Obviously, comparing one film or television show to another can only go so far in terms of giving the viewer an accurate understanding/expectation of what they are about to watch, but I think it is a fair assessment to say that this little film is very reminiscent of such gems as Our Times and Crazy Little Thing Called Love (the movie, not the drama). They are not exactly the same, of course, as they each utilize different prominent tropes, and just because you like one, that does not mean you will like the other two. But for me, all three evoke similar feelings and explore similar themes, thus my comparison. There's ample parts nostalgia for the best parts of childhood (on behalf of the adult viewers like me, obviously), the pangs of a crush (requited/unrequited), the awkwardness of being young, the heartbreak and disappointment of wanting something and not getting it, how Intense everything feels when you're still growing up. For me, these three movies just get all of these things right, and that's pretty important for a youth film to work.

As far as Love the Way You Are is specifically concerned, I love most everything. I love the main characters, I love the storyline, I think the acting is pretty fantastic, I will never get tired of revisiting the themes of these sorts of films, and even the expectedly silly and nonsensical bits were immense amounts of fun. I did find the ending to be a bit over-drawn, which is not necessarily a surprise to me. I always enjoy getting to see the male leads point of view after seeing everything through the female lead's eyes for so long. Even though his feelings are pretty obvious, it was cute to watch them unfold. But it was such a long sequence of him going through every single meaningful moment of the film that I couldn't help but feel that maybe it didn't need to take quite that long. Cest-la-vie, I guess.

For me, this was a charming little movie that I would gladly watch again.

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This was a really enjoyable watch. Destiny stays very light-hearted and fluffy and not particularly heavy or deep most of it's run. This works really well, because the story does each of these things really well without feeling like it lacks too much substance. But then the drama surprises you in the last few eps with some genuine depth and great plot development and a very good talent at making you feel all the feels. (And booooy did I feel all the feels.) The rules of the magic system are a little bendy at times (particularly in the latter half), changing when it suits whatever is currently happening, but it all ultimately serves the story in the right ways. I particularly love the twist that the one who is fated is able to change the fate in their book if they manage to get their hands on it, as it creates a very interesting dichotomy between the role of the gods of destiny (and who/whatever is behind them), and the people whose fates are being written.

My one quibble with this drama would be the ending. Chae Kyung has the opportunity to do just this thing, and she could have written in her book that she and Ho Yoon got to be together. There's no specified rule that says she Can't do this, especially if Ba Reum can decide he doesn't need a god of destiny anymore at all, and there's no story reason for why she Wouldn't do this. So why doesn't she do it? Why does she choose to have the same heartbreak repeated endlessly throughout her life ultimately causing her (and Ho Yoon) endless pain when she had the option to simply...not do that? Full stop, that's not romantic. That's self-mutilation. Personally, if I made it into the hall of fate, got to pick up my own book, Write In It, and no one stopped me? I'm writing my happy ending and looking up at the ceiling at the same time like 'This is your own fault for not locking the door.' Of course, I'm creative enough to make up my own head cannon, and I enjoyed the rest of this drama more than enough to not let the ending ruin it for me, so I'm choosing my own fate here an now and saying they end up together and happy and creating lots and lots of ridiculous (and ridiculously entertaining) soapy dramas till their end of their dying days.

The end.

While I could see this story being expanded to 16 episodes in order to flesh out the story and world and magic system more, I don't think that would have suited this drama. Maybe expanded the ten episodes to an hour each would have worked. But this was clearly intended to be something short and simple and genuinely pleasant to watch, and it succeeded. I definitely recommend it.

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I won't bury the lead. This is a cute, binge-able, perfect for a weekend in when you're looking for that rom-com (with a dash of family heart and soul) drama fix. I highly recommend.

On to the full review.

The female lead starts off somewhat silly in episode one, but she quickly grows and improves as the story goes along. Whenever she finds herself faced with a challenge, she puts her all into facing and overcoming it. The male lead makes the perfect, prickly but with hidden depth, love-interest who starts off antagonistic but very quickly begins to develop feelings for the female lead and a genuine respect for her talent. And of course, the younger and older brother are each great characters in their own right and watching the four of them around the house and running the restaurant is heart-warming.

I'm not actually bothered by the female lead going away to New York to study in the finale as I tink it makes sense for her character arc. But I am disgruntled by the male lead pretending he doesn't like her anymore and he wants to replace her at the restaurant just so he can ensure she will go. There was no reason for him to not just sit down and have a conversation with her about the opportunity. She's not gonna be gone forever, and as ends up happening anyway, they can do long-distance while she's gone. He doesn't give her the opportunity to truly decide for herself, which isn't fair. That being said, his decision doesn't significantly harm the overall drama for me, so I can overlook it.

The only aspect of this series that I think is completely unnecessary is the plotline involving the 'gangster' (I assume that's what he was meant to be) trying to bully the three brothers into selling the restaurant. It is a worthless plotline that ultimately goes nowhere and serves no purpose in the story. It's easy to ignore, but that doesn't make it any less annoying.

The thing that really struck me though, while watching this drama, was how consistent the storytelling was. As I thought about it, I realized that that's what I love about Japanese dramas (at least the ones I've watched so far); their consistency. The events of the story always feel planned out rather than random, and even if I don't like the trajectory of the drama or the behavior of the characters, I never find myself enraged by a writing choice that came out of left field. (Of course, now that I've said this, I'll probably start stumbling upon Jdrama after Jdrama where this is not the case, lol.) For years, Kdrama was my drama land of choice, and I can unequivocally say that consistency is not necessarily common in that realm of the drama world. I cannot count the number of times I've been watching a drama and found myself wanting to flip tables, because the writer decided to throw a wrench into the story for the sole purpose of drama and conflict. It's been refreshing, now that I've fully stepped into the Jdrama world, to experience such consistent...consistency, lol.

So, yes. This was a thoroughly enjoyable watch. It made me laugh, it made me shed a few tears, it made me binge-watch it in one weekend, and that...is a pretty good drama by my standards.

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So I sat down earlier this week to start ep 15 and realized...I don't want to finish this drama, lol. I went into Anti-Fan with the mindset that I didn't really care if it was going to be tropey or poorly written. I was going to let the drama take me where it wanted to go and enjoy the journey.

And up until ep 14, that was enough.

Going into ep 15, however, I found myself dreading having to watch anymore. I had zero interest in the story or the characters at that point, and sitting through an hour of them no longer appealed to me. I think this was due to a few things. 1) I'd gotten all of the enjoyment out of the drama that I was going to, and I was ready to move on to something else. 2) Ep 14 and the problems it created for the story had finally set in and I was suddenly feeling a lot more aware of the dramas flaws. 3) My currently watching-list has gotten a lot longer than I really like it to be, so I think my brain was screaming 'PLEASE DROP SOMETHING FOR THE SAKE OF MY SANITY!', and this drama isn't exactly at the top of my list of favorites, so it's the one my brain decided had to go.

Looking at this drama critically, it's not something you would watch because of great storytelling or compelling characters or stunning visuals. This is the sort of drama you watch when you want to turn off the critical side of your brain. The thing is, in order to enjoy a 'bad' drama (or book or movie or western television show or anything really), it has to do a sufficient job of distracting you from it's flaws. And while this drama did a decent job of doing so through ep 13, ep 14 brought said flaws into stark relief. Once that happened, there was really no going back to the enjoyment and forward motion I had been experiencing before.

A couple of other users suggested in the comments that this drama should be viewed in two parts, ep 1-13 and ep 14-16, and I have to agree. Maybe if you do, you'll be able to watch the final two episodes.

Personally, I just couldn't be bothered.

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I'm a sucker for contract relationship dramas. There's just something about watching two characters finding themselves unexpectedly falling for each other despite their best plans not to. And We Married as a Job (Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu) is no exception. Watching these two slowly fall for each other and open up to each other and come to rely on one another was sweet and charming and incredibly wholesome. These are two likable characters who develop a very likable relationship with one another. What makes this drama stand out from the pack, however, is how realistic and believable it all is. I can 100% see this happening in real life, something that can't typically be said for these sorts of stories. That's not to say that I have a problem with contract relationship dramas that are not realistic. If a story is well-written and the relationship is likable, then I don't mind having to suspend my disbelief. But there is something nice about watching a contract relationship drama play out in a way that would be very plausible in the real world, and I think this drama illustrates this well.

First and foremost, Mikuri and Hiramasa are very well suited for each other. Despite their difficulties around expressing their feelings for one another, they are surprisingly adept at communication otherwise, and that's ultimately why their relationship works so well. Whenever they hit a roadblock or setback, they sit down and work out a plan to overcome it, and most importantly, neither of them give up. They each have their moments where they think about quitting, but every time, they ultimately choose to stick with it and make it work.

Other things to note about this drama:

I initially was confused by Mikuri's daydreams as I did not realize that that was what they were, but once I figured it out, I found them quite enjoyable. They give you a really great insight into who she is as a character, not to mention they're really fun. (She frequently imagines herself taking part in different Japanese television programs that exist in real life, from documentaries to news shows, etc. They make for fun references even if you've never seen the real programs themselves.)

I related to Mikuri and Hiramasa's struggles with finding meaningful, romantic connection with others. In the case of Mikuri, her personality has apparently turned off all of the guys she's dated previously despite her best efforts not to do so, while Hiramasa has always been too fearful of putting himself out there to make an attempt at finding love. Turned out, their personalities were perfectly suited for one another, and once they found each other, they were able to put those fears and insecurities to rest.

I quite enjoyed the eventual loveline, and message behind it, between Mikuri's older sister and Ryota. They made a really charming secondary couple.

Final thoughts:

Overall, I really like this drama, and it's now in my favorite dramas list on MDL. With such likable and relatable characters, such a wholesome and heartwarming story, and conflict that's believable, it's hard to find something not to like. We Married as a Job was a breezy, enjoyable watch, and I highly recommend it.

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This is the definition of a heartwarming, innocent romance. A slow and steady build, focused on genuine connection more than crackling chemistry, no real skinship on screen apart from some hugs and maybe hand holding, and both leads are thoughtful and kind and well suited for each other. It's just a charming little series that, while it probably will not beheart-pounding for most, is very compelling.

Personally, I'm reaching an age where I've begun to appreciate the idea of a simple romance over the high-intensity, butterflies, excitement, idealistic romance of youth. That's not to say that I don't still love those heart-pounding love stories that give you goosepimples all over. I do. But at a certain point, you realize that what you really want is not wild passion but just someone who is going to be there journeying through life with you, taking on your burdens with you, and building you up so you can be the best you can be. And that is this drama's love story.

The premise, a law to force NEETs into marriage, is obviously not realistic and would have no effectiveness towards getting NEETs to participate in the work force, but considering it's somewhat outlandishness (and I do say somewhat because I don't think it's the most ridiculous plotline by any means), it plays out in a very natural and realistic way. The main character's supervisor remarks multiple times that the NEET Protection Law is kind of messed up, and the male lead develops increasing concern with it as well. The female lead is never actually forced into the marriage. The overall tone of the drama is very much one of respect for people's boundaries and their autonomy, and it stays consistently so through the last episode.

I do want to explain here for those thinking about watching this drama the difference between a NEET and a Hikikomori, as it is relevant to the story. A NEET is someone Not in Education, Employment, or Training for a variety of reasons. A Hikikomori is a person who has chosen to withdraw from society, going to extreme degrees to do so. There is some overlap between these two categories, as many Hikikomori are unemployed and not in higher education, but they are still two seperate categories. The reason I'm explaining this difference is because there is some confusion over Himari as a character. She is described by the drama as a NEET, but she also has some Hikikomori tendencies, especially early on in the story. The drama does not address these tendencies, and while I don't know that it was necessary for it to do so, it does cause some confusion and a mild (in my opinion) plothole when Himari overcomes some of these tendencies a little too quickly in the first few episodes. But this did not ruin the viewing experience for me in any way, and I don't really think it has to for others. Himari overcoming some of her anxiety and discomfort so quickly is meant to signal to the viewer that she feels comfortable with Shin enough to open herself up, and I think this is done effectively.

This is definitely going in my favorite dramas/favorite romance dramas lists. It just makes you feel good inside, and I highly recommend it.

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The lead actors performances are what really elevate this drama and make it better than what it really is. The way they capture the sorrow, the pain, the fire, the determination of their characters is superb. I've never seen Moon Geun Young in any other dramas, just a couple of rom-coms from her younger days (both of which are utterly delightful), so I have no experience seeing her in this sort of role, but when you watch her dig through a practical mountain of garbage while sobbing her eyes out because she's so desperate to find her sister, that can do nothing else but hit you in the gut. As for Kim Seon Ho, the only other project I've seen him in is Strongest Deliveryman (where he almost steals the entire show, his performance is so good), and he seems to have a particular talent for taking his characters and making them feel Real.

And that's really why I finished this drama. There were a lot of things I enjoyed about the story, but nothing that would have kept me watching if the leads hadn't been so well-portrayed. The mystery, as invested in it as I was at the beginning, really struggles in the middle, and while the conclusion gets some things right, it also gets some things wrong. The case of the day format sometimes works and sometimes doesn't (although that's something I think could have been overlooked if the over-arching mystery had been a little better). And the biggest flaw/frustration of the drama for me was Ma Ri. She's unnecessarily aggressive toward the female lead and makes some Really dumb decisions in relation to the central mystery because of it.

This is a drama that does some things well and some things not so well. I would suggest, if you're looking for a drama where the crime/mystery element is really compelling and well-paced and well-written, that you maybe look elsewhere. But if you like dramas with compellingly portrayed leads, then this is definitely a good drama to watch.

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I'm gonna say right off the bat that this is not a strongly written, tightly plotted drama. It has some obvious flaws that are apparent from the first episode. But it's heartwarming and thoughtful and sprinkled with humor (and some tears for good measure), so I don't think it is without any merit.

Of course, because this drama has time-travel in it, we get to see both the modern day and the past, and there are good and bad things to this. Mainly that the present day portions and the past day portions felt like two very different dramas which created a very striking/jarring feeling while watching that took me awhile to get comfortable with. The modern day portion was like a silly, stereotypical, nothing new here, kind of drama, but with genuine heart and thoughtfulness. I was somewhat disappointed and let-down with aspects of this part of the story and would have liked some things to have been done differently, but it's not unenjoyable. The past day portion had a very human, slice of life, Reply series feel to it, and, for my part, I think it was the better portion. Young Ha Ni is a dynamic character, and her relationship with her father is incredibly endearing. We only received glimpses of the past here and there throughout the drama though, and there were next to none in the latter half, which was really disappointing.

The theme of the drama, the affects of trauma, was probably my favorite thing about the story. I really cared about Ha Ni, both young and adult. But while I think young Ha Ni had a mostly good story arc with a very satisfying conclusion, adult Ha Ni got somewhat jipped in the last few eps. There's a lot of focus early on on the difficulty of adult Ha Ni's life and how much she's given up on herself out of shame and regret, and I think the drama does a really good job of exploring this. There's also the start of her growing and changing and giving herself permission to forgive herself for her past. I was very eager to see more of this in the later half of the series as it's really heartfelt and emotional, but adult Ha Ni's story ends up becoming more about corporate business things/saving the company, and I didn't understand the point. None of it serves the main crux of the drama, and it's honestly quite boring and uninteresting.

As far as the time-travel aspect of the drama goes, it ended up being better than I initially thought while also being somewhat non-existent to the plot most of the time. The only time time-travel is ever mentioned in the story is when the writers need to move a certain part of the story along or when it had been awhile since we'd last thought about the fact that young Ha Ni would need to go back to her timeline eventually so the writers threw in a reminder. It's not a super big or important part of the plot, so if you're looking for some cool timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly stuff, you won't get it. And if I were to sit down and really hammer out the problems with the time-travel/shamanism aspect of the story, I could 100% present you with a list of holes that keep it from being accurate or affective. But while this is a drama featuring time-travel, this isn't a time-travel drama. The writers aren't all that concerned with the mechanics of time-travel or even that much with time-travel itself as long as the device serves the story, so you probably shouldn't let yourself get too hung up on it either.

The last thing I'll say for this drama is that while the character archetype of the male lead has been done far better in other dramas, and this male lead would not be my favorite I've ever seen (I think I actually like the second male lead in this drama better because of the really fascinating trajectory his story and character progression takes), there's still something about the male lead that makes you really like him. He starts out a little annoying, but his thoughtfulness and charm and positivity grow on you. By the end, I was really happy the female lead had someone so kind and thoughtful on her side.

So what would I say to those thinking about watching this? Hello, Me! is a feel good, don't think too hard about it, just have a good time, sort of drama, and if you go into it with that mindset, you'll enjoy yourself. It's not ground-breaking or the most tightly plotted, but it's uplifting, and sometimes that's enough.

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This drama shouldn't work. Truthfully, I'm not even sure if it does. It's odd, strange, confusing, sweet, humorous, light-hearted, quirky, illogical, satisfying, perplexing; a real head-scratcher. There are lots of really great messages about life and love and loss and purpose. There are sad events that really pull at your heartstrings and make you feel all the emotions associated with them. The leads are all Intensely likable and precious and wonderful. The dad wins dad of the year for Life.

There is also a lot of odd.

Akiko is like a block of wood 90% of the time with her expressions and mannerisms. Which is 100% intentional but you also never get used to it. They kill Miyuki's father off halfway through the story, which I knew was going to happen because spoilers, but it still was jarring (and devastating) to experience for myself. Once married, Akiko quits her extremely high paying job in order to be a stepmom then instead of going to back to her job after the father dies, she......stays home and does day trading. Then later on starts working at a bakery??? (I really don't understand her career trajectory.) They set up a potential romantic pairing for Akiko in the second half only for them to cut it off at the knees, lol. (And just when I was coming around to it!) Miyuki is like a completely different character as a teen compared to her child version, and it sticks out the entire time, but both versions are extremely likable, so I don't know what to do with that.

The story switches track multiple times, and every time on purpose, and I don't even know if I can criticize it for it because they clearly had a vision and went for it with all cylinders firing and even in the midst of my confusion, I was feeling all the feelings.

This drama's just an odd experience, and it does it in a way that only a Japanese drama can.

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I've always been somewhat mystified by the fact that Korea has sooooo many historical dramas set in loooooong-ago times but so few set in more recent era's, ie. from the early 1900's onward. I assume it's partially to do with how poorly Kdrama's not set in modern day or ancient history have done in the Kdrama market. They definitely don't seem to do very well. And in that regard, I guess I understand why so many people slept on this drama when it originally came out (myself included). The reviews for it now are mostly positive, but I don't remember anyone talking about this drama when it came out, and when they did it was usually to critique it. (I think it was 'too slow' for Kdrama watchers back then. This style of drama storytelling wasn't really a thing in the Kdrama landscape until more recently.)

Regardless though, of why this drama wasn't super popular when it came out, I can confidently say it Deserves to be popular now. The story is, first and foremost, about the lives of women, their loves and losses and struggles and triumphs, and it's very, very compelling. But the way the writers subtly weaved through the story an examination of the era it was set in, tackling some deep topics in sensitive and thoughtful ways, is superbly done as well. It's not a drama about the Korean democratic movement or marital affairs or school sanctioned abuse, but these elements are all integral to the story and help give a better picture of what life during 1970's Korea would have been like.

I think part of why this story works so well is because of the filming style and the storytelling choices. The camerawork is very soft and light and the pacing very gentle, which again, was not typical of Kdrama's at the time and probably another reason why this drama wasn't popular then. But I really love it, and I'm glad they chose to go this route despite it not being the norm at the time. It gives the story an almost slice-of-life feel even though I don't think you could classify this drama under that genre. Things happen and things change and people grow, but the story isn't afraid to take it's time.

I do want to give one word of warning to future viewers though. Early on in the drama, it appears like two characters might be having an affair but the drama doesn't say yay or nay about it for a long time, and the possibility really bothered me. Not because I have a problem with stories addressing the issue of cheating, but because I have an abhorrence of the act and drama's that don't make a clear statement about it upset me. So I'm going to tell you upfront, there is cheating in this drama. Fortunately, it is also properly addressed and the affair ended, so if you are like me, you don't have to worry on that front.

And now I have to mention the fashion, because it's great. I don't think it's 100% historically accurate to the era as the cuts of most of the pieces definitely veer on the modern side, but I think it strikes a nice balance between period accurate and modern interpretation. I also just really love it. I think most of the young female characters outfits outside of school are really cute and I was taking notes the whole time, lol.

I'm sad this drama wasn't more popular when it aired, but I also understand. With the dearth of historical Kdrama's of this type, the fact that the Kdrama landscape was in the stages of changing when this came out, and Kdrama's with this style of storytelling were a lot more atypical than they are now, it makes sense that this ended up being sidelined for so long. I think this drama probably would have done better in Kdramaland today as Kdrama viewers are more open to this sort of story, but alas, it did not happen that way, and we just have to accept that. For my part, I'm glad I watched this drama Now, because it left me feeling good, and that's really what I want from most drama's. To finish them with a smile on my face.

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This is one of those dramas that is pleasant enough but somewhat unnecessary at the same time and doesn't really leave much of a lasting impression when it's done.

First and foremost, the romance is meh for me. It progressed unnaturally quick in the first half and then became kind of boring in the second. It's not that I dislike the pairing. They're both generally likable characters and fairly cute when they're together. I just never really understood what it was that made them like each other which in turn made the romance feel bland. Their romance has a really promising start, but in the end, it just didn't have much substance.

I really enjoyed everything to do with the magazine office. Chief Editor makes some hairbrained decisions early on that would Not be successful in real life yet inexplicably are in the drama, but that withstanding, seeing the inner workings of a magazine was fun and a little bit fascinating. I was consistently invested in seeing Miyavi, and the people who worked on it, be successful. The magazine team felt like a real team that really cared about doing a good job, and I appreciated (most) every member. I greatly enjoyed seeing the female lead come into her own as the Chief Editor's assistant, learning to find joy in a job well done and even desiring to improve herself. And the Chief Editor herself is a really compelling, and impressive, character.

The drama's messaging on whether you should follow your dreams or not (or if you should even be so worried about having one) is somewhat incoherent, however. It makes an attempt at conveying to the audience that it's okay to have a simple, average life, and you don't have to be chasing some sort of 'dream' in order to be happy and fulfilled, but then it...kind of betrays that message?

Considering how hyper-obsessed we all are in the first world with 'following our dreams,' I would honestly really love to see more stories that let people know that it's okay if you don't have a dream and maybe that's really what's best for some of us. The truth is, most of us can't and really Shouldn't be 'following our dreams.' Just because you're decent at drawing doesn't mean drawing should be your career. It's okay for it to just be your hobby. Just because you really love volleyball and play it well doesn't mean you need to play it at the Olympics. It's okay for volleyball to just be a fun means of exercise. Contentment and purpose aren't found solely in having a 'dream career' or 'doing what you love.' Sometimes it's found in a job well done, regardless of what that job is.

In the end, this drama tried to be something it wasn't, and I think it suffered for it. It tried to be a story about purpose, but ended up being more of a fluff piece. And that's okay, I just think it would have been better if it had chosen one and committed to it.

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This is such a feel-good, pick-me-up, give you hope in life story, which is exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for a lot of the time right now. It addresses the 'pandemic' very lightly (although I wouldn't have minded if it had touched on it a little bit more), but chooses to keep it's focus mainly on the simple, heart-warming, sometimes challenging lives of it's characters.

That's not to say that there's not some real trauma and pain (unrelated to the pandemic) to be processed by some of our characters, because there is, and the drama never shies away from it. Instead, it highlights this trauma and pain and then offers an antidote. It offers hope. It's obvious this drama was made with the intention of giving it's viewers a reason to keep trying in what has been a trying time for many. And while I can't speak for the Japanese audience, I can say that for myself, it succeeded.

It tackles some deep, heartbreaking issues while never losing the heart and joy and wonderment that makes the story special. If you're struggling to keep hope right now, give this drama a shot. I don't think you will be sorry.

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With dramas like this, I don't know how useful it is to critique them based on any sort of serious metric. True Beauty was never going to be deep-thinking or artistically minded or particularly focused on it's writing, and you're setting yourself up for disappointment by taking it too seriously. So while it ultimately doesn't have very much depth, I'm not upset about it. I just wish I'd been able to finish the drama with the same level of enjoyment as when I started.

Unfortunately, the reality of dramaland is that for some dramas, the first half feels one way and the second half feels another, and you don't know how to feel about the drama as a whole, and that's definitely what True Beauty was like for me.

The first half was my jam. It wasn't stellarly written, by any means, but it did all of the things I wanted it to with a cast of likable characters, and that was enough. But the second half was equal parts plodding, occasionally frustrating, and sometimes even boring. The theme of confidence and self-acceptance and what beauty really means really takes a backseat. There are a number of genuinely moving moments, but the drama ultimately doesn't do a very deep, or consistent, exploration of these issues. And then the last two episodes not only have very little to do with any of this but they also focus on secondary issues that don't make sense being so far in the forefront of the story.

If you want a drama that broaches it's topics with thoughtfulness and some level of depth and consistency, you're better off watching a drama like My ID is Gangnam Beauty. While not perfect, ID understands it's subject matter and commits to it while True Beauty mainly uses it as a means of getting it's leads together. If you're not concerned with any of that and just want something fluffy and teen-angsty and cute and pretty, then by all means, watch this drama. You'll probably like it well enough.

Ultimately, True Beauty is a surface-level teen drama, and it knows it and does it well.

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Probably everyone and their grandmothers has described this show and it's female lead as quirky at this point, so I won't do that, but I'm honestly not sure that quirky is the right descriptor anyway. Somewhere between peculiar and bizarre is more accurate, in my opinion. You see, Sayoko's love of bathing occasionally borders on the side of concerning. She never does anything particularly out there or disturbing, but her love for the bathtub can be...intense and a little too all-consuming. Of course, that's the entire premise of the show, and it's definitely played up for both laughs and heart, I just think if we were friends in real life, I might be a little bit concerned for her and would probably make an effort to get her out of the house more.

This is why, I think, that while I got the humor and the message and appreciated both, I didn't always enjoy the drama. I don't think I experienced a true guffaw until the last episode when she threw a rock into her tub, and the waxing poetic over bathing and how important it is for life had no affect on me. I wasn't touched by her emotional connection to bathing like the drama clearly wanted me to be. But that might just be me. I personally prefer showers to baths, so I don't have that same relaxed feeling when I think about taking a bath, and while I didn't connect with the story in an emotional way, I can at least agree with the drama's sentiments about the physical, mental, and emotional benefits bathing can have for some people.

I do like Sayoko, of course. She can be every bit as self-absorbed as what appears to be her only friend in the story, but if we really were friends in real life, I would probably come to find her obsession with the bathtub endearing rather than weird, and I would probably appreciate her unique view on life and the bathtub, even if it's not a view I share myself.

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Obviously, the best part of this movie is seeing just what the country looked like during this time. The film is beautifully shot, and it definitely gives you a good picture of not only how devastating the 2011 flood must have been, but also what daily life must have looked like. Wading through calf/knee high water, traveling everywhere by boat, evacuation orders; it's a light-hearted film, so it doesn't spend a lot of time on the more upsetting aspects of such an event, but it certainly gives you a glimpse.

Of course, that's kind of the only real reason to watch it, outside of you just really enjoy highly cliché rom-com's of this nature. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy this movie at all, but I certainly enjoyed the first half a lot more than the second. The second half, as is often the case in these films, is the most heavily cliché portion of the story, and I stopped caring pretty quickly into it. There's some pointless melodrama, the childhood connection serves no purpose (although the child actors are adorable as heck), and the pacing is too fast. Basically, this movie is like almost every other Asian rom-com of it's time but with a real natural disaster going on in the background.

If you like cliché rom-coms or are interested in seeing what Thailand looked like during the 2011 flood or both of these things appeal to you equally, then check the movie it. Otherwise, probably not worth your time.

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