I really, really wanted to like this one, you guys.
I mean, it’s headlined by Seo Hyun Jin, whom I think is an excellent actress, and Show’s promos made Seo Hyun Jin’s character Soo Jae look like a force to be reckoned with.
Ooh. I couldn’t say yes fast enough, basically.
Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I find myself dropping out, after 9 episodes.
Still, I hope you guys find this Dropped post useful, in helping you figure out whether this one’s for you.
Show’s pretty ambitious, in that, not only is this story about plausibly real magic, this is also quite possibly Dramaland’s first attempt at an actual musical drama (versus dramas that have musical numbers in them).
As with all first attempts, there are things that Show does well, and things which Show could have improved on, in the interest of being better and more cohesive, overall.
Choi Sung Eun is excellent as the heart of this story, and the rest of the cast puts in brave and reasonably strong performances as well, but I do think that both the story and the music could have been better managed.
Not amazing, but not bad, overall.
THE SHORT VERDICT:
True Beauty doesn’t exactly re-invent the drama wheel in any sense of the word, but it’s fun and endearing, even while it’s being tropey and silly, and altogether, it works out to be a reasonably good time, especially if you’re in the mood for something that doesn’t tax the ol’ brain much.
As a bonus, thematically, Show manages to shine a bit of a spotlight on the importance of inner beauty, even as it plays with the contrast between our female lead’s bare and made-up face.
The acting in this show may not be the most skilled or nuanced, but our characters are generally earnest, well-cast, and pretty to look at.
Moon Ga Young and Cha Eun Woo are picture perfect as our story’s leads, and share decent chemistry as the sweet OTP at the center of our story.
It’s second male lead Hwang In Yeop who ended up stealing my heart a little extra, though. I do have a bit of a weakness for broody bad boys with hidden marshmallow hearts, heh.
Far from amazing, but a solid pick for a bit of sweet, mindless froth.
THE SHORT VERDICT:
Don’t let this show’s silly, farcical trappings fool you; this one has so much heart that it simply never runs out of feels.
Fatherly love, familial love, romantic love and even platonic love; they all get their day in the sun in this drama world, and the result is a deeply heartwarming watch that I never wanted to end. This show made my heart so, so full, and I happily drowned in all of the feels.
Our cast is very strong, but I do sincerely think that this would’ve been a different show without Lee Do Hyun. He delivers such a heartfelt performance, with such a distinct sense of gravitas, that I am completely blown away.
The heart-eyes that I’ve grown for Lee Do Hyun are completely involuntary, and likely permanent. 😍
Unreservedly recommend.