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Gangnam Beauty

Gangnam Beauty
Promotional poster
Also known asID: Gangnam Beauty[1]
Hangul
내 아이디는 강남미인
Hanja
내 아이디는 江南美人
Literal meaningMy ID Is Gangnam Beauty
Revised RomanizationNae Aidineun Gangnammiin
Genre
Based onMy ID Is Gangnam Beauty
by Gi Maeng-gi
Written byChoi Soo-young
Directed byChoi Sung-bum
Starring
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of episodes16
Production
Executive producers
  • Hwang In-roe
  • Jo Jun-hyung
  • Kim Dong-hyun
Producers
  • Choi Young-joong
  • Jang Ji-yeon
  • Kim Kyung-tae
  • Yang Se-jin
Camera setupSingle camera
Running time60 minutes
Production companyArt & Culture[a]
Original release
NetworkJTBC
ReleaseJuly 27 (2018-07-27) –
September 15, 2018 (2018-09-15)
Related
Beauty Newbie (2024, Thailand remake)

Gangnam Beauty[2] (Korean: 내 아이디는 강남미인) is a 2018 South Korean television series starring Im Soo-hyang, Cha Eun-woo, Jo Woo-ri and Kwak Dong-yeon. Based on the webtoon of the same name published in 2016 by Naver,[3][4] it centers on the life of a college student who had cosmetic surgery to evade ongoing derision from her bullies. However, her decision seems to backfire as her peers ridicule her artificial look. The title of the webtoon and of the TV series alludes to the Korean word gangnammiin (Gangnam beauty), a derogatory term in South Korea for people who are attractive but look as if they went through a number of plastic surgeries for a pretty face, a hot body or both.[5]

The series aired on JTBC from July 27 to September 15, 2018, every Friday and Saturday at 23:00 (KST).[6][7][2][8] It garnered praise for its portrayal of issues affecting South Korean society, particularly on its superficial beauty standards and discrimination on the basis of physical appearance.[9][10][11]

Synopsis

[edit]

Kang Mi-rae decides to get plastic surgery after years of being bullied because of her looks. Her "rebirth" seems successful at first, but as her life at the university unfolds, her plan starts to backfire. The pressure of being a "pretty girl" begins to get to her and, worse, those who can see through her surgery ridicule her and tag her as the "Gangnam plastic surgery monster". Mi-rae tries to recover her self-esteem as she gets to know her former middle school classmate Do Kyung-seok who is quite cold to others but very affectionate towards his sister Do Kyung-hee.

Cast

[edit]

Main

[edit]
A timid and insecure girl who has low self-esteem due to her "ugly" appearance. She desires to live a "normal" life and does not like standing out. After being bullied throughout her middle school and high school, she finally decides to undergo cosmetic surgery prior to starting college. As she enters the university, she starts to feel the pressure of being "beautiful" and "popular" among her peers. She aspires to be a perfumer. A student of Chemistry Department of Korea University Class of 2018.
A handsome college student who possesses both intelligence and wealth, but secretly harbors emotional scars from his unhappy home environment. He is indifferent about what others think, thus appearing cold and distant; however, he does have a caring side within him. In particular, he does not care about beauty or physical appearances despite being praised for his good looks. A student of Chemistry Department of Korea University Class of 2018.
The most popular girl in the chemistry department for her extraordinary natural beauty. She appears pure and kind, but the underlying motives of her actions eventually prove otherwise. She craves attention and adoration, attempting to attain it (or, at times, steal it) with her gentle and innocent persona as she cannot accept the potential for anyone to love other girls more than they admire her. A student of Chemistry Department of Korea University Class of 2018.
A chemistry graduate and teaching assistant in the chemistry department. He is also Do Kyung-seok's housemate later on. He is popular among the students for his handsome appearance and also his friendly and polite persona. He falls for Kang Mi-rae for her looks but grows to love her personality as they both share their expertise in perfumes.

Supporting

[edit]

People around Kang Mi-rae

[edit]
Kang Mi-rae's father and a taxi driver. He is initially against Mi-rae's surgery, but later learns to accept all forms of her.
  • Kim Sun-hwa as Na Eun-sim[21]
Kang Mi-rae's mother and an insurance planner. She assists Mi-rae in receiving cosmetic surgery without the knowledge of her father.
A childhood friend of Kang Mi-rae. A first-year psychology student in Korea University who dreams of being a hip-hop musician. She has a crush on Yeon Woo-young.

People around Do Kyung-seok

[edit]
Do Kyung-seok's mother and CEO of a perfume company. Due to a traumatic fight, she loses her sense of smell and later gets divorce from the abusive marriage, she has been separated from her children for years, until she met her son again through Kang Mi-rae.
  • Park Sung-geun as Do Sang-won[21]
Do Kyung-seok's father as well as a congressman running for mayor. A self-centered and career-oriented who gets things done because of money and power.
Do Kyung-seok's 17-year-old sister and an internet broadcasting jockey.
Do Kyung-seok's childhood friend and a bar owner.

Chemistry students

[edit]
The freshmen (Class of 2018) representative. Her chic personality makes her popular among the students. She has an innate sense of fairness and takes no sides in any conflict. She encounters Soo-ah in her neighborhood and starts questioning her actual family background.
  • Jung Seung-hye as Choi Jung-boon
A freshman. A cheerful girl from Busan with a strong accent. She has a crush on Woo-jin.
  • Jung Hye-rin as Lee Ji-hyo[26]
A freshman who is close friends with Soo-ah. Considered as the prettiest in her class after Soo-ah and Mi-rae. She is self-conscious about her physical appearance and what people think of her.
  • Kim Doh-yon as Jang Won-ho[27]
A freshman. He has a crush on Soo-ah, and treats Kyung-seok as his biggest rival.
  • Kim Eun-soo as Kim Sung-woon[28]
A freshman and Jung Won-ho's best friend.
A student from Class of 2013. He is in his third year of repeat studies. He is known as "Master Dog" due to his crude personality. He bullies Mi-rae after she rejected his confession, and develops a crush on Soo-ah. He later gets beat up by Kyung-seok for bullying Mi-rae while Woo-young threatens to ruin his future if he ever does it again.
  • Ryu Ki-san as Goo Tae-young[30]
A second-year student. President of the student council. He has an indecisive personality and wavers in his decision to date Tae-hee.
  • Baek Soo-min as Go Ye-na
A sophomore. A student council member in charge of student affairs. She used to be the most popular girl of the Chemistry Department till Soo-ah came along. She has a crush on Kyung-seok, but later develops feelings for Jung-ho.
The representative of the sophomores (Class of 2017). Vice president of the student council. She is decisive and responsible, with an honest and blunt personality. Because of her boyish looks, she is popular among women. She later develops a crush on Woo-young, but is rejected.
  • Lee Ye-rim as Kim Tae-hee[32]
A sophomore. She is the secretary of the student council. She feels insecure due to her plump body. She likes Tae-young.
A sophomore. He is a mood maker. He has a crush on Ye-na since the first year. He joins the army after his sophomore year.
A sophomore who likes to gossip.
  • Kim Il-rin as Yeo-woo[35]
The representative of the third year students (Class of 2016). A superficial person who only cares about physical appearances.
A freshman. He is a motae solo and otaku with a huge presence on the Internet community. He is deluded that Soo-ah likes him.
  • Kim Min-ha as Sun-mi
A second-year student. She has a great relationship with the juniors.[citation needed]

Others

[edit]
Chief of the National Assembly and Do Sang-won's assistant.
Business director of the cosmetics company operated by Nae-seong.
Mi-rae's middle school crush who brutally rejected her, mostly due to her physical appearance.

Special appearances

[edit]

Production

[edit]

Reception

[edit]

The series garnered much praise for its cryptic portrayal of the main character's childhood. Viewers applauded director Choi for his thoughtful representation of the characters.[45]

The series was a commercial success and garnered critical praise for asking questions about the emphasis that society places on appearances and about the true meaning of happiness and beauty.[9]

The cast and staff of the drama went on a reward vacation to Cebu, Philippines for 4 nights and 5 days on October 19, 2018.[46]

Original soundtrack

[edit]
Gangnam Beauty
OST
Soundtrack album by
Various artists
Released2018
GenreSoundtrack
Language
LabelWarner Music Group, withHC

Part 1

[edit]
Released on August 3, 2018 (2018-08-03)
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."Love Diamond"Mathi, Park Geun-chul, Jung Su-minPark Geun-chul, Jung Su-minWeki Meki[b]02:55
2."True"Runy, Park Geun-chul, Jung Su-minPark Geun-chul, Jung Su-minRuny03:17
3."Love Diamond" (Inst.) Park Geun-chul, Jung Su-min 02:55
4."True" (Inst.) Park Geun-chul, Jung Su-min 03:17
Total length:12:24

Part 2

[edit]
Released on August 10, 2018 (2018-08-10)
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."You Are My..." (향수)Mathi, Park Geun-chul, Jung Su-minPark Geun-chul, Jung Su-minCeline04:40
2."You Are My..." (Inst.) Park Geun-chul, Jung Su-min 04:40
Total length:09:20

Part 3

[edit]
Released on August 11, 2018 (2018-08-11)
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."No No"Mathi, Park Geun-chulRuny, IverOwol03:25
2."No No" (Inst.) Runy, Iver 03:25
Total length:06:50

Part 4

[edit]
Released on August 17, 2018 (2018-08-17)
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."Something"Kang Hye-in, Mathi, Park Geun-chulRyu Young-min, Park Geun-chul, Jung Su-minGeorge, Kang Hye-in03:51
2."Something" (Inst.) Ryu Young-min, Park Geun-chul, Jung Su-min 03:51
Total length:07:42

Part 5

[edit]
Released on August 24, 2018 (2018-08-24)
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."D-Day"Mathi, Park Geun-chulPark Geun-chul, Runy, IverJunggigo03:31
2."D-Day" (Inst.) Park Geun-chul, Runy, Iver 03:31
Total length:07:02

Part 6

[edit]
Released on August 25, 2018 (2018-08-25)
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."Always You"Mathi, Jung Su-min, Park Geun-chulMathi, Jung Su-min, Park Geun-chulJin Min-ho04:21
2."Always You" (Inst.) Mathi, Jung Su-min, Park Geun-chul 04:21
Total length:08:42

Part 7

[edit]
Released on August 31, 2018 (2018-08-31)
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."Rainbow Falling"Mathi, Park Geun-chul, HowL, Jung Su-minJung Su-min, Park Geun-chul, Mathi, HowLCha Eun-woo (Astro)04:00
2."Rainbow Falling" (Inst.) Jung Su-min, Park Geun-chul, Mathi, HowL 04:00
Total length:08:00

Part 8

[edit]
Released on September 7, 2018 (2018-09-07)
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."Let's Go"HowL, DL, Kim Bo-sungHong Joon-seok, Francisco IovinoA-yeon, Cha-hee (Melody Day)03:16
2."Let's Go" (Inst.) Hong Joon-seok, Francisco Iovino 03:16
Total length:06:32

Part 9

[edit]
Released on September 15, 2018 (2018-09-15)
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."Holiday"Hoteudogeu, Kim Bo-sungHowL, Kim Bo-sungYeoeun (Melody Day)03:51
2."Holiday" (Inst.) HowL, Kim Bo-sung 03:51
Total length:07:42
Disc 2:
No.TitleArtistLength
1."My ID (Opening Title)"Various Artists1:22
2."My ID (Mother theme)"Various Artists2:29
3."My ID Doo Bae Doo Bae"Various Artists1:58
4."First Love Waltz"Various Artists2:19
5."First Love Waltz (Vocal Version)"Various Artists2:01
6."Amazing"Various Artists1:50
7."The Moment I Fell in Love"Various Artists2:29
8."Love Letter I"Various Artists1:48
9."Witch Comic (Slow Version)"Various Artists2:35
10."Too Lost"Various Artists3:00
11."Rainy Day Date"Various Artists2:29
12."The Way to Her Heart"Various Artists2:28
13."Something in Your Eyes"Various Artists1:59

Viewership

[edit]
Gangnam Beauty : South Korea viewers per episode (millions)
SeasonEpisode numberAverage
12345678910111213141516
10.7540.8780.9161.1970.9441.0751.0761.2961.2421.3851.1271.6201.2611.5721.4851.6431.217
Source: Audience measurement performed nationwide by Nielsen Media Research.[47]
Average TV viewership ratings
Ep. Original broadcast date Title Average audience share
Nielsen Korea[48]
Nationwide Seoul
1 July 27, 2018 I'm Pretty Starting Today
(오늘부터 예뻐요) 		2.885% 3.049%
2 July 28, 2018 You Have To Be Pretty From The Start
(원래부터 예뻐야죠) 		3.302% 3.509%
3 August 3, 2018 You Don't Even Know
(알지도 못하면서) 		3.066% 3.355%
4 August 4, 2018 You'll Meet Anyone Destined For You To Meet
(만날 사람은 만나게 된다) 		4.027% 4.061%
5 August 10, 2018 The Genius Face's Counterattack 1
(얼굴천재의 역습 1) 		3.326% 3.837%
6 August 11, 2018 The Genius Face's Counterattack 2
(얼굴천재의 역습 2) 		3.612% 3.415%
7 August 17, 2018 A Male Friend
(남자사람친구) 		3.963% 4.784%
8 August 18, 2018 Basic Instincts
(원초적 본능) 		4.392% 4.542%
9 August 24, 2018 A Twenty-Year-Old's Survival Story
(스무살의 생존기) 		4.391% 5.046%
10 August 25, 2018 I Can Be Your Boyfriend
(남자친구여도 괜찮잖아) 		5.022% 5.549%
11 August 31, 2018 Your ID is Gangnam Beauty
(너의 아이디는 강남미인) 		4.492% 4.598%
12 September 1, 2018 Don't You Have Feelings For Me?
(너 나 안 좋아하냐?) 		5.436% 5.825%
13 September 7, 2018 It's My First Love
(첫사랑이다) 		4.768% 5.513%
14 September 8, 2018 Start Secretly
(시작은 비밀스럽게) 		5.033% 5.265%
15 September 14, 2018 My Boyfriend is Do Kyung-seok
(내 남자친구는 도경석) 		4.832% 5.783%
16 September 15, 2018 Even Though We Don't Know Much About Life Yet
(아직 인생은 모르지만) 		5.753% 6.186%
Average 4.269% 4.645%
  • In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
  • This drama aired on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC and EBS).

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Award Category Recipient Result Ref.
2018 11th Korea Drama Awards Best New Actor Cha Eun-woo Won [49]
Hallyu Star Award Won
Star of the Year Award Jo Woo-ri Won
26th Korea Culture and Entertainment Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Drama Im Soo-hyang Won [50]
2019 14th Annual Soompi Awards Breakout Actor Cha Eun-woo Won [51]
Best Idol Actor Nominated
Best Couple Cha Eun-woo and Im Soo-hyang Nominated
1st iQiyi Entertainment Awards Most Charming Actor Cha Eun-woo Won

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ A subsidiary of Creative Leaders Group Eight [ko]
  2. ^ Credited as a song by Weki Meki, sung by members Ji Su-yeon and Elly

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "ID: Gangnam Beauty". JTBC Worldwide. JTBC Content Hub. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "'Gangnam Beauty' searches for true meaning of beauty". The Korea Times. July 27, 2017.
  3. ^ 공식입장'아이디는 강남미인' 임수향X차은우, 출연 확정…'싱크로율 100%' 조합. Naver (in Korean). Sports Chosun. May 28, 2018.
  4. ^ Gi, Maeng-gi. 내 ID는 강남미인! (My ID is Gangnam Beauty) (in Korean). Naver.
  5. ^ Angela (2018-07-24). "What Does Gangnam Beauty Mean?". whatakdrama. Archived from the original on 2019-08-19. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
  6. ^ "'My ID is Gangnam Beauty' to premiere July 27". The Korea Times. July 23, 2018.
  7. ^ "'My ID is Gangnam Beauty' to be more than just lovey-dovey campus romance". Kpop Herald. July 26, 2018.
  8. ^ "'Beauty' isn't as simple as it looks : JTBC's latest drama tells a coming-of-age tale of a university student". Korea JoongAng Daily. July 28, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Yim Hyun-su (September 16, 2018). "'My ID is Gangnam Beauty' hits record with final episode". Kpop Herald.
  10. ^ Angela Son (October 18, 2018). "What K-Drama 'My ID Is Gangnam Beauty' Reveals About Korean Beauty Standards RN". BeautyTap.
  11. ^ Kang, Ah-young (July 27, 2018). "Gangnam Beauty' searches for true meaning of beauty". The Korea Times.
  12. ^ '내 아이디는 강남미인' 임수향, "미래의 밝은 모습들, 나와 많이 닮았다". iMBC (in Korean). June 27, 2018.
  13. ^ ""My ID is Gangnam Beauty" Im Soo-hyang Enjoys Taking on New Role". HanCinema. Dailian [ko]. July 26, 2018.
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  29. ^ [공식입장] 오희준, '내 ID는 강남미인' 출연… 임수향·차은우와 호흡. News1 (in Korean). June 7, 2018.
  30. ^ 신예 류기산, '내 아이디는 강남미인' 합류...임수향·차은우와 호흡 [공식입장]. Asiae (in Korean). June 18, 2018. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
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  32. ^ "[Oh!쎈 이슈] '이경규 딸' 이예림, '강남미인'으로 배우 도전 "연기만 집중"(종합)". OSEN [ko] (in Korean). June 18, 2018.
  33. ^ [공식입장] 최성원, 쉼 없는 활동..'내 ID는 강남미인' 합류확정. OSEN [ko] (in Korean). June 8, 2018.
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  49. ^ Jeon, Ah-ram (October 2, 2018). [종합] '2018 KDA' 유동근, 대상 영예…'같이 살래요' 4관왕 '쾌거' [[Comprehensive] '2018 KDA' Dong Keun Lee, Grand Prize 'Let's live together' 4 crowns 'comfort']. Xports News (in Korean) – via Naver.
  50. ^ 대한민국문화연예대상 울트라브이 권한진대표 조현재.임수향 최우수상 시상자로 무대에 올라. KNS (in Korean). November 29, 2018.
  51. ^ "14th Annual Soompi Awards". Soompi. Archived from the original on 2018-04-21. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
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