True Beauty

Good escapism!

Spoilers after my general thoughts section!!

tw: suicide/self-harm. I haven't seen it mentioned enough so just to warn anyone who hasn't seen it that True Beauty mentions suicide and bullying a lot. Please look after yourself if this is a trigger for you <3

Ok, so I'm just gonna do a list of points on how I feel because I'm lazy and a combination of lockdown x uni has ruined my ability to write properly. None of this is in any proper order I'm just rambling after episode 16 finished.

General thoughts:
- I loved this drama!! The writing and characterisation were all over the place but it just came at the right time for me.
- It echoed noughties highschool kdramas, full of classic tropes - the love triangle, time skip, and some slightly problematic themes for us tired 2021 folk (ok it just made me think of boys over flowers a lot)
- A lot of people have said it was cringey but I live for all of that
- If you follow the webtoon you'll recognise certain scenes but it's a much more condensed/altered story
- The show did deliver with its comedic scenes. I found myself laughing a fair amount because some lines/plots were just so silly
- Its themes seemed to live up to the title more than webtoon but still didn't really deliver
- There are a few angsty/serious parts but for the most part, it's a wholesome story of a girl learning to rebuild her self-esteem after severe bullying
- The love triangle took up too much of the story but I did enjoy the romance for the most part
- It was cute and quite frankly I needed some fluffy relief and impatiently waited for each episode every week

Love line:
- I feel like I've been watching kdramas for so long I just don't get second lead syndrome anymore.
- I understood the hype for both Suho and Seojun but I can't be disappointed because I never allowed myself to have expectations
- Thank you to the ship wars for not being as toxic as Start-Up. Gosh, that was a rough couple of weeks.
- Seojun deserved better and we didn't need to see him pining for that long
- I also adored Seojun but I wanted him for me, not Jugyeong lol
- That gal was blind to anyone who wasn't Suho and that was obvious.
- I kept going back and forth with who I liked more between the male leads. I am a fickle woman.
- They made Suho too stalkery and possessive in episode 15 and it's just so not a cute or redeemable feature why do so many dramas do this
- I'll just say as a society we have moved past the need for love triangles. It's exciting for all of 5 seconds but when the toxic jealousy comes in it's just like let's stop and all be friends, please
- Also, the we-met-as-children storyline is so overdone. It can work sometimes but felt wholly irrelevant in this story!!
- It was a pipe dream but we all know Soojin x Jugyeong (in the first half) and Suho x Seojun would have been more powerful than anything.

Random plot points that I can remember and need to discuss:
- I know kdrama magic is a thing but it stressed me out how quickly they healed after the car accident. All those piggybacks after those broken limbs made my heart race.
- Also that car accident scene of Suho flying in the air? Just wow. Classic scene. Was crying of laughter. I'm sorry it was just so silly. And adds to my concern about the injuries. The boy's back should've been broken!
- Was a bit annoying to see how overdramatic people were about acne?? Like come on, it's perfectly natural, especially in teenagers. To all my fellow people with facial skin conditions - we're beautiful with or without makeup!!
- I am glad they showed Jugyeong happily wearing her bare face in the end though she was glowing!!
- I needed the suicide attempt to be discussed more?? I mean it's a kdrama and I had low expectations but it felt so negligent to not explore mental health when it was so important to understand the actions of the main characters
- These mains ALL need therapy T_T
- The time skip/break-up just felt pointless to me. Make Suho work harder to earn your love back please, Jugyeon. It just added to Seojun's pain :(
- The ending of them holding a book called the ending sksksks um how deep

Characters:
- How beautiful was this entire cast? A visual treat!!
- Jugyeong was the cutest and I wanted the whole world for her. So happy she was succeeding in the end
- They did Soojin dirty and we all know it. Yes, I've read the webtoon so I knew she was bad in that but gosh these writers made her so good at the beginning!! Happy she was redeemed-ish in the end but it wasn't anything huge
- I'd do anything for Heekyung?? What a woman. Her relationship with the teacher was adorable.
- Juyoung and Gowoon were cute
- Sooah was tiny and so cute too. I just say cute a lot but yeah many a cute character in this series.
- Seojun was the superior character. Great son and brother, respects women and mental health, can sing, is in a band, and looks like that?? I need a sequel just to see him succeed in life and get a juicy story where he's loved back
- The writers just did not know what to do with Suho's character. But thank you for letting us see how much Eun-Woo's acting has improved
- Hot take: Drama Suho was worse than webtoon Suho but webtoon Seojun was better than drama Seojun.
I mean, Seojun was so fantastic in the drama too but we're given so much more in the webtoon. Why steal half of Seojun's scenes and give them to Suho?? A lot of people say Suho was so bland in the webtoon but the boy was very clearly depressed and needs some love!!
- I loved the bromances in the show!!

Music:
- I'm in the moooooddddd for dancin... why did this song disappear so soon this rendition was so cute
- Did we ever get a full version of that how do you do song because I need it??
- I really loved that missing youuu song
- Seojun for the rookie band of the year

To conclude: Well written? Nope. A bit of tropey fun with a little bit of angst that helps you escape for a while from these hellish times? yes yes yes :)

I feel like this is usually like an 8 or an 8.5 for me but I'm feeling generous and looking forward to this every week has made this lockdown a little better.

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Absolutely a delight, amazing cast and characters but they failed one character

Absolutely loved this series. Amazing leads, from both FL and ML1 and ML2.
FL lead is super charming and likeable and very funny at times. It's funny she was called ugly in beginning of the show even her ugly makeup, she was still a very cute girl.
It is predicable though but it is expected with these type of kdramas.
I've enjoy everyone from the cast, seems like everyone really had great chemistry. Honestly, I would have been fine if she ended up with either ML
Since she had chemistry with both. That's usually hard to pull off. I'm guessing the actress is likey so much fun to work with.
I've had issue with one Female character I liked in the beginning but as the show progressed, they turned her into a villain and she became so easy to root against and hated.
She was such a bad ass character. She ruined all her image and almost her life for a guy who clearly said many times he didn't like her, he has a girlfriend and only saw her as a friend.
She decided to ruin her friendship with the FL, ended being the worst pos ever put on TV.
Worst part, it took her like 3 years to apologize.
When they decided to bring her back to the show. I just didn't care one bit.
Which is a shame since I do love cool and bad ass female characters from dramas
But anyway, I think this show is definitely my third favorite show after a business proposal and it's OK to not be OK.
When you have amazing set of characters it is very easy for your show to be so loved and successful
Oh almost forgot about the best friendzone character in the show.
ML2. He did everything he could to get the girl and even waited for 3 years
He could have turned into a scambag at the end but he knew he really didn't have a chance or never had any. So he decided to work on himself and try to move on.
Oh, lastly one crazy relationship was the FL older sister and the teacher.
She was the most forward woman I've ever seen in my life lol
I'm not sure if he was scared of her and decided to say yes to everything or was he really in love with her.
That relationship was something lol
Anyway review way too long.
I definitely would watch this again just because how amazing Everyone are.
Earned its 9.5

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Making use of tropes and following conventions the right way.

Yes, one of the main criticisms of this drama is its overuse of tropes and conventions, which even I must agree with. I have not watched enough korean dramas to be aware of all of them, but even from the few I have watched I can see this. However, this is a rare case where these tropes and conventions are utilised in a good way for the majority of the time.

I will keep this short and spoiler free. Where other dramas will use tropes and conventions to create cringey and awkward situations, True Beauty actually creates many comedic and engaging scenes through these same methods.

The story of the drama is very solid, focusing on the FL learning to be comfortable in her own skin, and with the main trio all having great character development.

The soundtrack is what stands out the most, with both the ML's contributing and not a single song disappointing.

The casting was done very well. I have not read the webtoon, however in terms of aesthetic likeness to the characters, the drama's casting crew nailed it.

Overall this was a very enjoyable watch, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys (mainly) lighthearted rom-coms, with a few slighly darker sub-plots.

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Such a hilarious drama

I will give a review as a non Webtoon reader and I'm really like this drama!! I wonder how good the original Webtoon is because I see lot of people keep comparing to it and feel dissapointed at the end.

The storyline is very simple but not simple as ordinary school drama. I don't know how to explain but it's very precious to me. It's called True Beauty for something. even the drama not really have a plot twist like every Korean drama, it's still enjoyable and HILARIOUS!!

The Acting is kinda problem here actually. Cha Eun Woo acting is still not 'wow' yet but he is improving since Gangnam Beauty. Moon Ga Young is really good actress but why she looks so fake in this drama?? Like she fail potray the character neutrally. the other rests are so good even some of them is still new in K-drama industry.

All the OST in this drama is perfect for me. Literally no skip especially 'I'm in the mood for dancing' and 'Love So Fine'

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Not like other high school dramas… Sike

And another webtoon adaptation. True Beauty bears many similarities with the slew of new romcom entries in kdramaland. As much as I love romcoms, I stay away from “high school” backdrops because I find the premise constraining. Its focus on firsts (e.g. first love, first kiss, etc.) leads to predictability. True Beauty benefits from a wealth of original material but still struggles to shine amongst numerous similar titles.

Story:
Adaptations are a double-edged sword. The original must have been well-received to be adapted, and the adaptation will naturally be compared against it. Any changes are seen as significant risks. I have only briefly scanned a couple chapters of the True Beauty webtoon, and it is clear that the webtoon contains a ton of content distilled down to 16 episodes.

Without reading the original content, one senses the webtoon omissions through the shallow side characters in the drama adaptation. Relationships with side characters go from one stage to the next without sufficient scenes. Even the finale is rushed to reach an ending for the main leads. With such gaps, the drama feels surprisingly empty despite its quick pace.

Acting:
As if comparison to the webtoon is not enough, Cha Eun-Woo’s True Beauty character has the same feel as his character in Gangnam Beauty: cold but caring, cares what is inside more than outside. Can an actor be typecast this quickly? His acting in Gangnam Beauty exceeds the expectation for idols, and his performance in True Beauty is at least as strong. I have not seen his sageuk drama but look forward to him trying different roles in the future.

Moon Ga-Young is Moon Ga-Young, cementing herself as a pillar among kdrama actresses. Just look at any popular young actress list on kisskh. The entire drama revolves around these two, and their acting is the main draw that distinguishes the drama from the webtoon. Beautiful actress cosplays “ugly” girl is suspect, at best, but Moon Ga-Young’s overall performance is great (shifting body language from unconfident to confident). The young actors’ ability to carry this drama highlight the bright future ahead of them.

Music:
Idol concepts weave itself throughout the drama and the music. The OST is even being repackaged like a kpop album with photocards and merchandise. Unsure whether this is common for drama OSTs, but the OST artists fits the image. Solos from idol groups like GFriend and SF9, Chani himself. Cha Eun-Woo and Hwang In-Yeop also contribute. Final shoutout to Car, the Garden ~ Happy Ending.

Rewatch Value:
I realize MDL lists two additional “main roles” which I mostly passed over. Park Yoo-Na’s character is the most shortchanged from the adaptation (my guess) and is the only reason I may try to read the webtoon. The rewatch value of the drama is low, and, ironically, some of the memorable scenes were actually the hilarious Extraordinary You cameos. Definitely give Extraordinary You and Gangnam Beauty a try before, or after, True Beauty.

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This was a wonderful drama! Hilarious, touching, sweet, angsty... allowing the actors to truly spread their wings with various emotional scenes ranging from funny to absolutely heartbreaking. And the chemistry between the leads was simply off the charts!

When you watch the BTS vids, you can see how fantastically everyone got along and it truly showed on-screen. It was a real pleasure to watch the scenes with the main three - Cha Eunwoo, Moon Ga Young and Hwang In Yeop - whether they were humorous or sad, they played off each other wonderfully. And the interactions between them were my favorite ones, both the romance and the bromance.

I think that my favorite moment out of all the great moments that this drama is full of was the one with Suho and his father at the hospital, when Suho broke down and everything he’d been keeping hidden all the years spilled out. That whole scene was just heartbreaking, the way it was shot, the fact that all the important people left in Suho’s life got to witness it... it was honestly perfect. Everything I wanted and more. And that following it, Suho and Seojun started repairing their broken friendship was a bonus!

There were so many things that I loved about the drama. The older sister and her teacher chicken of a boyfriend! The way Joogyung’s whole family finally found a common ground! Suho and his father! The mystery of Leo! Soojin’s downfall and redemption! Seojun’s family! The friendship among Suho, Seojun and Seyeon before everything went downhill! That we saw the characters grow up and become adults, start a career and find a purpose in life! All that and more.

To sum it up, I loved the drama. Sure, it took an ep or three to find its feet but I’m so glad that I stuck with it till the end. It’s definitely my favorite Cha Eunwoo series and I’m so glad that he starred it in.

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A Journey of self-acceptance and empowerment

True Beauty is a drama that resonates deeply, especially for anyone who has experienced bullying or struggled with self-esteem, like you did in your childhood. The show touches on themes of beauty, self-acceptance, and personal growth, making it not only visually stunning but also emotionally impactful. Tthis drama can serve as a reminder that beauty is much more than skin deep, and it celebrates the importance of overcoming challenges to find inner strength. The journey of the characters mirrors the real-life struggles many face, which makes it not only entertaining but also empowering.

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Two Kinds of Love, One Lasting Heartache

The balance of comedy and romance in True Beauty is both charming and heartfelt. While it begins with the familiar makeover trope, the arrival of two ex-best friends falling for the same girl creates genuine suspense. What makes the love triangle unique is how we witness two distinct forms of love and care directed toward Ju-kyung: Su-ho’s steady, protective devotion and Seo-jun’s warm, selfless support.

Although the choice between them seems obvious from early on, Seo-jun’s unwavering love leaves a lasting impact. Viewers find themselves not only rooting for Ju-kyung and Su-ho’s romance but also yearning for Seo-jun’s happiness — a longing that carries over even into his appearances in other dramas. This makes the ending feel bittersweet: satisfying in its resolution, yet tinged with the ache of Seo-jun’s unfulfilled story.

What stands out most is the humanity of every character. There are no true villains — even Kang Su-jin, whose betrayal stems from insecurity, earns empathy by the end. Ultimately, True Beauty reminds us that love can take many forms, and sometimes the most touching stories are those that don’t end in “happily ever after” for everyone.

However, it is not the strongest rewatch drama, as the story is fairly predictable once you know the outcome. Its real strength lies not in surprise twists but in the feelings it stirs — the warmth, longing, and bittersweet ache that stay with you long after the credits roll.

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It is in the middle of good and bad

As a fan of dramas (whatever language it is), I have watched different storylines or you can say many of them even have identical build-ups. In this particular drama, I could say it has its own positive feels but at the same time it also has negative sides.

Story

First of all, I like how fun and light this drama is. It can be easily loved by people especially the newbies in the Kdrama world. The plot is not complicated to be understood. It is typical for Korean dramas to be laid down this way and we call it clichés. Daily lives of high school students who try their best on coping up with their grading marks and lessons.

But the catch on the story is the discrimination in the female lead's physical appearance. And antagonist students do this in the way of bullying. No matter where you go, that kind of discrimination is really not that uncommon. The solution that the female lead thought of is through the use of make-up or cosmetics. Well, her mother kind of tried to consult with a Plastic Surgeon but changed her mind afterwards. This is the fundamental difference if I were to compare it to My ID is Gangnam Beauty.

Acting/Cast

At first, I watched this entirely because of Eun Woo. As an Aroha, I can't let this slip away from my watchlist, can I? But the additional team up with Ga Young and In Yeop? Definitely a new and fun team-up. I first saw Ga Young in Princess Hours which was way back 2007. She started off with supporting roles but slowly went to main ones such as in Great Seducer. She's a great actress for sure. Her expressions are in synch with Ju Kyung's role.

Secondly, In Yeop is a really perfect casting for second lead role with antagonistic behavior. Not that I am saying he is only good for being a second lead, he will also slay a main lead tho. I would like to ask this since I am here giving a review, how can he have that kind of face when he's a freakin' 30 years old? 😭 I think South Korea is the only country that can pull this off? Giving a 30-year old with a high school student role.

Thirdly, Eun Woo's acting skills are definitely improving. Besides him, we know so many Idols who have great compatibility with acting such as INFINITE's L, GOT7's Jinyoung, and EXO's D.O. Eun Woo as Lee Su Ho is perfect. He's great at portraying tsundere-type of main leads. Showing poker faces at all times and rarely smiles? It's just a walk in the park for him. Someone can say he is bad at expressing emotions but for me it's exactly the opposite. Outside of acting, he's a cheerful and funny guy.

Last but not the least, the supporting roles such as Ju Kyung's family is composed of great actors for romcom dramas such as this. But we won't forget Kang Soo Jin here. She's a badass character. She got temporarily on the wrong path but stood up and strongly faced all consequences.

Music

The OSTs for the drama are so good especially In Yeop's version of Missing You. The feels are everywhere. Starlight by SF9's Chani and Ha Sung Woon's Fall In You are in my Top 3 picks for the drama as well.

Overall, I'm only gonna rate this as 8.5 because such storyline already exists and there's nothing new except for the setting and line-up of actors. If your preferences include light stories, romcom or school dramas, this is definitely your cup of tea.

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True Beauty: A guilty pleasure.

There's absolutely nothing extraordinary about this drama, but it does a very good job at being medium. Really!

Here's a few of my thoughts (no spoilers)

Writing - It's a shame that the bullyng and the characters traumas weren't really developed. It had a lot of potential, but they just covered it with comedy. So even though the drama has interesting and important topics, they weren't explored as they should.
Also, why so many embarrassing scenes? I never skip scenes but this button was definitely used on this drama.

Couples - The drama focused so much on the romance that at some point people forgot about the first plot, Lim Jun Kyung problem with her appearance and the bullying.
The whole "Who's she ending up with" wasn't necessary and made the story worst in my opinion. But I liked the final couple, so I'll give them that.

Acting - None of the actors showed a award worthy performance but they didn't disappointed me as some people said they would. It's decent.

OST's - I loved every single song in this drama!

True Beauty made me laugh, tear down, made me angry, sad and root for the characters. It's worth watching and I recommend if you're looking for a funny, silly, easy watch drama.

Overall it's pretty decent although I wouldn't watch it with my friends who aren't part of this kdrama world cuz it would be embarrassing. A true guilty pleasure.

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MY COMFORT SHOW (aside from swdbs bc sometimes i cant handle horror and thriller)! during true beauty's airing, my sole purpose in life and motivation to get through each week was holding onto the fact that i would get to watch a new episode every week.

now i know my taste in dramas and i am always going for the one with an amazing and gut wrenching plot with plenty of various elements and genres thrown in, but i do also love dramas that are easy and funny to watch. which is why, albeit its lack of depth and in all of its shallowness, i wholeheartedly love true beauty.

i've rewatched probably 7 times already--it's become my background show when eating or when i'm bored or when i want to distract myself! and if i had the choice to rewatch it for the first time, i would absolutely make that choice a million times over.

however, the storyline is somewhat weak (the webtoon's story was better developed, likely because it took practically four years to complete and this drama was meant only for 16 episodes, but still, and also i'm biased because the webtoon did my boy seojun justice whereas the drama did not!!!) and the acting is mediocre, but probably largely due to the fact that these roles simply cannot display one's full skillset. anyway stan true beauty and cha ni's vocals and astro and sf9 :p

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