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PurpleStream

somewhere where time is meaningless~

PurpleStream

somewhere where time is meaningless~
The Beauty Inside korean drama review
Completed
The Beauty Inside
7 people found this review helpful
by PurpleStream
Jun 11, 2019
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 7.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
I didn't watch the movie before delving into this drama, and I was perfectly fine without doing so. The storyline stayed on track, so I was easily able to follow along. Overall, I enjoyed the concept and the writers did an excellent job of tying in overused tropes in a unique fashion. For example, in many dramas the men are the ones that throw around their money in drastic ways to get closer to their love interests. Though this trope was definitely presented by the man, it was also presented by a woman. It still is a commonly used trope, but having the same thing be done by a woman instead was refreshing in a way. (The script also blatantly points out the misogyny women in entertainment and business face!)

PREPARE TISSUES WHEN YOU WATCH. I don't cry easily when watching dramas, but along with the lovey dovey scenes, there was also raw emotion. I'm glad the writers and directors didn't just breeze past it for the sake of adding a tragic element to Hyun Jin's character. They dove fully into and gave those emotions the appropriate screen time they needed to be fully fleshed out. Do Jae's little sister (Lee Da Hee (actress)/Kang Se Ra) also stated something very true about the process of one recovering from sorrow.

I was truly awestruck by Seo Hyun Jin's acting. She made me feel her pain with her soft tears, happiness with her bright smile and continuously impressed me throughout my viewing of the drama. I'm sure a large reason for why I loved her acting so much was because of her character, who is an actress. Actors and actresses tend to be nouveau rich, and Hyun Jin did an excellent job of portraying a down to earth, yet wealthy and ambitious woman. Her leading half, Lee Min Ki also did a great job in his role as a conglomerate who came from an already wealthy family.

The only problem I had with Min Ki's character is that he was so expressionless. Even when smiling or laughing, it felt so artificial and I felt like I was watching a robot at times. What made this worse was when his character was joking around or crying. These scenes just fell flat for me because there didn't seem to be any authenticity to the character. This was a huge con for me personally. It also majorly affected their chemistry, especially in the first couple of episodes.

As well, as is with most dramas, the last few episodes were a bit laborious to get through. Most of the plot had been resolved and you already got a sense of how it was going to end. Still, it's always nice to see how it ends. I recommend skipping episode 14 however. An hour long episode felt like 5 hours; it. was. PAINFUL.

I'm always a sucker for side stories and friendships. I loved the friendship between Se Gye (Hyun Jin) and her two best friends. The bromance between Min Ki's character and his secretary was also incredible and you really got a sense that they have known each other for years. I also loved the romance between two of the secondary characters. At times (especially near the end), I wished they would show more scenes of those two getting closer. I was watching on Viki, and many people were commenting the same thing. This just serves as a reflection of how strong the cast is and the nuances in the story; it was more than just a sudden romance exclusively between an actress and rich boi. There was friendship, family, loss, discovery of love and self love.



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