Television series
Personal Taste
- Romantic comedy
- Drama
- Light-hearted
A South Korean romantic comedy about a straight man who pretends to be gay to move in with his female friend. He's obsessively neat; she's trusting to a fault. Built on escalating deception and genuine affection, it's a swift, charming watch that runs on chemistry and the pleasure of watching two people orbit each other while one maintains an elaborate lie.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy a romantic comedy built on a lopsided living arrangement, where the laughs come from two people who read everyone else's love lives better than their own.
Skip it if you need romance to move briskly, since this one is happy to linger over domestic routine, and at sixteen episodes the running gags can wear thin for some.
What it asks of you: Settle in for roughly seventy-minute episodes, sixteen of them, with a light touch that keeps moving between roommate bickering and quieter, more sincere moments.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Boys over Flowers2009
The same network's earlier hit with similar DNA: a high-concept romantic premise (poor girl, rich boys) that works because the cast commits fully and the banter is genuinely funny. If you loved the spark between leads in Personal Taste, this scratches the same itch.
But It's longer and broader in tone, veering into melodrama in ways Personal Taste avoids. Some plot developments feel more contrived than earned.
What's Wrong with Secretary Kim2018
Another Korean rom-com built on workplace proximity and a secret that changes everything. Sharp, well-paced, with leads who have impeccable chemistry and a script that trusts comedy to do the heavy lifting.
But The premise is lighter and less grounded than Personal Taste. If you prefer emotion underneath the jokes, this leans harder into pure fun.
Strong Woman Do Bong Soon2017
Park Bo Young and Park Hyung Suk have the same effortless rapport you're after. A superpower twist on the rom-com formula, but the heart is in the small moments—vulnerability breaking through confidence, affection disguised as teasing.
But The action subplot can feel tacked on. Some viewers find the second half less focused than the first.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Personal Taste
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Suspicious Partner2017
Both use deception as a pathway to genuine connection rather than an obstacle to overcome; both understand that comedy and vulnerability can coexist in the same scene.
A prosecutor and a law-school dropout falsely accused of murder become entangled. It starts as a courtroom thriller but the emotional core is about two people learning to trust after betrayal. The tonal balance—comedy threading through suspense—mirrors Personal Taste's trick of making lies feel intimate rather than sordid.
But The mystery plot can feel secondary. Some viewers find the thriller elements dilute rather than deepen the romance.
More like this (8)
My Love from the Star2013
An alien lands in modern Seoul and falls for an actress. High concept, but executed with genuine warmth. The male lead's deadpan humor and the female lead's comic timing create the same delighted chemistry you're hunting.
But The fantasy elements get messier toward the end. If you prefer grounded premises, the magic might feel like a distraction.
Descendants of the Sun2016
Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo have undeniable chemistry. It's less about deception and more about two capable people learning to need each other. Beautifully shot, emotionally intelligent.
But It's longer and more serious in tone. The melodrama is heavier; the comedy lighter. It's a different kind of romance entirely.
Her Private Life2019
A woman with a secret fandom life falls for her boss who discovers it. The show is clever about privacy, identity, and how little we actually know the people we live near. Funny without being broad.
But The premise hinges on secrets kept for reasons that, once revealed, feel slightly thin. Some find the resolution less satisfying than the setup.
Twenty Again2015
A woman goes back to university after her divorce; she shares a dorm with her son's friend. Not a high-concept gimmick, but a genuine exploration of shame, reinvention, and how attraction can surprise you. Tender without being precious.
But It's slower-paced and more introspective. If you want immediate spark and rapid-fire comedy, this takes its time.
Crash Landing on You2019
A South Korean heiress accidentally paraglides into North Korea and falls for the army officer protecting her. The setup is absurd but executed with such sincerity that you're hooked. Chemistry that feels real beneath the premise.
But The geopolitical stakes can overshadow the romance. Some plot mechanics strain credibility even for a fantasy romance.
She Was Pretty2015
Two ex-classmates reunite: she was conventionally beautiful then but isn't now; he's unremarkable then but isn't now. A reversal of expectations that genuinely examines attraction, identity, and how we see each other. Warm without being saccharine.
But It veers toward melodrama in the back half. The third-act conflicts feel recycled from other K-dramas.
Go Ahead2020
Both recognize that proximity—sharing a room, sharing a life—is where intimacy actually builds. Neither confuses grand gestures with genuine attachment.
A Chinese family drama spanning decades, following three unrelated children raised together. It has none of Personal Taste's rom-com scaffolding, but it has the same core understanding: the people we choose to live with become family, and small domestic rituals are where love lives. Achingly human.
But It's slow and cumulative. If you watch for plot momentum or romance, you'll be waiting. The emotional payoff is massive but earned through patience.
Amélie2001
Both films believe that a person's domestic world—how they organize their space, what they notice—is where their character lives, and romance begins when someone else starts to notice the same things you do.
A whimsical French film about a shy waitress who decides to improve the lives of those around her before fixing her own. It has Personal Taste's obsession with small details (the cleanliness, the order), its romantic frustration expressed through comedy, and its faith that kindness can be funny. Utterly charming and entirely its own thing.
But The tone is deliberately fantastical and precious in ways K-dramas never are. If you don't cotton to whimsy or subtitles, this will feel like it's performing rather than confessing.
