The Beast and the Beauty ~ A Spin, A Twist, and a Trope

By cmoneyspinner - April 9, 2026

“The Beast and the Beauty” is a 2005 Korean movie, categorized as Romance and Comedy (Rom-Com), and streaming on Viki and a rental on Amazon Prime.

Memorable Quote: “I wanted you to see the world through my eyes… because I was afraid you’d see me.”

SUMMARY: A blind woman regains her sight, unaware that the man she loves has been hiding his appearance because he doesn’t think he’s handsome enough for a pretty girl. A handsome rival enters the picture, and all three are forced to confront the truth about love.

♦ Nobody Can See Your Face When You’re a Voice Actor

In “The Beast and the Beauty”, Ku Dong-Gun is a talented but deeply insecure voice actor who has spent his entire life believing he is unattractive. It’s because … he kind of is. But beauty’s only skin deep. Right? It’s the inner beauty that counts. Right? His low self-esteem is rooted in a facial scar and years of internalized shame. It’s the reason why he chose to be a voice actor. He doesn’t have to show his scarred face to the world.

But everything changes for Ku Dong-Gun when he meets Jang Hae-Joo, a sweet and artistic young woman. For him and he thinks also for them, life is beautiful because … she’s blind. She had no clue what he looked like. Their first encounter is accidental. She mistakes his car for a taxi and gets in. Ku Dong-Gun doesn’t tell her he’s not a taxi. Instead, he keeps showing up every day to pick her up and take her home. Their relationship grows into a tender romance. Ku Dong-Gun becomes her guide to the world, describing everything she cannot see with vivid detail. He uses his voice to paint the beauty all around them.

♦ They Found a Donor!

One day, Jang Hae-Joo receives the news she’s been waiting for. A corneal transplant is available and after the operation, she will be able to see. Instead of celebrating, Ku Dong-Gun panics. Terrified that she will reject him once she sees his face, he lies and tells her he is leaving for Hawaii on a business trip. That way, he can avoid seeing her altogether. Only Jang Hae-Joo believes he will return home eventually. With each passing day, she looks forward to finally seeing him.

Jang Hae-Joo has never seen Ku Dong-Gun’s face. Well, she did see him, but didn’t know who he was. He came to the hospital to visit after her surgery, and he lied about his identity. He overheard her friends laughing at how ugly “that guy” was and knew they were talking about him. He lost all of his courage after that. How can he possibly let Jang Hae-Joo see his face? Besides, he had already described himself to her as a really handsome guy.

♦ ENTER Really Handsome Guy

Tak Jun-Ha is Ku Dong-Gun’s former high school classmate. He’s the “handsome” version of Ku Dong-Gun that he described to Jang Hae-Joo when she was blind. Tak Jun-Ha is everything Ku Dong-Gun believes he is not: handsome, confident, and socially polished. Tak Jun-Ha works in law enforcement, and he was in the car waiting for his fellow detectives. Having waited so long to finally see Ku Dong-Gun, Jang Hae-Joo thinks that he has finally come to pick her up. She runs toward the car and doesn’t realize that three fellow detectives are running right behind her. They all jump in the car.

Tak Jun-Ha is completely taken aback by this strange woman who got in his car. But he doesn’t have time to ask her because the detectives are being chased by some bad guys. They need to drive off and fast! After all of the commotion, Tak Jun-Ha wants to get to know this pretty lady. He is drawn to Jang Hae-Joo’s warmth and sincerity. Ku Dong-Gun is watching from a distance. He is torn between wanting her happiness and fearing the truth.

A love triangle forms. However, Jang Hae-Joo senses that something is wrong because Tak Jun-Ha doesn’t match the emotional connection she remembers with Ku Dong-Gun. Is this man the real Ku Dong-Gun?

Ku Dong-Gun remains in the shadows, watching from a distance. He grows more and more conflicted. Should he reveal himself or disappear from her life entirely? After all, Jang Hae-Joo and Tak Jun-Ha make a lovely couple. Won’t she be happy with the handsome guy he described to her?

Main Characters:

Ku Dong-Gun (played by Ryoo Seung-Bum, “The Berlin File“, “The Unjust“, “Arahan“)
Jang Hae-Joo (played by Shin Min-A, “Arang and the Magistrate“, “Chief of Staff 1 and 2“, “Karma“, “Go Go 70s“, “No Gain No Love“, “Tomorrow With You“, “Diva“)
Tak Jun-Ha (played by Kim Kang-Woo, “The Childe“, “New Year Blues“, “The Vanished“, “Wonderful World“, “The Tyrant“, “The Old Woman With The Knife“, “Circle: Two Worlds Connected“, “Item“, “High Society“)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

IMDb: 6.5 out of 10 stars
My Drama List: 7.3 out of 10 stars
The Movie Database (TMDB): 6.1 out of 10 stars
Viki viewers rated the movie: 8.6 out of 10 stars
Letterboxd: 3.2 out of 5 stars
Amazon Prime Customers: 3.71 out of 5 stars

My personal rating is the same as the Amazon Prime customers.

“The Beast and the Beauty” has the typical K-drama love triangle trope. The movie is a spin on the popular Western fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast” and also a twist of Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play “Cyrano de Bergerac”. Why watch? Do you like old movies? This one was released in 2005. It is humor and adorable cuteness times ten!

DID YOU KNOW? Aside from those suffering from infections or a few highly communicable diseases, almost anyone can be a cornea donor. The blood type, age, eye color and eyesight are not factors either. “Frequently Asked Questions about Eye Banking, Corneas, and Transplantation.” | EBAA