You're Beautiful

You're Beautiful was recommended to me by someone on Twitter as a funny, light romantic Kdrama, so I'm giving it a shot. I've watched two episodes so far. And one of my old readers on FB said it was a classic.

The basic story: boy and girl twins grew up at a nunnery/orphanage. The boy left to try and become a famous singer (in order to find his mother, who was supposed to be a famous singer...not sure that makes any sense, but, eh, okay) but the sister stayed behind and has been in training to be a Sister with a capital S. Right before she is supposed to leave for Rome, her brother's manager appears and convinces her to take his place to sign a contract as the brother is in America recovering from some botched eyelid surgery (ouch).

She thinks it will be a one time thing but it winds up (of course) that now she's stuck for a month pretending to be a boy in this Kpop-ish band. There are three other members: the emo lead singer who takes himself very seriously (and has strained vocal cords, hence the need for a new member--though he never stops singing and it's never brought up again so...?), the goofy blonde one, and the more serious sweeter one. Emo dude takes an instant dislike to Go Mi Nam (her brother's name). There are hijinks. By the end of the second episode, the nicest one discovers her secret by overhearing a conversation and the emo dude also discovers it by witnessing what he at first thought was a weird romantic assignation (when the assistant is trying to stuff some fake testicles down her trousers because one fell out while she was dancing). I suspect the silly one won't discover it until towards the end...he's obviously the one that's not supposed to be the sharpest tool in the shed.

It seems funny, which is good. It also seems a bit over the top ridiculous, so I'll have to see if I can take it or not (hahaha, I know, I know, given the books I write that's like the pot calling the kettle black but sometimes you gotta be in the mood for it and so far it just feels a bit like it's trying really hard and the humour isn't effortless). It's an older one (circa 2009) and the production value isn't quite as good as some newer ones I've seen. But, it's not bad either. I'd say it's surprisingly not that dated.

I'd say it's obviously setting her up to be with the tsundere emo dude, though I'm not super fond of him as yet (though at least he takes his music seriously) and I SO want to wash his hair or mess it up or something. Interestingly, I just read that the actor Jang Geun Suk is bipolar so am quite impressed that he's been able to work as an actor since he was quite young. I've known some bipolar people and that's got to be difficult for him.

My biggest issue so far is that the girl character is really kind of...erm...ineffectual? That's maybe not the word. Flailing? I suppose it makes sense for her to be timid given her background -- setting her up as a trainee nun makes it so that she's got no real-world experience, which is good to play with -- but she also seems to have no common sense at all. It kind of feels like she's one of those characters where every choice she makes is the one that's going to lead to more difficulties and misunderstandings --which is, I suppose, what they're basing the comedy on but if she doesn't pull herself together at some point, I know I might grow to hate her.

Like...she's trying to apologise to the emo guy so she brings him tea and a candle. She goes to set it down and accidentally drips wax on the floor. While trying to clean that up, she winds up knocking into his bookcase and spilling CDs and books everywhere. And somehow a fan comes on and blows music papers all over, some going near the candle. Rather than just righting the bookcase (that she's still holding up--she literally would have just needed to stand up), she instead ultimately decides to spit the candle out (in the room of a clean freak, which is when he catches her). It's a bit Laurel & Hardy, the comedy.

She also doesn't much look like a boy. She's too pretty. But I'm not hating it. Hoping that it will wind up being fun and light and not just goofy. Pacing-wise, I'd say it feels a bit slow...though, at the same time, a fair amount has happened in just two episodes. I didn't expect both of the members to figure out her secret so quickly. I thought it would be one, then the other a few episodes later. So that's interesting.

Edit: Okay, I'm through episode 6. Which was fast. But that was because little dude was off at a playdate and hubby was off on business meetings so it was just me and the dog at home. And my ever present box of Kleenex. Oi. I'm sick of being sick. Anyway, I binged the next 4 episodes and I'm liking it much better now. They've even fixed Jang Keun-Suk's hair. (Keun? Geun? Suk? Suek? Why are websites not consistent? I'm not sure which it is)

Park Shin Hye, the actress playing Go Mi Nam...er, Go Mi Nyeo...erm...both...toned down the flailing clumsiness of her character. She's still really playing it on the innocent/unworldly side but I'm not overly fussed because it makes sense for the character. She's clueless about the feelings she's starting to have for Tae-Kyeong (the lead singer/emo dude), though they are definitely starting up. That's also not a thing I normally take well in a storyline (not if a character is past, like, 15) BUT given her nunnery background, eh, okay, I'll roll with it.

Tae-Kyeong's having some feelings too, but if you asked him at this point in the show, he would certainly vehemently deny it. I don't think he has any conscious realisation of it and he's shown by his actions (not just to Go Mi Nyeo but even the "baddie" diva girl/actress Hee-yi) that he's a good guy at heart, no matter how tsun-tsun he is. He can't help it, even when it isn't in his best interest. He's all front and pride.

And you even put on your hat, Shin-woo

Meanwhile, Shin-woo, the nice one who figured out she was a girl immediately, has a serious crush on her and has made a couple of attempts (including possibly the sweetest not-date date I've seen in a Kdrama so far) to come clean to Mi Nyeo that he knows she's a girl...and that he likes her. But it's all about timing and Tae-Kyeong keeps getting in his way (though not on purpose).

I'm kinda sad about that, to be honest. Shin-woo is nice. He's not getting as much character development as he's not the end game (and this was apparently this actor/idol's first turn at acting--he's doing a decent job, especially with what he's given, I'd say, though he can sometimes be a little wooden) but I wouldn't have minded at all if things went that way. Mi Nyeo would probably have easily turned to him more if she knew that he knew her secret; that's why she's come to rely so much on Tae-Kyeong. He's literally the only one she can talk to as herself, other than the Manager (and, come on, he's kinda useless).

They're both good guys though, so it's going to be okay. I'll just feel bad for Shin-woo. He never had a chance.

The one thing I'm currently weirded out about is that the show is hinting that the evil singer woman who is Tae-Kyeong's mother (and who abandoned him) is also the twins' mother. She can't be unless comedic Kdramas go places I didn't think they'd go, but they certainly are hinting it. So, eh, ick. Even though I imagine it's a false flag.

And there's Jeremy (the blonde silly one) who is fighting his own growing attraction to Mi Nyeo, though he still thinks she's a guy and it's weirding him out. I'm waiting to see how they handle that. The Jeremy character is very over the top and looks to also be that idol/actor's (Lee Hong-Ki) first turn acting as well. He hasn't had a chance to do much more than be energetic and confused in an exaggerated way, but that's apparently what he's supposed to do, so it's working. Would be curious to see him in something else to see if he can actually act something beyond puppy-boy. Though he does make an adorable pupper.

I do also appreciate that the actors/idols also sang the songs for real. The OST is good. A little ballad-y for my taste, but really well done. Adding them to my playlist now.

Edit: after episode 8...nice that they gave Jeremy a series of scenes where he could be something beyond exuberant puppy-boy. It was nicely done and sweet. Even though he's not the one from the nunnery, he's almost MORE innocent than Mi-Nyeo in many ways. Glad they gave the actor a chance to show some real emotion. The bus scene was a good touch and struck the right tone.

Still feeling bad for Shin-woo, though I suppose it's his fault...he's had so many opportunities to step forward, but it's like his character really wants HER to be the one to take the actual final step. But he should realise there are so many reasons she would feel she can't (even if she wasn't falling for Tae-Kyeong). He's shot himself in the foot, though he's such a nice guy about it, you can only feel sad for him.

Enjoyed the bits with the old high school friend of Mi Nam's who'd had a crush on Mi-Nyeo. Fun to see jealous Tae-Kyeong, not that he's willing or able to admit that. It seems he's the kind of character that's going to have to be hit over the head with it before he'll admit he has feelings.

If I had written this, what would I have done differently? I'm not sure but I kinda think it would have been nice to go with Shin-woo rather than Tae-Kyeong. Why not let the nice guy finish first for once? Sure, Tae-Kyeong has his tortured past and all that, BUT why does Mi-Nyeo fall for him? While he does help her a lot, her character actually doesn't KNOW about a lot of it. She has no idea that he's pretending to date Hee-yi for her sake, never saw that he spent ages coming up with a signature for her to use, doesn't see him stressing about her when she isn't in front of him. And when she is with him, he ramps up his tsun-tsun ness and spends most of his time (somewhat rightly) insulting her. Meanwhile, Shin-woo is ALWAYS there for her and ALWAYS unfailingly, unflappably kind to her. Why doesn't she see him? He's right there in front of her? Like that not-date date scene, it's like she just can't see what's right in front of her. I suppose it's that bad boy trope, but it does make me wish they'd tried the path less traveled. Not that I'm not liking Tae-Kyeong. Just that we see this all the time. Is there such a things as a Kdrama where the one that feels like the second lead comes out ahead in the end? I'd watch that.

I do think the story is flowing fairly well now, though the silly fantasy digressions, while providing comic relief, actually make things stutter every now and then. That could be a style thing though. This is the first Hong sisters Kdrama that I've watched. From comments on DramaBeans, maybe this is one of their signature things. Still, there have been some really nice moments and I appreciate that. It's got more depth than I thought it would possibly have after the first two episodes.

Also, Tae-Kyeong's mom is just terrible. Why are there no nice moms in Kdramas? As a mother, I'm kind of offended.

Edit: About to start episode 14, so I'm on the downward slope now. As with a lot of Kdramas, things were dragging a bit after around episode 10. I get it. Late middle is the most painful part of a book to write and I imagine it's the same in a show. There's all the things that have built up, things you have to save resolution of until the end, but you have to balance that with keeping interest, etc. Not sure if I've watched a show yet that didn't have this to some extent.

Still, overall, it's carrying on well and it's so nice to see that a lot of the things they set up in the beginning are paying off now in the plot. I do, however, have serious Hee-yi fatigue. The mean girl thing has been drawn out a little too far and even though the dynamic has changed a bit and she's been slightly defanged, she's very one note and it's a bit painful watching her grasping at straws. And the Manager and Stylist have basically been relegated to being in the story for plot convenience rather than being full-fledged participants in the drama. The Stylist is only there at this point to unwittingly provide insider information to the evil Hee-yi that she then tries to use against Go Mi-Nam/Mi-Nyeo. The Manager is there to periodically provide prods to Tae-Kyeong to get him moving forwards (Manager thinks Mi-Nyeo likes Shin-woo).

Was glad to finally get to the point where all the guys officially knew about the deception. Shin-woo, to Tae-Kyeong's uneasy dismay, was the hero there. But it was Jeremy's overjoyed reaction that was precious -- though no one understood why he was so giddy to learn that she was really a girl. He's a bit underused in this show actually. There are some nice Jeremy moments, but I wouldn't have minded more. I actually personally have never liked the blonde idol hair thing, but he's pretty darn adorkable.

Jeong Yong-Hwa (Shin-woo) finally got a chance to shine as well and show us some more solid acting in the scenes where he and Mi-Nyeo are coming up with their "false" dating history...which is really Shin-woo's dream of how things could have gone. It was nicely done and the theme of dark/light was carried through really well from all the star discussions down to the shadows on the wall (though, hey, it is a bit like the writers were trying to hit the viewers over the head with the symbolism since there's been something literally every single episode harking back to it). And the follow up at the airport when he is halfway to confessing and asks Mi-Nyeo why can't they try to "start over" with each other rather than just pretending is heartbreaking. Well done on that scene, though the character once again doesn't go far enough. If he could own the whole truth instead of a half-truth, he might have had a chance. It was nice to finally see him get mad too, though it didn't last long. He's a softie both inside and out.

Tae-Kyeong, like Shin-woo, is often his own worst enemy, though in his case it isn't a romantic complex of wanting things to be picture-perfect but his desire to save face and not "lose" (I get it, I get it, his whole formative years were defined by loss). Their first kiss was both good and bad -- stilted because of that weird hold the frame! thing that drama directors seem to love, but the after was nice -- they were both really shocked. I loved Jang Keun-Suk in that awkward moment and his smile--the real smile he gives later on when he hugs Mi-Nyeo at the convent, is a joy.

And, at least, we find out for sure that Tae-Kyeong's mom isn't the mom of the twins...though she was, according to her, the one who made the dad leave his pregnant wife (!) who died in childbirth. That'll be, I imagine, the last mental hurdle of the show for Tae-Kyeong and Mi-Nyeo -- that her dad is the one that his mom abandoned him for and that the twins' mom was "killed" by that betrayal. But, eh, sins not being revisited and all that. Or, evil mom is just in serious denial because, quite frankly, I don't trust much that comes out of her mouth. She wants the world to suit her.

Anyway, looking forward to the end.

Aw, you little cinnamon bun. I'm sorry.

Edit: Midway through episode 14. This is the episode that convinced me that Tae-Kyeong is actually the right choice for Mi-Nyeo. Jeremy had his big confession moment...or, at least, his planned confession. He was going to go on a radio program and sing a song professing his love. Kudos to him for being the only guy to kind of step up in a reasonable time frame and be TOTALLY clear and upfront when he does (in a way--basically, once he figures out she's actually a girl, he's all-in...he's just WAY too late). It didn't work out for him as he overheard Manager talking to Mi-Nyeo about her liking Tae-Kyeong (though he'd already suspected something and was on his way to ask Tae-Kyeong about it). He wound up on his special bus again (where Mi-Nyeo found him, proving once again that she knows these guys and pays attention, even if no one else does) and still sang the song as she sat across from him, but knowing that it wouldn't be accepted. Poor Jeremy.

But, anyway, it made me think about how both he and Shin-woo are all about the big gestures. Planning out big romantic plans. But Mi-Nyeo isn't actually that kind of person. This is a very sheltered girl. She doesn't really want or need that kind of thing. She just wants love. Love, perhaps, without expectations.

Tae-Kyeong, on the other hand, winds up doing the whole When Harry Met Sally thing of running to find her RIGHT THAT MOMENT (prompted, to be fair, by jealousy that she was supposed to be going off to Busan with Shin-woo) to tell her (finally) he likes her. It's not planned. It's not theatrical. It's simple. All of the moments they've had where they share their feelings have been private and unplanned. So, yeah, I've come around. He is the right guy.

The smile after this is brilliant.

Now they just need to finally put a fork in Hee-yi and get through the final hurdle of the evil mom.

Edit (after the last episode): Okay, I am reasonably satisfied with the conclusion. It was fairly realistic/true to the characters (other than I really don't know that the evil mom would have come around as much as she did). The forced separation (which we knew was gonna happen) was reasonably solved in a way that I think worked surprisingly well.

So, in a nutshell...angst, a bit more cross-dressing by Park Hye Shin, more angst, misunderstandings and too much pride. Tae-Kyung takes drunk Mi-Nyeo's words that it hurts her to see him as she isn't okay and can't be around him when really it's that it hurts her to see him because she loves him so much and doesn't want to be apart. He's all she's been thinking about. She's all he's been thinking about too--but he would never admit that to anyone. He hasn't even talked to her brother. So he resolves, okay, that's it, we're done and he's going to let her go off to Africa. Without telling her, like, anything.

Cue everyone else stepping in.

Jeremy--adorable, fluffy Jeremy--actually calls him an asshole. This may actually be my fav moment of the entire thing.

Hee-yi even rags on him. And Shin-woo (finally) says something (after they've been giving each other significant, wordless glares all show long). Honestly, I've been waiting for him to say ANYTHING. He's known from nearly the beginning that Tae-Kyeong was his competition but I suppose it's only now when he's finally, truly let go, that he can say something. And, dude, even Evil Mom tells Tae-Kyeong not to let go of something precious because he'll regret it.

All of that is finally enough and Tae-Kyoeng goes to the orphanage where she's been working to find her. But she's already gone -- headed to the concert, right before jetting off to Africa. But he does find ample evidence (stars everywhere) that she's been thinking of him.

And it ends as I expected it would from the first time I heard of the song her father wrote (written for the twins' mother, though Evil Mom had wanted to claim it) with Tae-Kyeong singing it for Mi-Nyeo. SO knew that was gonna happen. But that last-ditch romantic effort wasn't quite enough to make her just fold and stay...why not? So the writers could get in one last light/dark bit of symbolism as the stage lights go down and the audience lights go up and he wades out into the crowd of fans to find Mi-Nyeo and tell her he loves her.

I know that sounded a little sarcastic, but, really, I'm okay with that. They went whole hog with what they were doing and that's okay. A little heavy-handed, sure, but okay. It was a satisfying ending.

Then there's a very brief (too brief) epilogue scene where we find out she's still going to go to Africa (?), but she's gonna come back (promise) and they engage in one of their friendly bickering/bantering arguments. Didn't love that, to be honest. I would have appreciated something a bit more fan service-y. Some time together, maybe even a whirlwind series of flashforwards, maybe something with all of the characters, maybe something more romantic than bitchy. But it was okay. Except they had his hair back to the way it was in the beginning. Why? Why, O Stylist? Why did my last glimpse of Tae-Kyeong have to be with THAT hair? Did they film this scene at the beginning? What?

Yeah, anyway. Did I enjoy this one? Yes. More than I thought I would actually (the first two episodes I was kinda iffy about). Would I watch it again? Hmmmm, quite possibly, though I'd probably forward through a few parts. Like, I wouldn't want to sit through watching Evil Mom kill her liver again or Hee-yi primping or, honestly, Manager flirting. Once was enough for those things.

There's not too much I would fault You're Beautiful on. It's fun, it finds a pretty good balance between pathos and humour, the characters and actors are engaging (except I really don't enjoy watching the actor who plays Reporter Kim -- I've seen him in other things and there's something about him that puts my teeth on edge...I'm not even sure what and I'm sure he's a lovely guy in person but I would probably turn the other direction and walk away if I ran into him at a party), the music was good, and even the bits that flagged a bit weren't terrible. I wouldn't say it was my absolute favourite that I've watched, but it's definitely up on the list. There was nothing about it I hated -- I mean, take Strong Woman Do Bong Soon...while I loved much of that one, there were also parts of it that I really hated. I can't say that about this one. I liked it. There was nothing I hated. Parts of it I really loved. I'll keep an eye out for these actors again too--and their music.

Last Edit (I hope): Couldn't sleep for ages last night as the very end of the show kept bothering me. I finally figured out what the end should have been (sorry, Hong Sisters). Scene: the patio/deck of the house. Jeremy throwing another celebratory party with everyone there. Could be in the near future or farther in the future (i.e. Mi-Nyeo's hair grown back out). Everyone getting along. Could show how some relationship progress even (Mi Nam could even be with Hee-yi, though why he likes someone that was that horrible to his sister is a mystery). Mi-Nyeo sitting next to Tae-Kyeong. Comfortable, happy. I think this is actual a much better ending and it could have been really short (even as short as the actual epilogue-y bit) for a few reasons...remember when Auntie is talking about how the house has changed since Mi-Nam arrived and Mi-Nyeo left? How it used to feel lived in? But now it just feels empty? Show that house being lively again. Include ALL the characters. That's how it should have been.

There, fixed it.