You're Beautiful: finally finished and the verdict is in

[dangermousie]

Ta-da!

I have finally finished You're Beautiful. I got through 14 eps earlier and watched the ending but I am a completist (sort of) and now finished the two eps in-between.

Verdict: Still rather meh, but shockingly with distance from its crazy fandom I realized that I didn't hate it.

Pros:
* funny, fast-paced script with some hilarious parodies (IRIS, fanfics, music vids) and riffs.

* some delicious acting by its young cast - especially Jang Geun Seok as Tae Kyung the emo diva. There is no hormonal interest here for me - not only is he way too young, he's entirely not my type, but despite that he made TK an absolute delight to watch and made me want to watch his future dramas. Park Shin Hye made Minam adorable a lot longer than she should have been by rights, Uee was hilarious as a futile schemer. Jung Yong Hwa was suitably pretty and a better actor than his counterpart Kim Hyun Joong in BOF, Lee Hongki was hilarious. etc.

* I actually liked the soundtrack a lot. I like sugary sweet pop so this was up my alley.

* A fangirl fantasy of what it's like to be in a boyband :P

Cons:

* I think my loss of interest in the second half was correlated directly to its biggest con - there was not much conflict or plot and the second half was when I realized it. Nothing really much happened. Any potential conflict was speedily resolved, every potential for a dramatic moment or situation undercut. There wasn't a strong character development or conflict - it was 16 eps of basically unchanged people having fun, like a long charming skit. This would have been fine for a mini-drama - say 5 eps long - but for a 16 ep drama it felt very draggy - there was not enough there for 16 hours' worth of eps. Especially since if there is no strong plot, there have to be either strong character development or really complex characters and this had neither - how could it when by its genre it was a fluffy fun trifle? But even a fluffy fun trifle as written by the usually-awesome Hong Sisters is too long when it's 16 eps.

* Minam the Heroine - I don't mind silly heroines, nor do I mind helpless ones, or long-suffering saintly selfless ones. But a combination of all those is deadly. She was simply a heroine type I did not enjoy in the slightest. When I had hope she'd grow up and change I was OK, but once I realized it was not happening, the drama really started to bug me. Once again, this heroine lack wouldn't have been so bad if this had a strong plot - because then there would have been other things to concentrate on rather than Minam all the time. Or a shorter length would have helped - I only went into Minam overdose in the second half.

* Love story - I could buy Minam and Tae Kyung liking each other, I just couldn't buy it in the long-term - that they would truly last or that there wasn't someone more compatible for them out there. I never really bought into the romance and that's a huge hurdle for a romcom.

* Taking their climax directly from "A Star In My Heart." That's just not on.

Extraneous factors that probably affected my reaction negatively:

To be fair, these factors had nothing to do with YAB, but they are responsible for contributing to me being perhaps harsher to it than I should have been:

* I am simply too old for this type of drama. I am possibly closer in age (though barely :P) to the characters' parents than the characters. Certainly closer in my place in life. So I am very much not the target audience. I have learned my lesson and now avoid teen dramas.

* The rabid teenybopper YAB fanbase. I probably wouldn't have become a rabid YAB worshipper in any event (due to the above-mentioned reasons) but I confess I would have liked it much better if it wasn't for the fanbase which repeatedly proclaimed it the best drama ever made, most complex characters ever made, bashed any dramas which either competed with it in the ratings (IRIS), had the temerity to follow in in the time slot (Will it snow on Christmas), or had the audacity not to be YAB (too many dramas to name). They also demonstrated a cult-like defensiveness which did not endear them either. I am sorry, YAB! I shouldn't have let some crazy fans influence me! Mea culpa.

Conclusion: A fun if not too-memorable trifle which would have worked better with shorter length (or possibly a quick marathon without too much time to think between eps) but had some delicious scenes and moments.

Comments

[ambergold.livejournal.com]

I loved YAB overall but I started getting disillusioned in the second half where my problems were all the same as yours - Minam had absolutely no brain cells whatsoever, and while Hong sisters dramas are often on the lighter side, they've always been a good mix of angst and comedy - this one is my far their lightest in that there's nothing really at risk here - and that's ultimately why I coudln't buy into it. I mean, none of the characters are at risk of poverty or death or serious heartbreak or anything really beyond some adolescent feelings that always go hand in hand with a love or first crush. It's not just that there was no external things being risked- there was ultimately not that much emotional risk either since, as I completely agree, I never bought that there was no one else int he world for TK and MN - and this I think is because neither of them, esp. TK, were allowed to grow up. This drama, more than most I've seen, had leads who seemed very young - TK is quite mature underneath but in terms of communication/expressing himself/stepping up when necessary he was still stuck in adolescence - and I kept waiting and waiting the ENTIRE drama for that breakthrough to come through, where he grew up(and the same for Minam of course) - and - it just never happened. The Hong sisters didn't allow either of their leads to really change or grow over the course of the drama. Which in turn dumbed down the whole drama because then the romance just feels trifling and then there's even LESS to care about/obsess over. Aiyah. So sad esp. because the concept and acting was so exquisite and it had a couple absolutely superb scenes(I still LOVE the one where she sings Without Words in front of him).

It makes me worried about the H sisters though - this drama was a big step backward both in terms of heroine and the stakes they put in the plot - it feels like they played it really safe and I'm hoping that doesn't become a trend.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Apparently they are now working on a supernatural-type drama like Nine Tailed Fox. I am a bit concerned by it (NTF had such an amazing heroine and Hong Sisters' heroines are a decidely mixed bag) but it sounds like it's not playing it safe, at least.

I agree - my biggest problem was the same as yours - it was all much ado about nothing. I could not really get emotionally involved when there was no emotional (or other danger) here - nobody's life or livelyhood or family or anything important was going to get affected. And even in the fluffiest romcom, you usually feel enough dramatic heft from belief in the couple's love - that they are the best match in the Universe and not ending up together would be a tragedy, even if they may eventually get over it. There has to be some sort of emotional precipice, some sort of stakes. To compare YAB to Pick the Stars - the latter is light but emotional stakes are there, because heroine and her kid siblings would end up on the street/orphanage if she doesn't work her job/living situation out, and the hero would end up a successful but emotionally frozen wreck if the brood left his life. Nothing like that is here - at worst TK and MN would lose their puppy love but they could happily find another in a couple of years - I never got the sense they were mature enough to have a lasting, soulmatey type of relationship.

Because yes, that an even bigger peeve - they were not allowed to mature or grow up much. They are still immature at the end, they still have all potential pitfalls unresolved etc. I love a good character arc more than anything. It can be to take a heroine from silliness to maturity and finding her calling in life (Tamra) or an icy man melting (Spring Waltz), or even someone completely falling apart (Mawang). But character change is what drives the story even more than plot - it doesn't have to be something ridiculously huge (Worlds Within has subtle character development and it's my favorite drama) but I want to see complex people and I want to see them evolve. If I have that, I don't even might light plot. But there was none of this here.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Hee! I am glad you are through it (and not a bad score, not a bad one! :D)

I loved the drama and it made me consider Hong sisters are an option again (after HYD's betrayal), and back to our constant debate - I don't see any bug differences between Mi nam and any of their other herouines (except from "Delightful Girl"). Also she did grow up.

In my ratings, I took one point off for blatant taking of other drama's ending, but I am still debating it with myself - if a drama is so well-known this can just constitute as homage.

But anyways, I am all obsessed with Chuno so my brain doesn't do YAB anymore.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Icon. OMG.

I see a difference - Fantasy Couple's heroine was one of the toughest ladies out there and no-nonsense in the extreme. My Girl's was self-sufficient (she existed well in her scammy environment for years) and certainly not saintly or in constant need of protection. And we've discussed HGD's heroine already :)

But ultimately, my problem was the characters did not evolve at all. Minam in ep 16 is basically Minam in ep 1, only dressed differently and with a boyfriend. Tae Kyung in ep 16 is basically TK in ep 1, only with a gf.

In Delightful Girl both changed quite a lot (10 years' arc would do that), My Girl and Fantasy Couple both have subtler character change but it's there. In HGD, both change tremendously in some ways.

And I think this change/growth is even more important if you have young protagonists. It's not surprising that a 45yr old person is set in his/her ways. But if you start out a drama with 20-yr-olds who are shown as immature, I hope they change somewhat by the end.

I think the best compare/contrast dramas for YAB are not Hong Sisters' other dramas (which all feature very different characters and scenarios - Fantasy Couple e.g. has nothing in common with YAB) but these two other big teen dramas - BOF and Goong.

And YAB is much more competently written than BOF (and even if it has no character development, at least it doesn't change the protagonists' basic character halfway through with no explanation) but while BOF became almost makjang (crazy twists, nonsensical but keeping you entertained, and coming rapidly), YAB did not. This did not make it a worse drama but while I obsessed over BOF through to the end despite its ridiculousness, this lack of makjangness made YAB boring for me.

And Goong is a total template. Both its young protagonists grow and mature tremendously in the course of the story and I also get convinced of their ultimate compatibility, not the case with YAB.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I think we have been watching two different dramas. Mi Nam grew up enough for me - volunteering in Africa? I wouldn't have dared. I wish my daughter does that when she grows up. I think there is a very different way we view things, that is all.

But I just want to put this to rest as an example of seeing things differently: For example, I have never really liked any of HYD (I loved "Meteor Garden" but mostly for Jerry and the boys). Why? Because I don't like Domyoji, I don't see any changes in him, he likes to hit girls and drive people to suicide and also the whole thing is ridiculously OTT. At the end I think he is just putting a front for Makino but after some years together he will return to his wife-beating ways. I can't help but seeing it this way but many people like HYD.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

As long as we both like Chuno, we are good :)

Thank You! :)

[igotrhythm.livejournal.com]

Hi. I'm sorry to jump in out of nowhere. I admit, I'm mainly a lurker, not a participator, so you don't know me from adam, but I just had to randomly thank you for this comment!

I’ve spent over 2 years thinking I was the only person in the Whole Wide Drama Watching World who disliked Domyouji, so my heart actually leapt when reading your comment! Ridiculous I know!

I’ve watched HYD Seasons 1 & 2 about 5 or 6 times now because I kept thinking that I

must

be missing something if so many people love it and rate it so highly. I even downloaded different subbing teams' versions in case it was a Lost in Translation thing, but every time I watched it I just hated it/him more and more, and now my HYD/Domyouji hate is of epic proportions!

He lost me right at the beginning when he almost had Tsukushi raped as a punishment for standing up to him, and

nothing

he did subsequently convinced me that he had changed in any significant way.

I started Meteor Garden fairly recently and I absolutely love it so far, but it’s made me doubt myself even more. I started wondering if the reason I never fell for Domyouji was because I don’t find Matsumoto Jun even remotely attractive, and if he was played by, say… a young Kimura Takuya, would I still feel the same way? Even though I loved MatsuJun in Gokusen, I have far more faith in Kimura’s acting ability, so the character would likely be very different.

You’ve given me hope that I’m not just totally shallow, I just see things differently. It's such a relief! Yes, I have obsessed about this far too much! :)

Anyway this comment is far too long, it’s 3 in the morning here, and thinking about HYD too much is having its usual effect of giving me a migraine, so I’m gonna disappear back into lurkdom now.

Just wanna say ThankyouThankyouThankyou again!

dangermousie I’m really sorry for hijacking your post with my negativity. This has been bugging me for so long, I just really needed to purge!

Re: Thank You! :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

What is your icon? It's gorgeous!

You are not the only one who doesn't like Domyouji. While I like him fine as a character/Makino's OTP even I would do anything in my power to break up any gf of mine who wanted to date someone like that. And I have a number of flisties who don't like him - you are definitely not alone.

I adore him but in a 'only in safe confines of fiction' way :)

Re: Thank You! :)

[igotrhythm.livejournal.com]

See, I think I could like him fine as a character if he

wasn't

Makino's OTP. I totally get your, "in the safe confines of fiction" thing. I love a good bad boy character and/or a good redemption arc as much as the next person! I just didn't feel that Makino should have to shoulder all the weight of his redemption.

I loved her so much in the first few episodes, that I just couldn't believe it when it became clear she was going to end up with him! She deserved so much better! Or at least she did, until she fell for him, after she was almost raped because of him, and then drugged and kidnapped, seemingly because he waited for her in the rain!? WTF!? That's where she lost me too!

I also really dislike the way he never seemed to change for

himself

, because

he

felt he needed to. He only changed the way he acted for

her

, to her and no one else. All the responsibility of keeping him "human" lay on her. Which is far too much for a 16/17(?) year old to have to cope with IMO.

I think this is also the reason why I love Dao Ming Si so much in comparison. The way he changed didn't seem to be

just

about impressing Shan Cai.

I'm sorry, I'm probably not making any sense and I'm ranting again!

To make up for it, here's the Kimura Takuya picture my icon came from. :)



I'm not sure where I got the pic or what photoshoot it is originally from. I did wonder if it was from his 1998 An An sex shoot because he looks similar in those photos, but I can't be sure.

I am a huge Kimura fan, and I have you to thank for that. You introduced me to Pride, my Kimura Gateway Drama! :)

And to end on something

finally

on topic. Even though I enjoyed YAB while I was watching it, I still haven't watched the final episode. My interest just petered out towards the end and I'm not sure I'll ever watch the finale at this point. I completely agree with everything you said above! :)

Re: Thank You! :)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I am also very glad someone shares my opinion on this! But don't despair - I have seen some other posts from other LJ users that criticize Domyoji's character! The original is ,of course, the manga - as far as I know Japanese and taiwanese adaptations are the closest to the manga itself and in both of them Domyoji is a bad case of a tyrant.

I also share your feelings about Matsumoto Jun . In my eyes he is probably one of the ugliest men alive and where I could get along with the story (with a bit of a grudge - ok, I don't really see any major changes in Domyoji but if you tell me that there are some I'll believe you) in BOF and "Meteor Garden" purely for the pretty boys sake, I could not do even this HYD Japan.

Re: Thank You! :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

The problem with the jdrama was that they had to condense 36 volumes into 9 eps - character development got necessarily screwed up. I have no idea how I would have taken it if I didn't come to it with manga, anime, and twdrama under my belt.

Of all the adaptations, the only really faithful to the manga one is Meteor Garden, btw.

[ifruity.livejournal.com]

I have to confess, I am usually a teenybopper fan (aka my like for BOF and YAB and teen dramas like that). But I like to think that I have a better drama knowledge than your regular teenybopper because I watch a wide range of dramas, and I don't watch it just because my idol's starring in it (most of the time).

But I always get wary about the lines in the divide between teenyboppers and drama addicts. The drama addicts are usually much more mature and deem idols and music groups to be immature, while teenyboppers usually know nothing about GOOD dramas and only crave eye candy (which isn't that bad though lol) without trying to analyze the plot or anything else. And it's hard to keep the divide between the two sides separate because they're merging together, especially with new dramas like Cinderella's Sister with Taec of 2PM (which I love) and another drama with Changmin of DBSK, so in some ways, we have to adapt.

But yeah, I agree, I can't really see Tae Kyung and Mi Nam working it out to the very end of time, but I guess it's because their relationship was more like master-minion, with Tae Kyung controlling Mi Nam and Mi Nam wordlessly following. That's a little too dramatic of a comparison, but I just wish they melted a little into each other. In fact, I kinda think that Park Shin Hye and Jang Geun Seok would make a much better couple if they played themselves as their characters. Off screen, from what I've seen, they looked really compatible.

Sorry for ranting lol

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I confess I get sort of worried about the trend of casting idols in dramas. It doesn't bother me if it's someone who's been doing acting on-and-off for a while (Siwon) or someone who's really good at it (Lee Seungki) but the trend of casting idols for idols' sake makes me worried kdramas will turn into jdramas which often skimp on plot or character development and just throw a bunch of idols in hopes fangirls will watch (and as a lot of these fangirls are mentally young (whatever their bio age), stories get simplified too).

Kdrama starting making manga adaptations and teen dramas is worrying me - they do more of them now then even a couple of years ago where Goong was a major anomaly.

Oh well, nothing I can do. I suppose as long as period dramas get mondo ratings, I am guaranteed at least some non teeny dramas :)

[bae-mac.livejournal.com]

sigh of relief....

aha! I have been waiting for your verdict actually. Hahaha!

I really adore YAB so much but not in the *crazy-fangirl-I -would-unfriend-you-because-you-don't-like-YAB* kind of way.

I think what this drama did for me is that it erased the bad taste that BOF left. While fluffy-teeny bopper kind of dramas would still work for me, after BOF, I became somewhat skeptic and anxious.

But hey, it's JGS and that dork can do no wrong in my eyes! YES!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I think YAB is much better made (and overall, acted) than BOF but I was more entertained by BOF. By the end it got so crazy :)

[bae-mac.livejournal.com]

To say that YAB is much better made is an understatement. BOF got so crazy that it's the craziness and cracktastikness of the whole that made me finish the whole thing.

And of course, SoEul,too. :)

Oh...and I'm sure you've heard about Lee Min Ho's lates drama and who the female is going to be,right? I'm waiting for you thoughts on this,dear! hehehe! Do I sound like an impatient customer?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I heard and I am super-excited. I cannot wait for it. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

[kitkat-cat.livejournal.com]

I admit that i kinda like You Are Beautiful, with the ability to fast forward that is. It's light, breezy, forgettable and ultimately insubstantial, something for me to unwind after a long day at work.

The fact that the fanbase is teeny-bopper and the actors are so young, (lol, i'm older than you i think) just mean that i can't take it as seriously, or get as emotionally invested as when i watch another drama. It is a shame that the drama had potential, but just went nowhere with it.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

the fanbase is teeny-bopper and the actors are so young, (lol, i'm older than you i think) just mean that i can't take it as seriously, or get as emotionally invested as when i watch another drama. It is a shame that the drama had potential, but just went nowhere with it.


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