Welcome to Kdrama and Ramen

Welcome to my True Beauty – Unspoiled Review. A high school girl who has been bullied for being “ugly” consults youtube to learn how to apply makeup.  With a bit of practice and a tranfer to a new school for a fresh start, she becomes a beautiful and popular girl.  Her biggest fear in life is that someone will discover how she really looks under her mask of makeup.  So it is just her luck that the only person from her school who has seen her without makeup is the guy she likes.  Can he convince her that she has been beautiful all along and that true beauty comes from within?

Cha Eun Woo as Lee Su Ho

Lee Su Ho has never had an easy life.   So when he meets a girl at his local comic store who shares many of his interests and isn’t intimidated by his serious personality, he falls for her immediately.  Their relationship is blooming when Su Ho’s estranged father collapses while on a business trip to the US.  He rushes to be by his side, while trying to maintain a long-distance relationship with Ju Kyung.  But when the pressure of separation begin impacting her health he makes the difficult decision to break up with her for her own good.  When he finally returns to Korea, he is determined to win her back, no matter what it takes.

Cha Eun Woo continues to grow as an actor and this role really gave him a chance to spread his wings.  Su Ho’s troubled childhood left him with a reserved personality which was often mistaken for cold and unfriendly.  But his scenes with Ju Kyung and Seo Jun gave him an opportunity to show another side of himself.  This bromance was everything!  From the current times with Seo Jun to the memories of when Se Yeon was alive, there are fights and there is bonding and it is all so fun to watch.  And, of course his chemistry with Moon Ga Young made the love story one that will be remembered.  

Im Se Mi as Lim Hee Gyung

Hee Gyung is Ju Kyung’s older sister and an employee at the production company where Seo Jun eventually begins singing again.  She falls in love with Ju Kyung’s homeroom teacher and pursues him relentlessly.  She is brave, tenacious, and a whole lot of fun.  The role-reversal between her and Jun Woo was really cute to watch.  Hee Gyung was blunt, unsentimental, and straightforward through their whole realtionship and it made her a very memorable character.  

♥ First Kiss

This is such a small detail but I absolutely loved the fact that Su Ho and Ju Kyung’s first kiss happened while she was “bare-faced”.  It was a very sweet way for Su Ho to confirm the fact that he loved her, whether she was wearing makeup or not.  All the delays and misunderstandings came to a perfect conclusion and made a perfect start for their romantic relationship.

♥ Seo Jun’s Sacrifice

Oh Seo Jun.  Where do you even start with this one?  He had so many wonderful moments through the course of this drama, but for me the sweetest moment was when he lied to Ju Kyung and sent her running to Su Ho, while obviously breaking his own heart.  Through the entire drama, Seo Jun always put Ju Kyung’s happiness above his own, but in this moment it is more clear than ever.  He was a gentleman and a true friend right up until the very end, and that is why fans everywhere fell so hard for this amazing character.  

Su Ho’s All or Nothing

So, I have complained about this before, but I think it bears repeating.  Su Ho disappeared to the US for 2 years without once being able to get away for a short trip home?  And then, just as suddenly, he comes back to Korea and declares he is never leaving again.  “Bye dad.  It was nice.  Enjoy your time in rehab.”  It all just seemed a bit extreme to me.  And then, once back, Su Ho goes to find Ju Kyung and expects her to welcome him back like nothing happened.  I was glad he came back and of course I wanted him and Ju Kyung back together, but the pieces didn’t quite fit right and felt a little clunky.  

Rushed Ending

Really both of my other negative points hinge on this one simple truth.  The ending was just too rushed.  In 2 episodes, they tried to cover the 2 years Su Ho was gone, as well as his return and their reconciliation, not to mention bringing closure to the other characters.  I think using a few more episodes to tell this important part of the story would have made it feel more smooth and complete.  Besides the fact that we see very little of Seo Jun during these episodes.  As one of the leads, it would have been nice to see more of him in his new life.  

Well, if you have been reading until now, I’ve already given away most of my thoughts on the ending.  While I did feel like it was a bit rushed, it did manage to tie up most of the loose ends and give lots of happy endings.  Ju Kyung’s father finds a way to use his love of aromatherapy to bring some money into the house.  Hee Gyung and Han Jun Woo get his dream wedding.  Soo Ah and Tae Hoon get back together and even Hyun Gyu is dating. Ju Young is still trying to convince Go Woon to date him, but he is definitely making progress. Su Ho and Ju Kyung have settled into a nice, comfortable romance with lots of late nights at the comic store.  Ju Kyung is living her dream of studying cosmetology.  In her private life, she has learned to use less makeup and embrace more of her natural beauty.  And Seo Jun is finally making his debut as an idol.