Drama|Beauty Inside — A Unique and Hilarious Rom-Com
Happy Friday, my BAYOG lovelies!~ It’s yo’ girl and BAYOG’s Real People Stuff expert: Minty~ Other than [Sweet Home], it’s been a while since I did a proper drama post. There are alot of dramas I’d been meaning to talk about. However, I’ve just been pushing them back for over a year now. One of my 2021 goals was to try to do more drama goals. So I figured I’d try to get myself to do that more~ With it being Valentines, the season of love, and with spring just around the corner, I wanted to share one of my favorite romance drama series!~ So today’s post is on the 2018 Korean drama, The Beauty Inside/뷰티 인사이드!~ You might remember it being one of my [recommendations] from when quarantine and lockdown first started. I highly recommend watching this one! It’s a wonderfully funny, cute, and enjoyable series. It’s definitely one of my top 10, maybe 5, dramas ever.
Synopsis:
Han Se Gye is an A-list actress surrounded in many rumors and scandals. She’s known as a troublemaker, and seen as a diva. Her life is pretty much surrounded in mystery. However, the truth is that Han Se Gye has an unusual secret. For years, she’s been suffering from a strange and unexplainable condition. Once a month, her appearance will suddenly change to that of another person. It can be of any age, gender, or ethnicity. She has no control over it, and it’s the cause of her many rumors and scandals. Only her two best friends know about her condition. One of whom doubles as her manager, and the other is aiming to be a priest. Her condition has allowed her to hone her skills as a top-notch actress, but it also leaves her feeling lonely. She fears that no one will ever know or recognize her as the Se Gye that she is. Seo Do Jae is a seemingly perfect man. He’s intelligent, rich, handsome, and the executive director of a large airline company. He also holds a secret that only his mother, friend/secretary, and doctor knows. He suffers from face blindness. It’s what makes him keep his distance from people. Especially in a world where people are constantly trying to tear him down. Yet, Se Gye catches his attention. Despite having face blindness, why is she the only one he can recognize immediately? Se Gye is also curious as to why this man is the only person to recognize her despite any appearance she takes on.
Genres: Romance, Comedy, Fantasy, Supernatural, Drama, Melodrama
Aired: October – November 2018
Episodes/Status: 16 Episodes/Completed
Watch It: [Viki]
[AT A SNAPSHOT]
Good for:
- If you’re looking for a more light-hearted series.
- If you like alot of comedy. Dude, it’s hilarious AF.
- If you like a more sweet kind of love stories; Although it’s also not childish.
- If you like something with wholesome moments.
- If you like spunky female leads.
- If you like unique characters.
What I Liked:
- It’s freakin’ hilarious. No, seriously. Like, I can’t.
- It’s a great light-hearted and wholesome series.
- Interesting premise.
- Great characters and actors with amazing chemistry.
- Secondary characters and their story is just as interesting.
- It’s a journey of self-love and acceptance.
- It’s a great lesson on how it’s what is inside that’s important.
- Spunky female lead; Strong female characters in general.
- Some social commentary
This drama is loosely based on [the Korean movie The Beauty Inside] from 2015. That 2015 movie is a loose adaptation based on [The Beauty Inside, a 2012 American social film by Intel and Toshiba]. The 2015 movie had alot of big and recognizable names such as: Han Hyo Joo, Yoo Yeok Seok, Park Shin Hye, Park Seo Joon, Lee Dong Wook, Lee Hyun Woo, Ueno Juri, Kim Sang Ho, and more. I haven’t watched either yet. Although, I have been meaning to. Definitely gonna do a movie night one day haha~
So this was yet another series I originally had no interest in and just stumbled upon. It kept popping up on my recommendations back in 2018-2019 (Yes, that’s how long I’ve been putting off this post). Honestly, I didn’t even know what it was about. I just kinda didn’t pay attention to it at first just because I typically prefer watching series with younger actors, and basically just dramas with a teen/young adult target audience? Also, I know Lee Min Ki and have liked some of his work. But…he’s not my type. So since male lead wasn’t my type, I wasn’t keen on diving into the drama at first. After a couple of weeks, I ran out of things to watch and decided to maybe start Beauty Inside. It was on a whim and out of boredom, but also because I realized that it starred Seo Hyun Jin. She’s a former OG generation K-Pop idol from M.I.L.K. (밀크/Made In Lovely Kin). M.I.L.K. was one of the original girl groups in the early 2000s; Specifically 2001-2003. They were formed by BM Entertainment (SM Entertainment’s sister label) and were also also a part of SM Town.
I finally read the synopsis and was kind of intrigued. Having a weird condition that constantly makes you change your appearance, and the complex issues (both externally and internally) that comes with it is an interesting idea. So I dove in on a whim. Again, I didn’t really expect much. Rather, I thought it was interesting, but didn’t think that I’d be super in love with it. Because it wasn’t a typical kind of series I’d watch, and because I prefer watching shows with younger actors. I’m really glad I dove in, because it honestly ended up being one of my all time favorite dramas. It’s really funny, different, and has it’s cute moments. It’s light-hearted, sweet, wholesome, and fun, but still has emotional punches. The drama can be extra and has your typical K-Drama cliche moments, but it’s in a way where it’s still fun and doesn’t feel overly childish. It’s a bit more mature than the usual dramas I would watch, but not too overly serious and dry. Plus, it’s just really sweet to see these two people with such strange conditions fall for each other. It’s a cute love story that really is focused on the beauty inside~
Cast & Characters
Lee Da Hee (Bottom Left), Ahn Jae Hyun (Bottom Right)
The cast was amazing too. The acting was great, and so was the chemistry with the ships. The characters all have really interesting personalities, and they make such interesting combinations. It’s really sweet and fun~ All the characters are just quirky and pretty fun~ I also like how it’s not a story with a love triangle or square for once. It’s just 2 separate pairings, and we’re here to see their journey and how they help each other grow~
- Seo Hyun Jin as Han Se Gye
First of all, Hyun Jin is gorgeous. Half the time I’m just thinking “She looks so pretty~” At certain angles, she reminds me of a combination of Taeyeon from Girls’ Generation, Irene from Red Velvet, and Jessica Jung (formerly of Girls’ Generation). Hmm… I’m just realizing all of them have/had been under SM Entertainment… I love her character. I love how she’s this easy going gal who’s also spunky and doesn’t take bullshit. She has moments where she’s undeniably tough and truly follows her heart. She has dreams and goals that she intends to see through. However, she suffers from this unexplainable condition that she randomly developed one day. Once a month, her appearance just randomly changes to that of a different person. It’s regardless of sex, age, gender, and ethnicity. It’s a secret, she she’s constantly having to run away to hide her condition. Unfortunately, people just assume she’s a total diva, and her condition has caused her to be shrouded in rumors and scandals. Despite the misunderstandings and scandals from her condition, she honestly tries her best. She’s strong and tough to an extent, but also has moments of weakness. She tends to act like things are just a joke to shrug things off. However, she’s full of worries. She fears that no one will ever know who she truly is, and she’s afraid there won’t be a trace of Se Gye. That’s why she takes a picture and video recording of herself every time.
- Lee Min Ki as Seo Do Jae
Do Jae is the director of a big airline company. He’s a great business man and is great at what he does. He’s always cool and calm. He’s actually kind of stoic. Of course, he also has alot of people opposing him who are just looking for a way to take him down. Do Jae seems perfect: he’s the director of a big airline company, great at his job, intelligent, rich, and good looking. However, he has one weakness that is a big secret. He suffers from face blindness after being in an accident in the past. Only his mother, doctor, and best friend/secretary. knows this secret. He can’t even recognize those close to him. Do Jae can only rely on mannerisms and other physical details to help him identify people. Yet, oddly enough… he’s able to instantly recognize Se Gye, no matter what appearance she’s in.
- Lee Da Hee as Kang Sa Ra
Lee Da Hee is freakin’ gorgeous. I also love, love, love her makeup and fashion styles. Her accessories are gorgeous too. Kang Sa Ra is Seo Do Jae’s stepsister. She’s a successful business woman in her own right. She’s the chairwoman of her own airline company that competes with Do Jae’s. She has an inferiority complex since she’s an “outsider” in the family. Plus, she’s always having to deal with misogynistic old dudes who won’t seem to recognize her talent and strengths. So she’s super competitive, and always fighting with Do Jae because she wants to prove herself. However, she doesn’t hate him. She’s basically just tsundere. She gives herself the image of a strong, cool, chic, business woman. However, she’s able to be more relaxed around Ryu Eun Ho. On a totally random note, I want her to be Navier for the drama version of [Remarried Empress]. I feel like her looks and how she acted as Kang Sa Ra makes her a perfect fit at Navier~
- Ahn Jae Hyun as Ryu Eun Ho
Ryu Eun Ho is one of Se Gye’s besties along with Woo Mi, who is also Se Gye’s manager. Eun Ho and Woo Mi are the only ones who know Se Gye’s secret. They’re always hanging out and supporting her. Eun Ho is the sweet, handsome, nice guy that always catches the ladies’ attention. However, he’s aiming to be a priest. Despite that, he also really loves to get as much money as possible. He’s a hard worker who works multiple jobs. He somehow seems to have alot of run-in’s with Sa Ra, Do Jae’s step-sister. Eun Ho is also a pretty pure and innocent kind of dude.
Se Gye’s friendship with Eun Ho and Woo Mi is also really enjoyable. They’re really funny together, but it’s also nice to see what a great friendship they have. On a side note, Lee Tae Ri is also in this drama. Y’all may remember him from [Extra-Ordinary You] and his cameo in [True Beauty].
Former T-ARA member Hwa Young is also in this drama. If you’re familiar with the T-ARA and Hwa Young controversy… you’ll see the irony with her and her character in this drama. That’s all I’mma say about that…
Also, I just want to emphasize how much I love the style, makeup, and fashion in this series. I legit rewatched it a bunch of times just for Hyun Jin’s and Da Hee’s styles and makeup. I especially love Da Hee’s style and makeup~
Watch It For the Comedy
Like I said, it’s a romantic comedy that feels more mature than your teen/young adult dramas. However, it’s not overly serious. While it has it’s emotional parts, it’s pretty light hearted. There’s alot of comedy, and it’s absolutely golden. It’s hilarious, and I love every single bit of it. So if you’re into comedy, I definitely recommend it! I’ve posted some of my favorite comedy moments from the show~ The first one is when Se Gye has to run off in the middle of accepting her award at an awards ceremony because she can feel the change coming on. She runs off to her van in time, leaving everyone in chaos and confusion. Just take a look at her transformation from beauty to beast lolol
There’s also a scene where Do Jae has Se Gye sleep over because he wants to see proof of her condition. Unfortunately, that happens as his mother comes. Korean mom suddenly visits son, only to find a young male high schooler in her son’s bed. Misunderstandings ensue lol
This is also a funny scene from when Se Gye transformed into a high school boy. It’s also just satisfying to see cuz I hate snobby, power tripping rich people who look down on others. Y’all be blind to your kids’ faults, and I can see why your kids are nasty. Y’all know I enjoy karma~
Strong Women, Social Commentary, and Messages
Honestly, I have several other reasons why I love this series. First off we have strong and successful female characters. I love that Se Gye is a strong, refreshing, and fun character. She seems like a fun, and spunky lady who doesn’t take bullshit. She can’t turn a blind eye to people in need. Even if that puts her at a disadvantage. Still, she does what she thinks is right and doesn’t regret it. She’s also a savage queen~ There’s a scene where she’s at some charity press event for donating to a high school. She notices this older, powerful guy basically sexually harassing a female student. Everyone on that stage sees it, and they all seem visibly uncomfortable. Yet none of them do a damn thing; Including the adults from the school. Mind you, this is all happening with press and cameras in front of them. I love how Se Gye first calls them out on using the kids as a decoration to show off doing a supposed good deed. She then proceeds to turn the tables on creepy guy and call him out. I love her~ This scene can also be seen as commentary on people in society abusing their power to corner and take advantage of people. It’s unfortunate, but abuse of power is a real thing, It’s also unfortunate that in real life, many people are able to get away with disgusting actions without consequence due to their influence in power, money, and status.
With Kang Sa Ra, we see a commentary on not just inferiority complexes, but also the struggle women have to deal with. Despite being a capable business woman, she has a hard time being acknowledged because of misogyny and outdated values. This is unfortunately something that does happen in just about every country and culture. Unfortunately, it’s a pretty common problem in alot of Asian countries/cultures. On top of misogyny, there are pressures and issues due to hierarchy in age, seniority, and status. We see this shown several times with how people treat and talk to both Sa Ra and Se Gye. Of course, it’s refreshing though because both are strong women who do end up not taking that bullshit.
It kind of goes with one of the main messages that this drama portrays: don’t judge a person or their worth based on their appearance. You dont know what people are going through. People can be really surprising. They can have surprising experiences. They can also hold alot of surprising talent and skills. A person’s worth is truly the beauty inside.
Soundtrack
I absolutely love the soundtrack too. This drama has one of my favorite soundtracks~ The tracks are pretty, fun, sweet, and cute~ You also have alot of great artists, such as Wendy from Red Velvet~
I know this is a long post, but it’s honestly such a great drama with an interesting premise. The actors did an excellent job. The characters were different and fun. I love the bits of social commentary too. My favorite thing is definitely the comedy, plus how sweet and wholesome the series is. It’s light hearted and wholesome, but doesn’t feel overly childish or cringey for me. It’s also got an amazing soundtrack. This drama was a surprise for me, and has honestly become one of my all time favorites. I think it’s also a series that anyone can enjoy regardless of age or gender. I definitely recommend checking it out. Heck! I’ll even do a Viki watch party and watch it with you if you want!~
Have you checked out Beauty Inside? What did you think? What are some of your favorite romantic-comedy dramas?~ Let me know in the comments, my socials, or Discord! Anyway, I hope y’all have a fabulous day! Take care, stay safe, stay warm, and have a wonderful start to your weekend my luvs!~
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Hihi! I’m Minty! I’m Thai-American~ เป็นคนไทยค่ะ~ ยินดีที่ได้รู้จักนะคะ~
I’m BAYOG’s hella basic Asian chick, Real People Stuffs expert, and boba addict. I’ve been a part of the BAYOG Crew since 2017~ I fangirl and mostly blog about music, live action movies/dramas, manga/webtoons, and occasionally webnovels~ When I’m not blogging, I’m usually writing/singing Thai-English covers~
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BLACK LIVES MATTER
AS A GROUP OF BIPOC, BAYOG strongly stands with Black Lives Matter. We are all too familiar with the racism that we, our friends, and family have faced on a daily basis. Every life is precious. However, as BIPOC, we also recognize that black people are a group of people that face extreme racism and at a higher risk for their safety. We’ve individually done several donations. Of course, donations to support the cause and support change isn’t the only thing needed. Support for the cause and change also requires conversation and understanding. Make sure to have those conversations. Please remember to be an active supporter, be it through donations, sharing information, and/or conversations and speaking up.
If you can, please consider donating. I’ve donated more than once as well. For one of my donations, I donated through the BTS ARMY x BLM project. I recommend that if you’re unsure of where to donate. This is because the donation will be split amongst several different non-profit organizations. Of course, you can also choose a specific organization(s) if you wish as well. You can find that [HERE].
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