I've only seen the first 5 episodes, having binge watched the entire disc 1 in one night, but I couldn't contain myself. This is a great show.
As my title implies, I'm an old school (and old) rocker from the prior century. The concept of the boy band, when it first appeared in the 80s with the likes of New Kids on the Block, was an affront to my existence. And I was also somewhat skeptical of the K-pop and J-pop scenes, and I couldn't imagine that a prettyboy band could be nearly as funny as "Spinal Tap" with its raw, ridiculous, flat out nuts musicians. But read on...
"You're Beautiful", despite its less-than-sensational title, has some of the weirdest characters imaginable. And that's what makes it hilariously entertaining for musicians and non-musicians alike. My favorite character is "Kang", the creepy gothboy lead singer who is a germophobe (fear of dirt), agoraphobe (fear of crowds), haphephobe (fear of being touched), ataxophobe (fear of disorder), and on top of it all he's afraid of the dark, too. Despite all this, he maintains a facade of "cool" and absolute control which he asserts in a most tyrannical way over the others. Second in command is "Hwang" the lead guitarist who is the antithesis of the singer. He is a gentle, wise, friendly Buddha type person who seems better suited for monkhood than a pop band. Bringing up the bottom is "Jeremy" the drummer. Alas, poor drummers. They are always portrayed as the dimmest tube in the amp, and Jeremy is no exception. So thick that he can barely count to 4 to bring in the band, Jeremy is a refreshing gust of pure comic relief who balances out the moments of heavy drama (and despite this being a breezy comedy, there can be some heavy moments). And of course there's our hero/heroine "Go Mi Nam" who is exactly the way you'd expect a teenage nun to be, having been forced to masquerade as a boy in the nation's top pop band.
That brings me to the plot which you probably know already, but I'll recap: A teenage nun ends up masquerading as a boy in the nation's top pop band. But don't let the simplicity of that premise fool you. At times it gets surprisingly complicated and suspenseful, bringing to mind classic tales like Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" which revolve around the hilarity and complexity of cross-dressing. And just as powerful as the funny moments, there are also deeply emotional moments which might elicit a tear from even the most hardened heavy metal rocker. OK, I admit I bawled like a baby twice in 5 episodes. Stop smirking.
The overall presentation is cute and family-friendly. But at the same time there are gags that appeal to the adults amongst us. In one episode there's a scene involving the girl using ping pong balls to, how do I say... simulate manhood, and it had me choking with laughter for a solid 2 minutes.
I also must say a word about the actual music. I really like it. It's infectious, played well, and the actors even look like they're really playing their instruments. If you're like me, you might be sick of TV & movies where the actors look like they're holding a limp squid rather than a guitar. Well these actors are good enough to fool me.
So there you have it, nothing but high praise from me. I'm already sad that it's going to end, but at the same time I imagine this is the kind of show I'd want to watch over & over. Other band based comedies I highly recommend are "Swing Girls" (Japanese) about a group of misfits teen girls trying to play jazz, "A Mighty Wind" about a hilarious bunch of freaks playing folk music, "Music & Lyrics" starring Hugh Grant & Drew Barrymore with some riotous references to 80s pop, and the aforementioned mofo of all musical movies, "This Is Spinal Tap". See them all, and consider it the best music education you'll ever receive.
