True Beauty (2020)

I don't want to be one of those, but the Mang... The webtoon did it better

Well this is my first review, and it will probably be my last because I don't actually like to write reviews, I am a nobody. BUT this drama, in particular, made me write one, just because it made me so mad.

I am a webtoon avid reader and since quarantine, I have watched so many dramas that I feel like every drama is repetitive.

I am up to date with the original webtoon of True Beauty (TB). This is not my first drama base on a webtoon, but definitely is the first one I have read the webtoon before watching the drama.

I mostly read action webtoons, but for some reason, the premise of TB interested me when Cha Eun Wo announced for the main lead. I watched ID Gangnam Beuty (IDGB) and liked Cha Eun Wo acting, especially because I follow Astro and I know his real personality, so that's why I started reading TB

First. It was a really big surprise how the TV industry it's so out of themselves to not follow the original material. Yes, a few things are kept, but the amazing story made by the original author was sent to trash and decide to just make a cookie cutter of a drama. The story is quite repetitive and almost a copy of IDGB. TB's original story is pretty good when I read it the first time.

What I liked was its original plot progression. Lim Ju Kyung never dated Lee SuHo during high school and in college, she did end up dating Sea Jun. When I read that part I was surprised because after watching so many dramas, this was the first story I have read for a Korean writer to actually give the idea of a second lead chance with the main protagonist, and no a fling, like an actual big relationship. The webtoon is still going and the story is developing in more of an American series type story. Something that I thought was impossible by Korean writers because you know in every drama the two main leads will end together, second leads are just there to look pretty.

So I was an expectation for the first time a drama to make something different. TOTALLY disappointed when they make it a cookie-cutter. Nothing new, the drama was just predictable. All my expectations went to the drain, the drama keep some original plot but it was just too spicy it a little to then follow by a "sike". I finish it just for the sake of it, and because I didn't have anything better to do.

One thing that I did like, and that is something I have to praise about drama writers is that all characters have their part and their stories no matter how small they are. For example, the roles like Ju Kyung's sister and brother, and Kang So Jin in the webtoon are just there for props. But all three in the drama had their own arcs. The one I feel the most grateful for is Kang So Jin in the webtoon I could see the author trying to make her an antagonist from the very beginning but at some point, she just vanished like Thanos just snapped her.

My conclusion is that even though dramas have gotten better in terms of cheesiness, directing, and writing since 2017-18, they are still doing the same old story just with a different path and story backgrounds.

Dramas have become just predictable. I can count with two hands the few dramas that actually can differentiate from the rest, and normally those dramas are the more mature and risky in topic dramas. And I am referring only to romance comedy. Other genres are very original.

And that just... doesn't seem right. These rom-coms can actually have a twist and be original, they don't have to follow the same formula, they can actually take a different approach in the plot to make it good. The reason why the rom-com genre has lost so much rating is that the public knows how it will end.

One drama I can call original is SEARCH WWW, wao 10/10 writing. Even though we have our typical happy ending is actually the drama was more drama than romance. The romance was just a side dish, the character development of the three protagonists was the real main dish. Dramas like this can be refreshing from time to time.

I like romantic comedy-dramas because is an escape from the suffering of the world, I have too many problems to watch super dramatic and melancholic dramas or suspense or crime dramas. But seeing the same story just with a different mask is making it hard and hard to actually keep going into rom-com dramas.

Come on Korea you are just one step closer to make a difference.

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Doesn't deserve the hype.

I enjoyed watching the first 3-4 episodes, but as i kept watching i kept losing interest.
I dropped this drama after about 11 episodes because of a few reasons:
1. The female lead started getting really annoying.
2. I hated it when her friend (i don't remember her name) suddenly switched up and started acting mean because of jealousy. I expected her to be a supportive and mature friend but i was disappointed.
3. I HATE love triangles.
4. The plot is boring and predictable
5. This entire drama is just dumb in general. (That sounds really mean but it's how i feel)

I guess if you're a person who likes clichè and fluff high school romance with not much to the plot then you might like it, but this drama is not my cup of tea and i don't see myself ever giving it another chance.

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The cheesiness can cause cardiac arrest

I only read a few episodes of the webtoon so i cant make a comparison between the webtoon and the drama.
However, the drama was so-so, the acting was good and the story was cute BUT the cliché was over the top and too many. A little here and there would have been okay but i found it was too unbearable to watch some scenes, it made me cringe. The episodes were predictable and i knew how this was going to end, i did not really enjoy the drama as a matter of fact i skipped a lot of scenes from various episodes.

If i had to compare this with My ID Gangnam beauty, Gangnam beauty takes the cake.

This drama was not to my liking, however, if you like cute girly romancy lovey dovey chessy drama, then this one is for you.

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A nice way to spend your evening

I really liked this drama. It was cute and all.
It was one of the few times where I had a somewhat second lead syndrome. Loved Seo Jun but never really hoped he would end up with Ju Kyung and I think it's for the better that they didn't have a relationship during the time jump because she was not over Suho and that would make him a rebound and he didn't deserve that. He is precious.
Honestly I was team Suho from the start, maybe somebody who read the webtoon would feel like they destroyed the story but as someone who didn't let me tell you I was not disapointed with the outcome.
The music was amazing, the more upbeat songs got me kinda dancing in my seat and the more slow and heartbreaking songs got me sentimental.

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It's fine

I have to say that this drama kept me glued to my seat for say like 12 episodes ,after that it went downhill. The plot overall for the starting episodes was really really interesting, but as I went forward with this drama I lost my interest. I have to admit that i really had a great laugh watching it but it was quite unrealistic to some extent. It was just heartbreaking for me to see how a person who was there for her always got heartbroken, i expected some kind of change in plot in the last two episodes but no it had the same cliche ending. Second lead left heartbroken and the first lead getting the girl. The ending according to me was quite rushed, the directors gave no justice to seojun's character and made it all about suho and jukyung. If you have read the webtoon and are here after reading it, don't watch this drama, it will disappoint you just the way it disappointed me. They followed almost nothing from the webtoon and gave most of the scenes of seojun to suho. And to the people saying that seojun got a happy ending , no he didn't , are you guys blind or something lmao. I loved the cast and the acting though. At last i wouldn't recommend you guys to watch this IF you have read the webtoon. Otherwise go ahead and watch it you'll have a great laugh.

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With dramas like this, I don't know how useful it is to critique them based on any sort of serious metric. True Beauty was never going to be deep-thinking or artistically minded or particularly focused on it's writing, and you're setting yourself up for disappointment by taking it too seriously. So while it ultimately doesn't have very much depth, I'm not upset about it. I just wish I'd been able to finish the drama with the same level of enjoyment as when I started.

Unfortunately, the reality of dramaland is that for some dramas, the first half feels one way and the second half feels another, and you don't know how to feel about the drama as a whole, and that's definitely what True Beauty was like for me.

The first half was my jam. It wasn't stellarly written, by any means, but it did all of the things I wanted it to with a cast of likable characters, and that was enough. But the second half was equal parts plodding, occasionally frustrating, and sometimes even boring. The theme of confidence and self-acceptance and what beauty really means really takes a backseat. There are a number of genuinely moving moments, but the drama ultimately doesn't do a very deep, or consistent, exploration of these issues. And then the last two episodes not only have very little to do with any of this but they also focus on secondary issues that don't make sense being so far in the forefront of the story.

If you want a drama that broaches it's topics with thoughtfulness and some level of depth and consistency, you're better off watching a drama like My ID is Gangnam Beauty. While not perfect, ID understands it's subject matter and commits to it while True Beauty mainly uses it as a means of getting it's leads together. If you're not concerned with any of that and just want something fluffy and teen-angsty and cute and pretty, then by all means, watch this drama. You'll probably like it well enough.

Ultimately, True Beauty is a surface-level teen drama, and it knows it and does it well.

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Great show to watch especially if you are a fan of the Webtoon

As some one who has enjoyed watching the Webtoon i enjoyed watching True Beauty. It's always great when Webtoon's get created into a real life show, for this show they did a good job keeping to the story line and the overall look and vibe of the Webtoon. The actors are spot on compared to the Webtoon too. They did change somethings in the show but it still goes along the lines of being confident with your true self/beauty featuring two high school boys and their unfortunate past as friends. However if you are not familiar with the Webtoon this show may seem like a pretty normal love triangle k-drama. Still, I would say it is enjoyable anyway for those who have not read the Webtoon. There is a lot of comedy that makes it entertaining to watch, anyone who writes a negative review is probably taking the show a bit too seriously. If you like simple easy to follow along high school romance drama's then this is the show for you.

Moon GaYoung (Jugyeong) is the perfect person to play Jugyeong. Compared to her past shows like "Tempted" this is different for her and it was fun watching her play Jugyeong. Cha Eun Woo is just being Cha Eun Woo, compared to his past shows like "My ID is Gangnam Beauty" (which is actually a very similar show to True Beauty) he plays a similar character who comes off as cold but comes to love and support the girl character. My expectations are never big when it comes to his acting since he is a pretty simple actor and plays a lot of the same kind of characters but this does not mean i do not enjoy seeing him in the drama's he appears in. I would like to see something a bit different from him in the future though as an actor, but as Lee Suho he was perfect for the role. Hwang In-Yeop (Han Seojun) is a new actor to me but he is pretty entertaining and scarily looks a lot like the drawing in the Webtoon. Park Yoona (Kang Soojin) is also a kind of new person to me but was very impressed with her and now love her as an actress. I can't wait to see her in more dramas, she is a great actress who has a good 'villain face' when she becomes the bully of the show. And lastly as a random mention is Jang Hyejin as the mother of Jugyeong. Jang Hyejin is a brillant actress, i did think is is very random that she is in this show since she has hit such big success being in "Parasite" that won many awards last year but she is pretty good at being the comedic over the top mother in True Beauty.

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Sweet, but tired

How many times have I seen high school dramas exactly like this? A love triangle exactly like this? Even the female lead, who initially seemed somewhat interesting, has become flat and lifeless as she's tugged around between these two men. I'm frustrated by her apparent lack of development in her self-image issues. I'm also exhausted by the manufactured chemistry between the leads and cliched romantic tropes. The acting isn't that great either. There are sweet moments and some unique and emotional themes, but overall it's just not fresh or interesting enough for me to continue watching.

Greatest weakness: unimaginative use of tropes
Greatest strength: the comedic scenes between the male leads

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Cliché but I couldn't drop it??

This drama would've been awesome if it was released in the early 2000s
the story is predictable, believe me when I tell you they literally used every kdrama and shoujo manga cliché here!
it's not for someone who watched many Kdramas but a good start for newbies I guess.

I feel this drama didn't focus on its message "True Beauty" it was just another love triangle story 🤷🏻‍♀️
I expected to see more things about make-up and the beauty of the inner self but it was mostly about 'a person without makeup (ugly?) ending up with a natural hottie' and that's the relationship of 99% of the characters!

and don't get me started about the acting! tbf idk if it's the directors fault or the nature of the story that made it this way.. the acting was.... stiff? especially Eunwoo's (sorry Eunwoo fans..) most parts felt forced, I didn't feel the chemistry between the leads.. 😔
tbh it's the side characters that made the drama a bit interesting but oh god they were all lamb sacrifices for the plot between the female lead and male lead!

If you read my review you this far, I bet you're wondering if I'm more on the negative side of this drama WHY did I bother to finish it?? I have one word for you dear MDLs... 🥁

HWANG IN YEOP!!!

he was the saving grace of this drama and kept me going! he's EYES! he's CHARISMA! he's acting SKILLS! he stole the show along with my heart! this's why I gave "Acting" a generous 9/10

trust me it's not just me who think this I'm not being biased at all! for me this drama was worth watching for Hwang In Yeop so I'll recommend it, if you wanna be charmed away and suffer major 2nd lead syndrome!

OSTs? I don't even remember them lol was there any other than "Missing You"? I loved that one

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Cliché but make it fun

Now let’s be honest the idea of the drama is somehow cliché but the story itself is not! It was such a fun ride I enjoyed almost every moment of it and the comedy was such a top notch I don’t even laugh on popular comedy dramas but I laughed on every episode of true beauty, if you didn’t read the WEBTOON you will never know where the story is going actually and this is a good point because it will keep you entertained
The casting of the drama is brilliant I can’t imagine any other actors suited to the main roles, moon ga young nailed her role, in real life of course she is beautiful but she still pulled off the ugly look and her acting of course is amazing, in yeop was just amazing he made the character more outstanding with his acting, and eunwoo with his visuals and good acting, and park yoo na was such a girl crush which I live for and all the cast was amazing ,so-ah and her boyfriend, lim jikyung’s brother and sister and the cast in general were such an eye candy and well chosen
The music was nice it was fun and suited to the vibe of the drama not every ost stood out to me but still i liked it in general
Rewatch it? For me yess!! actually I rewatch every episode with my sister and still have fun as if it’s our first time watching it and I think if i get bored in the future I’ll definitely rewatch it
Overall it was soo fun and amazing for me and I definitely recommend it especially to rom-com fans I don’t think anyone will find boring

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What is true beauty?

Not bad, light hearted. With pleasant to look at "eye candies" AND with decent acting.
What bothers me is the obsession, this and few portraying pimples , eye glasses = ugly; to be beautiful = make up, surgery as solution, when there is other way to it like skin care , contact lens, wisdom, character,.... The world is not this so small and narrow. No one deserves bully because of their look.
I am not even sure if I like her character , when she can't even dare to admit SH her boyfriend, her reaction in the hospital after found out SJ was there by the side, still the look more important than boyfriend?. I am those who will be more attracted to Soo Jin's character before she turned bad as a love rival.
Finally, my favorite episode perhaps is episode 13 when she finally stands up for herself.

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