With dramas like this, I don't know how useful it is to critique them based on any sort of serious metric. True Beauty was never going to be deep-thinking or artistically minded or particularly focused on it's writing, and you're setting yourself up for disappointment by taking it too seriously. So while it ultimately doesn't have very much depth, I'm not upset about it. I just wish I'd been able to finish the drama with the same level of enjoyment as when I started.

Unfortunately, the reality of dramaland is that for some dramas, the first half feels one way and the second half feels another, and you don't know how to feel about the drama as a whole, and that's definitely what True Beauty was like for me.

The first half was my jam. It wasn't stellarly written, by any means, but it did all of the things I wanted it to with a cast of likable characters, and that was enough. But the second half was equal parts plodding, occasionally frustrating, and sometimes even boring. The theme of confidence and self-acceptance and what beauty really means really takes a backseat. There are a number of genuinely moving moments, but the drama ultimately doesn't do a very deep, or consistent, exploration of these issues. And then the last two episodes not only have very little to do with any of this but they also focus on secondary issues that don't make sense being so far in the forefront of the story.

If you want a drama that broaches it's topics with thoughtfulness and some level of depth and consistency, you're better off watching a drama like My ID is Gangnam Beauty. While not perfect, ID understands it's subject matter and commits to it while True Beauty mainly uses it as a means of getting it's leads together. If you're not concerned with any of that and just want something fluffy and teen-angsty and cute and pretty, then by all means, watch this drama. You'll probably like it well enough.

Ultimately, True Beauty is a surface-level teen drama, and it knows it and does it well.