While some time has passed since the first release of "True Beauty," it continues to be brilliant five years later and is officially labeled as one of the most viewed and re-viewed series in the world, even back then.

Based off of the well-known webtoon by Yaongyi, the drama is a shining example of a time proof and trend proof drama in global K-Drama culture.

According to Kpopmap, there were high expectations when "True Beauty" finally aired in December 2020. Did you know that by 2022, the original webtoon had surpassed 825 million views in English and had gained more than 6.6 million subscribers worldwide? Based on the built-in audience and the praise from fans for staying true to the story in its adaptation, the tvN series would instantly become popular.

Casting Mun KaYoung, Cha EunWoo, and Hwang InYoup was termed a "masterstroke" by Kpopmap, reflecting characters that looked like they had walked straight out of the webtoon. Their chemistry sparked what fans called a "fandom explosion" that still ripples across streaming platforms.

Unlike many dramas, which gradually fade away after broadcasting, "True Beauty" attained longevity on Netflix.

Flix Patrol showed that the series has reached a record of 293.5 million hours viewed in the first half of 2024, its highest ever—four years after release. As of mid-2025, it maintained more than 151 million viewing hours, thus it is among Korea's most re-watched dramas worldwide.

The drama achieved particular success in Latin America. Localized by CJ ENM, the broadcast through Mexico's Televisa Canal 5 and Brazil's Globo made "True Beauty" one of the major drivers of Hallyu growth in the region.

This series was, in many ways, a game-changer for its actors, too. Cha Eun-woo had 9.7 million followers on Instagram in 2020 and reached 48 million followers by late 2025, ranking him among the most-followed actors in Korea.

Hwang In-youp went from just being a model to being a world-famous celebrity with over 21 million followers today. Mun KaYoung, the actress who played Lim JuKyung, captured the emotional depth of her character and has almost 13.5 million followers and is firmly within the elite class of actresses in Korea.

In addition to fame, "True Beauty" changed perceptions of K-beauty and self-esteem.The drama's message of true transformation emanating from within resonates even today in a world that is consumed by digital aesthetics and social media pressure.

In 2025, "True Beauty" isn't entertainment but emotional comfort food. With its enduring popularity and cultural footprint, this drama serves as a model for any adaptations that may come afterward: heartwarming storytelling combined with sharp marketing and star power that simply would not dwindle. In an evolving world of K-Drama, "True Beauty" remains just that: still beautiful.