True Beauty

Stayed for the story of the second lead

While the story is not realistic (or maybe makeup can really make a person’s face beyond recognition?) it was likeable enough. It was interesting at the beginning, started to fall apart somewhere in the middle and by the end it was a mess.

This may be the first kdrama I’ve watched thus far that the secondary characters outshone the main leads. I don’t know what it was that made me cringe at Moon Ga Young’s crying scenes, they were awkward and annoying to be honest. I adore Cha Eun Woo but he really needs to stay away from the cute but angry at the world characters or he will be typecasted. Thank goodness Hwang In Yeop saved this series for me, now he has a bright future in the acting world. Honorable mention in the acting department were the sister and her funny relationship with teacher. The dongsaengs’ in this series were also cute.

Watch if you’ve got nothing else to watch but I promise you there’s so many that’s well worth your 16 hours or so.

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1000x better than the webtoon, 1 of the only 2 kdrama I think are good.

This adaption was 1000x better than the webtoon and actually had lovely messages to send. It delivered well on the messages of inner beauty, strength, and courage.
There are weak moments in the first half, but the 2nd half was fantastically solid. The first half, Su Ho is very immature, but he grows up well, even if he did make a mistake later.
The romance was a hundred times better as well. It was so ridiculously sweet, I have cavities. But it wasn't cheesy in its execution and was done well. The wedding (side couple) was such a feel-good time lol.
The characters are much more well rounded and 3-dimensional, and the message of "True Beauty" (despite that not being the KR title) came out loud and clear.
I am so so so so ridiculously glad they didn't take the Seojun route for a 2nd season.
Kan Su Jin was 1000x better as well, as she was completely 2-dimensional in the webtoon, and her comeback made me cry, christ.
People often say in the reviews that this is cliche and typical, but to be frank, this is the only one that was executed well. I may not have seen 100 titles, but the popular kdrama I keep getting recommended are frankly just bad?? Cringy and full of bad acting. Uninteresting, or the main leads are dumb or whatever. Very superficial as well. The titles with high school settings have all been bad in my experience.
I do not agree that the main lead's acting is bad either. (What even makes them think that?!)
I do agree that the last 2 eps were a bit rushed, but considering what they had to work with, to be frank they did AMAZING in comparison.
People were saying Seo Jun stole the show, and while he /was/ amazing, and I love him for what he did in the end, but to be frank, he and Ju Gyeong's chemistry really simply isn't as good. That ending? Where they are curled up talking about their favourite comics? That's unreplaceable.
The last episodes made me cry a l o t. There are now only two kdrama I consider good. Secret Garden and this.

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If you like cliche school dramas this is for you

I started watching it because i knew most of the main cast from other dramas but i didnt know it was gonna be so cliche. Two of the most popular boys have a crush the same girl, one has top grades one is a baddie then her best friend betrays her. Not saying its an entirely thing of course but if you just want something simple and light to watch the i recommend this dramas. But if you want something more interesing then you should find other dramas. I really liked the chemistry of Seojun and Jugyeong thats the only reason i watched it till ep15. I thought they were gonna be together in the end cause Suho had so many scenes already. But no they had to make Seojun heartbroken thats when i had to drop it. Seojun and Soojin was the most interesting characters to watch, they shouldve had more elaboration its such a waste

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True Beauty (2020) - maybe because the drama was so hyped I read the webtoon before watching the drama. I enjoyed the webtoon, typical school life but then the characters eventually grown up into adults and I was hoping to see the same in the drama up until I can't seem to see the progress in the drama. I was waiting for the part characters to grow up and have the mature roles just like in the webtoon but about the mid episodes in the whole drama they are still on the young era or the school era which I cannot relate and so I stopped watching it.

It was so long before I finished watching the whole drama since I take it forgranted or I just put it on hold since my interest in the drama really shoot down, and I didn't really find the story interesting at all since it was different than the the webtoon. I did finish watching the drama, I did find it regretful since they really didn't follow the webtoon version.

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OVERRATED

WARNING: 2ND LEAD SYNDROME is incredibly strong

The first episodes were really amazing and I always look forward every week to watch this drama but as it goes on, the plot became more and more disappointing especially for the second lead. The writer/s of this drama must hate Han Seojun because they really did him dirty. Some scenes are cringey but tolerable. It still gives me the romance and it also made me laugh every now and then.

For me, the hype this drama got is because of Cha Eunwoo, Moon Gayoung, and Hwang Inyeop and not because of the drama itself. If they were not the actors, I kinda doubt this will get hyped like this. I still recommend this drama especially if you're bored and you want to experience some butterflies in your stomach,.

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I haven't read the Webtoon, so I don't know exactly how different the drama is, but I love this drama! I'm only recently into k dramas, but I feel like I should have started watched them sooner.

As for the story, here's a questionable amount of accidental contact in the beginning. Like, that doesn't happen often in real life. And also how does the FL have flawless, smooth skin with her makeup on? It's not that easy make your skin look smooth with makeup when you have acne/ pimples. I loved the bromance and how the ML and Seojun got back on good terms. I experienced second lead syndrome with Seojun. He handled the news that the ML and FL were dating calmly and didn't try to sabotage them. On the other hand, that is not the case with Kang Soo Jin. She tried to sabotage them and even exposed the FL's secret.

Don't worry, there's character development. Kang Soo Jin's parents divorced at the end of the drama and she got a reality check. The FL's mother was a jerk in the first half of the drama, but after she found out she was bullied, she treated her nicer and supported her dream.

And honestly, the FL isn't ugly. She just needs to take care of her skin.

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Cliche storyline, Nice comedic scenes, Too much emphasis on the wrong things

Contains spoilers.

Got me hooked until the last 2-3 episodes. Looking back, episodes started getting really repetitive - leads are about to become official until some crap happens and they can't get together and that cycle repeats over and over. Then, they drop a second male lead to try and confuse the viewers on who the female lead will end up with even though it's so obvious because the drama gave all the SML's scenes to the ML?

Final episodes were so rushed for no reason?
- Soo Jin's character randomly apologises for her past behaviour just so everyone get can get a happy ending?
-Random 3-year time skip because they couldn't think of anything else to stop the main leads' relationship?
-Su Hoo [Male Lead] becomes stalkerish and obsessive and starts following Ju Kyung [Female Lead] around after seeing her 3 years later expecting her to run to him and say she loves him even though he broke up with her over the phone?
What's with that?
-Seo Jun [Second Male Lead] has been with Ju Kyung for 3 YEARS - he's GRADUATED with her; he's celebrated her BIRTHDAYS with her, he's BEEN THERE for her when Su Hoo was away and you're telling me they are going to make him confess his feelings to the FL to "confuse" the viewers. Of course, he gets rejected because the FL's heart still belongs to the ML even though the SML has done so much for her - more than the ML could ever pull off?
-Seo Jun's ending was so crappy - he was my favourite character for his cocky and charismatic personality, and they use him in Episode 14 and 15 just to cast him off to the side in Episode 16? He's not even there for the wedding and he's sitting in this staircase well crying because of his rejection - tears which are worth 3 years of loving this girl who didn't bat an eye towards him? Crappy. Then the producers try to make up for it by making Ju Kyung apply some lipstick for Seo Jun before he goes onto stage to debut and start his career as an idol? Stupid.
-Gave me too much heartbreak and SML syndrome seeing Seo Jun crying - the SML was one of the things that made me love this drama. We all know he had the spotlight the entire time.
-Hwang In-Yeop [who played Seo Jun] did so well in his acting and brought justice to his character until the producers cast his character off to the side.
-Cha Eun-Woo [whole played Su Hoo] just seemed kind of emotionless throughout the moments with Ju Kyung. I didn't really feel any chemistry between them? The SML x FL were so much better.
-The drama started focusing more on the love triangle - mostly the relationship between the ML + FL - instead of focusing on the actual point of the drama: "You don't need makeup to be accepted - you're beautiful just the way you are."
-However, the comedic scenes were amazing.
-FL's older sister and her relationship with the FL's homeroom teacher was weird but still quite cute and fluffy.
-Side characters added so much to the story.
-The drama did highlight the struggles of teenagers which was nice to see.
-At some points, the drama did focus on the "beauty" part indicating makeup isn't everything.
-Atmosphere of the drama was heartwarming.

Overall, I liked the drama a lot, but I was losing interest which watching the last episodes and, in my opinion, FL would've been better with SML - he deserved a much better ending.

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Was Great until the Last Two Episodes

True Beauty starts off as a show with a good balance of entertaining and lighthearted highschool angst with a backdrop of mainstream issues faced in school, such as self-image, understanding love, and bullying. I enjoyed how the drama touched on real-world issues in a way that wasn’t hard to stomach. My highschool self would’ve love this drama, and to be honest this drama had the potential to be so much more. However there is a tonal shift that occurs in episode 14 that completely ruined, and changed, my opinion about the drama.

My verdict for the show is that episodes 1-14 were highly enjoyable and had a great balance of drama, angst, and fun, but after episode 14 it goes downhill when the lightheartness of the show disappears and instead is filled with only drama and angst. The characters even shift, which created a bunch of characters who don’t feel true to their, episode 14, prior selves.

For me, the Han Seo Jin after episode 14 was disappointing. I had hoped he would get over his highschool love and move on, but instead you can see that he has not moved on. And it takes until the last episode for him to fully move on. The love triangle after episode 14 becomes uncomfortable to watch and is no longer fun.

I noticed that one overused plot element is that characters in the show only mend their relationships in relation to a an occurrence of a negative accident. What I mean by this is that, when there is conflict that needs a resolution the drama will introduce an illness or trauamtic event. These negative accdients have to happen before the character talk openly, so it never feels like the characters have open communication. For example, Seo Jin and Soo Hoo only talk about their past, once they have the car accident and are forced to share a room-- and I loved this element, however what I didn’t like is when this same element is used to mend Soo Hoo and his father’s relationship. The father having an illness felt very unneccessary. The subsequent move that Soo Hoo makes to America also feels unneeded. It would have been okay if Soo Hoo didn’t break up with Ju Kyung, but the break up was the straw that broke the camels back for this drama. It was very out of place for Soo Hoo’s character. One of my most hated elements of a drama is when long-distance is used as an excuse to break up, instead of having open communication between the two characters.

Soo Hoo is a character who gets closer to people through hardship, so his distance with Ju Kyung, after his move to America, does not make sense to his character, and instead creates anger for the audience wehre we have to suffer an undeed plot element because the writers thought it would be a good idea--and it indeed was not.

My disappointment in the show stems from how much I actually enjoyed it in the first 14 episodes that is why it's so heartbreaking to see the lazy writing the drama takes in the last two episodes.

I would recommend only watching up to episode 14 and skipping the end. The first 14 episodes are filled with fun youthfulness and the struggles of youth, but in a tolerable light-heartend tone that makes it enjoyable for the viewer.

My favourite character is Ju Kyung who stays true to herself throughout the drama. She uses her love for makeup to transform her life, but in a positive manner. At first she is sure that she is unworthy, but her character develops and she releases that makeup is not a clutch but an asset.

Soo Hoo, up until episode 14/15, also has great character development. He becomes more open about his struggles and emotions and begin to rely on Ju Kyung and Seo Jin for help when he is feeling down.

The way Seo Jin is portrayed makes me respect him, he remained in conflict over the ethical nature of his relationship with Ju Kyung, when she was dating his friend Soo Hoo. Initially he wanted to steal her from Soo Hoo, but once he lets go of the resentment and sees Soo Hoo as a friend he ends up growing as a character. Seo Jin’s character is a positive contrast to Soo-Jin, who destroys all her friendships over her crush with Soo Hoo.

I genuinely feel so much frustration over the last two episodes, even though the characters physically age they seem to mentally regress. In an ideal world, the way I would’ve wanted True Beauty to end is with Han Seo Jin, during his highschool times, learning how to grow from the difficulty of his unrequited love and fully moving on. I wanted to see Soo Hoo have a healthy covnersation with his dad, without the need of an illness to force him to have that conversaion. And for Soo Hoo to fully commit emotionally to Ju Kyung, so that the break-up would’ve never happened. My whole love for the show shattered with that breakup by Soo Hoo, and despite the happy ending, it feels soured because of the messy writing for the ending.

If you were also disappointed by the show and need a better drama to watch, you should try Something in The Rain, its much more heavy-hearted but the way the characters deals with their conflicts is very mature and satifsying. Or you could go back to our OG Crash Landing on You for a nice all-round drama.

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Would I rewatch? I already have lol

Cheesy? Yes. But when you sign up to watch True Beauty, you already know that you're in for high school drama, and it's definitely the best one I've seen so far. I was in awe that this teenage drama made a 30 something year old get this hooked.

The story is very cute. Many times the female lead in a story like this doesn't have that many qualities to admire and you end up wondering what the big deal is. Jukyung is bubbly, a great friend, driven (but for her own aspirations, not just for the sake of winning) into metal music and horror manga. Lee SuHo and SeoJun were likeable on their own tights, despite portraying flawed teenage boys.

I was happy to see everything tied together nicely at the end, without the drama being drawn out unnecessarily. I looked forward to my Wednesday and Thursday True Beauty watches for some great few months there, and I was sad enough when I had no episodes that I would rewatch what was out. But nothing is worse than a show being ruined for the sake of making more money and keeping it alive for years (I guess that's what's happening with the webtoon).

Some other highlights: great use of music (including intro), superb acting by FL, iconic moments (okey dokey yo, otoke otoke), strong second female leads (including vegan sister).

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A true romcom worth watching

This is a good romcom but it makes a couple of mistakes that keeps it from being truly great. It’s not a bad drama, I enjoyed it, but it could have been so much better. First, it makes the second male lead too perfect. He’s almost irresistible to the audience. Few people can resist the lure of a super hot bad boy that’s manly and tough on the outside but a sweet wounded little puppy on the inside. And then matters are further compounded by not giving him a love interest of his own to turn to for comfort. No, instead we always see him off by himself in some corner crying his eyes out. Their making him so pitiful only fired up his fans. People were firmly on either “team Suho” or “team Seojun.” Any drama that creates a strong second lead syndrome like this should expect mixed reviews with some loving it and others hating it depending on whether or not their crush got the girl. And those negative reviews will only end up hurting viewership and ratings.

The second mistake they made was that the only thing they focused on for 10 straight episodes was the misunderstandings between the main leads and the female leads fear of being seen without makeup. The story just didn’t have enough depth to hold my attention span for that long. It was cute in the beginning but got tiresome after a while. I can see why some may have dropped it. Fortunately around episodes 11-12 it gets better. The story finally gets a villain and bullying and unrequited love are addressed. The side characters become a bit more fleshed out too, often providing comedic relief during the sad and angsty parts.

The one thing that really confused me was why everyone was calling this a love triangle when it clearly never was one. The dramas description only mentions two characters, Joo Gyeong the makeup goddess, and Suho the boy who helps her “find her true beauty.” It even describes these two as “finding love with each other.” So one would have to be a fool not to know who the main leads are and who the girl will end up with. And in the drama the female lead never flirts with or leads on the second male lead. It’s very clear that she only sees him as a good friend. So the whole “love triangle” tag and those who commented about how angry they were when she chose the male lead had me scratching my head. I mean, did you even read the dramas description? Is it a love triangle? No. Is there unrequited love? Yes.

The second male lead having a big fan base might lead you to believe that the main male lead isn’t that good. But nothing could be further from the truth. Not only is he strikingly good looking, but his portrayal of the sad, lonely chaebol that is tortured by the death of his best friend is spot on. Having lost his mother early in life and then having his father neglect him and leave him on his own since middle school has left him emotionally stunted. His character growth is touching. You can’t help but love him. It’s no surprise that he has a huge fan base of his own rooting for his character.

One thing I really liked about this drama is that it continues to be a romcom throughout, never spiraling into a melodrama at the end. It stays true to its genre with lots of great comedy and romance. There is some sadness and angst but it’s never overly sad and the misunderstandings aren’t drawn out for too long. It has more of a light fun hearted feel to it.

That being said, the comedy was exceptionally good and had me literally laughing out loud. I would rewatch this drama just to relive some of the funny moments. The other great thing about this drama is the romance. The main leads have great chemistry and real kisses. There were at least a half dozen kisses and they were all long kisses too. There’s also piggyback rides, hugs, cuddles, and surprisingly enough, a bed scene. High School/college romcoms don’t usually have that much skinship so I was quite surprised. This drama is worthy of a watch just based on the comedy and romance alone. But be prepared for things to drag a bit in the middle and to have your heartstrings pulled by the second male lead. I did like that the story had a positive message of how true beauty isn’t superficial but it’s really about what’s inside that makes you truly beautiful. It’s not perfect, but definitely worth watching.

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