A very gutsy drama.

What a startling and unexpectedly good surprise this drama was. The female lead is outstandingly written with a realism and gutsiness that I have not seen in any of the (228 last count) dramas I have watched. We are let into and given behind the scenes access to the Miss Korea pageant with Oh Ji Yeong (a former department store elevator operator) pitted against all the other title holders. The offer of financial backing and support from her ex, school, boyfriend in exchange for promotion of their revolutionary new product BB cream rekindles their relationship. The story is a gritty and realistic stripping away any pretense at fantasy glamour and focussing on the sheer physical effort required to present the perceived ideal.The tension steadily builds in the environmentally uncertainty of the 1997 IMF bailout. Access to monetary support, for the pageant and for the bb cream manufacture, stimulates some unsavoury behaviour. Throughout the drama I became invested in the main characters and Ji Yeong's family members. Their trials and tribulations are ably portrayed in all the everyday decisions that they confront. The women in particular shine as strong, decision making and smart.I would liken this plotline to an athlete preparing to compete in international competitions with a view to Olympic Gold. It should appeal to all genders who appreciate well written, well acted, drama that has a stark realism and depicts the struggles of ordinary people trying to not just survive but to succeed.

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