Yeosin Gangnim

With such low reviews I wasn’t expecting much from the show, but I was blown away by the amazing colors and looks of the characters, and the intro song that is original to the show? I actually downloaded the song to my playlist for the car it’s that good. The show is deeper than most rom coms and goes over topics like suicide, severe bullying, etc. I really Don’t understand the bad reviews? There were a few spots where the animation looked alittle funny in moments, but that was just the animation style. Most 12 or 13 core shows have a few episodes that are super slow and boring but honestly all the episodes were intriguing and interesting. Great show overall!

I’ll start by saying that I’ve watched and read every single adaptation of true beauty. I had read the WEBTOON, then watched the kdrama and now I just finished the anime. In my opinion I would classify (based on my most enjoyed version to the least) : WEBTOON > anime > kdrama. The main problem with this version is that it is TOO rushed which means that some details lack. Because of that you can’t understand completely the story and the background stories of the characters. It’s an anime so they could have made 24 episodes and explained everything more deeply. Despite that, this version follows more the WEBTOON story which is great ‘cause that’s what really annoyed me while watching the kdrama. I also don’t understand why people say that jugyeong’s voice is annoying. Personally, it suits her. Overall I would say that it is a good anime which focus on some social problems and shows you how important dealing with insecurities is. I am definitely waiting for season 2 because according to the WEBTOON there’s supposed to be one.

To start off, I'll say that I read the webtoon and watched the live action before the anime (I didn't like the live action) and I thought that I personally wouldn't like the True Beauty anime. Surprisingly... it turned out to be the opposite. Don't get me wrong, all three mediums have a very similar premise regarding South Korea's obsession with beauty standards. However, one thing that differs from the live action is that the anime is, surprisingly, more faithful to the source material (and doesn't evangelize some characters like the live action did) The plot follows the story of Lim Jugyeong, who is bullied for being 'ugly' (something that doesn't surprise me about South Korea considering the bullying idols suffer) and is forced to change schools. During that time, she will learn how to apply makeup through YouTube tutorials. This may seem superficial at first, but it's very relatable to want to fit into the canons of beauty in order to be accepted. Especially at such a vulnerable age as adolescence. During that time, Jugyeong will meet two other characters: Suho (who in the live action feels like a robot) and Seojun (the classic tsundere). Not to mention Sujin (the new bully). From here on there is a very important difference. In the live action, Jugyeong is VERY passive. And I'm not lying. In the anime, at least, she has more moments of determination regarding her desires (along with her constant setbacks). Also, the comedy is much better implemented (I always hated the scene of the noodles in the nose in chapter 2 of the live action or the various exaggerations). In some ways, True Beauty (anime) is not very different from Peach Girl or Hana Yori Dango (having more in common with Peach Girl in terms of manipulation, bullying, and some aspects, like the photography in a Love Hotel or Suho having to fake a romance with Sujin, something that also happened between Sae and Touji). I've said a lot of positive things, but True Beauty is not free of negative things. An example is that the chapters, having a standard length of 18-19 minutes, are quite fast and the resolution of the conflict (chapter 12) was somewhat quick. Also, chapter 13 gives us a different perspective that can be somewhat questionable depending on how you look at it. But well, since they confirmed a season 2, it's possible that that ending was necessary. True Beauty is a very entertaining anime that, despite its superficial message, is at the same time a fairly accurate reflection of beauty standards and the pressure that comes with it, especially in South Korea, a country that deals with problems due to aesthetic pressure and validation. It may not be the most original thing in the world, but it is an anime that will not leave anyone indifferent. If you liked Peach Girl, you will undoubtedly like True Beauty.

Right off the back, I will give this animation adaptation a 7.5/10. Let me go over my reasoning. Real quick, I have not read the manga, nor have I seen the actual K drama, I've only seen the animation which is what I'll be reviewing. First off, I think the animation is good. Not great but good. though at times it looked like one of those game screens one in a blue moon and would throw mw off, or at least that's how I see it. The color and animation were good, I don't have many complaints about it, other thank the still screen like blue lock from time to time. Secondly, I like the story line, girl gets bullied goes to a new school to try and reinvent herself in hopes she doesn't repat past drama and along the way finds herself with great friends and along the way ends up falling in love. Lastly, the only other complaint I have is that the last few episodes felt rushed. Not to mention that ending. The ending could have been longer or at least one more episode. There really isn't a need for a season 2 but I hope there is, because I would watch. if you're looking for anime that has comedy, romance, and drama then check this one out. This isn't an anime that you would watch multiple times but it one to just check out in case you can't find anything to watch.

I watched the anime from October 13 through October 18, 2025, and honestly, by the first few episodes I thought — this is not an anime from Japan! ???? Style of art, names, the atmosphere by and large — everything seemed unusual. Then I learned that it is an adaptation from a Korean webtoon (manhwa), and also there exists its live-action version (which I also did not watch). The point is. I did not anticipate I would like it this much. I began watching it around midnight and would view just one episode — and then I would discover that I'd already consumed 5 episodes. That's how much I liked it. It is an anime slice-of-life romantic comedy — packed with emotions, school conflicts, and the old standby love triangle. I normally would only see these kind of stories in fantasy or isekai anime series such as Lookism and I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World, but this one? This one is real, and this one is relatable and gets to the bottom of your emotions. The main character is a teenage girl who is harassed due to not being "pretty enough." Despite her looks, she is treated miserably by individuals at school. She slowly loses faith in herself and goes to the point where she wishes she could be absent. And honestly, I felt a connection to it deep inside. People make opinions about you as soon as they see you. I have not experienced really bad bullying, but I have felt that unfair feeling of being rejected, even when I did nothing wrong. Anyway, back to the story — it is told only from a woman’s point of view, with no fantasy or magic. It is just a simple, emotional story about accepting oneself, knowing one’s worth, and finding inner beauty. The bad character, on the other hand, is someone who looks beautiful but slowly becomes unlikable as her true self is revealed. It's not an unimpeachable story either. I mean, sincerely — regardless of how much makeup you wear on the page, a real best friend would know you, huh? 😂 That part did read somewhat artificially written or lazily. But that did not stop me from enjoying it. When it finished, I could not be sure whether it did end happily or not. It wraps up nicely, but I would have liked more of the lead's romance saga — so yes, I do hope there is to be a Season 2. And I would equally rejoice to someday read the male equivalent to this thought — a "Shonen" genre slice-of-life rom-com handling similar worries from the male protagonist's perspective. I would give this anime a 7, but since I did relate to it personally, I'll give it an 8 out of 10. If you're a girl, there's a 90% chance you'll adore it 💖. And if you're male — only invest time if you do actually do love shojo style and sweet romance.

Do you like cute anime husbands? Do you like not-weird fan service? Are you a women? Well chances are you will very much enjoy this anime. I am unsure why this does not have a better rating especially in female communities. Honestly, the plot of this was quite good and I absolutely did not have any high expectations. This anime deserves a higher rating. Just to preface: I have never watched the K-Drama before, but I am currently watching. Thus far, it’s mostly accurate to it! It is as good as this anime, and the anime reflects its original roots well. I’m also very happy they finished the English dub on Crunchy which is good for those who like sub and dub. Moreover, I recommend this to any Shojo anime lover out there! It’s so good that I am getting my gal pals to watch too!! I I’m also happy that this takes a more mature role, and it NOT fan-service for men! It does a good job portraying the story. This one is def for the ladies, as there are some very cute moments with the characters that is not weird! The Japanese and English voice actors were candy to my ears. Very pleasurable experience!! I think a lot of younger and more mature women will enjoy this, such as women between ages 15-25.

This anime not clear anything perfect lity but it pretty much good tell as dark reality of school and discrimination with not good looking students they get bullied bye other students Main character past trauma both suho and Lim, Jugyeong some kind problem the past and now suho father issue and Lim, Jugyeongget buling in school for her look True beauty it's some good and funny scene anime in start like suho and Lim, Jugyeong moment but later it goes to love triangle Han, Seojun awesome to and sad to Firstly when Kang, Sujin character we feel sad but show go. One you start hate her ep by episode [After ep 8 the anime turned around totally Anime get's boring anime typical 1side love at this point you totly hate Kang, Sujin character in anime when he try pull sabotage Lim, Jugyeong you start hate suho at this point to in the Lim, Jugyeong show the who how she really here to the world but last ep most disappoint episode at all we Lim, Jugyeong try propose suho at reject here go to other countries to see his father at the Lim, Jugyeong move on form suho here first love and up with Han, Seojun

Even though it's not from Japan, I liked it, so I recommend you guys to watch it too. A romantic comedy that might be relatively new to me, although this kind of story already exists in Japanese anime too. But what's different here is that each has its own style of delivery, comedy and storyline. So for those of you who are bored with Japanese romantic comedies, I think this anime is one of the choices. For the characters are cute, the comedy is funny, and most importantly not exaggerated. I often see Japanese romantic comedies where the characters are exaggerated, with the Ikemen style, or sparkling eyes, and other things, maybe some of you have noticed that. Even though there are some scenes that are still stiff, I still like it. I hope that anime released outside of Japan can also be more advanced, but with the note that Japanese dubs are used. I'm sorry because I'm used to hearing Japanese, so even without the help of subtitles I can understand a little of what they're saying.

Prior to watching this I was able to read all of the chapters this adaptation managed to cover and I'm mixed on how I felt about this. I felt a mix of disappointment in what I saw, but part of me still wanted to keep watching because early on this adaptation seemingly deviates from the exact path taken in the manhwa while the outcome remains the same. Take my first issue: I think the biggest issue comes from the means of storytelling on various fronts. The pacing of this whole show moves way too fast with all 13 episodes covering about 60 chapters of the manhwa. I don't feel like they give the viewer enough time to sit and process things as they happen before jumping right into new issues and had I not read the manhwa even I might've cared less about things. It's a drama but there's not enough time to breathe and take in the problems the characters face. For instance, Jugyeong, the main character, is a victim of bullying and falls to doing makeup as a way to give herself confidence socially and uses it to start from scratch in a new school. You don't get to see her through the process of learning how to do it to grasp how she becomes experienced in it, you're just told she learned how to do it and roll with it. It also just moves too fast from scene to scene. They don't let the drama simmer enough. Sometimes I feel like even the conversations ought to slow down and the transitions could be timed better without feeling abrupt or premature. Even though I read this I still somehow managed to get lost in the narrative sequences because this adaptation takes some liberties and tweaks the order certain events happen as well as the outcome of some events in some cases. It's not always an improvement or better than what happens in the original, but very few cases I felt were good enough. I won't spoil anything, but it doesn't really help characters good good at times. The characters are a bit of a mixed bag too. The main girl the most of the time feels like she can rely on the 2 love interests & even her 2 friends as a crutch when needed. She felt very safe a lot of the time because the majority of her problems minus the initial bulling experiences at the start + the tension of keeping up appearances from those close to her are quickly resolved and she's kinda the most boring character of the bunch but not someone that I dislike. The 1st love interest Suho feels like himself from the manhwa, but feels more like a kuudere prince type character initially, though maybe that's the presentation of the anime aiding that. The 2nd love interest Seojun isn't far off either but here he starts off rougher around the edges. Then her 2 friends felt the most different because they seem to be more involved with the main character here than in the manhwa and I seemingly cared more about them here than I did during the chapters this covered from the manhwa. Onto more aesthetic elements, the anime isn't quite impressive there. AT times it feels like there's a lack of background music to accompany scenes that would've benefitted more from it and I also felt like they could've omitted or better used some of the whimsical gag elements. You're probably going to have seen a lot of complaints about the voice acting. I watched this in the Korean voice-over available at the start before English & Japanese dubs were made and at times it felt a bit awkward because the some voices took a minute to get used too sounding...fresh-faced to be nice and I'd get distracted a little with the audio quality too because the voices feel like got recorded with budgeted microphones. Each episode spans about 18 minutes seemingly, but about 4 of that is taken up by the duration of the OP + ED combined both of which are fine songs. I don't have much to say about them because they were alright. The art was also just fine. Looks like at the time this has released this is their first outing with an animated TV series. There's visible kinks from background characters at times appearing slightly off and all models looking a bit stiff, but I wasn't bothered by it. I'm not entirely sure how I felt about it because I cut it some slack in my mind because I wanted to like it, BUT I felt that had I not read the manhwa and wanted to give this more of a chance I'd probably think less of it. This adaptation didn't feel recommendable because the quality of it doesn't stand up well in comparison to other romance anime out there that outperform it in almost every way. If you want to give this a chance you'd be best off with the manhwa, and though I can't yet vouch for it the K-drama has gotten praise from other fans as well.

This anime has been in my plan to watch for a while now and I figured it was finally time to watch it. With the low score I actually expected this to be not that good of a watch. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I actually liked watching this anime. The first episode did feel a bit difficult to watch because within the first couple of minutes of the anime they highlighted how shallow and horrible people can actually be to someone just because of something as small as their looks. I myself look like a human version of Jabba the Hut so I know first hand what it's like to be harassed because of both my looks and weight. True Beauty highlighted that in a pretty good way. Moving onto the actual plot. I think the plot was decent. I'm not going to say any of it was crazy because it wasn't, but like I said with the low score, I actually expected this series to either be complete ass or to have something go wrong to warrant the score going low but I just couldn't find it. I found myself getting pretty invested with the characters and the plot twists really caught me off guard. Like for example the "backstab" in episode 11. Without going into spoilers, just know it completely caught me off guard. I do wish the one thing that happened that didn't was, I wish Jugyeong revealed her true self to the school during the livestream. I feel like if she did that, and they accepted her for who she actually was, it would have delivered a really great message to the audience. Instead she still wears her makeup even after they graduate. Overall, I quite enjoyed this show for what it was. 8/10

✒ 💄True Change: It Was the Inside That Needed Fixing °7.5° °VG° 💯%🔍 some minor spoilers “Who decided that if you're ugly everybody gets to treat you like dirt?” Dumplings. They are delicious. One of the best foods on earth. But nobody wants “Dumpling” for a nickname. Lim Jugyeong/Jug is ordinary looking. Her grades are nothing special. She likes heavy metal and horror manga. And she doesn't have one friend. She's an outcast. It's not the first romance rated in the 6's that is undervalued, imo. If you like romances, this is easily better than a 6. It is well conceived and written, the art is seamless, and it is a solid love story. Sure, there's some familiar formulas, but that doesn't matter as much if the execution is good. The biggest drag on the show is how Jug is alittle too frantic. I wasn't crazy about her English voice portrayal. When I watch it again I'll probably try the Korean voice actors because I adore the Korean language. The art is good. People are drawn with old-style round eyes and simple features in standard fashion. Backgrounds are faded, low detail, and very much relegated to the background. The focus is on the characters here. We're in HS. A misunderstanding leads to a mini cat fight with another girl. Unfortunately, it's enough to get Jug transferred to another school. Her mother wants her to make a fresh start. Not one to be optimistic, Jug doesn't want to start over. She stumbles onto a makeup tutorial video and practices the craft. The results aren't half bad! When she shows up at her new school, everyone wants to know who the /pretty/ girl is. Actually, now she's getting too much attention. It's too bizarre. “Let's go have some lunch. I think they have dumplings today!” Jug has friends now, but just that word is still a trigger for Jug. She feels like a fraud! If anybody finds out what she really looks like, if anybody discovers that she's actually /ugly/, it's all going to be over. If she was that worried about being discovered, she never should have left the house without her makeup on, right? But that new manga volume is out. She read the previous volume 💯×s just waiting for this new release. So she goes to the bookstore, unadorned, and has a fight with a beautiful boy (Suho) over the last copy. He actually seems to know more about the story than she does! They did a rapid fire quiz back and forth to test each other's knowledge. He's the one who walked away victorious. The very next morning at school, there HE is, walking the halls 😬. He didn't recognize her. Whew! Yikes! They keep running into eachother. Her friends have friends who are friends with him. Next thing she knows, he's at her lunch table. “Have we met before?” It's happening. He sees something familiar. She flat-out denies it. Her life as master of disguise needs a little work, though. When he hands her the limited edition missing earbud that she dropped at the bookstore that night, it can't be denied: The beauty and the bookstore nerd are the same girl. Suddenly, she's his errand girl. That's how she's buying his silence. From the outside, they look like a couple. Eventually, Jug notices other lost girls in need of help and reaches out in kindness. Every woman and girl should be equipped to look her best! Then, she's nominated for high school goddess. She knows she doesn't compare to the other candidates, especially the true goddess, Kang Sujin. E'erthing about that girl is perfect. Jug intends to withdraw as the contest is way too much spotlight for somebody with a big secret. However, the girls in her department see it as some kind of collective validation. They've rallied behind her and are ready to start a big campaign. This is their time in the ☀. Jug can't figure out a way to exit quietly into the night. All this while, Suho is hovering around. He's slightly less demanding, of late, but still quite irritating. Also, a second student has seen her without makeup! Han Seojun is a new transfer. He found her wallet when she dropped it at the fast food restaurant. When he sees her at school he comments that she looks familiar and asks if they've met? ‘Of course not,’ she responds. Another wrinkle is how Seojun and Suho appear to be enemies: Long standing ones. They knew eachother before. Seojun dislikes Jug because he believes she's Suho's girlfriend. He softens on her after she helps his sister, Han Gowoon. Soon, he /really/ softens on her as fate keeps winking at Jug and giving her a slap on the back side. She randomly draws Seojun's name as her portrait assignment. They end up spending time together. Adrenaline-filled time - he drives a rice🏍rocket. Jug will never get the tangles out of her hair. In the background, Jug has an enemy. #1 school goddess, Sujin, has a crush on Suho. She wants to destroy Jug. Sujin sets her traps, but Suho ends up rescuing Jug (with the help of Seojun) and their bond increases. This all spurs Jug to want to win the high school goddess contest. Sujin isn't a goddess. She doesn't deserve the title: Sujin is a 👹. Jug becomes so focused on Sujin that she doesn't notice she's involved in her own love triangle. Suho and Seojun have found yet another reason to be enemies. They both like Jug. One reason that Jug has not noticed that these hunks like her is that it's never occurred to herm before, that a guy /could/ like her. Another reason is that she's busy with her new friends. Jug has made TRUE friends. Sua Kang, Han Gowoon, and Chaerin Ahn are her gang and she treasures them. What will they think when they find out the “truth” about her? Jug has to come clean. “Why do the hottest guys always have the ugliest attitude?” Bullying, mean girls, shallow values, exterior appearances, and gossip are on display. “As an actor, I understand how nice it is to be able to turn into someone else every now and then,” Drama Club veteran, Suho, acknowledges. However, he doesn't see much difference between plain Jug and made up Jug! So he claims. His vision has gone beyond the exterior. He sees her for her, and he did the first time they met. True beauty comes from within. There's a few women out there who don't “need” makeup. That's a rare thing. Most women look better with cosmetics and they've been applying it since ancient times. There's always a tension between how things should be and how things are. Outward appearances shouldn't be how we're judged, solely. However, we should all make an effort to be our best and look our best. It's a matter of outward respect and inward dignity. Everyone has to find their comfort zone. These things have to be balanced. Somebody who's obsessed with just physical appearance is going to be a horrible, shallow person. Somebody who thinks physical appearance deserves no attention is self-absorbed and deluded. TB is more about /True Growth/ than anything else. Jug fixed her outside… but she didn't fix anything, because it was the /inside/ that needed fixing. No matter what she looks like, she still believes she's ugly. Much worse than that, however, is that she believes that's where her self-worth abides - in her exterior wrapping. It's actually preposterous, if one looks at it from a merely logical point of view. Looks don't have staying power, and the looks of a person change as one gets to know them better: Plain people may become beautiful and beautiful people could become disgusting when the outside gives way to the inside. Furthermore, when we're talking about long-term strategy, looks don't last. If you are beautiful to someone from the inside then you will be beautiful to them forever. Isn't that the ideal? TB is mostly about True Love. He saw her when she was plain and he liked her anyway. At the end of S1, these two still haven't had a chance to date. Suho has to leave the country for a family emergency. Jug doesn't know when he'll come back. Seojun, at least in part, hopes he never does. IMHO〰🖍 📣7.3 📝7.7 🎭7 💓7 🦋6 🎨7 🎵/🔊🔚7.6 ▪ 🌞5 ⚡4.5 😅3 😭2.5 😱2 😯4 🤢1 🤔…