Let’s weigh She Was Pretty on our show beam balance and see what is ‘pretty’ and what is ‘ugly’ about this drama.
Good Weights
Hwang Jung Eum: Kim Hye Jin, the goofball, is the reason why this show is hilarious. Actress Hwang Jung Eum’s comic timing and natural acting are laudable. I loved her weird expressions that flit from excited to bewildered to bemused to annoyed to God knows what not in nano seconds. Hye Jin is crazy and I mean it. She has no inhibitions whatsoever and often ends up making a fool of herself. This is the reason why I found it difficult to relate to the younger Hye Jin who looks sorted and sophisticated, unlike Hye Jin who is completely cracked in the head. Her tiffs with Seong Joon are funny while her weird encounters with Shin Hyeok are hysterical. Yes, she does tend to overact in certain comical scenes, but she does it effortlessly which is what I like the most about her.
Park Seo Joon: I have seen Park Seo Joon in Hwarang and I wondered why he was the main lead in the drama because I wasn’t very impressed by him. In fact, I liked everybody on the show except him. However, She Was Pretty changed my opinion about him as I loved his portrayal of Seong Joon. Seong Joon is a perfectionist who believes in pushing his employees hard to get the best out of them. I felt that Park Seo Joon does not have that ‘boss’ look and he was not very convincing with the stern boss look. But he was not horrible because I genuinely liked his character and Park Seo Joon has evidently played the character with a lot of sincerity. I probably still feel that Aaron Yan is the best ‘boss’ out there and maybe in comparison to him Park Seo Joon seems to fall short. Park Seo Joon does play the ‘lover boy’ well and looks as lovable as a male lead should in a romantic drama. His chemistry with Hwang Jung Eum is good and I loved the couple’s love scenes.
Choi Si Won: If you are not aware of my love for second leads then click here and here to know of my adoration for them. Choi Si Won’s wacky character Kim Shin Hyeok made me laugh and cry. His crazy antics at pulling Hye Jin’s leg used to crack me up. I especially loved to hear him call Hye Jin ‘Jackson’. The most painful moment on the show for me was when Hye Jin talks to Shin Hyeok and receives a call from Seong Joon asking her to meet him as he now knows the truth about her. Shin Hyeok begs her not to go but she cannot help it as she has answers to give Seong Joon. He repeats ‘gajima’ (don’t go) so helplessly it pained to see him like that. It was the most heartbreaking scene I have seen of a second-lead. Actor Choi Si Won is absolutely adorable in his eccentric role. He looks the part with his dimples adding to his character. I hope I do not have to see a character like him as a second-lead ever again because I don’t think I can bear this kind of pain once more.
Friendship: Hye Jin and Ha Ri are best friends and inseparable. They trust each other blindly which is why Hye Jin sends Ha Ri to meet her love Seong Joon without feeling any kind of insecurity. Ha Ri becomes a little selfish and tries to keep Seong Joon by her side despite knowing what Hye Jin feels for him. When Hye Jin discovers Ha Ri’s truth, she does not attack her with accusations but instead gives her a benefit of doubt. Ha Ri too feels guilty of her wrong actions and makes it up to Hye Jin. I liked the fact that the writers did not turn Ha Ri into an evil friend just to make her a villain. Ha Ri is a good character who loses her way but then regains the lost love with her repentance. I like Ha Ri and Hye Jin’s friendship and the fact that they really are loyal supporters of each other. The are several dramas showcasing bromance but very dramas promote sisterhood and I am glad that this drama did it in a very believable way. I liked the fact that the writers did not turn Ha Ri into an evil friend just to make her a villain. Ha Ri is a good character who loses her way but then regains the lost love with her repentance. I like Ha Ri and Hye Jin’s friendship and the fact that they really are loyal supporters of each other. There are several dramas celebrating bromance but seldom do they promote sisterhood and I am glad that this drama did it in a way that is relatable.
Sweet Moments: This drama is high on comedy and does not have a lot of hard-core romantic moments. However, there are enough of saccharine moments that make the drama endearing. The drama has several of those lovey-dovey moments that romance lovers savour the most. For instance, Seong Joon and Hye Jin find themselves alone on an overnight outing. On their way, they happen to eat at a restaurant but are unable to pay for the food so the restaurant owner makes them do some labour work to recover the money. Now Seong Joon is a rich guy who probably has never even seen cow dung, unlike Hye Jin who has faced a tough life. He cribs about touching manure and cries when he accidentally touches fresh cow dung with his gloves on. So, he basically strongly detests manure. While working in the cowshed, Hye Jin loses her employee ID card which she treasures a lot considering she landed her dream job. She returns to retrieve her ID card but is unable to find it. Seong Joon knows how important the ID card is for to her so he searches through the manure for her ID card and hands it over to her lying that he found it fallen on the ground. Seong Joon cringes at manure but for her sake, he does something that he dislikes the most. Similarly, there are back-hugs, piggy-back rides, soft kisses, forehead kisses and a lot of love that you would want to see in a K-drama.
Bad Weights
Faulty Details: The script has loopholes that are way too glaring to be ignored. For instance, Shin Hyeok chances upon Seong Joon’s house access card when he helps to drop an unconscious Seong Joon home. After that Seong Joon never asks him for his access card. Shin Hyeok thereafter enters Seong Joon’s house as and when he likes and Seong Joong does not question even once of how he gained access to his apartment without his permission. Also, I found it difficult connect with the young Hye Jin who is calm, civilised and nerdy which is very different than the restless, hyperactive and effervescent older Hye Jin. Yes, people do change with time but when they showed flashback scenes of Hye Jin with Seong Joon, I found it difficult to believe that it is the same girl because nothing about young Hye Jin gave a vibe of the older Hye Jin. It is quite possible that the difference in personality was deliberate so Seong Joon does not identify her easily but still, isn’t he supposed to be conflicted with what he believes and what Hye Jin wants him to believe? Also, the supposed ‘suspense’ factors in the drama were too easy to predict. I couldn’t help rolling my eyes when the suspense was finally revealed as I could bet my life on my guesswork.
She Was Pretty has more of good weights than bad weights which means that it is a treat to watch. Despite its gaping plot holes it never ceases to entertain so do not miss it for anything. It ends on a sugary sweet, positive note that will make you miss the drama terribly after it has concluded.
This drama has a good start and a smooth ending which left me with sweet memories of the show. If rom-com is your genre, then go for this one without thinking too much. It is highly entertaining and worth your time.
Originally posted on www.alphagirl.in
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To be honest, a lot of things remind me of BP, from the trigger of the conflicts is the 1st & 2nd female leads who do somekind like swap identity to trick the 1st male lead, or the 1st male & female lead just goes on a business trip, it reminds me of BP but still provide a different experience.
I had a great time watching this series, there are also a lot of social comments delivered here, especially those regarding work really hit my heart. If I say, this series is only fun until episode 12, after that it feels draggy, like Shim Hyuk who feels bored around these episodes, I also start to feel bored a lot.
As for the characters, I honestly like Shim Hyuk, played by Siwon of Super Junior, if he is with his group members he is the saneest but here he seems to be venting the madness of his members which he has absorbed for a long time, also he's provided the 2nd lead syndrome here. For the other characters, I feel they are standard, more than enough to run this series.
So this series is entertaining, i just found it run too long.
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This review may contain spoilers
What makes this show so special?It's really not your typical Cinderella story, where an unattractive (???) girl gets a makeover and suddenly the man she likes, swoons over her. It's a realistic and believable portrayal of the struggles a person faces in realizing what makes her beautiful to herself.
With a trend of female hating female existing in K dramas, Ha Ri and Hye Jin's relationship is serious friendship goals. Though they see a few downs in the show, they still support and love each other regardless. Their friendship is goals and absolutely adorable. Jun Hi played the role of Ha Ri really well and I loved her chemistry with Hye Jin, she was really cute and I wish she was given more screen time at the end of the show.
I also, loved how Hye Jim's transformation was not too drastic. She was already gorgeous, but she simply tidied herself up more and did what she did, not because of a man, but because of her goal. It was awesome seeing her back to her old self, showing how she truly accepted herself by embracing her looks and Jung Eum was absolutely a treat to watch! Her comedy skills were mind blowing, she is a wonderful actress.
I have had waay too many second lead syndromes than I can count. However, most crack by the time the respective dramas are ending since these men are either made to be less cooler than the first leads / turn out to be evil / their screen time is taken away from them. However, Reporter Kim - Choi Siwon was incredibly charming, I am not the one saying it, look at the comments lol. Reporter Kim was a total clown, annoying and to others he looked like a wacko, yet he cared a lot for Hye Jin. Even till the end, he did everything to stop Hye Jin from crying. Not because he expected her to come to him, but because he genuinely wanted her to be happy. Even Deputy Chief agreed that he couldn't do anything, so everyone agrees that the second lead was much better, how many shows do we see with such realistic writing?
*Spoiler*
A lot of people, give Deputy Chief flak for being obsessive about his childhood friend Hye Jin and call him a loser. However, I would like to disagree since without knowing the real HJ he became attached to her and started loving her. To him, whether she was HJ or not didnt matter, since he came to truly love the beautiful person he met and spent time with. This is the strength of the story line. Also, Park Seo Joon played the role really well! From a rude Deputy Chief to a doting, clumsy, cheesy person, he made us accept the result of him being first lead. I loved his acting much more than Hwarang and if you want to watch him in more shows, watch Fight My Way, Kill Me Heal Me and a few others!
So, in short. This show deserves to be seen. It's now in my top list of K dramas because it's an extremely refreshing, realistic and funny show. Do give it a watch, you won't regret it!
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This drama has an interesting storyline and the acting was great!
This drama is one that has been on my plan to watch list for a very long time and I just couldn't bring myself to watch it because I do not like the female lead. I may not have liked some of the actors that much, but the acting was still great. Suffice to say, this drama was surprisingly good! I enjoyed the banter between the female lead and the second male lead, their scenes were always so cute! anyway, the plot was very entertaining and kept me hooked through most of the drama. The last few episodes could easily have been cut out and I did end up watching it on double speed and skipping through the last couple episodes, but the first three quarters of the drama is solid and well worth watching! This may not be one of my absolute FAVES but it is still a really good drama and I would recommend watching. Its got cute moments, heartfelt moments, angry moments and everything in between!Was this review helpful to you?
A pleasant watch
This was a lighthearted drama that served its purpose as a welcome relief in-between other dramas with more heavy content. That said, it was a mixed bag of sorts.The good:
I like the message of looking past your flaws and learning to stop underestimating yourself as the FL conveys. Other highlights would be an outstanding second lead in Choi Siwon. I didn’t experience SLS but his character was easily my favorite. A little crazy, a little annoying but lovable and a great friend to FL in their time of need. The other positive was the female friendship. There are countless shows with bromance but not enough with a female bond. I loved seeing the two friends as they navigated through their own journeys, while supporting each other and remaining close despite various conflicts.
The bad:
FL in the second half of the series. I can’t tell if it was Hwang Jung Eum‘s acting or just the way her character was written but she got more and more loud and obnoxious overtime. I also hated typical cliche makeover that was far too sudden and thus unrealistic. I was planning to give the show a lower rating because of how annoyed I was, but thankfully, the last episode was more like the first half of the series and managed to redeem some of the negatives.
Overall, this was a show that had more positives than negatives. It was not a novel concept, nor was it particularly memorable. However for the most part it kept me entertained so no complaints.Watch if you want something fun, just don’t set your expectations too high.
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Too much
Honestly the drama in the beginning was really good, but from Episode 12 forward nothing happened. It also made me mad how she choose sung- joon instead of Shin-hyuk. Joon treated her like an asshole in the beginning while hyuk was always by her side. Yes, maybe hyuk was creepy at first but later you realize that he was just trying to find someone he caan be himself with in korea since he was all alone. Is it second lead syndrome? idk but it made me really angry. Also the acting of the two Main leads was honestly terrible, it was too cheesy and they didnt fit together at all.Was this review helpful to you?
About the story, I have a problem with "Ugly Betty" romances, but even when the story goes to that a little, it is so irrelevant that didn't change almost nothing. Did I think that was forced at this point? Yeah, a little bit, but nothing that was a big problem. The most disturbing part for me was to deal with Min Ha Ri (Go Joon Hee) attitude. I really don't buy a friendship so strong being disturbed by a so stupid act. I know, they are friends, good for them, but I really didn't understand people who do such a thing, even with the "love excuse". Maybe I'm being a little rigid here, but it's my point of view when we talk about real friendship. It was a lie too big for me.
About the actors, I will maintain what I said in "first impressions"... Park Seo Joon, my handsome and amazing actor even performing a tree. Hwang Jung Eum as Kim Hye Jin was a great thing! Her expressions and exaggeration were in the right place this time. I love Kim Shin Hyuk (Choi Shi Won)! I hate love triangles, but I think he was incredibly good at this. He was so fun and cute, I really appreciate the character!
I have to say... THE OST! Guys, the thing that I love the most on dramas is the OST's, no doubt! The songs were amazing and delivered emotions just right! I love hearing "Close to you" and this made me want a song theme for my relationship, hahaha.
So... For me, this was a PRETTY GOOD ONE! ( ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★) As Kim Ra Ra would say... BRAVO, AMORE MIO! haha If you wanna laugh and watch something without thinking too much or suffer too much, this is your drama! Go for it!
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Cute and bubbly and inspirational - but ... fluffy shalow
I watched this long time ago and I do not remember the details, but only what stuck to me.The acting of that 2nd ML made it fun bc he was always into antics
FL was a clutz so she was rather boring and frustrating to watch.... by default, the "loser" irrational women are boring to watch....
however somehow only her image stuck in my head from that kdrama, which means that she acted very well. I think what was impressive is letting her friend run out of steam on pursuing the guy... ? Or how hard she tried to do well at her job? I am not sure why I remember that actress in that role. There must be something genuine in her acting and/or script.
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This review may contain spoilers
This was a very entertaining romcom. The entire cast was great, Park Seojoon did not disappoint & Hwang Jungeum was especially great, this was my first time seeing her in a drama, but I do remember her from Runningman, she turned out to be a surprisingly skilled actress.This drama is very similar to Fight for My Way & Secretary Kim, not because of the main male lead, but rather it has a similar vibe overall. Here unlike in the 2 mentioned above there is stronger triangle/square, but luckily compared to other kdramas they didn't overdo the makjang & the second leads gave up before I lost my patience with them.
I loved episodes 13-16, essentially we've gotten like a 4 hours long happy ending, they didn't even overdo product placements, most brand names were taped over.
I'm detracting a point from my rating, because the big misunderstanding took way too long to resolve... Sure the story is a bit of mess at times too, but it's not like we watch this genre for the story, right?
(The foreign actors were terrible as per usual, even the English phone conversations were embarrassing to listen to, but this is the same in all kdramas...)
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She Was Pretty (2015)
A decent to alright show at best. For a romantic comedy, the romance was just alright and the comedy was, again, just alright. The 'long lost childhood friend turned lover' trope is very sweet and endearing but it lacked a certain oomph to really sell it as a top tier romance. The show has a bit of a rough start and the ending sequence felt a bit off pacing-wise. An ending sequence that was annoyingly fulfilling despite how average everything else was prior.The worst sin committed were some of plot devices abused to conveniently and awkwardly move the story along.
- Male lead has PTSD triggered by driving in the rain but the plot has him constantly doing so. Why can't the guy occasionally check the weather app so he can take a cab or something? Can't the guy take the bus or train?
- Female lead halfway through the series finally decides to clean up her look after years and years of looking raggedy. Why? Just because she visited her father's workplace one day and saw how much labor and abuse he was going through? You mean to tell me only _now_ she notices it?
Character wise, the male lead's character, while fine, had too much leeway in the story. The secondary characters felt much more enjoyable to watch especially the secondary male lead. Such a fun character who at times felt like an extension of the audience. The female lead's acting was... a bit too pathetic. A bit too cringe. A bit too over the top. A bit too goofy. A bit too unrealistic. Which is a bit of a bummer because the supposed charm of the show was showcasing the fact that all this time, she was pretty.
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Detailed:
Last time I saw a drama with Hwang Jung Eum was Kill Me, Heal Me - and honestly I wasn't the greatest fan of the over the top shrieking so I went into this one looking to see more from this actor and how she is in other roles. Have to say, thoroughly enjoyed her work in this one, rather than the shrieks in the car of the other drama, this one has much more comically timed reactions and she plays the comedic role well. The counter play between her and Choi Shi Won's character is brilliantly written and brilliantly portrayed and they provide a really nice mischievous comedy element. The comedy tends towards the usual type i've seen in K-drama, a bit over the top, but there were numerous laugh-out-loud moments and most of them were this pair.
The premise of the drama is that as a young girl she was beautiful and was best friends with the boy who lived next door, an overweight lad with some issues, they bond supporting each other and have a great friendship until his family moves away. Many years later, there is the opportunity to re-unite, but as she no longer feels she is the same pretty person she was, she asks her best friend to stand in for her. It's just a recipe for things to go wrong really!
There's a couple in her workplace who I found really entertaining to watch, I'm a fan of Shin Hye Sun's work anyway so I always enjoy seeing her on screen but really found her character development to be fun to watch.
Overall, this one is quite light hearted, some really funny moments, but also some loud ones so if you're watching this one late at night on the main TV be prepared to be as shocked as the FL is and ready to turn the TV volume down :)
It's also one of those dramas that has the really nice long ending so you get to enjoy some of the happiness that was worked for so hard during the main part of the story. Very nicely done.
There's a really nice overall message about self confidence in this drama, the title and description presents it as being potentially superficial - but, hey, you should know better by now, that's not how these things work, there's a lot more to it :)
Great fun, been hooked watching it from start to finish!
Highly re-watchable too, there are some clever reveals and secret identities but honestly I can't see it being any less interesting even if you know the answers to those questions.
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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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