The True Beauty anime adaptation has finally landed on Crunchyroll, and Episode 1 has all the fans of the popular Korean webtoon wanting more. Only a handful of webtoons are as popular as True Beauty, already warranting a K-drama and a recently released anime series. After a successful stint as a K-drama, the webtoon has finally dipped its toes into the anime realm.
The anime adaptation is co-produced by Studio N, a subsidiary of Webtoon, and Cocktail Media. Since the True Beauty anime is expected to follow its webtoon counterpart, the story will revolve around Jugyeong Lim who uses makeup to reinvent herself in her new school after being bullied for her looks. Well, let’s not spoil too much here, shall we? Here’s everything you need to know about the first episode of the True Beauty anime!
What Happened in Episode 1 of the True Beauty Anime?
The first episode of the True Beauty anime starts with a compilation of Jugyeong Lim getting bullied. From getting tripped and an unconsented makeover to being posted online and made fun of, life doesn’t get any harder for our protagonist. However, after receiving a message linked to a beauty channel, she takes advantage of the winter break to become a makeup expert.
This is where things turn around for Jugyeong. Having transferred schools, this is the perfect time for her to reinvent herself and start anew, and that is what she exactly does. On her first day at Saebom High School, she receives stares left and right as the new campus beauty—even gaining friends and uncharted popularity. That isn’t to say that she’s comfortable with all this newfound attention, because as much as she’s improved her social standing and her looks, she still feels like a “two-faced swindler.”
Things get even more complicated when she encounters the enigmatic Suho Lee, make-up-less, in a bookstore—even getting into a mini contest for who gets the novel they were both eyeing. Eventually, Suho wins and proves that he is the better otaku, to Jugyeong’s surprise—but that wasn’t the only surprise she was in for. Later in the episode, she also discovers that he goes to the same school! Queue the dramatic music!
The next day, she unexpectedly meets him at the same place, makeup-less again. She gets wary of being found out and concedes the book to him beforehand. However, she drops one of her earbuds on her way out, and Suho picks them up. After promising never to go inside the cursed bookstore again to avoid him, in proper K-Drama style, they accidentally bump heads at a study group again.
Things get spicy when Suho asks her if he’s met her before, but Jugyeong denies it outright…which is a total lie! After the meeting, the group goes their separate ways and as she plays her usual rock genre favorites, she notices she’s missing an earpiece. Enter Suho with the earpiece she lost, recognizing that she is indeed the girl from the bookstore.
How is the True Beauty Anime Different from the K-Drama?
Storywise, there are plenty of differences between the True Beauty anime and its K-drama counterpart. For one, the K-drama featured more modified scenes than its anime adaptation. Some parts of the story hold some resemblance, but you can tell there are obvious changes to how things develop.
In the first episode of the True Beauty K-drama, watchers were treated to an in-depth look into Jugyeong’s background. Growing up, her parents commented on her looks and that she got them from her mother’s genes. Additionally, it was due to financial issues that she transferred schools—unlike in the anime where she was forced to leave after scratching Semi’s face.
The True Beauty anime used the bookstore as the setting for Jugyeong and Suho’s first encounter. The K-drama, on the other hand, happened on the rooftop. Already past her limits, she plans to jump off the building but changes her mind after seeing an advertisement for the late Se-Yeon. As she gets down from the edge, Suho shows up and pulls her away. He tells her that everything will be okay and that people love her.
The average encounter between Jugyeong and Suho in the K-drama also had that popular K-Drama romantic feel to it. In the True Beauty anime, the only significance of their second meeting was her earpiece falling out in the bookstore. In the K-drama, the two grab the same book but upon looking at who got her dibs, she falls on top of Suho Lee and locks eyes.
How Did X/Twitter React to the True Beauty Anime?
Expect no less from one of South Korea’s biggest webtoons. The True Beauty anime has already made a loud noise on social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter). Some were hyped, some were writing reviews, and some were just there for the ride.
There’s no denying that the ride will be fun. Although some people will rightfully take their stance on the anime, this is an unskippable chance to see their favorite characters finally animated. One user tweeted out: “I see the first episode of True Beauty (anime) is getting a bad rep, but I really enjoyed it. It was cute and the intro was a banger. I fell in love with the webtoon & was ecstatic when the Kdrama aired, now I can’t wait to tune in weekly for the anime.”
These scenes are exactly what those who waited for the True Beauty anime expected, and the producers deserve their flowers. This makes it a completely different experience from its webtoon and K-drama counterparts. One fan tweeted: “hmm…should i watch the True beauty anime?…i watched like 2 eps of the Kdrama, it was nice i think idk.” Comparisons between the adaptations are already flooding X and you might want to state your case, too!
What are reactions without some memes? The True Beauty anime honors the mega series Fairy Tail in one of its scenes, naming it “Fairy Rail.” Fans notice and take a jab at the funny cameo: “Hmm, Fairy Tail…but with Trains?“