True Beauty is an incredibly popular K-drama, but the rom-com has been caught in its fair share of controversy. Originally started in 2018 as a webtoon of the same name, True Beauty quickly gained recognition for its love triangle and central conflict surrounding beauty standards. The English translations of the webcomic only expanded the audience, bringing True Beauty global acclaim.

Years before its 2023 ending, True Beauty was adapted into a K-drama in 2020 with Cha Eun-woo (Lee Su-ho) and Moon Ga-young (Lim Ju-kyung) signed on as the leads. With True Beauty’s move to Netflix, more eyes will be on the story than ever before. While many fans believe True Beauty is a masterpiece K-drama, it’s surprisingly divisive in reality.

What Is True Beauty About?

The K-Drama Delves Deep Into Beauty Standards

On the surface, Teen Beauty is a typical teen romance K-drama that follows a young couple falling in love in high school. Yet, there’s a big difference between dramas like At Eighteen or Reply 1988 and True Beauty. The love story isn’t even the main plot of True Beauty; rather, the overarching storyline is Lim Ju-kyung living a double life.

Following a horrific experience of being bullied at her previous school, Lim Ju-kyung teaches herself advanced makeup techniques to become conventionally attractive and well-liked at her new high school. Her plan succeeds, but Lim Ju-kyung’s newfound popularity leaves her more paranoid than ever that someone will discover her bare face and expose her, making True Beauty an unconventional secret identity K-drama.

Meanwhile, Lee Su-ho is dealing with guilt and lingering hostility from former best friend Han Seo-jun (Hwang In-youp), caused by a mutual friend’s tragic death. Su-ho meets Ju-kyung by chance prior to her dramatic makeover, and the two unexpectedly cross paths again at their neighborhood comic shop. Lee Su-ho quickly falls for Lim Ju-kyung, but he doesn’t understand her insecurities.

As Ju-kyung balances unfamiliar new experiences, like dating and having an active social life, she finds herself in danger of losing everything as her former bullies draw near. Similarly, her straightforward feelings for Su-ho become complicated when Seo-jun inserts himself between the budding couple. Seo-jun’s revenge plot is quickly derailed, however, when he finds himself inexplicably endeared by Lim Ju-kyung.

Why True Beauty Was So Controversial

Some Interpreted The Story As Problematic

Although dramas like True Beauty have been popular for decades, the 2020 K-drama has been criticized for a few major reasons. Whether it’s something small like Second Lead Syndrome and disappointment surrounding Seo-jun’s end fate or a more substantial critique of the fundamental narrative, True Beauty has amassed just as many critics as it has devoted fans since 2020.

The biggest complaint many viewers have, which stems from the webtoon the K-drama is based on, is how the story handles beauty standards and the makeup industry as a whole. The webtoon leans into the female lead’s perceived ugliness for dramatic effect, but True Beauty’s TV adaptation has a much more nuanced take on Lim Ju-kyung’s self-esteem.

While the webcomic seems to accept Lim Ju-kyung’s looks as they are, her classmates in the K-drama quickly accept her bare face after she expresses self-love. To that end, the drama prioritizes Ju-kyung’s confidence over whether she’s “really” ugly, removing the subjective parameter and emphasizing the importance of self-worth. Furthermore, cosmetology eventually became her dream career, adding a positive spin to her trauma.

Despite True Beauty being widely regarded as one of Cha Eun-woo’s best K-dramas, another frequent criticism is Moon Ga-young’s casting. To some viewers, the story’s impact was dulled by having a conventionally attractive actress portray Lim Ju-kyung. Additionally, thanks to the franchise’s expansion with the 2024 anime, countless netizens hate True Beauty simply because it’s popular — and, ergo, supposedly overrated.

True Beauty Is Worth Watching

Nuance Is Everything When Watching This Drama

Themes like bullying, suicide, and beauty standards can be understandably upsetting to viewers, but the moral of True Beauty’s story still packs a powerful punch. As Lim Ju-kyung learns to embrace her natural face, the K-drama forces the audience to confront their own judgment of the female lead’s appearance. The message is clear: true beauty goes far beyond surface-level looks.

Aside from its important lesson to deconstruct societal pressures and find beauty within yourself, True Beauty is an incredibly effective romantic teen drama. Lee Su-ho and Lim Ju-kyung are one of the best K-drama couples of all time, and the series firmly establishes that Su-ho — the prototypical perfect male lead — genuinely believes Ju-kyung is beautiful with or without makeup.

Arguably even better, True Beauty fleshes out Ju-kyung’s relationships beyond romance. She starts the series feeling incredibly isolated, but Ju-kyung becomes closer to her entire family over the course of the drama, with her younger brother publicly defending her at school and her mother apologizing for her ignorance. Plus, Lim Ju-kyung’s friendships are just as important as the love story.

Admittedly, True Beauty seems shallow in the beginning — but that’s by design. The K-drama’s ending only feels as gratifying as it does because of the show’s progression. If Ju-kyung had understood her intrinsic value in episode 1, there would have been no room for her to grow. True Beauty still isn’t a flawless K-drama, but its existence is undeniably important.