It’s slow, meandering, slice of life, and our characters take time to become more understandable and endearing, all of which are things which I think can work against this show.
However, at the same time, Show is thoughtful, thought-provoking and quite meaty, if you are so inclined to engage.
It’s not quite an escape from real life, like many of us tend to look for in our dramas, but instead, it’s a pretty great gateway through which to reflect on life.
When so many other viewers were criticizing Show for how old-fashioned it was, and how they felt there was no chemistry between Lee Min Ki and Nana, I felt somewhat differently, and therefore thought that I’d be able to stick with this one to the end.
After all, the major criticisms that I’d heard, were of things that weren’t bothering me the same way, during my watch.
That said, I’ve found my own reasons to drop this one, and now, after 9 episodes, I’m calling it quits.
Beauty Inside basically takes Dramaland’s recent-ish penchant for rom-coms with a distinct fantasy twist, deftly mashes it with a well-rounded, well-executed collection of classic rom-com tropes, casts two very capable and very attractive actors as our leads, and then scores it all with a very enjoyable OST sprinkled with everything from cheery-breezy tracks, to wistful-plaintive ballads, to big love anthems.
When Show is cute, it’s very cute, and when it’s angsty, happily, the angst doesn’t actually last very long. Seo Hyun Jin and Lee Min Ki are very good separately and together, and they bring enough goodies to the table that I feel content not to be too nitpicky about Show’s flaws.
Just know that Show doesn’t try to be something deeper, and also, sometimes logic is a bit of a.. stretch. But hey, fantasy romance after all, right?
A good pick for when you’re in the mood to switch off the ol’ brain and sink into a good ol’ kdrama rom-com.
The experience of watching this show is similar to what I imagine it would be like, to be on an exceptional winning streak in your favorite computer game: you are in disbelief as you clear round after round, trouncing the system in ways that you didn’t think possible.
You start to wonder if you will – gasp! – actually be able to pull off a perfect game – a feat that is only rumored to be possible. You make it to the final rounds – OMG am I almost there?! – ..only for the system to beat you in the end, after all. *sadface*
And then you console yourself that, yes, you didn’t make it all the way through this time, but you still did really well – and maybe, just maybe, you’ll make it next time.
Sigh. That’s how I feel about this show, you guys. There was so much to love in this one, and it felt so surprisingly fresh in so many ways, that I thought we might actually have a thoroughly amazing drama on our hands.
Alas, Show wobbled a fair bit in its final episodes, to my eyes. I’m disappointed about that, but just like in the analogy of the computer game, I’m consoling myself that being awesome for 14 episodes is still head and shoulders above most other dramas. Right?
You might’ve seen the Sunshine Award making its rounds in the k-blogosphere lately. Well, today it’s my turn to join the sunshiny fun!
But first of all, let’s get some context. (You guys know how much I love my context!)
I did a bit of poking around, and found that the Sunshine Award is given to bloggers who “positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere.”
D’aw~ That’s so nice, isn’t it?
Thanks to Snow of The Drama Corner for nominating me as a positive inspiration!
It took me a couple of episodes to feel completely engaged and get used to all the characters in the ensemble cast, but once I hit that point, this drama was just fantastic.
I love Dream High (a lot), but I think this is even better. This manages to be more grounded, relatable and true to life than Dream High ever was.
There is an OTP in this drama, as with most dramas, but the OTP doesn’t take centerstage. And that works in this drama. Shut Up is more about growing up and about friendships and bonds, and it is heartwarming and heartbreaking all in one, depending on where you are in the drama.
