The Beauty Inside (2018)

Quick Take: The Beauty Inside  (2018), starring Lee Min-ki and  Seo Hyun-jin.  9.4/10.  16 episodes 60 min.

Synopsis:   Han Se-gye, a popular actress, is known for “running away.”  She periodically disappears.  No one knows her secret except her sister-manager and their best friend, but for one week a month she inhabits another body.  She may become any race, gender, or age.  This has been going on for ten years.  She meets Seo Do-jae, an airline executive who has a secret of his own.

Review: Having the right cast makes all the difference!  The two leads are perfect. Props for supporting actors Ahn Jae-hyun, who plays the girls’ best friend; and Lee Tae-ri, who plays Seo Do-Jae’s friend and secretary.  

Rewatchable - 4, Compelling - 5, Plot/ Story/Writing - 10,  Acting/Casting - 10, Production - 10,  Bonus - 5.   Bonus points for emphasis on empathy.   

Notes:

Lee Min-ki

has an extensive filmography in both film and television dramas. See him also in Because This is My First Life (2017) and My Liberation Notes (2022). In this poignant music video — The Day Before by Nell, 2012 — his facial expressions give you a sense of his impressive acting skills.

Seo Hyun-jin

is one of my favorite Korean actresses! I first saw her in Dr. Romantic (2016). She won the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actress for her role in Another Miss Oh (2016). See her also in You Are My Spring (2021) and Why Her? (2022). She also sings.

Ahn Jae-hyun

made his debut as a fashion model in 2009 and has been acting since 2013, when he gained attention in his supporting role in My Love from the Star (2013). See him also in Cinderella and the Four Knights (2016) and Love with Flaws (2019).