True Beauty (2020–2021) User Reviews

Sweet & Funny

[eamjmoore · 8/10 · 5 February 2021]

I really liked this drama, the characters grew and changed well. I also like the message of the story, and the acting is great. Even though Ju Kyung didn't end up with who I wanted her to the show still had a really good ending. There's sad parts but overall it's pretty light and funny.

A must watch

[xeniamd-35210 · 9/10 · 21 February 2021]

TRUE BEAUTY (2021)

Secrets. Love. Friendship.

A cute and fun drama. Made me feel young again. So much kilig with Su-ho! Super guapo grabe, Cha Eun-woo! 💞 Ju-kyung (Moon Ga-young) was so funny! She looks like Alex Gonzaga(Filipino celebrity) though. Her family made me laugh!

Had a flashback with those who bullied me ages ago. Belat sa inyo!

9/10 for me!

"I'm in the mood for dancing.. romancing..."

P.S. It's not in Netflix. I watched thru Viki.

I loved it so much - will rewatch

[tay-sedai · 9/10 · 31 May 2021]

Just finished True Beauty tonight (it's the first full show I've got through in a while without being distracted by other shows 😊) and I absolutely loved it. So happy with how it turned out. It's definitely going on my faves list and will no doubt be rewatched sometime.

The theme was similar to My ID is Gangnam Beauty, though I'm glad that the heroine in this one didn't go as far as the Gangnam one did with an irreversible decision (trying to avoid sharing spoilers for anyone who has yet to see either show). Guess she had a less totally clueless parent which helped.

Loved the supporting cast, and it's hard to pick a fave but I love the heroine's sister and her grapefruit 😍💜

Anyway, that's about it I guess for my thoughts. Except to add that I very much enjoyed the dreamy dudes on offer.

Surprising depth to the story

[leahcubed · 10/10 · 26 March 2021]

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2020/2021 South Korean television drama with 16, 73 minute episodes. Lim Ju-kyung (Moon Ga-young), feels like she was cursed as the only ugly child among her siblings. As somewhat of a self fulfilling prophecy her vision of herself and lack of confidence has led to bullying at school and less than kind comments even at home. Looking for a solution she stumbles upon internet makeup videos and learns to expertly hide her cosmetic flaws just Asher family moves and she transfers schools. The makeup enhances what is Ju-kyung's underlying beauty and her new schoolmates think she is beautiful, like a goddess. Her newfound confidence is fragile and she is determined no one at her new school ever see her bare face. A mutual love of heavy metal type music and horror comics leads Ju-kyung and her extraordinarily handsome classmate, Lee Su-ho (Cha Eun-woo), to cross paths when Ju-kyung is not wearing makeup. Ju-kyung is convinced that the difference is dramatic enough Su-ho will not connect the Goddess with the ugly duckling she thinks she is without makeup. It is not long though before Su-oh realizes it is the same girl and Ju-kyung strikes a bargain with Su-oh to keep her secret. Su-ho and his former friend Han Seo-jun (Hwang In-yeop) had a falling out over a tragic incident in their past. At first Seo-jun pays attention to Ju-kyung to bother Su-oh but soon discovers he also likes the beautiful and sweet Ju-kyung. The boys grow closer as they rival each other for the girl's attention and begin to learn about and resolve issues from their past. Will Ju-kyung realize her true potential and gain confidence even without makeup? Spoilers**I absolutely loved this drama, every minute of it. The casting was near perfect as they looked so much like the Manga characters. There was a strong social message about bullying and the detrimental effects on self esteem. I liked how she found solace in the transformative power of make-up. I would have happily had her end up with either 1st or second guy. I loved her sister and her confident p, go for it, tomboy attitude. The way her little brother and her constantly teased, scuffled and irritated each other but, when the chips were down, they were the first to jump to their siblings defense. Su-ho was handsome and popular and seemed to have it all but his mother died at a young age and a misunderstanding had him estranged from his famous father. Su-ho and Seo-jun and Su-ho used to be friends but a tragic event caused a seemingly insurmountable rift to form between the two friends. It also explored the very deep topic of suicide and the lasting impact it has on the loved ones of the person who ended their own life. Love and friendship builds up Ju-kyung to the point she is no longer afraid of the bullies nor her unmade up face. I did not follow the web too but my daughter explained and showed me relevant parts. She said it was a perfect balance of following the Webtoon to capture what made it a success while departing, as needed, to make it work wel, in a shorter format. I highly recommend this wonderful drama!

light and sweet, 100% recommend

[icepolv · 10/10 · 19 June 2021]

I've read the webtoon before and the drama is much better. It's so light and sweet to watch also following the main characters (jukyung and suho) growth. Even though the drama is targeted to teens I enjoyed it surprisingly. The drama is really great to lift the mood.

A great adaptation of the webtoon

[robotsgirl · 10/10 · 27 January 2021]

The show changes a few things from the webtoon but keeps true to the main story line. The casting choices are very well done! It's a great show if you are looking for something romantic that is also quite touching at times. The main characters struggle with real problems and the show address them in a great way.

Surprisingly good!

[laraom-56139 · 10/10 · 1 March 2021]

Honestly i truly didn't expect it be good, had my doubts over eunwoo being the main lead and not doing the character justice but he improved big time. Great acting by both eunwoo and ga young but her character was annoying at times especially knowing her insecurities were mainly related to her acne and she thought the only way to hide them was to wear makeup, not go to a dermatologist and fix it but wear makeup everyday to school and make it even worse. It made no sense. The real star of the show was definitely in youp, great acting and you find yourself rooting for him throughout the whole thing. He truly had the best character development delivered in the best way possible, he better get a main role soon because he got potential. It's just a typical rom-com drama with a few twists here and there but it was enjoyable and filled with great visuals and great actors so it's definitely recommended if u need something light and pleasing to the eye to watch.

The cast is better than the story

[phd_travel · 7/10 · 17 December 2020]

This highly anticipated show has an over the top sometimes almost painful exaggerated style. It's not as funny as it should be sometimes. Maybe the source material is like that. Not sure the premise about the make up no make up difference holds up. She isn't that ugly with the glasses and no makeup to be bullied for it and she isn't that stunning with makeup. The message about looks mattering so much seems awkwardly handled. Although with the romance picking up it is getting more interesting and the backstory about the suicide. The love triangle is promising. This show doesn't take itself too seriously but compared to similar shows I prefer 18 Again and Gangnam Beauty in terms if their tone and approach. Things get slightly better as the episodes progress. Episode 6 is quite funny. The cast are well chosen and suit their roles in appearance. Moon Ga Young is enthusiastic and does well considering. Cha Eun Woo looks like a WEBTOON character come to life. Hwang In Yeop has an also comic book look. The grown ups are pretty top actors. Like Seo Dan's mom from CLOY Jang Hye Jin as her mom and SKY Castle's Jung Joon Ho as his Dad. OK for a teen show with a good cast.

Started with a bang, end could have been better

[visual_addict · 8/10 · 4 October 2021]

It is a beautiful story if I relate with bullying, self-consciousness and the good side of makeup. But if I talk about the romantic part, it feels messy. Even till the last scene you'll be hanging thinking about what Seo Jun might be feeling. The writing part of the romantic storyline could have been better.

The acting - 10/10 Great acting by the complete cast! So that's a plus that made me rate it 8/10 Enjoy it for a deeper look into what "looks" mean to this generation!

Could've made it better

[loverytropes · 6/10 · 10 July 2022]

I'm a huge fan of the webtoon and was so excited to hear about a live-action series starring EUNWOO. He's always been the most popular fan-cast for Suho and I was so happy when I found out he was cast, although I did think Suho is too similar to his character in My ID is Gangnam Beauty. Even the plot is similar, but the character of Han Seojun made everything better.

I do think some scene are cringey, especially with the editing. Moon Gayoung's acting gets cringey and overacting too, but I think the director/s just wanted her to do something similar to the webtoon version, so it's not really her fault. Inyeop is probably the best in the cast, and his character is also the best among the three mains. Eunwoo also improved from his acting in Gangnam and Rookie Historian, but the lack of range in these 3 shows doesn't give him justice.

The series tackled very serious topics about depression, but it was only used for the love triangle purposes. It saddens me because it's such a pivotal part in Suho and Seojun's friendship. Had it been taken seriously, I would have liked this series better.

This will be a modern classic

[antjefaltis-44109 · 10/10 · 4 March 2021]

I love that show sooo much! It is so funny, so wonderful cheesy and the message is beautiful.

I know it is far away from reality, but which romantic kdrama is realistic???

I watched it in less than 36 hours and now I am rewatching it because it is addictive! Hilarious, touching, romantic and the cast is fantastic!!

This will be a modern classic!!

!!!!Seojun Deserves Better!!!!

[rufafwz · 7/10 · 9 January 2021]

Honestly i feel like seojun is being played bad in the story. I've been bouncing back and forth amongst team SUHO and team SEOJUN, but now that i think of it.. i feel like Seojun deserves Jugyeong more than SuHo. Seojun is a hardworking boy who changed 90% of his personality for jugyeong, he even decided to continue his dream for Jugyeong ~(sorry I can't give much spoilers)~ :( . I didn't buy viki to get my feelings hurt!!! true beauty community.. 🤡😭 also: give back my boy seojun his scenes with jugyeong

Just doesn't feel realistic

[castroruben-05057 · 1/10 · 29 December 2020]

They have not dived deep in the plot of what true beauty is, instead they are glorifying beautiful by being an outer appearance, not one person has mentioned she should stop wearing makeup because it doesn't define beauty, and show definitely has too many cringy moments , so unrealistic.

Don't follow the low rating....

[barbarahfmelo · 10/10 · 26 February 2021]

If you want to laugh a lot with the characters, if you want to get emotional and if you like the cliché moments that makes you fall in love, you should definitely check out this drama. Ignore the low ratings, most refer to one of the characters not getting more what he deserved, which I agree, but giving a 6 or 7 is even more unfair, especially when you consider the whole drama.

Loved It

[Chaokage · 10/10 · 8 June 2021]

The love triangle in this series created some of the best funny moments I have ever seen. The romance was definitely a highlight for this series. I enjoyed the whole series from start to end. The ending was very satisfying and left nothing more to desire. A must watch!!!

Better than the webtoon honestly

[firdosemalik · 10/10 · 4 February 2021]

This was the first time I watched an ongoing Kdrama and damn it was equally exciting and rewarding after finishing each of the episodes. I really loved the character development of the female lead, loved the fact they didn't make it so clichè for her to achieve everything at one go! The side story about the trio and bromance, I couldn't fathom enough about how they made this plot so much interesting and the cliffhangers, especially the preview for the next episodes!!! I really like the editors of this show! Also the Easter eggs from Extraordinary you were on point! Right amount of emotions, drama and comedy! Loved the show. Worth the watch y'all! Go for it, you won't regret it. And yes I'm #teamsuho

Funny and romantic story

[Mr_Avenger · 9/10 · 15 June 2021]

True beauty is a romantic teenage story. It is a really pleasant and entertaining kdrama with a beautiful cast. There are many funny moments that will make you laugh a lot. (trust me!) . A good plot , based on a webtoon which talks about bullying and school violence.

Ignore the overplayed "naked face" construct, and just enjoy the relationships between the characters.

[Jodie_ds · 7/10 · 12 February 2021]

At first I was a little annoyed that the concept was overplayed, but the writing and the character development of all the characters, not just the main ones, was what really drew me into this drama.

The ending was one of the most fulfilling endings I've seen in a K drama in a long time. It really allowed you to feel satisfied, rather than the "well what the hell did I waste my time on that for?" that you quite often get left with.

Absolutely recommend it. I particularly enjoyed the storylines of the secondary characters.

LOVE IT

[risbyceonna · 9/10 · 29 November 2021]

I'm a little late to finish the show but I absolutely loved it. The original webtoon did include a lot more but I like the way they were able to keep some of the stuff from the original while adding their own little twist to it. This show can be corny at times but I like it, it feels like an actual comic story. The romance is well developed and really good. I like how they displayed the message of loving yourself. The makeup the character wore wasn't the problem; the problem was that we didn't love how she looked without it. The show is about learning to accepting who you are. This show not only had funny scenes but a lot of emotional ones as well. I do recommend if you'd like to watch a fun well written romance comedy drama.

Selena & Seo Jun = best characters!

[natalie-monroe · 6/10 · 29 October 2023]

This K-Drama is certainly not amazing. The lack of character development from the main character is irritating. In general, she isn't that lovable. She doesn't come to terms with anything and she doesn't help herself either.

Sohoo isn't bad, he's the regular reserved heartthrob, but he comes off as a bit emotionless to me. I wasn't a big fan as I'm not into this type of guys but he was cute for the most part.

Seo-Jun had the best character development and personality. He was attractive and had a lot to offer. But in my opinion, he deserves someone better than Ju Kyung.

Selena! I loved her! Sassiness but controlling, yet fair and direct. I would ONLY watch a season 2 if it included a make up artist - idol relationship with her and seojun!

Something I have to mention, I enjoyed the side stories. Which isn't usual sometimes they can be a bore. But I loved the sister so much! She was one of the best characters in this show. Her relationship with the teacher is so cute.

Overall, it's not a bad drama. It's worth a watch if you don't mind tropes and cheesy stuff. I was going to give it a 5, but that's kinda low and a 7 is too high.

Truly and unexpectedly now one of my favourite kdramas. The quality of acting was superb and the chemistry between characters 1so very real.

[zazzpanch · 10/10 · 30 September 2021]

This is honestly now one of my fave tv shows and probably my favourite korean drama. I wasn't too interested initially as it seemed like a typical high school drama with cringey predictable plot and I actually stopped watching it after episode 1 in January because it seemed very predictable but I was very wrong.

But then I started watching it again in Sept and OMG I BINGED WATCHED THE WHOLE THING IN THE ONE WEEKEND BECAUSE IT BECAME SO INTERESTING.

Cha Eun Woo really shines here. His acting is amazing and his character development is brilliant. He goes from being cold to warm but in a genuinely believable way. Moon Ka Young and Hwang In Yeop really bring a lot of charisma and high energy to the table. The secondary characters are hilarious and you become just as invested in their stories as the main leads.

Highly, highly recommend you watch this as the plot becomes very emotional and you will laugh, cry and be angry at the same time.

It's alright to cry sometimes.

[alaningle7 · 7/10 · 7 January 2023]

A young girl played by Moon Ga-young moves schools because she is bullied for being ugly, after learning make up techniques she is considered a goddess by her fellow students. She enjoys her new found popularity but has to be on her guard at all times for fear of being exposed. Throw into the mix a love triangle, her wacky friends and her amusing family (particularly her sister) and you have an entertaining story. I am still unsure of what the message is though as she is not really ugly but just has a poor complexion. Overall worth a watch, well acted but it is slow in parts and at times just seems to be box ticking.

Cheesy

[nejijuan · 1/10 · 29 December 2020]

I just don't like the character development, too slow and way too cringy!

Except the girl isn't ugly at all

[RomanceNovelist · 9/10 · 7 November 2023]

This was a fun romance with a fun love triangle. The two guys vying for the affection of one girl was a lot of fun to watch. But when the love triangle involving the girls arrives, that's when it gets vicious and cruel. At the Crux of it all I feel like it's girls being jealous of other girls. This is a story about self-esteem and inner strength. And also loving yourself for who you are no matter what.

The part that confused me about this show is that the central character was it ugly at all. She wasn't ugly without makeup and she wasn't as beautiful as they claimed she was with it. In fact I thought she looked better without the makeup. And I'm not just saying that. I thought she looked too much like the other girls with the makeup. The way they were carrying on you would have thought she was a monster and even without makeup she was prettier than most of the other girls in the school. What she was lacking was courage and self-esteem. So for me I found it hard to suspend belief that a pretty young lady is supposed to be ugly simply because she has pimples on her face. Or that it is criminal or even deceitful to wear makeup. But the show is handled well and I think it has a good message with the protagonist caring about her no matter how she looked. Su Ho is a guy who sees beyond the superficial unlike everyone else. To me he was mature in a well-rounded character despite his mood swings and struggles with his past. Also Seo Jun sees beyond the superficial because of the tragedy with their friend and their own history with seeing what bullying does to another human being.

I felt the mother of Im Gyeong was very insensitive to her daughter. There is no way I would allow anyone to say that my daughter is ugly or unattractive. I would probably bite their heads off. Her mother did not create empowerment in her daughter by allowing people in the community to point out her features and call her unattractive. So the girl never really learned how to defend herself. Other than those quibbles the story was also a lot of fun and had a lot of hilarious moments that I enjoyed. I typically don't watch any shows centered around the lives of teenagers. I tend to find those shows very annoying. At times the kids on the show were hyperactive so I took breaks between binge watching so that it didn't wear on my nerves. But I would rank this show in my top 10 kdramas.

I really liked how the two young men were very supportive of Im Gyeong throughout. The bullies were all ridiculous and despicable. And I really wanted them to have a severe comeuppance. I wanted Im Gyeong to stand up to them and grow a spine. I enjoyed the subplots and other love stories.

Great!

[jryiphnwy · 10/10 · 4 June 2021]

Love the acting, love the characters and the cast.