I Demand a Recount (part 2): You Are Beautiful Review

Earlier, I wrote a post about one of my favorite dramas that the internet didn't seem to love.  Well, now it's time to visit the other end of the spectrum with You Are Beautiful (or You're Beautiful), which, apparently, everyone on the internet loved except for me. I went into this show with high hopes because I saw so many recommendations for it, but by the end, I kind of wished I hadn't wasted my time.  I know that my stance isn't popular, but bear with me for a few minutes, and I will try to prove that I'm not completely crazy.

 

Problem #1: Go Mi Nyu Is Not That Great

"Relationships confuse me. 
Then again, so do bookshelves.  And fire.  And glue."

I was excited when I watched the first episode of this drama because I liked the idea of the happy-go-lucky heroine who is innocent because she grew up in a nunnery.  As it turns out, Go Mi Nam/ Go Mi Nyu isn't just innocent: she's legitimately kind of dumb. Yes, she's a nice person, but she tries to spit on a fire to put it out.  I think this is meant to make her endearing.  I was not very endeared.

Even if she weren't smart, I could have handled it if she were upbeat and cool in other ways.  Unfortunately, that happy-go-lucky nun turns into a pathetic, teary puppy within a couple of episodes, leaving me with the question, "ALL of the men are in love with her?  Really?"

Problem #2: Hwang Tae Kyung Is the Worst Boyfriend in the Universe

How DARE I say such things?  Didn't I watch the episode where he painstakingly sewed a pig nose onto a rabbit?  Didn't he say something wonderfully symbolic about being able to see her always with his terrible night vision? Allow me to break this issue into two primary sub-problems:



Don't be fooled by the grin. 
Both of them would steal toys from little babies and then laugh.

1. He's just not attractive.  Now, before you behead me for blasphemy, let me clarify:  I'm not saying anything about Jang Keun Suk; I'm saying that the character of Tae Kyung wasn't a dreamboat.  He starts out as a Criss Angel lookalike and ends up with a grumpy Elvis mullet.  This made it really difficult for me to root for the romance because I cringed a little bit inside every time he did something nice.  To be honest, his angry face was less frightening than that painfully slow serial killer smile.  Is he going to hug her, or is he going to store her liver in a freezer in his basement?  I'm still not entirely sure.

2. Not enough character growth.  Yes, like all Korean drama male leads, he had some emotional issues to work through, and he eventually admitted that he liked Go Mi Nyu, but he was so smug for 90% of the series (even after they got together the first time) that I just couldn't take it.  Most other Korean drama leads are jerks, but they usually stop being condescending before the very last episode.

Problem #3:  This Stupid Song

On its own, this song is actually not that offensive.  However, this song got played SO MANY TIMES in the last few episodes that it took a solid three weeks before the Korean lyrics I made up finally left my head.   I can see the series writers now: "You know what would be AWESOME?  If we had a band in the show, and they could be recording a song, and we could just make them sing it in every single scene like it's a performance! It will be so organic and natural!" And make my ears bleed. On the upside, I can totally recognize when people say "What should I do?" in Korean. 

Yes, Jeremy, YOU are the best part.
You and that bowl on your head.

The Exception

Now, lest you get the wrong idea, I need to put a disclaimer here. Jeremy (and his dog Jolie) get a pass on this series because he was a bright light on the show.  Although he was the cheesiest character, he was also enthusiastic and funny, which is more than I can say for Shin Woo, who literally did nothing but stare and look sad for a solid ten episodes straight.  I will even let the uneven bowl haircut slide because 1. It works for his character, and 2. I had a disconcertingly similar haircut as a child.

So, what did you think of this show?  Did you love it?  Did you quit?  Did you suffer through it like I did?

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