The popular South Korean drama “More Beautiful Than Heaven,” starring veteran actress Kim Hye-soo alongside Son Sik-kyu and Han Ji-min, has struck a chord with audiences with its blend of love, family, and pet companionship. The latest episode of the 12-part series achieved a record-breaking viewer rating of 6.9%, marking a steady increase in viewership for four consecutive weeks and securing the top spot on Netflix.
In “More Beautiful Than Heaven,” Lee Hae-sook (played by Kim Hye-soo), who scrapes by through usury, juggles debt collecting to care for her paralyzed husband Ko Lok-joon (played by Son Sik-kyu) and adopted daughter Lee Young-ae (played by Lee Hee-in). Despite facing societal scorn for her financial struggles, upon her unexpected arrival in heaven after passing away, she reminisces about her husband’s constant praise of her beauty even in old age. She decides to appear in heaven with an elderly appearance, only to find her husband has reverted to a youthful and handsome state. Thus, the two embark on a fantastical romance that transcends death and age.
As the story progresses, viewers discover that heaven is not the idyllic paradise they imagined, but rather a place with strict rules and limitations. Here, each soul must face their regrets and unfinished business from their past lives. The narratives of characters like a firefighter haunted by his inability to save a child or a mother longing to make up for missing her child’s birthday gift, provide a profound exploration of the complexities and facets of human nature, evoking deep emotional resonance among viewers.
The portrayal of animal souls in the series is particularly innovative. When Lee Hae-sook encounters her former pet cat Sonya in the form of a little girl in heaven, the surprise and emotion strike a chord in the hearts of pet lovers, enriching the overall story.
Kim Hye-soo’s portrayal of Lee Hae-sook’s resilience, warmth, tenderness, and the confusion and awkwardness she faces when her husband “regresses” to youth is portrayed with exceptional skill, adding depth to her character. It is rumored that “More Beautiful Than Heaven” may be Kim Hye-soo’s final project in her acting career, serving as a gift to her late husband.
According to Korean media reports, Kim Hye-soo’s love story with her late husband, Im Jong-chan, may have ended 27 years ago, but the deep love they shared remains a feeling Kim Hye-soo cannot shake off in her lifetime. Im Jong-chan cherished Kim Hye-soo like a princess, always prioritizing her in everything. Even during his battle with pancreatic cancer in his later years, his heart remained focused on his wife.
Kim Hye-soo harbors a sense of guilt towards her husband, feeling she did not fulfill her duties as a wife and mother as she led a self-absorbed life focused solely on her acting career. She has expressed her fears of memory loss in old age and often prays to heaven, hoping for a chance to apologize to her husband for not treating him well while he was alive.
At 83 years old, Kim Hye-soo has voiced concerns about declining memory in her 80s and considers stepping back from acting if she cannot remember her lines. Returning with “More Beautiful Than Heaven,” she finds solace in the poignant and captivating story, believing it may heal the pain in her heart to some extent. Although she could not love her husband again in this lifetime, she seems to have planned for the next: “My husband was eleven years older than me, so he always looked after me like a younger sister; if we were to meet again in the next life, I would protect him like an older sister.”
The most captivating aspect of “More Beautiful Than Heaven” is its latest plot development where the female protagonist Lee Haesook descends into hell, witnessing harrowing scenes of the seven hells’ brutal punishments, including boiling soup, tongue pulling, and icy torments, echoing the Korean cultural view of hell as a place where sins are rightfully punished. When the male lead Lok-joon jumps into molten lava to save Lee Hae-sook, viewers experience a powerful emotional impact.