This beginning is problematic enough. Seeing a housewife risk her life doing extreme plastic surgery so that she becomes slim and beautiful is not something you would want women, especially insecure young girls to see. It propagates society’s obsession with youth and a certain standard of beauty. This didn’t stop me from watching though. Even though the main character, Sa Geum Ran went about the wrong way to get her husband back, I was still rooting for her and felt happy for her post-surgery, not because I thought she was much prettier but because society would now view and treat her differently. She had been mistreated by her husband, his in-laws and even his mistress just because they thought she was overweight and dressed like an ahjumma (aunty). We can argue all day long about inner beauty and whatnot but we know that in the real world, people deemed attractive are treated better.
Since Sa Geum Ran didn’t return to her family after the accident, her husband, in-laws and her mother thought that she died (her car swerved off a cliff and fell into the ocean. She survived but by the time she returned, they were in the midst of her funeral). Seeing her husband and her family dismiss her so easily, she decided to get the extreme plastic surgery. She looks completely different from her former self. Now known as Sa Ra, she teams up with the plastic surgeon, Han Tae Hee to stop her husband, Lee Kang Joon from marrying his mistress, Gyo Chae Yeon. The series really picks up from here.
I would have to say that there a lot of plot holes and also coincidences in this series but the two main actors were so good and had such great chemistry that you just ignore it whenever anything doesn’t make sense or seem too convenient. Don’t get me wrong though, these instances are minor and far in-between.
What I like about the series is that it shows someone having a fresh start. We see how Sa Ra develop into a confident and strong person. It’s true that when she was married, she didn’t think highly of herself and would allow her mother-in-law and sister-in-laws to take advantage of her (they all stayed in the same house). Her father-in-law treated her well but he was oblivious to the mistreatment his wife and daughters inflicted upon Sa Geum Ran. Having a friend in Han Tae Hee allowed Sa Ra to find her true self and also develop her existing talent: cooking! It’s kind of stereotypical to associate cooking with being a housewife but when she was married, she did have to cook for her husband and in-laws every day so it isn’t too far-fetched that she would be skilled in cooking. She ends up being a food taster on a television show and later on a contestant on a cooking show. You go girl!
In most K-dramas, no matter how accomplished the main female lead is, she would tend to be the polite, fragile type who would always need rescuing by the male lead. I’m happy to note that Sa Ra isn’t that kind of a person. Sure, in the beginning she required a lot of guidance from Tae Hee but once she had gained enough knowledge, she was no pushover. She would stand up when threatened and does not hesitate to go out and get what she wants. Sure, sometimes she does need rescuing but she does the rescuing at other times as well. She also stays grounded after the surgery. Naturally she was ecstatic that she was now beautiful but it didn’t change her nature. She was friendly and polite to everyone she meets. I know I would be stereotyping good-looking people by saying this, but someone as good-looking as Sa Ra in real life probably wouldn’t be so humble. It’s only a character in a TV series but I like to believe that there are people who don’t let their so-called physical attributes/talent get to their head.
This was an overall solid series. The comedic moments were spot on and the dramatic moments engaging. The storyline was tight throughout and it had a satisfying ending.
