Personal Taste is a drama about two women who live in the same apartment and share the same boyfriend. That sounds like a setup for a soap opera. Instead, it’s a sharp, funny, and surprisingly tender look at friendship, romance, and the messiness of life in Seoul. The show ran for twelve episodes in 2010, and it remains one of the most memorable Korean dramas of its era.
The premise is simple. Seo Yi-jung (Park Shin-hye) is a talented violinist whose father abandoned her family. She lives with her grandmother and dreams of leaving Seoul for a quieter life. Kang Tae-oh (Lee Min-ho) is a handsome musician who wants to be a composer. He dates Yi-jung, but he also spends time with her best friend, Lee Ji-an (Yoon So-yi), who is a passionate singer and a fiercely loyal companion. The three of them form a triangle that feels both inevitable and unpredictable.
Trailer, via TVD Admin.
The Triangle
The show opens with Ji-an and Yi-jung sharing a room, watching a movie about two women who are friends but fall for the same man. The irony is immediate. The two women are not rivals in the traditional sense. They are allies, and their bond is the emotional core of the series. Ji-an is loud, confident, and a little reckless. Yi-jung is quiet, reserved, and deeply wounded by her past. Together, they are a unit. The show keeps reminding us of that.
Tae-oh complicates things. He is drawn to Yi-jung, but he also admires Ji-an’s passion. He confuses love with comfort, and he can’t decide which woman he really wants. The result is a slow-burn tension that never erupts into melodrama. The show trusts its characters to make mistakes and to learn from them.
“I want to be a composer.”
That line, spoken by Tae-oh early in the series, captures the show’s central theme. Everyone is chasing something bigger than themselves. Yi-jung wants to play music in a place where she won’t be judged. Ji-an wants to sing on stage. Tae-oh wants to create something meaningful. The show understands that ambition is not glamorous. It is exhausting, lonely, and often fruitless.
Seoul as Character
Personal Taste is also a portrait of Seoul. The city is crowded, noisy, and full of contradictions. The show moves between upscale cafes, cramped apartments, and gritty streets. It shows the beauty of the city and the ugliness of its social hierarchy. Yi-jung’s father is wealthy, but he is also cruel. His absence shapes her entire life. Ji-an comes from a modest background, and she is constantly reminded of her status. Tae-oh is caught between the two worlds. He is comfortable with money, but he is not interested in power.
The show does not romanticize poverty or wealth. It shows both as traps. Yi-jung’s father offers her everything, but he cannot give her love. Ji-an’s mother sacrifices for her daughter, but she cannot protect her from disappointment. The show suggests that freedom is harder to achieve than success.
Comedy and Heartbreak
The show is not a tragedy, though. It is a comedy-drama that earns its moments of sadness. There are scenes that are genuinely funny, especially when Ji-an is being ridiculous or Tae-oh is being clueless. The humor comes from the characters’ flaws. Ji-an is too proud to admit she cares about Yi-jung. Tae-oh is too dense to see that he is hurting everyone around him. Yi-jung is too passive to stand up for herself. These are not caricatures. They are people who are trying their best.
The show also handles heartbreak with a rare honesty. When the triangle finally collapses, the fallout is messy and uncomfortable. There are no neat resolutions. There is only grief and confusion. The show does not pretend that a breakup is a clean break. It is a wound that takes time to heal.
A Final Word
Personal Taste is a flawed masterpiece. It is overly long in some stretches, and it drags during the middle episodes. Some subplots feel like padding. The ending, while satisfying, could have been tighter. But the strengths outweigh the weaknesses. The performances are superb, especially from Park Shin-hye, who brings a quiet dignity to Yi-jung. Lee Min-ho is charming and earnest as Tae-oh. Yoon So-yi steals every scene she is in as Ji-an.
The show is also a reminder of why Korean dramas were so popular in the early 2010s. They told stories about young adults who were struggling to find their place in the world. They were relatable, stylish, and emotionally honest. Personal Taste fits that mold perfectly.
It is a show about friendship, romance, and the search for meaning. It is a show about the people we love and the people we become. It is a show that is better than its reputation. It deserves to be remembered.
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