True Beauty (2020)

full of chlichés

I could not have watched this show by alone all by myself. What made this show fun was watching it with my sister, without her I would not have finished it.

The first half of the show was very good, I was very engaged in the characters and what was going on in the story; however, the second half I found to be very boring.

What can I say… who I was rooting for was not winning, he didn’t get as much screentime as he should of and he deserved more.

Also, I have never seen a show with so many stereotypical clichés before. I could not even begin to count the amount of times the maid lead fell into someone’s arms an accident.

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Different, yet memorable and remarkable

Summary
True Beauty is an adaption from the popular webtoon series that goes by the same name. It is quite evident to point out - if you're not a webtoon reader - that this story follows a completely different path. This drama follows some of the same events, however, the outcomes are vastly different. Overall, I found this drama to be quite enjoyable to watch, especially during these times. The comedy is astounding and there were several memorable moments that will go down in K-Drama history. I think this drama did bring out some of the best in all the characters that cannot be easily interpreted and felt from the comic but undermined some of the feelings and struggles that some of the characters did go through. Some may argue that they were saddened by the approach that the directors took with changing some of the scenes and characters, but I think I liked their approach in which I'll explain why further down the line. The sub-plots were quite interesting and the romance itself was satisfactory. Albeit saying this, having to aid my broken heart, I will probably not touch another love-triangle drama anytime soon.
Disclaimer: I believe that from this drama, I became a Hwang In Yeop fan and I have grown to love his character. This review has no intent to be biased towards any of the characters as I love them all overall. I will try to be unbiased as much as I can whilst still giving my honest opinions. As much of the love story I value, character/character development is a big element for me in what is defined as a good drama or not.


Storyline/plot
The story itself was quite mediocre. The drama mainly revolves around a girl who gets bullied for her indifferences in her looks, until she discovered the wonders of make-up and transforms herself. She moves to another school and upon starting a new life there, she gets immediate attention. It focusses on her journey in accepting and loving herself as well as finding a support system that truly accepts her for the way she is. The overall story itself is quite a cliche, but as the drama develops, the story does deepen and becomes meaningful and cherish-able.
It delves into serious real-life issues that are prevalent in our society that include: suicide, the life of being in the idol scene - the good and the bad, mental health, trauma, insecurities; family dysfunctions, and disparities. The sub-plots were quite interesting, but I didn't feel like there was enough closure or explanation behind some of the plots.
What enticed me to like this drama was how thought-provoking it was. The character's actions, decisions, and attitudes really made you think beyond what the story is telling you and encourages you to analyse and build an understanding behind each of the characters behaviours and intentions.
The reason why I like the direction the story was going for was because it made the audience have something to look forward to, rather than following the original story which will defeat the suspense that was building up for the ending of the show. Arguably, this is meant to be an adaption so if they weren't going to follow the original storyline, then they should have given this drama a different title.
The romance for me, was satisfactory, I loved the relationship that had some cute moments and developments, but when it comes down to chemistry, I didn't feel much of that, in my opinion. I think the chemistry was more directed to the friendship. But still, the bond for the three characters was remarkable and unforgettable.
Let me mention the comedy that this drama brought. I loved all the scenes that included some comedic value in them. It made this drama light-hearted that balanced out the more serious scenes that it entails.
The downsides to this series, however, is how the story did divert the attention away from the original storyline and decided to include a love-triangle. Whilst I do believe that it made the show more entertaining and kept the viewers engaged, the execution was quite anti-climactic. I think they should have focussed more on the female narrative with the love-triangle coming after; that way it could stick to the storyline's true intent. Another critic I would make is how some of the serious scenes were quite exaggerated to the extent where it became more humorous rather than emotional which really deflated the emotions that were behind that scenes in the first place. Lastly, the ending felt a bit too rushed with a time jump, it would have been better to have at least two more episodes to really wrap-up the whole series

Cast/Acting
Suho
Suho is known as the top-student and is quite taciturn, mundane, and has a cold-like exterior. Throughout this drama, we get to see the story of his dysfunctional relationship with his Father and the constant battle with his mental health due to unfortunate events that are revealed later. As the drama progresses, we get to see more of his caring side as he opens himself up a little bit more to the world. This drama brought justice to his character and how his emotions and past traumas manifest into his actions. He had his effortlessly humorous moments. I particularly liked his character development in how he handled tough situations over-time, for example with how he dealt with his unhealthy behaviours. His story overall is quite touching, and you'd feel like you want to reach into your screen and give him an immense hug amidst it all.
However, the one thing I don't like was how they made him look 'creepy' in some scenes, this isn't something that bothers me immensely, but I wanted to point that out because whilst it brought a bit of comedy into it, I did find it a bit uncomfortable if I was put into the character's shoes, but that's just my personal opinion.
Knowing Cha Eunwoo from Astro, I had no prior knowledge of his acting skills. For the first drama I've watched that Eunwoo starred in, I am thoroughly impressed by his acting and his portrayal as Suho. He executed the emotions of his character outstandingly that really got the audience to feel for his character. Overall, Suho's cold demeanour towards others, except for the very few people he cares about definitely swayed the viewers, but as time went by, he came out of his shell. His growth is worth mentioning and as a viewer, I felt proud like he was my friend as well.


Jugyeong
Jugyeong is the 'angel' of Saebom High school with her beautiful looks that attracts attention across the school, but underneath that mask lies deep struggles in self-love, self-acceptance, and trauma that shaped her into the person she is known as. She also has a dysfunctional family which was shown more in the webtoon. Jugyeong is a selfless and kind-hearted character that never fails to be there for others and empathises with those around her very deeply. She is the most memorable character for her dorkiness, clumsy and child-like personality. I loved her character development the most as it shows her overcoming her struggles with assertiveness and confidence. Her story is very empowering and inspiring that I could resonate with some of the feelings that she felt throughout the drama and it made me want to hug her as well. I especially loved the relationship development between herself and her family which was touching, indeed, the message behind her story is heartfelt and something that I wish I had known when I was a teenager. To some, her character can be very unlikeable due to her naive-ness and clueless traits, but that can be justified.
This prompts me onto my next point that I did find her character unlikeable at times due to her being portrayed as naive and her somewhat selfish acts that took place, though these were subtle and didn't cause me to dislike her overall. Again, the character was well portrayed I really did feel connected to her as an individual.
Watching Moon Ga Young from her previous role in 'Tempted', I was amazed at how vastly different these characters are and Moon Ga Young was competent in showing the goofy, but emotional side to Jugyeong. She is one of my favourite actors out there.


Seojun
Seojun, shown to be the badass; unlikeable; presumptuous character in the early stages of the drama, stole the hearts of many viewers out there, including myself. Seojun has a very baddie and somewhat intimidating exterior, but later, shows his caring and soft side. He has a very dorky, goofy, and selfless demeanour and is a family-orientated person. It is fair to say that he created one of the most iconic moments for the drama with his humour. At first, it showed his overarching responsibility as the older brother, but that kind of faded away over time. We first see him being stirred into trouble with a group of guys from a different high school. However, this subplot wasn'twell executed because we never saw the events that led up to the incident and Seojun's relationship with them. This drama touched upon Seojun's trauma against the idol scene and his mental health towards his past unfortunate events. We later see that his self-blame and handling of the situation was expressed very negatively that caused a detrimental effect on someone that he cared for. The reasonings were later revealed. As a result, his character development was very touching, and he is the true epitome of holding accountability for his actions. As the drama progressed, we saw a much softer side to him towards the one he liked. It is quite true to say that out of the events, it broke the hearts of many and made us feel truly hurt with every scene he was in, but out of that, more love for the character was developed. Overall, I particularly loved the dynamics to his character that made him more realistic and relatable. I'll repeat for the other two characters, he was a character that I also wanted to give an immense hug for.
I do have to say that Seojun was kind of treated like a side-line character that did not have much background to him as the drama went on. The drama didn't do justice to Seojun's feelings compared to the webtoon and didn't show much of his life story which I was quite saddened about.
Watching Hwang In Yeop in previous roles like the 'Tale of Nokdu' and 'W.H. Y', I think he did an outstanding job in portraying Han Seojun with the character's dynamic personality and displayed his emotions brilliantly. I'm glad he was able to play this character as I wouldn't be able to imagine anyone else playing Han Seojun the way Hwang In Yeop did


Sujin
Another top-student and was known as the 'strong female lead' for her amazing skill in martial arts and the protector of her friends. Sujin is shown to be quite competitive in life with a strong and powerful demeanour. Although she is shown in that way, we do get to see her more vulnerable side which is where her story comes in. I liked the approach the writers took with the disparities of her character as it leaves the audience feeling for her much more. I especially love her character development.
Park Yoo Na does an incredible job in showing the two sides of Sujin and my love for her as an actor has really grown from 'Sky Castle', she's amazing.

Extra points on Seojun and Suho
I feel like it's worth talking about Seojun and Suho as individual characters side-by-side because, from my perspective, I do believe that this drama kind of sheds light on the contrasting situations between these two.
I firmly believe that these two characters portrayed their struggles in different ways. Suho, having nobody by his side to support him emotionally, he was left alone with tackling his inner demons. He felt loneliness because of having nobody. This left him to deal with events that came up in his life in an unhealthy way.
On the other hand, Seojun had friends and family by his side, this means that he was able to deal with the events that occurred in his life in a slightly healthier way. However, with that being said, Seojun never had anyone he was able to confide in. He had people that were there for him to fill in that space of emptiness, but he did not have anyone that he could truly relate to and be himself with.
The moral of the story is, I believe that one can struggle in different ways. You can feel lonely with or without people and that solely depends on who you have around you. Therefore, I value the friendship that the three main leads have. Jugyeong was able to fill in that space and change their lives as well as them changing hers. Thus, I think this show was meaningful to watch for the development of the three and their individual stories.

Honourable mentions
The supporting cast have been heavily involved in the story, bringing depth towards each character. The show doesn't just present the story of the main characters, but also shines a light on the supporting cast and their personalities. They included everybody that brought together this drama and made it 'True Beauty'. Tae Hoon, Hyun Gyu, and Soo Ah are definitely supportive friends that you'd want in your life, HeeKyung is one of those independent and strong female characters that play opposite gender roles in a relationship, Mr. Han is the supportive teacher we all need in life with his cute, clumsy and innocent personality; Cho Rong with his funny and relatable personality traits, Juyoung and his hilarious, cocky and dorky personality, Go Woon with her adorable and strong exterior and Jugyeong's hilarious and supportive parents. And lastly, Se Mi. Although she is the antagonist of the show, it wouldn't be 'True Beauty' without mentioning how her relationship with Jugyeong brought this story together I loved how all the individual characters that contributed to the value of this drama with memorable moments that we will all cherish.

Music
The music was quite fitting to the drama with my favourite song 'Missing You' and 'it Starts Today'. There wasn't one song that really stood out to me and the one that was deemed as the number one song for the drama. I think that every song was good in its own ways.

Rewatch value
I'm not really the one to watch an entire series again, I would only watch the highlights, however, I would rewatch this drama to relive the moments that this show has brought and understand more things on a deeper level. On the contrary, I wouldn't want to because of the emotional rollercoaster that the show put us through. But on a serious note, there were some happy, laughable, and treasuring moments this show had that made the audience connect with the cast and the story more, so I would deem this as rewatchable.


Conclusion
I would recommend you watch this to get the best of both worlds, if you're a webtoon fan and if you want to see the story being brought to life. Would I say I'd prefer this over the webtoon? It's not a straightforward question to answer as both have their pros and cons. As I said, you would have more connection with the characters like if they were your friends that you don't feel much in the webtoon.
If you're not a webtoon fan, then I would say it's a light-hearted, sweet series that is fun to watch. But that's all down to your personal tastes.
To conclude, I was undermining the story at first and was doubtful of the direction of where this drama was going, but I turned out to like this drama more than I'd thought with a few beautiful messages behind it. It's worth a watch. You can delve deeper into the other topics that are included in the story that's not just about the romance. The most integral thing out of the series I would mention is the chemistry between the actors behind the scenes. It was touching and cute, very family-like. Also, to mention individual efforts that were made towards the series. I believe these are a crucial element in bringing together a memorable and well-executed drama.

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Fun time!

Short: Webtoon style "hyper real" (expect the characters to be dialled up to 110%) like others such as Extraordinary You. TRUE BEAUTY isn't about makeup, TRUE beauty is the real YOU, confident and with courage. In this drama, she takes that journey. Great actors, great characters. Music is ok but didn't stand out as much as others have. All the usual tropes, love triangle, breakups, they-met-as-kids etc - it is kdrama after all - but I thought they were largely written in quite sensibly :)

Detail:
Some really interesting characters in this - the female lead struggles with her appearance and being bullied and it leads her to the roof of a tall building standing on a ledge contemplating her future. The male lead happens to be there because previously his best friend had jumped from that ledge and he was remembering him, he pulls her off to safety.

She learns about makeup, and moving to a new school arrives transformed as the most beautiful girl in the school, where she quickly gets lots of friends and happiness.

So... my initial thought as the drama starts in this way is... oh I do hope there's a bit more depth to it than "make yourself pretty so people will like you" and thankfully there is. She struggles with her appearance throughout going to extraordinary lengths to make sure nobody can see her "bare face" fearing that friends will instantly turn to enemies. Indeed, there is one moment in the story... which I won't go into... and it's played out really well as everyone reacts strongly but not all for the same reasons, and it ultimately provides a lot of courage for her as she realises if you're around the right people it doesn't matter at all, and if you're around the wrong people - they don't matter.

What was really good for the female lead was seeing her grow from a girl in school to a young adult as she steps into her working life - going from the struggles of school to figuring out what she wants to do and then pursuing it vigorously, as she goes from someone near the bottom of the school leagues to someone who is driven fiercely for what she wants to do. I think everyone goes through that transformation as they get frustrated with the doldrums and stress of school and switch to doing what they are truly passionate about.

The male lead doesn't go through the same length of journey at all, and while I have no objection to his character and enjoyed its participation in the story, he was there as the supporting character for the female lead, without a doubt.

The SECOND lead however - was easily one of the strongest and best characters i've seen in a drama in a while. His strength of character even in the latter episodes when he would have been completely ok to pursue what he wanted, took a better path instead, choosing what he knew she wanted. Difficult to go into detail about why this moment towards the end struck me but it was really well done. He's a misunderstood character at the start who is acting out, but this is not your average love triangle. Sadly, he's doomed to suffer the fate of all second leads unfortunately (I don't consider that a spoiler because if you go into a drama expecting it to end with the *second* lead... you're probably not reading the room ;) ).

Secondary characters... the female lead's sister and the teacher - funny as heck (as are her whole family tbh). So refreshing to see such a strong woman knowing what she wants and just going for it with all the force in the world. Absolutely her mothers daughter, but equally good to see the cheeky bit later on when it's clear that it's not entirely one-way and he can pull her strings too (I am probably explaining it badly - but suffice to say, it is a well balanced relationship :) ).

Her friends - one of them goes through a bad time and becomes the bad-person, and I was very pleased with out how that was concluded.

All in all, some really great characters and performed well by their respective actors and actresses.

It is a webtoon style drama, like Extraordinary You, so expect your characters to be dialled up to 110% - it's done in a nice way that works well and is fun throughout :)

The ending is nice and drawn out, it's chilled and feels really good.

Why not a 10? Purely because I think that while they nailed the problem with the way she felt about her self image and about the bullying at school I'm just not sure they actually nailed the conclusion to that quite as well as they could have. I can't put my finger on it, because she got her moment with the bully, she got the support from true friends, she supported someone else in the same situation and helped them, and got the courage to be her true self. So i'm not sure why it's niggling on me, but... it is. That's why I only took a half off.

TRUE BEAUTY isn't about makeup, TRUE beauty is the real YOU, confident and with courage. In this drama, she takes that journey, and it's the day she turns up to her new school in her bare face she becomes the True Beauty.

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I Cannot Get Over this Drama

Oh my gaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssh!

True Beauty is an elite drama- totally on another level.

Story 100%
Humour 10000%
Cast 100%
Second Lead 100%
OST 10000%
Bromance 1000%

This is the first time I watched a drama back to back because it was too good to stop. When I started out, I feared there would be the usual high-school/teen drama cliches and yes there were some I-definitely-saw-this-coming scenes. But amazingly, that iddn't take away from the drama's freshness. It was still amazing and refreshing.

I loved Soo-ho and Ju-kyung together - there were cute without going over the top. Cha Eun-woo is not a good drunk to watch though - my only complaint from the drama was that scene. I loved Seojun! He brought life to this drama! Oh my gosh, I was really rooting for him but there was no way he gets the happy ending *sigh* But my absolute favourite character was Hee-kyung. Yo! Incredibly well-written character - hilarious, strong female, unapologetic about who she is and what she wants. I want to be Hee-kyung when I grow up.

My dilemma now is - how do get on with my life after True Beauty?

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There were aspects of this drama I really liked. The cast were great and Moon Ga-young portrayed the bullied-for-her-looks Joo-kyung, excellently. She was sweet and somehow quite innocent, whilst at the same time pretty resilient to the horrible crap she had to put up with. She also found it within herself to support others, even though she never got the same most of the time. I didn't like the way in which her character cried though ~ often not about stuff you would and then about stuff you wouldn't.
Cha Eun-woo's character was nice to watch, as he opened up and grew with each episode.
Hwang In-youp's role was more consistent through the episodes and one that I liked the most. He wasn't fluffy or difficult and a lot more open and outspoken.
What I didn't like was what I felt to be a very superficial portrayal of how girls, especially, are judged on their appearance. Yes, it happens to guys too, but not as much.
I just felt that the whole issue was somewhat undermined. The bullies, as usual, seem to get away with it. It shouldn't be up to kids to sort out, but stopped in its tracks by teachers and the establishment. That's just never seen.
The bullying in this was horrible and her own family were no better. I really disliked the mother.
One character in a latter episode, suggested a dermatologist and I actually cheered! The character's biggest problem was actually her skin/complexion, which could have been treated, not her actual looks.
The angle of being outed for wearing makeup was also somewhat contrived, especially when the main ones harassing her, wore plenty themselves! No one thought to point that out though.
One thing it did show were more-unattractive-than-her peers, judging the looks of another. It has often occurred to me that it's not uncommon for the people that judge the looks of others, to be really quite ugly themselves... I wonder what they see when they look in the mirror?!
I also dislike violence against kids by adults and, again, this was shown with no real consequences for the perpetrator. That kind of suggests there's no way out in that situation and it therefore has to be accepted.
There were also several parts of the plot in the storyline that were simply glossed over, to me, rather than being concluded sufficiently.
I also don't find toilet humour that funny, especially when overdone and featuring in more than one scene. People throwing up on others and seemingly thinking that's acceptable, also puts me off; as does treating someone else's home and belongings as their own. Just not amusing to me at all.
Whilst the cast were great, the story just wasn't for me.

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A delightful romantic comedy with an endearing heroine.

The story began with our heroine who’s had to live her whole life with her community's overwhelming opinion that she was ugly, culminating in a horrific bullying incident that induced her to almost taking her own life. After pulling herself back from the depths of despair, she sought help from an online beauty guru and when a chance to transfer schools arrived, she remodeled herself through the magical powers of makeup. As she navigates the new high school while hiding her “ugly” past, making friends and grappling with all the newfound attention from boys (especially two in particular), she learns to face her fears and reveal her true self.

First of all, I must say that I very much enjoyed this show largely due to how charming Moon Ga Young was in portraying Ju Kyung. She was so endearingly funny and genuinely cute that it was hard to dislike her, even when she made questionable choices. What is with this director who is able to capture the charm of the actress through their character (hey there, Extraordinary You's Kim Hye Yoon)?

Ju Kyung is sweet and kind. But her reluctance to speak up for herself, her tendency to run away rather than fight back; these behaviors will certainly create frustrations for the viewers, as I also felt the same. From the lens of an adult, the problems of teenagers bordered on trivial. And yet, you cannot deny the reality of it; because as much as I wanted to pull her aside and tell her that looks aren't everything, that there will be more to life than what happens in high school, I also understood her insecurities completely and the choices she made as a result, because they were universal. I sympathized with her sentiments, especially after watching Moon Ga Young portrayed Ju Kyung with such heartrendingly realistic despair. I was appalled at how cruel her peers could be. So when she was able to make a fresh start and simply be happy because she was able to make friends, I was happy for Ju Kyung too. Yes, the new friends flocked to her because she was pretty but it was also clear that they genuinely liked her. The teachers fostered a warm environment as well, especially one kind, emasculate teacher who had a funny love line with Ju Kyung's beautiful, confident sister. One of her new friends included a girl named Soo Jin (Park Yoo Na), whom I thought was super cool for a good portion of the drama, then felt nothing but disappointment in when the writer took a lazy turn by making her character a typical, conniving second lead in the end. Or maybe that was the point; because of how strong and righteous she was, protecting her friends like a guardian angel, her betrayal at the end cut deep. I was also a bit disappointed in how long it took for Ju Kyung to confront her bullies, though I rooted for her all the same. It was sweet that the courage to face her fears came from her kind heart; wanting to protect her friends was ultimately what gave her the strength to stand up to the bullies. It was a fist pump moment but I wish there was more to see of the positive changes in Ju Kyung than what was shown. And there was much left to be desired in the bullies meeting their comeuppance.

Anyhow, the majority of the drama was certainly a fun ride and a mood lifter. This was in every respect a romantic comedy because the romance had me laughing and feeling the butterflies all at the same time. It had one of the most interesting love triangles I've ever seen (and I typically hate love triangles); I felt Ju Kyung’s chemistry with both boys. But not in the way you think, in that, it's clear who the heroine likes and who she will end up with (deserving and more on that later). Instead, it's simply that the second lead, Seo Jun (Hwang In Yeop), contributed to the story in a way that was wonderfully interwoven into the main plot; he wasn't just there to spur the story for the leads. Ju Kyung and Seo Jun's interactions were just as interesting and uniquely comical. Also, why is it that when your parents are friends, you instantly become friends? Any gap would close so quickly whenever you're thrust into such a situation that you don't even know what hit you. And this is exactly what happened to the two of them, as their moms turned out to be friends. Ju Kyung went from feeling intimidated by this bad boy from school she barely knew to comfortably teasing him that she'd tell on him to his mom, ha. And then this delinquent, of course, developed a huge crush on her; it was an absolute delight to watch (roar!). And I’ve gotta say, if you can rock a mullet, that’s an achievement in and of itself. The man is HOT. But then he had to go and completely capture us with his heart of gold too. I recalled spotting Hwang In Yeop for the first time in Nokdu Flower as a quiet assassin and thinking he was intriguing then. Well, he is simply amazing here. I look forward to more roles from him. And that voice!

Having said all that though, and I may be in the minority here but, I am team Su Ho (Cha Eun Woo) all the way. And I say this not as a fan of Cha Eun Woo. This was actually my first drama in which he starred in, and I am well aware of the fact that he is famous for his looks just as much as his lack of talent. But, honestly, I thought he was decent here as an actor. Of course, comparatively, Moon Ga Young and Hwang In Yeop were a step ahead, but overall, there wasn’t much to complain about. As bland as he may have been, there was no denying his attractiveness in a conventional way. Su Ho was a complete jerk (actually, all the boys were) in the beginning but then he fell for Ju Kyung first, in all her pimply glory. It's really cute. In one instance, he says that he doesn't see a difference between Ju Kyung with makeup and without makeup. He said it without much fanfare, as if it was a matter of fact; it made it all the more convincing and sincere. As much as I like Seo Jun, I was a solid team Su Ho in that respect. Ju Kyung was at her worse, or her truest self, when she was with him and that's whom he fell for. He was there for her from beginning to end (except for that short noble idiocy right before the end, which I chose to forget because I liked the drama too much to be so critical about it). He was the only one who had seen her barefaced, fed her food when hungry, shared hobbies like their mutual interest in horror comic books, tried to make her feel better when upset, protected her, etc. It's all super adorable and he's pretty swoony while doing all of it. It was even better once he confessed; he was understanding, patient, attentive, devoted. In short, he was the perfect boyfriend. They managed to do what a good number of dramas could not, and that was, to keep their relationship compelling, even after they started dating. They were simply adorable together. Ju Kyung was such a klutz around him. Second-hand embarrassment is strong here but it was so funny that in the end, I found myself thinking her bumbling adorable more than anything else. There were many scenes where I had to pause, squealing and screaming at her to just STOP because in that split second you figured out exactly what she was about to do that was bound to be uber mortifying, like when she told Su Ho to LET GO, thinking he had stopped her from leaving when it was just her shirt caught in the door. Or that time she sat on his shoulder. Omg, I busted my gut laughing. This girl, I'm telling you.

Admittedly, the comedy bordered on over the top at times, filled with antics and slapstick humor. But the truly funny, literally laugh-out-loud parts significantly outweighed the exaggerations, so I tolerated it. And even then, it didn't make me want to skip scenes.

This was certainly not a perfect drama. It started out refreshingly different but ended up predictable. Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. So much happened in each episode that words would not do justice to convey how entertaining this show was. You'll miss out on all the fun if you're merely reading about it so just go watch it.

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Cringy but worth it

This is my first time writing a review so if I make any mistake I'm sorry!

I've read the webtoon and watched the kdrama and I gotta say It's different but both are amazing to watch!
True beauty was a fun kdrama! I never got bored of it which is such a good thing!! It has so many cringy scenes but sometimes I enjoyed it! I hate how Seojun and jukyung didn't get that much scenes which I didn't like :/ But I love the bromance with Suho and Seojun ! My favorite scenes is when they both clipped eachother toenails! I really like Suho and Jukyung Scenes! They were enjoyable to watch.

The actors was great and I hope to see more of them! The characters development with each characters are amazing.
Jukyung character development was SOOO AMAZING !!! I loved every characters ! My favorite characters was Juyoung and Gowoon, They was so cute ! People say Cha Eun Woo didn't do a great job at acting but I think he did amazing! All the actors fit with the characters.

This drama isn't my favorite but overall I really liked it and I hope many people enjoyed it too!
Please don't hate on any of the characters ! expect for the bullies but don't hate on them irl. ANYWAYSSS IM ON TEAM SUHO HOW ABOUT YALL!!?

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A good one for youths to watch on a boring weekend

This is a lighthearted drama that makes easy watching for all. It is a story that revolves around school life, how one chooses to be with someone or not and how much one cares about fitting in.

I am not sure about the need for the sad background (bullying) to make a good ending. However, many dramas are often made of such.

What I like about the show? There are a few..
Ju-kyung is a realistic character of someone who decides very quickly that she needs to be pretty and becomes desperate trying to make it happen. On the other hand, she maintains a consistent side of optimism towards developing friendship with her peers.

It is great to see Su-ho not caring about looks but I am not sure whether the dialogues between the two were anything much to make of that which to build a relationship.

Seo-jun is a genuine portrayal of one who is brash and impulsive, and who seemingly doesn't seem to care much about Ju-kyung. When he realises that he does, i was drawn by the extent of initiatives that he takes to win her over and also how gracious he was when he gave her up. I especially like the scenes when Ju kyung turns up playfully and how a happy person as her could impress Seo-jun to want to do more.

There were many great acting in the show. It was an enjoyable watch indeed.

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Good escapism!

Spoilers after my general thoughts section!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Such a hilarious drama

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

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

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

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

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Not like other high school dramas… Sike

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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