True Beauty

여신강림 ‧ Drama ‧ 2020 - 2021
Completed
palak
300 people found this review helpful
Feb 4, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 16
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.5

HOW DO YOU DOOOOOOO

Well, not very well considering True Beauty ended today and I'm going to have to spend the whole of 2021 nursing my awful second lead syndrome.

True Beauty was a really fun ride. It had it's plot in place, the right amount of funny moments and lovable high schoolers (and their families). The female lead was likable and I rooted for her throughout. Cha Eun Woo did great and could hold his own (has he been working out though? He grew biceps overnight. Damn).

But there is one person who totally breathed life into this show and yes the entire planet knows him by now and there are exactly zero surprises in this name-reveal. SEOJUN was amazing. His puppy scenes made me soft. His intense scenes made me hot. His confession scenes set the bar too high. His ultimate fate made me cry buckets (with him). He simply took over all our lives. He is definitely on that list of my all-time favorite characters and I just want to maintain a list of all his iconic dialogues and go back and watch them scene by scene (maybe that's borderline creepy. Well, I'm sorry dae sekkiya).

But there are so many more characters I want to talk about. The supporting cast was a great strength of this show. Im Semi did such a good job and I loved her pairing with teacher Han. I loved seeing them smash gender roles so royally. Teacher Han was the kind of teacher teacher I not only wanted all my life, but the kind I want to be in the future (yep, I'm a future teacher lol). Su Ah and Taehoon were adorable. Su Ah was such a good friend too. Sujin was great too, minus the minor (or MAJOR) blip where she strayed for a while. But I liked her journey enough to forgive her. I wish the writer hadn't given her that cliche second female lead script, but I guess they were sticking to the script.

Seojun Squad and Suho squad were both awesome. But yes, if I have to pick one, I'll have to pick seojun squad (I'm sorry dae saekkiya). Kim Chorong and Taehoon are the kind of friends I want to manifest into my life (where do I sign up for them?). Joo Young was goalssss. He was so funny (oh shit, my eyes hahaha). I loved all the extraordinary you cast cameos (but what about haruuuu). Chani did well in extended cameo.

Looking back, I was super excited for True Beauty when I found out Hwang In Yeop was playing the second lead. I absolutely adored him in 18 again. And even though I knew he wouldn't be getting the girl here (again), I was just so excited to see him in a role with more screen time for him. And in that sense True Beauty didn't fail to deliver.

It is easily one of the best high school romance kdramas out there I would recommend to everyone and I am sure I will go back and watch it again sometime and bug a few friends to watch it too.

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Completed
Oishy
29 people found this review helpful
Jul 18, 2023
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

Sensational drama that has stolen the hearts of millions

Get ready to be captivated by the sensational drama that has stolen the hearts of millions: "True Beauty." As a newcomer to webtoons, I stumbled upon this extraordinary story, and its unique plot and stunning art instantly won me over. Little did I know that this webtoon would be adapted into a drama, filling me with an immeasurable amount of joy and anticipation.

"True Beauty" boasts a cast that is nothing short of perfection. With each episode, I found myself completely engrossed, unable to miss a single moment. The characters are all so lovable and relatable, bringing an extra layer of depth and charm to the story. The comedic talents of the female lead injected laughter into every scene, making her a delight to watch.

The romantic aspect of the drama is simply irresistible. The chemistry between the female lead and Suho, with his cold demeanor and yet sweet gestures, had me swooning. And let's not forget about Han Seo Jun, whose boldness, patience, and sacrifices made him an absolute standout.

The drama is not without its fair share of emotional moments. The twists and turns of the plot kept me on the edge of my seat, experiencing a whirlwind of emotions. But in the end, the drama delivered a satisfying conclusion that left me feeling content and fulfilled

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Completed
L Nanon
316 people found this review helpful
Feb 8, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 19
Overall 6.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

It was ok

The setup with ML tormented over a friends death and FL appearance were basically pointless as soon enough this settles into standard fair.

1. Pedestrian/Car accident despite all the time in the world to avoid? check
2. Love triangle where center (FL in this one) is oblivious? check
3. Mean mom suddenly overcome with grief when learning of child's hardships years too late and suddenly all is forgiven? check
5. Character disappears overseas for an extended time and returns with no advance word. check
6. Pointless breakup? check
7. Hospital visit due to gastrointestinal issue? check
8. Third wheel heroically gives up and helps main leads get back together after being annoying the entire show? check
10. Best friend betrayal to return later to allow lead to forgive to show how wonderful lead is? check

It's like there's a list that must be checked off at all costs to the story and characters. Still as formulaic as it is, it's not offensively bad.

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Completed
lyssa
17 people found this review helpful
May 8, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5
This review may contain spoilers

A fun drama to watch !

True beauty was just a fun drama to watch during your downtime or if you need a break from any action pack dramas. I think this is a show that is not for everyone. True beauty is a fun and endearing show, also really tropey but it was really silly, But I would recommend this if you just need a calm drama with not that much thinking.

Okay for that acting I enjoyed their acting it was not the best but it was still amazing.
Ju Kyung is a bit ditzy and clumsy, she grew a bit better as a character which was great. Moon Ga Young did a great job at portraying this character and made you feel sympathy towards Ju Kyung. I defiantly wanted her to have a better future.
Soo Ho was one of the love interests of Ju Kyung, he was like the tsundere type coming off as cold at first and then slowly you get to know him more. Cha Eun Woo did a great job at playing Soo Ho since he did play a similar character in My ID is Gangnam Beauty so I believe he took some elements from that character due to similarities.
Ju Kyung and Soo Ho relationship were super cute and just fun to watch. One of my favorite things about this couple is that Soo Ho falls in love with Ju Kyung first.
Seo Joon !! I loved him !! Seo Joon grew on me during the show and I was kinda rooting for him a bit at the end. He was a bad boy and Hwang In Yeop played him so well probably one of my newest favorite actors.
For Seo Joon and Ju Kyung's relationship, I found it so cute. They had a playful and tease relationship which I'm a sucker for Lol.
Soo Ho and Seo Joon's relationship were honestly one of the most heartbreaking things to watch in this show, there was just a lot of misunderstanding between them. I just wanted them to just sit and talk and when they finally did it was so heartwarming seeing their friendship come back. I love this bromance

OST not one of my favorites but did enjoy all the songs. My favorites were "Love So Fine" by Cha Eunwoo and "How Do You Do?" by Chani

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Completed
gookaboo
17 people found this review helpful
Jul 29, 2023
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0

My favorite Kdrama

I loved this drama. I was sad when it ended. I loved every moment. I'm now starting to read the Manhwa of it because I loved it so much. Its cute, funny, and original. I love the lead actor in every kdrama I've seen him in and he plays his roll perfectly. This one goes down as a classic to me. The love triangle really gets you hooked. If your looking to start watching kdramas, this is a good first watch. If you've already watched this kdrama,I highly recommend reading the manhwa of it. There is a lot more to the story that wasn't in the kdrama.
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Completed
Melany
297 people found this review helpful
Feb 4, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 28
Overall 5.0
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

The same cliche and boring story

This drama has nothing new neither fresh, it was funny but that was their strongest point (and all the memes that came from here).

Will you remember the message of the beauty? No, probably you will remember the okey dokey dance more, but it's natural since they didn't focused on female lead struggles with her appearance, they care more for the tedious love triangle. The story is that lame that the side characters are actual more interesting than the FL and that it's not okay cause she should carry the drama.

The second male lead, another great and charismatic character that ended up being a heartbroken guy till the end. I'm tired of that, why is so difficult to make him happy with another love or something. Anyway, he stole the show for me.

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Completed
Jasmine
84 people found this review helpful
Feb 5, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5
This review may contain spoilers

Different from Webtoon, Good or Bad(?)

If you would not like to know who the female lead will end up with before you watch it, I think you shouldn't be reading reviews, honestly it is a bit hard to not spoil it.

I started watching without reading the webtoon, but I went to read the webtoon after I started the drama. I would say I personally prefer a remake that doesn't follow exactly from the webtoon, if not why watching + reading both of it? Also I enjoyed watching shows with unexpected plots, so I don't mind if it changes the story, as long as the remake is also a good story! Which I think this is! The drama started off similarly and became quite different in the second half, also it doesn't have some characters that appeared in the webtoon and created some new characters too, which makes sense for the story to develop differently. Plus! This is still an ongoing webtoon and drama only have 16 eps.

If you are a fan of the webtoon and are persistent in the storyline or loveline, hoping to just watch the actual scenes being reenacted, you may reconsider watching this; however, if you are opened to a refreshing remake, then you should watch it! Although it shares a different story, but both are fairly good! Although TBH the last few eps of this drama was a bit draggy, but still okay for me!

Besides the main roles, their side roles are pretty interesting and funny too (especially female lead's teacher and family), definitely gave me a good laugh from time to time. All casts' interactions are quite hilarious and natural too (except for Eun Woo haha, I love him a lot but couldn't deny the fact that his acting was not that natural, as compared to In-Yeop, but has improvement from his previous drama)

Anyway, I'm #TeamSeoJoon, but I prefer female lead with Suho :) At least for the drama.
Reason being that since the very start, the writer has been very consistent in setting up a lot of encounters between female lead and Suho (even from the young age), so it doesn't really make sense for female lead to end up with Seo Joon, although this means breaking lots of second-lead syndrome girls' heart. I'm also pretty glad that the girl wasn't swaying between two guys and was pretty loyal to only Suho, so it ended quite well and I'm overall satisfied. Although I would appreciate if they gave Seo Joon a girl too, honestly he is so precious and deserves so much love. It breaks my heart A LOT when he was always there for the one he cares for but ended up being so sad :'( Gosh, I wish I can have him for myself, such a sweetie pie!!! Definitely one of the best second male leads I've ever seen! With In-Yeop's fantastic portrayal, his on-point smirks and puppy look, he's real good at it!

Overall, a light-hearted teen drama with lovable characters that is worth watching!

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Completed
TheMaskedWarrior
31 people found this review helpful
Feb 4, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 6.5

Can beauty of "True Beauty" go beyond fan service?

If you are a fan of either the original webtoon or any of the cast member, this drama is a delightful treat. But if you are like me who didn't find the original webtoon with substantial content and good plot progression, then this will definitely satisfy you, even exceeding your expectations. But what if you are a general audience who is unfamiliar with both webtoon and the cast, is this for you?

At the start, it was difficult to get into the show. I was subconsciously comparing it with My ID is Gangnam beauty and how good it was. The thought that this is about a teen girl and her musings makes this feel very innocent and childlike in front of MIGB broke me free of comparison.

School dramas can be difficult to satisfy. There is bullying. Then, there is innocence in romance. There is unnecessary misunderstandings and overthinking typical of that age. True beauty has all of these. Yet, it continues to entertain, unlike classic school kdramas, be it Playful kiss, Heirs, Boys over Flowers with lighter characters. I was surprised that the characters convincingly look like and act like school going teens.

What sets this apart from the other school dramas is its perfect amount of interweaving of comedy and seriousness. I was tempted to drop if the whole "letting out the truth" would be very dramatic and teary but it didn't. Last four to two episodes had heavy plot progression. Especially the last 2 episodes felt like events were happening faster; so many, many things were happening. But luckily, there were enough comical moments like the secondary couple to make the mood light. Whatever issues happened were dealt with in the same episode or in the very next episode. Bonus, There is sismance, there is bromance. And there is The HSJ-LSH© level bromance.

Additionally, nobody is a jerk here. There is one or two but you can't hate that person and they get their bitter medicine as well. But what was best is the character transformation of MC coming out strong and bold. Of course, both the male leads were interesting. I'm gonna glide over the entire love triangle because talking about it means dealing with spoilers. LSH has more amount of screen time as a love interest with LJK, as opposed to HSJ, so for me, it seemed like an unfair love triangle for HSJ. Again, it's a kdrama. I am neither team HSJ or team SH because both are good. Let the timing do the work. Let the lady choose.

When I heard there was a production for this webtoon, I wondered how well it was going to be produced. I was surprised money went to all right places, hiring a good screenwriter to write a solid and tight plot, good imaginative scenes to give the webtoon-ish feel, experimenting different episodic narration styles, and good music. I think I love all the OSTs with top 3- I'm in the mood for dancing, Call me maybe, and I'm missing you.

And the best part is how true the casting is true to the webtoon. CEW's acting of subtler expressions is getting better. MGY is gorgeous as ever. I don't think I would rewatch it again except maybe comedy scenes.

Undeniably, True Beauty will become a game-changer by heightening expectations for future school kdramas. Yes, the story is nothing new but it keeps entertaining being light-hearted and hilarious.

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Completed
Kim_Jiyu
17 people found this review helpful
Oct 2, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

AMAZING!! MY THING!

I watched true beauty last year, here I am writing a review... I rewatched true beauty 5-6 times... I am and will never ever be tired of it. It gives me literal ✨FEELS✨ while watching. The reason I wanted to write this review is cuz I want to thank TRUE BEAUTY, because it just makes me happy whenever I watch it, If I mean, Whenever, I mean anytime, literally, anytime. Ok, now, I will go through my rating, reasons..

So first, the story. It was amazing! The perfect school concept. The webtoon vibezz!! The main part of this drama was the Love Triangle! I obviously gave the rewatch value a 10 because.. you know... I've watched it and can keep on going. The story was where Ju-Kyung was bullied at her school, she transferred and started using make-up as a disguise, becoming the goddess of the school. She then continues to live in the disguise. Falls in love with Su-ho, the *1* of the school. Su-ho, also, liking Im Ju-Kyung, starts dating. Problems arise with Kang Su-jin, who also liked Su-ho. Su-ho himself has a different story with his own problems. I don't wanna spoil it anymore.
Then is the acting/cast. They were so perfect! Eunwoo and In-Yeop with their handsome visuals, Ka-young with ther visuals and their personalities on and off cam was nice!
Now, for the music, OST, I have to say a single word, Extraordinary, I can even listen to it on daily-basis. I love not one or two, but all the songs from this drama. I definitely recommend listening to it. Definitely!
Overall, I love True Beauty. I love it!!! Definitely recommend watching it!

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Completed
Sarah
17 people found this review helpful
Mar 31, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

Perfect balance between funny and emotional and pinch of reality.

This is exactly what I needed to watch, the plot really touched me since I can say I've been struggling the same way the main character did. It really has an important message that makes you think about society standars. Loved how Suho started to fall for her not because of her looks but because her personality. The bullying she received because she was "ugly" is something we can see daily everywhere. I also loved how at the lasts episodes she sometimes when out with friends and Su Ho without make up and she was comfortable with that. 10/10. I strongly recommend it ♡.

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Completed
josie1220
23 people found this review helpful
Feb 5, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 5.0

Is it really "True Beauty"?

Here are some things I want to stress about a 10/10 drama for me. It has to be captivating from beginning to end; it has to have a high rewatch value; it has to not have a part where I want to spam the "skip 10 seconds" button.

Let's dissect the story. It was NOT a lot to unpack. The story was simple and a basic Korean high school drama. It wasn't exactly terrible, but it's just basic. There is really not much special about the plot. It's predictable and meh. I think one point in time it just became a "which boy will she choose (even though it's pretty obvious which one)" instead of "realizing one's true beauty." This drama is basically all about lookism.

Now, let's talk about cast. First of all, this is very biased Team Seojun. I have been Team Seojun since day 1 of webtoon. Of course, I also continued to support him during the drama. Hwang In Yeop's acting was gold and a pinky worth of his chemistry with Moon Ga-young was better than all of Eunwoo's scenes with her. Since we already mentioned Cha Eunwoo, let's just say that I didn't expect anything better or worse. One word: lookism. I'll try not to drop too much criticisms because it might just look like hate. Moving on, Moon Ga-Young was cute but not best for the role. She's a great actress-- I just don't think teen dramas are for her. She's much better suited as the villainess (aka in Tempted) in my opinion. The support roles' couples were honestly better than the main one. Although these couples don't really contribute much to the story, they were full of chemistry. About the support character's acting, nothing really stood out--good or bad. The only thing that stood out was Heekyung's personality. All other support characters just blended perfectly into the background, as they should.

The score for the music is self-explanatory. It's a really good soundtrack for a webdrama.

Overall, I WOULD NOT RECCOMEND unless you are surely Team Suho or if you're an Eunwoo fan.

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Completed
SoulOnSale
19 people found this review helpful
Feb 5, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

Different to the webtoon but I enjoyed it

I have to say I LOVED this drama. It may not be the best story, but I enjoyed every second of it. I've been a fan of the webtoon ever since it first came out, but there are some things I liked better in the drama.Soo Jin's character didn't make much sense to me in the webtoon. She appeared from time to time to be mean to Ju Kyung but she didn't have much depth. I liked her family's story and the way she was related to Soo Ho. Her arc was amazing as well for me and I loke how she redeemed herself at the end.Ju Kyung in the webtoon is like... Character development??? Don't know her —but in the drama she finally accepted herself as who she is and even stood up for herself. She went from being a scared shy girl suffering from bullying to a happy, sensible and strong woman and I loved that. I also like how they handled the Se Yeon situation in the drama. Suicide to me is a hard topic to adapt in screen but I think they did well. I also loved how in the drama Hee Kyung and Mr.Han's relationship worked. Hee Kyung was my favorite female characters because she is just so badass like she's strong and determined and she won't stop until she gets what she wants. The Lim's family drama was okay to me as well. I don't remember reading about Ju Kyung's dad in the webtoon but her mom was just... ??? I enjoyed how, in spite of her temper, she supported Ju Kyung at the end.The only thing that I hated with all my heart is that Ju Kyung didn't give Seo Jun a chance like she did in the webtoon. I loved them as a couple in the manhwa and I don't know he's just so sweet and caring and handsome. The second lead syndrome is just too strong and it pains me that he didn't get a lot more scenes

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True Beauty poster

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  • Score: 8.3 (scored by 123,281 users)
  • Ranked: #1050
  • Popularity: #12
  • Watchers: 200,712

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