True Beauty

After being bullied and discriminated because of her ugly looks, a high school girl transforms herself into a gorgeous "goddess" and quickly rises to fame after mastering the art of makeup via online tutorial videos.

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.

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

• Cheese in the Trapshared romantic comedy drama tones, high school setting, makeover and transformation premise
• Lovestruck in the Cityshared korean romance drama, high school identity and beauty insecurity themes, tvn production tradition
• Business Proposalshared korean teen romance, webtoon adaptation, lighthearted romantic tone with social insecurity themes

Release Date

2020-12-09

Episode runtime

82 min

Rating

7.9 / 10 (2735)

What is True Beauty about?

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.

What is True Beauty like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of True Beauty as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is True Beauty violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in True Beauty.

What did critics think of True Beauty?

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

Which shows are like True Beauty?

Shows with a similar feel include Cheese in the Trap, Lovestruck in the City, and Business Proposal.

How long is True Beauty?

True Beauty: 1 season, 16 episodes.

Is True Beauty still running?

No, True Beauty has ended.

Where can I watch True Beauty?

In United States, True Beauty streams on Netflix, HBO Max Amazon Channel, VIX , Rakuten Viki, Netflix Standard with Ads, HBO Max, WeTV.