dramalover0220
Somewhere in the galaxy
This review may contain spoilers
WHAT A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE!
Story (9.5/10):
First off: No, I have not read the Webtoon. I only have read up to chapter three like two years ago. However, after watching this drama, I probably will have to pick up on where I left off. So I won't have insight on the similarities and differences between the webtoon and the drama.
Regardless, I love the set up of the storyline. Lim Jukyung is a girl who does not fit into society's beauty standard. The most heartwrenching part of this story is that she is well aware of it, not only that, there are plenty of people who made sure she was aware of it. Due to this, she "transformed" herself using the gift of makeup and "beautified" herself. That is the heart of the storyline. Then comes two handsome and charming boys who enter her world and things happen.
What I liked most about the storyline is that even though it follows the typical Korean drama tropes (a love triangle, rich boy/poor girl status, cold and aloof boy/warm and down to earth girl, and etc.), it wasn't boring or repetitive. Instead, I find that the storyline was very refreshing and relatable. There were plenty of tear-jerking scenes (I cried three times watching this drama) but I also laughed like crazy. The majority of this drama focused on the main girl's character development and her love story (and the love stories of the people around her).
The only thing that refrained me from giving this a full 10/10 is that even though the main characters were well written, the side characters (specifically the "villains") were lacking character qualities.
Acting/Cast (9/10): SPOILERS AHEAD
Moon Gayoung plays as Lim Jukyung, the girl who struggles to fit into beauty standards but eventually becomes a goddess. I have only seen Moon Gayoung in Heartstrings (2011) and EXO Next Door (2015). I haven't seen any of her recent works. However, in the two dramas I have seen her in, I liked her a lot. She played as the bratty but sweet sister in Heartstrings and the shy next-door neigboor in EXO Next Door. I've seen clips of her in Tempted and her acting skills really wowed me. I can say her acting has definitely improved since 2011 and she did a really good job as Lim Jukyung. I know everyone wanted Jisoo from Blackpink to be Lim Jukyung, but I honestly think that Moon Gayoung really aced this role. Besides that, I really enjoyed the character development of Lim Jukyung in the drama. It took a while, but with all the love and support she had, she overcame her biggest fears and insecurities.
Next up, Cha Eunwoo as Lee Suho. Oh my goodness, he is hot (obviously)!!! Everyone knew that Cha Eunwoo was for sure going to get this role, like come on, he is the living Lee Suho. The only drama I've seen Cha Eunwoo was in My ID is Gangnam Beauty (2018) and the first half of Rookie Historian (2019). His character as Lee Suho was similar to his character as Do Kyungseok in Gangnam Beauty but very different in many ways. Some similarities are that he's hot, rich, cold, got daddy issues, and he already liked the main girl before she became "pretty". However, I would say that the biggest difference between his character in Gangnam Beauty and True Beauty is that in True Beauty, you can actually feel his character. Like, his character was more human. He showed more emotions and felt real.
Hwang Inyeop as Han Seojun, can someone grab me tissues! My, my, my. My goodness are you perfect. I haven't seen any of Hwang Inyeop's works before but I'm already a big fan. We can all agree he has taken our hearts away. From the first appearance to the last, I just keep wanting to see him. I was a Team Seojun until Suho shows up and vice versa (hey, I'm indecisive). Words can not explain how much I loved his character, especially how Hwang Inyeop portrayed his unrequited love for Lim Jukyung. This second lead syndrome was similar to the Netflix movie "To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You". Laura Jean/Lim Jukyung and Peter Kavinsky/Lee Suho are made for each other, but John Ambrose McClaren/Han Seojun are made for the fans. As a wise woman once said, "A hero has to stay with the heroine. The male supporting role belongs to all." (Chen QianQian from The Romance of Tiger and Rose).
Park Yoona as the scary Kang Soojin. Can we all agree that Kang Soojin had so much more worth than just being an obstacle for the main leads? Like, she was a very, very likable character. How could they do her dirty? But then again, from what I heard, she was the bad character in the original webtoon. She had bad issues with how her dad raised her, but besides that, she was a good character. She didn't judge Lim Jikyung for how she looked, she protected her from bullies, and accepted her willingly. Her biggest mistake was betraying Lim Jikyung out of jealousy. I remember watching Park Yoona in Hotel del Luna and every time I saw her eyes, it gave me chills. The same goes for her character Kang Soojin. When she turned "evil", her cold eyes and look of satisfaction can give you nightmares. I'm waiting for the day when Park Yoona would get her own drama as the main lead!
The side characters were great! My favorites were definitely her family, especially her siblings. They each made the story fun and diverse. Did you know the actress who plays as Lim Jukyung's sister was also in Heartstrings? I was so shocked when I finally realized it was her. She played as a cute college student in Heartstrings and seeing her all grown up now made me feel nostalgic. Seojun's sister and Jukyung's brother had the cutest side story ever! Her parents also made me laugh and cry many times throughout the drama!
Music (8/10):
I didn't pay a lot of attention to the OST's. The only time I actually listened to them was when Seojun sang them. They were cute but very fitting with the emotions during each scene.
Rewatch Value (10/10):
This is definitely my to-go-to rewatch drama. There are just so many scenes where you can rewatch and not get tired.
I remember rewatching Seojun's okie-dokie yo scene a billion times before I was satisfied (I still rewatch it to this day). I don't think I can get enough of the sweet yet funny moments. It's cringy, but it fulfills the inner girly-girl in me.
Overall (9/10):
Overall, great drama. I know some of the webtoon fans were not too happy with the deviation of the original story, but I fairly enjoyed it. The only reason I'm not giving it a full 10 is that I really felt like the villain characters lacked depth. The bullies were there to bully because they felt superior to Lim Jukyung, but why so? They showed up multiple times even after when they weren't really needed and so I was expecting more for them. Same with Kang Soojin. Yeah, I get that her jealousy got to her but I really felt that her character got played dirty. More realistically, the Kang Soojin we know from the beginning of the drama would tell Lim Jukyung that she just got her feelings messed up and is fine that Jukyung and Suho are dating (they really should have ended her jealously there, they could've used the bullies to do the "exposing" and such). However, they didn't end it there. They really brought out the darkness in her, which I found really upsetting. I think it's because I really, really liked her character and couldn't accept that she could turn "evil". I was happy that she eventually got to apologize, but it still didn't do her justice. She just left the scene and came back as a more mature woman. I really wished we got more of her side of the story.
Otherwise, I'm glad at where it ended.
(P.S. Am I the only one who's curious if Han Seojun can find a woman who he can like as much as he did with LIim Jukyung? Someone who he can actually love more than her? I sincerely hope he does find the one. Jukyung was great, but I honestly did not think they were meant to be. Not because Suho came first, but because Jukyung was not even able to develop feelings for him even after 3 years. And at that point, even if she knew he liked her, I don't think she could've forced herself to like him since Suho left such a big imprint in her life. Can we get an extra episode of Han Seojun finding the one?)
First off: No, I have not read the Webtoon. I only have read up to chapter three like two years ago. However, after watching this drama, I probably will have to pick up on where I left off. So I won't have insight on the similarities and differences between the webtoon and the drama.
Regardless, I love the set up of the storyline. Lim Jukyung is a girl who does not fit into society's beauty standard. The most heartwrenching part of this story is that she is well aware of it, not only that, there are plenty of people who made sure she was aware of it. Due to this, she "transformed" herself using the gift of makeup and "beautified" herself. That is the heart of the storyline. Then comes two handsome and charming boys who enter her world and things happen.
What I liked most about the storyline is that even though it follows the typical Korean drama tropes (a love triangle, rich boy/poor girl status, cold and aloof boy/warm and down to earth girl, and etc.), it wasn't boring or repetitive. Instead, I find that the storyline was very refreshing and relatable. There were plenty of tear-jerking scenes (I cried three times watching this drama) but I also laughed like crazy. The majority of this drama focused on the main girl's character development and her love story (and the love stories of the people around her).
The only thing that refrained me from giving this a full 10/10 is that even though the main characters were well written, the side characters (specifically the "villains") were lacking character qualities.
Acting/Cast (9/10): SPOILERS AHEAD
Moon Gayoung plays as Lim Jukyung, the girl who struggles to fit into beauty standards but eventually becomes a goddess. I have only seen Moon Gayoung in Heartstrings (2011) and EXO Next Door (2015). I haven't seen any of her recent works. However, in the two dramas I have seen her in, I liked her a lot. She played as the bratty but sweet sister in Heartstrings and the shy next-door neigboor in EXO Next Door. I've seen clips of her in Tempted and her acting skills really wowed me. I can say her acting has definitely improved since 2011 and she did a really good job as Lim Jukyung. I know everyone wanted Jisoo from Blackpink to be Lim Jukyung, but I honestly think that Moon Gayoung really aced this role. Besides that, I really enjoyed the character development of Lim Jukyung in the drama. It took a while, but with all the love and support she had, she overcame her biggest fears and insecurities.
Next up, Cha Eunwoo as Lee Suho. Oh my goodness, he is hot (obviously)!!! Everyone knew that Cha Eunwoo was for sure going to get this role, like come on, he is the living Lee Suho. The only drama I've seen Cha Eunwoo was in My ID is Gangnam Beauty (2018) and the first half of Rookie Historian (2019). His character as Lee Suho was similar to his character as Do Kyungseok in Gangnam Beauty but very different in many ways. Some similarities are that he's hot, rich, cold, got daddy issues, and he already liked the main girl before she became "pretty". However, I would say that the biggest difference between his character in Gangnam Beauty and True Beauty is that in True Beauty, you can actually feel his character. Like, his character was more human. He showed more emotions and felt real.
Hwang Inyeop as Han Seojun, can someone grab me tissues! My, my, my. My goodness are you perfect. I haven't seen any of Hwang Inyeop's works before but I'm already a big fan. We can all agree he has taken our hearts away. From the first appearance to the last, I just keep wanting to see him. I was a Team Seojun until Suho shows up and vice versa (hey, I'm indecisive). Words can not explain how much I loved his character, especially how Hwang Inyeop portrayed his unrequited love for Lim Jukyung. This second lead syndrome was similar to the Netflix movie "To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You". Laura Jean/Lim Jukyung and Peter Kavinsky/Lee Suho are made for each other, but John Ambrose McClaren/Han Seojun are made for the fans. As a wise woman once said, "A hero has to stay with the heroine. The male supporting role belongs to all." (Chen QianQian from The Romance of Tiger and Rose).
Park Yoona as the scary Kang Soojin. Can we all agree that Kang Soojin had so much more worth than just being an obstacle for the main leads? Like, she was a very, very likable character. How could they do her dirty? But then again, from what I heard, she was the bad character in the original webtoon. She had bad issues with how her dad raised her, but besides that, she was a good character. She didn't judge Lim Jikyung for how she looked, she protected her from bullies, and accepted her willingly. Her biggest mistake was betraying Lim Jikyung out of jealousy. I remember watching Park Yoona in Hotel del Luna and every time I saw her eyes, it gave me chills. The same goes for her character Kang Soojin. When she turned "evil", her cold eyes and look of satisfaction can give you nightmares. I'm waiting for the day when Park Yoona would get her own drama as the main lead!
The side characters were great! My favorites were definitely her family, especially her siblings. They each made the story fun and diverse. Did you know the actress who plays as Lim Jukyung's sister was also in Heartstrings? I was so shocked when I finally realized it was her. She played as a cute college student in Heartstrings and seeing her all grown up now made me feel nostalgic. Seojun's sister and Jukyung's brother had the cutest side story ever! Her parents also made me laugh and cry many times throughout the drama!
Music (8/10):
I didn't pay a lot of attention to the OST's. The only time I actually listened to them was when Seojun sang them. They were cute but very fitting with the emotions during each scene.
Rewatch Value (10/10):
This is definitely my to-go-to rewatch drama. There are just so many scenes where you can rewatch and not get tired.
I remember rewatching Seojun's okie-dokie yo scene a billion times before I was satisfied (I still rewatch it to this day). I don't think I can get enough of the sweet yet funny moments. It's cringy, but it fulfills the inner girly-girl in me.
Overall (9/10):
Overall, great drama. I know some of the webtoon fans were not too happy with the deviation of the original story, but I fairly enjoyed it. The only reason I'm not giving it a full 10 is that I really felt like the villain characters lacked depth. The bullies were there to bully because they felt superior to Lim Jukyung, but why so? They showed up multiple times even after when they weren't really needed and so I was expecting more for them. Same with Kang Soojin. Yeah, I get that her jealousy got to her but I really felt that her character got played dirty. More realistically, the Kang Soojin we know from the beginning of the drama would tell Lim Jukyung that she just got her feelings messed up and is fine that Jukyung and Suho are dating (they really should have ended her jealously there, they could've used the bullies to do the "exposing" and such). However, they didn't end it there. They really brought out the darkness in her, which I found really upsetting. I think it's because I really, really liked her character and couldn't accept that she could turn "evil". I was happy that she eventually got to apologize, but it still didn't do her justice. She just left the scene and came back as a more mature woman. I really wished we got more of her side of the story.
Otherwise, I'm glad at where it ended.
(P.S. Am I the only one who's curious if Han Seojun can find a woman who he can like as much as he did with LIim Jukyung? Someone who he can actually love more than her? I sincerely hope he does find the one. Jukyung was great, but I honestly did not think they were meant to be. Not because Suho came first, but because Jukyung was not even able to develop feelings for him even after 3 years. And at that point, even if she knew he liked her, I don't think she could've forced herself to like him since Suho left such a big imprint in her life. Can we get an extra episode of Han Seojun finding the one?)
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