My ID Is Gangnam Beauty

An Amazing Drama to watch

I am still currently watching this drama and it's amazing, the nervousness and the awkwardness of first time dating but then slowly settling. I've seen true beauty and when you think about it Eunwoo's acting has immensely improved,the friendship is amazing as well they support each other and look for one another,overall it's a drama worth watching. It also portrays that everything cannot be done just based on your looks and how people will judge you no matter what you do and how feeling insecure about yourself can affect other people as well because if you feel unworthy or insecure about yourself it'll make your confidence fade and you'll think that you don't deserve to be with anyone , even if someone truly likes you for who you are and what you are it's gonna affect them as well since that person truly likes you , Just be yourself and don't worry about what other people would say

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Telling about Problem...But not Solution/Action Taken

Simply....the most beautiful and not properly used cast.... Because I saw the same FL in Graceful Family where her acting is on another Level and ML Acting in True Beauty which is completely same type of story but his acting is good there so....

I felt story itself is lacking....FL Character on 1 st 2 episodes is okay....But later I felt except not showing interest in Relationship/ML and attention seeking , there is nothing difference between Antagonist and FL.
I agree may be its my way of receiving the story.

ML and FL Expressions are completely forcible or can i say it as a numb .I didn't feel anything.
Supporting casts characters are molded and acted well .

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I don't know what to say...

At first, I really enjoyed this drama, like the story was not bad at all. But with time, it was really ... boring ? Like the characters are shallow as fuck. The FL has just ONE face expression like she is always constipated or something like that ??? A good point to her is that she really look like she got plastic surgery bc she is soo stiff !
I have a crush on Cha Eun Woo but I must say that his acting was really bad in this drama... He also has only one face expression... the only good point is that he is so good looking but it's not enough... I really prefered him in True Beauty I swear. But I forgive him bc he is really something.
The chemistry between the two is not existant... like really 13 episodes just to date ??? I was really frustrated at some point. It was a pain for me to finish this drama... no characters developpement expect for Sua, zero attachements for the characters either ...
Rewatch value ? What's the point ... ?

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1st drama

As it is the very first drama I've watched I won't be very objective haha, I saw it at least 5 times because I didn't want to leave the characters and I didn't want to start an other drama out of fear of being disappointed because My ID is Gangnam Beauty has blown me away.

This is really a good drama, we are not bored at all while watching it. I absolutely loved everything : between the low blows of the mean girl of the story, the comical situations and the multiple of unforeseen developements, we have a lot of things to watch.

Although the romance is long to come and a bit too silly for the age of the protagonists ( no, really they are in college !!) our 2 leads have a quite nice chemistry. Besides the happy-ending was just fantastic.

I also liked the selection of the actors and the way they're playing, despite the little expressiveness of Cha Eun Woo but we forgive him because he is not an actor and I'm sure he is going to improve in the future.

I aslo appreciated the fact that sexism, feminism, fatphobia and the plastic surgery taboo have been broached but I think it would have been needed to deal with these subjects in depth and not just brush past them (especially the plastic surgery one which is the drama's principal theme but which is not enhanced enough) however it's awesome that they have been broached, it is a rare thing in dramas usually.

Sincerely I can only mark it 10/10 (even if in reality it deserves a 8.5/10), because this is the drama which make me immerse myself in the fabulous world of Dramaland being starry-eyed ;)

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It Was Just OK

So, I originally watched this drama because of Cha Eun-woo. I had seen him in True Beauty and really enjoyed it, so I figured I would give more of his dramas a try. However, this drama just seemed to miss the mark for me. All of the characters seemed very bland and one-dimensional. It seemed like Cha Eun-woo only had one facial expression the entire time. The two leads had barely any chemistry at all and all of their scenes together just felt very awkward. Honestly, the best thing I got out of this drama was that I discovered the song "Something" by george and Gang Haein (because they played it EVERY SINGLE CHANCE THEY GOT). This drama was entertaining at best and I will most likely not rewatch it.

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This is such a lovely drama. I was amazed I liked it so much, because I had just finished rewatching The Master's Sun (one of my favorites). I was hesitant to watch another drama, because I felt it might pale in comparison. Surprisingly, it didn't do that. The story is very thought provoking. It gave me a whole new viewpoint on plastic surgery, beauty, and prejudices. I have never judged anyone on their looks, but I also never understood why someone felt the need to do plastic surgery. However, seeing Kang Mi Rae's way of thinking, certain prejudices I held really changed. Kang Mi Rae is reserved, due to her insecurities, but she is also strong, and doesn't let herself be pressurized into anything. The male lead, Do Kyung Suk, is one of the best I have ever seen. He is caring, and respects boundaries, and women. He has a very straightforward manner and how he doesn't judge people on their looks. The acting is amazing. You can tangibly see the chemistry between Kang Mi Rae and Do Kyung Suk. Each episode was well done. The story's pacing was just right. One of the things that stood out to me most was the music and sound effects. This is the first time I actually took notice of them. The music is so pretty, and they are tailored to each scene they are added onto. This is such a charming drama. I would really recommend it; it will not disappoint.

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Hard to love, but I love it a lot.

People have a lot of problem with this drama, and that's okay, but I love this drama to death. People say that this drama has absolutely no plot, but I wouldn't say so. The plot of the drama is a struggle between Gangnam Beauty (Kang Mi-rae) and the natural Beauty (Hyun Soo-ah), and a reflection on the idea that despite not being born pretty, Kang Mi-rae is the one who's prettier on the inside, i.e. she's the one that holds the true beauty.
The main couple (Do Kyung-seok and Kang Mi-rae) are incredibly cute, and seeing their love evolve throughout the drama was a treat. I can understand why you think it may be boring, but to me it was a really nice, well-paced, cute, and pure love story.

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I could watch My ID is Gangnam Beauty more than a hundred times and Cha Eun Woo and Im Soo Hyang still nail it like they were born for the role. I was in middle school and could relate to Mi Rae with her anxiety and both her and Kyung Seok with their awkwardness (Mi Rae's being more about social situations, Kyung Seok simply being the outcast). I myself am quite awkward so yeah lmao. I also had a difficult time when I watched it during middle school and it became a comfort drama that I kept rewatching, like a safe space. A calm and stoic character has nothing to do with bad acting and when you don't express yourself like other people this is as comforting as it gets. Looking good isn't enough, you need to play on subtle emotions, restraint, charisma. Eun Woo himself graduated from acting and claiming he's bad based on this, while he has a bubbly personality in real life and more expressive roles even in his past dramas like Hit The Top is ridiculous. (Also, acting like he doesn't have plenty of various roles with even stronger acting. None of his roles is the "same.") Yet, his acting in this drama is stronger. You can see the affection in his look even when he recognizes Mi Rae at the university, remembering her dance moves, looking at her from afar and the chemistry whenever they get close. They are one of my favorite introverted couples. Helping her to grow and feel confident, directly and indirectly confronting her to her insecurities and mindset. He was charismatic, serious, smart and full of warmth. I also loved when he got angry. Having his own family drama in the story, there was even a scene that impressed me where he had to cry while containing himself with anger. Mi Rae's character development and her relationship with Kyung Seok, Su Ah, Mi Rae's mother, Kyung Seok's mother, Mi Rae's best friend. This drama had such a great cast of female characters, depicted the experience of many women in society, gave awareness about the Korean society, and influenced the Hallyu wave. The only thing that sucks is how they changed New Face by PSY into some random music which almost ruins the scene where Mi Rae dances to it. (Here's the original scene in the first episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5i_3E7hyUY)

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Well this one focus a little bit on a heavy subject but it is portrayed pretty well and in a very respectful way.

It shows the hardships of a girl who was born so to speak with an "ugly" face and goes through a lot of hardships growing up and in her school life. So when she thinks to herself that enough is enough and that she doesn’t want to suffer anymore she tries to commit suicide but a woman passing by stops her and with a few kind words she convinces her not to do it.
After that she gains a bit of courage and with the help of her mother, she decides to schedule a plastic surgery to her face before entering her new university life (all this behind her fathers back) and with her mother being super supportive and i really loved it,

It's a very sensitive subject and people are quick to judge and point fingers, once they know or notice that you did plastic surgery of any kind. People shame those who do it to get “artificial beauty” and that's why there's a saying about gangnam beauty being equal to plastic beauty, it's not a compliment but a slang word to shame that person saying you got plastic surgery to look pretty, you don't deserve to be pretty or to even be on the same level as those born with natural beautiful features. (bunch of BS and it totally triggered me to think that there are people like that for real in the world who take pleasure in shaming others for whatever reason, just to make themselves feel better....ugh...makes me so angry...)

Either way, the story is great and the actors did an amazing job, they look comfortable together and make the scenes light and funny and even in the serious ones, they are very well done, there are so many life lessons to take off from this show that it really warmed my heart to watch it.
At some point you end up hating some of the characters ( some were really annoying to me and i just wanted to slap some sense into those lost souls -.-") but that just shows that they did a great job.

Really a must watch on my book. <3

I have to confess, i got a 2nd male lead syndrome with this one because i think the actor who played him is so handsome and sweet you cant help but to fall for him, omg i was really sad for the guy that i wanted to take him home with me XD

Even tho there’s not a lot i would like to point out in this drama, there was just one thing that bugged me a little bit, and since i was talking about the 2nd male lead, i just got the feeling that in all the scenes they did together, the female lead had more chemistry with the 2nd guy than with the male lead, to me it felt more natural so to speak.

Don’t take me wrong, i loved the main couple scenes together but there were some scenes that looked a little bit stiff, i dunno how to explain it.
Maybe because of the director/writter and the way his character persoanlity was written because i did noticed that the male lead is super shy and an introvert (not very social at all unless is really necessary, not many friends except to one or 2 real close, a guy of few words and a lot of feelings bottled inside but on the good side, he is a guy that knows what he wants and goes after it! loved it :D) so that might the reason behind it.

But over all, it's such a sweet drama to watch :D

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Mediocre at best [mild spoilers]

This is my first review, and I would like to start by saying I watched this show a year or two ago, and only now have I decided to begin writing honest reviews and reflections for the shows I've watched.

To get it started, I only watched this show because I had heard it was pretty good. I am not into idol stars, and had no idea who the idol was until I read other reviews that were along the lines of "to those who think [] can not act," etc. With that being said, I just found the entire show overall to be very... lackluster. Reflecting back, there was nothing notable I could recall, contrary to shows that I've watched before where I could definitely recall and say "wow this show made a good point" or "this specific moment was so touching."

Story:

I understood sort of what this show was trying to go for. Without spoiling it majorly, I personally felt the show was trying to give the story of acceptance of yourself, or how beauty doesn't really matter? I'm unsure because I never got a solid identity from this show besides that. Personally, I felt they didn't do that justice. Compared to "Cheese in the Trap," of which was even rated lower, I never really saw a struggle in the female lead (of which in the mentioned show, I really empathized with the female lead, cried with her, and understood the clear frustrations written). I always remember it as "boo-hoo, I got plastic surgery now I'm sad because people know." I know for a fact that ever since I watched the show, this is all I could remember. That's all I could take from it.

I felt no romance either. I know there was some silly scene where he sleeps over and then there is a joke about there being cameras in the room, but that's all I can reflect on. I never felt like there was truly a romance in this show that built up over time, such as in shows like "Romance is a Bonus Book" or even "Kill me, Heal me." I know these are different shows, but maybe the point of this show might not have been to be a really heavy romance show but to send a message (Of which I still think was done poorly).

What especially bugged me was how horrible the writing was for the villain/antagonist. The only, ONLY scene I could remember where the villain actively tried to do something was "oh my god she spilled this on me on accident let me go clean up" and then there was nothing wrong with her. That's it? The villain/antagonist was constantly giving me.. frenemies vibes? It even devolved into a "let me help you because I know you have issues even though you are [attempting to be] mean to me." This felt really sucky for me because there are especially some shows that really drive a good villain who actually creates an impact in the female leads life besides an inconvenience, such as "Strong Woman Bong Soon." Again, another comparison, and I'm sure maybe the show wasn't written to have a major villain or antagonist, but it felt so random that they included this aspect but it was so weak when it especially could have been malicious towards the girl and her surgery history. I know said villain also meddled in the affairs and relationships of other people, but really? I feel like her meddling was more antagonizing than anything she did to the female lead.

Acting/Cast:

I felt the acting was fair. I thought it was decent, and like most of the shows, I've watched. However, maybe because of the writing or possibly the actors, I felt no real emotion towards this show. I had no empathy or romance or anything, compared to other shows where I can really empathize with issues the female lead goes through or can really despise the villain because they're acting that well (Search: WWW I felt had excellent actors, just as an example to a "villain" I really, really hated because they acted it so well).

Music:

I felt the music was fair too. There was nothing memorable that I can say about the music, I didn't particularly enjoy any of it, but it wasn't bad (compared to the Kill me, Heal me soundtrack, which I felt was spectacular, or the soundtrack for Something in the Rain).

Rewatch Value:

I wouldn't rewatch this. I feel like if you want to rewatch a show, it's because you really, really enjoyed it the first time you've watched it, and that you want to rewatch it may be to approach memorable scenes, or because you just simply liked it. I would not rewatch it since I just didn't enjoy the show (a show I did rewatch, however, would be "Secret Garden" for comparison).

Overall:

Overall, it's not bad. It's not terrible. It's watchable. I didn't enjoy it, but clearly, a lot of people did, so maybe I'm just picky. It's a cliche show you probably would enjoy if it were your first kdrama, but I feel like if you've watched a lot of them, this show just isn't enjoyable despite it being "cliche" in my opinion. I don't think it does anything well personally, besides having pretty actors and an idol which many people seem to watch the show for. I wouldn't rank this show higher than some poorly rated shows that I feel fall in the same category (Protect the Boss, My Secret Romance) because I just feel like this show didn't have anything memorable to me or enjoyable rather than the, in my opinion, mediocrity.

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There is something in their attempt to tell us something

Watched this the first time before I started writing reviews, and re watched it this week. Before I gave it a 9 and while I understand why I gave it a 9 back then I decided to lower it to an 8,5 to be honest I probably should have lowered it a bit more but while it has quite a few annoying elements and I do want to punch a few people it is an easy binge that tries to tell us a whole lot of stuff. They don´t really deliver the whole way in some way while in others they take that extra step to try to show how the villains became the villains they became actually putting the blame where it belongs.

Our female lead is however annoyingly self conscious, life has put her down, but it gets to be to much . Our male lead is the perfect melting icicle and the friends and class president are top, top, top. The friendships and bromance are all top too.

Watching this after having seen the veriaty show Rented in Finland gave it an extra dimention, to be honset I had forgoten that Kwak Dong Yeon was in this, but their dynamics in this show really match the one in the vairiaty show.




So its an easy binge, that I may or may not watch a third time but it definitely satisfied that melting icicle

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What?

The word 'What?' constitutes around 80% of the dialogue for our titular heroine. I wondered, at one point, whether there would be a Big Reveal that she's been brain-damaged, or her hearing impaired, during her plastic surgery. But, no, this was just her personality, such as it was. It would be a good drinking game to take a shot every time she said 'What?' but you'd get drunk pretty quickly.

She also remained completely blank-faced through most of her scenes - happy, sad, angry, peaceful - who could tell? Through the botox nothing penetrated.

Jo Woo-ri was convincing as the cliched 2nd female lead - bitchy and conniving - and the young lads playing the male lead(s) were fine, but the character around which the drama was based was badly written and badly acted, irritating and depressing.

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