True flaws yet entertaining and sweet
I am writing this review after re watching this, a rewarch that was highly enjoyable, entertaining and even though I knew what eould happen still had me pushing that next episode button as well as watching it in the passenger seat in the car just so I could watch a little bit more.Yet still I lowered the score from a 9,5 to a 9 as there are just a few too many high pitched chogia, over the top mimics and horrible elements for me to completely let them slide all things that could lower the score to a 6 or even 5 brought up by the high bingsbilsty, the combination of depth snd issues with sweet sweet romance and lovable side characters.
The older sister is deffenetly one to steel the show in her gender bender reveresed roles relationship Im Se Mi kills it and is far more interesting than the female lead.
The Secound male lead has given many SLS and is indeed a very entertaining and talanted boy to watch however the writers did him wrong with the conflict with the male lead. Making heím do and say some unforgivable things.
Our male lead is handsome, sweet and aweare of his flaws. Some say he is a green flagg, I say not really but close enough.. as he does have som communication and jellousey. All things the female lead handles pretty well but still a fun dramabiyfriend to watch and woo over but not relationship goals. At least not for my younger self.
The female lead has great dynamics with the people around her and she does have some fun moments when she lets out the tiger in her instead of running away scared. But to be honest it is hard to fully understand why both male leads fall for her, pretty or not pretty something is missing...
All in all an entertaining drama that despite all its true flaws has enough good in it to make it a 9 and that is actually pretty impressive!
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So much good stuff!
This was an amazing show and I'll tell you what I liked and leave anything negative (which I felt there was) for the end.STORY LINE: though not necessarily totally original, was very well-done. The old story of being bullied because of not being "pretty enough" was pretty hard-core in this one and, for me, those scenes were very difficult to watch. This is one of those shows that speaks to a serious topic, but you are enjoying the ride for the lessons learned along the way. There was always a lot going on. I'm not patient for shows that have a lot of "dead time" in their stories, where you could skim a lot and still not miss anything. This was not one of those shows. It actually took me longer than normal to get through, because I kept going back and re-watching episodes. There were many, many laugh out loud moments (Moon Ga Young is excellent at physical comedy), and yes, some very touching scenes. I absolutely loved the way they had the main lead know her secret early on and the things he did to protect her. This show made me question, as so many other have - do Korean women really fawn all over handsome men and talk about how handsome they are right in front of them? That always seems so strange to me. The story delves into the lengths we are willing to go to be accepted by others, the criteria for friendships, an interesting family dynamics. There are multiple families shown here, and a couple of them I thought I would have to disown myself from that family! I felt, at times, that the female lead was too weak and was upset that she never stood up for herself, but I'm speaking as an adult. I know that as a teen you look at things differently. She wanted to be accepted.
MUSIC: It seemed to me that there were just a couple of stand-out songs, but they fit perfectly in the show. As the second male lead was a singer, this got to be highlighted.
ACTING: Moon Ga Young as Lim Joo Gyung was excellent! As the "ugly duckling" (I hate to even say that, because she wasn't ugly even without makeup. But those ridiculous eyebrows!!), you really felt her loneliness and need to belong someplace. The bullying was extreme and hard to watch. She's a good crier and did a lot of it. She was good at the physical comedy aspects, especially the scene where she went home and just laid, dejected in the doorway. I loved how, through everything that she went through, she was so positive and sweet.
Cha Eun Woo as Lee Su Ho - he started out extremely cold (which I never could totally figure out the reasoning for it) and as he got to know Joo Gyung and other people at school, he warmed up. He portrayed an almost perfect man/boyfriend. He was sweet and caring and always watching out for the girl he liked. And can I just say he has the deepest voice I think I've ever heard?
Hwang In Yeop as Han Seo Jun - he started out with a chip on his shoulder, he was hard and kind of gangster-ish. But when he started liking Joo Gyung, things really changed. I have to say that I suffered from second lead syndrome. It was under control pretty much until the last two episodes (addressed later in this review) when I was re-thinking who she should end up with. In the last episode when he is on stage and the camera goes up close on his face, oh my!
Park Yoo Na as Kang Soo Jin. Joo Gyung's first friend at her new high school. Yoo Na played this part excellently. She had a big shift in her behavior and I have to say there were some scene where she actually gave me the creeps.
Jang Hye Jin as Joo Gyung's mother. I love this actress. I first saw her in CLOY and loved her in that. Here, she's kind of an overbearing and bossy wife/mom (though some of it is understandable), but when she finally discovers what has been happening to Joo Gyung, her protective instincts kick in and she becomes a total mama bear. The scene when she apologizes to Joo Gyung had me sobbing.
RELATIONSHIPS/CHEMISTRY - Joo Gyung and Seo Jun were totally cute together. He opened up and she could be herself. As their feelings developed and when they held hands, etc. it was lovely to watch. Their kisses were kind of hit and miss, and it's really unfortunate when the last kiss you see of theirs is totally without chemistry and obviously fake.
Joo Gyung and Seo Jun - this was another darling relationship and I would have to say that their chemistry was amazing, since they were only friends. I loved seeing the exact moment that he realized he liked her. I loved that she was so clueless to his feelings. I loved that they usually bickered like brother and sister. I loved that he was always looking out for her, going to her when he thought she was in trouble, and defending her when it was needed. I also loved that he usually didn't know why he was behaving the way he was. Upon writing this, apparently this was the relationship I liked the best.
Su Ho and Soo Jin - they used to be friends, became enemies and, once secrets were revealed, developed a bromance that was fun to watch.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE/THAT IRRITATED THE HECK OUT OF ME: At episode 13/14, everything was wrapped up nicely. The writers felt that they needed to add a couple of episodes. My problem with this is that all throughout the show, the male lead had been there for the female lead, caring for her and supporting her. Episodes 15/16 brought about a STUPID two-year time jump which had the male lead behaving in a preposterous way. He just left the country and broke up with her?!?! Though episodes 15/16 worked to bring him back to Korea, etc., my problem is, he's been gone for two years without contact at all and comes back and expects to pick up where they left off. Add to that, she's had two years with the yummy second lead, who is obviously interested in her (she was clueless, however). They do have a conversation about how they should have stayed together and had a long-distance relationship, but if he realized that while in the US, why didn't he call her?!?! I felt that he was totally in love with her up until he left and it derailed at that point for me and I was angry. The last two episodes show what happened with everyone else, which was nice, but I just lost respect for the male lead.
That being said, I'm SO glad I watched this, and perhaps when I watch it again, I'll just watch it without the last two episodes.
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Don't make assumptions - this is actually great!
Watching this over 4 years after release, I thought it was likely over-hyped, but I was wrong!I also expected Cha Eun Woo's character to be one dimensional - but it wasn't and he played the part beautifully.
Hwang In Yeop was brilliant too and whilst I may often sympathise with the 2ndML, this was one of those times when I wanted the FL to split in half and take one ML each, as really, they both deserved a woman they could love .
I don't think I can fault any actor/actress at all, they were well cast and breathed live into the story. I very occasionally wanted to shake the FL just a little, as sometimes she could be soooo strong and other times she wavered so much, but given her experiences, I understand why she vaccilated between strong and worried. There were some people whose character I intensely disliked - a testament to those actresses ability.
Every scene kept me watching and fully immersed and totally binge-worthy!
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Heartwarming and hilarious, but also deep
Things I disliked (or could be better)1) When being guilt-tripped by Seo Jun, on top of his already existing guilt regarding Se Yeon’s death, Suho decides to make Ju Gyeong distance herself from him by lying to her and saying that he only ‘looked out’ for her and ‘cared’ out of pity. But later when she confronts him about it and says how he shouldn’t ‘lead her on’, he doesn’t even give her a proper explanation for this. I was hoping he’d do that later in the series but he doesn’t, and I think he should have.
2) I did not like how Ju Gyeong refused to try to listen and understand Suho when he expressed that he was uncomfortable with her being around Seo Jun so much (working part time at the cafe together, doing a couple photoshoot together), and that he ‘didn’t like it’. She only acted defensive and was so dense that she couldn’t even realize that Suho’s jealousy and discomfort are totally reasonable? Especially considering the fact Seo Jun DOES like her, and after the school literally spreads tons of rumors about her and Seo Jun dating. Like, how does one not realize that?
Suho even literally said ‘So you don’t care about dating rumors between you and Seo Jun being spread, but announcing we are dating is not ok?’ which was a very valid point.
3) I found it weird how everyone in the class reacted so poorly and judgy after Ju Gyeong’s ‘true face’ was exposed as well as her bullied background at Jongpa. Yes, she did get selected as visual representative for the school and I get that some people may feel fishy and salty about it and judge, but her own classmates after getting along so well for a while already? Even Su Ah acted avoidant and I did not get why. Then in the end it had to be the teacher Han Joon Woo to ‘educate’ everyone to not judge and act like that. That was disappointing.
4) Suho and his dad honestly have a lot more complexity and tension to their relationship because of multiple things, not just because of the ‘Se Hyeon being falsely accused and forced to his death’ thing. Yes, his dad wasn’t aware that that’s what Director Oh did in order to cover up his own possible scandal (the photo with him bringing home a young actress). He does genuinely apologize for this to Suho, but to me their relationship seemed to heal too easily and too quickly. I can understand that when it comes to life and death you can disregard a lot of things, and considering his mom already died he only had his dad now. So when Suho’s dad gets a brain hemorrhage problem and has to be treated overseas he immediately comes along with him. But that still doesn’t erase all of the things his dad did previously in the past, when Suho was younger. For example the ‘affair’ he caught his dad having with some woman on the day his mom died. That’s just fucked up. How does that not get addressed?
5) The reason that Suho states when he breaks up with Ju Gyeong I honestly find quite weak and not convincing. Ju Gyeong expressed not minding to wait for him at all while he’s in America taking care of his dad, and yet he insists that waiting is ‘too painful for her’ and breaks up with her. I felt that was unnecessary, and that it wasn’t a right choice in the writing at that point in the drama. Considering point 4 (my previous point), I think the rest of the episodes should have addressed that instead of making up more ‘drama’ because of this.
6) Then after 2 years, when Suho comes back again he acts as if the breaking up and dumping Ju Gyeong and not replying for a full year just didn’t happen at all, and doesn’t even explain things and apologize to her right away as he should have. Instead, he tries to take her back like it's no big deal and I found that really hurtful and disrespectful. Ju Gyeong’s hurt reaction and avoidant behavior are totally reasonable and understandable. In the end they do make up, but I just didn’t like this.
7) It’s unclear what happened to the bullies from Jongpa High. Ju Gyeong does fight them and beat them up and teach them ‘a lesson’, but I feel it would have been better if the bullies got officially punished and addressed by the school or some legal authority. Bullying is something that will continue if serious measures aren’t taken by schools, or by other authorities. It is a happy ending for Ju Gyeong, but the bullies could still terrorize other people. Especially because this drama centers around this topic quite a bit I was hoping for some sort of ‘closure’ in that sense.
8) Even if Su Jin apologized to Ju Gyeong, it seemed off to me how everyone else, including Suho, were happy to see her when she appeared at Hee Gyeong’s wedding as a guest. I would imagine being quite disappointed and off-put by your childhood friend whom you’ve known for so long and cared for for so long to do something like that to your girlfriend. I would appreciate the apology (given that Ju Gyeong told Suho that Sujin apologized), but I’d still be stand off ish. But that’s just me. Suho’s reaction just didn’t seem realistic to me.
9) This isn’t a plot point, and I appreciate the amount of kissing scenes in the drama, but honestly they can be a lot better. Cha Eun Woo’s kissing is stiff and he barely even moves his lips when he kisses Ga Young, and if he does it looks kind of unnatural. We are way past the ‘peck and freeze’ era now, that’s literally so 2000s kdrama kissing style. Then their kiss at the end of the last episode also felt kind of awkward. He was holding a comic book in his right hand, but Ju Gyeong’s arms were free. She could at least put her arms around his neck or something like that, instead of once again freezing in the position and just staying like that (that being said I did like the kiss after he confessed to her during the school trip). Overall it could just be better.
Things I liked (or that were funny)
1) The ‘panty incident’ when Seo Jun dances by himself half naked when he’s out of the shower and then turns around and sees that Ju Gyeong is there, and then he continues to dance on his way to his room and then quickly ‘breaks’ character in embarrassment. That was hilarious.
2) Suho makes Ju Gyeong do stuff for him in return for keeping her bare face secret. But in reality he was just using those as excuses to see her and spend time with her. One time he even asks her to come to Prince Comic to bring him something but then she quickly leaves, not giving him time to invite her to eat ramen with him (which was his real intention). Then the camera zooms in on the two bowls of ramen that are prepped laying on the table.
3) Tae Hoon and Su Ah being THAT pda couple is cringe to some, but super adorable to me (ok Tae Hoon did have some cringey moments but I don’t mind it given his character setting lol). I loved the part where Tae Hoon prepared a whole surprise for their 100 day anniversary in the classroom, with all the other classmates and friends participating as well.
4) On the playground when Ju Gyeong trips while they are playing basketball and Suho catches her, but then he hugs her. Then he tries to play it off as making her smell his ‘new detergent’. Then the Prince Comic owner happens to pass by and he rushes over to hug him as well to make it look like he wasn’t specifically just hugging Ju Gyeong. LOL.
5) In episode 6 (and end of ep 5), when a singer at the school festival performs one of Se Yeon’s songs as a tribute, Suho gets a panic attack. Even after being told he only looked out for her ‘out of pity’ (which is a lie unexplained to her) and being hurt by it, Ju Gyeong still rushes to care for him. When he runs off and ends up on the rooftop crying alone, she finds him and stays with him, embracing him and comforting him. This really shows how much she loves Suho and that when push comes to shove she can put all things aside and still be there for him.
6) In episode 7, Suho goes to great lengths, from making everyone at school yell ‘apologize’, to hacking his computer during a game in an internet cafe, to telling on his dad, to the point of even losing sleep, just to make Lee Sung Yong apologize to Ju Gyeong for kidnapping her. That was true dedication.
7) In episode 10, Suho visits Ju Gyeong’s room for the first time and sees a photo of her younger self laying on a couch (that appears to be at Prince Comic). He finds out that Ju Gyeong was the same girl he met as a little boy at Prince Comic who called him a crybaby, and then tried to cheer him up by doing animal impressions. He then takes that photograph home with him.
8) In spite of point 3 from ‘things I disliked’, I love how Su Ah speaks up and confronts Sujin about her deeds. Even if Sujin doesn’t admit her fault or show remorse even then, Su Ah stands up for Ju Gyeong. Afterwards she reassures Ju Gyeong that she is not ‘that kind of person’ and admits feeling hurt that JG thought she’d be shallow, then they ‘make up’ and hug eachother.
9) In episode 13, Suho records an aegyo video at Prince Comic and it’s HONESTLY ADORABLE. He sends it to Ju Gyeong in order to cheer her up. (Ngl Cha Eun Woo pulls off aegyo really well and his voice also sounds cute when he does it.)
10) At some point Suho reenacts the animal impressions to Ju Gyeong, and Ju Gyeong finally realizes they’ve met before as kids. The way he did it is very cute.
11) In episode 14, when they are dating Suho itches to call Ju Gyeong, but then he imagines the worst case scenario where he ends up being ‘the tiring type’ (as said by Tae Hoon), in which Ju Gyeong runs off with Seo Jun on his motorcycle, leaving Suho alone on the track field. He then kneels down and screams ‘NO!!’.
12) The beach date was honestly so wholesome and romantic as well, I loved seeing them go on an ‘official’ date like that.
13) 'OH MY EYEEEEES, OH SHIIIIIIIT' - Im Ju Yeong
14) While my previous points in the ‘things I disliked’ still stand, I did enjoy watching how the show extended beyond the high school setting. I really loved seeing Ju Gyeong pursue her ambition and passion in makeup. I also loved seeing Seo Jun make his way back to music and eventually debut, and that Suho decides to pursue music again too. I also really enjoyed the sub-plot of the relationship between Hee Gyeong and Han Joon Woo and how it progresses to them getting married. The show wraps up in a lovely way.
Final thoughts
Visually, I enjoyed it in all aspects.
Firstly, the cast. I haven’t read the webtoon (yet) but I think the casting is just perfect when comparing the actors to the drawn versions of their characters. Cha Eun Woo is literally perfect as Suho, I don’t think anyone else can match better. Ga Young and Hwang In Youp are perfect as Ju Gyeong and Seo Jun as well. Even the casting for the side characters match super well. For example Goo Woon, or Hee Gyeong. Even Selena’s actress pulled off the vibe really well. The acting was also really good, I was especially impressed by how well Cha Eun Woo did considering his performance in some previous roles were underwhelming.
Secondly, the cinematography is beautiful, the colors are soft but vibrant.
Thirdly, the fashion is also on point most of the time (some of Suho’s outerwear and outfits are kind of questionable tho imo). Also, I don’t know how Ju Gyeong suddenly leveled up her fashion sense by 100 after ‘the makeover’, but I did really enjoy her cute outfits. I especially liked her academic outfit variations. I like how she wore different colored knee socks, sometimes grey and sometimes white. Her matching pastel colored outerwear goes well with her uniforms too.
The soundtrack is also very memorable, both songs with vocals as well as atmospheric instrumental tracks.
I loved the characters. First of all, I need to give a big shout out to Seo Jun for being such a respectable and good character. Even if he loves Ju Gyeong, he never acts selfishly by crossing the line or boundaries and always respects her and Suho.
He also does so much for her behind the scenes, it's admirable.
The side characters are awesome too. Ju Gyeong's sister and brother are also so fun and have unique personalities as well. Hee Gyeong (older sis) is very confident, tomboyish and funny with her interactions with Han Joon Woo (the teacher), but she has a really righteous side. Ju Yeong (younger brother) is a goof and banters with Ju Gyeong a lot and seems like the usual 'obnoxious' sibling, but he definitely shows a more serious, mature and caring side to him as well. For example when he tells Suho to not play around with Ju Gyeong's feelings and actually be serious if he really likes her, or when he fights someone at school when they talk shit about Ju Gyeong (after she got 'exposed'). His protective side definitely shows.
Then another side chara I especially liked is Yoon Tae Hoon, he was hilarious. He was a bro to Suho as well, trying to give him tips and help him out. That scene where they broke the 4th wall talking about drama cliches was HILARIOUS.
Plot wise, as I’ve stated in the points before, it’s not perfect. However, the characters and their backgrounds and personalities are very well developed and I think that really uplifts the show and carries it in places where it lacks plot structure.
This show gave me many laughs, especially in the first half. It also gave me some tears. There are definitely a lot of cliche moments like in a lot of kdramas, but those honestly didn’t bother me.
Finally, I just loved how organically and naturally Ju Gyeong and Suho’s romance develops throughout the show, it doesn’t feel forced at all. I loved seeing their relationship and interactions change from ‘cold’ and ‘on edge’ to being warm and fluffy and silly. Suho definitely learns to ‘let loose’ and show a more playful and cute side when their relationship progresses. It was also relieving and heartwarming to see him and Seo Jun reconcile in the end and become friends again.
All in all, despite having some flaws, True Beauty is a show that has a great combination of fluffiness/comedy and deeper themes. I honestly didn’t expect it to address things like panic attacks, trauma, serious family issues and OCD. However these are real things that happen on a daily basis for many people and I can fully appreciate the show addressing these, while still being balanced with the more lighthearted side of it. I enjoyed this show a lot and I’m going to miss it.
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Had high expectations, was disappointed
I had pretty high expectations for this drama but in the end it was disappointing. The FL and ML are honestly kind of boring and 2nd ML was what carried the show. FL and ML's relationship was kind of awkward through out the show, the bromance between ML and 2nd ML was better than the main romantic relationship.The show was supposed to be about FL's struggle with self confidence and society's beauty standard but the show didn't really focus on that. The main focus seemed to be on her love triangle between the Male leads. Honestly for me the love triangle was really annoying and FL should've been with the 2nd ML.
The first few episodes were very good. The humour was great and it got me hooked. After the first 10 episodes it started to get a little draggy and I lost interest. Of course I convinced myself to push through and finish it which felt like a chore
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Will go down in history as amazing!
This is a drama to stay up until 3am to watch! I love the whole story from beginning to end. The main characters chemistry and love triangles felt authentic and original. This should go on everyone’s must watch list and go down in history as a must watch for kdrama beginners! And veterans!The sisters love story didn’t feel like a time filler but part of the actual story. I usually don’t care for the secondary characters but all of the couples and peoples storyline’s felt important. The dynamics were non traditional and modern. The mental health message throughout the show is good for young people to watch.
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An Interesting Feel Good drama about high school love and self motivation!
It's a good drama. It had it's ups and downs so I cannot say it's a very good but it's definitely above average to a good category. The characters and story was interesting but execution was not great. It had a lot of potential to touch important high school issues but it didn't explored them, which I think was intentional from the creators. They wanted to keep it as a light hearted story which is totally fine. This is one of very few stories very second lead was equally good as the main lead, sometimes second lead overshadowed the main lead which is a great thing.I really liked the character of elder sister and her love story. In the last episode when everyone started dancing at the wedding that was very wholesome moment and I will definitely remember as one of the best wedding celebration.
Overall It's a good watch!
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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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True Beauty was an engaging and entertaining k-drama and I really enjoyed it. There were some parts of the show that I didn’t care for but overall, it was good. Let’s break down my thoughts about the bigger parts of the show, shall we?
The romance between Lee Su Ho and Lim Joo Kyung was a super cute one. I really enjoyed seeing both the past Su Ho and Joo Kyung and the current Su Ho and Joo Kyung. Su Ho was such a loner and needed someone like Joo Kyung in his life. Especially considering his home life and everything he went through on that front. Joo Kyung needed someone like Su Ho in her life as well. He was completely loyal to her and didn’t care what she looked like. He was so emotionally invested in her happiness that it made me happy.
The love triangle never really felt like a love triangle to me because Lim Joo Kyung loved who she loved and never once did she waver in that. Not even when Su Ho was being an ass for years. She was faithful to him and to their relationship, even when he didn’t deserve it…she was Team Su Ho. I completely understood it and rooted for the two of them to figure themselves out. She never had the chance to hide her true self from him and I loved that she never forgot it. He loved her no matter what her face looked like and even though Seo Joon did as well after a while, I always rooted for Su Ho and Joo Kyung.
The supporting cast was a memorable one for sure. I think of all of the groups of friends covered in this show, my favorite was probably Su Ho’s friend group after he fell out with Seo Joon. I liked all of the boys but my favorite was Su Ho’s group because they were so freaking funny with how jealous they got of Seo Joon. Su Ho was theirs and they didn’t let anyone (even Su Ho) forget it.
Seo Joon’s squad was a loyal squad as well and though I did like them, I liked the nerds a smidge more. Joo Kyung’s new school squad wasn’t my favorite for obvious reasons and there were times when I wanted to smack some sense into Joo Kyung herself but every single time I thought that, Joo Kyung came to her senses. I loved that her personality never really changed throughout the show. She was just as kindhearted in the end as she was in the beginning and though she lost her way a time or two, she always came through and her friends benefitted from her forgiving nature. Aside from the school friends, I also really enjoyed getting to know Joo Kyung’s family and the secondary romance between her sister and their teacher was a fun addition to this show. The teacher reminded me of how extra Joo Kyung was but they were both such charming characters that it worked in their favor because I was a fan of theirs throughout the entire show. I loved seeing Joo Kyung’s younger brother and Seo Joon’s younger sister bicker their way to becoming close and I really enjoyed seeing Su Ho and his father work on rebuilding their relationship as well. Lots of great characters for sure.
There was a lot to offer with this show and for me, personally, I never once got bored with what was happening. There are plenty of shows with slow beginnings or middles that drag but I didn’t find that to be the case with True Beauty. Each of the main characters shined in their own way and brought something different to the table that made tuning in every week a delight. I’m very happy that I gave this show a try and I’m looking forward to more acting goodness from this cast. I definitely recommend this show if you’re looking for a fun high school romance with charming characters and some deep plotlines that will keep you glued to your screen. This was a delightful k-drama and you won’t be sorry, I don’t think.
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AMAZING AND AWESOME SHOW..........
Amazing! just so amazing! this is literally the best thing i've ever watched in my life! THE STORYLINE AND CHARACTERS ARE SO AMAZINGGGGGGGGGGGGG ! once u start watching, you cannot stop!!!!!! the cast choice was awesome! I highly recommend watching this drama because it has everything! from depression to happiness, from liking to loving, YOU'LL FIND EVERYTHING YOU CAN DREAM OF! plus, this drama is very funny and emotional at the same time!!! One time when I was eating Chocos w/ milk while watching,I laughed so hard that I had to spil the milk and chocos out of my mouth to stop them from entering my wind pipe because I was laughing so hard! There'll be times when you will feel so sad for characters and sometimes you'll laugh so hard. I'm still addicted to the drama and still IN LOVE with the OST--MISSING U..............Was this review helpful to you?
If you're looking for a no brainer rom-com where you don't have to follow much of a plot and its just funny and cute to watch, you might like this.
Even though a lot of people had a huge second lead syndrome in this, I actually shipped the main couple from the start, so I enjoyed it a lot. There are some things that are a bit frustrating but overall it's a fun ride.
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This review may contain spoilers
True Beauty, Real Glow
True Beauty is a standout coming-of-age drama that blends comedy, romance, and emotional depth in a way that feels both entertaining and meaningful. It follows Lim Ju-kyung, a high school girl who becomes skilled at makeup to escape years of bullying over her appearance. What begins as a lighthearted makeover story evolves into a touching exploration of self-acceptance and identity.Moon Ga-young shines in the lead role, bringing warmth and sincerity to Ju-kyung’s journey. Her performance makes you root for her from the start, whether she’s struggling with insecurity or finding joy in new friendships. The chemistry between her and the two leads, played by Cha Eun-woo and Hwang In-yeop, is engaging without ever feeling overly dramatic. Their love triangle is filled with tension and tenderness, but it never overshadows Ju-kyung’s personal growth.
The drama is visually appealing, with clean cinematography and colorful styling that reflect the vibrant, youthful tone of the story. Every episode is backed by a catchy and emotional soundtrack that enhances the mood without being overbearing.
What really sets True Beauty apart is its heart. It doesn’t shy away from the emotional struggles teens face, whether it’s self-esteem, peer pressure, or family dynamics. Yet it keeps the narrative hopeful, focusing on friendship, love, and the courage to be yourself.
By the end, True Beauty leaves a lasting impression. It’s funny, heartfelt, and thoughtful in all the right ways, making it an unforgettable experience for anyone who’s ever felt like they had to hide who they really are.
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