Hope Amidst Darkness: 5 Reasons To Check Out ‘Beautiful World’

This drama wrecked me. (In a great way…I adore it.) However, now that it has finished airing, I find myself longing to sneak back into that world for a little bit…so feel free to grab a cup of coffee, tea, or your comfort beverage of choice & join me as we take a look at some of the things about “Beautiful World” that we already miss.

[Warning! Only slight spoilers ahead, but spoilers nonetheless. You’ve been warned.]

These brother-sister relationships

One thing I love and miss about “Beautiful World” is the strong sibling bond portrayed between sibling pairs Seon Ho and Soo Ho, & Dong Hee and Dong Soo.

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While Seon Ho is in a coma, his younger sister Soo Ho (Kim Hwan Hee) takes immediate action with fierce determination and limitless courage. She stands up for herself and others and will stop at nothing to find the truth surrounding her brother’s accident…regardless of who stands in her way.

Although we don’t get to see Seon Ho (Nam Da Reum) interact with Soo Ho much in current time (due to his unconscious state), viewers are privy to flashback glimpses of the awesome big brother Seon Ho is. He balances his sister’s spunk with a calm and gentle spirit. He’s even shown taking a vicious beating when the perpetrator threatens to hurt her. However, Seon Ho’s passivity only goes so far; when he witnesses bullying in his class, he won’t stay quiet.

Our second set of siblings is Dong Hee and Dong Soo, who are left to fend for themselves after their mother abandons them. Dong Hee (Lee Jae In) is miserable at school due to bullying, but hides the pain from her older brother, who she feels already has enough trouble raising her by himself. She is quiet and observant, and often catches things others don’t.

Dong Hee’s older brother, Dong Soo (Seo Young Joo) , goes to high school and works a job to support himself and his little sister. He’s got a quick temper and a strong sense of justice, and often gets into fights. When Dong Hee finally opens up to him about what she’s been going through, he makes sure she knows that he is always there to support her.

This power couple

In Ha (Choo Ja Hyun) and Moo Jin (Park Hee Soon) are a middle aged couple with two teenage children — probably not everyone’s immediate visual when conjuring up an image of a power couple. But listen. These two are relationship goals. They go through a lot — and I do mean a lot — and instead of turning on each other, they grasp even tighter together.

They have extremely different personalities: In Ha is assertive and outspoken in her opinions while Moo Jin displays strength and care in a much gentler, quieter way. In Ha wants to act immediately while Moo Jin prefers to wait for the right moment and think things through thoroughly before taking action. They use their differences to support one another; when one is strong, the other leans on them for support until they can in turn be the strong one.

When the other parents turn against them and the police refuse to listen, In Ha and Moo Jin hold fastly to each other and take on the world together.

The villains

A drama isn’t half as enjoyable if the villains aren’t good. And by “good” I mean “bad” of course — and “bad” doesn’t even begin to skim the surface when it comes to the villains of “Beautiful World.”

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Now we really could have our pick of antagonistic characters, but the core of the villainy undoubtedly lies with the Oh family. And boy, the dysfunction is real with these people. Only child Joon Seok (Seo Dong Hyun) is a vicious bully whose ability to manipulate those around him with ease is eerily frightening; Eun Joo (Cho Yeo Jeong) takes mother bear to the next level when she proves that she will do anything (yes, I mean anything) to protect her son; and patriarch Jin Pyo (Oh Man Seok) runs his household like he runs his life — it’s his way or the highway, and anyone who doesn’t comply will be sorry.

The OST

The original soundtrack of “Beautiful World” is absolutely gorgeous and caught my attention immediately. Rather than distracting the audience or pushing desired emotional effects on the viewer, the soundtrack supports the scene and blends smoothly into the drama. The songs are linked below if you’d like to give them a listen.

1. “Over The Moon” by Ha Eun and Han Bin
2. “Where Should I Go (A Beautiful Lie)” by Tiger JK and Bizzy
3. “Tears Of Love” by Kim Kyung Hee of April 2nd

The messages of hope & wisdom

Although the main events in “Beautiful World” occur because of societal atrocities such as school violence and corruption, the drama also presents viewers with messages that uplift, as well as some important life lessons:

• In a world that can be overwhelmingly dark at times, there is beauty & hope found in the people you surround yourself with — which is why it’s important to surround yourself with those you trust.
• It’s okay to not be okay. That doesn’t make you weak.
• You may not be able to choose the family you’re born into, but you can choose how you live and behave.
• It’s never okay to sit back and watch when you know something wrong is happening. Standing up for others and yourself may be frightening, but how you choose to act goes toward molding you into the person you will grow into.

Thank you for reading! Let me know in the comments what you think of “Beautiful World”!

images source: http://tv.jtbc.joins.com/photo/pr10011027/pm10051979