You’re Beautiful: You Can Be Cool and Catholic Too!

Somebody pinch me. A show that shows Catholics that are both religious AND their devotion to their faith is a good thing? A show that posits that religion can make you a better person, that you can still be Catholic and make contributions to the culture at large without being “out dated” or “preachy”? Yes, it DOES exist. It’s the K-drama, You’re Beautiful!

You’re Beautiful is a gender bending comedic K-Drama about the orphan, Minam Shineyo, a postulate at a Catholic convent in Korea (yes you read that right) who receives word that her identical twin brother, Minam Go, has gotten the deal of a lifetime, the chance to be a member of one of Korea’s hottest rock bands, A.N.JELL (get it? Got it? Good!). There’s just a tiny snafu, Minam Go took some bad advice from his bumbling manager and got a nose job in the States and is unable to make it to the audition! What to do? At first resisting the pleas of her brother’s manager, desiring to stay in the convent that she has known all her life, Minam Shineyo refuses. But being moved by the desire for her brother to have the successful and fulfilling career in music he has always wanted, she agrees to stand in as him at the audition.

What follows is an adorable,  funny, and sweet romantic comedy about Minam Shineyo discovering God’s purpose in her life…while pretending to be someone else. I want you to be able to experience this show for yourself  because there is just so much of it that will entertain and strum on those heart strings. But there are a couple notable elements worth mentioning.

First, Minam Shineyo regularly prays,  when nervous or in a seriously difficult emotional situation. She also remembers the lessons of the Mother Superior of her order using them as guidelines to try and understand how to manage the insanity that ensues during her stay as a member of A.N.JELL. The Mother Superior herself is shown as a positive role model, being wise, motherly, and tender. She regularly encourages Minam Shineyo to seek out God’s will for her life, even if that means leaving the convent forever.

Second, this K-drama makes it clear that is is possible to be Catholic and contribute to the mainstream culture.  As Catholics, I think we’re often made to feel that we don’t belong in artistic circles, that our faith somehow inhibits or stunts our creative abilities. And often the mainstream culture (at least here in the U.S.) is openly hostile to people of faith which only further serves to try and convince us that creativity is something that we should have no part or place in.  Minam Shineyo is extraordinarily talented as a musician, and her faith keeps her strong, it keeps her moral, and above all, she practices it along side managing her musical career. She fits into both worlds quite well, and despite her natural apprehension about being a rock star (since her only desire is to live a quiet and unassuming life) she discovers that she has a talent that deserves to be used and developed.

So, in summary, You’re Beautiful is a safe, wholesome, innocent and just plain old entertaining k-drama that  will make you feel good about being Catholic, and perhaps inspire you to take on your own creative projects. If you’d like to watch it for yourself, you can find it streaming on both Hulu and Dramafever.

Have you watched it? Do you have any questions for me about the show? Want to discuss? Comment in below!