You're Beautiful

I just finished this classic '09 rom-com, and I have to say,  I was pleasantly surprised. Even for a k-drama  the plot sounds over the top (a nun-in-training agrees to disguise herself as her idol twin brother and take up residence with his new bandmates? Really?), and I'd heard some less-than-positive things about it.

But then I watched it. I won't say I fell madly in love, but the story is such (for the most part) light, relaxing fun, it's impossible not be at least slightly charmed.

For instance, Jan Geun Suk pulls Hwang Tae-Kyung off in a way that makes the otherwise gruff sarcastic loner come across as oddly appealing, with a tender core. Park Shye Hin makes Go Mi-Nyeu adorable, if annoyingly naive sometimes. And if we knew from the start that the second male lead didn't stand a chance with his typical second-lead behavior ("I guess I like you. So I'm not going to tell you anything. Ever. Just stare longingly at you across from the room and wish you could read my mind"), the shenanigans between the bandmates kept the giggles coming.

And there were plenty of of giggles. Aunt Mi-Ja invading Tae-Kyung's treasured personal space? Mi-Nyeu's three-way choices about things that the guys always read as evaluations of  themselves? Jeremy reading fanfic?!?!

Can we talk about Jeremy and his awesomeness? I want a Jeremy to push me around in carts at the grocery store and take me on magic bus rides.

Ahem. Anyway.

For me, what really sold the story was the surrogate family. I'm a sucker for the stories where the lonely hero/heroine finds family in an unexpected place. In the beginning of the story, Go Mi-Nyeu is clearly lonely, even while seemingly unaware of it. To fill the holes left by her brother (who has gone out into the world to do his thing while she's chosen to stay at the convent) and her parents, she has three stone statues in the convent garden she chats to. While the scene is cute as she blushes over their masculinity, it was also a little sad to see her engaging in so blissfully in a fantasy of friendship. So it was doubly satisfying to find the statues clear counterparts in A.N. Jell--three living, breathing guys who come to care about her unconditionally. Truthfully, I could have spent the entire show watching Jeremy throw celebratory parties for the weakest of reasons, Shin-Woo making everybody tea, and Tae-Kyung fake-sulking about life.

So overall, this one's a classic for a reason. If it doesn't challenge you on any level, it's still fun.

(All screencaps courtesy of dramabeans)