The art of portraying a bubbly character with life’s scars can be tricky. It cannot be forced. It takes organic talent and charm, which Asia’s Superstar Kathryn Bernardo is blessed with; hence her mesmerizing and moving performance in the Kapamilya rom-com series 2 Good 2 Be True.

Watch Kathryn – heart, soul, and beautiful tears on full display – via this Friday 5 feature from everybody’s favorite feel-good teleserye.

Kathryn’s character as Ali is a ray of sunshine, which is why it hurts more to see her in pain such as the time she cried out to Eloy (Daniel Padilla), feeling guilty for lying to Lolo Hugo (Ronaldo Valdez) to protect his health. Kathryn made her emotions in this scene so palpable it broke our hearts, too.

Daniel likewise put in the right amount of charm, and the right words to soothe the guilt. He reminded Ali that she’s not perfect, and she doesn’t have to be. Mistakes happen but she will remain the Ali they care for.

The next scene witnessed Ali visiting Eloy in prison. She was supposed to feel happy proving her hunches right. Instead, she blamed herself for coordinating with the cops about the hotel heist, which resulted in Eloy’s incarceration. She was sorry for putting him in that situation.

It was made all the more crushing knowing the criminal record will disqualify Eloy from becoming a lawyer. Ali will never want to cause somebody’s failure, especially if it’s Eloy. And Kathryn’s raw facial expression spoke of that remorse. Also, have you seen anyone look this gorgeous when she cries?

Kathryn also shares dramatic moments with seasoned actress Gelli de Belen playing her mother, Margie. They never fail to leave us in a pool of tears each time.

In a scene, Ali told Margie that Fred (Romnick Sarmenta) was the driver who almost hit them the night they were chasing her father. Ali saw the vehicle crash after avoiding them, thus she believes they caused the accident.

Kathryn turned on the waterworks with Gelli in the previous scene, onto the next where she apologized again to Eloy. She was eaten up with guilt; you’ll know even if she doesn’t say a word as Kathryn’s eyes are enough to reveal her emotions. Eloy wanted Ali to forgive herself, saying the accident was caused by brake sabotage, so none of it was her fault.

Our top pick would have to be Ali’s emotional scene watching Lolo Hugo’s video where he asks her to be his legal guardian. Ronaldo’s unfading brilliance is made for such touching moments. There was heartwarming sincerity in the way he called Ali his “family.” He says he will only entrust his life to family, and at that moment, nobody made him feel truly loved and cared for than her.

Then, Kathryn complimented the veteran star’s truthful delivery with a shower of tears. It was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time, especially when Lolo Hugo says the time will come he will no longer function properly, so he’s leaving himself under Ali’s care.

Only a ‘queen’ will be able to create such a realistic emotional connection to her character and audience, and still, look gorgeous even when crying. Kathryn never fails to mesmerize us.