★★★★★
The 2018 Korean drama starring Seo Hyun-Jin
as Han Se-Gye, Lee Min-Ki as Seo Do-Jae, Lee Da-Hee as Kang Sa-Ra, Ahn Jae-Hyun
as Ryu Eun-Ho, Moon Ji-In as Yoo Woo-Mi, and Lee Tae-Ri as Jung Joo-Hwan.
Directed by Song Hyun-Wook and written by Im Mea-Ri, based on the 2015 movie of
the same title. 16 episodes at one hour apiece.
Brief summary: Han Se-Gye is a famous
actress known for flaking out on commitments by literally running away, but it’s because she harbors a huge secret.
Every month, Han Se-Gye completely transforms into a different person and never
the same person twice. Size, age, ethnicity, gender, it doesn’t matter! Seo
Do-Hae, who has suffered from prosopagnosia since his 20s, decides to hire Han
Se-Gye as his airline’s model but attempts to track her down in person. How is
he going to recognize her against his illness and her mystical transformations
on top of it?
This drama has a lot to offer in character
relationships and something new, apart from the typical kdrama tropes. I
especially loved watching the relationship between Yoo Woo-Mi and Han Se-Gye,
and between Han Se-Gye and her mother. Yoo Woo-Mi’s commitment to taking care of
Se-Gye and her secret rises to extreme levels, but Woo-Mi remains the ultimate
friend. The climax of Se-Gye’s relationship with her mother is totally in episode 10, when her mother recognizes her daughter with a different face
and says “I can see your face even if I close my eyes.” Beyond the emotions
these two non-romantic relationships stir, the drama offers an inspiring break
from the company politics tropes that we’re used to seeing. In The Beauty Inside, our main characters
decide not to be threatened by their weaknesses used against them. The drama
uses the protagonists to clarify that just because you might have a weakness or
disability, that doesn’t make you incapable. This hopeful message laces each of
the 16 episodes.
My favorite line is in episode 7. Director
Lee tells Han Se-Gye “Life is different from the movies. So give yourself a
hug.” He’s telling her to give herself a break, but as we think about it, it’s
also a reminder that life really isn’t as dramatic as the movies and there’s
not really a happy ending in sight to pin our hopes on. That means we don’t have
to treat the natural challenges of living as if our lives and happy ending
depend on it. It’s okay to just do what we can and find happiness from day to
day.
The two main protagonists really draw our
eyes to the screen and keep us captivated throughout the entire drama. From
episode 1, we love Han Se-Gye’s spunky personality. I don’t think I’ve ever
seen someone so fluidly drop a phone from a hospital rooftop. Seo Do-Jae seems
a bit stiff when we first meet him, but he’s a surprisingly “It’s fine so long
as you don’t get caught” kind of guy. He’s quick to manipulate the situation
and grows from coarse and boring to loving (yet quirky) boyfriend material.
The frame for “her” picture in the closet
among all the other framed photos of her faces always looks like a mirror in
the camera shots, although we’re never told whether it’s a mirror or just
really clean glass. But we only see her reflection in that frame as if to
remind her that no matter who or what she looks like, Han Se-Gye is always
herself. The person in the mirror is you,
no matter what your appearance is or how you feel about it. Han Se-Gye
comes to realize this principle deep in her core, that all those other faces were her just in a different shape of
herself.
The
Beauty Inside’s premise allowed for many cameo
opportunities, too many to mention, in fact. Not only does the main protagonist
undergo transformations that require extra cast members to pull it off, but Han
Se-Gye’s character background is surrounded by celebrities since she’s an
actress. What better way to depict that than to pick from the endless sea of
Hallyu celebs?
(Did anybody else notice that these people
be watching an awful lot of Something in
the Rain?)
I liked this drama because it gives a lot
of insight into looking at people for who they are beyond their face instead of
what they are. Although I had a
personal wish that something would happen between Yoo Woo-Mi and Jung Joo-Hwan,
the entire drama really doesn’t disappoint. I’d like to compare it to the film
when I get a chance, but let’s enjoy this one for everything that it is! 5/5
stars.
Comments
Post a Comment