Personal Taste


Personal Taste is a 2010 South Korean television series, starring Son Ye-jin and Lee Min-ho. It is adapted from Lee Se-in's 2007 novel of the same name about a furniture designer, Park Kae-in, who lives together with architect Jeon Jin-ho under the mistaken assumption that he's gay. It aired on MBC from March 31 to May 20, 2010 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 time slot for 16 episodes.

Synopsis

Furniture designer Park Kae-in is kind, impulsive, clumsy, and is a complete slob in her personal habits. She lives in Sanggojae, a modernized hanok designed by her father, a famous and reclusive architecture professor. As an independent furniture designer, she struggles to produce successful products and is constantly trying to impress her father with her works. Her long-time boyfriend, Han Chang-ryul, breaks up with her, the reason being Kae-in is an easy woman and a pushover. Despite being upset, Kae-in attends the wedding of her friend and roommate, Kim In-hee, only to discover that she is marrying Chang-ryul; and that the two had been seeing each other behind her back for a while. After she finally comes face-to-face with them, the wedding ceremony turns chaotic and is cancelled. Kae-in is heartbroken and determined to never take a chance on love again.
Meanwhile, to keep his small firm afloat, architect Jeon Jin-ho is desperately trying to win a project bid for the Dam Art Center against Future Construction, the company owned and operated by Chang-ryul's father. Chang-ryul's father was originally an employee under Jin-ho's father, who stole the latter's company. In order to win the project of Dam Arts Center, Jin-ho has to find a way to dig up more information about the tentative theme of project: Sanggojae, which has never been opened to the public.
Jin-ho decides to rent a part of Sanggojae to get access into the house while Kae-in rents the place to him believing that he is homosexual due to misunderstandings from their previous encounters. After knowing the reason behind his approval, Jin-ho decides to leave Sanggojae to avoid being misunderstood further but is stopped by his assistant, Noh Sang-jun, who convinces him otherwise by reminding him that their chance at revival of their sinking firm lies on their success in Dam Arts Center Project.
After starting to live together, Jin-ho tells Kae-in that she's miserable only because of herself and the lack of concreteness in her personality. He then encourages and helps her transform from an inveterate slob into a better version of herself, who is confident and strong-willed. Amidst the transformation and hidden truths, Kae-in and Jin-ho start developing feelings for each other which they constantly deny.
The DAC director, Choi Do-bin, impressed by Jin-ho's presentation, offers his support to him in the upcoming project. He also finds Kae-in's ideas creative and hires her to design a recreation centre for children. Do-bin, who is homosexual, later finds himself attracted to Jin-ho, which leaves Jin-ho in a tight spot.
What will happen when the man who's pretending to be gay and the woman who thinks he's gay develop feelings for each other?

Cast

Main

One of the production's main sponsors was Design and Arts Arcadia of Myungseung, and the storyline contains many references to DAAM as the project that all the architectural firms are competing to design for.
The hanok used in the drama series is actually Rakgojae, a traditional guest house in Bukchon Hanok Village, Gye-dong, Jongno District. Meaning "a place to enjoy tradition", Rakgojae was renovated by master carpenter Chung Young-jin. It offers a glimpse of the lifestyle of Joseon-era scholars by incorporating fine art, music, dance and poetry through colorful cultural programs such as a tea ceremony, ink-and-wash painting lessons, Korean musical instrument lessons and kimchi-making classes.
One of the locations frequented by the main characters is Kring art gallery, in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. The creative cultural space showcases a variety of arts ranging from architecture and fashion to installations and digital art. The unique facade of the building is itself a large-scale urban sculpture. Circles are a theme throughout the building, but the front wall is reminiscent of stereo speakers, hinting at the name of the building. "Kring" means "circle" in Dutch.

Original soundtrack

Ratings

In this table, represent the lowest ratings and represent the highest ratings.

Awards and nominations

International broadcast

The series was a mid- level hit in Korea
and its overseas rights were sold to The Philippines, Japan, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand.
The series aired in Japan on cable channel KNTV beginning March 31, 2010. Reruns aired on TBS beginning February 16, 2012; it shared the same time slot with another Lee Min-ho drama City Hunter, which was airing on Fuji TV.
The series aired in the Philippines on ABS-CBN under the title Perfect Match from November 8, 2010 to January 7, 2011.
It aired in Malaysia on 8TV dubbed in Mandarin with Malay subtitles on NTV7
It aired in Thailand on Channel 7 every Saturday and Sunday at 9:15 a.m. beginning March 5, 2011.
It aired in the Middle East on MBC 4 beginning February 16, 2014.