Birth of a Beauty

I watched this series because Joo Sang Wook was the male lead and I enjoyed his performance in Single Cunning Lady. The story was ok but I was getting rather impatient to finish the series as I felt there were too many unnecessary scenes. I liked the happy ending nevertheless.

Wow, that was a tremendously long and cumbersome drama to sit through. It tormented me to watch it from beginning to end, and I can't believe I stuck with it, but I invested so much already, that I felt I needed to finish it. The plot is quite different, actually. It had so much potential to be something bigger with all the scheming and twists they were introducing. The biggest flaw for me was the pacing and sequencing of events. For instance, the female lead's life was already in danger, yet they still had time to be romantic in between these tense scenes. Too many lovey-dovey scenes that are misplaced or wrongly timed. I appreciated the lead actor-very handsome and funny. I had no major problems with the lead actress, either. I just couldn't find myself to root for their love story. I wasn't feeling their chemistry. If the series were shorter I think my rating would have been higher, but there were too many flashbacks and unnecessary scenes. It would have benefitted from some heavy editing.

This is not the only drama that put plastic surgeon as a solution to life problem. I do not think this is a good means myself.

But in regards to the plot and actors, I have no special complaint.

I see negative reviews, but I seriously believe those people who gave negative feedback didn't even understand the story or watched it till the end.

Yes plastic surgery is bad, yes its not good to look down on people who are fat. But don't assume this drama is basically promoting the idea that its good. It isn't, and you have to watch till the end to see the full picture, full story.

By judging the drama from the beginning without watching the story is no difference from people who judge someone by their looks. This drama has a story and its very interesting, everything about it tell's a story.

The very first episode starts you off on the wrong foot. Our leading lady is fat. Point and laugh at her everyone, she's fat!

Laughing yet? Well the show is. Every single person she meets is repulsed by her, her in-laws treat her like garbage and they keep having her fall, break the chair she's sitting on or sweat so much her armpits are literally see-through.

Because how dare she be fat.... laughing yet?

As repulsive as the first episode is the show finds it's footing after that. I thought it would be a simple Rom-com with her getting everything back after becoming beautiful... which was the intention of the first 5 episodes.

Then the plot become overly convoluted and twisted. It was trying to be Cinderella + pretty woman, then decided to be Count of Monte Cristo but ended up with something closer to a Jekyll / Hyde story with way too many character reveals and filler. What happened to the light hearted fluff I was watching?

I started off hating this show for all the fat shaming and cruelty that board lined on childish. More so because "fat" Sa Geum Ran was really cute as is. The plastic surgery thin = beautiful wasn't needed.

The show kept me interested once that part was over and we move pass it. I ended up loving AND hating everyone which just shows how good the actors are. The plot however is the weak causing the actors to work even harder to sell it.

I'm glad I watched it. However this is not something I'd watch again or easily recommend to others. It's an oddity, take it or leave it.