Pleasantly Surprised. Very Good!
This was very good. I had not read the overview before watching. The story was very interesting and captivating. The ML and FL really pulled off the dynamic emotional challenges throughout. The OST and production were very good. The ML emotional growth and dilemma throughout was handled well. I enjoyed the supporting cast that truly made the unbelievable almost relatable. The FL (Bravo) She carried that part and delivered. Even the ending was a different take than expected. Beautiful drama. Must watch!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Solid Romance with surprises along the way -
9/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 South Korean Fantasy, Romance Drama with 16, 60 minute episodes.Han Se-gye (Seo Hyun-jin) is known as someone who is flightly, literally, she runs out of important engagements and it has given her the reputation of an irresponsible troublemaker. Despite that she is a Hallyu A-list actress but struggles keeping her career moving forward with all the bad publicity she receives. What people do not know, and she cannot tell them, is she transforms once a month into someone else. She could be an old man or woman, a child or any gender and age in between. When it happens, it lasts about a week and she disappears from the public eye. It happens somewhat unpredictably although she can feel it coming on which is why she runs. Her friend and manager, Yoo Woo-mi (Moon Ji-in) has her work cut out for her trying to keep Se-gye out of trouble. Seo Do-jae (Lee Min-ki) is the Managing Director of his family's airline company and Se-gye is their top model/spokesperson. Things take an intersting turn when Do-jae decides to become personally involved in getting Se-gye to re-sign as he knows of her flight risk. He seems to have everything going for him being a Chaboel heir who is very intelligent and handsome. However, a tragic accident left him with prosopagnosia, which he must hide to keep competitors, such as his step sister, Kang Sa-ra from taking the top spot in the family business. Sa-ra is fiercly competitive but meets her match when she encounters Ryu Eun-ho, Se-gyes friend whom she enlists to distract Sa-ra at a critical moment. Eun-ho dreams of being a priest and his calm and peaceful nature seem well suited but there is something about Sa-ra that makes him rethink his plans. Can Do-jae and Se-gye find love in each other and trust each other with their secrets?
Spoiler alert* Most notable for me in this one is just how much I liked all the characters. Se-gye is a beautiful actress who is the perfect blend of sassy, she speaks her mind, and just incredibly kind. Some of the things she did both as herself and when she would become someone else was incredibly heart warming. I decided early on that she most likely became others to do something in that role. And in the end they indicated a bit that was the reason but they did not expand or highlight it. That is the one minor fail I thought was to not fully explain why she shifted. Her best friend and manager, Yoo Woo-mi (Moon Ji-in) is her number 1 nagger (as you would expect from a South Korean talent manager) and biggest advocate. She is one of the few that I think looks amazing with short hair because she has such a delicate face. I wanted to see her get with the male lead's secretary/best friend/jack of everything, Jung Joo Hwan (Lee Tae-ri), as they were so alike in so many ways. They looked adorable together. Woo-mi's boyfriend story was a story unfinished - you were left wondering what was real and what was not. The male lead character, Seo Do-jae (Lee Min-ki) underwent a huge transformation. He was a rather flat character when he needed to be but started to change and flourish when he encountered Se-gye. Very quickly he spotted the beauty inside of Se-gye and became her biggest advocate. His step sister and biggest rival, Kang Sa-ra, underwent huge character development. She went form an Ice Princess whose only goal was to replace Do-jae as the lead heir in the congolmerate to a caring friend, girlfriend and sister. I loved Se-gye's friend/brother of her heart, Ryu Eun-ho (Ahn Jae-hyun), and how he had plans to go into Catholic ministry but the beautiful and complex Sa-ra changed his dream. He said she became his new dream. And the big surprise that he wasn't who exactly you/she thought he was was a great plot twist. I also loved Se-gae's mother, Han sook-he (Kim Hee-jung), and was disappointed when she died so suddenly. I loved seeing her "mother" Do-jae as she was so protective of Se-gye yet could see he was the perfect person for her and quickly gave her blessing. Do-jae's mother, Im Jung-yeon (Na Young-hee), I loved how she went from Se-gye not being good enough for her son to she is the only girl for my son when challenged with an alternate reality. I just loved all the characters and thought they were so well developed and went through great character development. Slight detractor was the death of Se-gae's mom, I did not feel it was necessary and introdoced a sad element to an otherwise heart warming series. There is an absolute cringe scene where Se-gye has transformed into the body of an old man and Do-jae indicates he could love her even in that body. I was afraid of what type of affection they might show each other. I get the point they were trying to make but man, it was cringy.
As with just about all South Korean series, this turned out to be much different than I expected from the description and the clips. I thought the focus would be on her transformations and it was more of a side aspect, the main focus was on the chracters and their relationships. This is one of the more "steady" romances I have seen where the romance is kept front and center and does not get lost in side plots. I loved this series and highly recommend to anyone that wants an, on balance, heart warming romance.
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In my opinion, the story itself is very rich, unique, and straightforward. The thing i noticed very much is there's no boring experience in the middle episodes like we usually do when the producers need to prolong the story just to fulfill 16 episodes. What i loved specially in this drama comes from how they package the proper ending. Hundreds of Korean dramas have amazing early episodes, very tense and rich middle episodes, but they have compressed the ending into one poor episode. In this drama you will feel absolutely different, the way they tell the ending is superb. There is nothing to complain from the story side.
Acting/Cast
It is no doubt what makes this drama 10/10 is Seo Hyun Jin. She has very natural acting in contrast to other actresses e.g. Jun Ji Hyun. The way she deliver the emotion, condition, and romance is absolutely top class. She is truly queen of melo-drama and you will know very best why she has that title in this drama. In addition to that, Lee Min Ki also suits the very role he needs to play. In this drama he is typical of cool and ignorant man that will change overtime. There is surely lots of drama using this plot, but he successfully role that to the viewer. For side casts, they also bringing their top class performance and i rarely see any flaw in the acting.
Music
This drama does not has lot of OST, but they all top rated. All the musics are very good, compatible, unique,a and rich. however i need to add another honor to Wendy Red Velvet, which has very developed singing technique combined with great song composition. The song she contribute in this drama named Goodbye, it is heart-touching sad song which suits really well in many situations in the drama. I absolutely love this drama's OST.
For the various instrumentals and backing song, i also enjoy them very much and hardly experienced bad things caused by the song. The songs really bring you deeper and deeper to the drama.
Rewatch Value
There is no doubt that this drama has all the potentials to be top drama in it's era. The characteristic of the drama itself, very light yet rich, makes it potentially high to be watched again sometimes. I myself gotten really high urge to watch it back just after the drama ended, signify the capability of this drama to bring people back watching it. High score is well earned in this category for this film.
Conclusion
Score of 10 is big thing. it Has such high of responsibility in giving both the score and review. the reason for that is i am definitely sure with all the odds, people will love this drama. That's all review from me, enjoy watching the film.
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This review may contain spoilers
What a year 2018 has been for kdrama, we had What's Wrong With Secretary Kim & 30 but 17 and now The Beauty Inside. TBI doesn't quite match up with the other 2, but it represents the same trend, doing away with tedious love triangles & instead using other tools to generate tension and I do love a good mystery... (even if everything is obvious about it on day2)I felt that Lee Minky's acting was a bit off in this series, it was nowhere near as good, as it has been in This is my 1st Life. Still very decent ofc, just that he felt off here and there. I really liked the rest of the cast, especially Lee Dahee, she was really awesome here. Na Younghee is an "ajumma" actress I never liked before in any of the dramas I've seen her appearing in, but this time she was a good fit. The OST was fairly pleasant too, but not very memorable.
Now why am I not giving this 10/10? Well there are some issues. Probably this wasn't pre-produced, the way how they dealt with the rival actress's character was super strange, like the writers wanted to use her as a tool to mess everything up, but changed their minds half way. Episode 14, well this was really just a plain bad episode. I realize that they felt that a work labeled as "drama" needs to have drama in it, but oh man this was pretty badly executed in my opinion. For reference, Oh My Venus had an episode with the same writer intent, but it was SOO MUCH better in every way. Let's not even mention the time-skip part.. The assistant writers(interns?) responsible for product placements were definitely not very good, too obvious boys and girls..
There were some missed opportunities too. They could have done so much more with Segye's alter egos. I mean sure I liked it when she turned into a kid spending time with mom, but there could have been so much more. Remember how memorable Goblin's ghost stories were?
So yes, overall I was entertained, will watch it again someday. I hope that in 2019 we will have more dramas like this one.
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Special recognition needs to be given to Seo Hyun Jin's ability to portray a woman who had multi-faceted sides and her ability to portray vulnerability on one hand and confidence (with great sassiness) on the other hand. It was quite a sight to see on screen and it made you fall in love with her character more and more.
I would recommend anyone who is thinking about watching this to take the plunge. Please do not try to compare this drama to the movie with the same title (also on Vicki). The story elements between the drama and the movie had some similarities but the narratives told were very different from each other. I liked the drama a little better than the movie because the story was different and the writers had more time to develop a deep and enduring love story between the two lead characters.
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One of the best Kdramas on Netflix USA
The Beauty Inside is a must-watch Kdrama on Netflix. I highly recommend it because it is not just a feel-good movie, but one with heart and empathy.The director and scriptwriter were brilliant in making the 1st and 2nd episode so entertaining that I wanted to watch the next episode as soon as I get off work. Lee Min-Ki is indeed a versatile actor. I hope JTBC will give him more TV projects. I would love to see him again in another rom-com Kdrama with Seo Hyun-jin. They played their characters so well that it's hard not to be emphatic with these two. These two characters made me laugh for days. Who didn't laugh when Han Se-Gye and Seo Do-Jae were sharing their unsuccessful and fake dates? Who didn't cry when Seo Do-Jae revealed his fears to Han Se-Gye at the hospital? Who didn't laugh when Seo Do-Jae took Han Se-Gye's mom shopping?
I hope this Kdrama will be watched by more Netflix subscribers so it will stay on Netflix forever.
+
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It is better than my expectation for a romcom
Just completed this on xmas 2023, and it is better than my expectations for a romcom.Consider this if you are looking for a drama to watch this year end - easy watch that has happy endings!
While the FL's disease/spell is far-fetched (the fantasy part), the cameos of her new identities convey meaningful messages on loving someone beyond outer appearance, dealing with unexpected happenings/ lemons in life, and embracing new identities to help others. There are heart-felt reflective moments in this romcom with a dash of fantasy.
Love the FL's performance and the exceptional friendship she have with her two buddies, and the romance of the second couple is predictably good - I kinda know and hope the second couple will get together and indeed they did.
Actually watched this drama for the ML Lee Min Ki, but was kinda disappointed. His deadpan look from Because This is My First Life (2017) seemed to have followed him in this drama. He was funny with that deadpan look in Behind Your Touch (2023), and while it was still convincing in First Life, it backfired in this drama, even though he is suffering from Prosopagnosia.
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Cheesy at times, but overall a feel good drama.
I really enjoyed this drama and finished it in 3 days. The chemistry between the cast was spectacular! I can see why some viewers gave it a low rating. Some of the scenes/ solutions to the problems were very unrealistic. But I really liked the concept and the message that was delivered. If you're in a sad and unfair situation where all hope seems to be lost, there are better days to come! Other people can help guide us and ease the pain, but ultimately, it comes from within yourself. So don't lose hope! Fighting!Was this review helpful to you?
Routine Bingeable RomCom
Story: A famous actress who has a condition that she changes faces for a week, once a month. The story revolves around her struggles and ‘purpose’ of her condition. Although it was never explained how she got it but it gave us a meaningful metaphor of why she has it. It was an interesting concept and shown in a manner that can be believable.Acting: This is my first drama of Seo Hyun Jin and I’m quite impressed with her acting especially during the first few episodes, however, it faltered during her emotional scenes with Lee Min Ki and their ‘separation’ scenes. She definitely did great as an actress in the drama and her other scenes with her mom and friends but I don’t know why I wasn’t moved with her acting when she was crying with or for LMK. Lee Min Ki, on the other hand, had the same robotic acting in ‘Because this is my first life’. It can be awkward and unimpressive at first but then you get used to it after. The rest of the cast did well and convincing enough but my favorite character is Lee Da Hee’s Kang Sara. Apart from being gorgeous, I just love how she developed in this drama and most of her outfits. I felt like kang sa ra and Han se gye were always in a paris fashion runway.
Music: Every song is catchy and appropriate to the scenes. There was this song which is quite similar to the goblin’s ost, maybe it’s the same singer? I’m not sure but I’ll find out later. The English songs used were cute too.
Rewatch Value: Definitely a rewatchable drama because it has many cute and funny scenes. The type of romcom that you could watch any day and still feel giddy and cheesy in a good way.
Overall: It was almost a perfect RomCom but I had some issues along the way, although not so serious. The timeline of her face change was quite confusing as it feels like it hadn’t been a month or close to her changing days, though the characters mention it but the events didn’t look it had been a month. The chemistry between the main leads was definitely fire but then there were a few unconvincing times, mostly with Kang Sa Ra and Eun Ho. The meeting the parents(of Eun Ho)scene was my least favorite of her because it was so unlike her character to introduce herself as a ‘chaebol’. It came out unimpressive instead. I was also curious with U-mi’s boyfriend, I wish they had shown us in the last episode. Although the sequence is considered the generic kdrama romcom, I think it was still recommendable and watchable for those who are in need of something light and a touch of melodrama. I quite like how the relationship of Se Gye and Do Jae evolved despite them being immature in love and yet grown individually. Two broken souls met and found their anchors but eventually learned to step back and process all that happened and conveniently worked it out. Not a bad ending but it wasn’t a great ending as well. The last two episodes were quite cute but it was a bit uneventful that changed my overall feeling for the drama. Anyway, I’m just glad for a happy ending.
Gist: Sometimes, we may not know why bad things happen to us or why it feels like we suffer in life nonstop but one day, we will realize, things happen for a reason and why it has to be us and no one else’s.
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A decent rom-com that benefits greatly from its cast.
If you are looking for a super deep and unforgettable series, that will be stuck on your head days after its end, that will become THE romance drama to beat... this is not the show for you. If you are, however, looking for a pretty decent romantic comedy, this is a solid choice."The Beauty Inside" is a story about two people with unique features (to say the least): a woman that changes appearance out of nowhere and a man that can't recognize faces. Body swapping isn't a particular groundbreaking plot device at this point, but it does its job in providing entertainment most of the time (otherwise we wouldn't see so many works with this narrative out there) - which luckily was the case here. It is supposed to be a nonsensical plot, don't take it too seriously, and don't expect great explanations about supernatural events. Once you face this as a good drama to sit down and have some fun on a Sunday afternoon, without trying to give or find too many deep meanings to it, you will have a great time watching it.
I think the most important thing here was the cast. Seo Hyun Jin and Lee Min Ki were both good choices as leads and they did their job with their respective character's narratives and as a couple as well. It wasn't a once in lifetime chemistry but it was believable and good enough to carry the drama. The same can be said about Lee Da Hee, Ahn Jae Hyun, Lee Tae Ri, and Moon Ji In. They were all great in their own merit. Personally, this was one of these dramas where the second main couple interested me (at times) more than the main couple did, partially because their story was really interesting to watch but also because of Lee Da Hee and Ahn Jae Hyun chemistry, which was superior to the latter. If I had a choice, I would rather watch a drama with Sa Ra and Eun Ho as the main storyline rather than Se Gye and Do Jae's story. Luckily we have many moments between them to enjoy throughout the show.
The plot has several weaknesses, the main one is not being strong enough for a 16-episode drama. I think maybe 12 episodes would suffice for the story they were trying to tell. As a watcher, I did get a little tired towards the end but it was still enjoyable enough to finish it without dragging too much (I think I took around 3 days to watch the whole thing). We have enough comedy to keep the fun going, the romance didn't feel forced and the sad moments were somewhat decent. I feel like this show is the definition of an 8-score-rom-com. Nothing more and nothing less. Some plot points were resolved in a pretty disappointing way but the cast managed to keep things together. This show would not have worked with a different set of actors.
The photography was pretty, the soundtrack was just okay (none of the songs will make it to any of my playlists and I don't remember one specific track being more iconic than the other - they were all just fine). The costume design was great, as one would expect since Hyun Jin's character was an actress. She looked stunning throughout the whole drama, as did Lee Da Hee. The male characters also looked great.
It was an overall fun experience. I will probably not rewatch it, though. If I do, I will only watch Sa Ra and Eun Ho's storyline and skip everything else. I recommend this drama for those that like romance and are not looking for anything too hard to digest. It serves its purpose.
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The beauty of chemistry
This is an excellent storyline centred around the ability/power of female lead. This powers results in confusing and compromising positions with various characters of the story.Leaving the main leads out, the story around the second lead couple is amazing. The chemistry between the second couple is beautiful. This is to the point that I would have loved to have more scenes between them and development of their relationship.
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Too many episodes for the story
This story was done very effectively in the movie version. Sadly, I felt that this show had too many episodes. There were many, many times that I fast forwarded through scenes.Acting: I really enjoyed all the actors, for the most part. Seo Hyun Jin, as usual, is very good. She's tremendously self-centered and over-the-top at the beginning, but eventually settles into her role. She has a sweet playfulness about her that I really enjoy. I have to say, I don't particularly care for Lee Min Ki as an actor in general. He's too much like an automaton. There is one scene where she smiles at him and he's completely gobsmacked, but in general, the fact that he remains expressionless is a problem for me. I didn't care for the second couple, she was completely unlikeable throughout. I liked both her agent and his secretary.
This show had the problem that it didn't really know what it wanted to be. Is it a comedy? A melodrama? Her disorder seemed to, for the most part, be played for laughs, but when it switched to seriousness I wasn't buying into it. His disorder is SO overused in K-dramas! I was loving the fact that he could recognize her in any body she was in, then they went and tipped that on its head. That bothered me as well.
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