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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One of the Best Romance Drama
This is one of my favorite drama to date. If you having some doubts wheter to watch it or not, just watch it heheh. You'll be suprised on how good this drama is.Story 8.5/10
The premise is kinda weak, but trust me this isn't that usual cringey romance about a girl a turns pretty for his man and a man who finally falls for her cuz she is pretty now. KanoKire really did a great job telling it's story. Making a superficial premise to a really deep and meaningful one. A really well done story about love, friendship, and finding yourself. Also for me this is second to the most romantic love story (the first is Hana Yori Dango). So yes, you'll be suprised on how they turn this chessy premise to a beautiful story.
Acting/Cast 10/10
Perfect. This is the best Nakajima Kento's works to date, he is perfect in this. Kenty and Fuka chemistry also off the chart (their chemistry really reminds me of Matsujun-Mao Inoue). Fuka Koshiba so cute and loveable, I was rotting for her since first ep! She is just so precious! Akaso Eiji is superb, I even not realizing I have seen him in Cherry Mahou before cuz how different he is in this. Sakuma Yui may seem kinda pale at first, but she also did a great job (especially in ep 8 oh god). The rest of the cast also good, Katase Nana as Okajima-san also really left an impression for me.
Music 10/10
PERFECT. I haven't watch drama with such good music in a long time. The op song Cobalt on Summer Afternoon by Awesome City is fun, poppy song and the ed song Natsu no Hydrangea by Sexy Zone (which Nakajima Kento is in btw if you didn't know yet) is perfect heartfelt song for this drama. Also the background music also so good and the way they place it is genius. The music definitely elevate and gives more emotions to this drama. I honestly want to buy the ost album if they release it, that's how good it is.
Cinematography 9.5/10
Adding this category cuz KanoKire did really great job on making the atmosphere to be more. The cinematography gives more emotion to this drama.
Overall 10/10
I give Kanojo wa Kireai Datta a perfect 10, not because it isn't flawed but because it tug my heart so much. The feel and the emotions of this drama is beyond words. A really magical experience for me, I laugh, I cry. One of the best drama I watched.
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A good remake
WHAT I LIKE:- The cute story : Two childhood lovers finding each other again in a complicated confused situation.
- The FL: She is not beautiful. She is not ugly. I liked that she was just neglecting herself as she had low confidence and she improved her looks to be committed to her work. It is not an ugly duckling turned into a swan. I like her hardworking personality which helps her become better in many aspects.
- The ML: He is cold but he is also nice and caring and funny at times. And he can smile.
- The SFL: She was a bit annoying in the confusion but I found her very human in how she did not managed well the situation.
- The pace of the drama: Everything happens quite fast. It is not draggy.
- The fun: There is quite a goofy tone to it. Mostly done by the acting. I am not sure it is intentional but in the company, they were all over reacting to echo to Sato Ai's goofy side. Even the ML .
WHAT I DID NOT LIKE:
- The SML: I found him too much of a rich spoiled kid working to kill the time and do pranks. He tried to woo a woman who is older than him in a very "teen" way. I found the final twist with him not very credible. He put a mask on and expected a woman to love him for who he is? Weird.
- The colleagues are support roles only. They don't have any depth. Only a few ones have a quick development in the last ep.
- The ending: too many use of time jump. It made the ending look rushed. Cute happy ending but kind of flat.
OST:
I liked it. It gave a punchy and fun vibe to the drama.
REWATCH VALUE: 8.
OVERALL: 8.5/10. It is a good drama to watch. The story is cute. The main leads are endearing as kids and adults. And it is fast paced. I watched and dropped the corean and chinese version. So I can only recommend this one.
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The lack of chemistry was evident…
Which made me enjoy it more as a slice of life drama, rather than a romantic comedy. Not gonna lie though, with the amount of “love lines” and feelings the characters had for each other, the fact that there were exactly zero sparks felt was disappointing.I honestly think it would be better without the romance. Focusing on friendship and personal growth would make it a nice, warm and inspiring show. What we’ve got was a borderline Jekyll and Hyde male lead, that flipped between his two personalities in the matter of seconds and a questionable romance - no one will convince me Sato Ai was not too focused on the familiarity and the nostalgia, while ignoring all the flaws.
We also have the whole aspect of changing appearance, which I found ridiculous. For me Koshiba Fuka actually looked better and more attractive before the “glow up”. I think the natural look fits her far more, and the idea she was thought to be extremely ugly was laughable.
There were still quite a few aspects I truly loved. The themes of rediscovering yourself, finding your dreams, working hard to improve, taking accountability for your actions - this is what I enjoyed the most.
Sato Ai was a great character with a great journey. Higuchi Takuya was a walking sunshine with a glowing personality that was impossible to dislike. And then we have Sosuke and Risa who were both underdeveloped which made them kind of boring - I truly did not care about them at all. Their struggles and motivations were shown in such a vague and shallow manner, why should I care?
The performances were good. Akaso Eiji impressed me the most - the natural and quick switches between the happy puppy to angst were amazing. They were clearly visible to the viewers, but subtle enough that it made sense the other characters did not notice. This Japanese version overall improved in the characterization aspects - keeping the core of who these characters were supposed to be, while toning down the cartoonish overreactions to make them more realistic.
Overall, a nice watch for binging. Nothing outstanding. Perfect as a palate cleanser when someone wants to watch something mildly amusing, but not too engaging.
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OUTSOLD THE OG!
I started this for Nakajima Kento without knowing it’s a she was pretty remake. I personally hated the og Korean version so I was skeptic of continuing but I haven’t watched something with Nakajima Kento in a while so I figured I’d just sit through the 10 eps and get it over with. I was pleasantly surprised at how the remake was actually good!!! They removed a LOT of things that I hated from the og and with the things they kept they worked it out so that it wasn’t annoying. For example, I loved that they removed how he would fire her all the time and treat her AWFUL, while he was mean at first he quickly because normal and just very critical of her work which was to her advantage! Also they made it very clear that he liked her before the transformation which I loved because I wasn’t a fan of the transformation part anyways. They really hit home that he liked HER and not just cause she was his childhood friend cause he fell in love with her all over again even while thinking she was a stranger and I didn’t get that feeling from the og it felt like he just started liking her cause he found out who she was kinda thing in the og which was so stupid. The friendship aspect was also so well done you could really see how both ai and risa really cared about each other with both having sacrifices they made for their friendship, in the og the best friend seemed to only care for herself and she started pursuing main guy immediately seeming nonchalant meanwhile in this version she held back for a long time which I loved and the convo they had after everything was found out was so emotional and well done. Again stressing how the transformation wasn’t the main point of why he fell in love with her I loved how they really made sure to point out that he liked her before the change and that he loved her for HER not how she looked :) it really gave the self love vibe way better than the og. The chemistry between the leads was SO good and amongst all characters really. Main characters aside, I loved ALL THE CHARACTERS, they all had their own stories and their own times to shine which was so cute. This show had me smiling I loved it so much especially the second half!! the theme song was so catchy I was humming it all day after watching an ep. I loved loved loved the last ep ending it was so so cute and I was smiling like an idiot while watching, their daughter was sooo cute and seeing how everyone grew and became more beautiful in Ai’s words had me so happy. I definitely recommend this for a brighten up in ur day! It’s very rewatchable and I think I’ll be rewatching it in the future for sure :))Was this review helpful to you?
Cute, fluffy, and fast-paced version
I have seen the Korean original and all (Chinese, Thai, and now Japanese) adaptions of this story, and I liked all of them. None of them were perfect, but I appreciate each one’s cultural style and artistic differences. If I were to pick a favorite, I would not be able to do so since there were elements in each that I liked a lot. Overall, the great mix of comedy, romance, and drama in the different versions resulted in good entertainment for me. This Japanese adaptation was different because it was more lightweight and less draggy due to the condensed storyline. However, a shorter version meant less time spent on character development. Also, some poignant or meaningful scenes were left out that hit the sweet spots in the other versions. That said, the drama still managed to follow the original storyline pretty closely, and whatever deviations made more sense.For those who have not seen the original or any of its adaptations, the plot is based on the classic and over-used "Childhood Love" trope. It is a story of how two people, despite lies and mistaken identities, still manage to find their first loves in the end. This story is truly a sweet rom-com, and in this Japanese version that is faster-paced, you will feel less angst during the prolonged misunderstanding on the ML's part and less frustration at the noble idiocy on the FL's side. However, with a lot more episodes, the other versions did a better job showing how the ML slowly fell for the FL.
In all versions, the ML was a jerk at first, but my favorite one was Nakajima Kento's portrayal of Hasebe Sosuke. Visually, I find him most appealing, with his sharp gazes transitioning nicely into boyish heart-melting looks. His smiles were truly disarming! Also, Sosuke was much less mean compared to the other versions. His angry or stern attitude towards the FL was tempered by his confusion and struggle to fight against the attraction he felt towards her, even when he thought he had already found his childhood sweetheart.
Also, I thought I would not get the second male lead syndrome in such a short series, but Akaso Eiji as Higuchi Takuya still won my heart. His good looks, his cool and supportive character, and the chemistry between the FL and him still caused me to root for him. I wish there was an alternate version where Higuchi had his happy ending with Sato.
In this version, the FL seemed the most natural without exaggerated freckles, bad teeth or ugly glasses. She looked normal, albeit a little unkempt and dowdy with her masculine clothing and lack of attention to her appearance. However, she was still pretty and cute, especially when she smiled. I love how Koshiba Fuka acted as Sato Ai, and her portrayal of the FL was the least cringey among all the drama versions.
As for Risa, the best friend, I find the character in this version, the most selfish and could have benefitted more with some further development. Still, Yui Sakuma did a good job and she is lovely. Reminds me of Anne Hathaway, visually.
The acting was great across the board, but it was difficult to note stellar performances when the story moved so quickly.
There's not much skinship, but the actual kisses were good, especially the last episode! The main leads were so cute together, and once they became a couple, the sweetness factor increased. I wish there was more kissing because they looked comfortable and natural when they did kiss.
There were not many songs played in the drama and mostly were instrumental. The theme song was fun and reflected the cute tone throughout the drama. The other was the more romantic song used a lot during the meaningful scenes. It definitely heightened the mood for me. For posterity, I have listed those two here:
1) 夏の午後はコバルト / Awesome City Club
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHDIX-RNgSY
2) Summer Hydrangea / Sexy Zone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a6SXtlEQB0
Overall, do give this drama a try! The sweetness, the silliness, the laughter, the terrific cast, the lovely ending - there's enough to keep you entertained on a weekend binge!
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Probably My Favorite Version of "She Was Pretty"
Overview/Comparison/My Random Rants:If you have seen the original or previous remakes of this drama, you are in good hands! This remake definitely lives up to the hype. If you have not seen the original or previous remakes of this drama, don’t worry, this is also a good place to start.
If you haven’t seen the previous version of this drama, feel free to skip to the story section since this part is just comparing this version to the previous ones.
The original Korean version, “She Was Pretty”, was a pretty decent, solid drama. I felt like the main purpose for the original drama was to give the main couples a chance after “Kill Me, Heal Me” where Park Seo Jun was in an unrequited love triangle. Besides that, I think “She Was Pretty” was a good drama. It was enjoyable but not a super memorable drama.
On the other hand, the Chinese version “Pretty Li Hui Zhen (2017)”, was about the same as the OG. Everything was basically the same, except the story got dragged out. Personally, I found that annoying but oh well, it wasn’t terrible.
For this version, “Kanojo wa Kirei datta (2021)”, I fell in love with this version! Personally, I like it even more than the OG. Reasons why:
1) It wasn’t too draggy. Ten episodes summarized the whole plot perfectly.
2) Male lead isn’t a douche half of the time. (Okay, maybe like the first four episodes).
3) Female lead’s character development was more prominent.
4) Main lead’s chemistry was on FIRE!!!
Currently, I’m still watching the Thai version, “Me Always You (2021)”. This one hasn’t been my favorite. In fact, from what I’ve seen so far, I’m not a huge fan. I feel like they over cartoonized the female character, but that’s just Thai dramas in general. In many of the Thai dramas, either the main girl is super quirky, strong, and independent, or the main girl has no backbone and is in a toxic relationship with the male lead (insert smiling clown face). This one has to be a mix of both from what I’ve seen so far. Hopefully it will get better and won’t drag out too long.
Overall, my ranking for these three dramas are
1)Kanojo wa Kirei datta
2) She Was Pretty
3)Pretty Li Hui Zhen
4)Me Always You (2021)
Story: 9/10
Where do I even start? The way the writer edited this story from the original version was just beautiful. In the original version, I always contemplated if the male lead really loved her for who she is, not just because she turns out to be his childhood crush. As a recap, this story revolves around the female lead who used to be a beautiful young girl who everyone adored for her looks and intelligence, including the once chubby male lead who was ignored and bullied by everyone. However, in a turn of events, the lives of the leads are now flipped. The female lead is now “unattractive” and is constantly bullied for her looks, and is also struggling to find a steady job. On the other hand, the once chubby male lead is now a handsome, fit, and domineering deputy chief at a famous editorial magazine. In a matter of seconds, fate brings them back together. However, due to the change of appearance of the female lead, she decides to keep her identity a secret from the male lead as she continues to work alongside him.
What I liked most about the story was the character developments within all of the four main leads. It was refreshing to see how the same things like words of assurance and a little pushing can really affect someone in the long run.
Acting/Cast: 10/10
The cast was perfect. I could see a lot of similarities between this cast and the Korean cast. Koshiba Fuka, our female lead, did an amazing job. I could feel her emotions and felt all of her happiness and sadness. Her character was easy to understand and felt very natural. Next, we have our male lead, Nakajima Kento. Lowkey reminds me of Simon Dominic, and boy, are they both hot! He played his character well but on the other hand, his character is confusing. This is the same for all three previous She Was Pretty. He was a sweet innocent kid and then boom, he’s a domineering jerk. Like, what happened in the middle? A + B = C …. But what is B? Sweet and innocent + ? = Domineering Jerk. Regardless, you start out questioning whether you like him or not and then you end up loving him. Akaso Eiji and Sakuma Yui also did a pretty good job with their characters. They didn’t overshine the ML and FL, but their addition to the cast and character really made this drama shine even brighter.
Music: 8/10
The beginning and ending songs were typically pop songs. They were refreshing to hear throughout the drama.
Re-watch Value: 10/10
By the time I have released this review, I have already re-watched this drama 3 times. (Edit: 4 times). It’s just a very simple drama to watch whenever you are bored or need to pass time. Every time I watch it, it feels refreshing. I’ll probably re-watch it a few more times before I go find another drama to do the same.
Overall: 9.5
Overall, probably the best version of She Was Pretty. There wasn’t much to complain about the storyline nor the cast/acting. It was a pretty wholesome drama and good production quality.
Spoilers and Beautiful Moments:
Honestly, the ending was so beautiful. The moment when Hasebe put his hands on her cheeks and said, "Ai, you've become so beautiful" was such a sweet moment. The way Sato Ai smiled and looked like she was about to cry was so beautiful. The theme of finding your inner beauty and accepting yourself as who you are was such a beautiful theme. Although this theme was also carried out in the previous versions, this one felt more realistic and awe-inspiring.
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♥ 彼女はキレイだった ♥
彼女はキレイだった this drama is about Hasebe Sosuke is the deputy editor-in-chief for the Japanese version of the fashion magazine "The Most" which is released in 30 countries worldwide. At first he is very rude to everyone especially to Sato Ai who he hasn't seen for 10 years. When he was young, he was fat and often bullied. Now a handsome elite, he strives to meet his first love again. Sato Ai lost her job recently, and she is living with her best friend. She's very cheerful, energetic, and honest person. In her youth, she was a beautiful honor student who has now grown into a self-conscious person. After a while working together with Hasebe Sosuke she reveals herself and they fall in love again like when they were kids, they end up together forever ♥♥♥ This drama was amazing from the beginning ♥♥♥ I would love to see a season 2 of this drama!!Was this review helpful to you?
Short, Sweet & Buoyed by the cast
"You're the most beautiful when you're doing the things you love and enjoy every moment of it"Love the message it ultimately delivers.
The story itself between Sato Ai and Hasebe Sosuke is truly romantic. They have feelings for each other as children. He came back only to slowly fall back in love with her without knowing her real identity. Despite a rough start, he remains attracted to all the wonderful personality and traits of Ai. While to Ai, Sosuke turns out to be the same cute clumsy and sweet guy that she knows. Its nice to see a ML who although initially misunderstood FL and comes off as rude but doesnt take forever to realise it. Gotta give him credit for being humble enough to admit and apologize.
This production is buoyed by casting the right people for the leads. Both ML and FL were so good in their roles. ML can switch between cool and cold to clumsily adorable to sexy and flirty. FL is so expressive without goin over the top. She makes Ai so much more beautiful and special. Both of them are top notch at emoting. They deliver so well attraction, shyness and sexual tension.
Lastly the plot and production is good. A longer drama like K or C versions would have made it draggy or annoying. 10 episodes is just right in fleshing out character, plot that continuously moves and wrapping up nicely. Do watch, its easily one of the best version.
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Loved the main and second leads and the main leads reciprocated romance
I didn't watch the original Kdrama this is a remake off, but I really enjoyed this Jdrama.It's hard to find a drama where the main leads and second leads with romantic interest for the main leads, are lovable. By this, I mean that despite the second leads being in love with the main leads, the two love triangles, they actually helped the main leads get together after they were both rejected. Even if they weren't rejected, neither of them would have been with the leads because of their loyalty and friendships with the leads. The SFL was such a good friend to the FL, I wish they had more scenes together showing how they became such good friends. The SML was so adorable and friendly, he had a thing for the FL since episode 1.
I loved the relationship between the main leads. Despite the ML getting the SFL mistaken to be his childhood friend Ai, who was in fact the FL, he didn't fall for the SFL. His entire relationship with the SFL was revolved around his past with the FL. I LOVED that he fell for the FL again in the present without knowing who she really was, and I loved that he didn't think to be with the SFL romantically when he mistook her to be Ai.
The only thing I didn't like about this drama was how the plot mostly focused on the main leads and their relationship with the second leads, without actually focusing on the second leads as individuals. The supporting characters hardly got any screen time if it didn't include the main leads. Everyone and "Most" were friendly colleagues and possibly even friends, but their friendship is mostly implied rather than shown.
I loved how short and straight to the point this drama was, with no unnecessary drama from supporting or second lead characters. Their were no bad guys or annoying characters and all the characters actions were reasonable.
I loved how steady and strong the main leads relationship was and how they were both able to follow their own dreams.
I loved how the leads have always felt the same way about each other. The ML and FL were in love as children, when the FL was pretty and the ML was not. And how they fell for each other again, when the ML was handsome and the FL was no longer pretty. This is the kind of reciprocated relationship I love in romance dramas.
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She was pretty before and after ..
I really do not get their concept of unattractive in the Asian drama world.From this version on down to the others.
The only thing the FL needed from the start was a flat iron and some decent clothes.
This version was more short and to the point than the other two.
I don't care for the story in any version, but this one was my favorite and only because of the male lead.
I'd like to see him and the FL paired in another romantic drama, they had pretty good chemistry.
She did a great job being nervous around him in close proximity.
The second male was a cutie pie and like the previous versions, the best friend is not one of my favorite characters.
I may re watch it if I have nothing else to pass the time with, otherwise, once was more than enough.
I found myself skipping through most of the episodes toward the end.
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More enjoyable than the Korean version
9/26/2021This review will have some personal thoughts in my comparison of the Korean version vs Japanese version. I have not watched the Chinese or Thai version. Overall, I enjoy this version more than the original, "She was Pretty". Because it's only 10 episodes, the pacing is good and there isn't any filler.
I definitely enjoy the Japanese ML, FL and 2ML more than the Korean version. They are all cute and adorable, and very easy to root for. I cannot stand the how loud Huang Jung Eum was as the Korean FL. Unfortunately, I've watched a few of her dramas and there's a lot of screaming. Koshiba Fuka/Sato Ai, on the other hand, is a lot more mellow comparatively speaking. She is still inexperienced and clumsy, but she comes off as more adorable. Sosuke's character is also a lot more tolerable as the male lead than the Korean version. He is rude in the beginning, but we see his character development a lot sooner, thus, you don't hate him as much. The main romance develops better without many fillers. You can see how ML used to just hate FL, then tolerates her, to really enjoy her company. I might like another 0.5-1.0 episode to see how he slowly falls in love. 2ML in the Korean version gives everyone second-lead syndrome, and I bet many feel the same way for Akaso Eiji/Higuchi here as well. Overall, I liked Higuchi's character more as he's a little less over-the-top, but just as sweet and caring. As for Risa, I think I like the two characters about the same in both versions.
The Japanese version focuses more on the romance plot. There isn't a whole lot about the inner workings of the editorial department. It's not until the last few episodes did the focus really switch to the demise of The Most magazine. If you like mostly romance, this version might be better. On the other hand, because the Korean version is longer, there are storylines about the supporting cast/editorial staff, and the magazine business. I actually enjoy learning more about the editorial process.
Even though it's hard to pretend that our FL is ugly, it's also a great message that our FL changes not because of a man, but for her own sake. It's also nice to know that she wants to achieve her own dreams, and not just to follow her man, no matter how much she loves him.
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