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Linus

US/Poland

Linus

US/Poland
My ID Is Gangnam Beauty korean drama review
Completed
My ID Is Gangnam Beauty
2 people found this review helpful
by Linus
Sep 19, 2018
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
I really didn't like the first 2 episodes and didn't expect to like it, but the show totally won me over. That being said, I don't think it's genuinely a great show. It was just kind of an easy, fun watch.

The story is really nothing new. There is a love triangle set in a college, a rich guy, a mean pretty girl, family problems, a jerk, a lone wolf and all other tropes that typically show up in shows like that. The premise is slightly different with the plastic surgery and all, but the general tone reminds me very much of Sassy Go Go and Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo., which means: nothing new under the sun. On top of that, the show pretends that its message is that beauty is only skin-deep and shouldn't matter, yet the writing is too inconsistent to make really deliver this kind of message. For example, if we shouldn't focus on girls' looks, why is it ok that everyone, literally everyone, is interested in a super good looking male lead and completely ignores another male social outcast that resurfaces at the end of the show? The only difference between the two of them is that one is supposedly gorgeous and the other one is not. Also, it's not ok to publicly talk about the girls' looks yet objectifying DKS all the time is ok? There were a couple of more inconsistencies like that. Additionally, I didn't like how the show portrayed the vast majority of the male population at an elite college as a bunch of shallow jerks. That was kind of unfair and maybe even a bit sexists. I mean, even the secondary lead, who was a really nicely crafted character overall, was drawn to the FL purely because of her looks.

The acting very much depended on the individual actors, but I agree with all the criticism of the show that I'd read. The leads were sometimes very awkward together. I found it charming at times, but it got old. The ML was a bit wooden, and the FL looked so uncomfortable that in the beginning of the show it was uncomfortable to watch her on screen. In a way, I found it a bit refreshing, even though I doubt it was completely intentional on the part of the writers. It reminded me of Because This is the First Life. The leads were so awkward that it made it funny to watch them interact.

The music is on a cheesy side and not everybody will be a fan, but I didn't mind the corny tune that appeared whenever the leads shared another awkward moment.

With all of that, why would I give it such a high mark? Firstly, I can't explain why, but the show felt cute and fluffy, and it managed to pull me in without me even noticing in. The supporting characters probably had something to do with it. TA Yeon and Mi Rae's friend were such likable characters! There was enough variety in personalities among the college students that seeing the interactions between them was fun. I also absolutely loved the rivalry between the two guys. Many of their interactions were quite funny. The show also had a few pretty good comic relief characters, for example Mi Rae's father. This actor is gold in this show! Also, the mean girl isn't really too annoying in this show. This doesn't happen often. The other thing that was good for me was that there wasn't too much unnecessary drama in this show. Too much drama can spoil an otherwise fun production. I also appreciated seeing some more mature characters in this show such as the freshman representative who was a very reasonable and interesting character.

Generally, I seriously enjoyed watching this show despite many flaws I can point to. It will go on the list of my dramas that are my guilty pleasure.
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