Rich, handsome boy meets in the office the humble and unpretty worker: a combo that no one would think could work. I feel like I have seen many shows with this plot, and the strongest point of all of them is the incredible chemistry between the two lead actors that prove the audience they were wrong. She Was Pretty is not an exception, but I think its strongest point is rather the unexpected events and the countdown to see the truth being unveiled than the chemistry of the leads. I loved the early episodes because of the thrill of Sung Jun finding out who Hye Jin was, and I also loved the second half of the drama for the romance. All in all, She Was Pretty did quite well with the execution of its plots, even though you can feel it is kind of slow-paced sometimes.
I love it when fictional characters prove they are humans by making mistakes and making up for them afterward. The characters of She Was Pretty are all very realistic in a way that all of them are near to the actual reality, but what makes them more realistic than anything is how they gradually change for different reasons: they realize they mess up, they realize it is not that bad to change for someone you care, etc. I truly love this, and I think She Was Pretty has done this better than most of the dramas I have seen so far; especially with the friendship between Hye Jin and Hari.
Was the cast a fit for this drama? I think so. I think Park Seo Joon and Hwang Jung Eum did exceptionally well with their roles, some goes with Go Joon Hee and the co-workers at the office, especially for Hwang Seok Jung, and except for Kim Shin Hyuk / Choi Siwon; probably because he was a character that constantly got in my nerves for his sudden changes in personality and the empty scenes he was involved most of his time in the drama.
The soundtrack from this drama still makes rememorate scenes from the drama, and it is great when a song creates such a special link with the drama. Having among more artists Kihyun from Monsta X, Soyou, or Park Seo Joon himself as the lead singers for the songs of the OST, every track work well for She Was Pretty.
She Was Pretty is a cult drama for many reasons. Great cast and superb acting, well-defined places, a good script, and exceptional chemistry between the leads, whether it comes to the main couple or the friends, can be translated into an 8 out of 10. It is usually pretty hard to make a drama of this genre work if we keep in mind the number of cliches that can be found in it, but She Was Pretty meets all the expectations by far.
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Let me start with the negative points: 1) Hwang Jung Eum - you will love or hate her acting. I fall in the latter category. It is a known fact among seasoned K-drama watchers that her acting is so over-the-top, most of the time unnecessarily so. She was the main reason I found it so difficult to get through the show.
2) The central romance was not really convincing. It felt rooted in the childhood stories of our main characters, but it didn’t convince me that those childhood feelings translated into adult feelings of love.
For the positive points: 1) Siwon is hilarious in this role. It is just perfect for him and I think it gave him a chance to explore a character with a backstory and more emotional turmoil.
2) Park Seo Joon. I have yet to watch his other projects and I’m definitely looking forward to checking out his other dramas.
3) Notwithstanding a somewhat unconvincing central romance, due to the chemistry between Park Seo Joon and Hwang Jung Eum, there were still plenty of cute moments and fluff to make this a crowd-pleaser of a drama.
I would recommend the show for a fun, light and cute watch.
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I just finished re-watching this k-drama that stars the vastly entertaining Hwang Jung Eum as Kim Hye Jin, a woman who was the beautiful, popular girl who became "plain" when she got older, and the vastly adorable Park Seo Joon as Ji Seong Jun, the man who was the tubby outcast boy who fell in love with her but is now attractive, fit, and successful. This show is, really, the reward for the Second Lead Syndrome caused by Kill Me, Heal Me - where Park Seo Joon's character does not get Hwang Jung Eum's character as a romantic partner. As wish fulfillment for Second Lead Syndrome it suffers a bit early on by just how awful a human being the adult Ji Seong Jun has become. It takes a little bit overly long for him to turn into a human being again - during which time, one gets the chance to absolutely fall in love with Choi Shi Won, who plays Kim Shin Hyeok, a goofy and good natured writer who loves the "ugly" Hye Jin just the way she is. (In fact, when she has the inevitable make-over mid season, his reaction is shock and dismay 'But you were so pretty just as you were!') Luckily, Seong Jun does become human eventually and the wrap up of the romance is charming, sweet, and satisfying.
And almost secondary to the real shining relationship in this drama, which is the womance between Kim Hye Jin and her roommate/best friend Min Ha Ri, who is played by the stunningly beautiful and doll-like Go Joon Hee. Very often in k-dramas, the two women who fall for the main guy are catty and awful to each other. Even when they have otherwise been friends, introducing a guy to the mix often ends up with at least one of them turning to Leona Helmsley levels of evil. Not She Was Pretty. The love these two friends have for each other shines through from beginning to end in this show and is the real reward for watching. The love and support they show for each other is envy- and awe-inspiring. And worth every single moment of screen time. There's more than one moment in the show, especially early on, where I think that these two could just go off and leave all the guys behind and it would be one of the most satisfying love stories. :) I would seriously watch it again and again just for their story lines.
I do love the interactions between Park Seo Joon and Choi Shi Won, too.
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While episode 1 definitely had some magic, as soon as episode 2, typical k-drama annoyances started to take more and more prominent form. Everyone keeps screaming instead of talking (which is supposed to be funny), the main girl happily gets a job after long search but after mere days of being there, they put her to work in glossy fashion magazine instead, where everyone acts like a moron (obviously also supposed to be funny). It was getting on my nerves that she just didn't firmly tell them she knows nothing about fashion and therefore asks to be transfered back to her original department she WAS properly hired into. Instead, she needs to withstand it there for 3 months for some weird reason, surrounded by ever so annoying side-characters, who seem like brain damaged and won't let her at least suffer in peace. PLUS she has to work with the very person she wanted The Most to avoid.
Which brings me to the romance side of this. The main heroine knew nice, cute chubby childhood friend who was her childhood love. Years later he turned into a hot mean guy, who is now her new boss. I could understand her not revealing her identity to him. But the whole idea of sending her roommate to meet him in her stead was so dumb from the start. It gets only more nonsensical, if anything she should rather send her to work in the magazine. The roommate gives a speech to the main girl that she should give the new "job" more effort and that she should "study" from the magazines she has laying around the house (seriously), even gives her a crash course on clothes/cosmetics. I wondered why she just didn't apply there herself. But no, we watch a montage where the main heroine is to strive and put serious effort in her temporary work for stupid fashion magazine, just to please some "eccentric" superiors in there who are like cartoon characters or just plain idiots. And where her "bonus" is listening to her former childhood sweetheart scolding her for not being good enough in the work she didn't even want to do. While her roommate practically starts dating him in her stead...
It was such a huge relief when there were some off-work scenes. Normally I enjoy work dramas but this was a strain. There's one scene where the most annoying guy in the magazine comes to the main heroine who is alone by her desk minding her own business (he ALWAYS comes to her even though she herself doesn't pay him any notice), and asks her some money and to go eat with him in the evening. I would have given him the amount he asked immediatelly, just as long as he would shut up and leave. I might even offer 10 times higher amount for him to never speak to me again. I purposedly found out the name of the actor, Choi Si Won, just to put it here and name the main reason in case I just might not be able to complete this drama.
What was also annoying is that the same young actress who portrayed the main heroine when she still "was pretty" also portrayed her young sister or smth. It was positively confusing. The guy meets her, too. And I thought that maybe he should just date HER, lol. I really was not enjoying this and considered dropping it as early as episode 4. Every time there was this Choi Si Won's character, I felt like kicking him in the shins. Also, the roommate's character proved to be more interesting. Even if she was not the "right one" from childhood, she was the one who dated him now and who's to say she's not the right one? I couldn't help starting to cheer for HER, which is yet another failure of this show's creators. As she was getting more and more likeable, while the main girl acted more and more annoying. I mean, they did pick on her at work but she did act crazy. Maybe she should date Choi Si Won's character, if they were the same. Instead, they made them fast friends in some brother-sister relationship, which was about as credible as the "top notch" magazine they both worked for:-/
I admit in episode 6, there was a funny scene with Choi Si Won, which really WAS funny. Ironically enough, it was a scene with him & the lead guy (tending for him while he was sick). I still didn't like him with the lead girl, stupidly calling her "jackson" and practically stalking her around, but maybe this was a way to go. Pitty this wasn't a gay rom-com or smth, lol. I also wished for the roommate to finally tell the truth. As the likeable girl she was.
Episode 7 i was still finding it generally annoying and not even feeling the need to stick around till the guy realizes the big secret. All the clamoring and typical korean loud screaming in order to make "hilarious" series kept being tiring... But then the two main characters went away on a trip and we steered clear from all the noisy side-characters so it was actually quieter for a while (no matter their crazy adventure on the road), which was nice. Then, boom! Choi Si Won's character appeared again, and I just wished someone shot him with a tranquilizer. While it's not that I really liked the main couple, I REALLY didn't like him. Then we were back in the stupid magazine with the stupid english name... Things got better for the main girl & guy, but I didn't care for it. I didn't care whether they would each date one of the secondary characters, either. In all honesty, I didn't care for any possible pairing here, I didn't care who learns about the childhood past and I didn't care who dates who.
Half the series, the roommate still didn't tell the truth to the main guy. She said she wants to date him, not just be his friend and he didn't respond to that other than with reminiscing "their" childhood stuff. So, the roommate kept her mouth shut not only when she was afraid to open it, but even when it should ANNOY her that he doesn't know the truth? Meanwhile, the main guy noticed some signs that the main girl is his childhood friend but it still didn't get fully revealed. I must say I was losing my patience. I was like, it should be revealed NOW, and let's see how much drama can be squeezed out of it, because I don't think it would be that much, actually. I felt this show needed to move on to something else if it was supposed to run this LONG runtime...
Instead, the main guy fired the main girl from her job. And my only thought was if that meant she was also fired from her original job? Because that what what I was afraid of from the start. It's not fair at all that after she finally got a job they made her risk it just for a 3-month tenure in crazy fashion magazine where you can be immediatelly fired any time if you happen to bring a wrong-coloured sash on a dress or smth.
By the way, I didn't find the main actress pretty. And it was NOT because of the hair or the red cheeks. I don't find the actress pretty in general. And, she's COMPLETELY different TYPE than the one portraying her younger self. So, she's not even believable. She couldn't change that much in 20 years. I honestly wished the "drama" had a better plot than this.
Episode 9 the heroine lost her ruffled curls and the red cheeks, and I still didn't like her. But, the main guy did, so she was now on a the right path to become close with him but in the same time, we were already too far in the mess with the roommate girl. Who was to save this situation? Choi Si Won's character? Gee. Somehow I found the two girl's friendship more important than both the guys. Maybe because it was the only thing this drama's screenwriter bothered to make believable? I wished the roommate girl confessed to her friend. Why could she not? She needed her friend.
The main guy himself actually comes across as false during the whole drama. The actor is handsome, but is wearing the unnatural haircut with shaven-off under part and overly-long upper part. Probably dyed shade, too. When there is a flashback from the past, it's not credible the person is the same. His childhood version was chubby, afraid of the rain but else, cheerful and warm. The grown up version is guarded and tense. Same case like the main girl: it's not just the looks, you just don't believe they are the same people.
Episode 10: the blatant ab/use of time-stretching. We got the fake/switched/hidden identity thingy STILL unresolved. The whole show is stuck at dead point having obviously nothing else to offer, so...? Let's add yet more scenes where the characters schedule a meeting with each other to talk things through, then let's make it difficult for them to even arrive at that meeting, and when they finally do, let's have them say that today they're not in the mood to talk and would like to reschedule, again. Let's add yet more slow scenes, with slow dialogue in which the main heroine is asked, what does she intend to do? And she replies she's going to wait for some more time. Yeah! Don't worry about the audience dying of boredom by now. Let's directly tell the viewers that we're going to WAIT some more. LOL. I seriously thought the writer of this should be awarded a prize. It's like a cook in a restaurant, who'd arrive at your table personally to bring you an empty plate. Fantastic.
If we were to niggle in this for another 6 long runtime episodes, then I didn't get why we were so afraid to let the characters confront each other: after all I didn't find the childhood secret THAT significant (in compare with lying about your name for months, for example). If we as the audience already know something, naturally we only WAIT for the characters to learn about it, too. To watch their reaction. Then finally see something PAST that. Not to endlessly avoid it and just for the sake of it, let the characters grow more and more weirdos. This way, it looked more like we were watching people with brain damage, rather than characters in a drama.
Beginning of episode 11, the main guy finally learns the truth about the switch. And it's kinda... meh. It could be dramatic had he really treated the main girl with disdain, still. It could be dramatic had he really fallen for the roommate. It could be dramatic had we not been bored with this more than TEN long episodes. Main girl & guy then share a sweet reunion scene, either way I felt had she really harbour so pure a friendship, she WOULD meet him the first time around. The most emotional about the whole thingy was ironically the roommate, whom I felt never needed to assume identity of someone else. She was good on her own (she had more interesting backstory than the lead girl, actually). She was also the only one who fell love in this remarkably unromatic drama. Learning this, the main girl tries to keep her distance from the main guy by acting with forced jolly, but then again she was behaving like that since the beginning. To add my imput, I did not really care which girl gets the whiny guy in question (Park Seo Joon looks positively gay in this), I would actually be happier should the show move past this. Is there anything FUN on the program? Or could this episode at least be the last one?
Not the case: 5 more to go. I wondered, what purpose should those serve? The roommates forgive each other. The main guy keeps working hard for 'The Most Korea' to keep existing, which I didn't really cheer on (just the number of full-time paid employees I kept seeing in that "office" seemed a waste to me), I thought they might as well stop fighting it and celebrate their good run on some sending-off party. Instead, we watch them struggling, having regular "brainstorming" meetings, just to think of something to print once a month. The only "fun" seems to be yet another Choi Si Won's "gay rom-com" scene... Seriously, were the writers secretly fighting which orientation this drama should aim for? It was so lukewam on the straight front. When I'm thinking about it, also the girls called each other "wife" and said "I love you" daily. We know it was meant just as a sisterly love, still I guess a gay audience might actually enjoy this drama more than straight.
For me, each episode felt very long. I seriously don't see why this much of "content" couldn't fit into a HALF. Or less. During epi 12, I had the feeling like I'm still watching something that might have ended already.
Opened episode 13... And you know what? I wanted to close it immediatelly. So, should I force myself more into this? I checked... Is this the last episode, at least? No. And therefore, I decided I won't force myself any longer and I'm so happy. And in the end, it's not Choi Si Won like I thought (I kinda got used to him). It's everything. I just won't spare ONE single more minute for this. Sorry, not sorry.
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I can't finish this
The female lead is so annoying, I can't. She is so unlikable. Her personality is so rude so I dropped it because yikes. I only watched this show for the male lead and thats it. Please I can't take it! She ruined the show for me like I find her annoying. The fl and ml have no chemistry, and it just feels forced. Personally, I feel like she's just not the right person for this role or just maybe the writing is bad. Her acting is not my cup of tea but I bet shes a wonderful lady in real life but yeah.Was this review helpful to you?
It was really easy to watch, funny, simple and without any drama!
At the beginning I have to say that I don't like Kim Hye Jin so much because she reminds me a lot Oh Ah Ni, the main character of Playful Kiss that I really didn't like. I also didn't like very much Ji Seong Joon...
But after few episodes I really changed my mind, she started to be less stupid and he started to be less asshole!
I also really loved the relationship between Kim Hye Jin and Min Ha Ri (even though I hate Ha Ri a little bit sometimes!).
But most of all I ABSOLUTELY LOVED Siwon's character!!! Shin Hyeok was the right person at the right moment and with his goofy, lovely and caring manners was the best! He makes me laugh everytime he was on the screen! So thank you Choi Siwon for accepting this role! You were absolutely perfect for that!
Another character that was absolutely adorable was the Anna Dello Russo's inspired Editor in Chief! she was THE MOST!
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I recommend this drama if you're new to the K-Drama world as this drama really shows you what this world has in store for you!
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Now that I think about it minutes later after posting. It's crazy how the main female is considered ugly. Her only issue was pink cheeks. How is that ugly, kinda sad about what the definition of beauty and ugliness is considered. Would be hard for any female or male with a flaw slight flaw to live comfortably without ridicule on looks or weight. Low self esteem issues, yaHHHHHh.
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