True Beauty (2020)

Fun Drama (gives web drama vibes)

look if you're looking for true depth, dramatic, and world of the married type series well then maybe its not for you. if u get frustrated easily, dont like things going in circles, dont like some cringy tropy stuff, maybe u wont love this. (but even then i suggest u try n if rlly not for u then drop)

HOWEVERRRR If you're looking for something
- fun
- highschool rom-com dramas
- interesting story plots, characters and relationship dynamics
- funny
- a little heartfelt + cliche
- moments of frustraition
- classic kdrama tropes + some a twist of it
...i recommend

It isn't very serious at all or melodramatic but there are some serious parts. It is based of a webtoon so there are quiet a bit of comical animations and cliche moments (but i wouldn't say they're annoying, just gives me moments when i feel like eun dan o watching the protagonists). there are like, uk, typical misunderstandings and near misses and triangles but thats just how it be. (Its frustrating to me but oh well) As i write in the headlines, it gives me web drama vibes but not as light hearted (as it is longer and more complex-ish like character wise). The whole vibe is very similar to extraordinary you (directing and editing wise not story line), which makes sense because same director and producer i think. The complexity of characters is interesting, and by complex i dont necessarily meand deep but like not surface level, and they seem consistent(i mean like the way the character acts makes sense (for most characters), even though suho seems cold, when he starts acting a different way its not like how in other dramas when the male lead all of a sudden is nice, like you understand why all the characters act the way they do). (it just sells).The story also does not revolve only on the triangle, although it is a lot of it,there are interesting side plots and stories that rlly got me hooked.

i have my fair share of complaints dont get me wrong, like the mother at least in these earlier episodes, i just cant. but i still really enjoy it. Also not that much of a fan of when ppl cant tell who another person likes EVEN THOUGH ITS SO DAMN OBVIOUS, and also when they MAKE STUPID DECISIONS, but its ok bcs that part of the "fun". also if u binge it after its all done i feel like ur frustration level will decrease by ten folds compared to mine as u dont have to wait for the next episode n can just find out right away what happens next.

For fans of the webtoon i dont think you'll be disappointed. The story is actually very different. (which ig some ppl would not like but i think its good that they did not follow the webtoon exactly cause the webtoon as a drama would be kinda boring as webtoons are short + storyline a little too simple.) They kept the concept and earlier or broad plots the same or similar, but even if you've seen the webtoon you'll still not know what will happen. They differ from the webtoon plot and also go deeper in side plots and more of them. They also added more elements, like family presence/dynamic, new characters and more background information on the mains and those around them. They also went a different route with the triangle (more sped up). With that said i rlly dont think ppl should go into this with webtoon mindset and/or favs (i mean fine for me but maybe not *ahem* seojun lovers) as ofc its different, and scenes with characters might be given to others etc but thats to make the story is better.

As far as the triangle theres no way to do the webtoon plot as she lowkey dates both guys, but i think the writers are doing a good job making the relationship between the characters and their interactions. There are are more scenes (so far) that make the main leads closer and justifies their relationship so it makes it harder to get second lead syndrom

The musics fun and matches the drama. My favorite is how do you do but they stop playing that song makes me sad :(. But i esp love that they have like artists songs, like maria and okey dokey could not get out of my head for sooo long.

In terms of acting outside of the cringy cliche moments i think it's done really well and even in the cringy moments i think they're pretty funny. cliche moments will be cliche and their acting are sometimes a little to exagerated for my taste but still. The cast is amazing, and their chemistry is great.

specific actings:
- Moon Ga Young ahh- IMO she always sells it (like from the dramas of her ive watched) n in this one its the same thing. one scene in paticular i cant stop watching is the maria one. her facial expressions just perfectly matches the character. the mix of confidence and nervousness and cluelessness ahh *chefs kiss*
- People like to say that between the 2 guys they like hwang in yeops acting better and that cha eun woo just isn't up to the rest but i beg to differ. I think his acting is rlly good (esp. compared to ID Gangnam where his chaacter seems similar). For scenes when he was cold ofc it makes it seem like he has not much facial expressions but like thats the character, and his acting shows in later episodes when the character goes through different emotions (akward moments + heartfelt sad ). Idc what anyone says, i think his acting in this one is good. ughh cant get over those akward scenes or when he tries to act a certain way to get her and when he break my heart with hose sad scenes.
- Hwang in yeop's portrayal of seo joon i think is great. He has that anger for suho and bad boy image but in actuality hes a good caring guy and i think in yeop rlly shows this (along with the writing). like in the okey dokey scene omg second hand embaressment was real, but it showed the goofy side of seo joon and when he plays it off like its cool to match his cool image.


also might be biased of the show as i said im a fan of eun woo, also the FL as i saw her in find me in your memory, and the sister (saw her in when the weather is nice) and in yeop in 18 again.
to TVN plss i want full hwang in yeop version of how do you do

Lire davantage

Steaming hot pile of cliche!

Bad acting, bad direction, bad story line - sorry non-existent story line; if all that is not enough, there is bad romance to boot.

I hated what they did to Park Yoo Na'a character. Poor Kang Soo Jin . They left her character suspended in middle of mental breakdown. Surrounded by selfish classmates and brainless bimbos, Soo Jin looks like a moon fairy captured by a curse and left trapped in a place she doesn't belong.

There is no proper conclusion to any relationship except the main one. The show survives on very standard school comedy and disparaging remarks made by family members against each other. Excitement lasts till episode 4-5. It is all repetitive from there.

The sob story about dead friend had no use whatsoever except for creating a nonsensical hostility among characters. Sister-Teacher romance was pure cringe and not at all funny. I would not advise anybody to watch it. Pretty pointless and you don't even feel satisfied at the end.

It's a stupid drama with no justification to its title "True Beauty". Maybe they should've read Keats:

A thing of beauty is a joy forever
Its loveliness increases, it will never
Pass into nothingness;

Or George MacDonald:

“For essential beauty is infinite, and, as the soul of Nature needs an endless succession of varied forms to embody her loveliness, countless faces of beauty springing forth, not any two the same, at every one of her heart-throbs, so the individual form needs an infinite change of its environments, to enable it to uncover all the phases of its loveliness.”
― Phantastes

Lire davantage

Nothing ever happens except for male eye candy

Story: This drama should have been 6 episodes long and I'm generous. A pretty girl hides her acne under a heavy make up and spends 14 episodes out of 16 in fear that someone will see her bare face, although the most beautiful boy in the world (played by the most beautiful actor in the world) loves her for who she is. That's literally the story and it's stretched beyond any reason by having the characters repeat the same beats (she's scared, he cares, rinse repeat) over and over and doing some heavy padding with side stories involving her comic relief parents, her younger brother's crush on another acne girl, her unni's romance with the teacher, scheming BFF, her boyfriend's music past, his rivalry with his former BFF-turned-romantic rival. Everything ends just as you predicted after watching episode 1. You only had to wait for 16 to see it play out exactly like you knew it would.

Acting: Solid all around though FL (Moon Ga-young)'s OTT comical reaction to everything (including not-so-comical things) starts to grate early on and never evolves from that repetitive shtick. It is also annoying that ML and SML care for FL much more than she does for either of them which makes it hard to root for her to end up with either. Her slapstick reaction to everything makes her seem fickle and not as emotionally invested as her male counterparts who, while play their roles with some levity, are not comedians. And they are really easy on eyes. Cha Eun-woo is probably the most beautiful man in the world and while his acting started off stiff, he warmed up into the role and we saw both character progression and an acting one. But true standout is Hwan In-yeop whose his charm, charisma nd impeccable comic timing left a long lasting impression. Supporting cast is good I guess but I had no patience for exaggerated comedy of FL's parents and romance between FL's unni and teacher so I skipped those parts.

Music: sugary sounds, nothing memorable except the same song that played in Crash Landing On You (I'm missing you, waiting for you yadda yadda) so I remembered it from there.

Rewatch Value: No thanks. Way too long for so little content. Barely anything happens and that's all massively predictable. The ending does not stick the landing.

Overall: Poor Man's My ID Is Gangnam Beauty, a show that knew how to pace itself and deliver a satisfying ending. True Beauty wrote itself into a corner when the leads became a couple and then spent the next 8 episodes or so building SML as a worthy suitor who just might be the endgame for FL...except that would be unpredictable and out of character for this rote show. No wonder ending soured many fans.

Lire davantage

Wasn’t bad, could’ve been better

Short and sweet review :’)

Honestly, I didn’t expect much, and in general I wasn’t impressed by the love triangle, but I really want to say Cha Eun-woo’s acting has improved soooo much since My ID and I’m really proud of him, people who say he can’t act, just watch his his crying scenes then argue to me he’s a “stiff board” lmao, also want to give credit to Hwang In-yeop, hadn’t seen his acting until this show and the man has got some serious acting potential for future dramas, I look forward to seeing future roles he chooses. I know the drama was based off the webtoon of the same name and obviously in 16 episodes they couldn’t fit everything but for the most part I’m impressed how well the writers paced this drama, like I was expecting some half-ass cutscene or just filler episodes that had no purpose for the plot at least halfway into the series, but it didn’t happen, so I’m happy about that, however the one thing that went remotely terrible for the plot was the classic (and every kdrama fan totally loves this ... sarcasm 101)

“1 year later” trope ...
- ughhhhhh x 1,000

And the worst thing the writers did wasn’t even the time jump, it was making Suho forget he literally ignored Jugyeong for a year, didn’t text her at all, magically comes back, follows her around, and he expects her to fall in love with him again? B— in reality I would’ve moved on by then, possibly gotten together with a fish, or Seojun since Jugyeong and the writers didn’t give two sh— about his feelings ... The writers did give both him and Suho great development of their friendship, which by the end of the series I was hoping they’d rekindle, and I’m glad they eventually did, but for this drama imo there wasn’t anything that wowed me or anything special about the show besides the acting performances, got to throw Moon Ga-young some credit, she did what she had to doooo. The plot was cliché. The OST was fine but not spectacular, pacing was great, the writing could’ve been better, I friggin love though ... LOVE how in the end Soo jin redeemed herself, love the writers did that because she was fullmetal to Jugyeong up until the last 3 episodes lol, honestly thought they were gong to forget about her, but nope, also love how we could see her character growth, from excepting she’s finally away from her abusive father and is living her life the way she wants, thank you writers for this.

In the future I hope Cha Eun-woo takes roles away from rom-coms or romance, honestly I think he’d be great in some crime thrillers or horror kdramas, just anything away from the “serious, tsundere” character he’s played in almost every drama he’s been in lol, sad but true. I look forward to Moon Ga-young & Hwang In-yeop’s future projects. If you like the “cliché love triangle” trope in kdramas, this is your drama, if not you might consider sitting this one out lol, especially if your team Seojun X’((( overall wasn’t a bad drama, just needed better writing for the last two episodes imo and a better story. Watch the drama and see for yourself! Peace!

Lire davantage

eye candy cast, shallow story

I was ultimately disappointed with the ending and overall message of this drama, but I knew it was going to go a certain way from episode 1. I didn’t finish the webtoon but I knew where it was headed and I didn’t want it to end differently. But perhaps I played myself for thinking that in an eunwoo drama the FL wouldn’t end up with him.
I find Um Ji Gyeong somewhat relatable with wanting to fit in and for once be considered pretty by those around her, and I understand why she lied about her identity, but she was a bit too whiny for my taste. I felt so annoyed whenever she had a sad/crying scene because it was so obnoxious to watch her sorry not sorry lol.
Cha Eunwoo’s performance as Suho was about what I expected. He played the role he always plays-the popular smart good looking guy who’s cold to everyone and only has two facial expressions. In the previews and interviews he said he feels he improved but I digress. I feel like he showed the same side of him we always see, only this time his character was a little bit more emotional. It’s clear he gets casted in these roles because of his looks, but I crave to see him play something more challenging. But maybe he only gets these types of roles because that’s all he’s capable of doing. All I know is that he really didn’t improve besides being a tiny bit less stiff, but that’s about it.
Hwang In Yeob was unanimously the breakout star and the showstopper from this drama. His role was the stereotypical bad boy with a soft heart, but I found his character way more interesting than Suho. Not only that but HIY served visuals that are unique to what I’ve seen in dramas. Looking forward to his next work! Overall I give this a 6 out of 10.

Lire davantage

Perfect balance between funny and emotional and pinch of reality.

This is exactly what I needed to watch, the plot really touched me since I can say I've been struggling the same way the main character did. It really has an important message that makes you think about society standars. Loved how Suho started to fall for her not because of her looks but because her personality. The bullying she received because she was "ugly" is something we can see daily everywhere. I also loved how at the lasts episodes she sometimes when out with friends and Su Ho without make up and she was comfortable with that. 10/10. I strongly recommend it ♡.

Lire davantage

Drop this

I’m dropping....the girl is still annoying......what’s with that character .....I thought it was a good entertaining series , what a waste of time...........what’s with the way she still talks ....c’mon is the director retarded....I’m sure she can act a little mature in the end now.....it’s a caricature , yes, but it doesn’t have to be so retarded......the screeching childlike talking, I’m sure this actress doesn’t talk like that ......I’m upset with the way this series progressed....blame on the director ....the story can be really cute but this main lead girl is annoying seriously I have to stop watching....it’s a shame ....🥴🥴🥴🥴🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶

Lire davantage

My heart!

I dont really care about the main leads as everyone knew who she would end up with, but why would u hurt seojun so much, it doesnt really make sense to me as he stayed with her for three years, he graduated with her, celebrated her birthdays, took care of her while suho wasnt there, they didnt even date for that long but seojun was the one who had to give up on his love. suho decided to breakup because "it would he hard on her" i mean this point itself is not understandable for me. Fine that she ended up with suho but they could have given seojun a better ending! he wasnt even at the wedding! I loved the show, the cast for the best, no one could have done it better, but the ending really ruined the whole show for me.

Lire davantage

I rarely experience such high as the first couple of episodes of this drama gave me. I was beyond hyped and the excellent soundtrack kept me entertained and in the mood (for dancing) the whole week. However, True Beauty ended up for me like a bottle of soda that you buy, excitedly open, drink a couple of glasses of, and you when you leave it overnight in the refrigerator all the bubbles disappear and it's simply not as yummy anymore. You finish it the next day regardless, because you know, you bought it and you are not going to just pour it down the drain. So I finished it.

The story is very intriguing and I liked all the levels it presented. I think that was also the deal breaker for me - there was so much to be explored here, filled with refreshing ideas and in the end it just turned into a cliche story with a love triangle and a mediocre villain. To be honest, I did what I almost never do and forwarded some bits of the last four episodes. What heresy!

On the other hand, the secondary characters here are superb. Even the parents of the FL are super entertaining. This drama also created a story based around family, friendships and community and I think that it should be praised for that. I personally enjoyed the subplot around the FL's older sister.

The performances of the actors are A+, the casting on this drama was done phenomenally. The most notable performance is delivered by Hwan In Yeop and he pretty quickly became a fan favourite. Cha Eun Woo grew a lot as actor, in my opinion, and I liked him here a lot. Moon Ga Young was very good as well, she created a lot of mannerisms for the character, including the best derpy smile, which I liked. It made the character of Im Joo Gyung seem very real to me. This drama also featured a lot of enjoyable cameos that makes it almost seem as a part of a bigger universe. The soundtrack is superb and I'm pretty sure that my neighbours now think I'm crazy for listening to it over and over again.

True Beauty presents a unique atmosphere revolving around a very particular age in every person's life. The quarrels between the schoolmates made me go on a trip down the memory lane and I found myself laugh out loud more often than I thought I would. On the other hand, somehow, it is also the drama's downfall. There is a good chunk of middle episodes that feel just stagnant and the tempo is greatly distorted since there is not much left to explore, since the story stayed within the basics. The drama also makes a hasty couple of ending episodes featuring an element that did not do anything for the plot at all, it just made a leap for the characters to tie everything up at a quicker pace.

That all being said, I don't regret the time I invested into True Beauty. It's a light drama that made my gloomy days a bit brighter.

Lire davantage

Average to its core, True Beauty aims more for Kpop fandom than following its own early magic.

In the beginning....

Is becoming a true curse of my Kdrama journey. The first translated words of the Bible, are famous for their ubiquitous and straight forward approach to storytelling, yet over and over again are becoming a warning, that many times what starts strong has nowhere left to go.

It rings true yet again with True Beauty. At its start there is a certain magic to this take on the age old "ugly duckling" story. The female lead (Moon Ga Young) is cute and winning with a decent set of comic chops. Liking her is shockingly easy. When the male lead shows up (Cha Eun Woo) he is very dreamy and grade A South Korean boy beef, even though his character is locked behind the now oh so boring trope of cold stand-off aloof guy. He comes in as a hero, saving our FL from attempted suicide. (Korea is 4th in the world for suicide and their Kdramas have now made it a blase everyday plot occurrence, its chilling to watch as a westerner. This is a show directed towards a younger crowd and yet here it is. They must laugh at how upset the west was over 13 Reason Why) But once the actual saving is done, he retreats into being a standoffish jerk.

Why girls love this type of character, and why Asian dramas are obsessed with using this trope, is beyond me. I genuinely don't understand why anyone would want these guys except for their superficial beauty. The pretty asshole, is what gets you a pretty shitty real world life. Yet here, Che Eun Woo's Su Ho is quickly given enough backstory and home-drama to warrant his angst and keep him from being maligned into dirt-bag territory. In truth, his warmth is very much on display from the get go.

When the second male lead (Hwang In Yeop) shows up in episode 2, the rivalry between the two is fun to watch. They actually bring out charisma in each other, and both are at their best when the show is focusing on their frenemy bromance. But, of course this isn't why we are watching and thus the meaty scenes are far and few between.

Our FL's family has a larger role in the story and is a mixed bag. The older sister and father of the bunch are fun and delightful characters to watch and spend time with. The older sister arguably one of the best characters in the drama with her reverse gendered role love story a true treat. However the mother, and younger brother are as toxic as they come. The mother, arguably the worst villain of the show. If you want a step by step guide on how NOT to be a mother, watch this drama. The younger brother is just a ridiculous human being and not realistic, but has a somewhat redeemable story arc.

As for the rest of the cast, they are mostly the student population that surrounds our FL and her two rivaling MLs. Most of these characters are throw away, with a few exceptions. The most important, and one who ends up with some heavy lifting storytelling, is Park Yoo Na's Kang Soo Jin. You will love and hate her, I promise. Though almost all of the cast has a tragic home-life, hers is arguably the worst.

For the first few episodes to halfway through the series you will find yourself having a great time as you meet these characters and discover the world of the story. Again, there is an electricity, a spark, some type of magic that will keep you hitting play.

But then, the newness wears off, the story turns on its autopilot, and the mundane sets in. It is just another ugly duckling tale. Our main heroine quickly changes her face, but not her personality, and thus she just keeps repeating the same mistakes over and over again. The same situations arise over and over again. And like all ugly duckling tales, she just can't believe the male lead likes HER! HER of all people!!!

And one begins to yawn while watching.

By the end, the whole subplot KPOP suicide (yep someone does actually make the fateful jump with a 2nd suicide plot-line) story takes center stage. The romance (which stalls for multiple episodes straight) takes a back seat as the ML family drama and bromance come to a boil. The love triangle, (Though I am tired of this term as it is inaccurate. A true love triangle would mean one of the boys falls for the other boy who falls for the girl who falls for the original boy. Three points interlocked in a triangle wanting what they can't have. This is just a love line or plane with three points. The girl at the center with a boy on each side. But whatever, everyone keeps calling them triangles) is really a non-starter. The second male lead is never given a chance at any point at ever being a true option for our FL. She never once looks at him with any resemblance of wanting. It kinda just dissolves. And just when everything seems to be resolved, you find you still have 4 episodes left, and BAM!!! Enter outside plot devices to reek havoc.

This, is where everything just falls apart. The second warning side and curse of my K Drama journey. THE TIME JUMP!

Listing all the dramas that take this approach would be fruitless. Most being only one season with the creators diluting and stretching the story as much as they can to fill the episode count needed. The stories in play want to, or need to, move beyond the constructs of their premise. To solve this, and not need a whole new season worth of content, the powers that be just throw in a time jump. Is it needed? Of course not. Does it add anything to the story? Nope. It is just tacked on additional episodes because they hadn't meet their slotted quota, and also establish a false sense of closure to the story. Everything ends up in the same place after the jump as it was before. You as a viewer just find yourself repeating the same plot points in a shorter time-span to get back to where you already were.

By the time the show is done, there is a feeling of relief. You can now find something better to watch. It wasn't bad, it had some life lessons, there was drama, and by God are there some hunky leads, but whatever magic lured you in the beginning had fully dissipated. Ultimately you found yourself finishing it just because you'd already come this far! Oh well, we will try again with the next show!

6.5 C+, 3 1/4th star just above average outing. Not mad I watched it, but would never really recommend others to sit through it either.

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