200 Pounds Beauty is a South Korean comedy with a big heart based on a Japanese manga by Yumiko Susuki.

The plot is simple; a very overweight and unattractive girl with a beautiful voice undergoes an extreme surgical makeover to become a star and win the heart of the man she loves, but in the process looses her true self.

This comedy is unusual in that it does not get too serious at the end or preach to its audience, as is often the case with most Korean comedies.

This film has become a big hit and demonstrates that you can have a successful movie without casting a famous star in the lead role.

The producers, of course, wanted a famous actress to play the lead role, but apparently none wanted to do the movie.

This might be a reason for its success as the audience often only sees the celebrity and not the character they are playing and, despite their best efforts, famous actors sometimes end up being themselves on screen instead of the character they are supposed to be betraying.

The lead actress who plays Han-Na (Kim Ah-Jung) has only worked on one small movie before and a couple of TV dramas, yet her performance is natural and convincing, which shows that she has empathy for her character and this comes across to the audience.

The story is easy to follow and very visual with good comedic timing and a great soundtrack. It is also a bellyful of laughs throughout with a big feel good factor at the end.

Synopsis

Han-Na is fat and plain looking but has a wonderful singing voice and a lovely personality.

She has always dreamed of being a pop star, but because of her looks she has only ever worked backstage providing the vocals and recording all the albums for a sexy singer named Ami, who is tone deaf and cannot sing a single note.

To make extra money Han-Na also works as a phone sex worker in the evening at home.

Whilst working on Ami’s albums Han-Na falls in love with her handsome music producer, but he shows no sign of being interested in her.

Ami finds out that Han-Na has a crush on her music producer and during a party to celebrate his birthday Ami humiliates Han-Na in front of Sang-Jun and everyone else at the party.

Han-Na is so distraught by her humiliation she tries to kill herself, but is interrupted by a phone call from one of her sex phone customers.

He is a cosmetic surgeon and Han-Na persuades the reluctant surgeon to put her under the knife and make her beautiful.

A year goes by and a stunning girl called Jenny appears at an audition to be Ami’s vocalist. Sang-Jun is so impressed with her that he gives Jenny her own recording contract instead.

Nobody realises Jenny is the new Han-Na, nor do her family and friends. Even Han-Na herself is wondering who the real "me" is.

Meantime, Ami is desperate to find Han-Na to record her overdue album and starts looking into her background and family history.

Jenny believes love is in the air and that soon Sang-Jun will be hers forever. They start dating as Sang-Jun promotes her new career and looses interest in Ami.

Ami’s jealously of Jenny reaches boiling point as her career declines and Jenny’s ascends to new heights. Ami looks for ways of derailing Jenny’s career and eventually her real identity is uncovered.

Will Jenny lose the love of her life and the pop star status she dreamed of?