K-Drama Rewind, True Beauty: Sweet Cha Eun-woo was always endgame, but how did Hwang in-Youp steal the fandom?

Picture it this way: True Beauty is the silly, sweet cousin of My ID is Gangnam Beauty. She has the same look and ideas: She just presents them in a funny, goofy, airier way, but she also knows when to clamp down and be more serious. But like her cousin before her, she gets her point across too.

These two shows, released within years of each other and starring Cha Eun-woo, describe the effect of bullying in Korean schools, especially in terms of looks. In Gangnam Beauty, the lead is so traumatised by her bullying, that she undergoes plastic surgery itself—and even then, she isn’t quite at peace. In True Beauty, Moon Ka-young presents a protagonist, who suffers from a rather low self-esteem due to her acne-prone face. She is bullied and humiliated in school and then chooses to hide behind her makeup after watching online tutorians.

And, once again, Eun-woo has to remind people that he loves them, for the people they are, and what they look like. That’s a sweet love story, with the usual complication of a love triangle, as his former best friend Seo-jun, played by Hwang in-youp, who became a fan-favourite soon after the show.

Ironically, the real seriousness and darkness in True Beauty doesn’t come with the main storyline. It’s with Suho and Seo-jun—the raw grief that pummels them both, as they struggle to come to terms with the loss of their third best friend. While Suho blames himself entirely for the death, Seo-jun blames Suho too—as a probable coping mechanism. This is where Eun-woo unleashes one of his best performances till date—a teenager trying to repress his feelings of horror, trauma, while also finding ways to be there for someone else too. You feel for both Suho and Seo-jun—and Hwang In-youp doesn’t hold back from showing bitterness, corroding resentment, for Suho, owing to his own complicated feelings. 

This was actually one of the more intriguing parts of the show—and you almost wish that it had been the main storyline, or at least more focus, given the acting by both the stars. After a rather abrupt resolution (cue hospital visit), we return to Joo-kyung’s world. Let’s just say, after her own bullying issues are resolved; there’s a deeply unnecessary break-up that follows, and a dramatic reconciliation. All’s well that ends well, and spoilers that still leave people bitter: Seo-jun doesn’t get the girl.

But why, is baffling. Yes, Seo-jun was the typical bad-boy—we all love one, don’t we—but Suho was actually the ‘nicer’, pleasant, genuine lead—and in any other show, we keep rooting for the good guy to be chosen over the complicated, rebellious one. So, sorry folks, might be an unpopular take, but Suho deserved the love story that he got; you can feel sorry for Seo-jun for sure and appreciate their chemistry, but it was Suho all along. 

So yes, on that note, True Beauty is worth your weekend. It’s fun, campy, full of eyeliner, school uniforms, and secondhand embarrassment—but also knows when to pull you into something heavier. And once you’re in, get ready for the eternal fandom feud: Team Suho or Team Seo-jun?

Just know this: Suho might not have worn leather jackets or revved a motorcycle, but he was kind, and emotionally mature. And in a K-drama world full of brooding bad boys, that alone made him stand out.