Perfect blend of romance, medical, and military

I’ve been writing paragraphs after paragraphs every week, so I’m not even going to lie to myself. I’m really easy to please and this drama is a perfect 10 for me.

Mi Ka and Xing Kelei are equal - smart, capable, and successful in their own fields. They have respect, trust, and communication in their relationship. They know the demands of each other’s jobs (a doctor and a special police officer) so they have never had a problem with the lack of time together. They always make up for it, apologize with no excuses, and have been very supporting and understanding of one another. I remember having a problem with one of the leads’ decision making, and the drama actually managed to address it and let them talk it out by the end of that specific episode. They are learning and growing (as a person) together. Definitely one of the healthiest relationships in recent dramas. Ma Sichun and Bai Jingting is quite an unexpected pairing so I’m glad they chose to work on this project and show their great acting and even greater chemistry.

The story has a lot of sweet, cute and comedic moments but it also has some heavy and serious ones. Fortunately, it never got boring nor frustrating because the things happened have been realistic, minus whenever they always get into life-threatening situations together (that's too much of a coincidence lmao). There is no exaggerated nor unnecessary drama for the sake of creating tension. All characters, both main and supporting, calmly deal with the problems and solve them through civilized means (ex. Mi Ka vs Xu Yanshan, Xing Keyao vs the Shen sisters) as soon as possible. No dragging out. I can’t even recall any confrontation wherein someone raised their voice.

Besides from the romance, all relationships have been pretty solid as well. The student-mentor relationship of the doctors and soldiers, the long-standing friendship of Mi Ka and Ruan Qiangxia, and the sibling relationship of Xing Kelei and Xing Keyao have all been highlighted in the drama.

The second couple’s storyline may have been dragged out but it got better eventually and not to mention, both are great as individuals. Ruan Qiangxia is another successful, smart, and sweet female lead. She knows how to reject and how to accept rejection. Shun Wenbo is quite dense when it comes to love, but when he gets decisive, he acts on it quickly. As Xia said, he is a very simple-minded person who wears his heart on his sleeve. I didn’t hate him like how some viewers did.

As for the third couple’s storyline, natural-flowing and subtle. If Mi Ka and Xing Kelei are growing together, then Xing Keyao and Shao Yuhan are already two grown adults. There is an unspoken understanding in their undefined relationship, as shown in their actions and conversations. Their scenes together are always a pleasure to watch.

Overall, a well-written and a well-acted drama brimming with chemistry, good characters and relationships. Bonus: the drama used their real voices and is not dubbed.

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A nice, sweet adaptation

Kanojo wa Kirei datta (She Was Pretty) is shorter than the Korean version, so expect the drama to be less draggy, more fast-paced, and more fun in general. Downside is that it is indeed fast-paced, even until the end. The final episode is so eventful and rushed to the point that there is no time to fully comprehend their thoughts and actions. However, this can also be viewed positively as it is also the reason why the angst is never prolonged. But true to any other Japanese adaptations, the story managed to exactly follow the original drama.

Overall, this Japanese remake is memorable because of the main leads. Hasebe Sosuke is less of a douchebag than the original Ji Seung Joon, while Sato Ai is much calmer, more loveable, and less of a doormat than the original Kim Hye Jin. None of the overly loud screaming from the female lead too.

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