I liked the finale & thought the final moment with Sung-joon as the adorable doting daddy was quite cute. However, I have to say the last few episodes weren't as fun as the beginning & middle. Perhaps it was Choi Siwon's departure. He added a lot of zip to the show & I missed that. The romance b/wn the OTP was endearing though so I won't complain too much.

i had just broken up before this series began. even though this show actually made me cry when i saw the love between the two characters, it also taught me that my ex wasnt the kind of man i shld be crying over. it's so impt to be loved for who you are instead of how you look. this show will alw be a reminder of that.

Plot I give an overall B-. Felt like it was being stretched at times and there was more that could have been fleshed out, especially given that they had so many filler flashbacks. But for breaking cliches and maintaining a good message (and yes, ShinHyuk), I give an A+. That is my entire reason for sticking with the show. I feel like HyeJin in so many ways and truly appreciate how her story was treated.

The end was satisfying, I will say that.

I think I enjoyed the series till the OTP got together..I felt like Sung Joon and Hye Jin had more tension chemistry prior to finding out about each other. I still can't excuse how horrible Sung Joon was to Hye Jin before finding out, somehow knowing she was the "real" childhood friend made him into a nice loving caring dude....plueez.

Shin Hyuk...a kdrama character that goes down in the books for me. Loved Siwon and all that craziness he pulled out for the role.

I love the fact that the prettiness never was about the outer beauty (which Hari had loads of), but the inner strength they all discovered in themselves. The girls' friendship was one of the best things of this drama, especially since it's so hard to find two girls that truly love each other and care for each other in dramaland. Glad they both were able to find their dreams on their own strength!

And how cute is the baby at the end. It's a go! Fun drama with a few minor hiccups, but love it in the end.

i think i will watch this drama again-again-and again. imiss shinhyuk all ready (siwonnie is goitn to army soon, huwaaaaaaaa~~~~~~), and i miss hyejin for being who she is from the very start. such a really good positive vibe.
nice wrap! love love love.

Lollypip, thank you for the thoughtful recaps. I also hoped this show would be much more and feel a bit cheated. They did a masterful job of trolling some of us (boy, I got sucked in) into expecting a major twist involving someone's death and that must have worked well to keep viewer interest high all the way to the end.
We complain a lot that we never get to enjoy enough of our couples being in love and now we know what a show IS like when the OTP gets together before the last two hours, or twenty minutes, or two seconds ? (Maybe a leeetle beeet boring if the boy isn't as cute as Park Seo Joon?)

Many commenters have noted that they thought Sung Joon was way too mean to Hye Jin at the beginning. I agree that he was but want to suggest that it was necessary to establish SJ as brutally honest for a number of reasons. Not least to contrast with Shin Hyuk, who HJ never really experienced as sincere (although the audience got to see him that way) because he was always joking around. And that's why SH couldn't get the girl in the end.

I was hoping Ha-ri will have a love line with Shin-hyuk. They have such a good chemistry too.

It was a feel good show. There was not much story development in the end since the climax had taken place much earlier but it was a good resolution watching the blissful couple.

Thanks, LollyPip, for recapping this absolute gem of a show!

I never doubted the happy ending, but man did I sweat nerves a bit the last couple of weeks!

I too loved that Hye-jin went back to her old look because it just somehow brings out who she is more. And I love that the one time Sung-joon told her she was pretty in this show was not when she was Most-like, but when she looked like her old self again because that was how she looked when he first fell in love with her.

Going back to episode 12, when Hye-jin found those drawings of her, they were not merely just drawings of her, they were drawings of the moments when Sung-joon started falling for her. Those moments stuck out to us because they clearly stuck out to him. Because he was falling in love with her. You don't get details like that only from memory, but from feelings as well.

So to all the naysayers who stubbornly claim that Sung-joon only fell for her after her makeover, please watch the show again with unbiased eyes and see if that claim is true.

But anyway, the ending! One thing I kind of don't like in dramas sometimes is when the OTP has a kid in the last five minutes. That takes me too far into the future when I would've been just fine with a little into the future. But then I see the kid, and I'm like, how adorable, this is so cute, oh my gosh, they made a human! It's a very cute, proper ending.

I'll miss this show. It got me through this semester (so close to being done!) and has produced my OTP of 2015, truly great second-leads, a wonderful OST, lovely writing, a Most-like supporting cast, and a heartwarming message about happiness. Now I'm just sad that after two back-to-back dramas, Park Seo-joon and Hwang Jung-eum probably won't act together for a while.

Thanks so much LollyPip for recapping so dedicatedly and well.

This was a nice show and I'm thankful for the good laughs and warm feelings it brought out. I felt it could have been an even better show if we could have known a bit more of the motivations of characters, why they changed or what they had in mind... and some of these that were given to us... maybe could have been given to us earlier even.

At times it felt that the show was a little schizophrenic or experimental with the vastly different tones and styles between the actors. Perhaps a better balance could have been had if more of the Most characters had really been More and our eccentric characters had been a little less. the dichotomy was at times fun, but also distracting and did not contribute to the overall progression of plot.

The message however is great. To be true to oneself, to be happy in who we are and to embrace the opportunities to care and to be loved in return. Absolutely lovely!

Ok, I loved the show overall. It took the over-done story of childhood friends and took it to another level with Hye-Jin and Ha-Ri's friendship and (obviously) Shin-Hyuk (oh Siwon, I still can't believe you're off to the military, so sad, so sad). As much as I did love it, I just wanted to mention some of the things that I feel like would have made it even better.
1. A mention of Sung-Joon's supposed Zeigarnik Effect- that his therapist mentioned in episode 6 about his first love just being an unfinished business rather than true love or fate
2. An explanation of the puzzle piece- was that just a plot hole or did Ha-Ri just end up only showing and not giving it to Sung Joon?
3. More on Ha-Ri's family- especially her mom
4. You can never have too much Shin-Hyuk, can you? And I know that teasers aren't really a part of the story but I wanted some hints between him and Ha-Ri. I can't complain of the ending he did get though, traveling around the world doing what he enjoys the most- entertaining others thru his writting. Ahhhhh I love him so freakin much

LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE DAUGHTER WAS SUCH A NICE TOUCH!! I LITERALLY LAUGHED MY BUTT OFF!!! Why the daughter gotta look craycray?? Poor SungJoon XDDD His wife and child!. So she didnt even inherit a bit of his genes??? I am just imagining their everyday family life.. and oh! the hilarity!

What a feel good, sweet, and satisfying drama! I am so glad it went the route it did. I was worried when I first read the premise, but the show did so well in how it handled the subject of beauty and how it is not the external that matters. There are small things I can complain about but I overlooked them because overall the show delivered.

The show is just brimming with positive messages about family, friendship, and (all types of) love. It is refreshing to see that there was no grand scheme that will turn the drama upside down or a seemingly indestructible antagonist who will oppress the leads. The antagonists where in themselves, in each of the characters. I was glad with how each one was able to find themselves and solve their issues by themselves and with a little help from those around them.

The story's simple. It's generic, but the way it was told and the characters (ohgod I love them all and I will miss them) were done well.

I'm glad there was no extension. It was the right amount of quick paces and slow ones, especially towards the last 3-4 episodes. The excitement in the first episodes were addicting, but the slow and sweet story-telling towards the end was also nice. Yes, they were a bit slow, but I enjoyed them. Overall, I enjoyed and loved this show. What will I watch now? /cries

P.S.

I think Sungjoon is hotter with his bangs down. :D

First of all, curly hair and red cheeks look so flattering on Hwang Jung Eum. Show should have never given Hye Jin a makeover. While pretty, she just looked too typical k-drama female lead, so her character lost some of her charms.

I loved the finale. Bonus: no one died! This couple really is adorable together. I loved their rain-soaked reunion, and my heart skipped a beat when Hye Jin slid open the door to find her soulmate on the other side. But why does their daughter have curly hair and red cheeks? Her mother and aunt were gorgeous when they were little. Sung Joon mindlessly walking into the wrong office is so apropos; he had always been kind of an airhead.

My heart dropped at "My best friend, Jackson." I am so upset Shin Hyuk had no interaction with any of our main or side characters, and his only dialogue was with Ever-present Awkward White Guy. Besides Hye Jin's parents gifting her their ten-year savings, the only other time I cried today was during the unforgettable Jackson flashbacks.

She Was Pretty definitely got less fun after Sung Joon found out the truth. I pitied him for being lied to, but it was so fluttery to see him fall for her. While I can readily forgive him for being a giant ass early on, it was grossly unnecessary to make him that mean. I get what the writers were trying to do -- He was only being mean to them "for their own good." He was willing to be the bad guy in order to save the magazine and their jobs. He was being 'noble' without the 'idiot.' But it sure as hell made us hate the male lead. Where was our sweet chubster from Episode 1? And the writers knew that. It felt as if they read the reactions online at people hating Park Seo Joon's character and immediately backtracked. Even though Sung Joon's turnaround was clearly at the time Hye Jin told him off at the airport in Episode 4, but by Episode 5, he felt like a completely different person. Not that I'm complaining because I like that person better, but I wish they never made him that other person.

Siwon was perfect as Shin Hyuk and deserved all his love, even winning polls (or at least that one Nate poll) over Park Seo Joon, from the public. Way to go out with a bang. Serve well, and see you in two years in your next Hwang Jung Eum drama as male lead. Second Lead Syndrome no more... unless they cast someone awesome as second lead who oozes chemistry with Hwang Jung Eum like all her other second leads... which guarantees him as male lead in her next drama where, again, they cast someone awesome as second lead... It's a never-ending cycle with Hwang Jung Eum.

Last but not least, I loved Hye Jin (as long as she wasn't being a noble idiot). She is the personification of "When life knocks you down, get back up." If anyone deserves a happy ending, it's her. We should all be so lucky to find an umbrella, a Wifey, or a Jackson as amazing as Hye Jin. She Was Pretty will forever be on my "To-Rewatch" list, and I am so, so happy for the...

It's funny how shin hyuk and ha ri never met even once after the truth reveal of ha ri. I feel like this show didn't use their potential chemistry like that bike ride was awesome...
Both had wounded heart and could have healed each other(not necessary to fall in love at this moment ) and the shin hyuk revealing of ten would have been more dramtic and valid reason for separation... ha ri, shin hyuk could have reunited at hye jin's wedding and fall in love...if they did , may be they wouldn't have needed filler ending...

But glad they used filler ending instead of tragic twist... Love every time sung joon went to his old office and so cute when he gave wedding card... Nice filler i must say...

A story ending with a neatly wrapped bow. I liked the last scene with the young HyeJoon. There were a few digs made against prevailing notions. Such us, instead of prewedding photo shoot (which Seul by the way also commented on as extravagant) of the couple, it looked like between best friends. that was cute. HJE makes a lovely bride. Such elegant carriage; the graceful neck. I can imagine the hours it took to prepare for the wedding scene which was shown in just like under 2 seconds. Where was that abundant autumn scene shot? if any beanie knows, please give it to us. Thank you DB for another wonderful ride. Lollypip, your work is much appreciated. Thank you.

I LOVE IT! I always wish my fave dramas has an extra episode of cute closures and She Was Pretty was able to fulfill that wish.

I smiled like crazy watching this show, sweet-cute-nice ending, the most-like ending. Yeah, I wished the story explored darker theme. I wanna see more how Sung Joon grew up well. This show isn't the best of the year. Still it's one of my fave dramas.

Rock n Roll, Peace! Adorable Park Seo Joon makes my blood sugar go up.

I just found it a bit slow these last few episodes. After the big reveal... the tension just died for me

Such a nice fluffy ending. The only thing I would have changed was probably Shin Hyuk's ending. His zaniness was a big part of She was Pretty's success and I would have liked to have seen him doing something real funny as his goodbye to the audience. I think it would have been great if Shin Hyuk and Ha Ri had kept in contact. The chemistry was there and it would have been real funny if Ha Ri had become Shin Hyuk's friend and new prank guinea pig. lol

All in all, no real complaints here. It was a great and completely satisfying light rom-com.

Thanks for the recap Lollypip!

Awwww.....its over. I will forever remember SWP as one of sweetest drama. I agree with other commenters above, it leaves a warm and cozy feeling.
Love the ending!

ok, question.......wtf the earlier teasers for this show & well even scenes in this show hinted at Shin Hyuk & Ha-Ri getting together. WHY DIDN'T THAT HAPPEN!!!!!! & shin hyuk needs to get his own series. i want a separate 16 ep drama just for this character!!! i volunteer for the female lead role!