It is not every day that you come across a person who literally looks like he / she walked out of a comic book. So when you come across someone like that, you can’t help but be curious about them, especially if that someone is Cha Eun-woo, an idol / actor who is not only handsome, but also very talented. Here is a look at how I came to discover this super sweet idol / actor, who is not only beautiful on the outside, but also on the inside.
The first time I ever saw Cha Eun-woo was when I accidentally stumbled upon Astro’s Baby. The song and their extremely synchronized dance routine, had me hooked. Pretty soon I started watching and listening to all their songs. I am not someone who stans K-pop idols (I am more of a K-Drama person). So, even though I was enjoying their music and dancing on a regular basis, I really did not take the time to find out about the members of the group. For me they were Astro a K-pop group that sang and danced beautifully. I had no idea that one of the band members was also a Kdrama actor. So, imagine my surprise when I saw Cha Eun-woo in My ID is Gangnam Beauty. Of course, once I knew he is an actor, I never missed any of his dramas, or web-series. Of all his dramas, here are my three favorites.
My ID is Gangnam Beauty
A girl who was bullied all her life for looking ugly struggling to regain her self-esteem after a cosmetic surgery, a natural beauty with an insecurity that makes it impossible for her to deal with people liking anyone more than her, a rich-handsome guy from a broken home who does not know how to socialize, and a successful businesswoman who craves for the simpler things in life, these are just a few of the people that make up the world of Gangnam Beauty. Each one of them feels that the other has a much better life. Kang Mi-rae (Im Soo-hyang) is the girl who is bullied all her life for being ugly. The bullying is so bad that she even tries to commit suicide. It isn’t until she gets a cosmetic surgery just before starting college that her life takes a turn for the better. However getting used to the new face after having her self-esteem broken with years of bullying, and hiding the truth about her past is not at all easy. The only good things in her life are her parents who love and adore her, and her one best friend. She believes beautiful people like Hyun Soo-ah (Jo Woo-ri), Do Kyung-seok (Cha Eun-woo) and Na Hye-sung (Park Joo-mi) have the perfect life. What she doesn’t know is that being beautiful is not enough to be happy, and that everyone has their our own problems to deal with.
My ID is Gangnam Beauty is Cha Eun-woo’s first and his best drama till date. He was perfect for the role of Do Kyung-seok. As someone who is constantly admired for his good looks (even though he is smart, athletic and multi-talented), he knows what it means to be judged solely for your looks. He does a great job of portraying Do Kyung-seok, a rich, smart, handsome guy whose life is not as perfect as everyone believes it to be. My ID is Gangnam Beauty is one of my all-time favorite KDrama and Do Kyung-Seok is one of my favorite male lead.
We live in a world where people are more obsessed with the way we look than the kind of person we are, and often we let others opinion of us dictate how we feel about ourselves. Gangnam Beauty teaches us the importance of cherishing ourselves, because until we learn to love ourselves for who we really are, we can never be truly happy. Do check out My Id is Gangnam Beauty on Viki. It is a show that will shatter all your preconceived notions and prejudices in regards to beauty and image. It is a must watch, especially if you have a high-schooler who most likely will either go through some of the things that the students in this show face or will come across someone who will.
Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung
As a history buff, one of the things I was most fascinated about when I started discovering the Asian and Korean culture in particular is the existence of the Veritable Records(Annals) of the Joseon Dynasty. I always wondered how they managed to keep daily records of everything for over four centuries. So, when I found out that they were making a show that focussed on this very topic, I was excited. I couldn’t wait for the show to air, while I started doing my homework. I found out that female historians were never hired during the Joseon era. So, I knew that the show and its characters were more fictional than real. However, it did not discourage me from either watching the show or falling in love with it.
One of the main reasons I enjoyed watching Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung is because of how it portrayed the female characters in the show. Set in Joseon era, the story is about a free-spirited girl who wants to do more with her life than get married and have children, and an unwanted prince who is forced to live in hiding in a corner of the palace. Prince Dowon (Cha Eun-woo), is not aware of the fact that he is the son of the dethroned king and the real heir to the throne. He believes his uncle the King is his father, and his cousin the Crown Prince Yi Jin (Park Ki-woong) is his brother. He is not allowed to read, write or learn any skill. With nothing better to do, he becomes a romance novelist under the pen name Maehwa, which earns him a huge female fan-following. One day when he secretly sneaks out of the palace to see how his new novel is being received by the readers, he meets Goo Hae-ryung (Shin Se-kyung). Sadly she is not one of his fans and it really bothers him that she hates his novels so much. What he does not know is that Hae-ryung is not like other girls. She is a very well-read strong independent girl who wants to do something with her life. Since chances for a noble women to do anything other get married are almost non-existent in that era, she tries her best to keep herself busy by using her talents to help others.
When the palace decides to hire female historians for the first time, Hae-ryung jumps at the opportunity. Here she meets other like minded women like her, which gives her a sense of belonging. As a historian she finally feels like there is some purpose to her life. What I loved most about Rookie Historian is Hae-ryung’s character and how she influences everyone around her to be better versions of themselves. Seeing her courage and unwillingness to bend the rules for anyone, gives others the courage to stand up to authority that wants to distort history. Of course, the person she influences the most is Prince Dowon. It is so heartwarming to see how Prince Dowon grows from a shy young prince who is too afraid to speak out, to someone who is not afraid to step up for those in need, and speak out against injustice. The best scenes of the drama are however all the cute scenes between the two leads, with my all time favorite being the time where he very excitedly tries to tell her the story of Rapunzel.
Do check out Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung on Netflix, for its refreshing take on life during the Joseon era.
True Beauty
True Beauty is about a high school girl who is bullied all her life for looking ugly, and how she turns her life around when she discovers the power of makeup. Im Ju-kyung (Moon Ga-young) in one of three siblings. While her sister and brother inherit the good looking genes from their father’s family, Im Ju-kyung ends up with her mother’s family genes (plain looking). Being the only plain looking one, she is bullied at home during family events, as well as at school. At one point she is even driven to the point of wanting to commit suicide. However when her family moves to a new place, she decides to turn her life around. With her parents disagreeing to pay for cosmetic surgery, she turns to the internet where she learns about the power of makeup. After investing a good amount of time and money, she finally figures out the perfect makeup technique that will transform her into a true beauty. On the first day of her new school, she realizes for the first time how different life is for someone who is pretty looking. Everyone is not only very nice to her, but they also want to be her friend.
Lee Su-ho (Cha Eun-woo) is the most popular boy in the new school that Ju-kyung now attends. Though he seems to have it all, looks, grades, and money, he is unfriendly and aloof. A dark secret from his past prevents him from opening up to anyone, that is until he meets Ju-kyung. Su-ho first meets Ju-kyung when she is on the top of a high rise building during the lowest point of her life. Thinking that she might jump off the building, he pulls her to safety. This was before Ju-kyung discovers the power of make-up. He meets her again in a comic book store that he frequents, and realizes that they both have the same taste in books. He does not know that the girl in his school and the girl in the comic book store are one and the same. While he strikes up a friendship with the girl in the comic bookstore, he detests the Ju-kyung from school.
Han Seo-jun (Hwang In-yeop) is an idol trainee dropout and classmate of Su-ho and Ju-kyung. With both their mothers being friends, he forms a close friendship with Ju-kyung. Known as the bad boy of school, he always finds himself in trouble. He and Su-ho are best friends turned enemies. Due to Su-ho’s dark secret Seo-jun believes Su-ho has no right to be happy. It really bothers him to see Su-ho with Ju-kyung. Though he looks tough he is in fact a very caring boy, especially when it comes to his mom, sister and Ju-kyung.
True Beauty is about this friendship between Ju-kyung, Su-ho and Seo-jun, and how they help each other overcome their issues. The show also deals with issues such as bullying, body shaming, academic pressure, child abuse and other such important issues that some kids face during their high school years. While True Beauty does a decent job of handling most of these issues, what I loved most about the show is how it handled the bullying incident in the story. When videos of Ju-kyung being bullied at her previous school are leaked, and the students start gossiping about her, her teacher walks up to the classroom and talks about how disappointed and terrified he is of all them. His words of how the pain and suffering of a fellow student can make them laugh, are exactly the kind of words students need to hear often to know why it is so wrong to joke about someone who is suffering. Empathy is a concept that is completely absent when it comes to bullying in KDrama. I have watched many KDramas and never before have I seen the bullying incidents in the stories being addressed by any adult, much less a teacher. And yes it bothered me very much, to see how acceptable such behavior was in those stories. So, to finally see a teacher address the issue and tell the students how disappointed he was in them and how terrifying their actions are made me love True Beauty a lot more.
If you love high school themed romantic comedies, definitely give True Beauty on Viki a try. If not anything you will at least find another second male lead to obsess over in the form of Han Seo-jun.
Reality Television
Besides Astro and dramas, the other shows of Cha Eun-woo that I really love watching are the reality shows that he participates in. His appearances on these shows made me realize what a hard-working, multi-talented and a genuinely good human being he truly is. He really worked hard to be who he is today, and deserves every bit of the fame. If you don’t believe me just watch Handsome Tigers, where he learned to play basketball and did a great job in the series, and Master In The House where we get to witness his many talents, every week.
As he turns 24 here’s wishing this very talent actor / idol the very best that life has to offer. This is still just the beginning for him, but looking at the way things are going, he is already on the path to becoming one of the most loved and admired actor / idol of the Korean Entertainment Industry.
My Movie Spotlight 