Alright, enough with the depressing and the miserable. Time for some light-hearted comedy. And nothing says lots of laughs more than You're Beautiful. If your an avid fan in K-drama land, you have heard of the Hong Sisters. They are the writing duo behind a plethora of amazing comedic dramas that leave you begging for more. I will review a few of their dramas, but I figured there is no better place to start than with the first of their dramas that I watched.
You're Beautiful tells a similar tale that seems to permeate Asian manga and fiction of a girl who dresses as a boy for some reason and the hilarity that ensues from the interaction between the girl in disguise and the males around her. Of course, being in the close proximity to several guys, there is always the guy who falls for the girl and questions his masculinity and the over arcing question of whether he is gay, and the lead guy who the girl falls for. You're Beautiful was no different. In this drama, we meet Go Mi Nyeo, (Park Shin Hye) she is the twin sister of Go Mi Nam (Park Shin Hye), who's musical exploits have landed him a contract with the super popular Idol group A.N.JELL. Though Go Mi Nyeo is not involved in the musical world in any form or fashion, in fact she is a nun in training. Due to an accident in a plastic surgery procedure her brother is unable to make his contract signing, as such his manager seeks out Go Mi Nyeo and convinces her to pose as Go Mi Nam for the sake of her brother's future. Being the great sister that she is, she complies, after a bit of hesitation, and this leads to a series of events which conclude with Mi Nyeo becoming Mi Nam and working with the Idol group.
| Question: What happens when you put a pig and a rabbit together? |
A.N.JELL is the typical idol combination with the eccentric leader of Hwang Tae Kyung (Jang Geuk Suk), who is super stylish and super picky, the second in command, so to speak, Kang Shin Woo (Jung Yong Hwa) the more down to earth cool guy in the group and Jeremy (Lee Hong Ki), the lovable, friendly cuddle bear in the group. It is with these three guys that Mi Nyeo must cohabit. What makes You're Beautiful stand out above other dramas with a similar storyline is the way it is directed, performed and written.
The obvious cliche tropes are twisted ever so slightly that the viewer finds oneself chuckling hysterically with laughter. I mean the entire "Pig Rabbit" scenario is probably one of the cutest and most romantic things I have ever seen in a drama. Yet, it is also one of the most simplistic. I think the beauty of the entire drama lies in the simplicity of the approach to love. There is no need for intensely crazy situations (that's not saying the situations in You're Beautiful are every day ones) but, it's the little things that tend to touch us. The warm fuzzy feelings that bud throughout the drama just take you on a journey of joy and amusement.
I think my favourite element of the drama is watching Tae Kyung in his own eccentric way fall for Mi Nyeo. Their journey together is so cute and funny it pulls the laughs out of you. Of course, there are obstacles to that love, I mean it wouldn't be K-dramaland if there was smooth sailing all the way. Uee does a good job as the romantic rival Yoo He Yi, though the romantic feelings are all her own, and Mo Hwa Ran (Kim Sung Rung) excels as the mother you never want to have. There is an excellent acting combination here, that when combined with a good script and great directing leads to a sure fire hit.
The obvious cliche tropes are twisted ever so slightly that the viewer finds oneself chuckling hysterically with laughter. I mean the entire "Pig Rabbit" scenario is probably one of the cutest and most romantic things I have ever seen in a drama. Yet, it is also one of the most simplistic. I think the beauty of the entire drama lies in the simplicity of the approach to love. There is no need for intensely crazy situations (that's not saying the situations in You're Beautiful are every day ones) but, it's the little things that tend to touch us. The warm fuzzy feelings that bud throughout the drama just take you on a journey of joy and amusement.
I think my favourite element of the drama is watching Tae Kyung in his own eccentric way fall for Mi Nyeo. Their journey together is so cute and funny it pulls the laughs out of you. Of course, there are obstacles to that love, I mean it wouldn't be K-dramaland if there was smooth sailing all the way. Uee does a good job as the romantic rival Yoo He Yi, though the romantic feelings are all her own, and Mo Hwa Ran (Kim Sung Rung) excels as the mother you never want to have. There is an excellent acting combination here, that when combined with a good script and great directing leads to a sure fire hit.
| Answer: You get a Pig Rabbit |
The musical score in the drama is also amazing, and as a drama based on an idol group they did a fabulous job with song choices and performances. The music continually rings in your ears and even if you don't speak Korean you find yourself humming along. The best thing about You're Beautiful is that you can enjoy yourself from beginning to end without the tortuous and treacherous love story line. It is the perfect comedy to warm the cockles of your heart. That's not to say you won't shed a few tears, because I've found that no matter the genre most K-dramas have a knack at pulling on those emotional cords.
My one issue with You're Beautiful has nothing to do with the storyline, directing or performance. Believe it or not, it's all about the fashion. I really had a hard time handling the hair styles (especially Tae Kyung's) and the clothes they forced the characters to wear. I think that is based on a cultural difference, I just found the whole wardrobe over the top for my taste. Yet, despite my dislike of the fashion I suppose it suited the image the idols were supposed to have, so then again it might just be appropriate. Hmm, what was my point again? I guess it's not important.
For me You're Beautiful is an exceptionally well compiled artwork that I never tire of watching. It's the perfect musical and comedy combination. An exciting summer watch and great to spread the love with. On the Bel scale it get a 5 star rating.
According to Bel: Have a laugh because you are beautiful.
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