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[Revisiting Dramas] Falling for a first drama love all over again in You’re Beautiful

By @lezah

I have a whole long list of dramas that I’ve loved wholeheartedly, and it felt almost impossible to pick one. I decided to go back to one of my first drama loves: You’re Beautiful. It was the drama that sparked my adulation for the cold, steely (but soft on the inside) handsome male lead and cross-dressing hijinks. Admittedly, it was the first drama that made me search Youtube like a maniac for all behind-the-scenes, interviews, and anything I could find on any of the main leads. I dare say Jang Geun-seok’s lead character, Hwang Tae-kyung, was my first K-drama love, with his guyliner and ridiculous hairstyles.

I’ve always had a very soft spot for dramas that are centered around music and bands (think Dream High, Liar and His Lover), because a show focusing on people creating good music just hits the right note for me. I like the camaraderie formed in a band, as the members spend time together and bond through music. Hearing Lee Hong-ki’s voice in the opening credits brought back all sorts of good memories, and when I heard the opening chords of “Promise” in Episode 1, I knew I’d made the right choice.

My first thoughts: Was Park Shin-hye’s voice always so high? My most recent memory of her was in Doctors where she was tough and sassy. Perhaps it’s because dramaland seems to have the trend of the strong capable woman now, but I’m not used to hearing such an innocently high voice any longer. I also wondered how anybody was ever convinced that she was a man with that voice, but it’s dramaland after all.

I guess comedy will always be comedy no matter how many years have passed for me, and I love me some good crossdressing hijinks. There are all sorts of hilarious misunderstandings just waiting to happen in a crossdressing plot. I found myself snorting at some of the funny scenes, especially the one right before Tae-kyung finds out the secret: watching Mi-nam and stylist-noona in a room on a webcam, being all touchy-feely and inappropriate; Tae-kyung spraying his glass of water all over his screen; and those glow-in-the-dark balls. On the other hand—birth secrets, annoying family members, and secretly bitchy national fairies? Meh. Those never interested me, and it seems that nothing much has changed for me in that aspect.

In the past, I loved how I felt this strong bond between Mi-nam and the other characters. I still do. Shin-woo is the typical sweet, quiet and understanding second male lead, and I expected myself to be more drawn to him this time round, but I guess my love for Tae-kyung still outshone all the tender gestures from Shin-woo. And dear, sweet, Jeremy, who was always a piece of sunshine. My heart still tore to pieces for him when he sang the song in the bus for her, his voice cracking with tears.

But more importantly than these unrequited loves, Shin-woo and Jeremy represented friendship and dare I even say, brotherhood, for Mi-nam. Thrown into a whole new world and having to crossdress must have been mind-blowing for her, and I relished those sweet little moments where Shin-woo hyung and Jeremy helped her to get through tough times with towels over her unglamorous sleeping face, treasure buses, and fluffy dogs. This show may be a light-hearted watch, but it leaves my heart full.

These a days, I don’t like male heroes to be like Hwang Tae-kyung anymore. A permanently annoyed face, lopsided smirks and a cold, hard exterior? No thank you—I much prefer the smiley, warm heroes. Give me Joon-hyung from Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju, or Min-hyuk from Strong Woman Do Bong-soon, any day. But even so, I have to admit I found myself falling in love with Tae-kyung again, something I didn’t think was possible.

The way he was so steely on the exterior, but paused to comfort Mi-nam when she was crying her heart out over the news of her mother. The way he helped her over and over again, even though he really didn’t have to. I thought I’d moved on from him, but seeing the big softie he was on the inside melted my heart all over again.

And that fake-punch-kiss scene? Rewatching it reminded me of how ridiculous it was and made me wonder exactly how Hwang Tae-kyung could have pulled off pretending to punch her and then surprising her with a kiss instead, because there was no way that it would ever happen in real life. The rational part of me was silently cringing on the inside. But guess what? The scene made the fangirl part of me squeal and swoon again, and clearly that’s all that matters. Mi-nam wasn’t the only one who saw stars at that moment. Eee!

Perhaps to me, Hwang Tae-kyung will always be the first-love-drama-trope that will never fade. I may forget about him as I move onto other dramas and other male leads, but when he reappears in my life, I drop everything else and fall for him again, with his guyliner and lopsided smirks that promise more heartbreaks. Ahh, first loves. A.N.JELL forever!

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Slightly off-topic and nothing against @lezah, but Jang Geun Seok has always made me very uncomfortable as an actor and I don't know why...

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No worries! I've to admit that after YAB I religiously watched all his dramas (no idea how I survived through Jackpot) but I can't tell if it was because I liked him as an actor, or because I liked Hwang Taekyung too much. I think he was best in YAB and perhaps Beethoven's Virus, which I actually watched before YAB but never realized he was inside.

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Me too, he is a decent actor but something just is off, the only thing I can think of is his smile for some reason it always feels off.

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For me, it was all about Jeremy. ? I didn't know a thing about Lee Hong-ki before but I think I ended up watching We Got Married because of him. Through that, I learned that I actually really like his vocals.

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I didn't know a thing about Lee Hong Ki or Jung Yong Hwa before this show, and thanks to it, I downloaded songs by FT Island and CN Blue into my phone. And I definitely also ended up watching Hong Ki's WGM! His croony voice is oooooo *u*

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He was super sweet and I also started liking him there. I followed his work afterwards and became a fan, he's so fun, sweet and has a powerful voice. Our Hongstar is the best. ?

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Same here! I started liking Lee Hong Ki because of this show!

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To me, SLS is so strong in this drama. Thank God for Heartstrings after that. Nevertheless, I remember that I was obsessed with this drama when it aired. I listened to the OST over and over again after finished watching this drama. Without Words is my favorite.

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Without words is my favourite too ;)

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Same for me. This was my very first Kdrama and I loved it up to the point I realised shin-woo was not getting the girl; specifically that scene where Mi nam doesn't see him standing right across the street! It was so heartbreaking for me that I dropped it right then and there. Thankfully someone mentioned Heartstrings in the comments and I got my happy ending (sort of). That was my introduction to SLS, k-dramas and CNBLUE <3. Maybe I'll watch this again and actually finish it this time around.

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Huh. I never watched this, but it looks pretty good, right up my alley. I'll add it to the list. Thanks for the post!

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OMG YOU HAVENT??

Watch it. It's totally crack. Was my first drama too and @lezah must be my twin aka sister-from-another-mother because I feel exactly the same about this Show (and Tae Kyung) as her.

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Pig-Rabbit!

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I loved this drama so much (one of my first) that I bought a pig-rabbit and pin. The only merchandise I ever purchased. She still sits on my bed ;)

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I have a big-rabbit stuffed toy too. I got it from a thrift shop, still covered in plastic with a tag from You're Beautiful/SBS. Hahaha!

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I have a pig-rabbit phone charm that now hangs off my bag. I like to think of it as my daily dose of stealth kdrama in real life :)

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when my sister and I watched this show, we kept on doing that Pig-Rabbit and we kept on laughing about it! LOL

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A.N.JELL forever! Next is Crudeplay! haha. Bonding with friends through music always gets me.

One of my early days favorite. I also remember how obsessed I was with this show before. Watching the episode-reading the recap-listening to OSTs for the nth time and rolling over my bed from too much squeeeeing. Ah good days indeed.

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I love pseudo-bands because the OSTs are always soooo good, and I listened to A.N.JELL's songs so many times that I could literally memorise them. Just like Crudeplay, I wished A.N.JELL could be a real band. I've been relistening to YAB's OST and ahhh those were good times indeed. *u*

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I still wish that A.N.JELL was a real band!

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Oh man, this was one of my first dramas (I think it was my fourth completed one?) and I still revisit it every once in a while for old time's sake.

I agree that Hwang Tae-kyung's gooey marshmallow interior really kept me from having much SLS. And I can't watch Lee Hong-ki in anything without going "Jeremyyyyy" at least once. I even kinda love UEE's fake-fairy second lead because she's so delightfully bitchy. And PSH just totally sold the slightly dim nun so well it was hard not to love her. Even in retrospect, and with all my awareness of how corny and makjang it is, I will always love this silly little show.

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OMG I didn't even know the UEE was in that drama! I guess it shows that I knew absolutely nobody when I watched this drama!

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Aw, the show that got me into k-pop. I fell head first for Hong-ki/FT Island and Yong-hwa/CN Blue, and I haven't looked back since.

And, I still need to treat myself and get a pig-rabbit. It's just too cute.

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It got me into K-pop too. Sorry Sorry and Genie parodies we're so good I had to look up the real stuff.

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I remember having a bet about this drama after ep 3.
My cousin like the 2nd lead so much and I say to her that the jerk/cold always win at the end and she disagrees because who will like tae kyung. I see her point but I win the bet anyway, hahaha.

At that time I didn't really mean it since I am not into the drama but after I finish it, I really like "fool" song that Yonghwa play almost the end of the drama and Jeremy confession.

Years later, I watch the Japanese version and I feel disappointed when they don't have both of that singing part for yonghwa and jeremy character. I just really like that part from the Korean version.
The OST really stay with me and make me happy whenever I heard it.

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I think I was sitting right beside your cousin when I first watched this drama. It was also one of my first dramas and I still had no idea that jerk/cold characters always win. I've had one of my worst SLS cases with Yonghwa and didn't even know it was a thing.
Anyway, I watched it all over again because of this post and the funny thing is that now I can see Tae Kyung's appeal and was completely cured of my SLS for this drama XD

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Woah how the years fly by. This was my first Kdrama as well as my first exposure to second lead syndrome *cue my tears* I remember giggling over the prickly, cold male lead and my present day self is so ashamed?. The change to sweet, kind, supportive male leads is definitely a positive thing in my book. If this show were to air there's a huge possibility I'd pass on it in a heartbeat. How times have changed. Gosh now I have Promise stuck in my head >_<

*time to finally rewatch the show*

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You're Beautiful has a special place in my heart and I rewatch it every couple of years when I'm in need of some comfort food. It's so silly, amusing, and full of heart.

It was my first JGS drama, and like many other Beanies, I was bowled over by the "and then he smiled" moment. The contrast between JGS's scowl and smile really is amazing! (The comments for that ep. are fun to read because there's so much collective squeeing over that smile. During a rewatch, I noticed that prior to that smile, he fake-smiled briefly at UEE, which I think was a mis-step.)

But I never really fell for Hwang Tae-kyung-- I just came to adore the whole ensemble, including Mother Superior, Pig-Rabbit, the Treasure Bus, and Jolie (the fluffy dog).

Thanks for the fun walk down memory lane, @lezah!

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I have to confess that i've two sets of DVD for this. One is the drama, another with the BTS. I dont think she was convince enuff to be a boy but I love the drama OST. How I love ANJELL's song and to remind of beautiful memories those days. I was still innocent and bright compare with nowadays bcoz a lot of responsibilities and serious task that I've to carry. Sigh. Anyway, if I want an enjoy drama that bring smile and laugh to my face, this is one of it. I'm glad I was hooked to the drama. Now, I'm thinking of watching ANJELL's show again.... Aigoo

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The drama that made me fell hard on Jang Keun Suk. I wondered what happened after...

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I was so obsessed with this drama,those were the days !!!!!!

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Tae Kyung and Jeremy were my faves. I guess I am just into the broody and playful types. ShinWoo was a bit too perfect bf type for me. Maybe I like flawed characters. But I did feel for ShinWoo when he was about to confess to MiNam. She was just a few steps away but she didnt see him. Their timing was completely off.
TaeKyung for all his bluster is a complete softie inside. I love all the ways he tried to hide it. You were right on all counts when he helped MiNam when he didnt have to.
You wrote a wonderful post which reminded me why I love this show. I was supposed to rewatch this but current dramas and RL took up my time. I may just rewatch my fave scenes another time.

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Omg me too, I love broody heroes. And it's also maybe because the contrast between his exterior broody don't care self and the inner self who would scream as loud as possible about how much he loves the girl was so adorable. I came on the show starting to hate him the most, looking at all the weird bracelets, guyliner, bitchface and all, lol but then I fell hard when he saves the girl while he was on the truck and he had to help her climb on it [ I could be wrongly describing the scene, so sorry for the confusion, erm]. That moment when he started running, was when I was absolutely sold on the OTP lol. And then next day he saves her from drowning or something? I can't stop gushing haha. Just this drama was my first kdrama, and I loved it for all the silliness, which was done cleverly though, I would say. JGS has done some really stupid projects, but still, YAB and Beethoven virus are still my favorite. I hope he gets a good project once again, which will do justice to his talent.
PS: Jeremy was so funny with his crush on PSH though haha. And Uee was in her best form here sigh. I am scared of the skeleton she has become now.

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Broody heroes are the best.. broody and absolute softies like TK. I also like all the different hairstyles he did in the show. ?hopefully he will have great projects soon!
I luff the puppy Jeremy. ?

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My first drama starring Jang Geun-Seuk and I remembered falling hard for him. Sadly, none of his subsequent roles impress me and my admiration for him has waned over time.

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I remembered being awed by him. He appeared to be steely with vulnerabilities cracking at times. He was impassive yet sensitive. Those were the times....Hwang Tae-Kyung will always be his best performance in my heart.

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my first jang geun suk drama and I have become a rabbit fan since..

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I remembered finishing Boys Over Flowers (my first drama) and experiencing withdrawal symptoms then somehow stumbling across this one and the rest is history. It was then that I realized that I have a thing for bromance!

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It's not my first drama watching. that would be all about eve. but this drama is the first drama which led me to dramabeans gate. oh nostalgia. i have a soft spot too for musical drama.

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Ahh my sentimental favorite! This is the first kdrama I watched on my own (and not on TV like other kdramas shown in my country such as Dae Jang Geum) and binge-watched. I remember loving it so much for fulfilling my favorite catnip of a romance between a prickly marshmallow hero and a sweet heroine. It's also the only cross-dressing drama I loved (well besides Splish Splash Love) because instead of the cross-dressing and the real identity being the main conflict of the show, Taekyung learned about Minyeo's identity early on. I think my main problem with cross-dressing dramas that feature that as their main conflict is that I was never able to suspend my disbelief over the male lead not knowing the female lead is truly a girl; and it's so obvious in most cross-dressing dramas too.

The comedy was also really funny and the OST was great. I have pleasant feelings every time I listen to the songs.

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I rewatched this a while back, since I needed something comforting and familiar, and I laughed at all the gags all over again. It's definitely a close favourite of mine.

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i loved jang geun suk in hwang jin yi ?

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One of my favorite drama for sure.

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Ahhh....Hwang Tae-kyung <3 <3

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