Title: 그녀는 예뻤다 | Geunyeoneun Yeppeodda | She Was Pretty
Genre: Romance | Comedy
Episodes: 16
Broadcast Network: MBC
Broadcast Period: September 16 to November 11, 2015

Synopsis:

It is a story of love and friendship. Friendship between Kim Hye-Jin and Min Ha-Ri. Love and friendship between Kim Hye-Jin and Ji Sung-Joon. Love of Min Ha-Ri for Ji Sung-Joon. And, love and friendship of Kim Shin-Hyuk to Kim Hye-Jin. It all started in the childhood years of Kim Hye-Jin, who was the most beautiful and popular girl in the school, strike an unexpected friendship with the overweight and unpopular boy, Ji Sung-Joon. The bond between them continued even after Ji Sung-Joon needed to leave for the US to be with his father. They exchange letters and Ji Sung-Joon survived his difficult years of being the odd and “fatty” boy in his class and being bullied often by other kids because of Kim Hye-Jin’s letters until one day it stopped. More than 15 years later Ji Sung-Joon went back to Korea to save the fledgling magazine, Most, in three months and to find his childhood friend. He finally found the e-mail address of Kim Hye-Jin and asked her to meet him. Kim Hye-Jin was initially so excited but when she saw Ji Sung-Joon’s new look and success, Kim Hye-Jin became ashamed of who she is now, a beauty that’s fading due to hardships in her life, jobless and totally opposite of what Ji Sung-Joon’s probably expect of who she is now. So, to end her first love story on a high note, she asked her best friend, Min Ha-Ri, a rich and beautiful gal, to pretend to be her and end her ties with Ji Sung-Joon well. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out exactly as they have planned.

Characters:

• Hwang Jung-Eum as Kim Hye-Jin
• Park Seo-Joon as Ji Sung-Joon
• Jung Da-Bin as Young Hye-Jin
• Yang Han-Yeol as Young Sung-Joon
• Go Joon-Hee as Min Ha-Ri
• Lee Ja-In as Young Ha-Ri
• Choi Siwon as Kim Shin-Hyuk
• Hwang Seok-Jeong as Kim Ra-Ra
• Shin Dong-Mi as Cha Joo-Young
• Ahn Se-Ha as Kim Poong-Ho
• Park Yu-Hwan as Kim Joon-Woo
• Kang Soo-Jin as Joo Ah-Reum
• Shin Hye-Seon as Han Seol
• Kim Ha-Gyoon as Boo Jong-Man
• Jo Chang-Geun as Gwang Hee
• Jin Hye-Won as Lee Seol-Bi
• Cha Jung-Won as Jung Seon-Min
• Bae Min-Jung as Park Yi-Kyung
• Im Ji-Hyun as Lee Eun-Young
• Park Choong-Seon as Kim Jong-Seob
• Lee Il-Hwa as Han Jung-Hye
• Lee Byung-Joon as Min Yong-Gil
• Seo Jung-Yeon as Na Ji-Seon
• Yoon Yoo-Sun as Cha Hye-Jung
• Kim Sung-Oh as The Man At Pub On Episode 3
• Kim Je-Dong as The Most 20th Anniversary’s Party MC On Episode 9
• Lee Joon-Gi as The Guest for The Most 20th Anniversary On Episode 9
• Seo In-Guk as The Guest for The Most 20th Anniversary On Episode 9
• UEE as The Guest for The Most 20th Anniversary On Episode 9
• Park Hyung-Sik as The Guest for The Most 20th Anniversary On Episode 9
• Lee Sang Hoon  as Interviewee For Editor Kim On Episode 11

My Review:

I actually set this drama aside when it was actually being aired in Korea and watched Twenty Again instead. The premise of the story seems to be like an old comfortable shoes that you like but wish to have a new one. However, when I finally brought myself to watch it, indeed it is an old shoe but it something I would still like to wear instead of the new one. This K-Drama is something to watch to make you feel good about love and life in general. There’s nothing surprising yet it can provide you your comfort food that you really crave during the times you feel life is just too damn hard and you may not have what you want in life. It is like the sweetness of chocolates that I devour to uplift and make me smile but it won’t definitely affect my waist. In other words, it’s a total chick-flick with all its juicy romcom elements.

So, What do I Like About this K-Drama?

(1) I love the lightness of the story. There’s nothing deep and heavy going on with the story yet it gives me hope. As K-addict, I love romcoms precisely because it allows me to hope and lessens my cynicism about people, relationships and life in general. It somehow balances what it is and what it can be. In the end that’s the message of the story, you write your own destiny and hope and try to not just settle to what you think the way it is.
(2) It is the first time I like the male supporting actor, Kim Shin-Hyuk. He simply just dominated the screen with his yumminess and wacky character. There are moments I wish he was the lead character. He irritated me at first but just like the rest of the characters in this K-Drama, they all ended up loving him.
(3) I like the way they tackle the transformation of Kim Hye-Jin from ugly duckling to someone who is truly pretty. It was done before in other K-Dramas but the manner it was delivered was very simple with a touch of reality but still remains true to her character.
(4) I love the friendship between Kim Hye-Jin and Min Ha-Ri. It is my definition of what friends are, unfortunately, in my lifetime I won’t probably have something like that.
(5) I like that the K-Drama shown different sorts of family. They lightly tackle the relationship of a child with their parents. There are truly moments that are quite touching especially when Kim Hye-Jin’s parents gave her an unexpected gift they’ve been saving for her.
(6) I got to give credit to the lead actor, Park Seo-Joon. At least he tried to really speak English especially since he supposedly have lived and grew up in the US. Finally, someone who at least tried to make his character believable. Even if the accent is bad but I still appreciated the effort as an audience. Truth to be told, this is really one of the things that irks me in most K-Dramas whose character is supposedly have lived, studied, and grew up in the US, yet, the actor don’t even try to speak even very short lines in English to make it more believable.
(7) There are a lot funny moments even if they’ve been done already on a lot of other K-Dramas. Cliches but forgivable in my book because the actors still successfully delivered them well that I can still enjoy them.
(8) I think the reason I like this K-Drama even if there’s nothing spectacular and unique about it is because the director went an extra mile to manage the minute details that often a lot of K-Dramas don’t deliver. These minute details if not handled properly by the director, in some sense ruins my craving for temporary escape from my reality in satisfying my addiction in imagining what I watch is real rather than reel. I totally get pissed off with the director when he/she totally wrecks my escapism by making me feel stupid with what’s going on with the characters. This K-Drama didn’t do all the things that bugs me in a lot of K-Dramas even those that are my favorites. At least here, there’s a kiss when the scene asks for it and the actors tried to really play their characters to the letter.

What I do Not Like About this K-Drama?
There’s not much not to like. I actually got treated with a very long ending after Episode 11. I believe if you are not a chick-flick kind of gal, then, this is not for you. It is truly cheesy at times but I don’t mind because it still made me smile and laugh. It made me believe for a moment that life is truly that easy.

Would I recommend this K-Drama? Yes, but don’t expect anything different especially if you are a K-addict like me. Just simply enjoy it for what it is.

My Rating to this Drama
( See My Rating System: ) 5/5 Stars

OST:
01. You’re The Only One (너뿐이야) – Choi Siwon
Play Me:

02. Close To You – The Carpenters
Play Me:

03. One More Step (한 걸음 더) – Ki Hyun from Monsta X
04. You Don’t Know Me (모르나봐) – Soyou from Sistar, Brother Su
05. Thumping (쿵쿵쿵) – Kim Min-Seung
06. A Long Way (먼 길) – Park Seo Joon
07. Sometimes (가끔) – Zia