Lim Ju-kyung is the endearing protagonist of “True Beauty,” and just like her, other main characters in K-dramas face society’s unforgiving expectations of beauty. K-dramas are known for their captivating depictions of romance and gripping dramatic storylines, but an underrated theme in the shows is that which deals with beauty standards in South Korea. Each country has its own definition of true beauty, but despite the specificity of South Korean culture in K-dramas, the pressure to match these beauty standards is universally understood.
“True Beauty” is a 2020 K-drama starring Moon Ga-young as Lim Ju-kyung. Overcoming past mistreatment because of her appearance, Lim Ju-kyung becomes a talented makeup artist and decides to transform her appearance before interacting with others. “True Beauty” only lasted until early 2021, but fans who miss Lim Ju-kyung or her connection with Lee Su-ho (Cha Eun-woo) are lucky. Like “True Beauty,” a few other K-dramas offer an enjoyable blend of romance, comedy, and beauty commentary.
1- Oh My Venus
In “Oh My Venus,” a physical transformation isn’t always a bad thing. When physical appearance makes someone feel inferior, a transformation can become a necessary confidence booster. This is the case for Kang Joo-eun (Shin Min-a) in “Oh My Venus”. As a young girl, she was admired for her beauty, but as she grew older and focused on her work, she no longer fit society’s beauty standards. As a result, Kang Joo-eun is dumped by her long-time boyfriend and loses self-confidence. At first glance, one might fear that “Oh My Venus” conveys a negative message about changing one’s appearance to please others.
However, when Kang Joo-eun meets a personal trainer named Kim Young-ho (So Ji-sub), her transformation conveys a healthy message and is much more realistic and gradual. Kang Joo-eun and Kim Young-ho have a humorous first contact and, through their shared fitness journey, they become closer with their romance being independent of each other’s physical appearance. For their on-screen chemistry and relationship, Shin Min-a and So Ji-sub won a KBS Drama Award for “Best Couple”.
2- The Interest Of Love
Moon Ga-young has had a busy career since 2006, starring in various films and TV series like “Salut d’Amour” and “Heartstrings.” Two years after the premiere of “True Beauty,” Moon Ga-young had a leading role in the K-drama “The Interest of Love.” In the 2022 series, Moon Ga-young plays Ahn Soo-young, one of four adults who form a friendship while working together at a bank.
Each friend in the group has a unique perspective on life, and for Ahn Soo-young, she believes that love is doomed. Unlike the usual pace of a K-drama, “The Interest of Love” is slower and requires a dedicated and patient viewer. It doesn’t feature a lot of typical K-drama clichés or outlandish plot twists. Instead, “The Interest of Love” focuses on the characters and relies on the connections between its four main protagonists. However, the pace of “The Interest of Love” is offset by captivating characters and rewarded with a unique ending that leaves the fate of some characters in the hands of the viewers.
3- 18 Again
Although the positive message about beauty standards isn’t its core focus, “18 Again” features a main character that’s just as charming as “True Beauty.” Based on the 2009 film “17 Again,” starring Zac Efron as the teenager playing Matthew Perry’s character, “18 Again” features married Hong Dae-young (Yoon Sang-hyun), in his XNUMXs. and father of a family.
When his life takes an unfortunate turn, he miraculously transforms into his teenage self (Lee Do-hyun). “18 Again” delicately combines humor and emotion. Through this K-drama, an underlying message about life choices and the possibility of changing them if we could go back in time emerges. Hong Dae-young’s children are also teenagers, and when he becomes young again, he has the opportunity to bond with them as if they were from the same generation. This experience allows him to see his life from a new perspective and learn valuable lessons. Lee Do-hyun, who went on to play a lead role in “The Glory” a few years after “18 Again,” brilliantly plays a man in his thirties trapped in a young man’s body.
4- Birth Of A Beauty
In “Birth of a Beauty”, beyond the aspiration for beauty, a deep desire for revenge emerges. Sa Geum-ran (Ha Jae-sook) leads a miserable existence while her husband is away abroad on business. Like Lim Ju-kyung, Sa Geum-ran maintains a positive attitude in the face of bullying from her in-laws, who mistreat her because of her appearance. However, after surviving a tragic accident, Sa Geum-ran radically changes her attitude and sets out to take revenge on those who hurt her. Now under the name Sara (Han Ye-seul), after cosmetic surgery rejuvenating her, she joins forces with Han Tae-hee (Joo Sang-wook) to bring down her ex-husband and his new wife. The growing romantic feelings between Sara and Han Tae-hee will delight romance fans, but not without complications.
The plot of “Birth of a Beauty” is chaotic, but in a gripping way, with unexpected revelations that shake the series in new directions. Fortunately, the story develops over 21 episodes. In addition to new characters and captivating twists, the series adopts a fast pace that makes it addictive and easy to devour in one sitting.
5- The Beauty Inside
Based on the 2015 film of the same name, “The Beauty Inside” blends the romantic comedy genre with fantasy to create an intriguing love story with a profound message. Much like “True Beauty,” “The Beauty Inside” addresses beauty themes. Han Se-gye (Seo Hyun-jin) experiences a rare phenomenon where she transforms into a different person every week. This situation greatly complicates Han Se-gye’s life, especially her romantic relationships.
Seo Hyun-jin, a highly-awarded K-drama actress, co-stars with Lee Min-ki, who plays Seo Do-jae. Han Se-gye makes an ideal connection when she meets Seo Do-jae, who suffers from a condition that leaves him unable to recognize individual faces. To compensate for this, Seo Do-jae remembers people by their personality and interests. Throughout the 16 episodes of “The Beauty Inside,” the romance between Han Se-gye and Seo Do-jae blossoms, with both having struggled to connect with others until now. Despite its fantastical elements, “The Beauty Inside” remains grounded in reality, thanks to well-written characters and the palpable on-screen chemistry between its lead actors. For its achievements, “The Beauty Inside” won the Best K-drama of 2018 at the 14th Seoul International Drama Awards.
6- Lovely Runner
Lee Si-eun is the screenwriter of both “True Beauty” and “Lovely Runner,” which explains the many similarities between the two series. Like “True Beauty,” “Lovely Runner” is a K-drama adapted from a webtoon, and fans of Lim Ju-kyung’s personality will enjoy Im Sol (Kim Hye-yoon) in “Lovely Runner” just as much. so endearing. Kim Hye-yoon plays a minor role in episode four of “True Beauty,” but she plays the lead role in “Lovely Runner.”
Idol Ryu Sun-jae’s (Byeon Woo-seok) encouraging words are of utmost importance to Im Sol, a die-hard fan. By chance, Im Sol finds herself thrown into the past and has the opportunity to save her idol from future death. Tonally, “Lovely Runner” is similar to “True Beauty” in that they are light-hearted series with enough heartfelt moments to touch the audience’s emotions. Featuring Ryu Sun-jae and his band Eclipse, “Lovely Runner” features a catchy soundtrack with a song, “Sudden Shower,” which found its way onto the Billboard Global 200 chart. Although “Lovely Runner” doesn’t Although it did not enjoy a large number of viewers when it premiered, it received a considerable number of positive reviews, praising the series’ gripping plot and its ability to use familiar K-drama genres to create something entirely new. new fact.
7- My ID Is Gangnam Beauty
One of the most acclaimed K-dramas tackling beauty standards in South Korea is “My ID Is Gangnam Beauty.” Since its first broadcast, the series has been praised by critics and audiences for the way it handles its characters and sensitive subjects. “My ID Is Gangnam Beauty” is an excellent K-drama centered on a college romance, starring Im Soo-hyang and Cha Eun-woo. Besides the common themes of beauty, the characterization of the main characters in Gangnam Beauty is often compared to “True Beauty”.
Both Lim Ju-kyung of “True Beauty” and Kang Mi-rae of “Gangnam Beauty” were mocked for their appearance during their childhood. Having been called ugly their entire lives, each woman decides to conform to societal standards of beauty. For Kang Mi-rae, this involves cosmetic surgery to change her face. However, she then becomes the victim of harassment for her “plastic” appearance, earning her the series’ nickname and showing how difficult it is for women to feel fully accepted by others. Each protagonist’s love interests also have similar personalities. Lee Su-ho and Do Kyung-seok both come from wealthy backgrounds and are conventionally attractive, but problems arise in their household and they become distant and cold towards others, except for Lim Ju-kyung and Kang Mi- rae.