"True Beauty" (Korean: 여신강림) is a South Korean television series starring Moon Ka-young, Cha Eun-woo, Hwang In-youp, and Park Yoo-na. The show is based on a webtoon with the same name by Yaongyi. It follows the story of a high school girl who learns to use makeup to change her appearance after facing bullying and discrimination because others thought she was unattractive. The series aired on tvN from December 9, 2020, to February 4, 2021, every Wednesday and Thursday at 22:30 (KST). In 2021, Forbes named it the best Korean drama of that year.

Plot

Lim Ju-kyung is a high school student who faced challenges with how she saw herself because of bullying as a child. Her classmates often said she was unattractive, which made her feel insecure and embarrassed. To escape this difficult situation, she decided to move to a new school. She learned how to use makeup to change her appearance, which helped her feel more confident. At her new school, people thought she was naturally beautiful and gave her the nickname "goddess."

Before moving, Ju-kyung had a very hard time because of the bullying. She once tried to hurt herself by jumping from a building, but she was saved by Lee Su-ho, a wealthy student who was not friendly. At the time, Ju-kyung was not wearing her glasses, so she could not see his face, and Lee Su-ho did not recognize her because of her new look.

At her new school, Ju-kyung met Lee Su-ho again, but neither of them remembered their past connection. She also met Han Seo-jun, a student who was rebellious but had talent. The three formed a unique relationship. One day, Ju-kyung visited a comic store without makeup and accidentally met Lee Su-ho. She was scared he might see her face without makeup, but Lee Su-ho recognized her as the girl he had once saved. They became friends, and over time, he learned about her secret of using makeup.

At the same time, Han Seo-jun became Ju-kyung’s friend and began to develop feelings for her, creating a situation where three people were involved in a relationship. Throughout high school, Ju-kyung struggled to keep her secret hidden, but eventually, others discovered the truth about her appearance. Although she felt embarrassed at first, she grew stronger and learned to accept herself. She later pursued a career as a cosmetologist, turning her love for makeup into a profession and proving that confidence matters more than looks.

Throughout these experiences, Ju-kyung and Lee Su-ho supported each other and became stronger together. They found happiness in their relationship and accepted each other’s true selves, while Han Seo-jun let go of his feelings for Ju-kyung.

Cast

• Moon Ga-young plays Lim Ju-kyung. Lee Go-eun plays young Ju-kyung.

• Cha Eun-woo plays Lee Su-ho. Lee Seung-woo plays young Su-ho.

• Hwang In-youp plays Han Seo-jun.

• Park Yoo-na plays Kang Su-jin.

• Jang Hye-jin plays Hong Hyun-sook.

• Park Ho-san plays Lim Jae-pil.

• Im Se-mi plays Lim Hee-kyung. Park Seo-kyung plays young Hee-kyung (ep. 1).

• Kim Min-gi plays Lim Ju-young. Park Ju-hwan plays young Ju-young (ep. 1).

• Jung Joon-ho plays Lee Joo-heon.

• Yeo Joo-ha plays Han Go-woon.

• Park Hyun-jung [ko] plays Lee Mi-hyang.

• Seo Sang-won plays Kang Jun-hyuk.

• Yoo Dam-yeon plays Kim Ji-yeon.

• Oh Eui-shik plays Han Joon-woo.

• Kang Min-ah plays Choi Soo-ah.

• Lee Il-jun [ko] plays Yoo Tae-hoon.

• Lee Sang-jin plays Ahn Hyun-gyu.

• Han Yi-young plays Ha Ji-young.

• Lee Woo-je plays Kim Cho-rong.

• Kim Hyun-ji plays Kim Si-hyun.

• Kim Myung-ji [ko] plays Jin Hee-jeong.

• Kim Byung-chun [ko] plays the vice-principal of Saebom High School.

• Shin Jae-hwi plays Lee Sung-yong.

• Jeon Hye-won plays Park Sae-mi.

• Oh Yoo-jin plays Joo Hye-min.

• Seo Hye-won plays Park Ji-hee.

• Im Hyun-sung [ko] plays Wang Ja.

• Park Young-soo [ko] plays Columbus Park.

Production

In July 2019, it was said that Line Webtoon's True Beauty would be turned into a television series. In August 2020, the team making the show chose Moon Ga-young, Cha Eun-woo, and Hwang In-youp to play the main characters. The first time the script was read together happened in October 2020. Filming stopped for a while in late December 2020 after Kim Byung-chun tested positive for COVID-19. The first pictures from filming were shown on November 10, 2020, one month before the series began.

In an interview, Yaongyi explained that she created and drew the male main character, Lee Su-ho, thinking of actor and singer Cha Eun-woo.

Release

The series was first available for streaming on Viu and Rakuten Viki. It was added to Amazon Prime Video on October 21, 2021. In 2023, the series became available on Netflix in certain areas.

Original soundtrack

The official track list for the True Beauty: Original Soundtrack album was released by Stone Music Entertainment on February 5, 2021. Tracks without listed lyricists or composers are the drama's musical score. The artists listed for these tracks are the composers.

The album reached number 5 on the weekly Gaon Album Chart. By March 2021, 40,786 copies had been sold.

Here is the list of singles from the True Beauty: Original Soundtrack album.