My ID is Gangnam Beauty (2018)

The acting is so good. Cha Eun Woo is BEAUTIFUL. I have never seen an actor able to express so much in the littlest smile. I know a lot of people complained that the actress for the main female lead was too old, but I didn't have a problem with it. Honestly, I couldn't even tell. And to add to that, a lot of shows have main male leads that are way older than the female lead, and nobody complains about that—so what's with the double standard?

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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Doesn't follow the typical easy drama format

(One minor spoiler regarding the couple)

I'm surprised by just how good this drama was. I thought it would be on the same level of ridiculousness as True Beauty but it's actually very real, sensible, mature, and genuine.

The ML is not like the typical cold and jerkish MLs who only later become "good" guys who are really still jackasses who don't apologize for their mistakes. He is nice to who he wants to be nice to and isn't to others. Simple. The rest of his "coldness" is just his sarcastic and dry humor he naturally has. He also doesn't fall for the traps set by the opposing FL like so many other MLs do. Not once. In fact, he catches the lies very easily and isn't fooled by crying or anything. That was so refreshing to see!

The misunderstandings between him and the FL are very few and are resolved quickly. He doesn't generally assume she had bad intentions or believe what others tell him about her outright.

Sometimes I got a bit annoyed with the FL but I understood why she still struggled with confidence issues and standing up for herself. And though she grew slowly I was proud of her journey.

The message is also incredibly well executed. We can diet to lose weight and get plastic surgery to "fix" our face but that won't necessarily make us confident or make everyone leave us alone/treat us as normal. In fact, it can bring more attention to us than before and cause new issues we never considered.

And there is nothing wrong with wanting to be skinnier or getting plastic surgery, just like there is nothing wrong with Not wanting to lose weight or Not getting plastic surgery. But understand that it won't make life perfect. It won't "fix" you. Your mindset is the biggest problem. And while you may be struggling with just being okay with yourself it isn't okay to push your insecurities onto others by rating their faces or judging them based on their looks.

Just a side note: There wasn't a kiss until the second to last episode and I didn't find myself caring one bit. I didn't even realize it until I finished the drama.

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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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I have read the webtoon, so I already knew what to expect. But I was still disappointed with the drama.
The acting:
Probably my lowest score, yes there were supposed to be two socially awkward individuals but they were trying to hard! Cha eun woo looked stiff and the role did not suit him at all! He was only "handsome" which was reminded to us every single episode!
The girl's face did really suit the Gangnam beauty description but even her acting was rather dull. Terrible chemistry between them. From all the cast I actually like the sunbae second male lead. And the evil Soo Ah acted somewhat better on portraying a deceitful innocent girl.
Nevertheless they could have done better.
Story:
Good concept though, I enjoyed reading the webtoon last year and it followed a different approach to romance, dealing with serious issues like personality and physical appearances. Knowing how Korean culture is obsessed with "beauty", I did feel it was necessary to cover this topic. Although they still kinda dumbed it down, somehow they did the opposite! When she stated "she was ugly in the past" everyone just agreed. All accept her dad just constantly reminded her that now you are pretty (i.e. you were ugly). Not a great message to be honest, and in the end beauty still prevailed.
It felt rushed and unnecessary scenes at times, but it was the acting that ruined it.

Soundtrack was ok, not the best but nothing to complain about either

Rewatch value...?? Watching it once is enough, rather you won't miss out if you haven't watched it, I wouldn't personally watch it again.

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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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Possibly the worst kdrama I've ever seen

This show is terrible.
1. The characters are all shallow and mean. I hate all of them, maybe not the best friend who likes to rap, she didn't seem bad, but everyone else is just plain terrible. There are a few others, but they are too small of characters to even give me relief from all the b.s. the main characters be pulling.
2. This is my main turn-off of the show: Why is the female lead TERRIFIED of the main lead?? I get being shy or nervous, but every time Cha Eunwoo walks near her, she looks physically uncomfortable, and it's incredibly hard to ship them. She literally looks at him as if he's some type of perv who's following her around. Whenever she sees him, she looks scared and I don't know if that's bad acting or what, but it's so uncomfortable. I like romance dramas for the romance and it just wasn't there.
3. They are not giving the mean girl what she truly deserves. It's like they trying to just write it off because she's poor and has an ed when she actually belongs in literary hell.
4. I tried to keep watching because I thought I saw something in the show, but there must have been something in my eyes because it was really just bad.
1000% do not recommend this show

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One of my all time favorite Korean dramas. I have re-watched this at least 5 times and have never been disappointed, it sits at my second favorite of all the dramas I have watched. This drama displays a very unique and worth praising story line and obstacles that are given to the leads in the drama. The female lead was always so insecure of herself, and went through a lot of harassment since she was younger. The only logical reason she thought she had left was to change herself by undergoing through a surgery. At first she was very satisfied with it and started fitting in, but as someone from the past she once knew and had feelings for had come to her university, her life was going to change. This is because he knows her secret from the past for what she once looked like. He is very popular in the school for his looks and is a cold male lead indeed. But he does not have interests for anything and comes to only care about the female lead from their chemistry. Much more challenges happen throughout the drama, when you go deep into the story, but this drama was definitely a cherished drama by its many viewers. Many surprises will happen throughout the story, and many obligations and objections will go throughout their relationship/love for each other. Once your very deep into the drama, the end will come with dark turns and complications. So have fun watching/binge watching. This drama is definitely worth it.

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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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So ., I just wanted to let you guys know that this drama is so heartwarming amd will definitely meet up to your expectations. ..
The acting is amazing and story too !
Could have been better if the have added some more scenes
Bcoz I am obessed with this one ....
Actually want a season 2 , and also before watching I haven't read the webtoon , but it is making me want to read the webtoon ... To those who are thinking of starting it , should hurry. ..
And get ready to fall in love with Cha Eun Woo
This is what I thought before watching this drama but now after completing it , I will say that I ended up falling for Im Soo Young ...
All the cast members are so adorable
And waiting for you guys !!!

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The beginning of the drama really fleshes out the underlining themes and points that this show is trying to emphasize. Therefore it is mostly driven by characters in the beginning which is not necessarily a bad thing. If you like dramas, that will give you small hints and develop them during the whole course of the series, this one is for you and it's done very well.

The plot comes in a little later and it heavily involves the journeys of the characters. It actually almost reboots itself in the middle, mostly because one of the characters makes such an unexpected choice, that it changes the game. It also brings much humor to the series and keeps it on a light note until the end.

It's a character driven drama and I must say that it is written very solidly. Everything is well fleshed out, the characters develop the right way and the whole show is grounded in reality, sometimes in a bit of a scary way. It deals with very complicated themes that are familiar to you on a daily basis, especially if you are a woman. And it does it in a very respectful, yet real way.

The cast feels solid as well, they do justice to the characters. This drama also has plenty of side characters and there are some very capable actors in the bunch. The main antagonist is also done very well - you know that you should pity her, yet I found myself cursing at the screen at her... and a lot.

The music was fine, with some memorable tunes.

I liked it more that I expected and will think about a lot. It turned out to be a real gem for me.

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not it

While I truly appreciate the lessons this drama was trying to teach, the plot and acting are just not it. Maybe it's a me thing but everything moves SO SLOWLY. Like even the actors themselves speak slowly and the female lead's lines are seriously just made up of "oh what?" "oh" *shocked pikachiu face* *acts blur* *dont know what the hell is going on when its right there* *innocent doe eyes for every damn scene* and this seriously gets on my nerves so bad. Like I understand the character is meant to be really shy with low self-esteem but some things only require basic common sense.

Plotwise it's really slow and draggy but I guess the beauty theme truly limits what the antagonist can do since she can only come up with petty tricks while the protagonist remains oblivious. Acting wise... I can't tell if they are doing it on purpose to be so slow and tsundere??? but definitely not the best there is out there.

However, this drama hit all the right spots regarding trashy men. It's like they handpicked the worst of men and put them in one space to disgust the rest of the population. Truly, I felt the anger the females had to endure with the douchebags remarks hurled at them by the male characters. They definitely got those scenes right because it infuriated me so much that I had to take a moment and then ponder about why society was built like this. How men never learn from their mistakes and think it's okay to treat women like objects while they remain superior. This is why I am thankful for the show because it definitely inculcated the right values and was going in the right direction. For people who are going to watch this drama, I truly hope it will teach you something valuable, for women know your worth and for men, respect women. For everyone, stop with this toxic beauty mindset, your physical appearance does not dictate your worth.

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