Otaku still applies, right?

Even though it's Korean?

Well, I'm not sure if it's the right word (well, I am sure- I'm just not sure if I am an otaku) but I am certain that I've downloaded wallpapers, YouTubed the soundtrack and even found myself whistling the theme tune.

Sounds otaku to me.

I've been watching 미남이시네요 / Minami Shineyo / You're Beautiful as a reward for studying and it's... turned into more than that. I've watched all 12 episodes that have aired so far, even though I only started watching several days ago. Each episode goes for a little over an hour, so it's been a fair amount of TV time.


It's the story of a fragile girl from a convent, Go Mi Nyu, who is training to be a nun, but instead is whisked into a life of celebrity. Not only is she a fish-out-of-water in this respect, but she has to pretend to be her twin brother (Mi Nam), who was intending to join a pop group before some touch-up surgery went... wrong. So while he's being repaired, she must keep alive his dream of being famous enough to be contacted by their missing mother.

The three guys from the pop group are an entertaining bunch. There's the impatient, angsty, king-of-the-hill, (adorable?) Tae Kyung. There's the kind-hearted, charming, (dreamboat?) Shin Woo. And there's the fun-loving, childish, slightly paranoid, Jeremy (yeah, he's cute too). There are also many side characters, like Mi Nyu's funny manager, Ma, who is the one who implements the plan, as well as the nasty celebrity princess, Yoo He Yi, who tries to make trouble for Mi Nyu wherever she can.

The story is made up of sinister characters setting obvious traps for the heroes, while all the time, a series of contrived misunderstandings result in a lot of emotional confusion. Some of the funniest miscommunications revolve around Jeremy and his fears that the new band member is here to seduce his buddies (and he wants to keep any potential man-lovin' out of the pop group - until he begins to question his own sexuality).

The acting is suited to a more comedic version of our midday television programs, with plenty of comic relief (although it gets a little sparse later on) in between the long looks of angst/betrayal/longing/despair/etc.

I get the impression that a lot of kdramas follow a similar pattern in terms of themes and I would probably be happy to sit through some others if I got any recommendations.

It may not sound like a good review, but I can assure you that I'm hooked. The interactions between characters ooze cuteness and there is enough excitement to tie one episode to the next. You'll enjoy hating the bad guys as well as watching the cute cast stumble around each other in a beautifully mistimed dance.

If you've got the kind of personality that gets addicted to TV serials, then I suggest you steer clear until you've got enough time on your hands to afford watching several episodes at a time.

TheSovietChairman

P.S. I'm not sure if it's a cultural thing, but sometimes the show's concept of love is a little strange... It seems to be that the way they fall in love with a person is when they're the one who makes the tummy feel funny... even if there are few other characteristics about the person to like.