste provided an ice queen who knew no boundaries in her villainy. Combine her with a flaky, weak man who also stirred up trouble wherever he went, and you have a deadly cocktail of foils for our main couple. There were a lot of plot points – relationships, work, family, and friends – and they all worked well together. It also had one of the greatest first episodes in K-Land… a lot happened. Reminds me of She Was Pretty… another show with a great first episode.
Overall Rating – 8/10. A Prudish Virgin Finally Gets Laid.
More… including shop talk, gay musings, sex and spoilers follow…
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