Title: My ID Is Gangnam Beauty 내 아이디는 강남미인
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Friendship, Life, School, Psychological
Release: 2018
Starring (Main Cast):
Cha Eun Woo as Do Kyung Seok
Im Soo Hyang as Kang Mi Rae
Kwak Dong Yeon as Yeon Woo Young
Jo Woo Ri as Hyun Soo Ah
Director: Choi Sung Bum
Writer: Choi Soo Young
Rakuten Viki Rating: 9.5/10
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Audience Rating: 4.8/5
MyDramaList Rating: 8.1/10
Rakuten Viki Synopsis: Click Here
Watch with VIKIPASS Standard on Rakuten Viki: My ID Is Gangnam Beauty
Episodes: 16 (abt. 1 hour each)
Content Rating: PG-13
Violence: Some hitting
Sexual Content: kissing, hugging, verbal references
Language: Mild
Ending: Happy, satisfying
My Synopsis
Kang Mi Rae (Im Soo Hyang) struggled with her looks all through her grade school years. During her summer before college, with the help of her mother, she goes through a procedure to alter her looks. She enters college a different person. At first, she enjoys her new found attention, but she learns quickly that things aren't all she had thought they would be. Faced with a different kind of attention, and the continuing battle with self-esteem she finds she has a few things to learn. To make matters worse, Do Kyung Seok (Cha Eun Woo), a boy she knew in school, recognizes who she is. They must overcome past misunderstandings, disappointment and the vindictiveness of some unforgiving classmates. Is a relationship between them possible?
Trailer
My Review: 9.5/10
I thought this a really good drama, especially for the moral value. We have Kang Mi Rae, played by Im Soo Hyang, who portrays a woman who underwent bullying and a childhood of low self-esteem because of her looks. As a result, she has her face altered via plastic surgery. This is actually a real issue in Korea where statistics show that 1 out of every 3 women from ages 18-28 has had some plastic surgery done. I was pleased with how this drama addressed this. After having the surgery Mi Rae quickly realizes that it isn't quite what she expected, as she finds she still struggles with self-confidence, and on top of that she is faced with a new type of attention that isn't what she wanted. My favorite line from this is drama is when Do Kyung Seok (Cha Eun Woo) tells her that instead of altering her face she should have altered her perspective. Having known her before the surgery, he really did have a right to say this to her. I think this is a great line for those who feel they have to fit the "world's view" of looks. Mi Rae has to learn to find the real value of herself and others, and she does so with the help of Kyung Seok.
I feel this is a role that really suits Cha Eun Woo and judging by his drama list I think he likes this type of role as well. I can see him as being this way in real life. Mild-mannered, encouraging, non-judgmental, and shy... even protective and stepping in when he needs to. If I find out he is any different from this I think I would be disappointed. :D I would like to see him stretched more as an actor... I think because he suits this type of role he will be cast that way a lot, but I look forward to seeing him get really angry... yell a lot... something that brings out another side to him. I think he has it in him. This was the first drama I have seen him in... since then I have seen also his newer one True Beauty where he also plays this type of character. I chose this drama for him, because I figured there was so much hype around him lately that I needed to watch one of his dramas. I am glad I did.
Im Soo Hyang was a great choice for the role of Mi Rae. It does seem that the actress herself has had some plastic surgery and, as such, can relate to her character well. She definitely had more opportunity to stretch in her role as she is faced with a lot of difficulties and emotions. I have yet to see her in other roles, but I also feel that she has the potential for a variety of different roles, so I hope to see her again in other dramas. I felt the chemistry between these two was good and I enjoyed watching their relationship grow.
I believe I pretty much covered the plot in my first paragraph. I really did enjoy this drama. Again, especially for the moral value. This really was a plot based on a person vs. self type of theme, though Mi Rae does also face human foes that are trying to harm her. But, even still, the way they work to harm her is also a direct result of her own thought processes and self-esteem issues. Having also struggled a lot through my many years with self-esteem, I found this very relatable. I think a lot of people will. Definitely recommend!
OST
As a bonus, Cha Eun Woo sings "Rainbow Falling" on the soundtrack for My ID is Gangnam Beauty.
Awards Won
Cha Eun Woo - 2018 - Best New Actor (11th Korea Drama Awards) - 2019 - Breakout Actor (14th Annual Soompi Awards); Most Charming Actor (1st iQiyi Entertainment Awards)
Im Soo Hyang - 2018 - Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Drama (26th Korea Culture and Entertainment Awards)
Jo Woo Ri - 2018 - Star of the Year Award (11th Korea Drama Awards)
안녕! - 줄스
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