‘True Beauty’ Netflix Series Review - The Cast Steals the Show!

True beauty is a South Korean drama that was released in 2020 and is now available on Netflix. This high school-related k-drama offers us a lot of fun moments as well as some valuable lessons. It is created by Kim Sang-Hyeob and Lee Si-Eun. True beauty is based on a webtoon and has a total of 16 episodes with each episode having a run time of more than one hour.

True Beauty tells us the story of Joo-gyeong a high schooler bullied for her looks. Her life changes when she switches schools and learns how to do makeup. She hides her past from her new school friends and tries to live a normal life. Suho, a cold-shouldered boy known for his academic achievements and looks, learns about Joo-gyeong’s past, leading to a connection between them. Suho also has a traumatic past and the two try to rely on each other.

The whole setting of the drama spits comedy. Especially the characters – be it Joo-gyeong’s parents and siblings or her classmates, everyone has been given an equal role in spreading the comic elements at various points of the drama. It’s a light-hearted drama but at the same time reminds us to think about the good in ourselves. The drama brings out one of the main crimes among teenagers in Korean society which is bullying. It also showcases how much beauty standards exist in the country which causes insecurity among the people. Unrequited love, educational pressure on high schoolers, suicide, excessive beauty standards, and bullying are some of the areas which the drama has been able to cover in detail.

The drama has brought in all these along with some epic comedy. More than situational comedy, it is the characters that give out comic elements. And the makers have been able to give importance to all the side characters as well as the main leads making the whole drama a highly enjoyable one.  The cast is the highlight of this show. Cha Eun-woo, Moon Ga-young, Hwang In-Youp, Park Yoo-Na, Kang Min-ah, and many others play characters in the drama. The chemistry between Cha Eunwoo, Moon Ga-young, and Hwang In-Youp is impeccable. A second lead syndrome is majorly present in the series and this sort of divides the fans among the two boy leads. The love triangle brings us laughter as well as sadness.

The main highlight apart from the important messages the drama delivers is how every character has got a backstory. The importance of each character is felt throughout the drama and the whole story and characters feel extremely connected. The drama is also accompanied by some energetic and soulful Ost’s some of which are sung by the main leads.

The show has changed certain aspects of the webtoon but the story has been kept intact. The cast especially the leads look exactly like they came straight out of the webtoon. Therefore, the cast matches perfectly with each of their characters.

True beauty has nailed it in most aspects. But it is impossible to say that it does not contain predictable storylines or clichéd scenes. It is a teen k-drama and it does contain certain things that we have seen in similar genre k-dramas. The reason why True Beauty could still stand out despite having these is because of how the makers and the cast have executed the characters, concepts, and their story.

The drama overall is certainly a mood lifter. Each episode ends with such exciting points that it makes the drama binge-worthy. It also can be rewatched for the fun it provides us. Not just for the story but for its comedy and characters. It’s a perfect light-hearted drama to watch and enjoy as each episode gives us a lesson and loads of laughter.

Final Score – [8/10]
Reviewed by - Poornima Balsu
Follow @BalsuPoornima on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times