MANILA, Philippines — While makeover dramas are common and sometimes overdone, most K-Dramas add depth to these stories and provide viewers with relatable experiences.
Koreanovelas have a creative way of incorporating these makeover story arcs with heavier elements like revenge, acceptance and courage that hook us into watching them.
From fashion changes, weight loss, plastic surgeries and hairstyle transformations, these K-Dramas inspired viewers to be bold and make their move.
‘The Secret Life of My Secretary’
Jung Gal-Hee (Jin Ki-Joo) has worked as a secretary for Do Min-Ik (Kim Young-Kwang), an executive of a mobile media company, for nearly a year but was fired for unknown reasons.
When Min Ik was diagnosed with face blindness after an accident, he lost his ability to recognize anyone. The incident led Gal Hee to transform herself through a complete makeover.
But Min Ik recognized Gal Hee as Veronica Park (Kim Jae-Kyung) and treated her differently. She now has to live up to the lie she made.
‘My ID is Gangnam Beauty’
Kang Mi-Rae (Im Soo-Hyang) is a shy girl who has been bullied for years due to her appearance. As she desires to live anew without being bullied, she underwent cosmetic surgery before going to college.
The surgery was so successful that she attracted attention from other students.
Eventually, the pressure of being a "pretty girl" and the challenge of recovering her low self-esteem proved harder than it seems.
‘She Was Pretty’
Kim Hye Jin (Hwang Jung Eum) used to be a beautiful, smart and wealthy girl before her family's company went bankrupt.
She was also the first love of Ji Sung Joon (Park Seo Joon), an unattractive boy who grew up to be a handsome and successful editor of a fashion magazine.
When they decided to meet again in the future, Hye Jin asked her best friend to appear as her out of embarrassment. Things unraveled further as Hye Jin ended up working in Sung Joon's company as an intern.
‘Birth of a Beauty’
Sa Geum-Ran (Han Ye-Seul) is a dedicated, overweight wife who takes care of her husband Lee Kang-Joon’s (Jung Gyu-Woon) family, despite treating her badly. Kang Joon has been in the United States for seven years but returned home without telling her.
Geum Ran got hit by a car and crashed off a cliff after finding out about her husband's affair.
When everyone assumed she was dead, she sought the help of Han Tae-Hee (Joo Sang-Wook) to transform her into a beautiful lady and to seek revenge on her husband.
'Dream High'
Kim Pil-Suk (IU) was discouraged to pursue music as a career due to her appearance.
When she passed her audition to train as a pop star, she met Jason (Jang Woo-Young), who treats her well to the point that she thought he liked her too.
But when he rejected her confession, a determined Pil Suk asked Jason to give her 200 days to work out and lose weight so that he will like her.