Korean Mini Series "Shadow Beauty" is a dark version of True Beauty with more focus on the main lead and her progress in learning to be herself rather than the romantic prospect.
The drama does a great job creating the right atmosphere right from the start, with the main character being all creepy and sad at the same time. Her family situation seems ominous, her school life is a nightmare and all this has resulted in her seeing enemies everywhere and trusting none, even her best friend. The story, with the right pace for such a short drama, covers all the aspects of her life, with a smooth showdown in the end and a nice conclusion that wraps up everything.
However, the drama didn't handle the transition from a bully to a friend of the second lead. All the side characters actually were briefly presented, as the focus was mainly on the main lead.
The performances, though, were all great and the ending of the drama with the focus on the main character's revelation was pretty interesting and refreshing.
So, overall, 8 out of 10.
