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Watch for Lee Min Ki
After “discovering” Lee Min Ki in “Because This is my First Life”, I wanted to watch more of him. *heh*Thus, I decided to watch “Beauty Inside”.
No regrets!
What I liked:
-Lee Min Ki. He’s kind of scrawny in this drama but he’s still manly and cool.
-The storyline is different from the usual cliched type. It’s all just kind of mad and mysterious but in a good way.
-The female lead’s besties are dream besties.
-Lee Da Hee is so pretty.
What I didn’t like:
-Mysterious plot that has no explanation. I thought that it’ll be explained but nope, it’s just like that. Take it.
-The female lead is okay-okay only. Imo.
Nevertheless, watch!! It’s really one of the better dramas out there.
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This review may contain spoilers
Well Intended Series Sets Up a Very Dangerous Precedent!
Perhaps one of the most delusional ideas that people have about themselves is that there is something that needs to be fixed. There are many things in this world that can cause suffering, such as guilt, shame, and the belief that reparations are necessary for happiness to exist.It’s sad that 1 in 3 women in South Korea will undergo some form of plastic surgery to “fix” what they believe is broken; “fix” something that isn’t quite good enough. This series endeavors to demonstrate that true beauty exists within, which is correct. However, in its attempt to showcase this, the series sets up a dangerous precedent: that there is something wrong with you that needs to be fixed.
We have two very unique characters. Seo Do Jae is a director with a major airline company. He’s a bit cold, aloof, and seemingly uninterested in people. We quickly discover that he suffers from prosopagnosia, aka face blindness, in which he is unable to recognize people. This is a real condition, and it’s so pervasive that he’s also unable to even recognize himself. Therefore, he has to train himself to recognize characteristics, both physical as well as personality, dress, and other things that are familiar. Only his mother and personal assistant are aware of his condition, which was caused by being struck by a car ten years ago.
Next, we have Han Se Gye, a famous actress and model who has a bad reputation for constantly running away unexpectedly from film sets, award ceremonies, and other situations because once a month, she literally changes into someone else for about a week. Her changes are not limited, as she can become either gender, any age, and even any race. No one knows why she suddenly undergoes these changes, and only her agent and friend, Yoo Woo Mi, and her other close friend, Ryu Eun Ho are aware of it. Her two friends do their best to cover for her, but unfortunately, each change seems to bring about more questions and suspicions.
Han Se Gye is hired to be a model for Seo Do Jae’s company. Of course, they don’t hit it off very well as she finds him rude and annoying, which, despite his condition, is actually true. Seo Do Jae seems to lack any social skills, often blurting out inappropriate statements and requests, which would make anyone cringe. However, he has one distinctive ability: to recognize Han Se Gye no matter what current guise she’s in.
After a bumpy and rough beginning, the two strike up an unlikely friendship, and it doesn’t take Han Se Gye long to realize Seo Do Jae’s condition. Before long, the friendship turns into romance, which appears a bit one-sided at first. Han Se Gye is thrilled that there is someone who accepts her for who she is. However, just as she feels that Seo Do Jae isn’t romantically interested in her, he confesses that ever since he was diagnosed with his condition, he’s never had a moment’s peace, nor has he ever loved himself. It was only by seeing that someone else loves him that he’s finally able to accept who he is. What you have are two very unhappy people who choose to define themselves by their conditions, rather than find a way to look beyond them. The series would have worked beautifully if they had found a way to do this, but they never do. Instead, they firmly believe that they need to be fixed in order to be loved, which is a tragic and destructive way of thinking.
Of course, as with so many series, just when things are running smoothly, an unexpected curveball is thrown at the couple. After asking Seo Do Jae how long he’s had his condition, and what caused it, Seo Do Jae tells Han Se Gye that he saved an elderly woman from being hit by a car. Han Se Gye is devastated upon realizing that she was the elderly woman! Overwhelmed by guilt, and believing that everything bad that has happened to Seo Do Jae, including her rude comments toward him when she first met him, causes her to break up with him and run. The irony about people who run away is that they don’t stop. This was easy to see coming. As soon as Seo Do Jae shared the details, I said, “Now, she’s going to break up with him and run away. It’s what she does.”
Now, I was a bit frustrated with Seo Do Jae, at first. Instead of trying to appease her, he takes several days to try and deal with what he’s just heard. My whole premise was that if he loved her, then that wouldn’t change anything, and if the situation occurred again, he wouldn’t hesitate to do the same thing again. The most frustrating trait of Seo Do Jae is that he’s really bad at speaking up. By the time he does tell Han Se Gye, it’s too late. She’s been given far too much time to blame herself, and by the time Seo Do Jae comes around, her mind is made up to leave him, feeling that his being around her will be a constant reminder of how much he’s suffered over the last ten years. Forget the fact that Seo Do Jae doesn’t see it that way, nor does he blame her for anything.
Rather than talking things out, and perhaps Han Se Gye coming to terms with the fact that Seo Do Jae is fine with how things are, they end up apart for a year with Seo Do Jae deciding to undertake an extremely risky surgical procedure to cure him of his condition. This is all done without Han Se Gye’s knowledge, and the doctor warns Seo Do Jae that there’s a strong possibility that he might die. What’s disturbing is that Seo Do Jae isn’t undergoing the procedure to help himself as much as he’s doing it for Han Se Gye. In other words, he firmly believes that he has to fix himself in order to salvage the relationship. Instead of Han Se Gye coming to terms with the past, and realizing that it was all in the past, that there isn’t anything to be guilty about, and that she should simply accept Seo Do Jae as he is, we get the unlikely and reckless notion that Seo Do Jae should put his life on the line to fix himself. Never mind that, somehow, and somewhat miraculously, he’s cured as if someone waved a magic wand, thus taking away any chance that these two people can somehow look deeper and beyond their conditions to demonstrate that true love transcends such things!
When they reunited, there’s not even a deep, meaningful discussion regarding what had created the rift in the first place. Everything is quickly and magically healed! Oh, if only life worked out so easily, eh? Instead, the only realization we get is that these two really haven’t learned anything. Certainly not about true love that lies within and surpasses all things physical
Performances are very good throughout the series. In fact, I found the relationship between Rye Eun Ho and Kang Sa Ra much more intriguing than our superficial, star-crossed lovers! For once, we get the rich woman, although lonely and unhappy, finding love in a very pleasant but poor young man who works multiple part-time jobs. He has real charm, and it’s sad when he’s berated by Han Se Gye and Yoo Woo Mi for “smiling too much,” thus proving that the women in this series are superficial and insecure.
It's sad that the writer chose the easy, superficial route, rather than sticking to their guns about how true beauty really is on the inside! Now, that would have made a compelling and uplifting story, which fell well short here!
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All the characters were charismatic on screen and the wardrobe department would have had a ball dressing them up. Even the cute little puppy had adorable costumes all through the show. Music was pleasant and apt, though not really addictive. This show doesn't have nail biting suspense which makes you binge watch it to completion within couple of days. Rather it was so sickly sweet at times that I couldn't digest beyond an episode or half at a time! There are plenty of fluffy filler scenes to satisfy all romantic hearts, especially fans of the main leads. It is a one time slow watch you leave with some pleasant feels but nothing unforgettable down the line.
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This review may contain spoilers
loved it but final 3 episodes (3 hours)felt like fluff with no real progress to the plot.
I LOVED it but have to say that the final 3 episodes felt like "filler" episodes where not much happened. It was weird and felt like fluff was just tacked on to the end because they didn't think through where the plot should lead.I had a lot of unanswered questions as well about the FL's condition.
Why did it start at 20?
Why did she turn at all?
Why was it suddenly so sporadic at the end of the show when it had been monthly (without fail) for 10 years straight?
Was she supposed to be helping people every time she turned and she just never knew it? Like when she helped that grieving mother and that teen girl? Hmmmm
Those final three episodes could've been used in a much more constructive way. BUT I still adored the story, the acting, and so on.
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Also, I unexpectedly ended up liking the secondary couple more than the main one (they were so freaking adorable!)
This was my first time watching Seo Hyun-Jin, and I gotta say she's an amazing actress. I don't think I've ever seen anyone else cry so convincingly! The bad side to that was that by comparison Lee Min-Ki seemed really wooden and dry. And while I get his character was supposed to be stoic, I feel like Park Seo-Joon played that type of character much better in What's Wrong with Secretary Kim. He was a bit of a disappointment to me.
Another disappointment was how weakly the very last conflict was approached. It was basically thrown out there and then resolved with lightning speed. Made the last three episodes seem a bit pointless.
But the drama was interesting enough. I loved all the little side adventures Se-Gye did while her face was different. And the soundtrack was awesome, too!
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Unexpectedly sweet
I had been browsing through different titles on what Kdrama to watch and stumbled upon this. The synopsis was curiously different and sounded interesting so I tried it out.At first, I found Lee Min Ki a bit boring, monotone face and dialogue delivery. But as the series unfolded, I grew very fond of him and found that his being monotone totally suited his role.
This was the second drama I watched with Seo Hyun Jin. I had seen her work in Dr Romantic. I liked her better here though.
Lee Da Hee was a lovable character. Very beautiful..
The OST was just amazing. My ears totally fell in love with the songs. Just for the OST alone, I would watch this series again.
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Great blend of humour, melodrama and romance
It’s funny, yes the funny parts are super funny, lol kind of funny. The melodrama is cry buckets with lots and lots of tissue. The romance is oh so sweet.I loved almost every part of this drama. First of all, both FL and SFL are super pretty, and their style and wardrobe attire is TO DIE FOR. Don’t get me started on their shoes!!! Loved loved loved the fashion on this set. I’m very glad to see that the women are not the poor pitiful kind, but successful in their own rights.
It’s a Seo Hyun Jin drama, so you can expect lots of over-the-top whining and crying. I did cry at quite a few scenes, because it was either very sad or heart-breaking. The romance and chemistry between both leads were great, and some good kissing scenes :) I didn’t quite care for the secondary love story between Eun Ho and Kang Sara- in fact I skipped their scenes towards the last few episodes. That’s why my overall dropped to a 8.5. It was kind of dull and no real progress or chemistry
The music background really suited the scenes- whether it was funny, or a In-Your-Face scene ;);) I also like the OST , the songs were well suited and lovely.
All in all, highly recommended to watch. Produced in 2018, but I only watched it now in 2021. No regrets:)
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Great start but sizzled as it goes | side stories are confusing and awkward
Life is too short for stressful drama. Why spend all that time watching and be stressed? Don’t our lives already provide enough of that?Summary of the series:
- Pretty cool concept from the start. Got me watching and wanting to watch more how the FL deals with the changes. Somewhat lighthearted as I wanted from a rom/com; series had slow sections (gave it an 8 since there isn’t a 8.2)
- awkward and confusing side stories. I really didn’t want to rewind and catch up to it
- there weren't villains but more like distractions to add stress, there are some short struggles, calamity, miscommunications and don’t ask for help to cause more drama and stress
- like most around this rating, they have to separate the characters before the final finish to add more drama
- FL at times has the stiffest face reaction when kissed, I am like are you liking a kiss from your dude or not
- main story line is what drive the high score, but you can skip all the side stories which were kind of lame
- Like seeing the FL and ML help each other through their difficulties
still some joyful parts, good main story (watch it for what happens to the FL), some stress and slowness for this series: recommended to watch and skip the unnecessary scenes
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Mean ML & boring story
Why, oh, why, did I waste so many hours of my life? Hours I'll never get back. I rarely drop shows, but I had to with this one. I could never figure out what the FL sees in the ML other than him being a huge jerk. I was watching this on 2x speed just to get the answer to the mystery of her condition, but even that was too much. The only beautiful thing about this show was the good-looking actors.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
okay.hello.this is my first time writing a review.please overlook the mistakes.firstly,things i loved-everything......
things i hated-nothing except for the evil characters.
story-well,a woman whose face and body changes once a month and a man who can't remember faces.huh, seems very complicated as for their love story.but trust me it is awesome.you won't feel bored for a second .In every single episode you will be rolling on the bed from laughing for hundred times(well, i was).those who are not watching the drama because you have seen the movie but are curious please watch it because though their concept are more or less similar, the drama is totally different from the movie.the script writer slayed it in my opinion.
acting- do i need to say this . ofcourse, it was perfect.all of them are professionals .SHJ was very pretty (especially in the cinderella scene please check that out),LMK no need to say <3,AJH again blessed us with his angelic appearance. I can't name everyone but every actor did their best .also the actors who had special appearance basically own the drama in a way.
music-good,very good.I actually tend to concentrate on the drama while watching . but yeah the osts were good.
rewatch value-yes .I will definitely watch it again in the future.even if I can't watch all 16 episodes , I will obviously watch the moments of it.(can't live without those)
overall-it is pretty good.totally different from the movie (as the movie has a little melo vibe.but it has more rom-com vibe) but it has its own attraction.
okay now the things i want to actually say-loved HSG and SDJ couple .SHJ was an angel.really loved her.well first time watching LMK smiling so much.also maybe joking with a poker face is his speciality .loved the bond between HSG,RYH,YWM .also bromance between JJH and SDJ was one of it's own kind.cried out laughing most of the time HSG changed (especially in front of SDJ's mom and during the cinderella scene).also loved the chemistry and bickerings of YWM and JJH .loved kingkong and sometimes i wonder how it can sense that HSG is near to it.
now thank you for wasting your time by reading this.I am totally sorry if you feel this way. but please watch atleast two episodes of it.then it will obviously become an addiction.
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What matters most is to accept ourselves for who we are
LIKEWhen Se Gye found out something - that scene I cried each time when I watched.. Seo Hyun Jin's that good!
How Do Jae protected Sa Ra like a lion but turned into a mouse in front of Se Gye...
DISLIKE
Those who doesn't understand Se Gye's situation and tried to harm her or misunderstood her
MUSIC - personal fav
Cloud - Rothy
The Beauty Inside - Vincent (ft. 2morro)
Goodbye - Wendy
Falling In Love - Davichi
Beautiful Moment - K. Will
REWATCH VALUE
Yes and I had re-watched at least twice
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