She Was Pretty (2015)

She Was Pretty is the perfect drama for an incredibly stressed out university student who just wants to dedicate sixteen hours of her busy schedule to a feel-good, lighthearted, zany, and witty drama. (Yes, I just described myself).

2015 definitely had some great quality dramas filled with buzz and fervor such as Kill Me, Heal Me, Healer, and I Remember You. Even though the three dramas mentioned contains comedy, its underlying plot is heavy and convoluted. Sometimes, we just want a simple, straightforward plot that are guaranteed with comedic chops and hijinks. To me, She Was Pretty is the perfect example for that. It is indeed light, funny, and often times crazy, but there is definitely heart in the drama that tugs our own.

Personally, I've developed a connection with Hye-jin, for many particular reasons. Her character is an embodiment of the majority of women. At some point, she is relatable - and worth rooting for. Even with its flaws, SWP tugged at my heartstrings. I enjoyed it while it lasted, cried during moments of insecurity, and laughed when absurdity comes in full fold. Indeed, the story fizzled out after episode 12 (if I remember correctly), having not enough plot points to delve into for four more episodes. Siwon's ddeol-kija (crazy reporter Shin-hyuk), Hwang Jung-eum's Jackson / Kim Hye-jin and Park Seo-joon's Ji Sung-joon will definitely light up a cloudy day.

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The show had some really good moments and the actors all had great chemistry, but ultimately it fell short because there just wasn't enough story to keep it going for 16 episodes.

First the things that I liked... I really enjoyed the relationships that developed between all of the main characters and the staff at The Most (yes, THE Most). Ha Ri and Hye Jin are adorable together. While Ha Ri does have some demons I really do feel like the girls authentic friendship was delightful and not something I see in many dramas. The main couple were cute together but SIWON WAS AMAZING. If it were up to me, his character would be the lead of a spin off show. Also shout out to Shin Dong Mi as the Fashion Director. It was a minor role but she brought a lot of heart to it and was one of the main reasons that I loved The Most staff.

Okay, now despite all of that... the story was pretty superficial and a bit of a mess. We had these beautiful characters but their stories didn't really come together to tell anything meaningful. Hye Jin as a young girl and Hye Jin as a young woman have a lot of similar interests but virtually no personality traits in common with each other. One is elegant, the other goofy and the story never explains how just because she ran into hard times a person could change so much. This is just one example of MANY where the plot details are thrown in but never really integrated into the story. The Management Team, Sung Joon's weird eating/zombie habits, Hye Jin's sister, Ha Ri's bizarre relationship with her parents and step-parents, (which had oddly both too much and too little detail)...and don't get me started about the CEO's son mystery. In the end all of these things just felt like red herrings thrown in to fill time around the central love quadrangle.

In summary, I really, really enjoyed parts of this show but, despite the show being about the importance of what's below the surface, as a cohesive drama She was pretty lacked a lot of depth. Watch it for the cute fluff but don't expect much more.

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