Sunbae, Don't Put On That Lipstick (2021)

Logically, I know they didn't do anything truly incredible. On the surface, this story has been told before. However, I found a surprising amount of emotional depth here.

From the beginning, with a shared pain, the leads are able to see through the other in a way others aren't able to, hear the words they're not saying. Before they even got together, the connection between them felt earned.

The way Hyun Seung approached Song Ah not just with good intentions but with a level of sincerity most men would not dare to show. He didn't play games, beat around the bush, or do things in half-measures; he loved honestly and fully, even when he had no hope or was given less in return. It was truly refreshing to see a ML take a chance with his whole heart.

I also appreciated the showcasing of a mature as well as flawed working woman FL. Song Ah put her career first and love life second. Some may say this made her selfish. However, she knew how she prioritized these aspects of her life, and rather than attempt to be someone she wasn't, she was honest with herself and Hyun Seung, made her goals clear, and took accountability for her shortcomings. And knowing herself as a person who struggled to express her feelings, she took steps to push through the blocks in her mind as well as make efforts suited to her affection style.

I felt I learned and grew with these two. I'm so glad the rep made me check She Would Never Know out!

Side Note: Can we talk about the respect Hyun Seung had for Song Ah?! He didn't take things into his own hands to remove her from a potentially dangerous situation. He respected her agency, stood to the side, and asked, "Do you want me to?"

My hearrrrt!

By the way, can we take a moment to talk about the height difference between these two?! Because it was . . . Ahhh! Maybe I'm starting to realize I sometimes have a thing for it . I mean, Extraordinary You and Abyss also had me swooning.

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This was decent. A fairly generic, but enjoyable series. There were four main plot points. Some were good, some weren't. Song Ah and Hyun Seung - a clichéd love story with a traditional route. Lee Jae Shin’s trouble with being true to himself and his engagement into the Lee Family - an interesting subject into someone essentially trapped in a relationship. Ji Seung, Hyun Seung’s sister and Lee Jae Woon’s relationship - by far the most interesting plot although we were only given 5 minutes of screen time per episode for it. And lastly Yun Seung dealing with her husband and his closeted feelings - promising but underdeveloped. All four made the show enjoyable despite some problems. A solid show.

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GREAT LIPSTICK GREAT DRAMA

A solid 9.5/10. Many people didn't enjoy it as much as me, I have to admit this was an average drama, but I really enjoyed it. This melodrama is light hearted, it has office romance, light comedy. First 2 episodes got me thinking it was a revenge drama, but it wasn't haha I was thrilled at first because it was quite intense. Hyunseung (Rowoon) [ML] was bold and risky in the first few episodes because Song-ah had a boyfriend (Jin-ah) [FL] but her boyfriend was getting married to another woman (what the..) yea. and ML had a crush on FL but they soon fell in love while trying to fake their relationship to get back at her former boyfriend. Then it slowly drifted away from the revenge side of the story to just pure romance, It didn't seem like a melodrama at first but it turned into one, judging from the cinematography and music. Personally, I loved this drama but it was just average but I'll give it a 9.5 since I enjoyed it alot, yall should give this drama a chance if you just want to smile. You will smile alot HAHA, and also the finale ending with the purple sky was so aesthetically pleasing, just like the first poster of this drama. idk why they changed it to the stiff photoshoot at the office. Plot was predictable though, but this drama was just for the smiles. :) You don't need to focus much on the plot on this one. You might get bored though, you will enjoy it if you feel a connection with the leads.

ALSO go listen to the OST u won't regret it.

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"Slow burning ROMANCE with a sprinkle of melodramatic MISERY"

I don't dislike this drama but don't expect too much from it. It's ok, not fast paced, there isn't any real romantic suspense (it's predictable) or anything different or extraordinary.
I am continuing to watch bc I love the FL actress (Won Jin Ah) & I love the actor (Lee Hyun Wook) works.
---LIKES ---
• 1st I thoroughly enjoyed the SIDE COUPLES love stories. Acting superb & their storylines r drew me in more than the MAIN LEADS.
• FL (Won Jin Ah) --> a soft & feminine BUT strong & graceful womanly presence in her facial expressions, tone of voice & style as an actress & in this drama. Her acting seems natural & flows in a convincing way. She is such a cutie pie. Her character could've been more charismatic & charming hmmm
• ML (Ro Woon) --> gave creepy/stalker vibes at 1st but he is straight forward with his advances towards the FL. His tall height & nice build comes off as a strong & confident protector of the FL. His acting came off cringy & forced a lot of the times but he improves & wins my heart as more episodes become available
• The height differences is so adorable!
---DISLIKES ---
• The script could've been stronger to go with the very slow plot, 3/4 of the way in & didn't feel like much happened. Secrets/revelations could've been found out sooner & there would still be room for more things to evolve & keep us interested.
• Or a really good OST could've helped this drama that I feel is lacking in other areas.
• At times the leads don't really flow, maybe a different pairing (both good actors tho)
• This isn't a comedy at all, the office employees provide a little but not enough to be given "comedy" label
******I will be looking out for almost all of the main cast & even some support actors upcoming works!

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ONLY watch if you are looking for romance, and romance only

Completed: 9/5/2022
Subjective Rating - 8.75
Objective Rating - 8.0-8.5

Recommend: ONLY if you are looking for a mature office romance and nothing else.

I was starving for a good romance drama and decided to check this out. I have not really read any reviews or comments, so I am going into this blind and without any expectation. All I know is that Rowoon is the male lead and I want to stare at a good-looking guy and watch him fall in love. I assume this has a happy ending, but I wasn’t sure.

“She Would Never Know” is an office romance, and that’s about it. If you are looking for a drama with a bigger and more complicated plot, this is not the drama for you. The whole drama is about how our main leads fall in love, experience a very cute and adorable honeymoon phase, tackling relationship challenges and realizing how important they are to each other. The supporting cast also doesn’t have much going on in their lives and we follow their romantic journeys as well.

Our ML, Chae Hyun Seung, though handsome and cute, did appear stalker-ish in the initial episodes. We know without a doubt that he has a crush on his senior trainer, Yoon Song Ah. The way he follows her around could be a little too much for some viewers. His most questionable decision was made in the beginning episodes, when he tried to expose a certain relationship, when it was none of his business. We do eventually find out his reason for doing so and I sort of understand where he’s coming from, but still, this decision left a bad taste in our mouths. But you know what, I am glad Chae Hyun Seung did make this ‘mistake’, otherwise, he would appear too perfect. He’s smart, hardworking, polite, caring, lovable, funny and the best boyfriend you can find (after he officially becomes Jin Ah’s boyfriend).

Hyun Seung had a really rough start to gain Jin Ah’s affection, even though it’s no secret that he has a big crush on her. He has a lot of growing up to do. But there are many honest conversations between the two. They may not always be on the same page about how they feel for each other, but they are honest and communicate their feelings. Hyun Seung has learned to give Jin Ah’s space and wait for her, and when she’s ready to make that step towards him, she doesn’t hesitate and reciprocates his feelings.

Rowoon and Won Jin Ah have great chemistry together. I love their bantering and they make such an adorable couple (maybe because of the height difference as well). Their fluffy scenes make me grin like an idiot. The kisses are not bad either. I appreciate the writing for not making this a straight up romantic comedy with over-the-top comedic characters and super cheesy fluffy scenes. Their fluffy sweetness is sprinkled throughout the drama, so I don’t feel like I am on a sugar high.

*spoiler*

I am sure as viewers, we can see it coming: Jin Ah is definitely going to Europe. I also appreciate a somewhat realistic portrayal of a long-distance relationship. As much as both parties want to continue on, it’s difficult. The difficulties cannot be resolved easily because of nightly video chats and phone calls. Many dramas these days gloss over the fact that long distance relationships fail most of the time. Therefore, I appreciate seeing our lead’s breakup. Did it hurt me seeing how sad they both are? Definitely. But I am also confident that it’s going to be a happy ending in the end and I am ok with 1-2 episodes of suffering. I like that in the end, it’s Jin Ah’s turn to win Hynn Seung’s affection. I am glad she is doing so with honesty and sincerity, and not using any gimmicky tricks.

As for the supporting cast and their romantic relationships, we do have quite a variety:
♦︎ Lee Hyo Joo + Lee Jae Shin = such a dysfunctional and obsessive relationship. I still don’t know why Hyo Joo is so obsessed with Jae Shin. What really happened to make her feel that way? But you know what, I am happy with their ending. It’s a good closure and I am so glad to see Hyo Joo becoming a better person in the end.
♦︎ Director Lee + Chae Ji Seung (Big sis) = this is a total opposites attract relationship. The love-at-first sight is a little over-the-top and cringey, but they are quite cute and funny together. It’s a good contrast from Lee Hyo Joo + Lee Jae Shin’s dysfunctional relationship.
♦︎ Chae Yun Seung (2nd sis) + Husband = this is somewhat a side story that could be completely cut out and we won’t miss a thing. Since 2 of the 3 siblings have their own storylines, we can’t forget this sister as well. The best thing about this relationship is to see the cute daughter, Ha Eun. She’s adorable and sassy. A 7-year old in a 17-year old teenager body.

Aside from romance, we have a few side relationships going as well. We have the bromance between Director Lee and Lee Jae Shin. It is actually quite a sad story when you don’t know if what you have is true friendship or not. We also have a mother/daughter relationship between Jin Ah and her mother. Some might say the animosity is resolved too easily in the end, but I think that explosive outburst by Jin Ah is enough to set the healing process in motion.

“She Would Never Know” is in no way a perfect drama. The reason why I am giving this such a high rating (at least high for me) is because I really do enjoy our main couple’s romance. I am watching this at the right time and in the right mood. They are flawed but likable. They might make decisions that I don’t agree with, but I understand where they are coming from. Their story feels real and I was rooting for them from the beginning.

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This was.. meh, but Rowoon is handsome!:D

To be honest, this drama was a hot mess... I wouldn't necessarily say it's bad, but it was just a pretty weird experience for me and I am still not sure how I am feeling about this all (especially the ending)!

But let's start with the good things!
-> The main attraction of the drama for me was obviously... Rowoon lmao. But please, don't scroll away and hear me out sksk
Of course, he is devilishly handsome, but what really surprised me the most is that IMO he topped the acting of Won Jin Ah although she is way more experienced in acting than he is. She felt pretty dull in this drama most of the time, and I believe that it was not the fault of the director or character writing but just her mediocre acting.

->The second really surprising thing is the consistency of the FL. I know many of you all shitted on her for her life choices, but I was truly astonished when she decided to go work abroad and stayed true to herself and loyal to her career goals. We may agree or not agree with that, but regardless of that we should appreciate the character for being realistic (to some degree ofc)

-> Speaking about realism, I think this drama shows every character's genuine intention and their true desires. We kind of get to see everyone's downfalls and understand that here we don't have (almost) anyone who will be just good or bad, this gives every storyline a real feel.

I wouldn't be myself If I wouldn't find a million things to get upset over lol, so now it's time for a little roast.
-> Remember I said that "(almost) anyone who will be just good or bad.."? Well, the "almost" is there for a reason. Because Chae Hyun Seung was absolutely unrealistically good in every possible (and impossible way). He is responsible, kind, a good worker, does things on time, patient, good with kids, has a nice house, nice car, nice wardrobe, he is handsome, loyal, has a kind and nice family, and the list goes on. Don't get me wrong, I am not stating that there is no way that these qualities could belong to one person, it's just..... his character feels really flat to me because he doesn't have a single major flaw that I can recall after watching the drama. Kudos to RoWoon for pulling this off, because the only reason why CHS felt okay while watching is Rowoon's charisma and his natural likability.

-> I have successfully predicted the fact that the chef-friend-of-CHS's-sister's-husband is gay, but for me, this storyline was weak af. I am really happy to see that Korea is waking up from a deep sleep and tries its best to show more LGBTQ+ characters in dramas, but almost every time I feel like they either completely ignore this character and they just feel useless in the story, or the character is portrayed in a weirdly twisty way. At some point, it almost felt to me that this chef man was a villain because of how everyone pitied CHS's sister, and how they put the emphasis on how sad was her daughter after she and her husband decided to get a divorce. Her side of the story was fully shown meanwhile we didn't get the slightest glance in the picture of what happened in the past between these two men, nor how they both felt about the situation later on. What really weirded me out the most it's that the chief disappeared completely from the drama after selling his restaurant. He wasn't mentioned in the ending either. This was really off-putting and IMO it's better to not include any LGBTQ+ characters at all than to represent them in a possibly harmful way.

-> The last major unpleasant issue it's the toxicity of the relationships. ESPECIALLY the main couple. I can't quite put my finger on it yet, but I think it's just a number of little things from the very beginning that never quite felt right to me? Let's remember a couple of first eps. ML and FL literally got the chance to get together because ML helped her to get over a painful breakup. Warning sign: I am not saying that he used her, or that he was acting creepy, it's just the FL was in her most vulnerable state and he saw the opportunity in this. Even if we will ignore the several previous sentences, their relationship just felt really unnatural, and forced by both of them??? Yes, they tried hard, yes they both, most probably needed that relationship at this point of their lives, but ...!!! (watch the next point lol)

-> THE ENDING: at first I felt pretty satisfied and fulfilled after finishing the drama because every character seemingly got their happy ending *happy ending by Avril Lavigne playing in the background* But the more I was thinking about it the worse it got. ML and FL liked each other when they first met and before FL went to work abroad they were, arguably a normal couple. But ..! The shit goes down right after the 14th episode. Forget what I said in the previous paragraph about forcing the relationship at the start. What really felt forced to me it's this fake-ass-speedrun ish-cotton candy-happy ending. And I am talking about the ML and FL only. I think that the best possible option to finish this drama was to leave an open ending. She came back to Korea, they saw each other, /maybe/a shot with her smiling longingly and then BOOM! the end. And let me tell you, I am the last person who you would call a fan of the endings that can be interpreted in 1387129839 ways, but their former relationship was so complicated that the two last ep would never make things up for me, no matter how well written, produced and played they would be.

P.S.: the last scene gave me humongous flashbacks from the heirs jsnjdks and not in a good way

Thanks for making it till the end, have a nice day luv<3

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sorry but, i don't like it :')

sorry but i really don't enjoy this drama :')) i get it, the storyline is just some cliche romance drama with cliche problems, so at first, literally the first 2 episodes, i was kindaaa enjoy it and wanted to see how the story progress. but only until the male lead did something ???, and i just don't get his action. the first half was just me thinking whyyyy did he do that. and then suddenly the female lead likes him? i was waitt whaaat did i skip any sceneee, when, howw and whyy for which part?? i don't find them cutee and rather cringey. well maybe the last episode was a littleeee bit cute but just a littlee for a very short moment. i was more excited to watch his sister's love stories though. i can see the drama tried to show the brand manager career part, and i was interested in that term, but it was so short and wasn't develop and explore deep enough for me to completely excited for that part. all in all, maybe it just doesn't match my preference.

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Pretty faces don't work without good script

The only good thing about this series is pretty faces. First few episodes look good but from episode 6 the series lack in scripting, there wasn't much to see and enjoy.
There isn't much to see in acting of main female and male lead rather the villain from penthouse did plenty good job in his role.
The relationship between both lead was good to see but the connection was missing.
If you give time to a series there should be moments to remember but after watching it there wasn't nothing to remember or a good vibe after giving two days to this show. I pretty much binge watched it as I do with other shows.

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Good but not the Best

When this started I had great expectations from this drama.

Multiple couples, senior and junior office romance.
This drama was constructive as it mattered and then deconstructed abruptly I would say.

Eventually, the other couples pulled it better than our Leads.
The ending was absurd and definitely rushed as they wished to give a happy mappy conclusive ending.

The acting was great from everybody, actually, I would say that the FL was the most average acted in this drama, apart from her everybody was terrific, maybe it was her role but she sure has issues as we've seen in other dramas of hers as well.

If you're looking for an average office romance, this can fulfil it. :)

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One time Watchable

Nothing particular about this office rom com but it was a decent drama experience to me and not a cent percentage satisfaction but totally it's a watchable drama. Following every kdrama cliche without missing anything but there was no big love triangle between 2 main leads

I always very interested in office rom com stories, so apart from the romantic track the other business things the drama dealing was my first curiosity in the start and also the other side stories they bring, so firstly going to the side stories,there was a beautiful family bonding between the main lead and his 2 elder sisters which was so relatable. Every time am so happy to see them together. The uncle nephew bonding is also nice to see.

It has love triangle but not in that usual manner, may be they not forcefully pushing that part because they may felt it unnecessary, but the 2nd heroine is a kind of very stubborn type girl who not yet ready to give up her love. So it's a kind of annoying in so many place.

One thing about kdrama that it doesn't matter how it was started or even there was something big attractions in the middle of the drama also not could be enough to judge the overall show and but exactly the real important thing is how they properly conclude everything they started and here the result was not very impressive. Practically there was too many very boring sequences coming in the finale 3 Episodes which every kdrama fan should predict easily.

Chemistry between Roowon and Won jin-ah , also the side love story and some beautiful romantic scenes in the middle Episodes was only some good factors that i can point out now. This drama is not a must watch drama but a Watchable drama atleast for the cast.

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Don't Judge This Drama by its First Episode

Now, let's be real here. The first few episodes? Kinda like waiting for your ramen to cook – you know it's gonna be good eventually, but you're stuck twiddling your thumbs in the meantime. It takes a hot minute for the story to really rev its engine and get going, but hey, patience is a virtue, right?

Once the drama finds its footing, though, buckle up, buttercup, because things start to get interesting. Our leads, Yoon Song Ah and Chae Hyun Seung, bring the heat with their sweet chemistry and adorable flirtations. But just when you start shipping them harder than your Amazon Prime deliveries, boom! Unwanted breakups swoop in like a pesky fly at a picnic.

Seriously, who signed off on these breakups? Did they miss the memo that we're here for the romance, not the heartache? It's like watching a rom-com and suddenly getting hit with a tragic plot twist – not cool, drama, not cool.

But fear not, dear viewers, because amidst the tears and soju-soaked woes, there's still plenty to love about "She Would Never Know." The side characters? Absolute gems. From the fiery romance of Chae Hyun Seung's second elder sister to the comedic antics of the chaebol boss, they steal the show whenever they grace the screen.

And let's not forget about the drinking. Oh boy, do they love their soju in this drama. It's practically a character in itself, popping up in every episode like clockwork. Just try not to cringe too hard when the characters inevitably end up in a drunken stupor – it's all part of the charm, right?

So, should you give "She Would Never Know" a watch? Absolutely. Sure, you might have to power through a few lackluster episodes and endure some unnecessary breakups, but trust me, the sweet moments and heart-fluttering romance make it all worth it in the end.

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The only problem was the leads

The storylines of the secondary leads were all pretty good and complelling byt unfortunately, the writers underdeveloped those in favor of one a shitty main story line between two unbearable characters. As a man i absolutely hate the type of guy that the ML was and how he just let her walk all over him throughout the entire show. That was not love, that was masochistic obsession. I dont have much to say about the FL but she was never held accountable for anything bad she did throughout the show so i kinda hate her too. I came here because people told me it was like One Spring Night and i decided to check it out since im in need of that type of grim drama with a sense of realism but this was just an assortment of unlikable characters.

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