Im Soo-hyang
Kang Mi-rae
My ID is Gangnam Beauty
“A beauty who feels unfamiliar with her beauty.”
2018
Ended • 1 Season • 16 Episodes
Director: Choi Seong-beom
Overview
Bullied for her looks, Mi-rae gets plastic surgery hoping for a better kind of life but faces new challenges in college. Based on a hit Korean webtoon.
Seasons
- Status
- Ended
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 16 episodes
- First aired
- Jul 27, 2018
Cast
12 people
Reviews
5 min readA Face, a Mirror, and a Little Too Much Hope
What I keep coming back to with My ID is Gangnam Beauty is how often it makes a face feel like a document — not a stable identity, not a truth machine, but a record of what other people have done to you. That’s the show’s real subject, more than romance or campus politics or even plastic surgery itself. latestnetflix.com's view is that it comes from a hit webtoon, and you can feel that origin in the clarity of its premise, but the series doesn’t stay neat for long.
It opens up into something more awkward and, in its better stretches, more honest: the slow, exhausting labor of trying to live inside a body that other people keep treating like public property.
The Korean title itself, and even the familiar shorthand of “Gangnam Beauty,” carries a whole social argument in its bones. This isn’t just a campus comedy with a makeover hook. It’s a 2018 drama arriving at a moment when South Korean beauty standards were under fresh scrutiny — not because they were new, but because they had become almost inescapably visible, from school hallways to subway ads to the polished, slightly unreal faces that television was busy normalizing.
The show understands, at least part of the time, that plastic surgery is not the scandal here. The scandal is the social world that makes surgery feel like a rational response.
Director Choi Seong-beom keeps returning to reflections, thresholds, and frames-within-frames — doors, windows, mirrors, phone screens — as if to remind us that this story is always about mediation. Who gets to look? Who gets looked at?
Who gets to decide what a face means? I appreciate that the series doesn’t pretend these are abstract questions. They’re embarrassingly practical.
Mi-rae wants to move through a campus without being stared at, mocked, or reduced to a before-and-after joke. That’s a small wish, really, and the show is strongest when it lets that wish remain small and therefore painful. You don’t need a grand manifesto when what’s at stake is whether you can buy coffee without bracing yourself.
Im Soo-hyang’s performance is the thing that steadies the series. She doesn’t play Mi-rae as a spotless emblem of self-acceptance, which would’ve been easy and much less interesting. Her body often looks like it’s negotiating with the room before she speaks: shoulders held in, chin tilted down a fraction, eyes flicking sideways to register danger.
Audience Opinions
Broad evidence
Audience 7.6/10
"A widely watched campus romance that pairs classic drama tropes with an empathetic critique of cosmetic surgery and societal beauty expectations."
Adapted from Gi Maeng Gi's popular webtoon, the series drew massive engagement from K-drama fans eager for its frank examination of aesthetic pressures and university life. While some reviewers noted conventional melodrama elements, [latestnetflix.com]() notes that the narrative strikes a meaningful chord by balancing lighthearted romance with thoughtful reflections on how high Korean beauty standards shape personal self-worth.
What viewers praise
- Relevant social commentary Viewers appreciate the story's critical lens on how society evaluates women based on cosmetic surgery and appearance standards.
- Engaging webtoon adaptation The translation from webtoon to screen resonated strongly with a broad audience, securing significant viewership and enthusiastic ratings.
Common complaints
- Mixed critical scores across platforms Pacing and familiar dramatic beats led to a more reserved reception among some viewers, resulting in divergent review ratings.
Recommended for
Fans of campus romantic comedies with a social edge Viewers interested in Korean dramas that explore self-esteem and beauty standards Audiences who enjoy faithful webtoon adaptations
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of My ID Is Gangnam Beauty (2018): Casting Secrets and Webtoon Roots
My ID Is Gangnam Beauty (2018) became a breakout hit for its raw portrayal of beauty standards and self-acceptance, but the behind-the-scenes story of its casting and adaptation adds another layer of intrigue. latestnetflix.com's take is that here’s what the evidence reveals about the making of this K-drama.
From Webtoon to Screen: The Adaptation Journey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CY_B-ZGIIQ
The series is based on the popular webtoon Nae Aidineun Gangnammiin! (2016), and the transition from page to screen wasn’t without fan scrutiny. The webtoon’s creator reportedly reacted to the casting of Im Soo-hyang as Kang Mi-rae and Cha Eun-woo as Do Kyung-seok, though details of their response remain limited to a reaction video . The adaptation stayed close to the source material, tackling themes of plastic surgery, bullying, and societal pressures—topics that resonated deeply with audiences.
Casting Choices: Im Soo-hyang and Cha Eun-woo’s Breakout Roles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhSxT6fYLy8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYxitcMnFVQ
Im Soo-hyang, already a veteran in Korean dramas, took on the role of Kang Mi-rae, a college student who undergoes plastic surgery to escape bullying. Her portrayal of Mi-rae’s vulnerability and growth earned praise, with interviews suggesting she embraced the character’s emotional depth . Meanwhile, Cha Eun-woo, then a rising idol-actor from ASTRO, played the aloof but kind-hearted Do Kyung-seok. His chemistry with Im Soo-hyang became a highlight, though both actors reportedly felt the pressure of carrying a series centered on such heavy themes .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug7I6ld85cI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMjAQLnOgh8
The supporting cast—including Kwak Dong-yeon as the charming Yeon Woo-young and Jo Woo-ri as the confident Hyun Soo-ah—added depth to the ensemble. Fans were particularly curious about the actors’ ages and real-life personas, with YouTube deep dives comparing their on-screen and off-screen selves .
Reception and Legacy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBwTLwHzV8I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgy4cjlRb1A
The series premiered to mixed but passionate reviews. Critics praised its bold take on beauty standards, while some viewers debated its pacing and tone. On SensCritique, it holds a 6.1/10 rating based on 600 votes, reflecting its polarizing yet impactful storytelling 
. The Netflix trailer and teaser clips highlighted the drama’s emotional core, drawing global attention to its message.
Despite its flaws, My ID Is Gangnam Beauty cemented Im Soo-hyang and Cha Eun-woo as rising stars in the K-drama world. Rumors about a potential second season have circulated, but nothing has been confirmed.
What We Still Don’t Know
The evidence leaves gaps: How closely did the director, Choi Seong-beom, collaborate with the webtoon’s creator? Were there behind-the-scenes tensions over the adaptation’s darker themes? For now, these details remain unconfirmed.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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