Webtoon| True Beauty — Beauty Isn’t Just About Appearances
HI BAYOG Fam!~ It’s Minty with another webtoon post~ Today we’ll be talking about 여신강림, officially known in English as True Beauty. Okay…confession…this has been in my drafts since… 2018 apparently LOLOL
I’ve been reading it for years, and I really enjoyed it! I had always wanted to make a post about it. Yet, for some reason I kept pushing it back… However, the live action drama is set to air very soon. So I figured it was time to finally do the post~ Not gonna lie…this may be a somewhat messy post cuz your girl has been lacking hella sleep and can’t think straight…
Again, I’ll be talking a Korean webtoon called 여신강림. Apparently it means “Angel’s Descent”. However, it also goes by the name “Angel’s Secret”. The official English publication is titled, “True Beauty”. It’s a webtoon by Yaongyi (야옹이). It was originally published through Naver Webtoons since April 2018. It made it’s official English publication on LINE Webtoon in August 2018.
Synopsis (From LINE Webtoon):
After binge-watching beauty videos online, a shy comic book fan masters the art of makeup and sees her social standing skyrocket as she becomes her school’s prettiest pretty girl overnight. But will her elite status be short-lived? How long can she keep her real self a secret? And what about that cute boy who knows her secret?
Genres: Romance, Comedy, Slice of Life, Drama, Shoujo
Read It: [LINE Webtoon]
Status: Ongoing (2018 —)
Good for:
- If you like K-Dramas
- If you like K-Pop
- Bishies
- If you’re interested in beauty/make-up/skincare
- If you’re interested in K-beauty and K-fashion
- If you liked Switch Girl (JP Manga)
Basically we have a girl named Im Jugyeong (alternative spelling is Lim Jugyeong) who looks rather plain or average. She isn’t like most girls in her middle school. She loves horror movies as well as manga by Junji Ito. She loves rock music like Linkin Park, Green Day Grean Day, and Fall Out Boy Fall In Boy. She doesn’t really dress up or wear make up. One day she decides she wants to change and be like the pretty girls in her class. So she begins her interest in make-up. She tries her best to learn how to to use make up, thus having a glow up just in time for a fresh start in high school. With make up, Jugyeong looks completely different and has now begun a new life. She uses make up to hide her insecurities and giver herself confidence. She’s now seen as one of the really pretty girls. Jugyeong has been gaining popularity and even becomes a social media influencer. However, Jugyeong doesn’t let anyone know that her natural and bare face is completely different from when she has make up on. No one knows about her true hobbies and interests in comics or rock music. So Jugyeong has basically been living a double life.
Then she meets the popular, handsome, and seemingly unsociable Lee Suho who happens to find out her secret. He doesn’t care though, he warms up to her and likes her for who she is. What’s better than one bishie? TWO bishies!!! We also got Han Seojun, the handsome, stylish, talented, and sociable bishie. While Jugyeong struggles with her complexes and insecurities, she’ll learn that she can be loved for the true beauty inside (Okay, Minty… That was corny as hell…)
Honestly, this series instantly reminded me of a Japanese manga series called Switch Girl!! (スイッチガール!!). Just ever so slightly. That series was also made into a live action drama as well. It’s a bit similar in that the female lead also leads a bit of a double life. Outside she’s known to be beautiful and popular girl. However, she’s got a different appearance and personality at home. She’s more homely looking, and has hobbies, interests, and habits that most people who judge her for. Of course, the male lead finds out her secret, but is also okay with it.
Also… Goddamn Seojun looks good (even when angry)! SIR, MY HEARTTTT~ Q~Q
I know the synopsis for True Beauty may not sound all that interesting, but it really is a fun webtoon. It’s especially great if you’re into Korean dramas, K-Pop, and K-Beauty! Y’all know this hits all of my interests!~ I remember I started reading this when it first came out. It’s really funny. When I first read it, I immediately binge read the available chapters. This is also one of the few series I willingly pay fast passes for, and I read the raw Korean chapters too. The first thing that came to mind was, “Wow, this would make a great K-Drama. It’s perfect for a K-Drama!” 2 years later, and it’s finally happening! I also got my bestie, Jess (Yes, Loha’s Jess) and her sis into it as well! First of all, the art is SO FREAKIN BEAUTIFUL! Yaongyi’s art is just really beautiful! Aside from how beautiful it was, I was drawn by how detailed it is compared to most webtoons! Her art has changed a bit since when she first started the series, but it’s actually become so much more cleaner and even more detailed! Like it was nice art at the beginning, but she honestly improved her art style even more over the past 2 years. It’s really crazy how detailed and nice it looks.
Also… BISHIESSSSS~ Seojun and Suho are damn gorgeous as hell. Not only are they gorgeous, I love their personalities. Y’all know I’m a serial second lead supporter. I tend to hate one person, or at least obviously favor one over the other. BRUH. This is one of the few occasions where I’m legit torn. Both leads are great, and I feel like it’d be a win either way. However, I’ve grown so attached to them that I don’t want to see the other one hurt… My poor fangirl heart… I truly do love both! Although I think I do tend to lead Seojun just a bit more. Probably because of my second lead shipping tendencies… But honestly, both are great catches and I can’t even be mad at either result of who ends up being endgame.
[Warning: Some spoilers ahead… I’ll try to keep them to a minimum!]
Our first lead is Lee Suho. The guys is hot and popular. He’s just naturally handsome and stylish. Dude is also a gold spoon (he comes from a very well to do family). However, he’s kind of a cold, unsocialbale, and a total jerk at first. Dude is honestly just wary of people. Him and Jugyeong end up getting closer and more comfortable after he unwittingly finds out her secret and they realize they have similar interests. Like Jugyeong, he really likes horror. To Jugyeong’s surprise, Suho legitimately doesn’t care about her appearance. He actually thinks she looks pretty even without it. The boy truly, and honestly just enjoys her company and her personality. He’s the first one outside of her family know Jugyeon’s secret about her bare face. He’s also her first guy friend as well. Suho actually doesn’t really have friends, so he’s pretty close with Jugyeong. He’s really supportive of Jugyeong and seems to really care for her. Jugyeong obviously starts to feel something for him. They basically have sort of a “some” kind of relationship going on. If y’all don’t know what that means, it’s basically a relationship that seems to be more than friends, there’s interest and chemistry, but they’re not lovers yet. It also seems that Suho knows Seojun. However, they don’t seem to be on very good terms when they meet again at the beginning of the series.
Our second lead is Han Seojun. He’s another hot looking dude. Unlike Suho, he’s actually sociable. However, Seojun will be rude to people he doesn’t like. He seems intimidating, giving the impression of being a guy who hangs out with delinquents. However, Seojun is actually a really warm and kind guy. He’s also very fashionable with what he wears, his accessories, and even wears make up. Makes sense since he works as a part time as a model. Not only is he good looking and fashionable, he’s also really talented. Turns out that he’s a really good singer, and a former idol trainee. He and Jugyeong are kind of on awkward and not so great terms at first. However, they do end up becoming friends. Seojun is hot, but what about his personality? Jugyeong heard Seojun’s friend talk about girls who look completely different with makeup. They basically say they wouldn’t date someone who looks completely different without their makeup. His friends seem really judgmental, and only confirm Jugyeong’s fear and insecurity that is the reason why she wears makeup and hides her bare face. However, she’s surprised to overhear Seojun chastise his friends and say that it doesn’t matter. He’d still date a girl who looks different because of makeup. Him and Suho don’t get along at the beginning of the series because they seem to have a bit of history together. Yeah… I think I probably lean slightly more towards Seojun cuz he’s more my type. The man sings, can help you with your fashion, won’t judge you for your makeup, and would probably help you buy your makeup. Also I just really like his fashion style. Especially the accessories. I love mismatching Korean earrings~ Fun fact: It was speculated that Yaongyi based Seojun’s appearance on Kwon Hyun Bin. Hyun Bin competed on season 2 of Produce 101 and was one of the members of the resulting project group JBJ. He’s since debuted as a solo artist under the stage name [VIINI]. You also might recognize him for his role in the The World of My 17, which was the live action web series adaptation of [Girls’ World/Odd Girl Out]. People have said that Seojun’s character has a resemblance to Hyun Bin.
Of course, we also have our main character: Im Jugyeong (Alternative spelling – Lim Jugyeong)! Honestly, she’s a nice and down to earth girl. She’s a bit different from most of the girls around her because she actually likes rock and metal music, she loves reading comics, and she loves horror series. She just has very low confidence in herself and her appearance. Thus she spends the time and effort to learn about makeup and skincare to change herself. She had a glow up just in time for high school to start. Unfortunately, she still has confidence issues and complexes. So her favorite hobbies and her natural face are things she keeps a secret from other people. She’s extremely talented with makeup and newfound interest leads her to dream about being a makeup artist. Honestly though, the girl is gorgeous with makeup, but she’s really beautiful on the inside too. She’s honestly really kind. I think Jugyeong and her situation is just really relatable. Like none of us are great when we first start off with makeup. It can be a struggle. I’m sure we can all relate to those mistakes and experiences. However, it can be a great form of creativity, self-care, and a huge self-esteem/confidence booster!
Also, y’all… Have you seen the Yaongyi, the author of True Beauty? I deadass swear to you that she’s basically glowed up Jugyeong IRL. Girl be talented as hell, hella fashoinable, and hella pretty IRL. Like Jugyeong she is a bit of a social media influencer and model as well. On a side note, her waist and hips seem hella unreal! Her waist is so tinyyyy!~ I swear she’s literally Jugyeong. You can tell she uses herself and experiences as reference for her series. On a side note, she seems to be dating fellow webtoon artist Jeon Sun Wook.
Story and characters aside, I also appreciate that the fashion and makeup looks and tips are real. These are real trends. The webtoon also clearly follows trends, and incorporates into the series. Which is pretty amazing because trends can come and go hella fast. However, this series is pretty realistic and trendy. I’m just amazed at the accuracy! It actually makes me want to go clothes and accessories shopping. It’s a great idea if you’re looking for some fashion tips or ideas.
The tips, brands, and some of the makeup products are real. They are applicable, and do work. It’s actually nice because you do get some nice explanations sometimes.
Also, y’all know I am not a fan of [product placements]. Recently, I noticed that [webtoons are starting to use product placements] as well. I swear if I see a goddamn Subway or Dyson PPL in a webtoon… Honestly, I’m not for it. I feel like product placements in webtoons feel forced, more so than in dramas. It just feels awkward and breaks the flow of the story, even more than it does for dramas. However, I will make an exception for the product placement in True Beauty. Only because it actually relates to it, so it makes sense. Not going to lie, I legit bought some products cuz of this webtoon. Including the Ink Lasting Foundation from The Face Shop; Although, I got the cushion version. Bruh, it’s good. I actually like it. The tips are legit, and I admit I’ve used them as well~
For the K-Pop and K-Drama fans… This series is perfect for us. There’s alot of references to actual celebrities and other pop icons. Like BTS!~ Y’all know I had to. There’s also references/cameos of other idols and shows like Produce x 101. I think Kang Daniel even had a brief appearance.
Honestly, aside from the beauty and fashion aspect, I love the series because of the comedy and relatability. I love the use of meme faces. LOLOL These all me. LOL Honestly, there’s alot of K-Pop/K-Drama related memes that are perfect for me to enjoy~ But memes aside, I do relate to Jugyeong’s character in her personality, interests, insecurities, and reactions. Like Jugyeong, I prefer rock music and I like horror. People were surprised because I didn’t seem like someone who’d like bands like Linkin Park and All American Rejects. Of course I was also hella into manga and anime. Unlike my peers, I was also into K-Pop, J-Pop, T-Pop, K-Dramas, J-Dramas, etc. I think I’d always been behind my peers in any interest regarding my appearance. I was a kind of a geek, and I had no interest in fashion. Although, if I had to pick I’d say I personally liked punk fashion. First of all, I think I’m a potato. I was a hellaaaa awkward potato back in middle school. I didn’t dress up or wear make up. I basically just wore whatever my parents bought or gave me. Often times it was t-shirts and jeans. It was more tomboy type of clothes, or just straight up boy clothes. The most interest I had regarding fashion then was probably some earrings, headbands, and lip gloss. Still, I didn’t really wear make up until like senior year of high school. I’m an Asian daughter in a hella old fashioned, conservative Asian family after all. I wasn’t even really allowed to hang out outside of school. Back then, lip gloss was the most I could wear. I tried wearing eye shadow, but uhhh… Let’s say I’ve only really started wearing eyeshadow properly in college to the present. This was before YouTube days, and I just didn’t know how. I did eyeliner, but I wasn’t great at it either.
Around my senior year of high school or freshman year of college is when I started paying more attention to my appearance, and actually started gaining interest and actually using make up and skincare. Y’all know I was K-Pop trash since like 2001-2003. With K-Dramas, K-Pop (esp. Girls’ Generation), and the popularity of ulzzangs, I really got interested in Korean makeup and fashion. I even started wearing circle lenses. YouTube was started gaining popularity, and I started using YouTube tutorials to learn how to do my makeup. My daily makeup was usually pretty subtle. It would be like BB cream, eyeliner, and mascara. Maybe a light shimmery and subtle pink eyeshadow. Of course, there were a few special occasions where I’d try to be a bit bolder. Not too often though.
I’d like to say I’ve come a long way now. I’m still a potato, but I can look like a semi-cute potato now. Even now, I’m really big on Korean skincare and makeup. I still like Korean fashion too. Korea has been one of the leaders of fashion and beauty trends in Asia for over a decade. They’ve gained popularity and recognition even in the west. It used to be hard finding Korean products here. I used to have to always order it online. Now I can find Korean products in Sephora, Ulta, Target, and even Walmart. Even ones that I actually use. Although, I will admit I invest more into skincare and makeup than fashion. Mostly cuz I don’t have anywhere to go, therefore no reason to dress fashionable…. Also, I’m a fat potato… So cute Asian fashion styles literally don’t fit me…lol My default daily look was still pretty much the same, except I got better at drawing my eyeliner. However, in more recent years, my makeup collection has grown. I started wearing more eyeshadows and colors more often, but nothing too crazy. By default I prefer more subtle and natural/neutral looks. Although, I now do try to experiment a bit more. But yeah, I definitely relate to Jugyeong on her insecurities, but also her interest in beauty and fashion. Much like Jugyeong my makeup style and skills have also evolved over time, and I’ve become more knowledgeable with skincare and beauty. It’s to the point my friends will ask me for advice and recommendations, and I’ve even helped people at stores like Sephora LOL I have alot of confidence and self-esteem issues, but I really enjoy makeup and skincare. It’s a form of self-care. I find it really relaxing, and it gives me a boost of confidence~ Self-love y’all~ Some people may think makeup is used to hide and cover things. Some will even say it’s a lie or a trap. Look, we don’t necessarily do it for others. Rather it’s for ourselves. Makeup can completely change someone’s vibe. However, I like to think that makeup can help bring out your inner beauty. I think that’s basically one of the points in this series too.
Again, there is a live action drama that will be airing on tVN. It’ll begin airing December 9th! It’s slated to have 16 episodes.
It’ll be starring Astro’s Cha Eun Woo as Lee Suho. Y’all should recognize him from the live action drama adaptation of [My ID Is Gangnam Beauty]. Actually, it’s said that Yaongyi originally based Suho’s appearance on Cha Eun Woo. I’m not surprised. Also, I think role his role of Suho has some similarities to his role as Kyung Seok in Gangnam Beauty.
Im Jugyeong will be portrayed by actress Moon Ga Young. She starred in Tempted, the K-Drama loosely based on the French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses. For anyone who remembers, that’s the same novel that the US movie Cruel Intentions was based on. She was also in Heartstrings and a few other dramas and movies. Earlier this year, some netizens speculated that the role might have gone to AOA’s Seolhyun.
Han Seojun will be portrayed by Hwang In Yeop. He had roles in Tale of Nokdu and 18 Again, which is the Korean adaptation of the US film 17 Again. Earlier this year, netizens speculated that the role would have gone to VIINI (Kwon Hyun Bin) due to his similar appearance to Seojun. He actually faced alot of criticism when it was announced that he’d be playing Seojun. Particularly for his age. However, I’m actually looking forward to him playing the role. Also, he does not look 29?! He actually looks pretty young. I honestly didn’t expect him to only be a year younger than me! I just assumed he was early-mid twenties!
Lastly, Park Yoo Na will be portraying Kang Sujin. You should also recognize her as one of the side characters in Gangnam Beauty as well. She also had a role in [Hotel Del Luna].
I really do love this webtoon. It’s really fun and interesting~ Especially if you’re into K-Pop, K-Dramas, K-Beauty/Trends, Korean idols, and just Korean pop culture in general. The art is freakin’ gorgeous, and I really do like all 3 leads. I can relate to them. Jugyeong feels like someone I’d know and be friends with. She just seems real to me, minus the whole part where her situation with 2 bishies like that seems pretty impossible IRL. But personality and character wise, I can see a bit of Jugyeong in me and my friends. Suho and Seojun…they just your ideal hot Korean actor/idol-like boyfriend material. Good looking, stylish, sweet, caring, kind, talented, and they truly do care for the true, inner beauty than appearances. They’re the whole package. Like…shiiiiiieeeet. A girl can still dream… But for reals, I like that they’re both likeable. They each have their flaws and struggles, but I can honestly be happy with either for the endgame. I’m definitely going to check out the drama too! Finally a more light-hearted drama to balance my dark ones! So I can finally end my drama watching hiatus!~ I was super excited when the first announcement of the adaptation dropped. However, I have to admit I do have some concerns. Still, we’ll see how it goes~ Anyway, any of y’all True Beauty fans? What do you think? Are you into K-Beauty trends? What’s your kind of style? Most importantly: who’s your favorite male lead?! Who do YOU want to be the endgame? Let me know in the comments, Discord, or my socials!
In other news, BAYOG finally made an official Twitter account [@WeAreBAYOG]! Now y’all can get updates and interact with us there~ Y’all don’t have to deal with my fangirl nonsense and spamming from my personal Twitter now if you don’t want to haha~ We’ll also be featuring some special posts from our friend and guest writer, Lauren [@necara]! So please look forward to her posts on some anime OPs and EDs~ Anyway, I just want to say that you’re all amazing human beings! You do you! Be confident and love yourself!~ Take care, stay safe, and have a wonderful day friends!~
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Hihi! I’m Minty! I’m Thai-American~ เป็นคนไทยค่ะ~ ยินดีที่ได้รู้จักนะคะ~
I’m BAYOG’s hella basic Asian chick, Real People Stuffs expert, and boba addict. I’ve been a part of the BAYOG Crew since 2017~ I fangirl and mostly blog about music, live action movies/dramas, manga/webtoons, and occasionally webnovels~ When I’m not blogging, I’m usually writing/singing Thai-English covers~
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