Sasha M.

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This was my second Murakami book (after IQ84) and will definitely be my last. Don’t get me wrong, the author writes eloquently and strings the story together well but what I can’t get over is the constant and uncomfortable graphic situations that are thrown into the plot every couple of pages. Murakami brings “woman written by man” trope to life with his constant fetishism and graphic scenes (including children), which yes, is in this god-awful book! It just made it utterly unreadable. It’s not profound or poetic. It’s a book written by a very disturbed person. I should’ve learned my lesson after the trash fire that was IQ84.

[No Spoilers] I’ve only felt motivated to write one drama review before: “Reply 1988” and now, “My ID is Gangnam Beauty”. This drama is one of the most perfectly executed, slow-burn, sentimental romance stories you could watch, and arguably what makes it top tier level for me is how this particular story deals with college-age characters and their unique, realistic journeys to coming to terms with their past, childhood traumas and insecurities, and how they eventually overcome their very real insecurities as they allow themselves to heal, embrace first love, embrace themselves, and gain a new appreciation for life. This drama has no action-packed scenes, frills, or fantastical elements, but is packed full of long, silent, introspective stares and moments of tension, sometimes without background music or special effects. And that is what makes it so beautiful and realistic to me. Knowing this story also occurs with college-age students is something relatable and refreshing - they’re not children anymore, so they must grapple with the world of independence, but they’re also very inexperienced at life. “My ID is Gangnam Beauty” couldn’t be more perfect to me. It reminds me of Reply 1988 and Oh My Twenties, but has a more adult-centric romantic storyline that is so realistically depicted and absolutely beautiful. The acting is phenomenal as well!

Movies as subtly suspenseful as this are so hard to come upon. In a way, everything is plain to see, all of the metaphors are quite literally in your face, but the mystique of the film still kept me enthralled and uncomfortable until we circled through until the very end. I think people who don’t like this film probably find it too obvious, too weird, or too slow. Personally, I think those factors, alongside their execution, the brilliant acting, and the cinematography is exactly what makes this a BRILLIANT film. Don’t judge the book by its reviews. This is high up the list on one of my favorite thrillers of all time.