Beautiful Gong Shim

Come for the Romance, Stay for the Fast-Forward Button

There’s a golden rule in drama-land: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Beautiful Gong Shim starts out as an adorable, slightly quirky romantic comedy with just the right dose of heart, humor, and haphazard wigs. The setup? Two polar opposite leads clashing and crashing into each other’s lives — classic K-drama formula — and it works so well.

Namkoong Min as Ahn Dan Tae (or Suk Joon Pyo, but we’ll get to that identity crisis later) is the absolute heart and soul of the series. His chaotic energy, comedic timing, and boyish charm are a one-man genre. Meanwhile, Bang Min Ah’s Gong Shim is refreshingly un-glamorous, socially awkward, and genuinely endearing. Together? Fireworks. Awkward, hilarious, delightful fireworks.

For the first 10 episodes, I laughed. I shipped. I rewound scenes. I even tolerated the love triangle, which was mild by K-drama standards and never truly threatened to derail the Dan Tae–Gong Shim magic. Life was good. The drama had a perfect setup for a feel-good, slow-burn romance with just a touch of personal growth and family shenanigans.

And then... came the plot twist nobody asked for: a murder mystery.

Yes, because clearly what this rom-com needed was a conspiracy-laced subplot involving a missing chaebol heir, identity theft, and a villain with the subtlety of a Saturday morning cartoon. The writing team apparently took a long lunch break and came back having binged The Talented Mr. Ripley, and thought, “You know what this story needs? Identity theft, shady heirs, and unhinged ambition.”

What followed was a tragic case of genre identity crisis. The charming romantic banter gave way to long, brooding stares. The light-hearted pacing got buried under flashbacks, secret documents, shady board meetings, and character decisions that made less sense than Gong Shim’s wig.

Let’s talk logic — or the gaping absence of it. The murder mystery arc demanded so much suspension of disbelief that I needed a chiropractor. Characters made decisions purely to serve the plot: like ignoring obvious red flags, trusting the villain with anything, or letting boardroom politics overshadow... I don’t know, common sense. The antagonist had all the depth of a soggy tissue — underdeveloped, unconvincing, and vaguely menacing in a generic, “I’m here to ruin things because... reasons” kind of way.

By Episode 12, I was skipping entire scenes. The only reason I stuck around was for the scenes where Dan Tae and Gong Shim shared the frame. Everything else? Background noise. The show dragged itself toward the finish line like it was being held hostage by its own bad decisions.

But let’s give credit where it’s due: Namkoong Min carried this drama like a seasoned athlete dragging a sprained team across the court. His performance is genuinely charismatic, making even the clunkiest scenes bearable. Without him, this drama would’ve flatlined by Episode 8. He is the redeeming arc, the emotional anchor, the reason I was invested after the plot flew off the rails.

In the end, Beautiful Gong Shim had all the ingredients for a memorable rom-com: lovable leads, quirky humor, and that offbeat charm that makes K-dramas addictive. But instead of staying in its lane, it took a random detour into melodrama territory and never found its way back.

Final Rating: 6.0/10

Best enjoyed for the first 10 episodes — preferably with snacks, a forgiving mood, and a remote ready to fast-forward through the nonsense. Watch for the chemistry, stay for Namkoong Min, and feel free to mentally delete the crime arc from your memory. It’s okay. We all did.

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A bit of a loveable flop

This started out really strong and I loved the banter between the main characters, but I feel like it got a bit tired in the middle. It's one of those super frustrating shows, because I really liked the characters and acting, and there was a great storyline...but I feel like it had so much potential that just wasn't delivered.
I did appreciate the switch around with Gong Shim chasing Dan Tae, but I feel like the secret keeping went on for too long and it just got painful to watch Gong Shim continuing to be 'oblivious' to how shut off Dan Tae was being. He realised how his behaviour was impacting her when she got so sick just because she didn't want to miss out on the breadcrumb 'date' (and trying to stay in hospital afterwards to spend time together?!) - but he still didn't then 'fess up.
I do understand why he couldn't let his cousin know though, given how he was acting like a prat to protect his mother.
Plus, I really feel the stuck-up sister was under-utilised. She had great promise as a manipulative character, but that just kind of fizzled out. The end kind of alluded to her feelings becoming real, but there was no big emotional moment, nor was there any confrontation between the sisters, or acknowledgement of her mistreatment of Gong Shim. I kept waiting for it to either be revealed that she'd been swapping Gong Shim's hair ointment and caused the bald patch out of jealousy...or for Gong Shim to stand up for herself and call her sister out for never supporting her and always being embarrassed about her. But neither happened.
I would probably still recommend watching the show. The initial love triangle is really cute and fun, and I loved how the rich/handsome/out-of-her-league Chaebol heir fell for the dowdy poor girl, only for her to then turn him down to focus on herself! There are also several cute side bits (the two husbands are funny together; the grandma secretly vetting her grandson's girlfriend).

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This is a breath of fresh air. There are the typical K-Drama tropes, like the birth secret and the journey to discovering the lead's identity, coupled with the typical "misunderstandings" that characters undergo. But that just makes the whole K-Drama experience more fun, if not predictable. What is not predictable is how the characters were portrayed by the great cast.

There are heavy themes in the story, but the lovable cast makes it seem very light, and their interaction will entertain you, regardless of the typical K-Drama tropes.

I first saw Nam Gung MIn in "Sensory Couple" and he played a psychopath in that drama. He was scary and really menacing to look at. I was pleasantly surprised that he can be such a lovable lead in a RomCom. MinAh on the other hand, this is the first time that I've seen her in any drama and I was quite impressed on how she can capture the attention of the audience. You will believe that the two leads are the characters. The way MinAh portrayed Gong Shim will make you believe that she is not an idol and is this really awkward girl. The second leads do their jobs well, with Gong Mi, being successfully portrayed as the hateful wench that she is. It's all good. Ahn Dan Te and Gong Shim will surely make you come back for more, week after week.

You will hate the characters that you should hate (Including Gong MI and the typical baddies), but you will love the other characters and how they move in this world. The president, Gong Shim's dad, her mom, the Grandmothers in the Chaebol household, all these characters have fun moments.

The music is upbeat and sets a great tone for the series. Not really a must to download, but it maintains the goofy and fun pace of the series. Once you hear the OST, you know that you're in for an hour of fun.

Would I watch it again? Sure. I re-watch all episodes after the first watching just to catch a glimpse of the fun scenes that took place.

The story is typical, but the take is fresh. If you want cute, off-beat leads who are extremely funny and lovable, give this a try. This is one if the most fun K-dramas out there today.

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If you're looking for a funny rom-com with a touch of suspense, you can give it a try.

The main leads have an amazing chemistry and it's really fun to watch how their relationship develops throughout the show.

Some parts could have been better planned but I don't think the end dragged thaaaat much .

The plot is consistent, the acting of the main leads is worth watching, the music is nice, the one from coffee boy is amazing.

I don't think I would rewatch it so soon, just because I have many dramas on my list and some still on hold.

Overall it's a great drama!!

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I could summarise this series using one of the product placements in episode 19: Dad says he is shopping for beer; Dad is seen buying 48-hours deodorant. It's not what you asked for or expected, but still good in a different way!

If I was to recommend this drama to others, I'd say watch it because of the cute chemistry of the main couple and NGM's versatile acting. It's also a good intro to k-dramas - cliches such as truck of doom, annoying sibling, males leading females by the wrist, pathetic villain with a hitman on speed dial, product placements (although the washing machine and fitness watch looked quite good)... don't forget subway!

(Possible spoilers below)
The obvious downfalls: one of the 'main' characters was practically forgotten about halfway through the drama and the plot deviated away from the main star of the series. Gong Shim would have benefited from some character development as observed in other dramas such as WFKBJ. The writer made both male leads appear clever and dim simultaneously! There was also excessive use of flashbacks, which I am aware often feature in k-dramas, but this is the first time I've actually noticed! I'm sure there is a better way of illustrating the past, such as an old scene seamlessly drifting into modern times.

The numerous plot holes left me asking many questions (for example how did the father post the necklace to Grandma if Dan Tae had exchanged it years ago for a ring?) but overall, it was a fun and comical watch. The acting was fairly decent along with the soundtrack and scenery, but the storyline and characterisation let it down. NGM, Minah and OSW kept the series going.

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Despite most of the bad comments, i generally think this drama is amazing. It started off great and even though it wavered half way it was a good ending for the main couple to end together.

The actor and actress are soo good together and really go well with each other. The chemistry between them is really cute. Not to mention the male lead is incredibly good at acting and extremly handsome.

The storyline is very well put together and interesting to watch. It didnt bore me once!!!

I'll definetly watch it again. Its your classic rom com kdrama and you wont regret watching it.

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Hilariously embarrassing Gong Shim

If you love hilarious slapstick comedy, awkward characters doing embarrassing things, and situations that make you scream-laugh, you’ll adore this drama. I don’t say this lightly — it is one of the funniest dramas I've ever watched, and I was belly-laughing through most of the first half. The comedy was so loud, chaotic, and relatable. Their personalities matched perfectly, and watching two awkward people fall for each other was just chef’s kiss. I really loved them together.

Where the story lost me a little was near the end. It felt dragged out more than necessary, and I personally hate the forced break-up → time skip → reunion trope. I don’t mind angst, but it could have been trimmed. Still, the romance itself was sweet, there was plenty of screen time of them as a couple, and I actually loved the growth arc of the male lead — watching him go from a struggling goofball to someone respectable was surprisingly satisfying.

Now, what I did not like — the sister.
She was the real villain to me, and the way she mentally tortured Gong Shim deserved consequences. She never got punished for her behavior, and instead she got rewarded with the guy at the end? That was infuriating, and honestly the reason I removed half a star. I don’t mind forgiveness when characters pay for what they’ve done, but here everyone was forgiven way too easily. Some characters committed horrible acts and barely got any reckoning.

Another con was the styling. Gong Shim’s outfits and hair were rough — and I get that it was part of the humor — but it would’ve been so nice to see her transformed earlier. We only got a short glimpse of her pretty styling near the end. As someone who enjoys fashion, I wish we got more of her upgraded look.

But overall? I really, really enjoyed this drama. It’s chaotic, goofy, heartfelt, and surprisingly romantic. One of the few times I’ve seen a female lead chasing the male lead done tastefully — it wasn’t desperate or cringe, it made sense, and she encouraged him in a way that felt healthy. I loved the back-and-forth of who was chasing who as their confidence and feelings shifted.

Yes, the late-drama conflict felt like they were running out of things to fight about, but even then, I wasn’t bored. It aged well too — for a drama from its era to still be entertaining and not cringe in 2025 is impressive. I would definitely rewatch it.

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A Pleasant Surprise

I was hesitant to watch this drama because it had so many negative reviews. To my surprise I found it charming and very engaging. The strength of this drama is the two leads, Namgoong Min and Minah. They both did well playing quirky yet loveable characters. I also appreciated that their romance was a slow burn and it developed naturally. (Though for those only watching for the kissing may be disappointed). This drama may not be the most original and it does follow many of the standard tropes, but it is one of the more charming dramas I have watched in a long time.

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