In recent years, there has been a spike in plastic surgeries operations performed in South Korea and about 90% of South Korean women aged 18-26 are predicted to have something surgically “fixed”.
The drama, My ID is Gangnam Beauty, realistically portrays the struggle associated with undergoing a full-face transformation through the main character, Kang Mirae, played by Im Soo Hyang.
This drama is reminiscent of similar dramas Birth of a Beauty and Oh My Venus, but is drastically more in depth about the emotional roller-coaster associated with such an extreme physical transformation. The preceding dramas focused more on weight loss as an adult after going through a harsh breakup, but Mirae grappled with self-image issues even as a young child.
The bullying Mirae endures as a little girl pulls on the audience’s heartstrings and it is easy to become emotional while watching. (There may have been a torrent of tears while watching Mirae attempt to deal with her bullies.) Over time, Mirae loses her baby fat by starving herself and becomes a thin teenager, but in middle school, her crush compares her face to the “Hulk.” Her hope to fit in quickly disappears and she is left heartbroken with a horribly low self-esteem.
Before starting college, Mirae’s mother pays for plastic surgery without her father knowing, and Mirae has renewed hope about forming new friendships and finally fitting in. However, she is still highly self-conscious and overly concerned about what others think of her, and she has an awful habit of rating people based on their looks.
Along comes Do Kyung-Seok, played by ASTRO‘s Cha Eunwoo, a boy who was popular at Mirae’s old middle school. He is one of the few people who knows about Mirae’s past and she hopes to keep it that way. However, they keep getting tangled up in interesting little coincidences.
The casting is a little surprising because Im Soo Hyang is not the usual fresh-faced actress used in such transformation dramas. Usually actresses who look more natural like IU and Yoona would be cast, but not using such women adds a subtle charm to this drama. Im Soo Hyang is a 28-year-old acting veteran while this is her 21-year-old counterpart’s first leading role, and there is a pleasant chemistry between the two that would warm even the coldest of hearts.
The secondary story-line involves a naturally beautiful girl who is jealous of the attention Mirae receives at school and the endless guys who pine after the natural beauty. Although the natural girl’s sweet looks deceive most people, Cha Eunwoo’s character is the only one sees past the façade and only has eyes for Mirae.
My ID is Gangnam Beauty also features OSTs from Weki Meki and Runy that are adorable and complement the drama well too.
If this wasn’t enough to convince you to give the drama a try, watch this exciting, fast-paced trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr9b1xGQ0jE
Relieve your back to school stress with “My ID is Gangnam Beauty”! It’s sure to be a good one.
This article was written by our guest blogger, Sunny.