Hi! It's been months since I posted. I've watched a few other dramas before this one, but life and school got in the way and has been demanding more attention than ever. So, I really should not pass up the chance to blog while I can now. Plus, I've reviewed another School series before, so it might be interesting to compare the two. Alright, let's get on with the review :)
First Impression :
The previous School series has definitely raised the bar high. I expected a lot from this drama even before I started watching it. Good thing it didn't disappoint :) The first episode nicely introduced all the main characters, their problems and all the relationships we need to know. Kang Minhyuk's cameo was a great bonus too, my fangirl heart is forever grateful. Anyways, it lays the foundation of the whole drama pretty solid and made me crave for more episodes. The last scene in particular was very much a cliffhanger but also a great foreshadowing to many Ra Eunho's hardship in the few upcoming episodes. I dare say the essence of this whole drama, one that makes it different from the previous School series, is this thing they are revealing right at the end of episode 1. So do look out for that when you watch it :)
Flow and Plot :
The flow of this drama is good, the pacing is great and nothing seems to be rushed. There is none of falling in love at first sight which I believe reflects the reality nowadays. Each relationship has time to grow, to break and to mend itself. That is one of the beauty of this drama. Also, the mystery aspect is maintained at a decent length, so it kept me on my toes for different reasons at different arch of the drama. Nothing monotonous can be entertaining for too long, right?
The plot revolves around the main characters' struggle to fight for their dream amidst the corrupt and oftentimes nonsensical situations at school. Then a mysterious character appears out of nowhere doing absurd things which makes him/her either a hero or villain because of the difference in opinion among the students. I think this is refreshing in the sense that an unknown entity is trying to make rights that the supposed responsible adults cannot. But what makes this truly a school-oriented drama is that it successfully highlights themes such as thick and thins in friendship, the budding and the deteriorating of romantic relationships. It is all in all a very relatable drama despite the added dramatic factor.
Characters :
1) Ra Eunho (Kim Se Jong)
Ra Eunho is a cheerful and loving girl. Despite her amicable personality and caring heart, she doesn't do very well in school which puts her in a lot of disadvantage. Her persistence, however, helps her get through the many problems and challenges she needs to face as an 18 year old.
I have to say that I was pretty skeptical with this casting decision at first. My only exposure to Sejong was only through I.O.I's MVs which mostly consists of her showing off pretty smile. I was pleasantly suprised by her performance in this drama. Maybe her personality is very much similar with the character, so that helps a lot. But all in all, her acting career is all set, this drama opens up gateway to many more projects in the future for her. It is now a matter of maintaining the good job and choosing the right productions.
2) Hyun Taewoon (Kim Jung Hyun)
Hyun Taewoon is the son of Geumdo High School director. For this reason, he is often let off the hook and get special treatment by the school staffs, teachers and principal alike. Beyond his tough exterior, he is only a broken-hearted young boy lost in reasons and trust in his father and the school in general.
He is definitely a new face but a great choice for the character indeed. He can look intimidating without trying but can really look like a lovestruck fool when he smiles. That in itself is something that not even a million dollar can buy. Having said that, I find him look a liiiiitle bit too old for a high-shcooler role in the first few episodes. However, as the story went on his acting convinced me that he truly felt the joy and sorrow of being the high-school student Hyun Taewoon. So kudos to him!
3) Song Daehwi (Jang Dong Yoon)
Song Daehwi is, I guess, someone everyone strives to be. He is smart, kind-hearted, hard-working and many more. When you look upon the surface, it looks like his life is set on a flower road. But behind the positive image he upholds, he keeps a lot of troubles to himself.
When I read how he started acting, I was like "what the heck?", it was definitely not the traditional way to join the entertainment world. But then again it makes a lot of sense to cast this kind of guy for this tender-hearted cool guy role. I wonder how the school series can keep discovering new gems in each instalment. By the end of the drama, he set the boyfriend-goals-bar far too high already *sigh pie*.
4) Han Sooji (Han Sun Hwa)
Han Sooji is the police officer assigned to eradicate(?) the unique cases and corruption in Geumdo High School. She stands firmly on her opinions especially about tackling school delinquent problem but as time goes by she also becomes more understanding of how to face school children and her love interest.
Thinking that Han Sun Hwa is same age as Kim Jung Hyun feels a little bit weird but it still worked nonetheless! Personally, I think she's a tad bit too skinny for a policewoman. However, she did all the stunts well so everything was still good :)
5) Sim Kangmyung (Han Joo Wan)
For me, he is what I call the dream teacher. He is very passionate about teaching, his heart goes to help his students in any way he can. He's a softie and somewhat scaredy-cat when faced with higher-ups but he can definitely tell when something is right or wrong.
I've never seen any of his productions before. But he is definitely a perfect fit for these character. There is something in his voice that reminds me of my biology teacher in secondary school heheh. Also, his awkwardness in general is endearing to watch. I bet he'll be a popular teacher if he teaches in my school.
I've never seen any of his productions before. But he is definitely a perfect fit for these character. There is something in his voice that reminds me of my biology teacher in secondary school heheh. Also, his awkwardness in general is endearing to watch. I bet he'll be a popular teacher if he teaches in my school.
Honorable mention to the principal and Yoon Kyungwoo (Seo Ji Hoon). The principal managed to make my blood boil every time he appeared on the screen (though sometimes he also provided some comic relief). And this Yoon Kyungwoo (pictured on the right), although he had minimal appearance, kinda stole my heart since that few seconds appearance on the school rooftop. He was a nice guy too, so yeah, in Indonesian terms he can make people #gagalfokus. There were only 7 official soundtrack for this drama. Nevertheless, it was enough to cover all kinds of atmosphere throughout the story. I quite enjoyed most of them as stand-alone songs, so you can definitely check them out. Unfortunately, Warner Music Korea does not make any official playlist for the drama so here's one of them, the rest should appear on the suggestion column :)
Overall Impression :
What I like about this School series in particular is that it reminds me of the many antiques of average high schoolers. From skipping class, doodling in class, struggling to focus studying and many more.
Also, the chemistry between the main pairing got me kicking my blankets, they are too cute to be true. The level of things they are willing to sacrifice for each other is beyond me too. They are relationship goals to the max. It would be really great if I can have that kind of relationship too in the future heheh.
The drama also reminds me of the vigor of youth that will never come back. While we are young, we have to live the damnedest hard as possible, chasing our dreams while we can. It also reminds me about how ironic life is. How the toughest years in your life may actually leave behind the most beautiful memories, recalling the people who are willing to stay by you through all thick and thin.
Potential spoiler (highlight the section below to read!)
The poster above is actually very misleading because Song Daehwi is in no way the second-lead in this drama. But it was good because we don't need to agonize over the failed love of the second lead :')
The two guys' relationship somewhat reminds me of the Taiwanese coming-of-age hit movie "Our Times". They were the bestest of friends in the past, but because of the death of their best friend in the squad, they drifted apart. In the end they made up anyways, so all is well yay \(^.^)/
If you're still not convinced to watch, here's the teaser to help you consider better :)
All pictures are taken from the official School 2017 KBS homepage (except for the Seo Jihoon one).
All videos are embed from the official channels on Youtube.
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