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This drama (as well as its source material) depicts a love story wrapped around a social critique of the often cruel role "beauty standards" play in women's daily life. Meeting those beauty standards has become a source of stress for women worldwide, but in South Korea --as this drama suggests-- not being part of the "ideal beauty" results in a harsher treatment from society. This drama also emphasizes that the expectation to look a certain way affect everyone in different ways -- with no one --regardless of whether they are considered naturally beautiful or not-- being spared.
In that respect, Mi-Rae (our female lead) isn't the shallow person the summary might imply. It takes just the first episode to understand how she became a victim of society's expectations. She didn't undergo surgery to become beautiful, she just wanted people to accept her as a "person," which is incredibly heartbreaking.
The issue that arises afterward, one which she hadn't anticipated, was that people would still judge, reject and critique her. And that's where the story takes off. We not only follow Mi Rae as she gains confidence, but also other interesting characters who'd been suffering because (or for) their looks.
It's worth noting, however, that the pacing of this show is slow compared to other rom-com dramas. I'd say it's a stretch to tag it with comedy, since the comedic moments, despite how successfully they are implemented, are few and far between. That's not to say the show is weighted down by an overload of melodrama, because it's not. Instead, this show can be described as a sliced of life focused on self-reflection which, if you're open to it, will get you emotionally invested in the characters. Be forewarned, many of the male characters in this show (and some of the female ones) will definitely rile you up on more than one occasion.
If I have one critique apart from the wardrobe, it would be the disbalance in the portrayal of the male characters. Except for a few gems, all the male characters were written like jerks and that can be off-putting. Some balanced between jerks and good guys could've helped the show feel less toxic.
MAIN CHARACTERS: Interesting & lovable
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Kang Mi Rae (female lead played by Im Soo Hyang): She's a character who's suffered all her childhood because her looks didn't meet her peer's standards. She grew up as an introvert, keeping away from people, looking at other people's lives from afar and wishing she was allowed to have fun. Her frustration drove her to seek solace under the knife and, though she now had an acceptable face in society's eyes, her insides were still bruised and broken. Mi Rae is a complex and balanced character. If push comes to shove she'll fight, but mostly she tries to fly under the radar. She's smart and almost a natural when it comes to creating perfumes, but she struggles with an inferiority complex and doesn't like standing in the limelight. Though the actress looks quite old for the role, it is worth noting that the character was conceived by the webtoon artist as having an "older girl" look, so it stays true to the original intent.
Do Kyung Suk (male lead played by Cha Eun Woo): He exists on the opposite side of the spectrum from Kang Mi Rae but also grows up feeling lonely. He's a handsome, smart, strong, kind and very straightforward guy whose isolation came as a result of presenting a front of "perfection" and "hating" anything to do with beauty (for reasons later explained). As a result, he's socially awkward, brutally honest and a harsh judge. Though, to his credit, he's a character whose pride doesn't get in the way of realizing when he's made a mistake and make amends. Though some viewers didn't like his acting, personally I found his stoic way of delivering lines grew on me more and more as the show progressed.
Yeon Woo Young (second male lead played by Kwank Dong Yeon): He's such a good character that he ends up giving Kyung Suk a run for his money. He's kind, honest, selfless and very mature. Though his character is a bit imbalanced (as in he has more strengths than flaws), he's still a lovable man who, despite his good points, doesn't come off as being "too perfect". He's a character who helps those around him without expecting anything in return, even when he's financially struggling. Overall, his charming personality earned him fans within and outside the show.
ANTAGONIST: Complex and pitiful
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Hyeon Soo Ah (second female lead played by Jo Woo Ri): She's someone stuck between Mi Rae and Kyung Suk in the spectrum of society's judgment. Though she's considered a natural beauty, she's not a stranger to suffering. Her struggles come from forcing herself to live in service of what other people expect of her. She's a character who's not only dishonest with other people, but with herself as well. Though she earned quite a bit of hate, I personally found her character very pitiful. The drama ended up brushing over her backstory, so if you're curious you can always check out the webtoon to get a better understanding of her motivations.
PORTRAYAL OF ROMANCE: Slow paced, healthy & nurturing
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I mentioned before that the show is slow-paced and this is true for the romance as well. However, that pacing allows the progression of classmates to friends to lovers to feel very natural and endearing. There's a lot of cute scenes between the leads without making it cheesy, which is a plus for me.
Some highlights of the romance:
-Their relationship is always healthy.
-Both characters are new at romance, so they take their time to find their ground and, though they stumble, they do it together.
-Both learn from each other, creating a very balanced relationship.
-They learn to communicate what they want and need so the other person can understand, making their relationship not only refreshingly endearing but also nurturing.
OVERALL: Highly Recommended (and the webtoon as well)
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This is an interesting slice of life that follows a group of characters trying to find their place in the world and build the courage to live by their standards, rather than society's judgment. Though it's slow-paced, the plot is interesting and the mood is often lightened up by warm moments of affection between the leads, their families and their friends.
Keep in mind, I saw this as it was coming out. So binge watching it might give you a different experience because the plot moves slowly and the acting can sometimes come off looking/sounding very wooden. However, this is doubtlessly a memorable show that'll give you food for thought.
If you're able and willing, I'd also encourage you to read the webtoon. There's a lot of insight to be gained that will help you get a better viewing experience. There are scenes, especially at the beginning of the drama, that'll make more sense if you know the context the webtoon provides.
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I disagree with all of the above statements. Cha Eun Woo has some serious acting chops. I am not really a critic. Honestly, I usually think everyone is great, but all the negative comments he was getting made me pay extra attention. His character was pretty traditional stoic and standoffish. But I thought he played the part well. He would have these minute facial expressions that showed what he was thinking. And his character grew and progressed as the story went on.
Im Soo Hyang did an awesome job for the part. Because of the plastic surgery she was supposed to look more "mature" than her fellow students, so her age wasn't really a problem. The actress was excellent for the part. I can't imagine anyone else doing such a good job portraying someone who looks beautiful but feels ugly.
As for the rest, haters gonna hate.
This was a lovely show about a girl who was bullied all through her childhood for being "ugly". Before entering college, she gets plastic surgery done on her whole face in hopes that she can have a new life. But it turns out, it takes more than a new face to change your life. She has to learn to love herself and to not judge herself or others based on the way they look.
Most importantly, at least for me, the ending was perfect. It had everything I want in a drama ending. And for me that is pretty rare.
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Great message but delivery wasn't always there.
I enjoyed the show which is why I rated it quite high but I found the storyline a bit all over the place with no real depth.I loved the message of personality over looks, which can be shown in not only the main leads storylines but with all the characters. The "pretty people" were not all horrible and vain, while the "ugly/inadequate" were not all humble and nice. You were given a full variety of characters which made you really enjoy learning about their personality behind the "face value".
Though I will say I felt a bit disappointed with the main leads since while i did understand why they were both reserved, i was expecting their true personalities to be shown a bit earlier. I also expected more give and take between them, while it seemed like the male lead was extending himself and making a lot more changes within his life vs the female lead. The female lead seemed quite reluctant to help or extend herself to help the him but it is easily can be contributed to her insecurity and being unsure what to do in those social situations. Still the female lead did gain confidence and courage, she learned to find her own happiness that is not based on being "pretty".
In the end I just wished that we got more storyline after the main female gained her confidence, since that was when we got to really see her personality and also saw more of the male leads personality since she helped to bring him out of his shell. Still all in all it was a good series with a good message.
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The only minor reason I didn't give this a full 10/10 rating was because I wasn't a huge fan of the way the antagonist was dealt with. While I liked the attempt to give them a backstory and have it be in line with the message of the drama, it was basically all crammed into the last few episodes.
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We're here for romance, right?
Not sure why this drama gets so much hate from some people. Perhaps they expect Korean culture to be something its not? Perhaps they hold the Mi Rae character to unrealistic standards? There are a lot of comments saying its a 'damaging message' and the leads can't act etc. I can understand that response in some people, but I loved this drama, personally.This drama starts off with an emotional bang; it's a little trite but everyone has gone through pain like Mi Rae (not maybe to the extent she has) growing up, and it hits home in a painful way. I found myself hooked and bawling after the first ep. It does such a good job of setting up the story, and the first half of the drama is good at showing the internal struggles of Mi Rae and the hateful things she endured as a teenager.
And I think this is where some people get lost. The issue is that the drama sells itself as a coming of age story about a girl who was bullied and is learning to love herself-- and yes it is totally that-- but ultimately at its core, the drama is a love story. And if you are going into it hoping that it will be a massive life-changing drama where the protagonist makes leaps and strides and grows as a person and says, 'eff society, eff beauty standards,' etc, you will be disappointed. It's not really that. I mean, it is powerful in its message, and it effectively saying that but not very directly. Yes it makes a comment on superficiality of people, and It's also about how personality trumps beauty... and characters do grow etc, but its not a massive feminist message. As for a strong female lead.... well, the lead is strong, but she is also a late bloomer and very beat down. She is incredibly stunted in the beginning and there are some 'damsel in distress' moments in this, especially in the first half of the drama, but these fade away as Mi Rae finds her courage. But if you hate damsel tropes, this is not for you, as there are many of them in this drama. There is also a lot of meek attitudes. However in the context of the society in which its taking place, the deference makes sense to me. There is a scene in the start where awful stuff is being said by seniors, and none of the freshmen speak up towards them--in the comments section of those episodes people were incredulous about this. I wasn't-- Cultural hierarchy is a big thing in Korea-- As an example, there was a tragic plane crash in Korea where the co-pilot couldnt stand up to the Captain because of this kind of cultural deference, despite the fact their lives were in peril. In that context, people not speaking up makes sense to me. Though they actually improve in this and many characters grow a backbone later on, I understand the initial hesitation. Not only are cultural and sexist roles at play, peer pressure is also a thing.
In fact, this drama benefits from people viewing it from the lens of Korean culture in general-- its not really trying to stand up against plastic surgery or anything like that. Like it or not, Korean culture is obsessed with beauty and plastic surgery-- its emphasized in the beginning where the mother and daughter walk through Gangnam station and there are massive ads for plastic surgery places everywhere. Furthermore, there are many many shameless moments of vanity by various people in the cast, not just the college going males who objectify the girls they go to school with, but even Mi Rae's mother who constantly comments on both her daughters beauty "Now she's pretty...." and the beauty of guys that like Mi Rae. This is definitely annoying, but it isn't addressed in the drama at all. I mean, why objectify men when Mi Rae herself has been judged so harsh? But in the end, it IS realistic. These are the way people view each other; it's not ok, though, and it is called out in some ways, but in the end, just like in society, objectification and judging of peoples appearances is just something you cannot eliminate. No matter what you look like you cannot escaped being judged.
So again if you want a strong feminist message, this isn't the drama for you. If you want a semi-realistic story about an incredibly insecure and stunted girl who falls in love for the first time and the cute moments that ensue because of that, then maybe check it out.
I personally enjoyed the story; though its not perfect and there are a lot of gaps in it. In the end they seem to cram a bunch of side stories to a close all at once and dont do a great job of resolving them, and there are major characters they stop using and/or only use when it suits them. This is disappointing because the cast is huge and the side characters are great; perhaps there are too many? There is a cute friend character in the beginning that you think will have a B story but halfway through you stop seeing here. All the 'B' stories kind of suck in my opinion; mostly because they don't really gain traction like they should and are executed badly. Again as I said at the beginning-- this is ultimately a love story, so in that context its understandable the other plots dont line up in a great way, but I would have liked a few solid B and C stories, honestly.
Moving on. I personally thought the acting was great; Im Soo Hyang shines as Mi Rae-- her character grows with her. At first it seems like she perhaps doesn't have much range, but I think this is intentional. Mi Rae's self esteem has been completely flattened, despite being feisty inside, and the drama does a good job of showing this. Someone said that Im Soo doesnt look like someone 'overly done' so that peoples judgments dont make sense, but I disagree. She (while still extremely pretty) does fit the ideal of a 'Gangnam Beauty' to me, and yes she looks a bit older, but in the context of the story it makes sense.
A lot of the comments criticize Cha Eun Wo's acting in this and I disagree heartily. Yes, his character is distant and wooden, but it is intentional. If you think that Cha Eun Wo can't act then you totally missed the point of Do Kyung Suk's character--he is a guy that has learned to repress all feelings and he is very direct and reactionary. The point is that he is also emotionally stunted-- despite being opposite ends of the spectrum looks wise to Mi Rae, they are actually very similar internally. His friend comments at one point that Kyung Suk has no friends as he never lets anyone in; that he is unapproachable and distant, and Cha Eun Wo does a great job showing that. His micro-expressions convey it all; especially at the beginning where he goes from blank to a flash of anger when a side character is being antagonistic towards him. His character is especially intense, and it is again, intentional-- you can tell by the fact the director gives the young versions of Kyung Suk the same blankness. Also, As Do Kyung Suk grows and such, he shows more and more emotion, and his aloofness fades somewhat.
If you take this purely as a squee-inducing love story then its a 10/10 though. This has some of the cutest moments (even if they are tropey) of any drama I've ever seen. Some bits are even cuter than my holy grail of dramas 'A Witch's Romance' -- that's the gold standard of love stories for me, haha. So this drama is really seriously cute. But the slow burn is incredibly slow, and almost painful, but worth it in my opinion. I didn't fast forward once, even though I was eagerly awaiting the cute parts. Moreover it makes sense-- these may be college students but they are shy broken and inexperienced people in various ways and it makes sense that their love will not all be immediate and smooth sailing. I also wanted more-- the chemistry is there between the leads, but they dont give it as much passion. Thats my only gripe with the love story. Its passion is hinted at only briefly, and I would have liked more.
Another niggling criticism for me, that there is not a lot of depth to anyone except Mi Rae-- you dont get into the thoughts and feelings of many of the other characters except a few. This makes it feel more like a shojo manga than anything, though it makes sense if it was based on a web toon. I would have liked more development in this area, personally. It makes everyone, especially the love interests to Mi Rae, seem kind of unreal. Even the TA character, who is extremely nice and personable, lacks depth sometimes. You know he's nice, but you dont know why or who he is really. Same with Kyung Suk; this lack of depth almost makes him feel like a mary sue sometimes.
Still, a cute drama, I recommend. I would love to see a sequel but I'm not sure how that would work, but I really did enjoy the world and the characters a lot. Check it out if you want an adorable romance between beautiful people.
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Well written with issues insightfully explored
I watched this show ages ago and have been wanting to write a review on it for a while but procrastinated because I didn't know quite how to do it justice. In the end, I think I can only give it my best shot and hope that it helps others make up their mind about this series.The show really doesn't pull punches. I was in admiration of how direct and honest it was about the issue of beauty. When My ID is Gangnam Beauty begins we get intro'd to a surgery so wow, visceral and in medias res. Before we even get to know the protag, we are invited into her transformation already and we never get to find out who she was in the past which I'll talk about later.
The next part of it, that made the watch uncomfortable, was how the protag went around scoring other girls. I wouldn't be far off the mark to expect that these scenes would elicit hostile responses and judgements from many viewers, esp of the female variety. Although it was an uncomfortable watch I was in admiration of the writer because of how honest this was. Truthfully, women can be the harshest critics of other women and, for me, I was annoyed at this plot device if it only remained a plot device to push the whole "mean girls" troupe. However, this aspect of the female experience was handled with sensitivity and maturity in the series as well and was called out by the male protag in a spectacular fashion—"you need surgery on your unhealthy mindset, not your face". This really is the core arterial plot of the series that exposes the venous subplots in the exploration of beauty.
As I mentioned before, in the beginning, Mi Rae undergoes plastic surgery. This changes her physical beauty and is the catalyst the propels her into a new experience with life except not in the way she expected. It becomes painfully obvious from the word go that though her physical exterior has changed, the real work lies beneath, and the physical change brings about new dangers along with new positive experiences. She goes to extraordinary lengths to hide her past self and finds that she's ill equipped to survive with her new face. Now considered desirable, Mi Rae is targeted by sexual predators, is readily objectified and is the subject of jealous attentions by a fellow beauty. All the time, it was clear that Mi Rae had only expected positive changes and never accounted for these negatives that her changes might produce.
While she is having to navigate through these new treacherous, social waters, the series also explores the negative effect of beauty on men. Being the handsome guy, Kyung Suk is pursued by Mi Rae's unbeknownst nemesis Soo Ah solely for the purpose of having him as a trophy accessory bf. Unlike ingenue Mi Rae, Kyung Suk is wise to Soo Ah's machinations and asserts his values well. However, what he didn't count on is how Soo Ah's machinations indirectly affects him via Mi Rae's insecurities. In an ironic twist, what Mi Rae has wanted is within grasp. She has met someone with whom she shares a connection with and whom returns her feelings however, despite having gone through cosmetic surgery, it is clear that the procedure was only skin deep. Her face might have changed but nothing else inside did and it's those things that the scalpel can never reach that are causing the issues. One wonders if she underwent any changes at all.
An additional exploration that I appreciated was Soo Ah's character. We've seen how beauty affects Mi Rae, we've seen how it affects a male, now we see its effect on Soo Ah. An insight into her backstory reveals that it's not all a bed of roses for our antagonist. She has become an adept, manipulative Venus because she's had to rely on her beauty to survive for many years. Despite the upskirting incidents, despite the sexual harassment and objectification that she is subjected to, she puts up with the latter because it is just part and parcel of surviving until it climaxes into a dangerous stalking incident. We get the sense that when she lashes out at Mi Rae, metaphorically slapping back her hand of help with contemptuous condescendence, it's not really her but this automaton shell of Soo Ah that's remained after all the years of having to hide to survive. And the final cry from Mi Rae that snaps her out of her illusion... two women, from both sides of the beauty divide, one of "artificial beauty", the other "natural beauty" and the question that neither have ever had time to ask themselves—"are you happy?", "all the diets when we don't have any weight to lose... how we judge our faces, why do we have to do this to each other?"... the scene was, to me, immensely powerful and empowering and really cemented my admiration for this series because it just exemplifies how exhausting this quest for acceptance through shallow beauty is.
The other things I liked about this series were Hyun Jung, Mi Rae's buddy. She was a straightforward, no nonsense chick. I loved how courageous she was in confessing her attraction to Woo Young and how she moved on when it was clear he was not interested (until too late); and also the realistic growing up that Kyung Suk had to do to assert his financial independence as this aspect is often woefully glossed over in k-dramas, as well as the way everyone became friends organically in the process of Kyung Suk finding his feet in the world of adulting. The scene in the pub where Kyung Suk and Hyun Jung talk about the former walking through the rain without an umbrella in high school was poignant. Seeing Kyung Suk just bonding and making friends and being socially awkward humanised this "handsome, trophy boy" and we got to see this male beauty as a human and no longer a trophy object. He was just a guy trying to navigate through this world, like anyone, like you or me. Beauty is just a manmade construct. Underneath, we were all the same.
I really can't rave enough about this series. It really did a great 360 on all angles, or as many as possible, to consider with the construct of beauty and how it's perceived and used in society. The series didn't make it into a cliche ending by making it seem like it really matters and the thing to strive for but, instead, portrays it as the illusory tool that it is. I think there'd be mixed feelings about the fact that we are never shown Mi Rae's past but, to me, since Mi Rae was not comfortable with her past and she wants to leave it behind, I was happy to respect that. Again, it would be cliche to believe that to accept the past is the real growth. If that were the case cosmetic surgery would not be necessary however, sometimes it is the needed survival boost. Despite all the problems that can arise from it, despite the work that still remains beneath the surface, cosmetic surgery can be a useful aid, just as beauty is. Once beauty is no longer the yardstick which Mi Rae uses to measure her own happiness with then whatever she looked like in the past no longer matters because the comparison of a Mi Rae before and Mi Rae now no longer exists. The only Mi Rae that matters is the Mi Rae now.
The only criticism I have for this series, and it is a major one, is that it would be impossible for someone to have such low self esteem as Mi Rae has when she had such a staunch friend as Hyun Jung back in high school. That was the one thing that threw me off when she met this wonderfully supportive friend in uni whom she'd known for years. And I get the sense that the writers knew this was off too because their explanation of why Hyun Jung was never around with Mi Rae in her darkest times in high school was lame, at best (she got tired of fighting and getting angry for Mi Rae all the time so she avoided Mi Rae during the times the latter was at school or something similar). Despite this, I was happy to extend the suspension of disbelief that much further because the series really did expertly delved into the issue of beauty, imho, and beyond my expectations. Thus, I only took off 0.5 star for this characterisation oops.
Would I recommend this series? If you like watching shows that makes you think, if you like shows that's not scared to break new grounds, if you like shows that are honest with you even when it makes you uncomfortable then—hell yeah. This series really rocks.
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The story? There basically was none. Pretty much everything that happens in the drama is written in the description for this drama...
I also feel I need to point out that this drama seems to be being praised left and right for apparently having a strong message, but it completely fails to deliver when it has multiple product placement ads for weightloss tools such as real diet pills and drinks. What a joke.
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Precious Fluff with a Healthy Side of Substance
I originally wrote this review halfway through the drama, and I'm happy to confirm it did not disappoint me at all afterwards. So many kdramas become consumed by the male lead in the back half, or otherwise forgot to follow through on the female lead's story. But this wasn't the case at all here, because Gangnam Beauty was committed to Mi Rae's growth. The times that it strayed from her, it tended to follow the stories of the other women in the drama, most significantly antagonist Soo Ah's own perspective on beauty and self-esteem, but also Kyung Seok's mom and her attempts to reconnect with her children.This drama hit all the right notes for me. I was really reluctant to watch it because often stories about makeovers or plastic surgery have very negative messages which suggest either that your life will be better when you are "prettier," or else they emphasize the fat shaming and fall into the very tropes they're trying to fight against. But Gangnam Beauty did an excellent job of questioning beauty standards and showcasing the hypocrisy of a society that only values women for their appearance. I think it's only real flaw in my book is that it had what appeared to be PPL for a diet pill in one episode, but the pill was used by Soo Ah and the protagonist Mi Rae later called her out for all the methods women use to be the "most beautiful" when all they end up doing is hurting themselves. So while I would rather they never have shown it, I'm glad they turned it around after.
Anway, onto the cast: I think Im Soo Hyang and Cha Eun Woo did very well as Mi Rae and Kyung Seok. Even if the latter is a little green as an actor, he believably conveyed the subtle shifts in Kyung Seok's "coldness" and watching him warm up and become open as the drama went on was a treat. But of course, it's Soo Hyang who carried the weight of the drama on her shoulders, and she made Mi Rae's paralyzing fears very relatable while still allowing her inner strength to shine through. The side characters were all well-cast in my book, and their personalities were realistic and charming or even more realistic and infuriating as needed. I loved that the show never became solely about the romance - although the soft and slow progression of said romance was perfect for both characters - but really incorporated university life and friendships throughout.
I read the webtoon because of this drama, so I'm biased in the show's favor, but I think it conveyed the message from the comic appropriately. Adding Hyun Jung as a best friend for Mi Rae was an excellent choice in my book because it helped us understand how Mi Rae made it this far and showed that you can have a support system and still feel alone on a larger scale. Plus it set Soo Ah apart as a woman who lives for competition (even though that's something that society is partially to blame for as well) in comparison to several other girls in the show who were genuine in their intentions even if they sometimes fall short. I also like how it called out certain kdrama tropes, allowing our gallant male lead to learn more about how to respect the female lead even though he already started off leagues ahead of most men.
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The acting in this is great. The only slight quibble I had is that Cha Eun Woo is noticeably younger than Im Soo Hyang even though they are supposed to be the same age. He's even supposed to be 10 days older than her. However, it's not a big enough issue to affect the show, it was just something that I noticed. Both of them did a great job with their roles as did all the cast. The two creepy guys in the show are exceedingly creepy and the evil girl is horrible, so those roles were filled well too. My favorite characters though (aside from the two leads) were probably the second male and female leads. I loved their relationship and enjoyed any time they got to be onscreen together...or even separately. They were just good characters who were fun to watch.
The music in this is really good too. It was catchy and fun.
I absolutely recommend this show. And if you enjoy a sweet romance, I think you will too.
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First couple of episodes are a bit awkward because they're focusing on all the "prettyness", pretty boys and pretty girls and even at the introduction ceremony at the university they are openly talking about how pretty the new freshmen are, it just felt a bit uncomfortable for me and I was happy it didn't last - but it did serve to set a tone initially.
The main female lead, as a child, was considered by her peers to be ugly and overweight. When she stepped up to fix the weight problem and became slim, they just found other names to call her and focused on their opinions of her face. This kind of long term bullying has a big impact on kids and you can see it has had a huge impact on her throughout the entirety of the show - any time you're thinking "oh jeez just say it already" or something, you need to reflect back on this history very carefully because it's completely undermined her way of thinking throughout her life.
As she gets older and looks to go to University she gets cosmetic surgery and completely changes her look - coming out the other side of that, she's now stunningly beautiful and that's essentially where the story kicks in.
Throughout the story, a lot of complex issues are covered, mostly those facing young women relating to cyber bullying, dieting, peer pressure, self confidence and many more.
The characters are great, even the one that starts looking like the nasty girl proves to have layers upon layers and a very detailed backstory that explains how someone gets to be the way they are today and some of the underlying non-obvious reasons for it. Towards the end when they were focusing more on that character, I was desperate for that character to just reach out and ask for help.
There is some irony that as I understand it, the female lead in reality also had plastic surgery and there are those commenters online who have been sadly shaming it. I've also seen comments that they felt the male lead was quite wooden but I actually liked the representation of that character - the put a shy guy inside a handsome body, someone who didn't know how to socialise and didn't know how to be around others because he always kept to himself. As someone who has always been that way myself (the shy bit, certainly not the handsome bit) I can only say I saw a lot of his manner reflecting my own personality and the way I would have reacted.
I also really liked a lot of the secondary characters, and the ML's mother was probably my favourite, the storyline of her reconnecting with her son and daughter was very touching and handled superbly by the author.
The OST didn't have any particularly memorable tracks to it unfortunately.
This story has a lovely slow burn romance throughout and I was utterly hooked from the start to the finish, watching it in two days flat. I totally recommend this one if that's the kind of story you're looking for.
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Im Soo Hyang plays Kang Mi Rae, a girl who's "Gangnam Beauty" looks contradict with her shy and insecure personality. I thought she did a good job making Mi Rae sympathetic, and a character I wanted to root for. Sometimes I think she played up the shyness a little too much, and at times her wide-eyed stares felt less sincere and were more annoying. She is matched with Cha Eun Woo as Do Kyung Suk, who plays the emo-est emo rich kid that ever did emo in the history of "Emodom". I thought he played his anti-social hottie role quite well, but he had some wide-eyed extra robotic moments that bordered between cute and laughably bad. Their relationship was pretty sweet, but anyone expecting romance should lower that expectation. Their chemistry is much more awkward than anything. Still cute, but very VERY awkward. Maybe the age gap had a little to do with how tentative they seemed around each other at times, but they still looked pretty good together.
The rest of the cast was good, even if some of them were typical for this kind of drama. I really loved Mi Rae's parents, and liked Do Kyung Suk's family drama. I liked the students, although some were definitely more memorable than others.
Oddly my favorite performance in this drama was Jo Woo Ri as Soo Ah. She definitely helped to keep the show interesting, even though her actions would feel a little repetitive at times. I thought she had the best role and performance.
I know my perspective is different, as an outsider to Korea, but the themes were generally universal and often relatable. I will say their ideas of who was supposed to be attractive vs who wasn't were very odd to me, but the way Mi Rae broke everyone's' looks down was a nice touch. I doubt I will ever really understand the pressure to be attractive in Korea, or how normalized plastic surgery seems to be there, but I think we all can relate to wanting to fit in, and struggling to become comfortable in your own skin when society implies you aren't good enough.
Meanwhile, I am also a person who was distracted by Im Soo Hyang's plastic appearance, but that's probably because the show brings so much attention to her looks, when I would normally just overlook it. At the same time, I loved the way they handled how she used to look, and thought that was a smart choice by the director.
Overall this is a drama that actually tries to say something important, which I appreciate, even if sometimes it was as subtle as a hammer to the brain. It may not get high marks for romance, but they do make a cute unlikely duo, and as a coming of age story I was definitely entertained. This drama also touches on topics like bullying, harassment, sexism, abandonment, image pressure, suicide, domestic violence, eating disorders... without making the episodes depressing. Just consider this a feel-good drama about becoming confident in who you are, and not letting the past dictate your future. I may not have loved it as much as others, but I certainly loved the point it makes.
Oh, and the use of PSY's "New Face" was a cheesy but nice touch!
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This review may contain spoilers
I had really high expectations for this and the drama really did satisfy my taste: it was your typical romance series but better, very fluffy, serious and relatable. Definitely the Kdrama diamond of 2018!From the first couple of episodes I became quickly addicted to this and wanted more. I'm a sucker for male leads who are still in love with their high school crushes. Kyung Suk - an unusual male lead, gives off a cool vibe, but in fact he's clueless about love and so called "adulting". The actor who pulled the main character's lead off is by far one of the most handsome Korean entertainment faces ever, so talented as well. Mi Rae - a very strong female lead that was most-definitely needed to make this drama enjoyable. She didn't whine, she stood up for herself and became a role model for many young girls who have a complex about their appearance. In addition, her character was so diverse and I loved how she especially opened up towards the end of the drama. The main couple's chemistry was off the roof, especially during the last episodes when they officially became a couple (makes you a bit jealous of their love story not gonna lie). Other side characters were like little gems and I loved their backstories. In this university setting, you can see all types of students that you might typically meet in real life. Some were hated more, some were adored and made the drama complete. I especially loved Mi Rea's parents. Also, you have to check out the OST because both of the lead actors recorded songs for this series. The soundtrack is a lovely summery blend and perfectly fits the mood of this drama.
In my opinion, this is the perfect drama to watch for this upcoming college and university season. The story delivers a very strong message about looks and personalities and teaches you the new meaning of the word "pretty".
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