Reviews

Beyond boring

This show is beyond boring. Female lead looks like shes 13 years older than male lead and has no chemistry with him at all. male lead is carying the whole show, side plots are boring so I'm fast forwarding 50%, of each episode. The FL starts off alright but gets boring after like 8 episodes always having the same shocked, confused look on her face in every scene, and never admitting her feelings, she acts like ML is her brother and its so wrong to be with him. It's not that deep. I literally frown evey time she comes on Screen now because she always acts the same in every scene and i can't stand it. I just want to see my man happy when she finally agrees to be with him but once that happens I'm dropping. Not to mention the brother of the FL has the same problem as her about loving someone but not admitting it and torturing himself not allowing himself to be with her...

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I thought she will fight her own battle ...

The first few episodes were actually really promising ~ the leads had great chemistry, and the ML pulling off those dual roles, a sweet husband and a flirty stranger, made things super interesting. The FL also started off strong ~ smart, confident, getting info through her own sources, and even a trained martial artist. Their sync without even knowing each other’s goals was the perfect kind of spice I was hoping for.

But then the story completely lost it. Her “grand revenge plan” turned out to be… sleeping with the crown prince to have his baby? Like, seriously? All that 'sword practice sessions in music room' buildup for this? She literally dropped her weapons and pride overnight. I’m fine with seductive or cunning FLs if that’s their set personality, but this kind of 180° flip just ruins the character.

And honestly, the actress didn’t help either ~ s he’s okay in normal scenes, but her emotional acting, especially in episode 13, was flat-out bad (She speaks like she is about to sneeze anytime)

The plot itself feels recycled; there’s nothing fresh or surprising anymore. It started with fire but burned out way too soon.

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Cute and funny

Everything about this drama is super fun. The characters, the storyline, the comedy elements, the editing, and so on. It was super funny and interesting, which made me keep watching. My favorite scene is where the underling of the villain is fighting with yueying, and instead of showing the fight scenes the underling tells you that because they don’t have a stuntmen, he will tell you what happened verbally. I cracked laughing. I really REALLY love the slapstick comedy on this drama.

The only problem I have is the length of the drama. It’s too short :(. I think if it’s slightly longer, they could’ve make everything more in depth.

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please season 3 I really need this

We all need season 3, please with Park Bo Gum in it!! I swear I’ll watch it alone for everyone!Just please make it happen, it’s literally one of my wishes now.
We all need season 3, please with Park Bo Gum in it!! I swear I’ll watch it alone for everyone!Just please make it happen, it’s literally one of my wishes now.
We all need season 3, please with Park Bo Gum in it!! I swear I’ll watch it alone for everyone!Just please make it happen, it’s literally one of my wishes now.
We all need season 3, please with Park Bo Gum in it!! I swear I’ll watch it alone for everyone!Just please make it happen, it’s literally one of my wishes now.

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Insanity never looked better

This is the drama we’ve all been waiting for. If you’ve been craving a psychotic villain FL, this is for you. I’m always at the edge of my seat every episode, and it feels satisfying every time. The first four episodes are very promising, and can we talk about the range of Kim Yoojung? She’s insane—I’ve never seen her this crazy; she’s literally serving face and talent. And to whoever doubted Kim Youngdae, you better watch this because he didn’t come to play. He really fits this type of character, especially after his role in Penthouse. I’m looking forward to the upcoming episodes and how Ajin will manipulate people. Overall, it’s such a thrilling start and I can already tell this drama is going to be one wild ride.

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whyyyy??? ending… I can’t

This is really good drama… BUT the series is based on a romantic thread, apart from the company-related threads, so despite so many declarations of love from the main characters, we get this kind of ending??? I can’t believe that, seriously! I can’t…



The story has real potential. I had high hopes that it would be a worthy sequel to the wonderful K2 drama with Ji Chang Wook, but with a slightly different twist. I watched every episode with bated breath, but then all the emotional tension and the main character's sincere, unforced love were completely wiped out. I felt spat upon. I'm devastated. I was hoping for a wonderful culmination of this story with the development of the characters' love and, above all, an explanation of why the main character decided to risk his life for a woman.

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This will be a short one... There isn’t much to say in an extensive review anyway.. Double Love doesn’t quite reach the 'good' status for me and the MDL ratings make sense.. It felt a bit too simple.. Honestly felt like watching two different dramas.. The first 14 episodes were a waste of time and effort.. It just dragged on with poor screenplay and clumsy execution of the story and relationship development..

Unnecessary characters and scenarios just made it worse.. But things got better from episode 15 onwards.. Their relationship was cute, still not without its flaws but definitely enjoyable.. My rating is for the last 10 episodes.. The second half was entertaining to watch, but I wanted much more from it..

Their chemistry was good but why would they cut the first confession scene?? Made no sense at all.. The FL’s character was quite questionable.. Her hypocrisy was annoying.. If I dive into that, I would have a lot to say, so I would rather not..
I loved the sibling dynamic between Lu Wan Wan and her brother.. He was a fun character himself.. The rest of the supporting cast were alright..

Overall, it’s a decent one time watch.. It would have been much better as a 14–16 episode drama because there were too many fillers and unnecessary storylines..

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When the universe’s Top 2 Warriors fall in love and combine their joint slay

(Long review contains a lot of spoilers)

When i started the show i didn’t really know what to expect. I knew it was gonna be xianxia and i’ll like the production based on the visuals alone. But not only is LITC a gorgeous gorgeous show, it’s also super fun and entertaining to watch!! I was throughly invested every ep!! The plot is not super new or complicated, but i enjoyed every arc! There are some conflicts but never too dragging. And of course we got true Happy Ending which is 10/10 in my book. 🤧🤧

Directing and editing is also great! Obvi when it comes to xianxia visuals are so important, and i think directors did a great job at weaving a cinematic show 😃😃 everything really is so dreamy, and love scenes are so romantic!

I also loveee this OST!! Every track is a bop!! 😃😃 my favs are “If Your World Had No Sunshine” by Hou Minghao and “Pretending It’s Nothing”, Lu Yuxiao ver!! (yes im basic and biased 🙈🙈 BUT THE SONGS ARE GOOD! 😭😭

Characters commentary / analysis

The characters are endearing to me. Even villains i have beef with don’t make me wanna punch the screen too much 😭💀 (cough cough, Situ Ling 💀💀).


Ming Yi is officially my top 5 FLs ever!! A powerful, strong but also sensitive, compassionate, funny, and suuuper adorable!! Ming Yi is a well written heroine to root for! The show starts with MY being at the top of her game and fall to the bottom, then as the story progresses, MY gradually regains her strength and former glory, finding her enemies and seeking justice. It’s such a classic revenge hero archetype that can’t go wrong.😃😃

Ji Bozai is such a physically and mentally strong character, yet also able to be soft and vulnerable. Contrast with Ming Yi, JBZ begins his story at the absolute bottom of the world, a prisoner, a slave, weak and close to death. He then progresses his character development by being saved, training good and eventually become the top warrior, with the aim to find his enemies and destroy them. Also the revenge protagonist archetype like Ming Yi, but even more tragic 😭.

But the show actually starts with Ji Bozai coming from ‘nowhere’ and stealing Ming Yi’s thunder. Their trajectory started in opposite directions. As Ming Yi’s loses spark, Ji Bozai gains his, for the first time ever!
Ming Yi 📉 Ji Bozai 📈.
Though unintentionally on JBZ’s part, this puts him and Ming Yi at enemies ends of the spectrum. This twisted beginning is the basis for the majority of their conflict in the first half of the show 😭 A relationship based on lies is bound to hurt 😭 those lies are gonna bounce back to the liar and it’ll be too late to fix. 🥲

Although that kind of miscommunication bothers many, i find it in character for Ming Yi to hide her Ming Xian idenitity for as long as she did. MY could never burden JBZ with her quest to find Huang Liang Meng, that is her sacrificial personality. MY could never show her love truly to JBZ, that’s on her traumatised past 🥲. JBZ lost all trust in MY’s feelings for him after her stealing HLM despite everything she did to protect him before? That’s his traumatised past. JBZ hiding his decision to sacrifice himself for the Sky-Swallowing Array? That’s his sacrificial personality 😭.

It’s funny how similar Mingzai are, that even their conflict and miscommunication happen cuz they both share traumatised and sacrificial personalities 😭
That’s cuz lore behind Mingzai soulmatism ties together well. Them being born the same day and the baby switch?? I love that! 😃 is it cliche? A lil bit. But it makes sense to me 😃

And Mingzai romance?? Top 5 cdrama couples of all time in my book 😩😩🔥🔥 the way their flirting make me squeal and giggle so hard, their seperation make me cry, their divorce era make me laugh 😭 their back and forth yoyo romance make the Marriage Stone take a sigh 🤣🤣

But truly they got all my fav tropes and execute them perfectly! Rivals to lovers? Check ✅ Romeo and Juliet? Check ✅ He falls first and falls harder? Check ✅ Hidden Identity? Check ✅ 2 family-less characters finding family in each other? Check ✅
😃😃
Even their yoyo romance was so fun to watch cuz no matter what, we watchers know he’ll come crawling back to her anyways 😭🤣 after telling her to get away from him too, mind you 😭🤣 Mingzai also got all the milestones my previous 2 xianxias didn’t 😭 not only did they kiss, they also mukbang 😛😛 and even MARRIED OFFICIALLY AGAIN!! 😃😃 previously with LGIEF, not even a KISS 😭😭 i ate vegan food 🫩🫩🥲 LBFAD have many kisses, but no mukbang and 2 failed weddings where Xiao Lanhua was engaged to Changheng 😭😭 that’s why LITC is peak for not making me eat vegan again 😭🤣🤣 djjdjd

Shoutout Lu Yuxiao and Hou Minghao! 😃😃 Been seated for this show before i even watch any LYX drama and by the time i sat down for LITC i alr watched 2 with her as the lead 😂😂 Perfect Match and Serendipity (both are mid alas 😭 altho i actually like PM more, surprisingly 😃). Never saw HMH but he’s kinda fav-in-law a bit 😭. Lu Yuxiao really becomes one of my favs, tho i alr like her before watching any of her shows, i just like her vibes 🤭🤭 but LITC really sealed the deal for me. This is peak LYX 😃😃😃 her ability to be playful and cute and switch to a strong tough warrior is seamless. Also my fav thing about LYX is how dynamic her eye acting is 😃 she can tell sm with just her eyes, and that’s so important to me!! Also lovee the crying scenes sm 😭😭 every single Ming Yi cry scene makes me cry, but the worst one must be Ershiqi’s death 😭 bro LYX crying got me sobbing so hard 😭😭 that was such good heartfelt acting!! Anyhow i just love Lu Yuxiao 🥹🥹.

First time with HMH and he impressed me! I really like his performance as Ji Bozai 😃 pretty good crier too actually! A notable scene is the Xun Ming losing Xinliu illusory dream 😭😭 this was so sad and HMH was acting his ass off 😭
LYX and HMH also have insane chemistry 😩😩🔥🔥 love that 😃😃.
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Sm yapping, next up is 1 of fav second couples ever 😃 Jixiao Mu Tianji and Yan Xiao served childhood sweethearts and second chance romance so hard 🥹🥹 I’ve been rooting for them since their first interaction! Even when they’re in their angst era, we can tell they have deep history and potential to be a good couple, and writers deliver 😃😃 Yan Xiao was such a 2 faced character at first, seemingly hates corruption but is working for the n1 corrupt politician in the land 😭😭 he obvi has feelings for Tianji but is conspiring her her uncle who want her and her father gone?? But then the reveal of him being double spy? Writers ate that 😌😌!

Shoutout Quan Yilun and He Nan!! This is my 4th QYL show, might as well be his stan 😛😛 usually a supporting role but as always, QYL got everyone’s attention with that majestic face card and emotional eyes 🤭🤭 he’s such a dreamy romantic partner, need him in more romance pls 😭😭 the only one he was the lead in was Echoes of the Self, and it was good but short 😭 hope he gets long drama lead sometime soon 😃😃
He Nan is sooo pretty 😩😩 also she alternates between a soft flirty girl to a majestic and authoritative Empress so well! HN also has this mocking smile face that just makes Tianji such an interesting character!!
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Next, our SML Situ Ling 🙂🙂
This is a clasic case of obssessive SML turned villain and he’s defo up there with Chu Zhao and Su Rongqing in terms of most punchable, but he has redeemable qualities and somewhat understandable trauma 😭 So still annoying but not the most ig 🙃.
Shoutout Yu Chengen 😃😃 ive been lowkey simping for him ever since Situ Ling started turning evil 😝 not only is his face card smth serious, he also suits traumatized psycho more than i thought 😃 i dont think another actor would’ve been able to salvage STL like he did 😭

Not a true villain either, but by association is Fuyue. This is such a classic case of tragic second female lead character 😭 though she still has interesting aspects to her personality and character building, Fuyue’s main purpose throughout the show is very much a prop to other characters. First she was a segway introducing Ming Yi to Jixing Abyss, then a sidekick and unrequited love interest to Situ Ling, then the character driving some of the plot forward, providing information and help 😭 she really is just there to save STL a few times and serve to be a his own reflection he never bothers to look at: someone exactly like him in everyway, bullied, weak, underrated, abandoned, even down to the painful obssessive love with someone who don’t love them back 😭 in the end Fuyue left STL, but now that he’s dead, he’ll forever be her bai yue guang, the one who inhabits her most cherished memory 🥲 such a pitiful fate, but im somewhat so glad she didn’t kill herself to save STL, it’s such a cliche i dislike 😭😭 (although she defo burned a few of her years on him 😭).
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Bo Yulan is another character that gets mixed opinions 😭 personally i see her as a tragic mother figure 🥲 yes she had no bio children but she did raised Ji Bozai for a minute.
Imo we gotta remember Ji Bozai forgives Bo Yulan and tho he was hurt upon learning the truth, never held it against her. Her atonement outweighs her sins in his heart. JBZ understands BYL is a victim of his own mother’s greed. The whole Bo fam suffered enough 😭
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Other supporting casts worth mentioning: the found family!! Gotta talk about Ershiqi, the cutest cat/ baby brother everrr 🥺🥺 his temporary death got me sobbing 😭😭😭 pretty sacrificial but Ershiqi serve as a comedic side kick and his death was a turning point in Ming Yi’s life as well: beginning of divorce era and MY’s past and origins reveals.

Ershiqi’s Ji Bizai’s counterpart is Buxiu. Another sidekick character, defo brother type relationship with Ji Bozai too, although they have a more boss-employee vibe too 😭 Buxiu is pretty cool as a dragon, his fight with Mu Qibai and Ming Yi’s help was a strong highlight! Also him and Ershiqi fighting sequence together was pretty cool too! 😃😃

Shout out to Granny Xun. The grandma Ji Bozai never kmew he needed 😭😭 although she mostly just serves comic relief and grandma figure, still a very endearing character 🥹🥹
Also shout out to old man Master She Tianlin 😂😂 ngl at first I thought this guy is a villain 😭 smth about his behavior seems sus 😭 but the reveal that he’s actually Ming Yi’s birth father actially touches me 🥺🥺 i like this plot direction more for sure 😂 also he’s just a bit of comic relief at times, a quirky guy who loves his daughter and her late mother 🥲🥲.

Another major character i love sm is Zhang Tai! What a cutie 😽😽!! She really is the sister Ming Yi never knew she needed 🤧🤧 tho sometimes vain and naive, Zhang Tai is a caring friend and loyal companion. Even being heavily tortured, ZT wouldn’t reveal a thing about Ming Yi!! Her biggest mistake is falling for Xun Ming, but it gave her a lesson. This arc was also particularly profound to me, cuz i find Xinliu’s fate to be such a tragic and cautionary tale 😢. Seeing how Ming Yi and Zhang Tai freed and uplifted Xinliu’s soul really got to me 😢😢.

Also this was my Coroner’s Diary sisters’ reunion, Qin Shuang and Qin Xiang, aka Pan Junya and Wang Junbi 😃😃 this time around they don’t beef anymore, but help each other 🥹🥹

Talk about comic relief, shout out to Meng Yangqiu and Chen Xi 😂😂 this himbo rascal and his baby brother 😂😂 love how Meng Yangqiu is basically Jixiao’s son 🤣🤣 Chen Xi is a cutie pie 🥹 yet so strong! My Jixing Warriors love them 🤧🤧
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Aside from Situ Ling, other villains are also entertaining to watch. Shout out to lord Hanfeng Mu Qibai aka ‘Bai’er’ 🤣🤣 truly the most pitiful villain 🤣🤣 all his employees betray him, and his best minions died for him in vain 😭💀💀🤣

That being said, i am annoyed how easy Mu Qibai’s death was. He just poof and gone 🥴 was it poetic irony in terms of karma and narrative progression? Yes. Was it justice served? No 🥴.

About Zhushui Emperor Chao Heng, maybe we could’ve delve more into him, but the short backstory with Lin Ziyao was enough lore for me 🙃🙃 imo he’s the worst guy in the whole show, greedy and evil. Should’ve been final big bad instead of Situ Ling but whatever 😭💀

Altho not regarded as villains by the show, the Yaoguang royal fam are whole other level of annoying and ungrateful!! First Empress Jing Shu basically forcing Bo Yulan to give up her niece and then not even treating this child right. Then Ming Xin and his mother poisoning Ming Yi. Worst of all is the Emperor who dgaf, but the moment sht hits the fan uses Ming Yi’s own weapons to torture her 😡!!

I’m annoyed how in the end no retribution happened to Emperor and Empress. Ming Xin is dead, Madam Meng is imprisoned, but Empress Jing Shu got away scot free?? Just cuz Ji Bozai asked it 😭
2 things to consider ig:

1/ Ji Bozai though has no feelings for his birth mother for all the pain she caused him with her abandonment, can see the complicated relationship she has with Ming Yi. The show ends with MY asking about Empress Jing Shu’s wellbeing, so they’re on good terms now. This pmo a bit but i can look past it 🫠 after all, happy endings require a certain compromised balance where one or more of the annoying perpertrators get a lighter sentence than they deserve (even more so when they’re a parent 🫠🫠 smth smth taoist piety idk. 😭😭)

2/ They don’t wanna make Ji Bozai the heir to the throne 😭 therefore they can’t have too much bad beef with the Yaoguang royal family, cuz now that Ming Xin is gone, Ji Bozai gotta take over. But if he doesn’t want to, then Emperor continues to rule, in all his ignorance and prejudice i guess 🥴🥴💀
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Now that i’ve mentioned all the mother figures, let’s talk about the last one - the woman who haunts the narrative: Bo Yucen. Appearing for a total of 1 episode, BYC’s role is to answer so many questions about the most uprooting event in Mingzai’s life: the baby switch 😭 Bo Yucen is the mother Ming Yi never knew, who would’ve loved her, the one who gave her such strong spiritual veins. She Tianlin’s love, the Bo family descendant, the mother Ming Yi met her once and when MY knew the truth, her tears hurt me almost more than it hurts her 😭😭

Bo Yucen is a classic tragic woman archetype, the “wife that dies at the beginning of movie”, similar to characters like Fantine in Les Misérables or Fengxian in The Apothecary Diaries. Her existence is to highlight how tragic and ironic Ming Yi’s (and Ji Bozai’s) fate really is, through how tragic *her* fate is. All Bo Yucen did was love a man outside of her own realm, and the price she had to pay was not only her own life, but her daughter’s as well.

And that’s my Love in the Clouds review 😃😃 this was a long ass essay 😭😭 Overall, truly one of my fav dramas! 10/10!! Mingzai is one of my fav couples fr, and my fav cdrama couple of 2025 🥹🥹! I’ll probably come back to LITC from time to time. But for now, Goodbye Love in the Clouds 🥹🥹🤧🤧🫶

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The abuse part went on for too long

Listen, I absolutely get the appeal of this subgenre of romance, it’s one of my guilty pleasures since I discovered questionable "kidnapped by the mob boss" stories like Haou Airen back in the 2000's, but this one didn't do much for me. It's just endless suffering for the FL. It does work on a visual and conceptual level as Meng Na and Ma Xiao Yu are very attractive people put in juicy situations, but the writing doesn't make a lick of sense, and it reminds me too much of some older melodramas that were just torture porn meant to be watched with morbid interest. At some point it's clear the heroïne has a self-sacrifice kink (or is a full-blown masochist) as she keeps putting herself in harm's way with zero sense of self-preservation. It's not even that hot as the actors are awkwardly fake kissing. I have to admit though : the fake bestie from hell puts to shame many green tea bitches, instigating the craziest evil plans only fueled by pure greed and jealousy, and is super entertaining to watch. Special mention to the CEO's family and housekeeper who are like "but he's a good guy inside" while our hero keeps torturing the FL for no good reason. There are better versions of the "CEO having an affair with his own wife" plot out there and better Ma Xiao Yu dramas.

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A drama that dipped its toe into self-acceptance and then cannonballed into teen romance chaos

A story about a girl who wanted to quietly survive high school, but got main character energy, two love interests, and one very public scandal instead.

This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Watch it, come back and let’s see if you agree. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕

The Good
Cha Eun Woo… DUH.
Let’s be real, Cha Eun Woo was an absolute delight to watch. Was his acting perfect? No. But I mean I wasn’t watching for an Oscar-worthy performance after all. From start to finish, he was effortlessly handsome. (Truly a visual legend. 🤭🤭)

Team Seo Joon. No hesitation.
Apparently when True Beauty first dropped, the K-drama fandom split in half over the great debate: Soo Ho vs. Seo Joon. Regardless, it’s my turn to explain why I’m riding with Seo Joon. No hesitation. Here’s why:

Soo Ho was lowkey possessive
Somewhere along the way, Soo Ho’s vibe shifted. At first, it felt like “I like you and want to be with you,” but it slowly turned into “You’re mine because I saw you first and Seo Joon can’t have you.” That’s not love, that’s ego.

Seo Joon actually liked her
He constantly showed up for Ju Kyung, went out of his way to make her feel better, and genuinely wanted her to be happy. His affection didn’t feel forced—it felt real.

Soo Ho just stood there
Remember when Ju Kyung was afraid of being bullied because girls were mad about her dating Soo Ho? His response? Silence. His energy reminded me of Beck from Victorious—just standing around, not actively telling people to back off, assuming that not liking them was enough. (Spoiler: It wasn’t.)

The photo reveal incident
Okay, credit where it’s due, Soo Ho did try to comfort Ju Kyung when she got humiliated. But outside of that? He did nothing. Meanwhile, Seo Joon was on a mission. He texted her constantly, hunted down the culprits, confronted Soo Jin, and even got the video taken down. That’s a good man right there.

Her true identity? He fumbled it
The moment Soo Ho found out what Ju Kyung actually looked like, he immediately used it to mess with her. I get he wanted to get close to her and while his intentions might have been good, his approach was awful. It backfired, and rightfully so.
Meanwhile, Seo Joon found out, he respected her secret, never pushed her to reveal it, and, unlike Soo Ho, didn’t make her insecurities his business. Honestly, it felt like Ju Kyung fell for Soo Ho because he was the first person to see her face and still like her—which felt more like a trauma bond than a love story.

There are more reasons, but you get the idea. Seo Joon felt like the healthier, more emotionally available option.

Too Much Romance, Not Enough Personal Growth
While I did enjoy the relationship drama, the show’s title and premise suggested something deeper; a journey of self-acceptance. But instead of True Beauty being about Ju Kyung embracing her real self, it quickly turned into a love triangle spectacle.
Yes, there was some growth by the end, but honestly, it felt rushed and tacked on. Throughout the show, Ju Kyung seemed determined to never go without makeup; she didn’t actively try to accept herself. It wasn’t until the photos leaked that she was basically forced to face reality, which made it feel less like a journey of self-love and more like “Well, the secret’s out—guess I have no choice.”
I wish the show had explored her gradual acceptance of her natural face while helping other girls embrace their insecurities along the way. Instead, the message boiled down to: Fake it until you literally have no other choice. Imagine if, instead of her being exposed, she had reached a point where she chose to show up to school without makeup. That would’ve been way more impactful and a true sign of growth and self-love.

Story Dragged… Lost the Plot After Episode 14
I went into True Beauty expecting a drama about a girl hiding her face, embracing her beauty, and dealing with boys in high school. Next thing you know—she’s working and getting drunk on weekends?? Once she accepted herself, picked Soo Ho, and wrapped up her growth, boom, roll credits. The whole point was her embracing her true beauty, so why are we still going after that?

The Mom’s Sudden Change
The mother’s so-called redemption arc? Yeah, not buying it.
She spent Ju Kyung’s entire childhood being unbelievably harsh on her, never explaining why. Then, the moment she found out Ju Kyung was being bullied, she suddenly did a full 180 and was instantly forgiven—despite basically being one of Ju Kyung’s own bullies at home.
We needed a deeper redemption arc for her. Without it, her sudden shift just felt unearned.

The Sister/Teacher Relationship Was A Major Eye-Roller
I seriously can’t stand obnoxious characters, and the sister/teacher dynamic was exactly the kind of thing that makes romance comedies hard to watch.

Soo Ho Let Seo Joon Hate Him
I get that Soo Ho was drowning in self-loathing and guilt, but why do characters act like clearing up basic misunderstandings is impossible?
Seo Joon blamed Soo Ho for everything, then later admitted that he didn’t realize how much Se Yeon’s death destroyed Soo Ho. And Soo Ho? He just let himself be hated, never once trying to set the record straight. If something isn’t true, say it. They struggled alone when they could’ve leaned on each other, and that? That was the saddest part.


Final Thoughts
In the end, this show was… okay. I mainly watched it because of Cha Eun Woo, but honestly, if he’d been killed off or moved to Canada halfway through, I would’ve stopped watching. If they had focused more on her self-love journey (and if she had picked Seo Joon), this show would’ve landed way better.
I started watching True Beauty expecting a coming-of-age arc where Ju Kyung grows through different stages of self-acceptance and ends up stronger for it. Instead, I got two boys fighting over a girl who only ever liked one of them.
I once read a comment that said, “Don’t watch True Beauty like a critic—watch it like someone who just wants a light romance comedy,” and honestly? I agree. If you’re not thinking too deeply, you might not even notice the flaws and genuinely love it.
So sit back, mute your brain, and enjoy the pretty faces. That’s the real secret to loving True Beauty.
And if that doesn’t work, just pretend it’s a Cha Eun Woo music video with plot cameos. 😌

~~~

What did you think of this drama? Are you team Seo Joon or Soo Ho? And if it’s Soo Ho, tell me why… seriously.
These aren't all my thoughts but I think you get the point!

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Total Fluff and a Comfort Watch

This drama can be a good palette cleanser if you recently watched something heavy. This drama is unabashedly a fluffy romance. All you need to do is forget logic and not compare it with others in the genre.

I proudly own that I am shallow. Eh. Whatever. The USP for me was the handsomeness of the ML. I loved his initial broody stares and overall menacing aura in the first half more than his lovesick puppyness in the second half. I did not hate it. But his presence in the first half was more commanding IMO. SWL is a one good looking dude, no argument there. He also has a presence. It all worked really well for his Prince of Danbei (I’m pretty sure I messed up the spelling). His costumes were not too stylish but suited him well. His fight scenes were well performed. I didn’t think there were any deep moments that got him to flex his acting chops. Don’t get me wrong. He did well with what was given to him. But then he anyway always does that. The drama did not make him go an extra mile.

One request though. Please please please let him lose that plum lipstick. Initially I had a hard time focusing on anything other than his lips. Believe me, it was not as naughty as this sounded. It was distractingly unnatural. His handsomeness was undermined by that ridiculous lip colour. I got used to it. But boy, was it weird!

Our FL was exactly what you’d expect to see in a fluff. Playful, smart, a paragon of goodness whom everybody loves. She and BFF were a funny pair. Once I got over her bunny ear hair style, I was good. She was cute with the usual and the annoying and the silly and the unrealistic and totally blech baby voice (but nothing compared to Esther Yu. Esther is my yardstick against which I measure all the baby voices. Bao Shengen does not come close. No hate on EY. I adored Orchid in LBFAD). Anyhoo. What in the name of hairpins was that hair style? It looked like a cross between pastry and bunny ears. Once I got over those, I enjoyed her Ming Tan. Her rich girl behaviour without any snootyness was adorable to me.

Side couples. The side couples is the next best thing, you guys. They are funny, precious and have good chemistry (well at least one of them is)

There were scenes which made me LOL. There were some scenes which made me RME. But I knew what to expect going into it. So it did not disappoint me. I was entertained and that’s all I wanted there, that and I wanted me some SWL handsomeness. Thus I mark this one with the green ink in my entertainment ledger.

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