The thread is now open for spoilers, discussions and vocal distaste for unscrupulous characters.
Gifs from bright-vachirawit’s tumblr
Hmmm…has SeoJun seen JoKyung without her make-up yet? What’s the delay? I’m sure he isn’t going to change his feelings for her anyway at this point.
Gifs from liveasbutterflies’ tumblr
Isn’t this sort of a reverse discrimination when you can’t accept a guy simply because he’s beautiful and smart?
And what’s this about Suho being hit by a car?
Let’s enjoy the show!
Thanks @pkml3. I received the alert email for this thread just fine today. Missed about 3 or so new posts before this, but it’s all good now. I’ll keep monitoring.
Hah! The reverse bias against beauty. Sometimes I feel that way, or rather … the thoughts that pass through my mind: “That person is so good-looking he probably is arrogant and will not want to make friends with people who don’t suck up to him or he’s got so much attention already, so why should I bother about him” … stuff like that.
So yeah, I feel that there could be biases on anything, and since we’re on the True Beauty thread, I’ll go with: there are biases whether it’s looking good, average or not (again depending on one’s own lenses).
And another ‘Hah!’ about the horrible kdrama drivers in SKorea. They see in broad daylight two people running on the road and somehow the brakes cannot be applied to slow down the car at all, so that one victim can actually dramatically fly upwards (very poetically, so it had to be Suho) while the other rolls off.
The cliffhanger lasts all of 3 seconds because of course in the preview, we see that they are alive.
I’d be interested to know if Seo Jun would react to JK’s bare face the way he treats his sister. He’s mighty fond of his sister, but of course he does not see her as his romantic partner. But knowing that his own sister has the same issue with a bare face and bullying, he might be more understanding towards JK.
I also don’t get why the airbags don’t deploy in car accidents, @GB. Like, do none of the airbags in kdramas ever work?
@pkml3 well, that totally spoils the PPL about how good Korean cars are, if basic in-car safety levels like airbags do not make their appearance upon impact.
For fun I googled air bags and read a post that says it’s expensive to put the airbag back into cars after they have been deployed. Hmmm… that could be the reason why we see no kdrama airbags. The post went on to say that auto sellers or even workshops cheat car owners who do not know that airbags were not replaced after an accident.
One piece of advice among several other points is: “Have the air bags checked if the air bag light blinks or stays on; if the light never comes on, as it should, briefly upon starting the engine; or the seat belts don’t retract normally.” This, especially, if one is buying a used car, and even if the car supposedly never met with an accident before.
I did not fully read the manhwa but I know that Kang Soojin is a really nasty character there. They said they changed a lot on the KSJ character in the drama but TV* is really hurting me more with what they’re doing to KSJ. After making her a good girl friend to JK, they’re now shifting her to be a nasty bully without a solid reason except a crush that she realized few minutes ago. They probably need to do it to add conflict on the show, but they should give a more acceptable reason. JK deserves a friend like the good Soojin. I’m heartbroken.
Anw, I’m starting to appreciate Seojun having a real shot in the triangle. His feelings towards JK are sincere now opposite to the former episodes where he’s just bothering/using JK to get back at SH. The way he tried to step back after learning JK is already dating. He can even give a real Second Male Lead syndrome unlike the Han from the other show. They seem to be developing HSJ to be a good friend to both JK and SH (the seemingly reconciliation with SH as shown in the preview).
I guess Dalmi should come and pitch their self-driving cars to all the shows so traffic accidents can be prevented hahaha
Heheheh! @J The idea of safe self-driving cars did pop into my mind, but it’s funny to see that you’re suggesting Dal Mi come over and sell them in True Beauty.
Well, if Soo Jin really becomes the mean girl as we said in previous posts, I’ll be very disappointed. I wanted a more mature SFL or rather, I wanted the Soo Jin that she was portrayed to be for over 10 episodes to remain a grounded and reasonable friend. For her to suddenly be possessed by a spirit of meanness is too jarring and out of place. Shows should never have personality transplants except if they’re dealing with Dissociative Personality Disorder.
I’ve watched Episode 11 raw. I found myself walking away from the screen a lot. Some parts made me cringe. The manhwa-ness pops up at times, over the ridiculous hoops that characters jump through in order to hide themselves. I end up wanting to advise people that if they cannot be above board and open about their relationships, they should not be in them.
Several scenes we really have to close one or both eyes to, such as how patients in casts are able to do what those boys do and how they can be allowed to.
Aside from the fun parts, the stage is set for more serious times. We get to know who Leo is and Su Ho’s father has to face the consequences of his crime.
There are a lot of jaywalkers in K Dramas. I also wonder about the speed limit and how people do u turns almost when they think of it in heavy traffic.Not to mention how turn signals seem like useless accessories. It almost makes it seem that drivers ed us non-existent. And those alley ways-yikes. I live in driver notorious New York City where we now seem to be downright slow and pokey compared to Seoul-cab drivers included. And when there are only lesser injuries in head on collisions-definitely belongs to the sci fi fantasy genre. This is definitely some k drama cultural differences that I have reluctantly started to get used to.
Another is the meaning of fillial relationships.Seems to me that it only goes so far as respect and obedience to ones elders without regard to whether ones elders are abusers. And the chaebols can be some of the meanest-abusing physically, financially and mentally. And so much of it seems to be pure bullying. What interests me is the fact that cultural differences prove to be problematic when it comes to child welfare in the US. Here a latchkey kid could have a parent charged with neglect. Physical punishment is viewed as abuse. I was a mandated reporter and saw the impact of cultural differences.I still can’t stomach the slap and corporal punishment scenes in K Dramas.
And the magic of make up along with the removal of eyeglasses seems universal. But make up and skin care in K Dramas represent an easy way to do product placement. In this drama so far, it doesn’t seem to be as obnoxious as in others. But I love eyeglasses. Beautiful people wear eye glasses AND they can see! And glasses are great for creating personality. I live the way are heroine looks without makeup and in glasses, just as I liked our heroine in She Was Pretty with her rosacea and frizzy hair. And I do believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that learning a person’s good character makes that person beautiful even if s/he is not classically good looking. Also see different cultural standards-very fascinating.
K Dramas, to my mind, are a treasure trove of cultural difference discussions. And thus is a wonderful place to learn about all of it.
Haven’t watched but my daughter started this drama a few days ago and she’s smitten by SeoJun and the actor who plays him 😂🙄. Lots of squealing and “Omo-s” emanating from her room last night as she binged it and she informed me today that she’s up to speed (although she did admit to “skipping” parts). When I asked her what she thought about SooJin and her sudden change to mean girl I drew a blank look from her…so I guess I know which parts she conveniently “skipped”. She also casually informed me that she prefers “cat people” (the actor who plays SeoJun looks feline she said). And when I asked her what CEW was then? She piped “Kang-Ah-Ji” (puppy) – so I guess he falls into the “dog person” category. Beats me what that has anything to do with the plot but she’s your quintessential fan girl so I always find her comments amusing. 😂
For Soo-ho’s sake I’m glad that his dad is not the one behind Se-yeon’s bullying rumor.
I still don’t get Soo-jin’s 180 changes. I would thought someone like her would be too proud to chase after someone who clearly do not reciprocate her feelings.
Ep11 is titled “The truth about SeYeon”. I agree @GB there were cringey over the top moments. But CEW seems to have finally relaxed into the role? He did a decent job in Ep11. The sweet couple moments were just…sweet. Aww… 🥰. And I agree with @Ella that it was strange how SooJin changed so suddenly. The boys have finally reconciled. And for what it’s worth, SeoJun is turning out to be the friend they both need in their corner. The street savvy one who can see through SooJin.
I watched a little clip where MGY was asked to describe IJK and she said she thought she was like candy. So that makes sense why she portrays her with the cutesy voice to accentuate her “sweetness”.
I’m falling more and more in love with SeoJun after finishing Ep11! I think I’ll have my first case of SLS (but not the crazy kind) LOL!
The boys will finally patch things up now that the misunderstandings have been cleared. So cute how the two boys are supporting one another. Suho helping SeoJun pee was hilarious.
I hope SooJin being a mean girl and all will not join forces with the bullies from JK’s previous school.
@Ella, also glad that Suho’s dad realizes his mistakes and making amends for it.
Not sure about Soojin but I hope she turns around and eventually fights the bullies from the previous school to for JK. I believe she was sincere in the previous conversations and is innately a nice friend. The jealousy is making her act out of her own character.
The encounter of the classmates visiting Suho and Seojun at the hospital was hilarious, that had me in stitches in the many ways things can they stay beyond their welcome. If I remember, the broken aloe vera, the underwear on their head as they tease SeoJun, and the pink sock showing.
Also because I am watching Run On, watching ImSiwan’s acting the awkward character that doesn’t always say a lot, and then comparing that with CEW. I really felt something missing about CEW’s acting. Does anyone feel this way? I get that CEW’s character is a more withdrawn one but…
@grace yes. CEW is patchy in his acting and like you I find him stiff at times. I do think that he’s relaxed more since Ep10. But yes to Im SiWan. Did you read Packmule’s recent post about him? He’s one of those rare few who leaves you with little doubt as to his innermost thoughts and feelings when he acts.
Ju-kyung was gifting Su-ho yarn balls to help with anxiety saying knitting helps to ease mind 🤣🤣
For me Su-ho and Seo-jun friendship was the highlights of this week episodes.
I’m glad that they reconcile, and Seo-jun warning Su-ho about Soo-jin.
Ep12 is titled “Transfer Student”. No time to watch till later.
PS before I forget, I much preferred the heartfelt hug to the kiss.
@nrllee
Me too. Hug and hugs actually, since this show has more than 2!! were a lot more swoony than the kisses. To be fair, we don’t want high school kids to go for the (ahem!) adult style kisses. But I really liked the comfort and solidarity hugs. Now we need one proper one between SJ and SH.
Thanks, nrllee.
If you see any meta, just holler, ok? Viki subbers have been surprisingly quick with this drama. They must have Cha EunWoo fans in the team. 😜
@packmule3 I am not an authority on metas because I haven’t watched enough KDramas for it to trigger memories. I have a feeling the cringey bits with the parents and the sister have some references. I think another member of the Extraordinary You cast is making a cameo. I forget his name. The 3rd boy in the BK, DoHwan trio?
@packmule3 regarding CEW I must admit there have been instances in the drama where I just stared at his beautiful face and those locks of hair skimming his eyes. Sigh… why can’t he act though? He’s getting better but a lot of the times the delivery is just flat. Maybe it’s the Botox. 🤔 😂
What are everyone’s thoughts about why SooJin suddenly becomes obsessive about SuHo? Is it because he rescued her from her father at dinner? Is it her fear of losing him as a friend because JK suddenly showed up? Does she REALLY like him? If she did, why did she wait till JK appeared to make her move? 🤔. SeoJun’s arc was somewhat clearer. It started off as a competition but he’s mellowed now and aligned himself with the “bros before hoes” (crude I know but it does the job of explaining it well enough) mantra. He still likes her but he’s drawn the line, he knows she likes SuHo so he hasn’t gone down the route of being underhanded or mean. Not so SooJin. There’s almost a desperation in her actions? To the point where I am afraid that even if she succeeds in tearing the lovebirds apart, if SuHo turns his back on her, she may well decide to do what SeYeon did. I am trying to understand where the writer is going with her character and how (or if) she will attempt to redeem her in the end. There’s only 4 eps left for her to wrap it all up.
@nrllee
Soo-jin change of personality is something I can’t fathom for the love of me. I was looking for an explanation and in Ep 12 she had this conversation with Su-ho:
Soo-jin: It’s because I like you. I see you’re not surprised. Were you aware of it?
Su-ho: Are you kidding me right now? Aren’t you and Ju-kyung friends?
Soo-jin: We will be if you don’t like her.
Su-ho: What?
Soo-jin: She’s sweet and warm-hearted. It’s why I like her too. But not as much as I like you though. If I can’t have you, then I’ll toss her to the side.
So break up with her if you don’t want to see her lose a friend and get hurt.
Su-ho: You don’t seem like the Kang Soo-jin I know.
Yes thank you Su-ho for saying it out loud. The thing is she’s a smart girl, before her sudden changes I did not see her as someone so ruthless. I understand if she’s upset upon finding out that Su-ho date Ju-kyung or maybe even giving Ju-kyung the silent treatment for a while but throwing the necklace in the fire, pretending to be nice to Ju-kyung and to go so far as outing Ju-kyung. I don’t get it.
@nrllee I think Suho became softer and warmer thanks to JK. So he showed concern about Soo-Jin and started to have activities with the cercle of friends. She always had feelings for him but he was very cold, never smiled, rude with people, and she knew she had no chance. But now that he showed a new side, I guess she let herself to believe there was a chance, not knowing the reason of this change.
@Sayaris. I know. It was just so sudden? Her mean girl streak? I was trying to work out why she had the sudden change of heart. I guess that may be why. That she saw the softer side of SuHo (especially when he rescued her from her dad). I think she has a very warped view of what love is (thanks to her overbearing dad and her weak mother). We’ve seen her competitive side (academically). So I was trying to work out if she was like how SeoJun was in the beginning and competing for SuHo. But it’s bordering on obsessive now. And he’s made it very clear he doesn’t feel for her that way. And if he and JK break up it’s highly unlikely that he will revert back to the way it was before with SooJin anyway. She keeps harping on them being friends for 10 years (as if he belonged to her or something?) but SuHo and JK go back to when they were children too? At the comic store? When she made him laugh? Did SooJin really like him all this time? And just never showed it? Maybe you are right in that he softened after he met JK so that sparked her (SJ) to confess her feelings. I still feel that it was the thought of losing him that triggered this desperation. But whatever it was it doesn’t excuse her backstabbing behavior. Poor JK. It does look like she will have to finally remove that mask of hers and learn to deal with the reality. And her family will finally understand where she’s coming from. She will have to stand up and be counted at school. Running away doesn’t solve it.
@nrllee I also felt Soojin’s change was a bit sudden, although she did show manipulative tendencies in the previous episodes when she was super nice to Jukyung, giving her the matching scrunchie and everything, presumably to try to guilt her into leaving Suho. She knew Jukyung didn’t have any friends before and that she’s the kind of person who wouldn’t want to hurt her friends or lose them. But I still felt surprised about what she did in the recent episode and her conversation with Suho. I guess she’s just mentally unstable at the moment, not only due to the situation with her best friend dating her crush but also the pressure and abuse from her dad about her grades in school. I do hope she and JK will reconcile in the end.
I have the same sentiment on Soojin’s 180 change. Maybe it’s about power, she’s the only one in school who knew about JK’s bareface secret and also the dating plus she’s the closest person to Suho prior. She feels powerless in her family situation and this may be her way of gaining back some of that power and control with her “friends”.
She has turned into a crafty and manipulative mean person which is even more dangerous than bullies. At least for the bullies, you know them outright and can try to get out of their way. I would not want to be Soojin’s friend at all.
I still have to catch up on the last 2 eps. Thank God it’s Friday and weekend soon!
I thought Episode 12 contained too many filler scenes (i.e., one kiss would have been enough; I, too, prefer the hugs). The last kiss took a long time because it was shot from multiple camera angles–which I thought was reserved only for first kisses in k-dramas! The story arc seemed at a stasis for most of the episode, waiting for Soo-jin’s big betrayal/reveal.
As I said in an earlier post, I don’t get Soo-jin’s personality change, going from heroine to bully because of a CRUSH? There needed to be more backstory on this one. Of course, we had seen her in the past checking up on Su Ho when he was absent–were those texts and calls indication enough that she was in love with him? Or maybe this is less a crush than a competition. After all those years of being in competition with Su Ho, in her mind she is bested by a girl who is less worthy than her–poorer, less smart, less pretty. The only indication of Soo-jin’s psychological mindset has been her vigorously washing her hands. It seems to me instead of spending time on all those kisses we could have seen more of Soo-jin’s home life or some other indication of her inner thoughts.
I also didn’t get the reaction of her friends to her reveal. They aren’t going to be friends with her because she has acne?? Weren’t they friends with her because she was fun and kind? Are looks that important in a SK high school? If I had been one of those girls I would have said, “Can you teach me how to do makeup since you’re so GOOD at it??” They defended her against all those bullies at the karaoke club. Why wouldn’t they defend her against these girl bullies?
Does anyone know under whose account the photo of Ju-kyung kissing Su Ho and the video of Ju-kyung being bullied were posted? I assume it was one of the bully girls but I couldn’t read the Korean to know.
BTW have they dropped the meta references at this point?
I just want to comment on what appears to be Soo+jin’s sudden change of personality. I think we are missing out on one important fact-she is a teen-age girl. No plot explanation is needed although it would be fun to Teen-sgers can change on a dime. Slights get blown up and one sided crushes can cause all kinds of turmoil. And if the girl who gets the guy is a friend, just bring on the antipathy. As adults, how soon do we forget teen-age angst and the behavioral changes, many detrimental. Soo-jin doesn’t yet know that Soo-jin likes JK without her make up and sees her for her kind heart.I think that Soo-jin’s final mean girl act will have something to do with outing JK to her current school friends in the goddess contest somehow hoping to change Soo-jin’s opinion of her and cause her the humiliation that Soo-jin feels herself. And no matter how smart the teen is, the judgment can be warped. So the seemingly sudden turn about is completely plausible if you also see it in the context of Soo-jin’s home life. She is lashing out at the only person she feels power to do anything to harm. So we adults may be somewhat far away from viscerally remebering all the machinations of teen-age angst.And of course, now to make matters worse we have the internet!
My snippet on my thoughts of the episode; The theme was bullying and its effects
So remember how I said that Soojin is not who I’m cursing by the end of this episode. I’m so angry and upset at her; I was also disappointed with the writing because it’s basic and I detest girl hate. Soojin’s character has now been ruined officially; there’s no way she can come back from her actions this episode. She’s become essentially like Semi, and it’s painful to watch. First of all, she tried to pretend things were okay in episode 11, she did try, but her feelings and her reliance on Suho was more critical, and as much as I hate her, I can understand her desperation.
Suho is the only person who knows and can help her with her own bullying situation. She’s being even more bullied harshly by her own father, she’s also being psychologically, emotionally and physically tormented and she can’t escape this person. It’s haunting. And it’s heartbreaking because she doesn’t truly have friends (apart from Kyung) because she’s always the one people rely on (like Suho), she’s put in this state of always being the person who defends, and fights, and protects and does what’s right. Her life is seen as privileged, and great, and wealthy, and she has everything even the looks that Kyung desperately suffers because of. She’s always had to rely on her strength and her self and her brains, but when she’s broken and exhausted and needs someone to run to; Suho was that person, and now Kyung was making Suho not be able to be that person.
Her mindset is ruined because she can’t find anyone else to turn to, her father is just as influential as Suho’s father and the school won’t protect her from him and need her good grades to stay with the reputation they seek, no adult can defeat her father, and so she’s stuck. It’s so worrying, watching her run into her room and she couldn’t escape him because he was pounding on the door determined to enter and hit her more. And her mother is spineless and lets it happen, so Soojin is the most broken character and the most alone out of everyone in the show. Kyung is going through a lot of trauma, and her situation is so messed up but Kyung at the end of the day has Suho, she has Seojun as well, though she doesn’t know the extent, she has her family even though her mum is not the best, she has her dad, her sister etc. Soojin has no one to run to. Kyung can’t do anything to help her with the situation, and Kyung is taking away the one thing that probably could help her in her opinion.
Everyone is quick to hate and judge Soojin but her character arc makes sense because at the end of the day there is really no other place to run to, to avoid regressing into self-harm (washing her hands till they bleed and crack) but to put that pain on others, to feel resentment, jealousy, anger and desperation to get rid of an obstacle. Sadly, she had to endure this torment and become a shell of her self because she’s now going to take it too far and it won’t be forgivable if she keeps on making Kyung feel like she shouldn’t be alive. It won’t be right no matter what. And we see how far she can go by her actions in episode 12. She may be the typical second lead female we wanted her not to be, but she’s written well, and her trajectory makes sense. I just hope she reforms before it’s too late.
So bullying is a big deal in True Beauty, it’s what’s really causing all our characters to spiral into the trauma and pain they are in. Suho and Seojun may not be bullied, but they’re co-products of it, by losing Seyeon they also had to suffer because of what bullying does. In a world where the adults aren’t truly dependable, are more distracted by the need for reputation, status and fame, and act inhumanely when it comes to the suffering of these teens, who could really help our characters? They’re all going through their pain and trauma alone and being pushed to the point of seeing life as futile and empty. Everyone in true beauty is a victim of this callous society and adults. And it’s unsettling.
Good points, @BeingWritten. Thanks. I’ll keep them in mind when I watch Eps 11 and 12 this weekend.
@OldAmericanLady yes we need to take into account the nastiness that prevails in high school and to attempt to understand SooJin’s actions viewed through the lens of an adolescent.
Your analysis of SooJin is plausible @BeingWritten. That’s why I think there’s a desperation in her actions that hasn’t been clearly addressed. It goes deeper than just petty girl hate. As you’ve said, she seems to be projecting her fear of losing SuHo (her only “friend” – although if I had to pick, I think JK is far better as a friend than SuHo). Maybe like you intimate she sees SuHo as her “saviour”. The episode where he rescued her elevated him to a Messianic status in her eyes. He is seen to be her only means of “escape” from the hellhole that is her home life because of her father. SuHo has become her only lifeline which is why she is pulling all stops to “keep him” for herself (at the expense of JK).
You made me smile, @ Old American Lady. I remember when I was SooJin’s age, my dad said that he expected me to be a very nice girl everyday except for days with “T.” He meant Tuesdays and Thursdays. I could raise hell on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
I argued that “Today,” “Tonight,” and “Tomorrow” should also be included.
@packmule3, You were formidable then. You are formidable now. Just love your comment. And I hope you got to raise some hell too!
@nrllee, I think the theme of cruel teens, who bully, is universal. It’s exacerbated by raging hormones and now the horrors of the misuse of the internet.
I also think that Suho has to be her only savior because it appears that they come from the same social class in a highly stratified society. Soojin is very aware of her social position. She can afford to be magnanimous, And, in her school position, as the smartest girl in her class, she derives school prestige that she doesn’t get from her father. It is here that even all of her hard work did nothing to make her the image of her high school that went to our lower class, academically challenged heroine. All because our heroine won an internet beauty contest that Soojin knew she didn’t “deserve” because of her use of make up. (Ironically beauty derived from make up, skin care and plastic surgery is anhuge industry in South Korea) And so, in her fury,Sojin, who had previously been above board, sinks to being the engine of our heroines humiliation and the epitome of the frenemy. And teen humiliation is the ultimate punishment.
And, nevertheless, after Suho witnesses Soojin angrily throwing his gift necklace in the fire, Suho, who knows
our heroine’s true beauty, rejects Soojin. So by her very actions, Soojin is the architect of her own misery.
@OldAmericanLady you speak the truth. 🙂. SooJin is indeed the architect of her own misery to a certain extent. Misery loves company. So if she can’t have SuHo, neither should JK? Her behavior is self destructive. Which is why I suspect it stems from something far deeper and visceral than just jealous rage. Actually studies have shown that bullying behavior is often fear based. And bullies have low self esteem.
@nrllee, The themes of this drama are far deeper than what it originally appeared to be – a frothy examination of glamour. I do hope we learn more about Soojin’s difficulties/origins of her problems with dad. In so many of these dramas children are trophies and fillial culture goes one way. And it’s very confusing for women-rxpected to be obedient, go of students but heaven forbid that they’re independent thinkers because, ugh-they won’t be good marriage material. And for certain upper classes marriage is actually a business merger. So Soo-jin would expect to be paired with Suho. After all she knew him when and they travelled in the same circles. No wonder she didn’t think JK could be a threat and she, Soo-jin could be her “friend” because she could be the magnanimous lady bountiful by buying her off cheap for the price of a scrunchie. The power dimensions here are fascinating. The two boys actually have a real friendship and their road to understanding is so touching. What’s best about them is that they defy Korean male norms.
And finally I live that the guys knit and crochet. They should have a knitting circle with Dosan. Lived the dropped stitch thing. Maybe the knitting was a meta reference to Start Up. This writer is very crafty…
Re. the meta references, I like Old American Lady’s suggestion that the knitting might be a reference to Start-Up’s hero, Nam Dosan, who was a knitter.
I haven’t watched this week’s episodes. Will tell you when I find something.
I agree. If I had a classmate who knew how to do make-up like a pro, she’d always be invited to my slumber parties.
Watching Soojin’s change, I wondered if it is also her family background where her parents put the pressure on her to perform, and one of the ways she expresses her angst has gone beyond her hand washing but to someone she can really hurt like how her dad hurts her. If you compare her to Seojun who comes from a family background where he is loved, he has a secure home where he is loved for who he is. Could this be the divide between their responses towards their unreciprocated love?
I thought of JiPyeong from Start-up and the scrunchy incident. Soojin is doing worse: she deliberately ruined JK’s reputation in school when JK has trusted her as a good friend. Which reminds me of what you said when a girl does something that low we will not hesitate to call her out for being mean, actually it is way out of line and worse than a bully. Bullying is a big theme in this show.
So glad with Seojun’s reaction towards the JK’s previous school bullies showing how JK looked like without make-up. He was not shocked, he was expressionless as if ‘So what?’ When you really like a person you like and accept them for who they are. At that is what true beauty, and true love is like.
I don’t hate Soo-jin, I just don’t get her change of behavior thus I’m trying to find the source and reasoning.
Then again I watch True Beauty lightly so most likely I’ve missed clues here and there. Is it because she’s losing control, she pretty much took Ju-kyung under her wings, she befriend and protected Ju-kyung, and kept her secret so she expect some kind of misguided loyalty out of Ju-kyung.
She tested Ju-kyung by telling Ju-kyung her crush on Su-ho, she fully expected Ju-kyung to back off so when Ju-kyung told her that she’s dating Su-ho instead, that’s the switch button, Ju-kyung no longer her friend but the obstacle in her way.
Soo-jin is an abuse victim and held so much unresolved pent up anger inside her. And she’s smart and knew her targets weaknesses whether it’s Su-ho or Ju-kyung and she’s determined to burn those who hurt her.
@Old American Lady @grace I also thought of the Samsan Tech guys when I saw Suho with the yarn and his 2 friends helping him knit. 🙂 And the scrunchie! I didn’t think of Start-Up initially but it definitely seems like a reference with both the yarn and the scrunchie.
Yes! @royangi. The scrunchies and knitting. Good catch!
I’m just glad SuHo has known from the beginning so that wasn’t the big reveal. I’m hoping the friend was more hurt that she kept a secret from her and didn’t trust her with it and not that she’s mad at her for being ugly. I’m really scared soojin is headed for attempted suicide.
One more note-
I really REALLY dislike potty humor but for some reason the brother is cracking me up
I read on insta about the sit up scene referencing the famous Secret Garden sit up scene….but of cos this is between the two good friends instead of a guy and girl. Maybe they stopped allowing girl-boy partners at sit-up practce cos of that. 😅
I am actually rewatching the sweet scenes in Ep11 and 12 (which I hardly ever do but TB hits all the right notes for me and I adore JK). Favourite one is the scene in the comic book store where she keeps handing him gifts. Her gifts are thoughtful. I think that’s what makes her stand out. She’s not only kind and warm, she’s thoughtful. The paper bag (for when he has panic attacks), the worry dolls, the knitting, the couple bag tags. Then she brings up the elephant in the room…his strained relationship between his father and himself. She very tactfully tells him it needs to be sorted out because she doesn’t want him to have any regrets. No blame, no pressure, just kind and with his best interests at heart.
Hi @nrllee, you’re so right about JK. She is wonderfully considerate and has great insight at her age. Figuring out that Suho hides the pain over his dad is amazing in a young person. We had a joke once about how a young person gets the light bulb fixed – they stand still holding the bulb in the socket, and let the world revolve around them. LOL.
She really is one of the most lovable heroines. I’m reluctantly feeling the angst for her in advance for the next episode, when she’ll be put on the spot. It would be so good if that helps her grow stronger and braver, though. “Ju Kyung fighting!!”
(Disclaimer: I am a fan of the webtoon, but I enjoy the drama so much that it’s easy for me to separate the drama from the webtoon. Though I do understand why some webtoon fans would have issues with the drama.)
Hi everyone! Commenting late because I marathoned 18 Again so had to skip a week of True Beauty lol. Enjoying the discussion here as usual!
Honestly, I like where the drama is going, despite being almost completely different from the source material. I very much enjoyed the past few episodes at how warm and cute the relationship is between SH and JK.
JuKyung is becoming one of my most favorite k-drama leads lately. She’s sweet, warm, thoughtful, kind, cheerful, and just a ball of sunshine to her friends, family, and Suho. She saved her old friend from the bully even when she didn’t have to, because she’s really that kind of person. I was so proud of her for standing up her friend, when she barely could do it for herself when faced with her previous bullies. *sniffs*
I like how Suho and Seojun finally made up and seem to quickly ease back into their dynamic. I like how Seojun apologised to Suho for how he treated his friend, and I think we have seen previously how Seojun is the type to own up to his mistakes, come clean, and apologise for it.
Seojun, like what others have said, is shaping up to be a good friend to both Suho and Jukyung. Do I feel a bit sad when he realizes that he really likes JK (can’t help it, she’s awesome) but cannot and should not do anything about his feelings. And when Suho asked him if he’s gonna tell JK his feelings, Seojun reacted as if he’s out of his mind. Can’t all second leads be like this when they realize that they don’t stand a chance???
As for Cha Eunwoo, he’s finally easing into his character! I am honestly glad because he doesn’t seem as awkward as before, and he actually seems more natural now. Maybe because his styling improved, lol. But really, he’s a pretty amazing boyfriend to JK, and I just aaaawwwwed that he bought another necklace just so JK’s efforts won’t go to waste and she won’t feel too bad for losing it. My cute cute SH-JK duo huhu
As for the Soojin issue, her motivation seems skewed and it’s too sudden, and I’m honestly not a fan of how her character turned out. She has a nice and good friendship with JK and SH and she wants to throw that away? I hope SH and JK would be smart enough to know that it’s not a friendship worth keeping if she keeps acting like that.
I want to see how the new issue will unfold. I am keeping my fingers crossed that JK still has a good friend by her side.
In the preview it seems like we’ll actually get some character development from the mother??? I CANNOT WAIT.