Perfume is a fantasy romantic comedy about a top fashion designer (Shin Sung Rok) with lots of allergies and phobias who doesn’t have the courage to find love and an overweight, middle-aged woman (Go Won Hee) who finds a magic perfume that makes her thin and younger so she tries to achieve her dream of becoming a model.

Ha Jae Sook and Go Won Hee play the two versions of Min Jae Hee/Min Ye Rin.  Jae Hee has a very unhappy life and has low self-esteem due to her weight issues as well as her no good, cheating husband. She’s even ready to end it all but then is mysteriously given a magic perfume that transforms her into her younger self. She takes the opportunity to have a new life.

We have Shin Sung Rok as Seo Yi Do. He’s a top fashion designer that is has 52 phobias and 35 allergies. He’s a bit high maintenance. His personality leaves a lot to be desired, but deep down he’s a wounded and hurting man who wants to find love.

Then there’s Kim Min Kyu as the popular idol Yun Min Suk. He’s a pretty lovable guy who is at odds with Yi Do. Then he gets involved with Jae Hee which complicates several love lines.

I’ve been looking forward to Perfume since I’m a fan of Shin Sung Rok and was thrilled to see him be cast as a proper lead in a romantic comedy. He’s one of my favorite actors for playing villains, but he also has amazing comedic abilities. He gets to showcase them in this drama with his high maintenance personality and plethora of phobias and allergies. Love him in comedies!

I know some were concerned about how the drama would handle the story of an overweight woman transforming into a thin one. Take heart, as it actually does quite well! This is a comedy, so of course, there are some jokes surrounding Jae Hee’s weight, particularly in the beginning, but it’s not overdone.

And the weight issues are a critical part of the story that set up everything to come. The drama tackles a lot of topics such as self-esteem and how society looks down on overweight people. I thought it was all handled very well.

Go Won Hee and Ha Jae Sook did really great at playing the two versions of the character. Jae Hee’s struggle with these issues and her self-worth are sad to watch. While she definitely receives a boost of confidence after she becomes thin, she actually still struggles with many of the same insecurities. It’s something she has to overcome whether she is thin or overweight.

The relationship between Yi Do and Jae Hee was an interesting one. In the first half of the drama, we get a lot of humor and cohabitation hijinks. The couple was fun, but the actual romance itself was a bit slow to blossom.

I ended up really liking the direction things went with them in the second half of the drama though. This is where Perfume gets really good, and the story and characters hit their stride. I was very happy with how they handled Yi Do’s feelings for Jae Hee no matter what her size was.

We get some nice character growth from both Yi Do and Jae Hee. He gets the opportunity to love someone which softens his personality. This also allows him to begin tackling some of his mental health issues as well as learning that you have to take action in life for something to happen. He’s never a perfect man, but it turns out he’s a pretty great one with a big heart.

And Jae Hee has to find confidence in herself no matter her size. She has to realize that she has worth and that she deserves to be loved just as she is. It’s a hard lesson to let fully sink in.

SPOILERS BELOW

I wondered how they would get around the issue of Yi Do liking Jae Hee when she was young and thin and not her true self. Because the romantic in us definitely wants him to like her even at her larger size.

And wouldn’t you know it, he did! I loved that they had a childhood connection where he actually knew who she was all the way through adulthood. She made such an impact in his life that he continued to like her even when she became overweight. He was very heartbroken that she was living such a miserable life though.

He also struggled with his feelings for Jae Hee when she was thin and didn’t know who she really was since he still had feelings for her true self. It causes him some anxiety because he thinks he likes two separate women.

He ultimately decides to pursue the real Jae Hee which cements his love for her at any size. He makes it very clear that he just wants to be with her no matter how she looks. And that’s checks off that super sweet and romantic box!

And to top it all off, he even ends up with her true self in the end. I liked that the drama had Jae Hee have to face her self-esteem and weight issues head on. She had to find a way to be happy with herself before she could be happy with Yi Do. She finally returns to him as a happy and confident woman who is ready to accept his love.

END OF SPOILERS

Overall, I found Perfume to be a pleasant, fun, and moving drama. It was humorous and had a nice little story going for it. We had fleshed out characters who had a chance to grow as well a very positive overall message. In the end, it left my heart feeling very full.

My Rating: 7.5/10

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11 responses to “Perfume Korean Drama Review”

  1. honeycrunch321 Avatar

    I didn’t got the chance to watch all of the episodes… I stopped halfway (i think)… 🙈 I’m glad you had fun with this one.

    1. Kay Avatar

      Thanks! I did have fun with this one 🙂 While I did like the first half fine, I thought it improved a lot in the second half as that’s when the actual story and romance got good. But it sounds like you moved on to a drama you loved with Hotel Del Luna 🙂

  2. Kate Avatar
    Kate

    I’m glad you liked this one and I agree with your review as always. I could see someone dropping it early on because of the weight/fantasy element at the beginning and not realizing that it was not going down the usual path. I am really impressed with a kdrama handling that issue with such maturity 🙂

    1. Kay Avatar

      It really was fun and moving drama 🙂 I know what you mean. You definitely have to give this one some episodes to realize the beginning set up just scratches the surface of the series, and it really progresses into a very heartfelt drama that handles the weight issues better than any drama I’ve seen. It impressed me too 🙂

  3. MyKDramaticLife Avatar
    MyKDramaticLife

    I kind of want to watch this one. Yet I really am doubtful to whether start it out or not.
    I’m afraid I might get disappointed then. Please encourage me more, Kay. 🙂

    1. Kay Avatar

      Haha, well, if the review didn’t convince you, I’m not sure what will 😉 It’s a good drama with good messages that gets better as it goes. But liking it really depends on your comedy style (particularly the first half) and if you connect with the characters. Most probably won’t find it amazing, but it’s fun with a lot of heart. If you watch about 4 eps (or 8 half eps), you would probably know if it was for you or not. It takes about that long to set things up and get a feel for the drama 🙂

  4. thesilverback Avatar
    thesilverback

    I’ve loved Ha Jae Sook ever since seeing her in Protect the Boss and even more so in Birth of a Beauty. I wish she’d get cast as a lead rather than in a supporting role or the over-weight version of someone else. She has some awesome acting chops and shows it in everything she does.

    1. Kay Avatar

      I loved her in both of those dramas too 🙂 She really is a wonderful actress. Although she was the overweight version in this drama, I thought this was one of the better ones for her. I was so glad she had a lead role and was featured throughout the entire drama. But like you, I hope she gets cast as a proper lead sometime because she’s really good 🙂

  5. Jane M Avatar
    Jane M

    The scene with Shin Sung Rok doing a Cossack dance made the entire series worthwhile!

    1. Kay Avatar

      Yes! That scene was fantastic! 🙂

  6. […] Overall, I found Perfume to be a pleasant, fun, and moving drama. It was humorous and had a nice little story going for it. We had fleshed out characters who had a chance to grow as well a very positive overall message. In the end, it left my heart feeling very full. My Rating: 7.5/10 (Perfume Review) […]

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