Well...
Story-wise, it's actually good in the first half, but the rest, just boring. Also some plot holes, duh. Apart from being 'plastic surgery is the key', the fundament idea of the story is steady and interesting, but too many unnecessary scenes. it's a too digressive and useless push and pulls. The cast, I think it is just okay, but Han YeSeul definitely suited the role. My favorite characters definitely are Lee KangJoon and Gyo ChaeYeon. They have distinct uniqueness. The music just so-so but the one that sang by Jonghyun sounds good. Some BGM was too dramatic and not suitable. I am re-watching it several times but just some of them like ep 2-8.Overall, it is an interesting story of complicated revenge, some episodes are bland and they should've made it exactly 16 episodes.
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The main topic of Birth of a Beauty is one I struggle to enjoy in films and dramas, as it promotes plastic surgery for the sake of vanity. But this drama did try to emphasise inner beauty. It didn't do a fantastic job of that, it seemed to send out a strong message that life gets easier if you're beautiful. That being said, it still gets points for trying.
This drama wasn't overly surprising, a bit predictable, and could have been a couple of episodes shorter. But it was still enjoyable. Birth of a Beauty has good actors, well thought out charcters and clear character and story development. A little cliche but that's not always a bad thing with a Kdrama.
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Long and overcomplicate
Too, too long and exaggeratedly complicated (but why, what was the point!?) The initial cue is really excellent in addition to the criticism about a country that is at the very first places for plastic surgery, but then everything begins to crumble and disperse into heavy delays, unnecessary subplots and all those moments between the couple at home with him that keeps repeating ahjumma ahjumma (but enough!). It almost seems that they wanted to take all the possible clichés of Korean drama -the ridiculous family of him, gigantic offices where the protagonists do nothing except sit in an armchair for revenge and conspiracies, restaurants open without a why, a surgeon who doesn’t work and doesn’t even recognize his patient, just to say - and they pushed them to the paroxysm, with a sense of the ridiculous that peeps around the corner. The Count of Monte Cristo, quoted and badly served, is in itself the most glaring example of construction of melodrama - machination, revenge, shame, class relations, final twist - but, thanks God, there is really better around... Han Ye-seul is a really brilliant actress, excellent dowry for such a beautiful woman, but it must be said, here, apart from the very first episodes with the spy-story situation to hook the ex, has never been particularly valued 6,5/10 ...Was this review helpful to you?
That's it. She's fat. Point and laugh at her because apparently that means she doesn't even deserves to live.
Like Cinderella she has mother-in-law with two daughters who's whole reason for existing at all is to make her life miserable and treat her like a slave.
Via plastic surgery she transforms herself into a beauty and decides to get revenge on those that have wronged her.
The first 4 episodes try to hammer in the cinderella story. Thankfully they go easy on the fat shaming after the very episode but it's still there making it almost childish at some point... after that however it tries to be a Count de monte cristo tale but the plot's tone is a bit muddled going back and forth between the previous childish tone and the super serious Drama tone.
The actors carry this through and the music score is perfection saving it. I did feel it was padding itself to reach 21 episodes when we had a perfect ending at episode 12 or 13. It didn't need to be this long so although I did enjoy it and got invested in the characters I won't be re-watching this again any time soon.
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A good drama
This was really a drama I appreciated, firstly because I absolutely love revenge's story but also because the story is well written and we want to know how it'll finish thanks to the plentiful unforeseen developements which keep us in suspence during all the drama. I also loved the evolution of the characters which was really interesting. Han Tae Hee and Sa Ra were definitely made to meet themselves, they both lived complicated lives, they were so adorable on the screen !!! Gyo Chae Yeon and Lee Kang Joon were both as detestable as possible and they even made me feel pity for them around the end although I was very happy of the way they were punished in the end. The main actors and secondary actors were playing very well, they were good in their respective roles. Big firm favourite for Lee Kang Joon's dad who is a character who touched me a lot.To conclude, this is a drama to watch, there is a good scenario, very endearing characters (kind & nasty) and a little touch of humour :)
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Not too impressed
Whilst the theme of the drama is very positive and how it tackles issue on body-shaming, there were just many aspects of the movie that was not done quite well-balanced or right.When the female protagonist had a complete makeover, it is understood that she'd look the part. However, I don't think it's realistic to participate in a cooking competition in high heels. Even the scene where she made the rice ball, how can you carry a large cauldron and balance your own weight wearing heeled shoes. Also, the fashion shoot was poorly done. For a supposedly well-known conglomerate, you would think that there's an entourage for the model to make her look good. There was nothing done with her hair, it looked a bit tacky...yet the finished layout of the ad (Pop Up stand) had a different hairstyle.
Also I found the story to be a drag. From episode 14, the development of the plot slowed comparatively. I am not sure if highlighting the conflicts | revenge, which took 1/3 of the story, is a factor.
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This review may contain spoilers
Like many others, when I came upon this drama, I've thought it would be just another drama, where being beautiful will get you everything. And I was surprised when I finished it, it became one of my top 20 dramas!OST-
Music wasn't that memorable, nor anything special. I easily forgot it, although the opening music was catchy.
ACTING-
I really liked main actors acting, he had to have a straight face when saying something dumb and it made it even funnier. Main actress's acting wasn't bad, but I feel like she could've done a better job, whatever it was her or just the writing. The only actor I liked was the villain or her ex husband. He portrayed the slyness well, and the cowardness. It's kinda sad that in dramas I've watched with him, he's always the bad guy, but it suits him well.
PLOT-
The plot is good. The main character goes through hard trials, having to know the man you adored ** (this is a major spoiler, so I'll just say betrayed you) that your mother is treated like dirt and that all you had left was snatched. At first I hated her foolish self, but after couple of episodes, she realizes herself she was a fool. Her growth is what I like, as well as male leads. He on somehow the same level has to deal with a woman he loved marrying other and even being a accomplice to a **(let's just say - betrayal) . The show later on helps you realize that beauty doesn't bring you happiness, nor genuine love. That your fated one, will love you for you than for your body.
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This review may contain spoilers
Show tries to illustrate that inner beauty is more important than outer beauty.
I honestly started this show because I like Joo Sang Wook and also because I wanted to watch something light.The general premise of the story is good, a marginalised woman decides to get plastic surgery thinking that once she's slim and beautiful her life will automatically change for the better. She does find love yes, but she also realises that she has to resolve all her issues the hard way regardless of how she looks.
The show does a good job of lauding inner beauty as opposed to outer beauty; Our female lead was not blessed with outer beauty but she has immense inner beauty, conversely the second female lead is blessed with outer beauty but has a rotten heart.
The show delivered hilarious hijinks right up to the 12th episode, after that it started to drag and I fast forwarded some scenes. There is an annoying period where the female lead indulges in some poorly thought out noble idiocy and the villains in this show were irritatingly irrational.
The acting was ok. Joo Sang Wook shone in this comedic role, he was so charming and lovable. Han Ye Seul was ok, bordering on bland. The supporting cast was good, Jung Gyu Woon and Wang Ji Hye were great as second leads.
The chemistry between the leads is negligible, they did a lot of smiling at each other but there was no real connection in my opinion.
This show would have done better with less episodes.
The music is ok, nothing really stuck with me.
This is a pleasant watch.
I give it a 6.5 out of 10
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Some actors are cute and pleasing to watch but still cringey most of the times, and the OST's are good too.
I"ll give this drama a 5/10. Will I recommend u to watch this? No. But if you want to, then go give it a try, I guess.
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I remember how much time I've spent by watching it at the time.
The story is still more for public adult, not for strange scenes but because isn't a teen drama.
This one has a really difficult story at the beginning, but slowly fades into something really more simple based on action, twist, families problems and much more! In 2012 this kind of story was new if compard to dramas like Boys Over Flowers and similar.
Really liked it and still have a favorite spot into my heart!!
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