Edited by Seo Hayne
Translated by Ashtyn Lee
What defines you as a person, your looks, or your mind? Film The Beauty Inside (2015) received a lot of love for telling an entertaining story about the universal truth of “beauty lies within you, not in the eyes of the beholder.” The heartwarming film about inner beauty was adapted into a 16-episode drama in 2018 and left us with a lasting impression.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the three key takeaways from the drama version of The Beauty Inside that stole viewers’ hearts.
Successfully Distinguished Itself from the Movie
Beauty Inside is a romance that follows the love story of a top actress named Han Se Gye (Seo Hyun Jin), who transforms into someone else every month, and a billionaire named Seo Do Jae (Lee Min Ki), who suffers from prosopagnosia. The setting of its protagonist changing their appearances is the same as it is in the film, and big stars make their surprise appearances in the series just like they did in the movie. The overall structure of the TV adaptation is almost the same as the movie, but the detailed surroundings were modified during the process of recreation.
To extend the story into a 16-part series, they set a time limit for her transformation and swapped the gender of the main leads. The protagonist is a male furniture designer in the original film, while the drama is led by a famous actress. Plus, the movie focuses on its cinematography, whereas the series puts its emphasis on building its characters and narratives. The series carefully follows the celebrity who values her reflected image over her personal life as she slowly looks around and finds herself amid the harsh entertainment business. Such a tweak made the series more memorable and better fitted for the title ‘The Beauty Inside.’
Seo Hyun Jin and Lee Min Ki’s Excellent Portrayal of Their Characters
Beauty Inside is a nice blend of romantic comedy and fantasy, which revolves around a woman with a magical, transforming body. Although Seo Hyun Jin and Lee Min Ki were both already famous for their roles in their previous romantic comedy series and movies, they needed to step up their game to make this series into something more than just a simple love story.
Han Se Gye has a bad habit of withdrawing herself from everything she does whenever her appearance changes, and she knows that running away doesn’t help her maintain a good image as she always finds herself in a swirl of rumors whenever she does so. The series features many scenes where she gets in deep trouble, and that’s where Seo Hyun Jin comes in with her brilliant acting talent, conveying her character’s complex emotions whenever she gets cornered and has nowhere to go.
Seo Do Jae always keeps his straight face and talks very little to hide his secret of being face blind, and thanks to his conditions, he becomes the only character who doesn’t freak out about Se Gye shifting her appearance every week. Selecting Lee Min Ki to play such a character, who doesn’t experience many mood swings, was an excellent choice as the actor shares similar nonchalant traits with his role.
The series unravels a compelling love story as the two, Han Se Gye, who values exterior appearance more than anything else, and Seo Do Jae, who doesn’t give a damn about what someone else looks like, fall in love with each other as they overcome their difficulties.
‘Beauty Inside’ Means Picking Someone of Your Own Size
What’s worth noting in Beauty Inside is Han Se Gye and the brilliant comebacks she throws. Han Se Gye never hesitates to say what needs to be said, even if that means confronting a large firm’s CEO who sexually harasses her student, an actor who compares actresses to flowers, or her colleague who cannot wait for her to fall. The series shows her rightfully doing so whenever she faces those lacking gender sensitization and preying on the weak.
There is a scene where Se Gye whispers to Chae Yu Ri (Ryu Hwa Young), the only villain in the series who is blinded by competitive hostility. Looking straight in her face, she goes, “My face changes? I hope it does so I can kill you without anyone noticing that I did it.” This scene well captures her fearless personality, who never flinches in front of anybody.
The main protagonists face threats and demeanors on their way to their happy endings. The true ‘beauty inside’ would be keeping their humane self amidst such circumstances, just like how Han Se Gye and her dear supporter Seo Do Jae did in times of their trouble.
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Editor Seo Hayne: I like actors as they faithfully lead through their long running-time. I also like idols who accomplish everything on stage within 3 minutes.
