# True Beauty (2020)

> A bullied high school girl reinvents herself as a makeup-savvy beauty after learning from online tutorials, and must keep her secret as fame and romance tangle her life.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/94101

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 16
- Episode runtime: 82 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, drama, romance
- Network: tvN
- Cast: Mun Ka-young, Cha Eun-woo, Hwang In-youp, Park You-na, Im Se-mi, Park Ho-san, Jang Hye-jin, Oh Eui-sik
- TMDB rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13274038/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: cozy, wistful, breezy, comedic, sincere

## What critics say

Audiences broadly rate the series positively, enjoying its glossy makeover premise and romantic high school storyline.

## Synopsis

True Beauty (2020-2021) is a South Korean high school romantic comedy drama series created for tvN, adapted from a popular webtoon. Mun Ka-young plays Lim Ju-kyung, a bullied teenager who transforms herself into a stunning beauty after teaching herself makeup through online tutorial videos, and quickly rises to fame. Cha Eun-woo plays Lee Su-ho, a charismatic classmate whose attention complicates her carefully maintained double life, while Hwang In-youp plays Han Seo-jun, a second romantic thread that sharpens the tangle. Park You-na and Im Se-mi appear among the wider school circle, where friendships, rivalries and peer judgment press in on every turn. The engine of the series is a simple, persistent question: how long can a constructed appearance hold up against school gossip, a growing crush and the pressure to keep looking perfect? Each episode runs long and blends lighthearted romance with sharp observations about beauty standards and insecurity. Shaped as a single sixteen-episode season, the story moves steadily through its romantic and social entanglements. The tone is cozy and wistful, with flashes of comic embarrassment. Fans of Cheese in the Trap, Lovestruck in the City and Business Proposal will find resonance in its blend of Korean youth romance and warm comedy.

## Shows like True Beauty

- [My ID is Gangnam Beauty (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/69189)
- [To the Beautiful You (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/42557)
- [Who Are You: School 2015 (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/55568)
- [She Was Pretty (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/56549)
- [The Beauty Inside (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/70282)
- [Love with Flaws (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/80400)
- [The Liar and His Lover (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/61411)
- [Queen of the Ring (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/61793)
- [Extraordinary You (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/79226)
- [Crash Course in Romance (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/125527)

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