Korean Original vs. Remakes: Cast Comparison and Production Behind 'She Was Pretty'
When MBC aired the finale of She Was Pretty in late 2015, the romantic comedy had surged from an initial 4.8% domestic rating to a staggering peak of 18.0%. Over a decade later, the series remains a high-water mark for Korean television exports. The show's enduring visibility was proven once again on August 21, 2026, when lead actress Hwang Jung-eum posted a viral recreation of her character on social media, captioning the look "Kim Hye-jin of 2026" at age 41. At the same time, regional streaming rights and syndication broadcasts, including ongoing high-stakes drama programming documented in archival reports like the ABEMA Report tracking localized runs, continue to draw viewers into the high-pressure editorial offices of The Most magazine.
The premise sounded simple on paper: two childhood friends invert their social fortunes, reuniting as adults under concealed identities amid the deadline crunch of a fashion publishing house. Yet the casting chemistry turned an ordinary workplace romance into an international phenomenon. The title went on to spawn prominent adaptations in China, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam, prompting long-running discussions among Asian drama fans about which ensemble captured the lightning-in-a-bottle dynamic of the original run.
📌 Key Takeaways:
- The Benchmark Lineup: The original 2015 Korean series cemented top-tier industry status for Hwang Jung-eum, Park Seo-joon, Choi Si-won, and Go Joon-hee, establishing specific comedic archetypes still referenced across Asian television.
- The Japanese Adaptation: Kansai TV and Fuji TV’s 2021 remake (Kanojo wa Kirei datta) successfully re-anchored the narrative for Japanese domestic audiences, powered by co-leads Kento Nakajima and Fuka Koshiba.
- Global Translation: Across four separate national adaptations, casting directors consistently wrestled with balancing the lead character’s physical transformation against genuine workplace comedy.
The Original Core Four and the Chemistry of The Most
The success of the 2015 original rested almost entirely on the comedic timing of Hwang Jung-eum. Fresh off their sibling dynamic in Kill Me, Heal Me, Hwang and Park Seo-joon reunited with entirely inverted power mechanics. Hwang took the role of Kim Hye-jin, a formerly wealthy, striking young girl who grew up experiencing severe financial hardship and changes in physical appearance, sporting flushed cheeks and untamed curly hair. Park played Ji Sung-joon, a once-bullied boy who returned to Seoul from New York as an uncompromising deputy chief editor tasked with saving The Most from imminent closure.
Hwang played Hye-jin with unfiltered, physical slapstick. She avoided the vanity trap that often ruins makeover narratives. Park, meanwhile, modulated Sung-joon’s workplace cruelty with sudden flashes of childhood vulnerability. The friction between their professional interactions and their shared history anchored the first half of the series.
The secondary leads expanded the central dynamic into one of television’s most memorable love quadrangles. Super Junior member Choi Si-won delivered a career-defining performance as senior feature editor Kim Shin-hyuk. Shin-hyuk wore tailored scruff, rode a motorcycle, and hid his true identity as the world-renowned novelist Ten. Choi improvised heavily throughout filming, generating viral internet humor with eccentric mannerisms that prevented the typical second-lead melancholy. Beside him stood Go Joon-hee as Min Ha-ri, Hye-jin's stylish hotelier roommate who agrees to pose as adult Hye-jin during the initial reunion. Rather than playing Hari as an antagonistic interloper, Go emphasized deep sisterly loyalty, making Ha-ri's eventual heartbreak genuinely poignant while setting off real-world fashion trends with her signature pixie cut and choker necklaces.
The 2021 Japanese Remake: Nakajima, Koshiba, and Cultural Nuance
When Fuji TV and Kansai TV announced their 2021 Japanese adaptation, officially titled Kanojo wa Kirei datta, casting directors faced immediate scrutiny from purists. Japanese workplace dramas operate under different structural rhythms than 16-episode Korean mini-series, demanding tighter 10-episode arcs and more understated comedic styles.
The production cast Kento Nakajima (of timelesz, formerly Sexy Zone) as Sosuke Hasebe (the Ji Sung-joon equivalent) and Fuka Koshiba as Ai Sato (Kim Hye-jin). Nakajima brought a polished idol intensity to Hasebe, making the character's initial office abrasiveness sharper before revealing his latent warmth. Koshiba avoided copying Hwang’s uninhibited physical histrionics, opting instead for endearing earnestness and small, self-effacing physical comedy that resonated deeply with Japanese viewers.
The secondary casting offered distinct cultural adjustments:
- Eiji Akaso as Takuya Higuchi: Stepping into Choi Si-won’s shoes, Akaso reinterpreted the rogue senior editor with boyish charm and melancholic smiles rather than loud slapstick, softening the heartbreak for the audience.
- Yui Sakuma as Risa Kiriyama: Sakuma preserved the chic, fashion-forward look of the best friend character while maintaining an emotional transparency that kept her from alienating the audience during her deceptive courtship with Hasebe.
- LiLiCo as the Editor-in-Chief: Mirroring the flamboyant editorial director Kim Ra-ra (originally played by Hwang Seok-jeong), television personality LiLiCo delivered the necessary fashion-house theatricality, maintaining the tonal link to high-end lifestyle publishing.
Cross-Border Remakes: Roles, Counterparts, and Formats
The intellectual property crossed multiple borders between 2017 and 2021. Each production adjusted the names, character backgrounds, and humor profiles to match regional broadcast standards and local office cultures.
| Archetype / Role | Korean Original (2015) | Japanese Version (2021) | Chinese Version (2017) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Transformed Heroine | Kim Hye-jin (Hwang Jung-eum) | Ai Sato (Fuka Koshiba) | Li Huizhen (Dilraba Dilmurat) |
| The Perfectionist Editor | Ji Sung-joon (Park Seo-joon) | Sosuke Hasebe (Kento Nakajima) | Bai Haoyu (Peter Sheng) |
| The Free-Spirited Reporter | Kim Shin-hyuk (Choi Si-won) | Takuya Higuchi (Eiji Akaso) | Lin Yimu (Vin Zhang) |
| The Glamorous Best Friend | Min Ha-ri (Go Joon-hee) | Risa Kiriyama (Yui Sakuma) | Xia Qiao (Sierra Li) |
| Production Scale | 16 Episodes (MBC) | 10 Episodes (Kansai TV) | 46 Episodes (Hunan TV) |
The Chinese adaptation, Pretty Li Huizhen, inflated the running time to 46 episodes. Starring Dilraba Dilmurat and Peter Sheng, the expanded length shifted the production from a snappy workplace comedy into an extended family melodrama. Dilraba's sheer screen presence brought enormous viewership, though critics noted that extending the story diluted the urgent countdown dynamic that defined the original magazine survival arc.
The Makeover Mechanics and the Editorial Ensemble
The central turning point of the narrative, Kim Hye-jin’s mid-season aesthetic makeover, worked because of the editorial room surrounding her. The Korean production populated the offices of The Most with quirky character actors who established high-stakes office politics.
Shin Hye-sun, who played junior beauty assistant Han Seol, used the series as an early springboard before headlining major dramas like Mr. Queen. Her character's comic hunt for a hidden chaebol heir within the editorial pool provided a lighthearted secondary romance opposite Park Yu-hwan. Meanwhile, veteran actress Hwang Seok-jeong offered scene-stealing turns as Chief Editor Kim Ra-ra, entering rooms wearing extravagant couture, mispronouncing Italian words, and reminding staff to always remain "most-like."
When Hye-jin traded her frizzy curls and casual outfits for straightened hair, professional tailoring, and subdued makeup in episode eight, the shift was not purely aesthetic. Hwang played the post-makeover episodes with elevated posture and direct eye contact, signaling an inward professional maturation. When remakes treated the scene as an everyday beauty reveal, they lost this thematic turning point. The physical change worked primarily because Hye-jin had already mastered her duties on the editorial floor, proving her worth to Sung-joon before altering her outward appearance.
Career Trajectories Across the Original Ensemble
Following the broadcast of She Was Pretty, the principal cast used their momentum to establish long-term industry footprints:
Park Seo-joon leveraged the series to claim undisputed leading-man status. The performance led straight into hit projects including Fight for My Way, What's Wrong with Secretary Kim, and Itaewon Class, culminating in his entry into Hollywood via The Marvels. His trademark rhythm of balancing sharp comedic delivery with masculine vulnerability was defined during his run as Ji Sung-joon.
Hwang Jung-eum reaffirmed her reputation as South Korea's premier romantic-comedy lead, subsequently starring in Lucky Romance and Mystic Pop-up Bar before pivoting to darker revenge melodrama in The Escape of the Seven. Her August 2026 social media post revisiting the Kim Hye-jin styling reminded the entertainment industry of how deeply her comic persona remains embedded in modern pop culture.
Choi Si-won effectively transitioned from an idol who acts to an established comedic actor. His performance here directly informed his acclaimed work in Work Later, Drink Now, where he leaned back into off-kilter, bearded eccentricity. Go Joon-hee established herself as an enduring fashion and lifestyle influencer, remaining an archetype for contemporary short-hair styling throughout Asia.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Why did Kim Hye-jin hide her identity from Ji Sung-joon initially?
A1: Hye-jin felt insecure about her changed physical appearance and modest socioeconomic status compared to her privileged childhood. Seeing Sung-joon transform from an insecure boy into an accomplished, handsome magazine executive made her fearful of tarnishing his golden childhood memories of her.
Q2: Who was the secret heir and who was the writer Ten in the Korean original?
A2: The writer Ten was revealed to be senior feature editor Kim Shin-hyuk (Choi Si-won), who deliberately lived an unassuming life while publishing world-famous literature. The undercover chaebol heir to the publishing conglomerate was revealed to be feature editor Kim Poong-ho (Ahn Se-ha), not Kim Joon-woo as the staff had suspected.
Q3: How does the Japanese remake ending differ from the Korean original?
A3: Both versions conclude with the lead couple reuniting and marrying after overcoming workplace hardships. However, Kansai TV’s 10-episode format streamlined the final magazine saving mission, condensing the romantic resolution into a faster, less drawn-out farewell compared to the 16-episode MBC original.
The Enduring Appeal of the Magazine Romance
Workplace romantic comedies frequently date themselves quickly, tripped up by changing technology, workplace norms, or shifting humor sensibilities. Yet She Was Pretty continues to resonate across regional markets because it tackled an enduring emotional tension: the gap between who we were in our youth and who we became under adulthood's financial pressures.
By placing that tension inside an imperiled fashion magazine, writer Jo Sung-hee created a functional metaphor for image versus reality. The cast sold that tension with total commitment. Whether viewed through the unhinged comedic lens of Hwang Jung-eum and Choi Si-won in 2015, or through the refined, breezy performance of Kento Nakajima and Fuka Koshiba in 2021, the dynamic remains a masterclass in ensemble balance. The series endures because it proved that genuine self-acceptance will always be far more compelling than a superficial physical transformation.
