Are you looking for an early K-Drama to watch? Read this review of the 2015 show Oh, My Venus and find out if this is the right kind of drama for you! This is the story of an overweight lawyer and the personal trainer who falls in love with her. Oh, My Venus is a drama with the right combination of funny and heartwarming moments that you might be a fan of!
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Photo Credit: KBS |
Plot
The story is about Kang Jo Eun, who is an overweight lawyer. People used to call her the Venus of Daegu because of how beautiful she was back when she was still a student. Her boyfriend had dumped her after 15 years together. She meets Kim Young Ho, a chaebol heir who works as a famous personal trainer. After figuring out who he is, she convinces him to help her lose weight.
The two lead characters start spending time together to help her lose weight. During this time they end up developing feelings for each other and fall in love. There are also several side stories from the supporting characters in this show. Their stories end up providing extra complications in the main characters' relationship. Despite that, the two leads still end up happy together in the end.
My Review
There are a lot of K-Drama tropes in Oh My Venus. There is the chaebol heir who does not want to work for the family business. The romance trope of the contrasting personalities of the leads. Another common trope is the childhood drama/trauma of at least one lead character. The leads met each other when they were very young and did not recognize each other as adults. As common as those tropes may be, I found that the show was able to use them in a way that was not too predictable or boring.
This might be the only show I’ve seen that presented a different take on weight loss. The story was about the lead wanting to lose weight but it was more due to her health than anything else. It was not about attaining a specific beauty standard.
One thing I was not happy with was when they said that her weight loss could help her with her thyroid issues. I have a similar health condition and it does not work that way. Yes, there are health issues that weight loss or reaching a healthy weight can help with, but some cannot. With a thyroid condition, you do not get healed by losing weight or reaching a target weight. I wish they could have addressed that.
Another thing that I appreciated about the show is how they dealt with the weight gain of the female lead. Shin Min Ah had to wear prosthetics and makeup to look bigger than she was, which was understandable. I loved that they did not overdo it in a way that made it look comical or overboard.
It was also good that the characters fell for each other before she lost the weight. It gives a positive message that love is not about a person’s looks. It was more about their feelings that developed as they got to know each other.
There is something about this show that feels more mature compared to other rom-coms. It might be the way the actors portrayed their roles. I’ve seen other dramas where the characters are young adults, but they are still portrayed a bit immature. This drama seems different from that. I liked it because it’s different and it does not happen often with K-Dramas of the rom-com genre.
The group dynamic of the male lead’s friend group: also made for some interesting moments. By the end of the show, it felt like they had developed this family dynamic that I enjoyed watching as it grew.
It was good that this friend group dynamic was there to help move the show along. As much as I enjoyed the story, I did find So Ji Sub’s acting a bit one-dimensional and stiff. It felt like he often only had one expression or emotion on his face. The times that he seems different seem to only be due to his co-stars. They help to give the scenes a different mood as opposed to what he is portraying. It helps a lot that Shin Min Ah is very charming and a credible actress. Her acting helps him appeal to the viewers better.
As much as I liked the supporting characters, there were some subplots that I felt were not necessary. They could have done away with them to focus on the main storyline. The show only had sixteen episodes and it would have been better to focus on the leads. It should have showcased more of the development of their relationship instead. The family and the ex-boyfriend drama of the leads felt unnecessary. I liked the storyline with Joong Sung and his mother. The stalker-type girlfriend of Jung Soong? It was not needed.
I also did not feel the need for the subplot of the ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend. Yes, they could have still been part of the story, but I felt there was more screen time for them than I would have liked. Although I have to give it to Yoo In Young for her portrayal of the old classmate. I thought she was good at being the character you’d love to hate. The casting of Jung Gyu Woon as the cheating ex was interesting to me. I have already seen him cast in a similar role (and in a similar plot) in Birth of a Beauty. Is he the go-to actor for cheating boyfriends or husbands? I thought that was an amusing casting choice!
For the women (and the women at heart), several eye candy scenes featured So Ji Sub in this show. It was a little too much for my taste but it did help to establish that he was the best fitness trainer. His body was also proof of that. To be honest. if I had a fitness coach who looked like that, I would want to train with him too. I would do what Jo Eun did and take advantage of the opportunity.
Memorable Moments
I have seen a lot of Korean dramas with several memorable moments. For this show, for some reason, I could only think of one: the part where Young Ho proposed to Jo Eun.
The proposal with the ring dangling at the end of a yarn that connected to Jo Eun’s scarf was unique and very sweet. The fact that the scarf he gave her had the ring was so sweet. She had been carrying it with her for a long time without knowing what it was. That was, for lack of a better word, the kilig moment that made me love this scene.
Where are they Now?
Kang Jo Eun (Shin Min Ah)
Shin Min Ah continues to work as an actress on TV and film. Her most recent work was on TV shows such as Hometown Cha Cha and Our Blues.
Kim Young Ho (So Ji Sub)
So Ji Sub moved on to other TV and film projects after Oh My Venus. His most recent projects are the film Alienoid and the TV series Doctor Lawyer, released in 2022.
Jan Joong Sung (Sung Hoon)
Sung Hoon continued to work on TV shows after this series. He has also moved on to becoming a romantic lead in a few series before making his film debut. His most recent series appearance was as the male lead of Woori the Virgin. This was the Korean adaptation of the popular American series Jane the Virgin.
Kim Ji Woong (Henry Lau)
As Young Ho’s manager, I thought that Henry Lau was very funny and entertaining. Ji Woong to me was one of my favorites and might be the most memorable character from the show.
After a quick search online, I discovered that Henry is also a singer and musician. He released music as recently as 2020. He continues to act not only in Korea but also overseas. He made his Hollywood debut in the movie A Dog’s Journey with Josh Gad, Marg Helgenberger, and Dennis Quaid. He was also in the second season of the Viki-produced series Dramaworld.
Another noteworthy supporting actor in the show was Jin Kyung. She has also appeared in other dramas post Oh My Venus such as Love in Contract, Queenmaker, and My Lovely Liar.
While this is not my favorite of all the earlier Korean dramas, Oh, My Venus is still an entertaining show. It has endearing characters and moments that would tug at your heartstrings. As someone who has had issues with health and fitness, this was a story that I could relate to.
Would you consider watching the drama Oh, My Venus after my review? Leave a message in the comments if you want to watch it! Get back to me and let me know what you think after you have seen it! I would love to know what you thought of the show!
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