Beautiful My Lady

*Reviewed by sukting

Also Known as: Romance Storm

How long
16 episodes

Foreword
This is a serial on boxers. It stars 3 of the most popular Korean artistes. You may wish to find out how they acted in their earlier days since Shim Yun Ha is semi-retired.

Introduction on characters/story

1. Guan Yong Hao – Lee Byun Hyun
Yong Hao is a boxer but he gets very low income. To make ends meet, he sometimes gets involved in illegal activities to be a debt collector. His trainer, Mr Cai encourages him to be a professional boxer so that he can be the world champion. He believes that he can make it.

Yong Hao is deserted from young and always wishes to acknowledge his natural mother, Chun Chuan. She has left her photograph with him. One day after he is knocked down by Xin Rou in a car accident, he discovers Chun Chuan has opened a restaurant near the clinic.

It is Christmas and Yong Hao gets Xin Rou to pass all the gifts that he has prepared for Chun Chuan since 10 years old to her. He is afraid that Chun Chuan will be upset after seeing him in this state so he dares not acknowledge her. (I am puzzled by this act – I thought the mother should be ashamed for deserting him... I simply don’t get it.) Xin Rou helps him to fulfil his wish.

Yong Hao starts his harsh training. His good performance attracts Rui Zhen’s attention. She forces Mr Cai to transfer him to her team. Yong Hao tells Xin Rou to bring Chun Chuan to cheer for him in his first match. He wins and he hugs her. He waits for her in vain for their second date but she doesn’t turn up. He only meets her at night to know that Xiao Yun is sick.

After getting a dressing down from Dr Yu, Yong Hao’s performance turns bad and he loses interest in his training. However, he still wins in another match. He later marries Xin Rou against all odds and hopes to win the world champion to give her a better life. Yong Hao wins in the end and also gets the twins’ recognition.

However, he is seriously injured in the head in a match. He reunites with Chun Chuan too but his happiness is short-lived. He has to give up his favourite sport and becomes a security guard. The underworld doesn’t wish to let this money-spinner gone to waste. So they kidnap his children to force him back into the ring. Yong Hao has to risk his life to save them and compete with his strongest opponent, Min Xu. I shall leave it to viewers to find out the ending.

2. Yu Xin Rou – Shim Yun Ha
She is a fashion designer and her husband died in a car accident. She has a pair of twins – a son, Xiao Yong and a daughter, Xiao Yun. Her father, Dr Yu and her secret admirer, Xin Min get the twins to welcome her from her studies abroad at the airport.

One day, she accidentally knocks Yong Hao down with her car and sends him to her father’s clinic. Yong Hao falls for her immediately. They start as friends but after he hugs her, she is touched. She even goes to his home to cook noodles for him. When the water boils, Yong Hao’s feelings also boil and he kisses her (this scene is sure funny). Dr Yu loves his daughter and he thinks that she will not have a future with a boxer. So he encourages her to marry Xin Min.

She agrees reluctantly. However, upon seeing on television how seriously injured Yong Hao is in a match, she realizes that she loves him. So she decides to marry him. However, their marriage is on the rocks because of their different values. She wants him to quit his job but he refuses as he has no other skills to support her. Feeling down, she stays away from him for a while and vents her anger on her children. She even goes to perm her hair which makes her look like a lioness.

Her children are appalled by her change. At first, they have stubbornly shut Yong Hao out of their life because they miss their late father. But they grow to love him because he shows them the fatherly love that they have desired for so long. They succeed in reuniting the couple.

3. Lin Min Xu – Song Seung Hyun
He is an impulsive boxer who wants to go out to win every match. However, he still has a sense of righteousness of not taking advantage of his opponent’s weakness. But his hunger for matches never turn dry. He always finds chances to provoke Yong Hao to pit against him on and off the ring.

4. Zhang Rui Zhen
She is the most ruthless boxing manager that one has ever come across. Many become popular because of her but many are also ruined at her hands. Min Xu was under her and could not stand her despicable ways, so he left. Yong Tai’s senior kills himself when she sacks him after his performance dips after an operation. She never stops recruiting new members. Yong Hao works for her reluctantly, earning lots of money for her. So when he decides to retire because of his family, she goes after his blood.

5. Li Xin Min
He is Dr Yu’s promising student and works in his clinic. He is kind and gentle. Xin Min proposes to Xin Rou on Christmas day and gets rejected. But later she agrees and Xin Min is delighted. He goes around to shop for the wedding things. When he fails to win her love, he still gives the couple his blessings.

Song
The song ‘The Road That I Wish To Walk on’ is sad but also touching. My friend even commented that it really sounds like a ghastly song because of the music. It is sung by a female singer, Hong Zhong Min.

Interesting facts

Song Seung Hun was Byun Hun’s faithful fan before filming this serial. He was so excited working with him. Off screen, they became good friends – so good that they address each other as brothers. They often go for soju sessions and play golf together. Some have said that if they see Seung Hyun on the street, Byun Hun must be somewhere nearby as they are inseparable. That was why both were so happy to be in ‘Happy Together’ again as brothers.

But Seung Hun wonders why producers always want him to treat Byun Hun like his No.1 enemy in both serials. Why not as normal brothers in both dramas?

Many are surprised how muscular both actors looked in the serial. Both actors trained a lot to strengthen their biceps. A rare chance to see them together and also baring their chests in so many scenes.

The serial was formerly named ‘Beautiful Girl’. But it coincidentally had the same name as Kwok Fu Shing’s 1995 movie of the same theme too. So the producer changed the name to make viewers remember the name of this serial.

Conclusion
The three leads do well in here. Shim shines as usual in tragic roles. Byun Hyun and Seung Hun are a little raw in here – probably they are pressurized to work with this No. 1 Korean drama queen. However, this serial is very slow-paced, predictable and offers little surprises. At least it doesn’t end up as a tragedy so it is still okay. The boxing matches are convincing to reflect the true lives of boxers.
source:www.spcnet.tv