famous cult show, Hong sisters' 5th
Recommended for sheer joy. 2009, 16 eps at 1hr ea. The Hong sisters 5th show, not a big hit on local tv, blew up in popularity on contemporaneous Japanese tv and thereafter online. It is has been a cult show for years. Smooth as silk kdrama, laughter and tears regularly provided. Essentially a teen love story about a teen band, mostly situated in their "dorm", an utter pop 60's fantasy piece of architecture, but all organic curves (what is this building??).First hook-- a separated-twin story and a twin-masquerade story (in the West, 12th Night and The Menaechmi likewise floated to the frothy top of their respective cultural scenes).)
The opening scenes have a mediterranean feel, is it the "technicoloring", the nun costumes , the naked marble statues or the scooter jokes? Thereafter the show is about the emotional interactions of a small cast. So deceptively simple.
Second hook -- missing parents and other relatives provide the nec. structural mystery, and they and the antagonists swoop in and out of the 2 main sets as if they are making stage entrances.
In an HS script, look for what the HS do better, those places where their absolute bravura breaks through; not essentially in original plots or characters , but in how well they do them.
1. In this production, the use of what is essentially a chorus in ancient classical comedy/tragedy is wonderful. The fangirls who camp outside the company (afterschool?) wail and beat their breasts astoundingly and comment upon the action in silly ways. In the countryside visit the three old women are incredible, not only does their performance have perfect comic rhythm, but HS weaves in references to trot singers and specialized tv shows where the other half of Korea gets its impressions of entertainment. A quick meta to the history of music in SK, in an idol drama!!!
2. The recognition-of-the-lovers section comes a little later than expected, but when it does the carefully built-up system of metaphors and puns explodes as the characters deploy them in the service of conversations practically in code. The light of the "star" (and awfully, the moon as reflector of it/the sun) versus the light of the sun which blots out the recognition of others, darkness and light, hiding and paying attention, seeing and not seeing, showing and not showing. The ML has night-blindness, oh yes he does. The pleasure of the final tensions being resolved in poetic language is so intensely the HS' territory.
it is not useful to trace influence in a hectic renaissance time like this one where dramas run only for 2 months, performers and writers work for cheap for companies which have state monies to spend, and where many of the behind the scenes creatives have one of the excellent university degrees in theatre and film available in SK. The consequence of the hurly-burly is that any successful show is instantly imitated piecemeal by competitors looking for that secret sauce. Only those on the scene have any memories of what went into that creative process.
You're Beautiful is a show on par with Hwayugi in characters who are almost instantly recognizable after just the 1st episode. I loved Lee Hong Ki there as the unforgettable PK (and Lee se Young as his zombie friend Richie!) and I love him here as Jeremy, a character who reflects a prototype love-is-love theme. Jang Geun Suk rises from the ashes of HGD as a Heathcliff-ian ML. Yonghwa of the band cnblue is the 2ml in semi-love triangle!
Park Shin Hye is one of those heroic kdrama actresses who started working at the age of 13 and is still going strong 33 dramas later. Although her trippy little dove-of-christ characterization made my teeth grind, I can believe that that sort of naivete existed somewhere before my own era--nowadays most nuns and novitiates after Vatican II are amazingly truehearted, practical and energetic persons. And of course, PSH's performance is a perfect, absolutely perfect, foil to the comedy (the term 'straight man' in reference to comic pairs is now unusable or I would use it).
Here is a question, are the Hong sisters basically insanely lucky in casting and directors so that their intelligent, flippant and tightly constructed scripts are thus given that HS stratospheric oomph?
first posted aug 12th, 2024 on Viki
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This review may contain spoilers
Toxic Male Gets Ultimate Reward ... for being a bullying.
The amount of demeaning, bullying, and nasty behavior Hwang Tae Kyung gets away is not cute, or funny. He's a really hurtful person. I don't think it makes sense for Mi Nye to fall for the guy who is the most cruel to her. What is this saying about women? "Treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen" ?In order to have earned her love, he should at least have undergone some MAJOR changes, which he didn't. He barely got over his own ego enough to go after her in the end ... and only because everyone else told him to do it. He learned nothing. She was a sap, from beginning to end.
And when she found out Yoo He Yi was now bullying and threatening her brother, as well, Mi Nye should have finally found her courage and slapped the troublesome snake-lady. But no, she was a sap right to the end.
My third complaint is that they should have cast the brother properly, using an actor, as also slight-framed, for credibility's sake. Using a buff male body, with Shin Hye's head, was stupid, and obviously - could not be mistaken for the same person. It's not believable that the two were not just siblings, but TWINS - who had gone through a horrific ordeal together ... and yet, Mi Nye barely ever mentioned her brother, worried about him, missed him, and barely showed any interest in seeing him again.
The acting was fine - Lee Hong Ki was fantastic (as always).
The music was good.
The script? Very shallow, and disappointing.
Still, it was a good romp, and was worth it just for Lee Hong Ki's character, Manager Ma, and Kang Shin Woo, who (although the character made poor choices), was played well by the actor.
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Mixed bag...
It's difficult to write a review for 'You're Beautiful' as it's one of those dramas that doesn't take itself too seriously, so I also feel my review shouldn't be too serious either. If I had to give five words to describe this drama, they would be: decent (with an awful pace). The pacing was really slow, which is why the re-watch value has been scored so low here. However, it must be noted that slow does not mean boring for this drama. The story was interesting, it just could have been condensed in half (or even a quarter!).I did like the main elements of the story, and the unpredictability of the story here too. There were some impressive twists and turns throughout which I did not expect, but was pleasantly surprised with. I also really, REALLY enjoyed the OST. Every song was really catchy and there were a bunch of songs, all perfect, with their own different versions or covers, which I thought added such a nice touch to the overall story which was amazing.
The acting and cast were mainly decent, although there definitely was a clear level of different amount of capability and skills. Again, I don't like to name any particular names as we are all human beings, but if you do watch this, it'll be pretty easy to spot those who acted well compared to those who did not do so well.
Now, would I recommend this? That's a difficult question considering the awfully slow pacing this drama has. So, here's how I'll answer this. If you like dramas with a slow pace, watch this. If you prefer dramas with a faster place, don't watch this.
P.S For a 2009 drama, the quality was surprisingly good!
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An Adorable Classic
I originally watched this during the airtime and didn't like it. I had rated it a 6.5. I think this is my first re-watch where the score is higher! At the time of this drama, we were peak "girl disguises as boy" style and it was exhausting.I appreciate the actual story of this drama, ignoring the bits where they do attempt to bring in these side stories that don't stick, despite it being relevant to the main story. The ML and FL love story is a great progress. It isn't instant and then constant situation after dramatic situation. They start off at ends and progress beautifully. It is a bit toxic at times, but I feel the majority of the toxic nature stems from the third wheel to the love triangle. It was possessive and awkward.
The acting was great for the type of genre it is. That over-exaggerated, dramatic pause, comedy type drama. Everyone sold their characters appropriately, although I do feel Lee Hong Gi sent a little too over-exaggerated and it came off cringe and forced.
One thing I will always give credit to is the soundtrack. It's a great one and the songs are catchy and fun.
I rated the re-watch value high because not only did I re-watch it, but it wasn't a painful re-watch. I'm pretty sure I completed it faster this time than the first watch. I would probably give it another watch at some point down the road if I needed a filler.
Overall, this drama has endearing characters and an adorable love story that isn't immediately doomed because the relationship progression is actually staggered.
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Cult Classic
I think that is the easiest way to explain this drama concisely. It's a cult classic. If you read some of the critical reviews, I'd tend to agree with them, but the thing is it's what makes it a cult classic in my opinion.The acting isn't perfect and the dialogue can be weird at times, but that makes it even funnier.
I think if you go in knowing it's not a serious tv show, you will better be able to enjoy it. You can't compare it to highly choreographed big budget tv shows of today because that's not what it is. But if you go in and just accept it for what it is, a lower budget old funny spoof on some cliches, I think it's pretty solid and has pretty good rewatch value
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Timeless charm ❤️❤️
I initially avoided You're Beautiful due to its unappealing wallpaper, lackluster print, and an ordinary synopsis. But to my surprise, I had completely underestimated it. While the first episode was a bit of a slog, after skipping through some cringe-worthy parts, I reached a point where the story truly became engaging.Though it may not be the best drama by today's standards, back in 2009, it must have been a blockbuster. Watching it made me nostalgic for the days when concealer doubled as nude lipstick, and bold pink blush was considered high-end fashion.
The plot is cute, old-school romantic, sweet, and family-oriented with a delightful comedic touch. And most importantly, there are no overly dramatic kisses—sometimes going back to basics can feel so refreshing! The chemistry between Park Shin Hye and Jang Geun Suk is absolutely heartwarming, and I found myself falling in love with this couple. It reminded me of Boys Over Flowers with the girl being adored by three boys, but in some ways, this one was even better (no sudden trips abroad to separate the leads!).
What’s fascinating is seeing so many familiar faces from modern K-dramas, like Park Shin Hye, Kim In Kwon, and Sung Byung Sook. The drama also showcased Korea’s impressive technology, which was already advanced back in 2009, and it's clear that even before the global Hallyu wave, Korean dramas were making their mark.
All in all, You're Beautiful may have flown under the radar for some, but it's a drama that still holds its charm and is better than many overrated modern shows. It’s sweet, nostalgic, and surprisingly refreshing!
If you wanna experience the feeling like sitting in the sun on a cold afternoon, this one will make you feel that way ... Please give it a try and you will not regret ...
XOXO
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My man, this show has the cringiest and darn sweetest stuff in it, it's crazy!!
Just watched this through the second time and I'm sure there'll be more.Main thing of this drama: it's very GOOFY!
Other main thing: THE MAIN GUY!
He is basically holding this whole show together and leading it. He has the most entertaining (and prettiest) face ever. He seems the most confident actor out of the four main ones, and he definitely makes his weirdo/cool character feel alive. The others are pretty much over/underacting like all the time... but you can get used to it, because the main guy has the most screen time THANK GOODNESS! The main girl cries well though, I have to admit.
And yes, she tries to be in disguise as a guy and looks nothing like a guy, yes, yes, the usual, it's okay, let's pretend is works... maybe one day they'll cast a guyish looking girl for a role like this...
So I don't know who wrote the first few episodes, but it feels like they might have changed the guy as the show went forward THANK GOODNESS! Survive the first few episodes please, it's worth it! It has the most disgusting humor and lame slapstick, horrible camera angles like a really cheap comedy. But it gets so much better not much later, I swear they must have changed someone on the crew. But even later the story is pretty much nothing or just drama, it just exists to create situations where the romance can thrive or bump into obstacles honestly.
Misunderstandings, drama, lies, villains: CHECK... Sadly it has too much of these, but someone might enjoy them, I don't that much, but I can get through them. There were some frustrating ones though by the end.
So why the extremely biased high score when I keep saying a bunch of flaws... well my friend, because the romance IS WORTH IT! (if you like the main guy, that is) It's the sweetest stuff, definitely up in my alley of the hate to love category. Also more eyeliner guys to the world please!!!
Also I don't really like the too romantic pop music in k-dramas but here the songs they sang were pretty good and catchy I think.
I laughed a lot, shed a tear here and there, cringed a lot, and fricking exploded from the cuteness! If you can see beyond the frequent poor acting skills and occasional lame humor, you can actually find a unique treasure, I think.
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Amazing ?
"You're Beautiful" is a delightful Korean drama series that was first aired in 2009. The story revolves around a young girl named Go Mi-nyeo, who impersonates her twin brother Go Mi-nam in order to fulfill his dream of becoming a famous singer. The drama is filled with humor, romance, and heartwarming moments that will leave viewers entertained and emotionally invested in the characters.
One of the strengths of "You're Beautiful" is its cast, which includes some of the most talented actors in the Korean entertainment industry. Park Shin-hye plays the role of Go Mi-nyeo/Go Mi-nam and delivers a remarkable performance as she portrays both the feminine and masculine sides of the character. Jang Geun-suk plays the role of Hwang Tae-kyung, the lead vocalist of the popular boy band A.N.Jell, who initially dislikes Go Mi-nam but eventually develops feelings for her. Other members of the band, played by Lee Hong-gi and Jung Yong-hwa, also deliver strong performances and add depth to the story.
The plot of "You're Beautiful" is engaging and keeps viewers hooked from the very beginning. The drama explores themes of identity, family, friendship, and love, and does so in a way that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. The drama also features a fantastic soundtrack, with many of the songs performed by the cast themselves, which adds to the overall experience.
One criticism of the drama could be that it is somewhat predictable and follows some of the typical tropes of Korean dramas, such as the love triangle and the mistaken identity plot. However, the strong performances of the cast and the charming storyline more than make up for any cliches.
Overall, "You're Beautiful" is a must-watch for fans of Korean dramas, or for anyone who enjoys a heartwarming and entertaining story. It is a classic in the genre and is sure to leave viewers feeling happy and satisfied.
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this is my second drama and this made me stick hard to korean dramas.
music was awesome... park shin hye's songs are truly the best. i became fan of her.
the wat plot carried althrough was intresting and involving.
I can watch it any number of times
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This Drama is a MUST SEE for every Drama
Freak xD
this was one of my first Drama´s i´ve saw !
Because iam really sincere for Music, (and
i love Music and Music Drama´s) it was sure for
me to watch this too.
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The story in itself is nothing noteworthy. It's a simple plot-line that branches out into a couple of other directions interrelating subplots. What made it special were the characters. Though a little unrealistic and impractical, they were really endearing. You grow to love them and go from twist to twist hanging onto them for support. This is the reason Korean shows had me hooked onto them in the first place, their ability to make me a part of themselves. Being able to emotionally connect with the characters in a show that you KNOW isn't real doesn't come easy for a realist like me, that's what makes it all the more special.
And what made the characters all the more amazing? The actors. Jang Geun Suk is a show stealer through and through. If at all possible, I loved him all the more after watching the show again. There's something innately charismatic about this guy. He can be cute and grumpy in one second and serious and heartbroken in the next with the transitions being so smooth. Lee Hong Ki and Jung Yong Hwa did pretty well too. Park Shin Hye was.. good in some places but sometimes she felt off. She fit the role but I couldn't really connect that well with her acting, nothing personal, I haven't seen her in any other work.
What can I say about the music? It's a sensation as far as Drama OST goes. I was listening to a couple of the songs and that's what made me watch the show again. That's the kind of music this show has. I didn't really cry throughout the show even when I saw it the first time (there are more funny scenes than sad ones) but both the times I've seen it, I always cry in the finale when Tae Kyung sings "What Can I Do", first off the song is really beautiful and JGS sings it quite nicely. The songs fit the scenes, don't feel off anywhere, nothing is overdone. The music stays with you even after the show is long done.
I don't really need to give a verdict after all that I've said, watching it for the second time even though I have loads of other dramas lined up, says more than enough. If you haven't already watched this, you're missing out on one of the gems of Korean Dramas.
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