Yay, I'm back with another drama review! Now that the hell week of A-level has ended I can spend some time to sit down and pen down (more like type actually) what I thought about this drama :) I'm actually very tempted to give some spoilers because there are so much interesting moments to share. But don't fret because I promise I won't do such atrocity. I accidentally read a spoiler somewhere and it kinda make the drama lost some suspense and I don't want you to experience the same horrible thing. Anyways, let's get down to business :)
First Impression:
I didn't know what to expect of this drama. I just went ahead and watch it because I liked the way Eunji acted in Reply 1997. Well, I was pleasantly surprised, I got hooked since the very first episode. The first episode itself keeps me wanting more. The episode was cleverly crafted such that the root of all problems are already presented and the traits of each main character are shown. This is actually what made me curious because I want to know how everything will unfold given the decisions and actions that the characters have made. So yup, my first impression of this drama is real good :)
Flow and Plot :
The flow of the drama is good in the sense it brings you through a roller coaster of emotions yet it is still easy to follow. They balance out the more lighthearted moments with the more serious topics that are brought up through out the drama. Despite the contrasting mood, each moment are interlinked to each other to make the whole story make sense. One thing leads to another and each moment presented are purposeful. Plus, each episode is packaged such that we are curious as to what would happen in the next one. The build up of momentum is actually pretty good :)
Being a school-oriented drama, there are of course some common plotline to be expected of. However, I like how the producers not only slip in (b)romance, fun and angst but also a bit of politics especially from the side of the parents and the school board : something that is rarely presented in other school drama that I have seen so far. There is also interclub tension which I can totally understand from my personal experience. All these elements keep me on my toes and make me crave for more all the time!
Below are the trailers to the drama (if you want to watch it), but I actually recommend not to because I didn't watch any trailer before the drama itself and it kinda felt good not knowing what to expect (?). Anyways, watch if you want to:
I recommend to watch this one if you really really do want to watch a trailer
or
but you can watch this one if you want to also.
There is another trailer but I don't really like that one heheh.
Characters :
I like all the characters in the sense that I can sympathise with all of them. The actors/actresses bring up the emotions really well to the point that I can almost feel what they are feeling. Plus, I can get attached to all of the characters, even the minor ones, just because I can totally relate to them. Anyways, here are the main main characters as indicated by the official poster :
1) Kang Yeon Doo (Jung Eunji)
Kang Yeon Doo is the happy-go-lucky president of "Real King", the dance club of the school. Despite her overflowing charisma, she is not blessed with the smarts. Even so, she is very much loved (and easy to love) by those around her because of her selflessness and bubbly personality.
Jung Eunji has once again impressed me, breaking the idol-actor stereotypes in every production that I see her in. She can build chemistry with other characters very well, be it with teachers, parent or friends. Having said that, I can see some resemblance between Kang Yeondoo and Shiwon character in Reply 1997. I totally understand why she was casted, I think she was born for this kind of characters :)
2) Kim Yeol (Lee Wongeun)
Kim Yeol is the type of guy that everyone wants to be. Good grades, best friend, well-to-do background and many more. However, behind all those impressive front he is someone who carries a weight on his shoulders.
This is the first time I've seen his acting. But I can't really say anything bad about him or his acting (probably because his (eye)smile won me over). Overall he can be awkward at times but super charismatic most of the time, fitting Kim Yeol's trait very well. So yup, job well done :)
3) Kwon Soo Ah (Chae Soobin)
What you see is not always what it seems. Maybe this is the best phrase to describe Kwon Soo Ah. Behind the sweet and gentle persona lies an ambitious person who is willing to do just anything to get to her goal. Having said that, she will be the character that most will have love-hate relationship with.
Having never seen any trailers and whatnot, I really did not what to make out of Kwon Soo Ah character. The sudden turn of events was really sudden and caught me off guard. Chae Soobin indeed brought her character to another level. The frustration, the ambition, the fear. Everything was presented beautifully. I felt all sorts of emotions towards Kwon Soo Ah through her acting, angry and sometimes pity too. So, good job Chae Soobin :)
4) Seo Ha Joon (Jisoo)
Seo Ha Joon is Kim Yeol's best friend since forever. Where ever Yeol goes, he goes and vice versa. Behind his seemingly rough personalities lies a fragile boy who has Yeol as his only confidant and hope. Given his condition, it was simply hard for him to express his feelings to others well.
As expected of an up and coming actor, Jisoo delivers Seo Ha Joon's character very well. I can kinda feel what his character was supposed to feel at any given time. Maybe it's his voice, maybe it's his facial expression. But the mixture of both certainly help build up Ha Joon's character real good.
5) Ha Dong Jae (Cha Hakyeon a.k.a. VIXX N)
Ha Dong Jae is Kang Yeon Doo's childhood friend. Most of the times he will sport this pokerface, very calm even when being screamed at. He has this one weakness that he's been trying to overcome for years with no success. (What, why and how to overcome it? See for yourself in the drama :p)
Despite a seemingly easy role, I believe it is not easy to make pokerface all the time. I can't imagine anyone else being Ha Dong Jae. N's face simply suits Ha Dong Jae's innocent and simple-mindedness so well I can't even understand how. But yes, this is clearly a case of good casting and skills of a growing actor-dol!
Soundtracks :
Honestly, I can't say much about the soundtracks. They don't leave a deep impression in me nor do they make me want to search for them one by one to put on repeat. They fit the moments in the drama well but not as nice songs for just listening.
Overall Impression :
This drama has been a joy to watch. I especially like the first episode because it is so funny and got me totally hooked.
There was a dynamic in the whole drama: development in relationships, work problem, strained parent-child relationship, school politics and many more. I love love love all the conflicts and how all those are resolved in the end. I can't even put into better words why I like this drama so much. For me, I think it is difficult to not love this drama especially if you like school drama.
So yeah, that's all for this review. I hope you will enjoy watching this drama as much as I do :)
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