Baby-faced Beauty (2011)

The plot was very unique -a "baby faced" 34 year old women has to lie about her age in order to get a position she wants in the fashion world- and I thought it was a really cute drama. However in the middle I got a little bored with all the design competitions, as they got repetive and a bit old. Also the conflict with they guy's father and her father was a bit exasperating.

The acting was very good on all parties, and I thought the male lead was so perfect at being annoying and immature one minute to really sweet and thoughtful the next. The music was fine and I would probably rewatch this drama if I ever have more free time, althought I would skip a couple of the middle episodes. I thought this could have been done in fewere episodes for more of a "wow" factor and it would have made the plot less draggy in the middle. If you're looking for a not too serious and cute drama this is the way to go.

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My ratings for this are all over the place, which isn't a surprise given that my thoughts on Baby-faced Beauty is equally as scattered. In an attempt to organize my opinion, I'll just run through the given categories.



Story: I gave this a 6 for story instead of the intended 5 because the story is what initially drew me to BFB. Age is an intrinsic part of how Koreans socialize with one another through their actions and communication. And so it was interesting to watch a 34 year old designer-wannabe struggle to play the role of the complacent youngster who's just a tad bit too opinionated when drunk. However, and this might be just cultural difference talking, her deference bordered on aggravating spinelessness. It didn't help that her immediate environment is populated with the most unlikeable people I've ever encountered both fictionally and non. These people were spiteful for the sake of spitefulness, including her own family, and although some characters are redeemed towards the end, I needed to tap into my reserve of perseverance to endure that long. The story towards the end begins to flag, hitting a rut in which actual narrative tension is replaced with design contest after contest after contest. This might have had to do with the extension given to BFB: it also seemed that during this extension the writer remembered that there was supposed to be a romance, and so decided to throw in as many rom-com cliches as possible to satisfy that aspect of the show. The extension did this show no favors.



Acting/Cast: Really, this rating belongs to Daniel Choi. This show belongs to Daniel Choi. This goofy smile that spread across my face every time he was onscreen belongs to Daniel Choi. My heart belongs to Daniel Choi. The number one reason why I didn't drop Baby-faced Beauty was because I couldn't bear to drop Daniel Choi, who was delightfully immature yet sincere as Choi Jin Wook.



Overall: I wouldn't say that this drama is bad, and there were many moments that I thought were downright great. I finished the last episode with a smile on my face and the happy warmth that usually indicates my love for a show. However, taking into account the MANY times I wanted to give up on this show and how I had to force myself to trudge through for just one more hit of Daniel Choi, the best I can say is that Baby-faced Beauty for me was just watchable.

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Watch at your own risk. A relentlessly tragic but still syrupy sweet story about a older girl still working toward her dreams. Although I skipped a few episodes, and fast forwarded a lot, I still think that this drama made some very valid points in relation to age, viability and attractiveness. Although I wouldn’t really recommend it, it was still a decent watch.
What I did like: The male leads were awesome. Yes Choi Daniel is annoying at first, but then you love him, then you hate him again. Ryu Jin was the perfect second male lead. Although you know how its gonna end, he puts up a good fight and backs out at the right time. I really liked the premise this drama started with episodes 1-8, I also loved how skilled the female lead was.
What I didn’t like: (there is a lot more of this) Idk if watching too many of her Cdramas turned me but it was so hard watching Jang NaRa with that blank stare on her face in a romantically charged Kdrama. I think she was trying to look naive but it wasn’t working, and her chemistry with all the male leads seemed more suited for a sister. (I bet kissing scenes were painful) I blame the writers for a lot of the problems with the drama and not Jang NaRa. The story began great: she’s struggling supporting her family, they have no father and a bratty little sister, but then the tragedy begins. After ep 6 I couldn’t stand watching because of how tragic the character’s life was becoming. It was almost as if the writers needed to beat the point into the watcher that Lee SoYoung was someone to pity. Despite her age, Lee SoYoung was so naive it was like the character was introduced to the real world when we started watching. I took it as SoYoung knew nothing about human relationships before the drama began and that made it more bearable for me. Beware of the romance it has all the sugary sweetness of two middle schoolers falling in love. (making me want to hurl a few times) I have no idea how this went on for 20 episodes! the love interests were set up in episode 2 and the enemies were on the move in around episode 3 or 4.
Every character aside for the main leads, was out for themselves (including the cute kid) making you not want to care about anyone. Its really hard to watch a drama where the sister, mother, father, and all the coworkers are evil. I can only root for characters when I can see hope for them, and I didn’t see hope for SoYoung. Lucky for us the writers took the focus off of her having a baby face despite her age and turned this into a family drama about halfway through. So watch at your own risk, or if you like to see the same situation over and over and over and over again.

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This is one of those dramas that promise more than they deliver. The story caught my interest - the idea of a baby-faced 34-years old beauty that has to conceal her age in order to advance in the design world who also happens to fall in love with a much younger boy in the process had the prospect of a very interesting and funny show, but I certainly set higher hopes than this drama accomplished.

The drama lacks depth - even for a light drama this seemed too light (and this is coming from a person who likes watching shallow things from time to time). It grabbed my attention from the very first episode, I was hooked! Then the following few episodes seemed very promising - the scenario unfolded brilliantly, the story kept getting better and better that I was eager to see more; the chemistry between the 2 main characters was also very pleasant. But about halfway through that spell broke. It felt as if the story got stuck in a point and it just dragged its way to the end. The romantic scenes between Lee So Young and Choi Jin Wook always left me wanting more. It was like something was missing. They had a real potential to develop the relationship on a deeper level but they kept it on the surface. To me this was the most disappointing aspect.

Acting: Even if you don't like light dramas or feel like you can't connect to this one, at least Choi Daniel is a good enough reason to watch it. If it wasn't for his character I might have given it up at one point. I would give him 10/10 for managing to put a smile on my face each time he appeared in a scene :)
The supporting roles also added to the humour of the drama. It wouldn't have been the same without Team Leader Kim Joon Soo ;)

Music: Pretty good. It completed the atmosphere quite well. Memorable enough to be recognize if heard outside the drama, but subtle enough to not even be noticed during the scenes.

Overall though, I guess this is a drama you should keep for when you want to have some light humour. One can certainly enjoy it, but don't expect much emotional depth.

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I've rewatched it for a view times now. And I don't really remember my first impression. So I'm not sure whether it was very thrilling watching it for the first time. But overall, I liked it. It was interesting and I enjoyed it.

As I hope this review will be helpfull to others in deciding whether to watch "Baby-faced Beauty" or not, I made a list of the topics of this drama and my rates for some of the topics.

37% Work/Bussiness: Fashion Designing (7/10)
Ofcourse it is about the process of designing, getting ideas, drawing, choosing the materials an so on. But it's not just that. It's also about how the antagonists always try to prevent the protagonists from success with dirty tricks and how the protagonists overcome it.

35% Romance (7/10)
It might not be a thrilling romance, since we can guess who she'll end up with. But I liked it. It's quite interesting to see how the feelings of the 2 male leads grow. At some point there was the topic about the age difference, but as I see it, it was not a huge barrier for the romantic relationship.

18% Comedy
5% Family
Others

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I'll just be as straightforward as I can be right at the beginning of this review: Jang Na Ra and Daniel Choi are the only two reasons you need to watch this. Yes, there are other things you can enjoy about Baby-Faced Beauty, but those two are going to be what keeps you watching until the end.


STORY
Easily the weakest aspect of this show, the plot revolves around a perfect and adorable angel named Lee So Young, played by Jang Na Ra, and a sweet-but-dorky man named Choi Jin Wook, played by Daniel Choi, as they attempt to be normal nice people in a sea of selfish morons in the fashion industry. While these two start off their relationship like a cat and dog, they eventually grow closer to each other through your typical dramatic happenstance. While there are a handful of other likable and interesting characters, where the Story really struggles is with its villains, their motivations, the pacing, and the supporting characters.

The villains here are horrible, and not really in a good way. There's no dancing around it. They are evil just to be evil. If they had mustaches, they would twirl them in every single scene they're in. There's no deep exploration of the villain's motivations. In fact, the following is a paraphrase of a conversation with the villain toward the end of the show:

Good guy: "Why did you do all those horrible things?"
Villain: "I wanted to."
Good guy: "That's it?"
Villain: "Yep."

So expect to be furious and frustrated with all of the scheming going on in this story, especially when it's directed toward Lee So Young. While shallow villains can work, there need to be truly good characters there to balance it out and give the audience a break from the villainy. Unfortunately, this show's truly good and unselfish characters can be counted on one hand. Almost everyone does something stupid and/or mean at some point. And to make things worse, Lee So Young is constantly scolded, humiliated, and punished at every turn while the villains simply do not face any consequences for their actions whatsoever. While I can tell you that the payoff is nice, getting there is an exercise in self-control.

But the Story isn't all bad. Far from it. Enter: Ji Seung Il, played by Ryu Jin. His character absolutely shines here, and you could argue that his is the most interesting character to follow, since he exhibits some of the most growth. His character becomes embroiled in one of the most effective and interesting love triangles I have seen in kdrama. Even though you'll root for the OTP, you WILL be conflicted every time Ryu Jin is onscreen.
Cliché-wise, you'll also have a little bit of Noble Idiocy to torture you toward the climax of the show, but it won't come in a way you would expect. It's interesting and will keep you hooked.

But really what the story comes down to is two insanely adorable people growing into one of the most insanely adorable couples you're likely to see on television. If you like cute romance, ignore everything I typed above and make this your next drama.


ACTING/CAST
Believe all of the comments you've read about this show being worth watching just because of Jang Na Ra and Daniel Choi. Believe all of the hype. These two are not only precious together, they're hilarious. Daniel Choi brings a sense of humor and a childlike charm to the leading man role that I have never seen in a drama before. He is legitimately funny. Jang Na Ra, of course, exhibits everything that has made her famous: those emotional eyes, that sense of vulnerability, that unique face. You'll get all of it in spades. No Jang Na Ra fan should miss her performance here.

The rest of the cast works, although I insist that Kim Min Seo simply gets repeatedly miscast, as she is here. Ryu Jin is awesome, despite not needing to do much with the role. Ahn Seo Hyun will grow on you quickly. Kim Mi Kyung is a gravitational force all her own. And you'll really enjoy Hyeon Yong and Yoo Tae Woong, too.


MUSIC
Really, the music here is largely good enough to receive at least a 9/10. As with any good vocal tracks, you'll find yourself humming along to a lot of the songs, or singing them out loud to yourself at times while inventing your own lyrics. They're quite good. Not only that, but the incidental music stood out as well. Rather than being "mood noise", the incidental music had distinction and personality.

Special credit goes to Jang Na Ra for singing more than one of the songs on this OST. She actually sings a song in character in Episode 8 and it's one of the best scenes in the show. Obviously Na Ra herself has a lot to do with that, but the song stands on it's own merits. It's lovely and adorable and you'll want to hear it again and again. Although I can't link you to any of the exceptional incidental themes, a few of them will have you bobbing your head and feeling warm just at the sound of them.

However, I ended up docking BFB a half point here because some of the incidental music was misused. There were a handful of scenes where basically nothing of consequence happened, but the music was overly dramatic. Took me out of the moment. This was rare, though.


REWATCH VALUE
This is definitely the kind of drama that bears rewatching. When all you want to do is feel warm and fuzzy and see cuteness again, Baby-Faced Beauty has you covered. Whether it's going back to an early episode and seeing So Young and Jin Wook fighting comically or rewatching how they slowly become close, none of it is boring. The terrible villains and wildly overdone plot devices hurt it here, but ultimately there's going to be plenty here that you wouldn't mind seeing twice.


BOTTOM LINE
Baby-Faced Beauty gets an 8/10 from me, and 6 of those 8 points are for Jang Na Ra and Daniel Choi. For any fan of either, this is a must watch. For rom-com fans, this is a must watch. For anyone else, there's honestly not a lot here for you.

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Story- I liked that it takes place in a business setting. Many competitions take pace which creates the \"tension\" in the drama. This drama is also about So Yeong\''\''s journey in reaching her dreams. I felt like this drama was too long which made me lose interest towards the end. I skipped like 6 episodes. The last episode was actually one of the best ending episodes Ive seen. It was dramatic in the beginning but was happy & cute and the end.

Acting/Cast- Jang Nara is so cute. She has a small body and small voice. I thought the character fit her well. Daniel Choi did a great job playing the immature Jin Wook. Even till the end he had the childish quality. Even though I liked thier characters, somehow I didn\''\''t feel the romantic chemistry between them. The rest of the cast was great.

Music- Very nice OST to go with the feeling of the scenes. There will probably be some songs to go on my IPod=)

REwatch- This is a cute drama that can be watched again.

Overall- A good romantic comedy to watch at least once.

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What this it drama has to offer is the most basic ingredients of Korean dramas, no more no less. A bit of a bittersweetness, comedy, romance, hard work, sadness and the harshness of Korean society. Everything comes wrapped in a neat and well balanced package.

What this show lacks is chemistry between the main couple and creativity. The main idea of the plot is creative enough but the actual implementation is not. This is basic "Cinderella" story about a girl who hits the rock bottom and then gets a chance to fulfill her dream through hard work and finds her happiness in the end. There are drawbacks but she never stops trying due to her cheerful and stubborn character everyone just loves.

The drama succeeds well in portraying Korean life in general and does it in a quite realistic way. Exposes all the flaws of money driven society in which you have to be perfect and young to succeed in anything. Even if you have talent but are a few years too old you are nothing. If you are a nice person everyone around you will get jealous and try to plot you out of the picture. But still, in the end the good wins.

There were way too many episodes and halfway the story became exhausting due to its repetitiveness. The chemistry between the main characters which was quite okay in the beginning slowly faded away and they felt more like good friends, older sister and younger brother. Needless to say I got a really bad second lead syndrome here.

This is not good not bad, mediocre at its best and worst. Acting is quite okay though.

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amazing drama, i loved it!

woha, normally i skip alot during watching a drama, especially if it contains more then 10 episodes.
but ive caught my self not skipping that much like i usally do...

the review

couple:
i loved the couple, there weren´t that much romatic scenes, but it was enough? (idk it would be better if there was little more skinship or kisses or anything along those lines), the male lead was such a cutie pie, i loved his cheerful personallity, even trough the bad times he stayed cheerful, i also loved about him that he didn't stay to long mad on the female lead, he was sooo forgiving <33

second lead sydrome:

yup dammit... i had a second lead sydrome, i was also rooting for the president, i also kinda hoped she would choose him, i felt really sad when she rejected him in the restaurant.. :( , but anyway it was fine for me whoever she choose, because both of them were good to here (male lead of course more) , i also loved the president's kid she was such a sassy little devil loved it haha.


side characters, my goodness.... i wanted to strengle them all one by one, especially the team manager and her mom, oh my goodness, everytime i saw her on screen i want to put my hand trought the screen and strengle her or pull her hair out, i hated them so much, not only them also the other workers they were such huge BITCHES! trough the entire drama.. they were so mean and evil, especially everytime they intended to let the female lead lose, my goodness! how can a human beings be so fucking evil! :(


female lead, it kinda got on my nerves that she was too soft hearted and didn't really stand up for herself, but oh well, a drama can't be all perfect right? xD

anyway,

oh and if you are into fashion this is a must then! im not a big fan of fashion stuff, but ive noticed lately that ive watched alot of dramas that contain fashonable stuff and kinda liked it, especially because i am an artist myself so i kinda love to see how they design the clothes on paper before making in real.


watch it, i loved it ^^

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I can’t say this drama did anything new in terms of plot, but it was a fun ride. The pace of the drama held my attention, for the most part, although the conflicts got to be a bit repetitious. The main couple are absolutely adorable; I love the way their relationship developed. There is, of course, a love triangle, but I felt very little in terms of Second Lead Syndrome for this one. Still, the rivalry between the two male leads was fun to watch. The rivalry between the two female leads, on the other hand, was aggravating and sometimes unnecessary, in my humble opinion.

The other strong point in regards to relationships in this drama were that of the main character with her mother and sister. I kind of hated the younger sister’s guts to start with, and the mother and sister don’t play extremely prominent roles in the drama, but the growth in their relationship with So Young was really well done.

There were several instances in this show where the typical Kdrama handling of foul play irked me. Sometimes knowing the character feels sorry for his/her actions isn’t quite enough of a comeuppance for me. But overall, I would definitely recommend.

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