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From Wikipedia: “True Beauty” (lit. “The Advent of a Goddess”) is a South Korean television series starring Moon Ga-young, Cha Eun-woo, Hwang In-youp, and Park Yoo-na. Based on the Line Webtoon of the same name by Yaongyi, it centers on a high school girl who, after being bullied and discriminated because of being perceived as ugly, masters the art of makeup to transform herself into a gorgeous “goddess.” It aired on tvN from December 9, 2020, to February 4, 2021, every Wednesday and Thursday at 22:30 (KST). Genre: rom-com, slice of life, coming-of-age.
How I wrote these episode summaries without spoilers
1. I assumed that you will be reading these summaries and watching the videos chronologically.
2. I narrated some of the main actions in each episode without revealing the plot’s twists and turns.
3. At the beginning of each summary starting with Episode 2, I placed in a table a recap of the major twists and turns of the previous episode. But because you have already watched the video of the previous episode, they aren’t spoilers anymore.
4. I followed this structure all throughout, except for Ep. 16 (Finale) where I included spoilers. Reason — most people want to know if the drama has a happy ending or a sad ending before they invest the time in watching it.
Episode 1
Since childhood, Ju Kyung has been teased and bullied for being ugly by her fellow children and even by her relatives. Now a high school student, she’s bullied by her classmates, who have turned her into an errand girl.
Ju Kyung’s older sister Hee Kyung and her brother inherited their father’s good looks. Thus, she badgers her mother, who runs a salon, about getting her looks changed through plastic surgery.
The bullying becomes worse when Ju Kyung’s classmates find out that she has a crush on someone in school. When the bullies upload her embarrassing video to social media, she feels devastated. She goes up to the rooftop of a tall building, sends a voicemail to her mother, and decides to jump off from the rooftop.
Episode 2
| Ep. 1 recap:
Soo Ho saves Ju Kyung from jumping off the rooftop. But having lost her eyeglasses, Ju Kyung can’t recognize Soo Ho’s face. Soo Ho lives alone in a luxurious apartment and in guilt over the death of his friend, K-idol Jung Se Yeon. After Ju Kyung’s father falls into a financial scam, her mother decides to bring the family back to their hometown. Ju Kyung has now learned how to apply makeup expertly and becomes known as a beauty in her new school; she’s surprised by her newfound popularity. She becomes friends with talkative Soo Ah, who introduces her to brainy beauty Soo Jin. But she also gets into trouble with Soo Ho, who’s the class president and number one in academics. Without her makeup, Ju Kyung goes to a comic book store that she used to visit often during her childhood days. Having set her eyes on a comic book, she gets into an argument with a guy who snatches the book away from her. She stumbles to the ground with the guy; to her shock, the guy turns out to be Soo Ho. |
Ju Kyung meets Soo Ho again in the comic book store; because of a misunderstanding, she thinks that Soo Ho knows her secret that she (Ju Bal, the girl with acne) is the girl in his class who’s popular for her beauty. She gives him a sticker as a gift and promises to lend him the comic book that he has wanted to read for so long.
To her surprise, Ju Kyung finds out that the guy who nearly hit her with his motorcycle is Seo Jun, a transfer student in her school and Soo Ho’s former best friend. To her greater surprise, Soo Ho rejects her when she tries to be friendly with him in school; he even nonchalantly walks over her after she falls in the playground.
That night, Ju Kyung gets a call from Soo Ho, who tells her to bring to him in an outdoor cafè what she needs to give to him. But she becomes confused. Is Soo Ho referring to his jacket, which means he’s expecting to see Ju Kyung, the beautiful girl in his class? Or, is he referring to the comic book, which means he’s expecting to see Ju Bal, the girl from the comic book store who’s got acne and wears big eyeglasses? When she tries to make up an excuse not to go, Soo Ho asks for her address; thus, despite her fears, she goes to the cafè.
Episode 3
| Ep. 2 recap:
Soo Ho’s father (a popular veteran actor and CEO of an entertainment company) returns to Korea after seven years and asks Soo Ho to come live with him again. But Soo Ho rejects the offer; he still hasn’t forgiven his father after he saw him in bed with a woman after his mother’s death. Soo Ho hasn’t made the connection between the girl he saw on the rooftop and Ju Kyung, his classmate. Ju Kyung goes to the outdoor cafè to meet Soo Ho, wearing Seo Jun’s helmet. Ju Kyung gets hit on the face with Soo Ah’s 100th-day cake; frantic that everyone in school will see what she really looks like, she runs away, but her classmates run after her. She’s cornered by her classmates, but Soo Ho covers her up with his jacket and leads her away. |
After watching her sister win a video game, Ju Kyung goes to school the next day determined to confront Soo Ho. But she buckles under the pressure and pleads with Soo Ho not to expose her secret, promising that she will do everything he wants.
Seo Jun demands that Ju Kyung return his helmet, but at home, Ju Kyung finds out that her brother has sold the helmet through a resale app. The next day, she gives Seo Jun a letter of apology, but his friends tease him and say that it’s a love letter.
Ju Kyung joins the audition for the school’s talent contest. Getting nervous, she goes to the restroom, but after coming back to the auditorium where the auditions are being held, she sees none of the auditioning students in the corridor. Thinking that she’s the very last student to audition, she musters up her courage and goes into the auditorium.
Seo Jun visits his mother in the hospital. On his way out, he sees Soo Ho’s father on the corridor talking with two doctors. Later that night, he sees Soo Ho in the playground talking with Ju Kyung.
Episode 4
| Ep. 3 recap:
Soo Ho sends Ju Kyung on various errands at random times throughout the day and night. Later on, while they’re having lunch at the school’s rooftop, Ju Kyung bargains with Soo Ho to give her just one big errand to do so that they can call it even. Soo Ho agrees and tells her to audition for the talent fest. Ju Kyung enters the auditorium thinking that it’s the audition; she performs a dance routine that’s a bit sexy. When the lights are switched on, she becomes embarrassed to see that it’s actually a meeting of teachers and school administrators. Soo Ho becomes concerned when he sees Ju Kyung drenched by the rain and with a bloody knee. After buying some ointment and a bandage, he runs back to the playground, shouting out Ju Kyung’s name. Seo Jun sees and hears him, but he only sees Ju Kyung from behind. At the school cafeteria, Seo Jun tries to make Soo Ho jealous by sitting next to Ju Kyung. |
The school official breaks up the fight between Soo Ho and Seo Jun. While they’re being scolded in the faculty room, Ju Kyung is besieged by her schoolmates who want to know if she’s in a love triangle with Soo Ho and Seo Jun.
When Ju Kyung does badly in problem solving in their math class, Soo Ah and Soo Jin decide to help her by forming a study group. They invite Soo Ho to join their group, but he doesn’t reply.
To stop the rumors about Ju Kyung being in a love triangle, Soo Ah arranges a blind date for her. But Soo Ho finds out about it.
After being discharged from the hospital, Seo Jun’s mother brings him to the salon owned by Ju Kyung’s mother. It turns out that she and Ju Kyung’s mother are good friends. When Ju Kyung reveals that he’s still riding his motorcycle, Seo Jun in turn reveals that she’s going out on a blind date.
Soo Ho and Soo Jin arrive at the venue of the math competition. But Soo Ho sneaks out later on and follows Ju Kyung and her blind date to the movie theater.
Episode 5
| Ep. 4 recap:
Soo Ho forces the blind date to confess to Ju Kyung that he already has a girlfriend. Later, he joins the study group, and Soo Jin notices that he and Ju Kyung are close to each other. Afterwards, they have fun at a “noraebang” (karaoke bar), and Ju Kyung hears Seo Jun singing by himself. Seo Jun and Ju Kyung are chased by the guys who chased him before. The guys later corner Soo Ho, but he fights them with his jujitsu moves until a police car arrives. At the comic book store, Soo Ho and Seo Jun question each other about Ju Kyung. Their argument stops, however, when Ju Kyung’s sister shows up drunk, and they have to help her get home. The next day, Seo Jun gives up his motorcycle keys to Ju Kyung. On the other hand, Soo Ho prevents Ju Kyung from running after Seo Jun by holding on to her. |
On the bus, Ju Kyung and Soo Jin meet the bullies from Ju Kyung’s former school.
Ju Kyung rescues a girl named Go Woon, who’s being bullied. Later, while she studies what kind of makeup would best suit Go Woon, Soo Ho tells her that she’s beautiful even without makeup. On the bus on her way home, she sets aside her doubts and fears and sends Soo Ho a text message, asking if he wants to go to a movie with her.
During the school festival, Ju Kyung tries for the first time to put on makeup on someone else. Later, however, as she meets Soo Ho before the basketball game, she’s stunned when he tells her that he simply pitied her and doesn’t want to be bothered by her anymore.
Flashback ... Soo Ho remembers telling Seo Jun not to play with Ju Kyung’s feelings; he also remembers Seo Jun telling him that he’s responsible for Se Yeon’s death.
At the concert, as Se Yeon’s song is played, Soo Ho breaks down emotionally. Ju Kyung sees him and asks if he’s okay, but he tells her to go away.
Episode 6
| Ep. 5 recap:
Go Woon, the bullied girl who Ju Kyung helped, is Seo Jun’s sister. Through the jacket, Ju Kyung realizes that Soo Ho is the guy she met on the rooftop. She rushes to the building and, on the rooftop, sees Soo Ho crying. |
After the grades are given out, the school holds its parents-teachers conference. Ju Kyung’s mother comes to school to meet her teacher; later, along with other people in school, she goes into a frenzy when popular veteran actor Lee Joo Hun arrives to meet Soo Ho’s teacher.
Go Woon asks Ju Kyung to come to her house so that Ju Kyung can teach her how to apply makeup on her own. Meanwhile, Ju Kyung’s mother meets Soo Ho in the comic book store and invites him to their house.
On their way home from the “jjimjilbang” (sauna), Ju Kyung’s sister tells her to go to a burger place, but there she meets the bullies from her former school. She runs away but forgets her wallet, which the bullies pick up.
Episode 7
| Ep. 6 recap:
Soo Ho takes Ju Kyung’s wallet away from the bullies and shields her so that Seo Jun and his friend won’t see her without her makeup on. Seo Jun finds out that Soo Ho arranged for the best doctor to treat his mother. The thugs who have been chasing Seo Jun kidnap Ju Kyung. But Soo Ho, Seo Jun, Soo Ah, her boyfriend, and Soo Jin rescue her from the karaoke bar in an all-out fight. |
Soo Ah brings Ju Kyung to a baseball game. After the game, the star pitcher becomes flirtatious with Ju Kyung; when she gives her number to the pitcher, Soo Ho becomes angry with her.
The new academic rankings are released, with Soo Ho still ranked number one. Ju Kyung improves her performance, jumping over 20 of her classmates. Soo Jin, however, falls below her usual 2nd rank.
Soo Ho visits Ju Kyung and tries to follow the relationship tips that he got from Soo Ah’s boyfriend. But the next day, things backfire on him when Ju Kyung sees him comforting Soo Jin.
Episode 8
| Ep. 7 recap:
Ju Kyung’s mother told her to rank above 30, not 20, of her classmates; as a consequence, she throws out Ju Kyung’s cosmetics. Soo Ho comforts Soo Jin because she was hit again by her father for failing to rank first in her class. Ju Kyung tells the star pitcher that she’s in love with someone in her school. After the baseball game, Seo Jun tells Soo Ho that he likes Ju Kyung. |
At Move Entertainment, Ju Kyung’s sister Hee Kyung continues to work on Se Yeon’s memorial album; she remembers asking Seo Jun if he’s the mysterious “Leo” who co-wrote Se Yeon’s songs.
Soo Ho plans to confess his love for Ju Kyung and invites her for a walk in the woods. They see a boat and take it out on the lake. When she falls into the lake, he dives in to rescue her.
Soaking wet and with her makeup washed off, Ju Kyung walks back to the camp site with Soo Ho holding her close. But they come upon Soo Jin on the trail; after pushing Soo Ho towards Soo Jin, she runs into the woods and hides behind a well. Seo Jun and his rowdy bunch of friends, however, are on their way to the well to see if there’s really a ghost there.
Episode 9
| Ep. 8 recap:
Soo Ah’s boyfriend tries to be the matchmaker for Soo Ho and Ju Kyung. But Soo Ho ends up meeting Soo Jin on the bridge. Somewhere else, Ju Kyung cries her heart out before Seo Jun, telling him that Soo Ho doesn’t like her. When her makeup starts to smear, she runs away. With the talent fest now over and with her classmates going back to their tents, Ju Kyung runs away with a white sheet from a clothesline to cover herself. But Seo Jun’s rowdy friends see her and think that she’s the ghost who scared them away last night at the well. They chase after her. Soo Ho catches up with Ju Kyung in the woods and hides her from Seo Jun’s friends. After telling Ju Kyung that he likes her, he kisses her. |
Back in school, Ju Kyung tells Soo Ho that they must keep their relationship a secret because she doesn’t want to be bullied by jealous girls. They thus go out on secret dates.
Ju Kyung’s father leaves home to go to Jeju and look for the guy who scammed him. Meanwhile, Ju Kyung decides to go to makeup school; she begins looking for a part-time job in order to raise money for her tuition.
Soo Ho, Soo Jin, and their parents meet for dinner. When tension arises between Soo Jin and her father over her academic performance, Soo Ho asks Soo Jin to leave with him. Meanwhile, Ju Kyung confesses to Seo Jun that she and Soo Ho are dating.
Episode 10
| Ep. 9 recap:
After earning some money in a photoshoot with Seo Jun, Ju Kyung finds work in a coffeeshop, based on Seo Jun's recommendation. Soo Jin sees Ju Kyung’s necklace and deduces from the events during the school camp that Ju Kyung and Soo Ho are in a relationship. Ju Kyung’s father gets scammed again; he asks Soo Ho for help, and Soo Ho lets him stay overnight in his apartment. But as Soo Ho and Ju Kyung meet for a date in his apartment by watching a horror movie, Ju Kyung’s father, who has been hiding under the sofa, suddenly moves and stands up. Terrified because the room is dimly lit, Ju Kyung gets a pot and knocks her father out cold. |
The next day in school, Soo Jin confides in Ju Kyung that her father hits her; she also says that she has feelings for Soo Ho. Later, Ju Kyung asks her online friends about what to do when her best friend likes the guy whom she likes. She becomes even more confused when Soo Jin asks her to go to a department store and help her buy a hat for Soo Ho.
Ju Kyung is surprised to see Seo Jun working in the coffeeshop. On their way home, she tries to get, in a roundabout way, his advice on what to do with Soo Jin and Soo Ho. Later, at the comic book store, they meet Ju Kyung’s mother, who insists that Seo Jun have dinner with them. But when they arrive at home, Ju Kyung and Seo Jun are surprised to see Soo Ho there.
The next day, because of the photoshoot, the news explodes in school that Seo Jun and Ju Kyung are dating. Soo Ho becomes angry and questions Ju Kyung why she didn’t tell him about the photoshoot; he also tells her to stay away from Seo Jun.
Episode 11
| Ep. 10 recap:
Soo Ho and Seo Jun compete against each other in a “mandoo” (dumpling) making contest to impress Ju Kyung's parents. Soo Ho realizes that Ju Kyung is the girl he spent his childhood days with in the comic book store. Soo Jin makes up an excuse to go into Soo Ho’s apartment; she takes a picture of a painting on the wall and then later uploads it. Ju Kyung sees the picture and then calls Soo Ho. The song that Se Yeon and Soo Ho wrote is used by Lee Joo Hun’s entertainment company as the debut song of a new boy band. When Soo Ho and Seo Jun hear the song, they both rush to the company’s office. As Soo Ho runs towards the street, Seo Jun tries to stop him. But they both get hit by an oncoming car. |
Hye MIn, The bullied girl whom Ju Kyung tried to befriend in her former school transfers to Ju Kyung’s school. But the bullies from Hye Min’s former school go to her new school and threaten to continue bullying her unless she finds out if a student named Im Ju Kyung is dating Seo Jun.
Soo Jin finds out from Ju Kyung about Soo Ho’s accident and goes to the hospital. But Soo Ho questions her presence there.
During his father’s visit, Soo Ho blames him for Se Yeon’s death; his father, however, says that he did not know anything about what the company’s director did about Se Yeon’s case.
Episode 12
| Ep. 11 recap:
Soo Ho’s father resigns as CEO of the entertainment company and confesses that the boy band’s debut song was plagiarized. Soo Jin sees Soo Ho and Ju Kyung kissing. |
Ju Kyung rushes away when she sees Hye Min, her classmate from her former school. In her classroom, she finds out that Soo Ah has submitted her name to an online “goddess” popularity contest. She’s ranked number two, while the bully from her former school is number one.
On the street, Ju Kyung and Soo Jin meet the bullies from Ju Kyung’s former school. When Ju Kyung sees that the bullies are targeting Hye Min, she goes back and takes Hye Min away. Alone by themselves, she finally admits that she’s the ugly Ju Kyung who Hye Min knew from their former school.
Soo Jin finds and keeps the necklace that Soo Ho gave to Ju Kyung; later, she asks the leader of the bullies to send her pictures of the “Ju Kyung” they are looking for.
Episode 13
| Ep. 12 recap:
Soo Jin confesses her love for Soo Ho, but Soo Ho rejects her. Ju Kyung wins the online "goddess" popularity contest. Through her pictures posted online, Ju Kyung’s schoolmates find out what she looks like without makeup. |
Seo Jun finds out what happened and tries to get the video deleted from the school’s website.
Ju Kyung comes home late at night and simply wants to go her room and sleep. But she gets scolded by her mother, who has found out that she has enrolled in makeup school.
Go Woon gets into a fight with some girls who are mocking Ju Kyung. Seo Jun breaks up the fight, and the girls are shocked when he says that Go Woon is his sister.
In school, Ju Kyung’s mother finds out about the bullying that Ju Kyung has had to endure. Blaming herself for all that Ju Kyung has had to go through in her life because of her looks, she decides to take Ju Kyung to a plastic surgeon.
Episode 14
| Ep. 13 recap:
Ju Kyung confronts Soo Jin if she was the one who posted the video in the school website. But Soo Jin denies it and tells her that she should just transfer to another school. The plastic surgeon shows what Ju Kyung will look like after surgery, but it’s exactly what Ju Kyung looks like by using makeup. Soo Ho tries to reconcile with his father, who’s leaving for the USA. Ju Kyung goes to school without any makeup, and Soo Ho shows everyone that he and Ju Kyung are in a relationship. |
Ju Kyung and Soo Ah get into a fight with the school bullies as they try to rescue Hye Min.
Ju Kyung’s mother finally permits her to go to makeup school. Meanwhile, Soo Ho and Seo Jun engage in a grappling contest, with the winner getting to ask anything of the loser. Soo Ho wins and asks Seo Jun to sing on the street. Later, when Soo Ho asks what he would have asked if he had won, Seo Jun says that he would have asked his permission to confess to Ju Kyung his feelings for her.
While Soo Ho and Ju Kyung are on a date, Soo Ho’s father collapses.
Episode 15
| Ep. 14 recap:
Somebody posts on the school website the argument between Soo Ah and Soo Jin in the ladies room; everyone in school thus finds out that it was Soo Jin who posted the pictures and video of Ju Kyung. Because of his father’s condition, Soo Ho has to leave Korea and take care of his father in the USA. |
Ju Kyung takes the college entrance exam and works for an idol, who always gives her a hard time. One of her friends is entering military service, and Seo Jun is about to finish his idol training. Ju Kyung’s sister, Hee Kyung, meanwhile, is planning her wedding.
Seo Jun finally musters up his courage and confesses to Ju Kyung his love for her. He asks Ju Kyung to think of themselves not as friends but as a man and a woman; he also asks her to give him a chance to shake her emotionally.
After seeing the first snow, Ju Kyung goes impulsively to Namsan Tower.
Episode 16, Finale (with spoilers)
| Ep. 15 recap:
Ju Kyung is surprised to see Soo Ho in Namsan Tower. With his father now recuperating, Soo Ho pursues Ju Kyung again. But Ju Kyung rejects him, after not hearing anything from him for over a year. At the comic book store, Soo Ho sees Seo Jun hugging Ju Kyung. |
Ju Kyung meets Soo Jin, who apologizes to her about the nasty things she did when they were in high school.
Ju Kyung’s former high school teacher and her sister get married in a wacky wedding.
For his debut performance, Seo Jun sings the song that Se Yeon and Soo Ho worked on together years ago.
Ju Kyung and Soo Ho return to the comic book store where they first met as children.
Cultural backgrounders and other information about bullying in South Korean schools, Korean beauty standards, plastic surgery, and the backlash against beauty standards
A. Bullying in South Korean schools
1. “#MeToo-style reckoning over school bullying rocks South Korea” (NBC, March 2021)
South Korea has been rocked in recent years by high-profile deaths of students following severe bullying by schoolmates. Suicide has been the No. 1 cause of death among adolescents in the country for eight consecutive years, according to a government report last year. Bullying and violence in school are understood to be one of the biggest reasons for the high suicide rate.
2. “Of kids bullied at school, 1 in 3 targeted ‘as a joke’: survey” (The Korea Herald, January 2020)
The most common reason behind the bullying was “just as a joke” (29.4 percent). Some 19.2 percent of the bullying took place “for no special reason” or “because the victims’ behavior and appearance were weird” (14.7 percent).
3. “S. Korea struggles to save students from bullying” (AsiaOne)
School bullying is grabbing national attention after a 15-year-old student killed himself early this month, listing the names of schoolmates who allegedly abused him for two years. It was the 14th suicide believed to be caused by bullying in Daegu in less than two years.
Nearly 1 in 10 students at Korean primary and secondary schools has suffered from various forms of violence at the hands of their peers, according to a survey by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
4. “Past school bullying claims spread like wildfire to S. Korean entertainment scene” (Yonhap News Agency, February 2021)
Starting from professional volleyball, the recent school bullying scandal has now engulfed the South Korean entertainment scene, with names of a number of K-pop stars and film and TV actors making headlines across the country.
B. Korean beauty standards; backlash against beauty standards
1. How Pretty Are You In Korea? / Korean Beauty Standards (YouTube)
2. “How Important Is Appearance In Korea?” (Creatrip)
In Korean high schools, many teenagers are interested in beauty and makeup, including plastic surgery. Teenagers often receive a plastic surgery as a birthday gift or a graduation present.
When it comes to Korean beauty standards, there are a number of conditions: slim body, slender face, V-shaped face, slim lips, straight eyebrows, smooth skin, and big eyes. An aegyo-sal (애교살) which is a fat under the eyes that make one look younger is also a key component.
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| “Portrait of a Beauty” by famous Korean painter Shin Yun-bok (1758- 1813) |
Fair skin, a well-defined nose, peachy cheeks, and cherry-red lips. For thousands of years, Korean women have favored this standard of female beauty with remarkable consistency. This standard has certainly not been immune to the passage of time, and modern-day advancements such as plastic surgery mean that women can beautify themselves beyond the appearance given to them by nature. Nonetheless, scholars and scientists today reveal that there is an unchanging set of values that continue to define the Korean aesthetic. Thus, the art and stories that were passed down for hundreds and even thousands of years in the culture display a common thread when it comes to the ideal concept of female beauty.
4. “The Destructive Effects of South Korea’s Beauty Standards” (Medium)
In South Korea, while having double eyelids may not be the normality, it is certainly the standard. Double eyelids are idolized by many South Korean people since they make people’s eyes appear rounder and bigger, a look that is considered beautiful in South Korean culture. I grew up with monolids, and this feature was a major cause behind my low confidence levels. It is difficult to believe that something as minor as creases on one’s eyes would affect someone so deeply; however, it was a burden I carried for years on end.
5. “K-beauty: the ugly face of South Korea’s obsession with women looking forever flawless” (South China Morning Post)
The global buzz around South Korean skincare and cosmetics belies the harsh realities of lookism and sexism faced by Korean women, who can’t leave home without putting on make-up.
6. “Here Are 5 Korean Beauty Standards That K-Pop Idols Are Smashing” (Koreaboo)
7. “Escape the corset: South Korean women rebel against strict beauty standards” (The Guardian, 2018)
Women destroy makeup as part of backlash against culture of laborious skincare regimes and pressure to look perfect.
8. “South Korea Loves Plastic Surgery and Makeup. Some Women Want to Change That.” (New York Times, 2018)
Gender inequality and the global #MeToo movement have fueled “Escape the Corset,” a campaign to cast off the country’s rigid beauty standards.
Kim Ji-yeon knew she wanted plastic surgery when she was 7. For the next 13 years, she destroyed photos of herself until her parents paid for double jaw surgery, a procedure that requires breaking the jaw to realign it.
9. “South Korean Women ’Escape The Corset’ And Reject Their Country’s Beauty Ideals” (NPR, 2019)
C. Plastic surgery in South Korea
1. “People have the wrong idea about the 3 most popular procedures in South Korea, the plastic surgery capital of the world” (Business Insider, June 2018)
South Korea has the highest rate of plastic surgeries per capita in the world.
The most popular surgeries are skin whitening, nose jobs, and double-eyelid surgery, which many critics have taken to mean that Koreans are trying to look more Caucasian or white
Alfred “Haeppy” Leung, a Seoul-based YouTuber, explained that the beauty ideals that Koreans are trying to achieve with plastic surgery are based on long-standing Korean beauty standards and have little to do with Western beauty standards.
2. “South Korea’s Plastic Surgery Boom: A Quest To Be ’Above Normal’”
“Plastic surgery is not just about being ‘normal’ or ‘passable,’ but about moving forward and being ‘above normal’ for Koreans. Compared to Koreans’ obsession with education or religion, the plastic surgery boom is almost nothing.” - So Yeon Leem, Seoul National University researcher
3. “About Face: Why is South Korea the world’s plastic-surgery capital?” (The New Yorker, 2015)
4. “Cosmetic Surgeries Rise in South Korea During Pandemic” (VOA, January 10, 2021)
Last year, the industry in South Korea was worth about $10.7 billion dollars. That was an increase of around nine percent from 2019. South Koreans are expected to spend around $11.8 billion this year, says Gangnam Unni, the country’s largest online cosmetic surgery website.
Life lessons for “True Beauty” viewers
| “Relationship tips from K-dramas” (external link) |
Barbara DeAngelis is a well-known relationships expert whose book “Are You The One For Me?” became a New York Times number one bestseller. In page 309, DeAngelis characterizes long-distance relationships as a Toxic Time Bomb. She says, “The goal of two lovers in a ‘normal’ relationship should be to become more loving and intimate with one another. The goal of two long-distance lovers becomes to see each other.”
2. In two or three episodes, Soo-hoo asks Yoo Tae-hoon for tips about courtship and relationships. And almost immediately after they enter onto a relationship, Soo-ho and Joo-kyung begin fighting.
A. Romantic relationships and the “cuddle chemicals”
These so-called “cuddle chemicals” are dopamine, oxytocin, and vasopressin. Vincent du Vigneaud won the 1955 Nobel Prize in Chemistry when he discovered, isolated, and synthesized oxytocin and vasopressin.
Eve Salinger says that, at the beginning stages, when a man and woman start getting attracted to each other, the human brain produces increasing levels of “dopamine” and “norepinephrine” that create feelings of exhilaration and lovesickness. Salinger says that as the romantic relationship loses its initial exhilarating buzz, “dopamine” and “norepinephrine” are replaced by “vasopressin” and “oxytocin” which promote bonding or a warm, fuzzy feeling between the man and the woman.
These chemicals are reactive, meaning they don’t just kick into our systems for no reason at all and hold us hostage to their effects. There’s always first a stimulus - food, a breathtaking scenery, an attractive guy that sets these chemicals into action. In one study, for example, when women in good marriages were asked to think about their husbands, the oxytocin levels in their blood increased. The stimulus was the pleasing thoughts about their husbands, and the effect was increased oxytocin levels.
What are the practical applications for you in knowing all these things about the cuddle chemicals? Well, when you meet someone attractive and interesting, the sparks will start flying, but that’s only because of dopamine kicking into your system. Don’t jump to the conclusion that you’re truly falling in love. Give yourself time (lots of it!), and in a more stable emotional climate, you can better evaluate what your feelings are for that person. The exhilarating, romance-filled days will not last. That’s because, as researchers in neurochemistry say, the dopamine-fueled hyperactivity can damage the brain.
B. Loving toughness for singles: basic principles in human relationships
One book that I have read several times and which I have recommended to people is Dr. James Dobson’s “Love Must Be Tough.” In a chapter entitled “Loving Toughness for Singles” (pages 201 to 213), Dr. Dobson discusses sixteen suggestions that will help unmarried men and women to conform to the principles of loving toughness in matters of the heart.
Earlier on in this chapter, Dr. Dobson stated, “It is of highest priority to maintain a distinct element of dignity and self-respect in all romantic encounters. I have observed that many relationships suffer from a failure to recognize a universal characteristic of human nature. We value that which we are fortunate to get; we discredit that which we are stuck. We lust for the very thing which is beyond our grasp; we disdain that same item when it becomes a permanent possession.”
The basic principles in human relationships, according to Dr. Dobson, are:
(a) “It is of highest priority to maintain a distinct element of dignity and self-respect in all romantic encounters.”
(b) “We value that which we are fortunate to get; we discredit that which we are stuck.”
C. Sixteen suggestions on loving toughness for single men and women
In the chapter titled “Loving Toughness for Singles,” Dr. Dobson enumerates sixteen suggestions that will help singles to “conform to the principles of loving toughness in matters of the heart.”
1. Don’t let a relationship move too fast in its infancy. The phrase “too hot not to cool down” has validity. Romantic affairs that begin in a frenzy frequently burn themselves out. Take it one step at a time.
2. Don’t discuss your personal inadequacies and flaws in great detail when the relationship is new.
3. Remember that respect precedes love. Build it stone upon stone.
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5. Don’t be too quick to reveal your desire to get married — or that you think you’ve just found Mr. Wonderful or Miss Marvelous. If your partner has not arrived at the same conclusion, you’ll throw him or her into panic.
6. Most important: Relationships are constantly being “tested” by cautious lovers who like to nibble at the bait before swallowing the hook. This testing procedure takes many forms, but it usually involves pulling back from the other person to see what will happen. Perhaps a foolish fight is initiated. Maybe two weeks will pass without a phone call. Or sometimes flirtation occurs with a rival.
In each instance, the question being asked is, “How important am I to you, and what would you do if you lost me?” An even more basic issue lies below that one: “How free am I to leave if I want to?” It is incredibly important in these instances to appear poised, secure and equally independent. Do not grasp the other person and beg for mercy. Some people remain single throughout life because they cannot resist the temptation to grovel when the test occurs.
7. Extending the same concept, keep in mind that virtually every dating relationship that continues for a year or more and seems to be moving toward marriage will be given the ultimate test. A breakup will occur, motivated by only one of the lovers. The rejected individual should know that their future together depends on the skill with which he or she handles that crisis. If the hurting individual can remain calm, the next two steps may be reconciliation and marriage. It often happens that way. If not, then no amount of pleading will change anything.
8. Do not depend entirely upon each other for the satisfaction of every emotional need.
9. Guard against selfishness in your love affair.
10. Beware of blindness to obvious warning signs that tell you that your potential husband or wife is basically disloyal, hateful, spiritually uncommitted, hooked on drugs or alcohol, given to selfishness, etc.
11. Don’t marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you cannot live without.
12. Beginning early in the dating relationship, treat the other person with respect and expect the same in return.
13. Do not equate human worth with flawless beauty or handsomeness!
14. If genuine love has escaped you thus far, don’t begin believing that “no one would ever want me.” That is a deadly trap that can destroy you emotionally! Millions of people are looking for someone to love. The problem is finding one another!
15. Regardless of how brilliant the love affair has been, take time to “check your assumptions” with your partner before committing yourself to marriage.
16. Sexual familiarity can be deadly to a relationship. In addition to the many moral, spiritual and physical reasons for remaining virgins until marriage, there are numerous psychological and interpersonal advantages as well. Though it’s an old-fashioned notion, perhaps, it is still true that men do not respect “easy” women and often become bored with those who have held nothing in reserve. Likewise, women often disrespect men who have only one thing on their minds. Both sexes need to remember how to use a very ancient word. It’s pronounced “NO!”
Lessons in cinematography and photography from “True Beauty”
Comprehensive analysis of the cinematography of “True Beauty”
A. Creative camera movements and great editing
Ep. 1 (cross dissolve with rack focus): Ju Kyung is in the ladies room, despairing over her life after the bullies uploaded her humiliating video. After a cross dissolve, there’s a rack focus. Ju Kyung is in focus in the background, while her eyeglasses with one lens cracked are out of focus in the foreground. Then, she becomes out of focus, while her eyeglasses become in focus. (Notice the line on the floor that leads to Ju Kyung.) This is perhaps one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the drama; anyone who has experienced being bullied can identify with what Ju Kyung is going through.
Ep. 9: Feeling so happy after Soo Ho’s confession of love, Ju Kyung rushes to meet Soo Jin, not realizing that she doesn’t have her makeup on. That scene uses at least sixteen different shots from various angles (establishing shot, medium shot, medium closeup, low angle, high angle, eye level shot, etc.) to show Ju Kyung’s shock at having revealed unwittingly what she really looks like.
Ep. 12 (arc shot): Ju Kyung faces her hostile fellow students who have found out that her beauty is all because of makeup. When the arc shot starts, we see her with her makeup, but when the camera completes its arc around her, we now see her without her makeup and with her eyeglasses on. I don't know exactly know how the transition was done; maybe, there were two arc shots that were cleverly combined (at the point when the camera shoots against the light).
Ep. 9: The camera, probably mounted on a crane, first shows Seo Jun’s rowdy bunch of friends chasing the ghost; it pulls back to show Soo Ho kissing Ju Kyung.
Ep. 3: Ju Kyung practices for the auditions in the talent fest. The camera, probably on a crane, pushes in towards her until she’s almost out of the frame and then pans right slightly to show the students below laughing at her.
Ep. 3: Ju Kyung becomes scared, imagining Soo Ho as a vampire. Notice that at the start of the shot, both of her eyes are in focus. As the camera pans from left to right, her left eye becomes out of focus, while her right eye remains in focus. (This was probably done in post production, not in camera.)
Ep. 9: Soo Jin suffers from another anxiety attack; as the camera pulls back a bit, it pans to the left to show her reflection.
Ep. 2 (great editing): While trying to reach for a comic book, (1) Ju Kyung falls, with close ups of her face and of her feet; (2) Soo Ho catches her; (3) reverse shot of So Hoo cradling Ju Kyung; (4) reverse shot, with the camera rolling as it pushes into a medium shot of Ju Kyung staring at Soo Ho; (5) reverse shot as the camera pushes into a medium close-up of Soo Ho as it rolls; (6) reverse shot of Soo Ho and Ju Kyung staring at each other, with the camera rolling as it pushes in; (7) reverse shot, medium closeup of Soo Ho as the camera pushes in; (8) reverse shot of Ju Kyung, medium close-up as the camera pushes in slightly; (9) reverse shot, medium shot of Soo Ho cradling Ju Kyung, as the camera trucks down (?) to his hand around her waist; and finally (10) a wide shot of Soo Ho and Ju Kyung.
Ep. 2: While Ju Kyung is inside a cubicle in the ladies room, the bullies pour water on her. From a high angle point of view, the camera (either on a crane or a gimbal) pulls back and moves down to eye level to show Ju Kyung coming out of the door.
Ep. 1: As Soo Ho looks up, the camera moves up to show Ju Kyung sprawled on the ground of an upper floor. (I don’t know how exactly the cinematographer did this shot; CGI?)
Ep. 1: The camera pushes in to show Soo Ho giving Ju Kyung a piggy back ride down the stairs; the camera also rolls clockwise as they continue going down the stairs. (With that tight space, I’m not sure if the cinematographer used a crane; CGI, maybe?)
Ep. 1: The camera pulls out to show Ju Kyung and her reflection on the mirror.
Ep. 5: The camera tracks Ju Kyung as she walks away crying after Soo Ho told her that he merely pitied her. In the reverse shot, the camera no longer tracks her but stays steady. From a low angle point of view, Ju Kyung is shown first from the shoulders down to her feet; as she continues walking forward, she becomes completely within the frame. But she also goes out of focus as she walks farther away from the camera. (Notice also the lines on the floor that lead our attention to her.) This scene is both heartbreaking and funny at the same time, probably because she’s crying while wearing the pig’s pink costume.
B. Shaky cam to reinforce in the viewer’s mind the character’s emotional agitation:
Ep. 1 (subtle shaky cam): Ju Kyung is rejected harshly by her crush. Notice how the camera shakes as Ju Kyung is shown in a closeup.
Ep. 12 (subtle shaky cam): Soo Ho rejects Soo Jin after she confesses her love for him; notice the subtle shaky cam as the camera slowly pushes in on Soo Jin.
Ep. 1 (exaggerated shaky cam): On the way home while on the taxi, Ju Kyung remembers that she left a message hours before in her mother’s voice mail about her desire to end her life.
Ep. 5: Ju Kyung tries to comfort Soo Ho, who has been affected by hearing Se Yeon’s song during the talent fest in the school camp. Notice the shaky cam when Soo Ho is shot in a medium closeup from a low angle point of view.
C. Lens flare
In its article titled “What is Lens Flare? How to Get It & How to Avoid It,” Studio Binder defines “lens flare”: “Lens flare is caused by a bright light source shining into the lens. Lens flare is a non-image forming light that is scattered in the lens system after it hits the front element of a lens. It reflects off the surfaces of glass in the lens.”
In simple terms, if you aim your camera towards the light source, lens flare is created when the light hits your lens. The number of lens flare that will be created depends on the number of elements of the lens. (Unless, of course, if the lens flares were added during the post-production stage.)
Posted below is example of lens flare from “True Beauty.”
Things to remember:
1. Lenses are coated to prevent lens flare as much as possible.
2. Using a lens hood will prevent lens flare.
3. You can change your viewpoint or place your subject in another location to prevent lens flare.
4. Lens flare can be created in camera or by using the lens flare feature of Photoshop.
Before 1967, photographers and cinematographers considered lens flare as an error to be avoided at all costs. That attitude or mindset towards lens flare changed with the 1967 film “Cool Hand Luke” where cinematographer Conrad Hall deliberately used lens flares to depict the harsh sun bearing down on the road gangs. (You might remember the famous line from this movie: “What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.”)
This YouTube video “We’ve hit peak lens flare. Here’s how it started” (Vox) narrates the history of lens flares in movies and how it has become ubiquitous, especially in films by JJ Abrams.
“True Beauty” uses lens flare quite a lot. I’ve noticed this drama uses lens flares in several instances:
1. When a character meets another character for the first time; examples are in Ep. 1 when Ju Kyung’s teacher Joon Woo meets Hee Kyung as she volunteers to help him change his flat tire, and when Ju Kyung meets Soo Jin.
2. When a character begins to see another character in a different light, so to speak; example is in Ep. 6 when Seo Jun begins to question himself if he’s falling in love with Ju Kyung.
3. When the moment is romantic or magical as in the kiss in Ep. 8 between Ju Kyung and Soo Ho, or in the second meeting in Ep. 10 (flashback scene) between the young Ju Kyung and the young Soo Ho in the comic book store.
Other than these three instances, “True "Beauty” should have dialed down its use of lens flares.
D. Visual cues: lines, frames, Dutch angles, and combinations
“Visual cues” are explained in an excellent series of articles from “My Drama List” written by someone with the username “3GGG.”
- Popular Visual Cues found in K-Dramas: visual ways to establish a conflict, division, or fight between two or more character
- Popular Visual Cues in K-Dramas: boxing to establish a character’s vulnerability, solitude, or fear; comfort and respite; change; danger; showdown
- Popular Visual Cues in K-Drama: Dutch angle
These MDL articles on visual cues will help you better understand and appreciate K-dramas. (I prefer, however, the term “framing” instead of “boxing.”) I used these visual cues as part of my analysis of the cinematography of “Flower of Evil” and “Start-Up.”
D-1. Physical or imaginary lines to show conflict or division between characters
Ep. 7: At the baseball stadium, Soo Ho and Seo Jun confront each other over Ju Kyung. Notice that the hand railing of the stairs behind them forms a dividing line between them.
Ep. 7: Soo Jin has just had an argument with her parents about her grades. She asks Soo Ho why he’s following her. Notice that the vertical line of the stairs forms a dividing line between them.
Ep. 9: Soo Ho has confessed his love and has kissed Ju Kyung. Not understanding why Soo Ho would fall in love with her, she runs away to the well. Notice that the tree behind them forms a dividing line between them.
Ep. 1: Ju Kyung and her reflection are divided by two physical lines; the shot represents the emotional turmoil that she’s experiencing after her humiliating video was uploaded by her classmates.
Ep. 10: Soo Ho confronts Ju Kyung on why she lied to him. The negative emotions and the division between them are reinforced by the line between them.
Ep. 8: At the Move Entertainment office, Hee Kyung tells Seo Jun that the company will release a memorial album for Se Yeon; she also asks him if he is “Leo,” the co-writer. But Seo Jun says that he will stop the company from releasing the memorial album. Notice the line dividng them.
D-2. Framing (boxing) to show a character’s vulnerability, solitude, or fear; comfort and respite; change; danger; showdown
When two or more characters are within the same frame, it could signify either unity or conflict, depending on the scene’s context.
Ep. 3: Ju Kyung finds out that Soo Ho knows that she and Ju Bal (the girl with acne and wearing glasses) are one and the same person. Notice the frame that boxes in Ju Kyung.
Ep. 3: Soo Jin compulsively washes her hands; the shot shows her reflection framed by the mirror’s edge.
Ep. 3: Soo Ho and Ju Kyung are framed together; Ju Kyung cries that Soo Ho has taken advantage of her predicament by making her run errands at all times of the day.
Ep. 10: after the news about Seo Jun and Ju Kyung’s photoshoot explodes in their high school, Soo Ho meets Ju Kyung on the rooftop and demands that she stop seeing Seo Jun. Notice that they’re shot within a frame.
Ep. 10: Hee Kyung calls up Seo Jun after she finds out that Se Yeon’s song, written with “Leo,” has been plagiarized by Move Entertainment.
Ep. 10: Soo Ho and Seo Jun argue over Ju Kyung, with Seo Jun suggesting that Soo Ho should break up with Ju Kyung.
Ep. 11: the bullies from Ju Kyung’s former school see Hye Min,who has transferred out of that school. They corner and threaten her that they will bully her again. Notice that she’s framed by some steel bars to depict her helplessness.
D-3. Dutch angle shots
Dutch angle shots are created when the camera is tilted from the X-axis; the subject is thus not parallel to the vertical and horizontal edges of the frame. Dutch angle shots are used to depict emotional, psychological, or physical tension. Please watch this Studio Binder article “How To Use the Dutch Angle Shot [Cinematic Techniques in Film].”
Compared to “Mr. Sunshine” which uses some nonsensical Dutch angle shots, “True Beauty” uses Dutch angles judiciously and appropriately.
Ep. 9: Soo Jin sees Soo Ho embracing Ju Kyung.
Ep. 9: Ju Kyung meets her idol, makeup guru Selena and is overjoyed when Selena says that she (Ju Kyung) is much better at makeup than when she was at the same age. Notice that the horizontal lines in the bathroom are not parallel to the top or bottom edges of the frame.
Ep. 6: Ju Kyung is inside the sauna, suffering from the heat and hiding from Seo Jin and his friend. The Dutch angle is almost up to 90 degrees from the horizontal.
Ep. 4: Ju Kyung covers her face with a mud pack and, in her haste to hide from Seo Jun and his mother, slides to the salon’s floor.
Ep. 3: Seo Jun intentionally stokes Soo Ho’s anger by spilling Soo Ho’s food tray and going to where Ju Kyung is seated.
Ep. 1: Ju Kyung is in the elevator, on the way to the rooftop where she plans to take her life by jumping to the ground below.
Ep. 1: As Soo Ho pulls Ju Kyung away from the ledge, they land hard on the rooftop floor.
Ep. 14: Seo Jun tells Soo Jin to delete Ju Kyung’s video from the school website, but she refuses.
Ep. 14: Ju Kyung despairs over her life after the whole school finds out what she really looks like without makeup.
D-4. Combined visual cues
Ep. 3: Seo Jun confronts Soo Ho over Ju Kyung at the cafeteria; they’re divided by several diagonal lines and are shot with a Dutch angle.
Ep. 9: Hee Kyung becomes jealous and possessive over Joon Woo when she sees him and another teacher. Notice the dividing line between the female teacher on the left side of the frame and Hee Kyung and Joon Woo on the right side of the frame. Notice also that they (the teacher on the left and Hee Kyung and Joon Wo on the right) are framed separately by the lines of the glass partition.
Ep. 14: Seo Jun wants to finally confess to Ju Kyung his love for her; notice the post serves as the dividing line between them, and it also serves as part of the frame that encloses him.
Ep. 14: Ju Kyung tries to confirm with Soo Jin if she was the one who uploaded the video to the school website. Notice that they are enclosed by separate frames.
Ep. 14: Soo Jin is scolded by her father for running out of a tutoring session; he also asks her to give him her cellphone. Notice that they’re shot with a Dutch angle and separated by several lines; they’re boxed in by the bottom of the table (out of focus) and the large vase on the right side of the frame.
E. Leading lines (compositional technique in cinematography and photography)
Studio Binder in its article titled “Rules of Shot Composition in Film: A Definitive Guide” says: “Leading lines are actual lines (or sometimes imaginary ones) in a shot, that lead the eye to key elements in the scene. Artists use this technique to direct the viewer’s eye but they also use it to connect the character to essential objects, situations, or secondary subjects.”
The YouTube video titled “8 Important Composition Tips for Better Photos” discusses leading lines at the 6:19 mark.
Ep. 1: Ju Kyung is in the ladies room, despairing over her life. Notice that the dividing line of the floor tiles forms a line leading our attention towards her.
Ep. 7: Ju Kyung goes home after seeing Soo Ho embrace Soo Jin. Notice the numerous lines on the wall and on the ground that lead the viewer’s eyes towards her.
Ep. 1: Ju Kyung retouches her makeup after bumping into Soo Ho. Notice the wooden railing forms a line that leads the viewer’s eyes towards her.
Ep. 5: the post supporting the backboard forms a line that focuses our attention towards Ju Kyung and Soo Ho.
Ep. 5: as Ju Kyung and So Hoo walk along the street, the wall and steel fence behind them have several leading lines.
Ep. 5: the lines on the ledge and the ledge’s shadow focus our attention on Go Woon.
Ep. 9: Seo Jun is about to drive off on his motorcycle; notice the leading lines on the ground and wall. (It’s curious that the director chose this location for this scene; wasn’t Seo Jun worried that somebody could steal his motorcycle parked in that place?)
Ep. 11: Seo Jun stands outside the hospital room where Ju Kyung is talking with Soo Ho.
F. Centered framing (framed within the left and right vertical guidelines of the Rule of Thirds)
G-1. How the “Rule of Thirds” gridlines are created: Divide the frame into three parts horizontally and vertically. The four points at which the vertical lines and horizontal lines meet or intersect are called the “intersection of thirds.”
The “Rule of Thirds” used in photography and cinematography states that a shot becomes more aesthetically pleasing when the subject is placed: (1) at any of the intersection of thirds; (2) along any of the two vertical lines; and (3) along the upper or lower horizontal line.
For more information on how the Rule of Thirds is used in films, please read “What is the Rule of Thirds? Definition and Examples in Film” from Studio Binder.
Cinematographers and photographers who follow the Ruke of Thirds thus frown on shots where the subject is in the center of the frame. But famous Hollywood directors such as Wes Anderson and Darren Aronofsky use center framing; the 2015 award-winning movie “Mad Max: Fury Road” deliberately used center framing.
(I dutifully used the Rule of Thirds in taking my pictures until I learned what Dynamic Symmetry is all about. In the Rule of Thirds gridlines, there are only vertical and horizontal lines. But design is not possible without diagonal lines. Now, when I take pictures, I always consider the Baroque Diagonal and Sinister Diagonal.)
For more information, please watch the video “Centre Frame Your Shot For More Impact | The Film Look.”
These pictures show Ju Kyung framed in the center of the frame.
Photographic technique from Steve McCurry: “Center the dominant eye.”
Steve McCurry is a veteran photojournalist who’s famous for his photograph titled “Afghan Girl” and published in the cover of the June 1985 issue if National Geographic. In the YouTube video at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZVyNjKSr0M (1:49 mark), McCurry gives this compositional technique “Center the dominant eye.” In his “Afghan Girl” photograph, notice that the girl’s left eye (from our perspective) is along the vertical line that divides the frame. Notice that in the famous “Mona Lisa” painting, one of her eyes is along the dividing center line.
(There’s a bit of confusion on what McCurry means by “dominant eye.” I think what he means is that one eye must be placed along the dividing center line.)
Unless my eyes are blurry from staring at Moon Ga-young’s face, these shots of Ju Kyung show one of her eyes along the dividing vertical line.
G. Miscellaneous observations
Push in with camera roll:
Ep. 1: Soo Ho pulls Ju Kyung away from the ledge on the rooftop. As it pushes in, the camera rolls counterclockwise.
Ep. 6: As a phone rings inside the bus, Soo Ho remembers Se Yeon and his call that he didn’t answer.
Camera roll:
Ep. 12: Soo Ah shows Ju Kyung her video of being humiliated by the bullies in her former school. Instead of a shaky cam, the cinematographer shows Ju Kyung’s emotional agitation through a camera roll.
Rack focus shots: A K-drama isn’t a K-drama unless it has rack focus shots.
Ep. 3: Ju Kyung (foreground) is in focus, while Seo Jun (background) is out of focus. Then Ju Kyung goes out of focus, while Seo Jun becomes in focus.
Ep. 3: Soo Ho (foreground) is out of focus, while Seo Jun (background) is in focus. Soo Ho becomes in focus, while Seo Jun becomes out of focus. Then as Soo Ho exits the frame, Seo Jun becomes in focus again.
Diagonal lines:
Ep. 9: Soo Ho cradles Hu Kyung as they do some jujitsu sparring. Notice that the lines on the floor and on the wall are parallel to what we call in Dynamic Symmetry as the “Baroque Diagonal” (see the blue dashed line).
Ep. 12: Soo Hoo sends Ju Kyung a text message.
Split screens:
“True Beauty” uses a lot of split screens, some of which are posted below.
For more information about split screens (history, current and future uses, etc.), please watch the YouTube videos “Split Screens - Everything You Need To Know” and “SFX Secrets The Split Screen.”
H. Homages to other K-dramas?
In one scene (Ep. 9), as Ju Kyung’s father shields his wife from an abusive client, the song “You Are My Destiny” is played twice. Homage to “My Love From The Star”?
In two scenes (Ep. 7?), Ju Kyung begins hiccuping. Homage to Park Shin-hye’s “Pinocchio”?
In two scenes, the flashback scenes are shown with frames similar to a 35 mm film strip with its perforations. Homage to “Encounter”?
In Ep. 2, Soo Ho catches Ju Kyung as she falls. The second to the last shot in that scene shows Soo Hoo’s right hand around Ju Kyung’s waist. Is this an homage to “The Moon That Embraces The Sun” where in Ep. 11 King Lee Won catches shaman Wol as she’s about to fall and part of the shot shows King Lee Won’s right hand around Wol’s waist?
In Ep. 4, Ju Kyung walks towards the school as she thinks about how to tell Soo Ah that she was rejected by her blind date. Seo Jun, who’s riding his motorcycle, then passes her by. That scene was shot in front of a building in Yonsei University (one of the SKY universities).
There’s a scene from the 2009 blockbuster “Brilliant Legacy” aka “Shining Inheritance” that probably inspired the Ep. 4 scene from “True Beauty.” In that scene, Seung-mi (played by Moon Chae-won) is sitting on a bench as Woo-hwan (played by Lee Seung-gi) arrives on his motorcycle. Notice the building in the background; that scene’s location is exactly the same as in “True Beauty.”
Lessons in photography from “True Beauty”
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| Out of focus highlights |
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| Low angle shot |
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| Natural frames |
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| Natural frames |
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| Centered framing |
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| Foreground blur |
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| Linear perspective |
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| Dutch angle |
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| High angle shot, lines |
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| Lens flare |
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| Centered framing, compressed perspective |
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| Dutch angle |
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| Reflection, arabesque |
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| Establishing shot |
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| Lens flare |
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| Natural frame, triangular composition |
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| High angle shot |
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| Natural frames |
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| Foreground blur |
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| Dutch angle |
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| Dutch angle or Dutch tilt |
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| Dutch angle or Dutch tilt |
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| Partial frame (along the top horizontal edge) |
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| Silhouette |
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| Background blur |
