10 Major Differences Between True Beauty Webtoon And Korean Drama
In this article, I’ve listed out the top differences between true beauty webtoon and Korean drama and answered some frequently asked questions about the Manhwa and K-drama.
True Beauty is one of my favourite K-dramas, and I only got hooked on it because I was such a huge fan of the webtoons.
So I was kind of nervous to see if there were any major differences between the true Beauty webtoon and Korean drama.
With the webtoon recently being completed giving me a slightly bittersweet feeling, I felt like watching the entire show again.
And I found some of the following differences between the true beauty manhwa and the K-drama.
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True beauty was so popular thanks to its themes of beauty standards in Korea, friendship, high school bullying.
In the webtoon and the Manhwa, a young Korean student with confidence issues Im Joo Kyung discovers the magic of makeup!
Moon Ga Young portrays Joo Kyung in the K-drama and stars alongside Hwang-In Youp and ASTRO member Eun woo.
Differences Between True Beauty Webtoon And Korean Drama
After watching the K-drama and reading the webtoon originally published on the site Naver, I could find the following differences between the two. But readers beware, this article contains true beauty webtoon spoilers. So proceed with caution.
Suho and Ju Kyung Aren’t Dating In The Webtoon
Perhaps the biggest difference between the true beauty webtoon and Korean drama is that the main lead Suho and Ju Kyung aren’t dating yet.
This kind of makes sense as the webtoon is still ongoing and we might see their relationship come to fruition later, the K-drama had only 16 episodes. So things needed to be sped up a bit.
It also makes sense that she was able to move on from him easily when he moved to a foreign country (more on that later). It was easy because they never really dated!
Ju Kyung and Seo Jun Are In a Romantic Relationship In The Webtoon
Yes, you heard that right. While people who “ship” Ju Kyung and Seo Jun in the K-drama, they were actually portrayed as lovers in the webtoon.
In the K-drama Seo Jun is friend-zoned and keeps pining over Ju Kyung till the very end. And he doesn’t even get to move on!
Fortunately, the webtoon is better for Kyung-Jun Shippers as they are good friends and later boyfriend and girlfriend. In fact, these two are in a committed relationship when Suho gets back from abroad.
I always thought Seo Jun was a much better match for Ju Kyung as he wasn’t phased about seeing her no-makeup bare face.
Ju Kyung’s Family Life Isn’t In The Webtoon
While K-dramas or any sort of movie or TV adaptations usually cut out chunks of the plot to fit into a timeline, True beauty K-drama added more of it!
All of Ju Kyung’s family life you see in the Korean show didn’t actually happen in the webtoon.
The webtoon never shows her father’s financial mess or her fights with her mom. Even the bickering with her younger brother is all made up for TV and was never there in the Manhwa.
Suho and Seojun Did Not Have Violent Altertactions
I mean who doesn’t love a good love traingle! Two handsome men fighting over one girl. Sigh. The dream! But on a more serious note. Suho and Seojun weren’t at each other’s throats in the webtoons as they were in the K-drama.
Seojun is also depicted as somewhat of a bully, which I didn’t find very amusing. And the webtoon never showed Suho and Seojun getting violent with each other. Although I do admit it makes for better drama.
Selena was Actually Suho’s Sister
Remember Selena, the famous makeup artist who was Ju Kyung’s idol. Yeah, she was Suho’s older sister in the webtoons! Surprised? Yes, I was too.
Watching the K-drama and seeing Suho take Ju Kyung to Selena’s mall event and not even interacting with her was very surreal to watch.
In both, the webtoon and K-drama Selena is a super successful celebrity and Ju Kyung becomes her protege of sorts.
But I really wish they kept her relationship with Suho in the Kdrama.
The Webtoon Wasn’t Based In High School
Since a lot of the viewers of the true beauty webtoon are young adults especially teenage girls, it made sense to base the K-drama in high school completely.
But the webtoon isn’t all about the main character’s high school shenanigans. It follows their life as adults struggling to get through college and succeed in their professional lives.
One of the biggest sub-plots in the true beauty manhwa was that Ju Kyung struggles to find a suitable college major that accommodates her love of makeup.
In the webtoon, Seojun has graduated from high school and gone on to become a famous Kpop idol. His fame and Ju Kyung’s struggles to date a famous boy also was the subject of many webtoon chapters.
Suho Goes To America And Not Japan
In the webtoon, Suho goes to Japan and not to America to take care of his ailing father. In fact, Suho and Selena have a Japanese mother in the webtoon.
Another change in the K-drama is that Suho and Ju Kyung are together when he leaves for the airport. This isn’t the case in the webtoon.
In the webtoon, they have never officially dated each other. Suho confesses his love for Ju Kyung as he’s leaving for the airport.
What is similar in both the webtoon and the K-drama is that Suho completely cuts contact with both Seo Jun and Ju Kyung after moving abroad.
Ju Kyung and Suho’s First Meeting Place Is Different
Ju Kyung and Suho’s meet-cute happens a bit differently in the webtoon than in the K-drama. In the show, they meet on a rooftop but in the manhwa, they both meet in a comic book shop.
The webtoon shows their eyes locking as they reach for the same book on a shelf. But honestly, I thought the Kdrama meet-cute was better as it had a deeper meaning.
In the K-drama and in the webtoon both Suho and Seojun have a best friend called Se Yeon who commits suicide after facing immense mental pressure while training to be a Kpop idol.
So when the Kdrama shows Suho meeting Ju Kyung on a rooftop, it gives an added dimension to the scene as he’s freaked out thinking she’ll hurt herself as Se Yeon did.
Ju Kyung’s Bullying Is Worse In The K-Drama
Usually, film and TV adaptations tone down certain scenes, but in this instance, the bullying faced by Ju Kyung is actually depicted as worse in the K-drama.
Papa Lim Doesn’t Exist In The Webtoon
As I’ve said before the K-drama makes up most of Ju Kyung’s life from scratch. In the webtoons, her father is never mentioned.
But in the K-drama Papa Lim is a devoted dad and a total softie, unlike Ju Kyung’s verbally abusive mother. He’s also one of the K-drama’s chief comic relief, a change I’m glad about!
FAQs about True Beauty Webtoon And Korean Drama
Is the Kdrama true beauty based on the Webtoon?
Yes, the Kdrama True Beauty is based on the webtoon of the same name. The original Manhwa was published in English on the site Naver by author Yaongyi. Unlike the K-drama that has 16 episodes and has now ended, the webtoon has been ongoing.
What Kdramas are similar to true beauty?
If you’re a fan of the Kdrama true beauty, you’ll certainly enjoy these Korean romantic comedies. Once you’re done binge-watching true beauty, you can add dramas like Crash Landing On You, Boys Over Flowers, My ID Is Gangnam Beauty, Oh My Venus, She Was Pretty, and Cheese In The Trap.
Is True Beauty Kdrama good?
True Beauty K-drama is good if you like romantic comedies. It’s a slice-of-life drama about teenage relationships, bullying, and body image issues. The plot follows a similar trope of the not-so-popular girl becoming famous and ending up with the most desirable boy in the school. But viewers love it and critics have also appreciated the acting in the show.
Why is True Beauty webtoon so popular?
The True beauty webtoon has all the ingredients that make it popular among young adults. There’s romance, comedy, commentary on real-life issues like impossible beauty standards and insecurities. The main character Ju Kyung is also relatable due to her love for makeup and the problems of her love life. When you consider the K-drama, the presence of handsome guys like K-pop idol Cha Eun-woo adds another layer of interest.
Does Netflix have True Beauty?
No, unfortunately not. You cannot find this Korean drama on Netflix at the moment. Also, this show isn’t available on HBO Max, Amazon Prime, or Hulu either. The only websites where True beauty is available are Viu and Rakuten Viki.
Is True Beauty finished?
The K-drama True Beauty has finished with a total of 16 episodes. But the webtoon or Manhwa is ongoing. The True Beauty webtoon, first published on Naver, has a total of 176 episodes at the moment and has been ongoing since April 2018.
True beauty has been one of my favourite K-dramas of all time. And it’s no wonder since the original webtoon it’s based on was amazing too.
Did you know that the webtoon was ongoing when the drama aired? So the show had a huge responsibility to do justice to the Manhwa.
And I must say, the cast and crew have done a fantastic job. Critics have been all praises for the cast of True beauty for their acting skills.
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