36

True Beauty: Episode 1

tvN’s adaptation of popular webtoon True Beauty is finally here! Living in a world obsessed with beauty, our heroine learns first-hand how harsh people can be when you don’t fit the societal standards. After being humiliated, she decides to change her life by learning a new skill and starting fresh.

Note: This is a first episode recap only. Coverage will continue with weecaps.

 
EPISODE 1 RECAP

From a young age, our heroine knew she wasn’t pretty based on how others treated her. Her relatives would criticize her for taking after her mother HONG HYUN-SOOK (Jang Hye-jin) instead of her handsome father IM JAE-PIL (Park Ho-san).

They made snide comments like “She’ll need plastic surgery,” or “She must’ve been adopted.” Amidst the laughter, Mom had whispered that she just needs to do well in school.

While she once dreamed of transforming into a beautiful fairy like the cartoons on TV, the neighborhood kids ridiculed her for it. She then decided that characters from horror manhwas were far more relatable, for she believed that she was born with a cursed face.

Now in high school, our heroine IM JOO-KYUNG (Moon Ga-young) is one of two girls in class who don’t spend their free time applying makeup or fixing their hair. Joo-kyung opts to read her manhwa and listen to heavy metal music instead, offering to share with her fellow classmate Hye-min, who declines.

The catty leader of the popular kids, Se-mi, notices Joo-kyung jamming out alone. Joo-kyung doesn’t notice them calling out, “Hey, Dumpling!” until one of Se-mi’s underlings aims a paper ball at her head.

Joo-kyung immediately leaves to buy them dumplings as their Shuttle. She gets indignant when she hears her classmates mocking her for being the errand girl and storms bacak inside. However, all she can do is confirm their orders with a goofy smile.

On her way back from the store, Joo-kyung peers inside the cafeteria to catch a glimpse of the handsome cafeteria oppa, HYUN-BIN (cameo by Lee Tae-ri). He was out running an errand and stops in front of Joo-kyung to say hello, taking one of her earbuds to pop into his own ear. (Pfft, is that you, Mi-chae?)

Hyun-bin recognizes the band and tells her that they have the same taste in music. He begins to headbang and dance along while Joo-kyung’s heart threatens to pound out of her chest. Mesmerized by his looks, Joo-kyung tries to calm herself until she shocks Hyun-bin by accidentally yelling out loud, “Calm down, already!”

The popular kids wonder where their dumplings are and see Joo-kyung and Hyun-bin from their classroom window. One of Se-mi’s lackeys notes that Hyun-bin hits on Se-mi all the time.

During lunch, Joo-kyung lines up and gushes about Hyun-bin, receiving unenthusiastic responses from Hye-min. Her excitement while wondering if he reciprocates her feelings catches the attention of other students.

Joo-kyung remains oblivious as others begin to make fun of her, but Hye-min hears them and excuses herself to avoid the attention.

Hyun-bin agrees to meet with Joo-kyung during lunch tomorrow, and Se-mi can’t believe that her errand girl is actually shooting her shot. That night, Joo-kyung works hard in the kitchen baking cookies instead of studying, earning her an earful from her mother.

We get a glimpse into Joo-kyung’s world – her room is decked out with skeletal figurines and the shelves are overflowing with horror books. Joo-kyung prepared a set of metal concert tickets and re-reads her confession letter: “You’re a fool who doesn’t know how I feel, and I’m a fool who only has eyes for you.

She giddily acts out a scenario whereby Hyun-bin accepts her love, and she puckers up for a smooch with her doll. Joo-kyung’s brother IM JOO-YOUNG (Kim Min-ki) storms into her room at this moment to complain about her loud music, and leaves after saying he’d rather go blind than to witness that again.

On confession day, Joo-kyung posts about her nervousness on a forum and others comment words of encouragement. She gets on her bus and there’s a stark difference between how she and Se-mi are treated by the crowd of students. Joo-kyung gets pushed around roughly, but everyone clears the way for Se-mi while whispering about her beauty.

At school, Joo-kyung sets her gift on the desk before quickly heading off on a dumpling run. The bullies rummage through the box, callously tossing around the cookies and making fun of her for putting so much effort into the confession.

Mean girl Se-mi decides to speak to Hyun-bin, pouting that she was sooo upset to hear rumors that he was dating Joo-kyung. The smitten cafeteria worker blames himself for making her feel that way, and she lets him believe that he has a chance with her.

Mom runs a salon and is quite close with her customers. When she explains that her husband isn’t around and is busy on the phone these days, they worry that he’s out having an affair. Mom would be okay with that as long as he’s not in trouble financially. As if on cue, two thuggish men enter the salon looking for Im Jae-pil’s wife.

At school, Joo-kyung hands her gift to Hyun-bin, who’s noticeably less kind after talking to Se-mi. Someone films the confession from nearby, catching the rejection. Hyun-bin’s offended that Joo-kyung thinks that he would actually date her.

He crushes her soul and says he was being nice because she was an outcast. “If you don’t have the looks, at least have smarts,” he criticizes, knocking her gift to the ground. Before stalking away, he tells her to look in the mirror with her spare time instead.

Rubbing salt into her wound, the entire bully squad pops out and rejoices at her misery with Hye-min in tow, uncomfortably filming the entire interaction. Se-mi narrates to the audience that they just witnessed the ugliest girl in school asking someone out.

Joo-kyung lightly pushes Se-mi away and asks her to stop, and the sole guy of the group pushes her to the ground for “hitting” the leader. He proceeds to dump the entire box of cookies over her head.

“Why do you guys hate me so much?” Joo-kyung sobs that she never did anything to them. Se-mi jabs her forehead and replies that it’s because she’s ugly. Joo-kyung makes a run for it and on her way home, sees that the video has been uploaded to social media. Her classmates leave comments that she’s ugly and has bad taste.

Heartbroken and humiliated, Joo-kyung sobs openly on the street. She pops into the nearest building to freshen up, then takes a good look at herself in the mirror. Joo-kyung tosses her glasses in frustration, remembering the mean comments about her looks. She cries that she can’t possibly return to school since nobody likes her. Poor girl.

Joo-kyung ends up standing on the roof of the high-rise building, looking out at the cityscape for hours. She’s prepared to jump when suddenly, a billboard in the distance catches her eye. It’s a message to commemorate former idol JUNG SE-YEON (cameo by SF9’s Chani), as it would’ve been his birthday had he not passed away.

She finds it tragic that he would’ve turned 18 today, then realizes that she doesn’t want to die after all. Just as she comes to this conclusion, a boy runs to her and pulls her off the ledge, causing her glasses to fly off as she tumbles on top of him.

The boy, LEE SOO-HO (Cha Eun-woo), is relieved. He lectures her, wondering what she could possibly be going through that led her to wanting to die. He barks that her loved ones would be devastated and it seems personal when he claims that they could live in guilt for not being able to save her. Soo-ho gruffly tells her not to die and heads back inside.

Joo-kyung can’t see anything because she lost her glasses, following him down the stairs blindly because the elevator is out of service. She hangs on to the railings for dear life and wails, “Ajusshi, wait for me!” Pfft, without her vision, she can’t tell that he’s just a teen. He speeds on ahead until he hears her fall, then reluctantly offers to help her up (she accidentally grabs his butt, lol).

Soo-ho ends up piggybacking Joo-kyung down the stairs, and our bumbling heroine attempts to make conversation. She figures that his angry reaction to seeing her on the roof is because he knew someone who had the same thoughts as her and passed away.

He ignores the question and huffs that she’s heavy, which prompts Joo-kyung to give him a shoulder massage to cheer him on. She zips her lips when he warningly says, “Ajumma!” By the time they make it to the ground floor, his legs are quaking and he’s exasperated to learn that the elevator is back in service.

Soo-ho puts Joo-kyung in a taxi and she sincerely tells him that he should cheer up. “The one who died wouldn’t want those they left behind to suffer for too long.” She leaves him with the advice to be happy.

Knowing that Mom will be angry that she lost her new glasses, Joo-kyung suddenly remembers that she left her a voicemail earlier that day. She had thanked Mom for raising her and promised to be born again as a beautiful daughter of hers in their next lives.

Joo-kyung calls Mom urgently, but she doesn’t pick up because she’s busy declaring war at home. Joo-young and his eldest sister IM HEE-KYUNG (Im Se-mi) do their best to hold their mother back, but she’s livid that Dad went out and invested in what was clearly a scam. Her legs go flying as she vows to kill him tonight.

By the looks of Soo-ho’s home, he’s well-off and lives alone. He thinks back to when he first spotted Joo-kyung on the roof. In her place, he had imagined the idol Se-yeon smiling back at him. Without hesitation, he’d pulled him to safety, but it was actually Joo-kyung that he saved. After showering, he contemplates Joo-kyung’s parting advice to be happy.

Joo-kyung returns home to see her siblings comforting their mother, who cries, “I’d rather die instead.” Out of context, Joo-kyung dissolves into tears and assumes that this was all her fault. She blubbers that it’s all because she was born ugly, not taking after Dad like Hee-kyung and Joo-young did.

Not reading the room, she cries, “I’m ugly because I take after you!” The Im siblings try to shut her up but she begs for plastic surgery and promises not to die. The siblings drag their sister away before she angers their mom further.

Joo-kyung looks at her short contact list and opens her one-sided conversation with Hye-min, belatedly realizing that she just assumed they were friends. She wishes that she could drop out of school.

Hee-kyung goes out for drinks with Mom and learns that they’re going to have to sell their apartment and move back into their old home to repay the debt Dad incurred. Hee-kyung offers to help out, but Mom insists that she’ll take care of her own husband’s mess.

Joo-kyung updates the forum that she got rejected because she’s ugly. One comment suggests overcoming this with the power of makeup, linking her to a blog post. Joo-kyung lights up and shows up to school the next day turning heads everywhere.

She thinks that it must be because she looks good, but her rosy cheeks, white face, and dark eyeliner causes a ruckus at school for the wrong reasons. The kids snap photos and when she gets home, she nearly gives Mom a heart attack for looking like a ghost.

Joo-kyung begs to transfer schools, ecstatic to hear that it’ll actually happen because they must move back to their old neighborhood. She posts a picture of her makeup on the forum and the users give constructive criticism about what she can improve on.

Using her savings, Joo-kyung goes on a shopping spree and spends her days following makeup tutorials. While there’s a lot of room for improvement (she literally shaves off half an eyebrow, eek!), Joo-kyung works hard day and night until she masters the art of eye makeup.

Soo-ho barges into a manhwa shop and gasps to find that the first page of the book he wanted was ripped out. The shopkeeper figures he can just start on page two, but is quickly pulled in by Soo-ho’s passionate rant. “Do you start with verse two of the national anthem?”

The shopkeeper promises to order a new copy for tomorrow and Soo-ho leaves without another word. The man just grins that the boy hasn’t changed in the past ten years.

The Im family moves back into their old place and on the first day of school, Joo-kyung expertly applies her newly learned techniques, transforming her looks so drastically that her family is stunned silent. She turns heads at her new school and this time, they’re good stares – they gasp that she’s a goddess.

She and Joo-young bicker silently while checking in at the teacher’s office. Her new homeroom teacher HAN JOON-WOO (Oh Eui-shik) welcomes her warmly, and they’re interrupted by the loud vice principal who assumes that she’s the student at the top of her class.

One look at her abysmal report card is all it takes for him to turn his attention to Joo-young, but Mr. Han assures Joo-kyung that there’s more to life than good grades. Aw, I like him already. The vice principal’s booming voice announces Soo-ho’s entrance. Looks like they’ll be classmates!

Of course, Joo-kyung doesn’t recognize him but she deems him to be the most handsome person she’s ever seen. Mr. Han tasks a reluctant Soo-ho with escorting Joo-kyung to their classroom.

They’re stopped by another student along the way and Joo-kyung accidentally bumps into Soo-ho, leaving a foundation face print on his jacket. Oops! If it wasn’t obvious before, Soo-ho is quite standoffish and gives the girl three seconds of his time.

The underclassman confesses and gives Soo-ho a gift of macarons imprinted with pictures of him. He smacks the box onto the floor and continues walking to his classroom without another word. He ignores his classmates until they alert him of his dirty jacket. Soo-ho heads back outside to where Joo-kyung is reapplying her foundation, tossing the jacket onto her head.

Mr. Han introduces Joo-kyung to the class, who all accept her with open arms. She realizes that being pretty changes how people treat her. Everyone except Soo-ho, that is. So when she’s assigned the seat next to him, she claims to have poor eyesight and is given the seat behind a bright girl named CHOI SOO-AH (Kang Min-ah) instead.

Soo-ah is super outgoing and befriends Joo-kyung immediately after first period, asking for her number. She and another classmate are surprised that Joo-kyung’s not on the app “Stargram,” because they know she’d be popular on it.

KANG SOO-JIN (Park Yoo-na) joins them and Soo-ah introduces her as her best friend and the Queen of Saebom High. Soo-jin just smiles when Soo-ah claims that there will be contention for the title with Joo-kyung here now, and apologizes that her chatty friend can be annoying.

During break, Joo-kyung attempts to wash Soo-ho’s jacket but makes it worse. She accidentally flicks water onto him just outside the bathroom and, irritated, he instructs her to toss it out. The other girls witness this and Soo-ah explains that he’s known as the “handsome psychopath.”

Soo-ah links arms with Joo-kyung as they walk down the hall. When dumplings are mentioned, Joo-kyung instinctively offers to buy some but they just wanted her to join them for lunch. Joo-kyung hides her love for horror and heavy metal but shares that she loves spicy food, so they decide to meet for tteokbokki after school to celebrate their friendship.

Joo-kyung learns that Soo-jin is not just a pretty face, but also has the second highest grades in school, after Soo-ho. Soo-ah calls Joo-kyung a pretty girl, but she thinks to herself that it isn’t true.

After sharing tteokbokki, the friends head to an arcade to play games. Aww, they make an effort to pull Joo-kyung into the fun and she really enjoys herself. They end the day with sticker booth photos and Joo-kyung is happy that she now has the one thing she’d always wanted. Friends.

When she gets home, Joo-kyung squeals after being invited to her first ever group chat. She’s touched to see the photos they took today and tells the girls that she made a Stargram account. Joo-young takes some unflattering photos and threatens to show them to their schoolmates.

Joo-kyung successfully gets the phone but can’t unlock it, so she offers to get him a copy of a manhwa and cup ramyun if he deletes it. On her way out, Joo-kyung discovers that she has already racked up a hundred likes on her new Stargram post.


She ducks into the manhwa shop, Prince Comics, and discovers that the shopkeeper has remained the same since she was a child. He’s happy to see her and finds her adorable. Joo-kyung is happy to be back and reaches up for the book she wanted.

However, a guy reaches for the manhwa before she gets to it and walks away. They fight over the copy of the book and she jumps for it, falling on top of him in the process. She is shocked to see her new classmate Soo-ho, while he recognizes her from the rooftop.

 
COMMENTS

I feel that the show is well-casted and has managed to build a strong foundation to explain how Joo-kyung turned from Shuttle to Goddess. I’m not sure I love the adaptation based solely on the first episode, but with Moon Ga-young leading, I’m not too worried. I felt frustrated watching her live her life, only to be belittled by everyone else – even her own family. (I love that Dad always looks at her as if she’s the cutest thing in the world, though!)

It’s therefore hard to blame her for thinking that getting plastic surgery or putting on makeup will change her whole life. It’ll make things more bearable for now, but it’ll definitely become exhausting hiding the fact that she’s just a dork who doesn’t care about idols, rocks out to heavy metal, and enjoys a great horror story. The truth is, she doesn’t need to hide those parts of herself to fit in, but Joo-kyung has never really had any friends and is trying her best to have a fresh start. I love how friendly Soo-ah is and the fact that Joo-kyung finally got to experience what it’s like to hang out with friends. I was grinning during that entire scene!

I know there’s some criticism surrounding Cha Eun-woo as an actor, but I didn’t find him to be distracting here. He’s just a typical cold male lead, and I think his acting serves this role just fine as of right now. I guess the issue I have is how mean/stuck-up Soo-ho is written as a character. It’s 2020 and I think it’s about time that we move on from featuring these male leads who treat people poorly because of a tragic/traumatic past…because something clearly happened between him and Se-yeon.

With everything set up after the first episode, I think that the rest of the series could be a fun and mindless watch especially when Hwang In-yub makes his appearance. With how popular the webtoon is, I hope that the adaptation does it justice and adds additional depth. I can only hope that Joo-kyung finds her self-worth in something more than just looking pretty. People often criticize girls for “hiding behind makeup,” but makeup is a skill and a tool. Joo-kyung has put in her time and effort to master this skill and enhance her natural looks. There’s no shame in doing that, especially if it makes her feel confident!

RELATED POSTS

Tags: , , , , , , ,

36

Required fields are marked *

Ouhhh this drama speaks to me! I used to be that girl who hid behind a mask of makeup (and ironically, my makeup wasn't that great and I sure didn't learn overnight like Joo-kyung!) and I refused to be anywhere without my makeup. I wasn't called ugly/my experiences were as extreme as hers, but I kind of get the feeling of fitting in better when you are "pretty". Years (and a fortune on makeup) later, I've finally settled into sort of being comfortable in my own skin. Haven't watched this drama proper yet, but am now interested in starting it. Thanks for the recap!

5
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

i love moon ga young in this and find her extremely adorable as the dorky Ju gyeong who loves punk rock music and horror comics. I'm definitely looking forward to Hwang in yeob's entrance in the next episode as the high school bad boy following 18 again. Hopefully he has a nicer personality than the male lead who i still haven't warmed up to just yet.

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank you for the recap, @selena. I haven't watched this show yet. I want to, though, because I liked Cha Eun-woo in My ID is Gangnam Beauty. I think he'll be a good pair with Moon Ga-young.

5
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

This is my kind of fluff. I love how Su-ho likes the real Ju-gyeong who geeks out on horror manhwas. He caught Pimply Ju-gyeong when she fell off the step stool when he just let Goddess Ju-gyeong fall. I predict Su-ho saved her from the melting cake because he overheard Seo-jun mention his helmet, which is why he stepped over her.

Omg, I freaked out at Ju-gyeong's confidentiality agreement because she wrote her name "Lim Ju-gyeong" on it. I expected her to write "Lim Ju-bal," but Su-ho must not have noticed when he signed? With his "exceptional memory," I'm surprised he doesn't remember why she ignored him. She wasn't pretending not to know him; she told him she couldn't see without glasses.

Moon Ga-young's casting is perfect. I'm willing to suspend disbelief that her bare face is ugly because only someone as gorgeous as her would be believable as a goddess. I wanted to cry over Ju-gyeong making friends and all the kids liking her not only for her looks, since she's not faking her personality. I hope Su-jin stays good in this drama unlike her character in the webtoon. Su-jin seems to have feelings for her childhood friend, so I'm anxious about her jealousy when Su-ho falls for Ju-gyeong. Little brother Ju-young is a ticking time bomb, but I pray her bullies don't recognize her.

Cha Eun-woo still can't act, but he IS Lee Su-ho. Literally as the webtoon artist based his character on him, on top of him being a "true beauty." Su-ho piggybacking Ju-gyeong down the stairs may be tropey, but I loled at him getting back at her calling him "ajusshi" by calling her "ajumma" and him figuring out they must be donggap from her lying about her age. I love how he treasures Friend Ju-gyeong's birthday present.

Thanks lots for the first episode recap, @selena!

7
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I loveeee Moon Ga Young in this. I was trying to think of the right word to describe this cute & cheesy rom-com. Dated wasn't quite right. Too negative. Then I read stroopwafel's description "Old school" in their WWW post and thought that was a better fit. There are parts that I knew would be unrealistic. Along with that, the tropes, and light, bright colors all added to the manhwa vibe.

The foundation face print was pretty embarrassing. I haven't had anything remotely similar happen in real life, but ugh, I have had problems with foundations slipping off. Depends on skin type, foundation types, if I was too heavy-handed, etc. Trial and error. I'm thinking Joo Kyung is still learning which products will work and perhaps by the end, she'll have focused on her skincare more and using makeup less. She actually made me want to play with makeup a bit more. I've been keeping it real minimal for my workdays.

Joo Kyung hanging out with her new friends was sweet. Made me think of my old high school days and wish I had been more outgoing.

Cha Eun Woo is truly like a cute manhwa character come to life. I haven't seen him act in a long time, maybe once. I'm neutral towards him right now, but his voice was too soft at times.

Overall, Joo Kyung is adorable and kind and I'm excited for her journey. ^^ Thanks for the recap!

7
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I wasn't planning on watching it, but I can see it on legal sites and was bored. I actually was really amused. It may be "old school" to an extent, but I think that it is rather self-aware and makes fun of the old-school-ness. It is not as meta as Extraordinary You, but it did not seem to be playing it straight either. If it keeps half laughing at itself, it will be a fun, breezy watch.

5
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I was really hoping Cha Eunwoo wouldn’t take up this series because his character is literally the same as in MIGB. Nevertheless I love him. The first episode didn’t seem that great in particular but I am hoping for more character development in the future episodes. On a lighter note, did anyone notice when Jugyeong bakes cookies, they come out of the oven with icing already on it? :D

6
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

me too but after episode 2 i love cha eun woo character,it has more dialogue and dimension..i feel like su ho was made just for him n cant picture any1 else...i cant wait for ep3

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Hahaha, I didn't notice that about the cookies. They were cute. What a waste when they were trashed. D;

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Moon Ga Young is really great in this role, she's so charming and lovely. The suicide scene didn't bother me, I found it very teenager-ish, you think your life is over and then you realize that it's not the case. She's too much clumsy to be realistic.(I don't see anything without my glasses, but stairs are pretty easy to go down because it's always the same).

For the rest of the characters, they're the typical ones in a teenager romance : the cold male leads, the cheerful friend, the intelligent and competent friend. It's kinda like chinese typical teen dramas. But it doesn't bother me, it's just a fun watch.

Extraordinary You was super pretty and I was hoping for the same kind of cinematography. But it doesn't look as beautiful. Mi-chae was a nice touch, tough!

CEW was kinda disapointing. I don't know but I think his voice didn't sound natural. But he clearly has the look for the role!

5
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Before COVID I would have agreed that going down the stairs without glasses is quite ok (at least based on my experience) but now when I wear my face mask I actually have trouble climbing down the stairs because I just do not see properly and cannot find a good rhythm for my steps, it is a nightmare. So for me, the stairs scene is not as unrealistic as it used to be.

3
reply

Required fields are marked *

A cheesy drama is what doctor recommended during covid. I am loving it so far. I think Cha Eunwoo has improved a lot. You can see the pain in his eyes when he stopped LJK from jumping. When I started reading the webtoon, I could only imagine him as Lee Suho. I hope they don't make it trashy Love triangle though

5
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

honestly i love this drama a lot and its my no1 followed by mr queen...i hesitated before ut decided to make my own opinion and i have no regrets
i recommend it and i think people who havent read the webtoon like me or with an open mind will enjoy it more.
cha eun woo character is waay better and he deserves some credits..he is not cold all the time has different mood especially when he is with the female lead,,i love that he likes her with no makeup and ignores her when she is all made up,this shows that he isnt shallow and our first lesson that make up isnt everything in-terms of attracting attention
looking forward to tomorow ep 3...fighting

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

The first episode had a mix of cringe, comedy and tragedy that was hard to digest. I liked the second episode a lot more... All of the posing and strutting through school with loud music reminds me a lot of EXTRAORDINARY YOU. Not surprising because it's the same PD. The second lead is fun to watch because Moon Ga Young upsets his cool ways, like in this scene at the end of Episode 2: https://youtu.be/cbTa9ziON5c

Fans of GOBLIN would have recognised a parody scene in Episode 2 which had me rolling on the floor. Those little absurd moments are what made me stick with this drama. 🤣🤣

Many have pointed out that that rooftop scene turned them off. I can understand that. The bullying and almost suicide was sad to watch, because it does happen in real life. When Moon Ga-young decided she didn't want to die, I felt proud of her... and then the comedy started. It was jarring.

6
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

This drama wasn’t really on my radar, but I watched it because of MGY. I love both version of Ju Gyeong! One thing I’m a bit pissed is at how toxic her relatives are and her mom is beautiful??? She has good skin. Why are they saying her mom’s genes are bad? 😭
I love that Ju Gyeong is so beautiful with make up, but as someone who is kinda obsessed with skincare, I’m mad that she didn’t invest in skincare to at least clear her pimples and her skin won’t like it the heavy make up she puts on everyday. That is kinda give me a bit of horror when I think of the “realistic” side of this drama. I know I shouldn’t think to much on this. 😅

1
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah. She does some stuff (face masks? moisturizer?), but doesn’t seem to have a skincare routine or we aren’t shown it yet. On the other hand, skincare can be expensive and takes time. Time to find the right products, time for her skin to renew and acne to clear. She’s still so young. Her family had to deal with a big blow from the father’s debt. No one is helping her with her acne problems.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Actually, I did not quite understand why she was termed 'ugly'. She was called out even when she was young. So it cant be acne. I assumed it was freckles? And then when she grew up it seems like acne. So, it was freaking me out that she was doing makeup on acne prone skin without addressing the problem.
I don't think accuracy is what this show is going for, so I didn't think too much ; )

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I had a lot of issues with the first episode. I didn’t like the whole suicide thing - it was trivialized and a joke was made of the voicemail to mom. And it was never addressed by her family. I especially was disgusted with the way her own family treats her. I can try and get on board with the teen kids bullying because of looks, but her mom looking down on her because of looks was hard to digest. I wish the show was a bit subtle about her issues and complexes.
Anyway, I did give episode 2 a shot (way better).

so far I didn’t have issues with CEW. his characters written as a typical cold ML. But why?

*still an errand boy*

4
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Since this is just a 1st ep recap, i'll include the 2nd ep in this comment as well
Strengths-
1) solid acting by the cast, surprisingly, eunwoo is not really distracting and he is pretty decent when in a scene with MGY.
2) Family dynamics, a family ignorant to her problems while liking each other is quite realistic and also, they seem like a real family with their antics.
3) The personality of the SL is quite amusing and HIY is quite charming tbh, but that is typical of all SL in dramaland.

Weaknesses-
1) Personality of the FL, the FL is pretty dense. She cries, then something happens and then goes back home happily as if nothing happened after whatever happens. It occurs twice during the introduction of the ML and the SL. Also, she fell down at least 5 times in 2 episodes.
2)Personality of the ML, the guy lost someone to su*cide, shouldn't that give him reason to treat others with respect? instead he goes around slapping things from others hands or stepping over someone when he could have gone around them if he really didn't want to help. So just because he covered her face with his jacket to help her out does not make me forget that.
3) I wish they didn't use things like su*cide as plot devices for comedic purposes.
4) other details:
- they really need to tone down the BGM, which seems to go on for about 50 min in an episode.
-Not sure how makeup can cover things like big pimples, but i'll go along with it.
-since they themselves mention this, but can they actually wear that much makeup to school and not get in trouble and even if yes, how are they allowed to change their uniforms like that and wear whatever they want? Its definitely not a big deal, but it is quite distracting when I start thinking about that instead of following the storyline.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

A couple of things. Apparently makeup can cover um acne -- there was one of those makeup youtubers who showed her unmade face and it was quite different.

The other thing is about their uniforms is that maybe out in the boonies their school is more lax with uniforms, as I know bout Ju Kyung, Soojin and Soo ah have different neckwear.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Quite enjoying this drama so far. Just a typical high school drama. MGY is adorable, CEW is okay and HIY looks cute. They match the webtoon characters well.
I'm more interested with Jukyung growth and her girl friends though. Their tteokpokki outings looks really fun and i hope their friendship keep going like this.

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I’m torn in regards to this drama. The casting was very well done and I feel the actors really portray the characters well. Its a mix of cringe, humour and fun. A fluffy drama to watch on dark winter nights. And in that respect I am enjoying it. That said, I’m an avid fan of the WEBTOON. And so far the adaption is extremely different ( which is not in its self bad) I’m trying to keep an open mind, but I think some people who have read the comic, like my self, may have trouble reconciling what we know happens and what is happening in the drama. I do hope they will do it justice but depending on how it ends, there will be angry fans on both ends. We can only wait and see

1
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

As someone who is usually an avid fan of the "original" and more cautious about adaptations, I totally understand your concerns. So far, though, I feel like every change has been for the better when it comes to characterization or relationship foundations - but we'll have to see how things shake out.

2
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I have to agree with you. I didn’t think the drama could be better than the webtoon, but with the additional narratives and scenes it’s been amazing so far. Having said that, when some of the webtoon scenes come on screen I literally have goosebumps because it’s the exact depiction. They couldn’t have cast a more perfect group of people to bring this webtoon to life.

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm torn too. I have been reading the webtoon since it started, and I didn't like any of the changes made here. It's as if the writers cranked up every plot point, making it pretty slap-sticky. The bullying was so much more intense! The family so much crazier. And suicide attempt as meet-cute? Their original meeting in the comic book store was so sweet and real. And I have no words for Seojun's first appearance on the scene, except, perhaps, for "too much."

That said, when I put the original out of my mind and just watched the first 2 episodes on their own merit rather than an adaptation of a story and characters I know and love, I actually really enjoyed it. Your description above was perfect: "a mix of cringe, humor and fun." I'm looking forward to episode 3. And I'm hoping the show stays cute and succeeds.

2
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

exactly! in the webtoon they only were in the middle school for two chapters tops. In the drama they were in the middle school forever and i could barely watch the drama in general… it’s too happy-go-lucky imo. I still love the books and bought all the webtoon unschooled for it

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I am really happy with the change to Suho and Jugyeong's first meeting, becaue I think it gives him a strong reason to feel connected to Jugyeong and feel compassion for her, which helps lower his very high iron walls. Moon Gayoung is always a gem, and I thought she brought a lovely pathos to Jugyeong's dilemma even as she was hilarious. Her family is also great background - they're not cruel, but they don't get what she's going through either. Eunwoo has definitely improved since MIIGB, and I think he channeled Suho's barely repressed anger and pain very well this episode.
Finally, ever since I read the webtoon, I just knew Chani would be the perfect Seyeon. But seeing him up on that roof, hearing his OST, and watching Suho relive it... PAIN.
Anyway, I'm excited to have recaps of the series!

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I like it so far. It's a typical manga/webtoon type drama with tsundere male lead but I find Moon Ga Young so adorable in this so I'm sticking around for sure. Cha Eun Woo isn't bad...he's just playing the exact same character from My ID is Gangnam Beauty...so it shouldn't be too challenging for him to play.

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

A kind of! my kind of KD is finally here after a very long time. I already fall for all of them :) Her parents , her siblings , the classmates , the main leads they are all adorable. Just what I need that looong Christmas -Corona holiday season :)

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I am so inlove in this drama. It is my stress reliever since I don't wanna watch heavy and problematic drama. True Beauty is such fresh air to breathe each ep so far were so funny and heart warming. And Cha Eunwoo just looking at him can't help but made me smile all the time.

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I watched episode 3 yesterday. Some of the elements remind me of previous rom/coms, where the FL is a slave to the ML. But this show seems to execute things in a more funny way. I think that somehow this show is related to Extraordinary You, which was both funny and incredibly sarcastic, which I loved. I look forward to watching episode 4 tonight :)

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I swear every. single. wednesday. morning. i'll wake up and watch the trailer and download the eps and watch it right away. I am seriously addicted to Cha Eun Woo and Hwang In Yub, and after watching Welcome to Waikiki 2 I am seriously love Moong Ga Young. No more words except to say that this drama is *mwah* amazing

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I like this drama because high school was a mess for me trying to fit in. By some cruel twist of fate i was in a popular group in early highschool because all the transferees from my middle school were popular. I hated it. They were all rich, beautiful and super mean.

I got out of it early on. Learning to find my way into a group who liked me the way i am. Of course as we grow older we only keep few of those, but i was able to find my tribe. Its hard to make friends in highschool. Kids are mean. Well so are adults but at least i got a fighting chance by then.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks for the recap! Very happy to see her finally make friends at her new school. I was hoping that the mother would listen to that voicemail later on and figure out what her daughter was going through. It's so sad to think she is bullied at home and school for her looks. I'm interested to see how this drama would end, part of the reason I dropped the webtoon was because of the love triangle.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Drama so cool i love drama so beautiful🥰

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

on the last paragraph, you know this was originally a webtoon and on webtoons the cold ml trope is super popular so the director was just following the book. i could not imagine suho as a bright and bubbly person

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *