It's rather curious that two recent kdramas that try to mock society's obsession with external beauty - My ID Is Gangnam Beauty and True Beauty - both star probably the best-looking kdrama actor today, Cha Eun Woo. His characters in both dramas are also similar - aloof with other people but passionate and faithful when it comes to the object of their affection. My kind of leading man. So I don't mind him being type-casted in this role. It suits him and it's always a treat to watch him onscreen.
In True Beauty, Lim Ju Kyung (Moon Ga-young) gets bullied for being ugly in her school. Fortunately, her family moves to another area and she gets the opportunity to start over in new surroundings. She covers up her ugliness with makeup and becomes popular in her new school where she gets entangled with the school heartthrob Lee Su Ho (Cha Eun Woo). But she becomes utterly fearful of her bare-face being found out. Frankly, I don't see the big deal about this as a lot of women cover their imperfections with makeup. Also, it seems her only problem is her skin. If she can spend all that money on makeup and even consider having plastic surgery, why not just focus her efforts on taking care of her skin?
In any case, despite the rather flimsy reason for much of Ju Kyung's grief in the drama, that is, her ugliness being found out, the drama is entertaining, with several funny scenes including parodies of other dramas like The King Eternal Monarch and Crash Landing On You. The romance, which becomes a triangle, is heartwarming.
