My cousin and I were exchanging Korean TV show recommendations during the Enhanced Community Quarantine and there were several of them that I had placed on my “To Watch” list. One of those shows was the 2015 series called Oh My Venus starring So Ji Sub and Shin Min-a, a show that is currently available on Netflix Philippines.
Oh My Venus is the first time that I am watching a series with these two actors. I am aware that both have an extensive list of successful dramas but for some reason, I have not seen their other projects other than this one. I have been reading through some of their other shows, but they do not seem to interest me compared to other Korean dramas. I probably would not have noticed this show based on the leads because of it. Luckily for me, my cousin recommended this romantic comedy — otherwise, I would have missed out on a good one.
The show is about Kang Joo Eun, otherwise known as the “Venus of Daegu.” She was the hometown beauty that all the guys fell for. Unfortunately, 15 years later, she has become overweight and her boyfriend dumps her for another woman. She meets a man who helps her to lose weight and gain back the confidence she used to have when she was younger. As with many Korean rom-coms, Joo Eun and her “coach” end up falling for each other in the end.
I loved a lot of things about this show. It was about health, friendships, family relationships, and romantic love, and the many ways that all these types of relationships can be both simple and complicated at the same time.
Korean dramas have this knack for having a good ensemble cast, with supporting characters that have their separate storylines that strengthen the show instead of just being supporting roles that do not have a depth to their characters. This show reminded me of Crash Landing on You in the sense that the viewer will end up loving and rooting for the supporting characters and their happiness as much as for the leads.
While mostly a rom-com, the show did have its share of drama, particularly when it came to the family life of the male lead, Kim Young Ho. I liked that it provided the right drama to show that his life with Joo Eun was the "sweetness" or the happiness in his life.
Joo Eun’s character was someone I could relate to. The eldest daughter, someone who let her job take over her life at one point and has hypothyroidism. I do not have a coach like “John Kim” though -- would be nice if I did!
To me, Joo Eun is a good character/person. Despite her problems, she showed that she stands by her principles and that even if people did not treat her well, she still responds with kindness. I loved it when she repeatedly said that she believes that she could do anything she sets her mind to. If she did not reach her limit yet, she was not going to give up.
As with any romantic drama, there were several sweet and “kilig” moments in this show. My favorite moment(s) would have to be whenever Young Ho opens his arms to welcome a hug from Joo Eun. I found that cute. The way he proposed by knitting a scarf that had the ring inside was a nice touch too.
The show ends with Joo Eun regaining her starting weight because she was pregnant. To me, it was the show’s way of saying that you do not need to be a certain weight to find happiness. She thought it was her weight that was the problem when she lost her boyfriend but when Young Ho fell for her even when she was overweight, she knew it did not matter. The only reason he wanted her to be a healthy weight was that he wanted her to live a long life so they can be together as long as they can, not because of the way she looks. I thought that was a good message to send. It is not about the looks; it is about our health. It is not about the outer appearance but about our inner happiness.
I still have a long list of shows to watch, many of them Korean dramas. Will post more reviews as soon as I finish them! If you're interested in something light, cute, and romantic, you would probably want to watch this!
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