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Dream High: Episode 5

Okay, Dream High just became awesome.

Maybe I’m just in a good mood today, or maybe it’s because this episode is all sorts of feel-good fun. Either way, Episode 5 had me loving every single minute.

SONG OF THE DAY

IU – “이게 아닌데” (This Isn’t Right) [ Download ]

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EPISODE 5 RECAP

In the outcast class (which has been graffiti’d with slurs against Hye-mi), Oh-hyuk sighs at Hye-mi’s rash challenge that she’ll beat Baek-hee in the upcoming evaluations. Stubbornly, Hye-mi insists she’ll succeed… then mumbles a quick “So please help me.”

Sam-dong makes a request for help, too, sharing an old saying his mother used to tell him: “If a wall appears, you can knock it on its side and it’ll become a bridge. If the three of us push with all our strength, can’t we turn that little wall into a bridge?” Aw, you and your boyish idealism are adorable.

And so this motley group has its first goal: To make sure Hye-mi beats Baek-hee, and to get this trio out of this class and back into the idol-training sessions.

Er, make that quartet: The door opens and Pil-sook shyly joins them, having been knocked down to the loser class as well. The others gape to see that while she’s still chubby, she’s noticeably lost some weight — her beautification process has begun.

In the regular class, Madam Ends-Justify-The-Means motivates her class with threats to drop them into the misfit class, and dangles the carrot that a strong performance at the midterm evaluations could put them on the idol fast-track.

In-sung offers to treat Baek-hee in honor of her finding her pendant, and she makes the excuse to invite Jin-gook, because he helped her get it back. Ah, yet another love triangle brews. You’ve got the misfit class triangle (the boys and Hye-mi), the catfight triangle (the girls and Jin-gook), and now the b-boy triangle (the boys and Baek-hee). Where’s the Sam-dong love? With all these raging hormones flying around, you’d think it wouldn’t be so hard to get ONE set of feelings successfully reciprocated, but the K-drama laws of Fate scoff at the natural laws of physics.

While Hye-mi naps in class, Sam-dong hovers tentatively with a band-aid, about to apply it to the cut on her forehead. Adorably, he falls back nervously the moment she opens her eyes and stammers an excuse.

Hye-mi takes the band-aid and thanks him. Sam-dong works up his nerve, and tells her that he’ll protect her better next time.

Later that day, Oh-hyuk calls his students back to school; they aren’t allowed in the dance or music studios, so they have to sneak here after hours. The evaluations will be based on each student’s ability to convey emotion in their singing, and the Misfits need to practice.

Oh-hyuk has spied on Teacher Gong’s lessons with the regular class (…the Holograms?), stealing ideas for his own lessons. In this instance, they participate in exercises in acting and expressiveness: The instructor tells his class to imagine marrying the one you love (In-sung does this facing Baek-hee), only to have that person killed on your wedding night in a car accident. At the funeral, you discover your lover had another lover… your younger sibling. Until you wake up and realize it was just a dream. Are we sure we’re not in Makjang Drama Writing 101 instead?

Oh-hyuk leads his kids in the same lesson and praises Pil-sook for her emotional accessibility, then asks why Hye-mi didn’t participate. She replies, “I did.” Bwahaha — her blank face as plot point, I love it.

The lesson is cut short by Director Shi, who reminds them that they’re not allowed in the studios. Without anywhere else to go, Jin-gook leads them to his icy basement, and they clean the place up. But a more pressing hurdle remains: They need a real vocal teacher, not just phonecams of Teacher Gong.

Oh-hyuk has one idea, but it’s a long shot, since English teacher Jin-man hates his guts. Oh-hyuk presses, showing him the Dream High notes he’d written for a middle school homework assignment years ago, which President Jung had held onto all these years. Furthermore, he’d indicated Jin-man as the best coach.

Oh-hyuk makes a last-ditch plea to Jin-man, saying that he can’t let his kids turn out like him — Jin-man faltered because he trusted a fool like Oh-hyuk, and what if Oh-hyuk causes the kids to lose their opportunity as well? It makes a perverse kind of logic, but it also rubs at old wounds, and Jin-man belts him in the gut for that reminder. And then reluctantly agrees to do it for a raise.

Operation Terrorize Hye-mi continues, the latest graffiti mural depicting her as a grotesque demon and labeled as traitor and backstabber. Hye-mi asks Baek-hee if she did it, who turns up her nose at her rival. That snooty posture disappears the instant Baek-hee spies Jin-gook approaching; immediately adopting a wounded victim pose, she makes it seem like she’s being bullied.

She’s gratified when Jin-gook tells Hye-mi to cut it out, although he’s not doing it to defend Baek-hee; rather, he knows who the real culprit is.

He finds his buddy In-sung preparing to launch a raw egg at Hye-mi from afar, and says he recognized his handwriting. In-sung argues that Jin-gook had also found Hye-mi insufferable, and should thank him for giving her what she deserves.

Jin-gook hurls the egg at In-sung’s head (well, the wall by his head) and delivers a stern warning: “If you mess with Hye-mi again, you’re dead.” And… watching from around the corner is a displeased Baek-hee.

Jin-man begins his first lesson on the keyboard, but Sam-dong marvels at the nifty gadget and presses the keys, surprising Jin-man into asking, “You know chords?” Sam-dong asks, “What are chords?” and then produces another one, his fingers naturally finding the keys. Like a little boy discovering a grand new toy, he smiles, “If I push the keys, the sounds just come out pretty.”

Meta hilarity: The tune Jin-man starts to tap out is Park Jin-young’s own pop hit from the ’90s, “날 떠나지마” (Don’t Leave Me). [ Download ] Oh god, I love the meta.

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Upon seeing Oh-hyuk, Jin-man stiffens; I love how obvious it is that these man-children just wanna be best friends again, even though Jin-man is trying to cling to his old hate. Aw. I can’t wait for them to kiss and make up already. YOU KNOW YOU WANNA.

As Jin-man leaves, Sam-dong picks up the melody from Jin-man’s very brief demonstration and starts singing along, “Don’t leave me…”

Kyung-jin impresses upon her class the importance of picking the right song in order to convey its emotion properly. Ah-jung whines that this task is too difficult, so Kyung-jin calls Oh-hyuk over and starts to flirt with him in front of the students. He takes it at face value and stammers that he likes another woman, and Kyung-jin flips her flirt mode off as quickly as she switched it on, having demonstrated the value of artful acting. She gives her class the assignment to act out song lyrics to get into the proper mood.

That gives Oh-hyuk another assignment to copy. Jin-man shows up at the rehearsal to scoff at Oh-hyuk’s pilfering of other teachers’ lessons, but the more important point is that he’s here to help. Ya big softie.

Jin-man instructs his students to act as though they’re really saying the words when they’re singing, and Kyung-jin’s students do the same. Both classes undergo acting exercises where they deliver song lyrics as monologues, with as much emotion as they can muster.

Jason picks a song begging a lover not to leave him, and I’m sure it’s no accident that Pil-sook’s lyrics form the other half of that conversation.

They, along with Baek-hee, have a pretty good grasp of emoting through song (Baek-hee’s impassioned monologue comes from “I will survive”).

On the other hand: Hye-mi doesn’t do so well. Her recitation is absurdly, hilariously flat — they’re the lyrics of her audition song (“Goose’s Dream”) — and she intones robotically, “I have a dream. I trust that dream. Ho-hum.” That last part may have been implied.

Jin-man urges her to draw out more emotion, but all Hye-mi succeeds in doing is repeating her monotone more loudly, so that she sounds like a whiny robot.

Hye-mi doesn’t even understand what’s wrong, nor does she know why she’d failed the audition. Oh-hyuk asks her what the “empty dream” in the song is, and she runs through the lyrics trying to remember, although Pil-sook can answer right away. Point made: She sang the song all this time not even being conscious of its meaning. He tells her that she’s much more musically talented than the others, but has not a fraction of their sensibility.

Hye-mi can pick up from watching Pil-sook that despite her own superior vocals, Pil-sook beats her in the emotion department. Hye-mi asks what Pil-sook thinks about as she sings, and gets back a simple answer: romance.

Pil-sook takes her to spy on Jason, explaining that while that they’re not dating, they’re in the process of getting to know each other. She giggles as she says that he opens doors for her, that he treats her particularly nicely, and that the song lyrics are like he’s singing to her. (Hye-mi retorts that this emotion is all a delusion.)

When Jason holds the door open for her with a smile, though, Hye-mi asks if he likes her. He explains that he’s friendly to everybody; it’s that thing you call good manners. Now, normally he’d have a very good point against the emotionally stunted Hye-mi Bot, but in this case she also has a point. His American idea of friendship is giving Korean girls the wrong idea, and she warns him that if he doesn’t want to be a jerk, he’d better watch it and not give nice girls false hopes. Beep beep boop.

Aw, Hye-mi’s actually looking out for Pil-sook. That’s sweet.

Jin-gook swipes Hye-mi’s yogurt drink that night, trying to prod her memory of their childhood memory, then asks if she wants help with this whole singing-with-emotion business. She perks up at the offer, and he says he’ll tell her if she remembers what he’s referring to with the yogurt.

A call brings Jin-gook to the police station, with news of an attempted suicide. The hyung he’d previously lived with has failed the bar yet again and jumped off a rooftop, only to escape with minor injuries.

The hyung assures Jin-gook that he won’t be stupid enough to attempt suicide again, but explains why he’d tried: While living in that teeny rented room had been cramped and uncomfortable, he hadn’t realized until he’d moved back to his hometown that he’d felt alive there. At least he was pursuing a dream.

Lesson of the day learned: don’t fall into the same path. Spurred into action, Jin-gook admits that there’s a song he wants to learn… SNSD’s “Genie.” Hee.

Oh-hyuk tells rest of the Misfit Mafia that they’ll all be learning the SNSD song together, which they balk at — they hardly have the time for their own song. Jin-gook offers to learn it on his own, but Oh-hyuk argues that they’re actually doing it for Hye-mi, who is still failing.

The class takes a field trip, arriving outside the chicken shop where Jin-gook’s hyung works. And what ensues… is pure awesome as the four kids perform “Genie” out in the street.

I cannot even tell you how incongruous it is to see serious actor Kim Soo-hyun busting out with the idol thrusting, but I can’t say I don’t like it. And for once, Hye-mi looks to be genuinely having fun. They’re dancing with sheer joy, and that’s a joy to witness.

But making this even better is how this exuberant street performance moves the hyung, now confronted with a living, breathing dream that hasn’t yet given up, and the poignancy of that brings him to tears. And, let’s be honest, me too.

Jin-gook urges his hyung not to give up his dream of becoming a lawyer, and as they share a hug, Sam-dong asks if they’re blood brothers, which makes both guys protest that the comparison to the other is unflattering.

Jin-gook is all, But I’m so pretty, while hyung protests that Jin-gook looks way old for his age. The others agree that Jin-gook does look a little old, which makes me giggle since I recall that being another complaint when Taecyeon was first cast in a high school drama. Hee.

And then, on the bus ride home, we get THIS:

Hye-mi is embarrassed to get caught looking at Jin-gook, her mind mulling over a comment that she’d heard earlier. Curious to know if it’s true, she writes in the glass, “Do you really not know your birthday?”

He says it’s true, though he does know his “fake birthday.” Writing on his own window, his reply reads: “Christmas Eve.”

That makes Hye-mi think back to the little boy she’d met as a child, who’d also admitted to not knowing his own birthday. Feeling sorry for the boy who’d never had a true birthday, she had lit a birthday candle for him in a stack of chocopies, and sang him a special birthday song that her mother used to sing her.

Evaluation day arrives, and the students find out that their evaluations will be based on karaoke scoring. The details of the process are a mystery, because it’s not a straightfoward best-karoke-score-wins system. Last year’s first-place student actually scored a low 72 on the karaoke test, and she can’t even explain why she won.

However, the students are sure the scores aren’t random — even though the winner wasn’t the best singer, the students agree that her performance made them feel something. But the secret code remains uncracked.

Oh-hyuk gives his class a final pep talk to remember how they felt when they sang in the street, because that’s when they were most effective. They weren’t acting or putting on a front, but understood the “true taste of singing” in that moment — it’s what you feel when you sing for someone else, when you consider what the other person is hearing more than what you’re singing.

Hye-mi makes her way up the stairs, and finds a lovely surprise: The awful spray-painted slurs have been amended, the devilish face painted over into a pretty one, and the former words “Get lost” and “retard” have been transformed into “I’ll protect you” and “You’re the best.”

The kids file into the testing room, and one by one they perform. While Jason sings a 2AM song (“Can’t Let You Go”), Jin-man, watching the proceedings, predicts his score correctly (a 90) and cracks the mystery — Teacher Gong is actually basing his scores on the reactions of the students.

That means those who can captivate the other students get higher scores than those who don’t. During Baek-hee’s performance, for instance, three students aren’t paying attention, which means her score is an 85.

Hye-mi takes the mic for her turn, and with Oh-hyuk’s last words ringing in her ears, she asks for a different song at the last moment. The others are confused by the sudden change, but Jin-gook is the first to catch on — it’s the special birthday song she’d sung him on that snowy Christmas Eve, perhaps the last time she’d sung a song entirely for someone else rather than herself. Agh, this is so sweet. This is totally wreaking havoc on my Sam-dong love. Curse you, effective love triangles!

Even the teachers are stunned at the genuine expression on her face, and she has tears in her eyes at song’s end. Teacher Gong awards her a perfect score.

Kyung-jin reports to her father that all the kids in the misfit class performed strongly — if things continue this way, they may even make it to the upcoming showcase. Director Shi declares that that will NOT do. He wants a conference with Teacher Maeng, who’s in charge of showcase preparations. Cue evil machinations.

After the evaluation, Baek-hee storms off. Hye-mi catches up to her, saying she won’t ask for the pendant back — it was always hers: “You won in the audition. I realize that now. I’m sorry for forcing the issue.”

Far from appeased, Baek-hee is offended, thinking Hye-mi is being condescending now that she’s first place. Hye-mi concedes that forcing the issue is a tactic used by people who lack talent, and she knows from experience that it just makes one look foolish. “So let’s not do that with each other from now on.”

Jin-gook finds a crowd gathered around Hye-mi’s vandalized locker, which has been smeared with a blood-like substance. The students find this excessive — they recognize that Hye-mi won fair and square — and wonder who did it.

Jin-gook knows, and he storms into dance rehearsal to pop In-sung in the face, reminding him that he’d warned him to leave Hye-mi alone. Only, this time In-sung has an alibi and insists he’s not the guilty party.

Something’s not right, so Jin-gook calls to warn Hye-mi that she’s in danger. She’s currently outside taking out the trash, so he alerts Pil-sook and Sam-dong, then races outside just in time to see a girl holding potted plant, poised to drop it on Hye-mi’s head. (I WONDER WHO THAT IS.)

The girl hesitates and pulls back (Baek-hee’s classic maneuver, we might recall), and then musters the nerve. She lets go.

Just as the ceramic pot is about to land on Hye-mi’s head, Sam-dong dashes in to pull her out of harm’s way. They land on the ground and Hye-mi sees the shattered pot around them as she registers what happened.

Worried, Sam-dong confirms that she’s fine, just startled. Sighing in relief, he murmurs, “Thank goodness”… and then keels over, losing consciousness.

Hye-mi calls his name and cradles his head in her hands — which she finds covered in his blood.

 
COMMENTS

Aw, that’s what I’m talkin’ about. Solid, solid episode, and I wasn’t exaggerating when I said it had me in its grip all the way through. I mean, yeah, the story’s a little obvious, the conflicts are very clear, and I don’t think this drama does anything terribly NEW. But it does tap into everything I love about youth dramas, and hits the underdog point in just the right place.

I could do with a little less of Baek-hee’s evilness, but I suppose that’s the thing about attending a school where some students are already stars: The school now doubles as a battlefield. Each learning experience translates literally into career opportunities, and anyone who can’t keep up gets left in the dust. So she’s being groomed (by that Machiavellian teacher, no less) to take no prisoners and if she has to cut some throats on the way to the top, by god don’t let your neck get in the way of her knife.

I freaking love that this episode takes the main criticism of the lead actress and turns it into a central plot point that her character must overcome. It’s not only laugh-out-loud funny (well, I laughed out loud), but it also creates the clever effect of making us root for Hye-mi’s fatal flaw, conflating it with Suzy’s fatal flaw, and thereby getting us to somehow subconsciously root for Suzy to pull through just as much as Hye-mi. I mean, that’s ballsy, right? (Note: I have no idea if this was intentional or merely a case of happy serendipity. Either way, I think it works.)

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I love Hyemi! And her song to Taecyeon was so lovely :) Baek Hee just went too far! You should beat her with your own talent, not trying to kill somebody ...

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I actually don't think it was Baek Hee. I mean I could be wrong...but for some reason I believe it might be that other girl. The one that was getting all the attention in the beginning of episode 4...RIA or whatever her name is(the sister from Coffee Prince). There is a reason they had a little paparazzi-fest for her. I guess we will just have to find out when the episode airs.

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I admit it...I was so so so soooooo wrong. But they made it seems so obvious that I thought it had to be some sort of trick...I thought why else would they have that other girl? I guess its to stir up trouble with the pil-sook and jason storyline.

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ooohhh!!!

DH is stepping up!

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Certainly is!!! Because I had no interest what so ever in watching this show... but after reading this episode's recap i checked out the episode and I am SOLD..So, I guess I will be watching and loving both My Princess and Dream High after all!

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yes finally! thank you!

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Oh my god it has gotten quite interesting, the last scene made me ' OH SHIT'.. so the pot hit sam dong's head?

baek hee turned into a demonic character i knew this would happen ill never forgive her ass.. and i dont want her to end up with taecyeon or anyone...

Hye mi is awesome

Samdong is a hero.

Taecyeon is taecyeon..

Im in love with this dframa right now

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She just learned how to be a professional from Kang Ji Hwan. :P

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Getting shoved into that suitcase and being an experiment for crime novels prob messed up her mind

Not to mention all those pencils and coffee

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I have not caught up with this youth drama - I thought it might be too juvenile for my age but, hey, jb likes it so I read this recap (not saying jb and I are in same age group, just saying if jb likes it, it must be good).

Then I spotted that 2nd lead of Coffee House (whom I've rooted for to be the girl the lead-guy will fall for... but in vain). Anyway, she portrayed a very wholesome character there, so lovable with her quirkiness and here she is palying the villainess. If she succeeds, then that's what I'll call versatility.

Anyway, loving the references to Coffee House... the suitcase, pencils and coffee :) :)

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LOL ;D

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i was moved when she sang happy birthday to taecyeon!
this is my fav episode so far. hyemi totally deserved the 100

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I'm late in the game of watching this but she deserved that 100!!

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sam dong is so adorable

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Sam dong IS adorable. I know this probably won't happen but it won't stop me from dancing all crazy in front of my screen and praying to the Kdrama gods that the underdog will finally get the girl. Sam dong is so caring and it would be awesome if a drama finally showed that kinda guy getting the girl.....even though I love taecyeon to bits as well!!

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I think I'm rooting for Sam-Dong, too. In this case, both of the boys have that supportive, protecting attitude toward her, which evens the playing field. Unfortunately, she's seen Jin Gook naked (which seems like a thing that only happens with leads- the awkward naked moments) AND she has little kid love backstory with him. Poor Sam Dong, he's doomed from the outset.
I won"t be upset when Jin-Gook gets the girl, as long as Sam-Dong gets a happy ending, too.

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I thought Kim Soo Hyun was cast as the lead? I'm hoping Samdong will get Hyemi then Baekhee can end up with Jingook.

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Was he? I never know who the leads are beforehand. Well, good news for Sam-Dong, then. Which is good news for me.
I only want Baek-Hee with Jin-Gook if she regrows a heart.

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this is the first time i watch a kdrama, and im TOTALLY torn between which guy to root for! i <3 both jinguk and samdong! omg! can hye mi be like mary, and the guys have some bromance? :p

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His adorableness is starting to grow on me!

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JB - I loved this episode like I couldn't believe. I was floored by my own reaciton when all four previous episodes were just serviceable.

I suppose - it's like I was one of the kids sitting in the room and hearing Hye Mi sing the birthday song for Jin Gook.

DH finally has heart and emotional catharsis. LOVE IT!

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i LOVE that last paragraph you wrote. it was exactly what was running through my head the entire time i watched hyemi's struggle. i'm glad that they're successfully using meta (so far)

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yeeee JB has fully jumped on the bandwagon! :) Samdong's pulling it! :P

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that's it... baek hee has officially gone over to the Dark side. TT_TT

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"Baek Hee, I am your father"

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LOL. hahahahahahaha

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oh noooooo now i HAVE to watch this series ;_;

it sounds so exciting aaaah.

thanks for the recap!

(oh and JYP is really selling himself and his groups, huh. Lots of their songs. Including a 2PM guy singing a 2AM song, heh. Don't mean it in a bad way though, it makes sense.)

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"if she has to cut some throats on the way to the top, by god don’t let your neck get in the way of her knife"

O_O

JB, you give me nightmares sometimes. You really do.

But I keep coming back for your recaps just the same.

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And someone please comment on In-sung's hair. :P

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21st century Duckie.

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I second that.

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Reminds me of wilma of the scooby doo gang

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Sorry think I have the wrong character am referring to the cute girl with the glasses n plays a pink guitar

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Wow, I must watch some pretty old scooby doo, because I have never seen Velma with a guitar.

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i gotta say, Dream High is stepping it up a few notches and when MP came out, i was no longer very interested in DH, but i think i'll go back to watching it now. Also, this main love triangle is gonna be a toughie for me to choose the guy who gets the girl

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The song sequences in the episode were SO spot on. I laughed at Genie and I've replayed the happy birthday song multiple times. so pretty!

One thing wasn't clear to me though. Did Hye-mi remember meeting little jin gook. I didn't think they were completely clear on that.

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yes, definitely. i think it was implied by her singing that song.

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Awesome episode :D
Thanks for the recap JB <3

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"I cannot even tell you how incongruous it is to see serious actor Kim Soo-hyun busting out with the idol thrusting, but I can’t say I don’t like it."

my favorite part of the whole episode.

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the drama's getting high ratings too! 15% now :D
sooooooooo happy! <3
i'm really really liking the drama. so far, so good!

the genie dance was AMAZING!
kim soo hyun. you are my new crush. gawd so adorable. :)

& i was really pleasantly surprised with hyemi in this episode. she really opened herself up more and showed more humane characteristics. (not that she hasn't before... but she's starting to look after more people other than herself).

ugh i'm stuck between hyemi & samdong vs. hyemi & jinguk. i really really hope jason & pilsuk get together. they are ADORABLE. :)

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Yeah I agree about the "hyemi & samdong vs. hyemi & jinguk" comment. Usually by now you can kinda guess who the lead guy is but with this show I'm like ahhh....
So I'm going by a point system according to which guy have done something sweet for her and so far its, this is not working cause it pretty much a tie = / (I am secretly hoping for a Hye Mi and Sam Dong relationship, he he he!!
I just hope that he does NOT do the Noble Idiot Syndrome thing)

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The first drama that has me stumped as to the OTP (with Hye Mi). Sometimes, it make it seem as if it'll be Sam Dong. Then, it comes back with many more ways in which it makes Jin Gook & HM seem the OTP. Childhood bond, for one. Jin Gook in the birthday suit, heh heh. Happy birthdays all around, I say.

And I think I <3 Taecyeon.

And I like Suzy's flat delivery so far. Perfect for Hye Mi.

This drama just may have me going gah gah the way I did with SKKS. It'll be good if it didn't. Don't think I can go through that again.

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Its not that she wasn't looking after other people, she just did it in her own way, secretly and always being misunderstood.

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Ditto. But she almost invites such misunderstanding with all her prickliness and defensive walls.

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BRAVO! BRAVA! BRAVO!

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damn....baekhee actually dropped it. i really hoped the writer will let the rivalry be fair and square instead of writing eunjung over to the dark side.

i literally covered my eyes when i was watching this in case baekhee actually dropped it...because i don't want eunjung's character to do any seriously horrible things :'(

i still love you...baekhee/eunjung...but come back to your kind self please :')

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I'm with you, esther. :) I refuse to believe that the coffee-house girl dropped it.

Why didn't the writer just make her stuff Hye-mi in a luggage instead...?

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i think it's Baek-hee, might be the bitch who Baek-hee eliminated in the dance-off. I'm sure she doesn't know it yet that Baek-hee did it to her, so she's still following her blindly. just my opinion...

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i meant "it's not Baek-hee"...

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Agree. I don't think it's Baek-hee that dropped the pot and vandalised the locker. I don't recall baek-hee wearing the pink watch on her left hand.

Genie's performacnce was so cute...made me feel like dancing to it now...hahas

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It's RIA

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I am with you here. I think it wasn't Baekhee who was vandalizing Hye Mi's locker and dropped that pot. I think somebody else is taking advantage of Hye Mi and Baekhee's rivalry and Baekhee's weakness.

I was scared from end of epi 1 of what Baekhee will become. I don't want Baekhee to turn to a full evil second lead(I had enough of that) Plus, I love Eun Jung from coffee house and I don't want to stain my love for her. Baekhee has her own issues. She is just weak but she wants to prove that she will be able to achieve her dream. I will continue to give her the benefit of the doubt and believe that she didn't go too far as vandalizing and dropping that pot. I hope so, I really really hope I am right. Please writer, don't turn Baekhee that bad.

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it wuz her..u cud tell from the pink watchh that the girl wuz wearingg

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actually Baek Hee hasn't worn a watch...but the girl RIA from episode 4 is wearing a watch when they first introduce her. It's not the same color but she is wearing one. And I don't think Baek Hee has it in her to actually hurt anyone let alone her friend-turned-rival Hyemi in a serious manner (one that can send her to the hospital).

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Javabeans I completely agree! I'm terribly torn between the two guys and hye mi!! The thing is tho hye mi and jin gook have there really cute moments and they have history, but sam dong is ALWAYS saving is butt! Lol. Argh.. I don't know who to root for! Ill be disappointed either way...

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Oh, wow, I was waiting for this, thank you so much! I keep watching it raw going "????" lol, and yours are the first idea I get on what the heck this episode is about.

My heart is seriously cracking for Jin-gook here. Please, oh PLEASE let the promo posters be wrong, let it be Jin-gook with Hye-mi. I mean....Jin-gook, it's been like, a decade, and he's STILL all about her. For Sam-dong, it's a hit, the first pretty girl he's seen paying attention to him, maybe? But Jin-gook...this is the girl comforting him when he was afraid he'd be deserted, singing for him when no one else did, all of that...if he loses out. Geesh, Taec, break my heart, why don't you?

And I can just SEE him becoming the guy who gives it up. Jin-gook protects Hye-mi, but...she never knows it, half the time. She doesn't know how he confronts his friend, how he figures out she'll be targeted, etc. Meanwhile, Sam-dong rescues her and she ALWAYS knows when he's the one helping her...aww, gee. This love triangle is one where my heart is gonna be broken anyways.

Hye-mi is finally improving. Admittedly, before I was rooting for no girl (but Pil-sook, lol), but now it's all Hye-mi for me. At least she's really learning a bit, despite being absolutely horrible in the beginning. She even, in her own way, is trying to protect Pil-sook, admits her wrong-doings, and really tries now.

Baek-hee...I can't hate her. She's just going from one bad role model to another bad teacher. I mean, when her teacher basically tells her "Get rid of all those in your way, no matter what it takes" in so few words...yeah. She's obviously not exactly stable/confident in her own decisions and follows. But seriously, what she does? Just can't like her, either. (And dammit, no, don't take Jin-gook. If Hye-mi can't have him, I want him. lol.)

“If I push the keys, the sounds just come out pretty.”
Sam-dong is just adorable. He seriously, seriously is. Like a little boy, but such an earnest one giving it his all. dammit, can't both boys just get the girl they want? It won't hurt just this once....

And all these boys...really, you guys ALL make me fall in love with you? T_T This is not good for my heart. Jin-gook, stop being noble, sacrificial, and just having these sweet moments. Sam-dong, stop being adorable and wonderfully protective and even cutely jealous. And Jason...in the very, very few moments you appear, stop being so amazing. (Being a Hottest just sucks right now, lol. I have to fall in love with their characters, too, huh?)

JB, thank you~~ Can't wait for tomorrow.

(O_O This was looooong. I'm so sorry. lol. I have more to say, even, but...yeah. Stopping here)

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...in so few words, I could've said that this was the first episode I really kind of liked, haha. Only my urge to keep seeing the guys really pulled me through the first 4 (though even 4 was an improvement over the first 3). But Ep 5 had me going, "We're really getting somewhere now."

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THIS is what I was waiting for. I've been on the fence for so long about whether or not to watch this drama. I kept waiting for that review that would say, "Yeah, it's totally worth a peek even if it might let you down in the end... but let's hope not."

Thank you SO much JB... I'm going to go hurry and catch up while I still can.

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I LOVE THIS! excellent high school drama!

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"The instructor tells his class to imagine marrying the one you love (In-sung does this facing Baek-hee), only to have that person killed on your wedding night in a car accident. At the funeral, you discover your lover had another lover… your younger sibling. Until you wake up and realize it was just a dream."

While it's funny, I also have a bad feeling that it probably sounded like a great idea to the second writer from Mary Stayed Out All Night. I shudder to think.

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My God. This episode was SO good. I even squee at times. You are right javabeans, it’s obvious and not much new, but that didn’t stop that I enjoy this episode. If it continues like this, this drama is going to be very good.

Me, the embittered when it comes to musicals, repeated the scene when they sing “Genie” like 4 times. Kim Soo-hyun singing and dancing was so cute. He is like a puppy. In a good way (I love puppies!) I just want to hug him so close for hours. His eyes are warm and cute.

“Curse you, effective love triangles!” Totally. My finger is on the mitosis thing. It would be a win-win.

Thank you for the recap! And thank you for the songs! I was wondering how to get the song that Jin-man teaches to Sam-dong.

One last thing. Is the yogurt thing they drink “Yakult”?

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yakult yes.

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Yakult! I thought it looked familiar! I used to LOVE that probiotic drink when I was a child. I will need to get me some the next time I'm at the Asian store.

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Did it already today!! The whole pack. Alas, no straw. :)

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OMG! I have been stalking your blog (for 6 hours) waiting this recap!!

I freakin' love this drama! Although it isn't unpredictable, it is ALWAYS leaving me wanting more! I don't think I have ever experienced that with the dramas we've had this past couple of years! I friggin love it!!

It's this drama (and My Princess) that allow me to survive the weekdays!

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i hope it wasn't actually baek hee. she's just turning soooo evil so fast.

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thanks for the recap! i love this episode, so fun. hyemi is growing on me.

this reminds me of 2PM's Taecyeon (who plays Jin-Gook) and Wooyoung (who plays Jayson) doing a Genie/Tell Me Your Wish parody before with MC Mong and Shinee's Taemin and Key. LMAO it was so funny. Look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MVjHQI0zns

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and speaking of SNSD parodies, here's the two of them dancing to Gee (with former leader jaebum): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNkD6t6ifUE and Taecyeon (in orange skinny jeans) with various idols here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKNhpu1BvHA LOLOLOL Dream High is making me remember the old times when i still like 2PM haha

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awww jaebum!!! love

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thank you for this.... I've watched it like twenty times. I don't know why I find it so adorable lol

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Cool.Thanks for the review.I might actually watch the raw now.Subs are not ready.Might actually make editing it an interesting time.

Ep 1-4 was kinda boring.

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I LOVE that it's not totally obvious who Suzy is going to end up with--I love a little bit of mystery. :D

BUT

I HATE that I'm torn between the Sam-dong-Suzy and Jin-gook-Suzy pairings. Especially with this episode.

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I love Samdong the most, but I'll wager Jingook and Hyemi are going to end up together since they have that whole fate thing going for them. It's kind of inevitable when you involve childhood loves like that.

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I love Jin-gook, lol, but the promo pics seem to hint at a Samdong/Hyemi and Jingook/Baek-hee pairing, since Jingook has pics with Baek-hee and all. T_T Awww....

...seriously, I think it REALLY wouldn't hurt, just this once, to have both boys get the one girl they want....you know. Just this once...(or you know, they could give the one who loses out to me....but yes. In the impossiblity of that, why can't they just share?)

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oh i am torn between SD and JG as well!! Why can't they make polygamy legal in the Kdrama universe???

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love love love the episode! thanks for the recap.

I think Hye-mi thinks that it was Jin-gook, but i think it was Sam-dong because of the phrase "i will protect you".

Oh well, yeah all the ingredients are nothing new, yet i'm loving it so much. I think it;s because it has the same formula of how i fell in love with the kdramas in the first place.

Thanks for the sub JB =)

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I'm so happy that you enjoy Dream High, and made the review so fast... thank you!
I become more and more like this drama because, it's fun and breezy, and well yes, I have soft spot on high school dramas.

I also hope Baek Hee won't turn as an evil, I can understand her jealousy and insecurity right now, but she's a nice and kind girl at heart, and now that Hye Mi already admitted that she was wrong, I hope they all just hold hands and fight that evil president!

Do you notice that the president's fashion style is now changing like President Jung's? ( turtle neck, long cardigan and scarf? ) One thing that left, the glasses frame. :P

And PARK JIN YOUNG! Oh I don't know he can actually act..way better than I expected. And the bromance! hahaha, it's cute to see the bromance between these teachers instead of the possibly romance of Mr. Kang and Ms.Shi.

And I wish for more Milk Couple's scenes!! ( Woo young & IU ), Pilsook is just sooo adorable whenever she looks at Jason.

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I agree that Park Jin-young is way better than I thought he would be. He made me laugh when he was yelling at Hye-mi during her monologue of "Goose's Dream". It was especially funny when he threw something and Kang Oh-hyuk jumped.
Kang Oh-hyuk and Yang Jin-man definately have a cute relationship, and I hope Ms. Shi remains the evil lady and doesn't butt her head in Kang's business.
My favorite "couple" is actually Hye-sung and Oh-hyuk. They were so cute in episode two! I could be bias because I think Uhm Ki-joon is cute and charming, but Kang Oh-hyuk and Go Hye-sung are my faves (though I really like everyone).

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I think many EunJung fans can't accept that her character might be a "evil 2nd lead". Even defending her character by blaming it on the dance teacher, and on HM for being mean to her.

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Speaking as a viewer of the drama and not of the idols themselves (I dont even know what idol group BH is from >_<), I think it's the fact that BH was so earnest in episode one that makes it hard for us to believe that she's as wholly evil as she is now.

It's like the writer showed us that shread of humanity, made us think that she became the way she is now BECAUSE of HM, and then made her a complete psycho. If her characerization continues the way it is now (her being a complete bitch), that's just sloppy writing :(

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Guess they got tired of doing (and paying for) IU's baggage makeup for every filming.

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Thanks for the great caps, javabeans~! I'm loving this drama more and more. All the triangles are making my head spin (lol!).

I just have to say, though, that reading this made me realize just how old I am. I seem to be the only one who immediately got your 'Jem' reference. >.< So it's Hye-mi as Pizzazz, then? Lol~!

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That makes 2 of us actually, and if I were to pick a character among the Misfits, it'd be Stormer a lot, because she wasn't that baddie after all. Yet they aren't the show's heroes unlike DH's. :)

The Makjang Drama Writing 101 reference had me remember a CBS drama series starring Sam Robards, and other turned-famous actors such as Matt Le Blanc.

Sigh. We're not THAT old, are we? lol

Thank you JB for such a quick and feel-good recap. :)

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lol, I hope not. I think they played Jem and the Holograms reruns until the middle of the 90s on tv. That's not old at all :P

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Frankly, I'd trust a Hye-mi over a Baek-hee any day. With Hye-mi, what you see is what you get. With Baek-hee, one doesn't know what one gets because she's trying to be Miss Goody-Two-Shoes. And, with Miss Goody-Two-Shoe types, if they hit 'tilt', then, they will turn bad instantly.

BTW, I have a theory on the 'K' pendant.
In the drama, they all think the 'K' pendant is a prize won by the person who is the best. But, I wonder if the pendant is given to the person who is third rate, in order to generate rivalry and competition amongst all the students.

And, especially for the first and second rate people who will feel and see the unfairness of this 'prize' going to a person that they finally determine to be third-rate.

The resulting rivalry and competition will make them work harder, be more determine and push beyond their personal limits.

And, the third rate person will fight the hardest to improve. Thereby, all will become better and better at their art. And, perhaps, one of them will become the super-star.

So, perhaps, the 'K' stands for 'catalyst', which stems from the Greek katalusis. The pendant is the catalyst to kick start their 'drive'.

Also, the pendant serves as the greatest teacher because no matter how good a school is, it can't teach a person to be discipline or focus. A person has to learn that for him/herself, after getting kick started.

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With you on Hyemi v. Baekhee.

And interesting take on the K-pendant.

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Great theory.. could be possible!
I was taking this creative writing class, and once I started to add details to my writing, I did a lot of research where certain parts of my story meant or had actual content relations. So my point being, kudos for your analysis!

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interesting theory concerning the K pendant. I figure it's just going to be passed around and every time I'll wonder if this person is gonna keep it and become uber famous. i personally think the K is just for "instant karma" which is engraved on the pendant, if I saw correctly. that would correlate with the good "luck" theory :)

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I like your theory. When Baek-hee received the pendant, she started the process of getting out of Hye-mi's shadow and trying to prove that she better. Although she's losing control in her quest to be the best.
Hye-mi felt like her life was starting to look up when she found the pendant after her fight with Baek-hee.
Wonder who ends up the the pendant?

P.S. I like your name!

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Very intriguing theory. And I agree with you on the Hye-mi/Baek-hee comparison. You know what you're getting with Hye-mi; Baek-hee, however, has now become someone very fake and desperately trying to hide her insecurities and faults at the expense (and danger) of others.

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I like your theory.

However, I felt that they werent being subtle with the whole "good luck" bug and "cockroach" approach. I feel like the pendant is a bit pretentious; they're trying to add meaning just for the sake of adding meaning lol.
Who knows though. I might be underestimating the drama.

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Anyone know the artist/title of Hyemi's b-day song?

I hope the release an OST with the cast's renditions of most of the songs :)

Can't wait to see this subbed; looks like they've stepped up their game. Also, I love all the meta :D

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겨울아이 "Winter Child"

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Oooh, thanks :)

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It's a very pretty song (according to the Eng subs) - "You who is born in winter... " and the neat thing is, Taecyeon is a "winter child" in real life! :D :D :D :D
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Taecyeon

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I am so rooting for JG and HM pairing.

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I'm kinda torn about whether it's Baek-hee or not. Obviously they want you to think it's her ... but when have K-dramas ever been as straight-forward as that? It's just so obvious that they might as well have shown her face. Which makes me think it's someone else ... -___-' I confuzzled myself.

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It's that RIA girl...from episode 4. The star student...when she takes off her sunglasses in that episode she has on a watch. It's not the same color...but I haven't seen baek hee wearing one.

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omg...this drama is making me go crazy...

i mean first i'm sucked in by all those hye mi and jin gook moments...and then suddenly sam dong rushes in and saves the girl...ultimate display of love...

>.<

SERIOUSLY SHOW, IF THEY BOTH DON'T END UP WITH HYE MI...!!!

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well so far...I don't like hye mi either..but..it approve that eunjung know how to act ..right.....

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sorry ..i mean..baek-hee

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I think the promo posters and announcements are quite clear in suggesting there will be 3 couples once this drama closes. But right now, I'm foolishly hoping Hye-mi will end up with Jin-gook, because he has faith in her.

Sam-dong understands some of her weaknesses, such as her longing for her father, and tries to protect that (well, he fights for it against jin-gook) and protect her as well by dealing with the hate-graffiti. Jin-gook, on the other hand, lets her cry comfortably, to deal with her pain, and assert herself against their classmates, after the pendant issue.

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I know! All of a sudden, this episode was awesome. Things start moving, Hye Mi's smiling, and I love the 2 teachers. Love the part when they recited the lyrics. I really start to love Hye Mi's character. I find all the love interests relationships really fresh.

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So grateful for the recap,
For my love of this drama I had to watched it even without subs, this recap made it all clear to me but of course I'm gonna have a second look on it once the subs are up.

I really root for Hye-mi, she's real!

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thanks for the recap
lol first time i root for the misfits

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I just hope they don't break SD's heart cuz it's going to be too painful to watch...

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Am starting to like this series too.. sigh. I thought I could make myself stop this addiction after SG.. Apparently not.. ^__^ Thanks again for the lovely recap JB!!

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i love you for "misfit mafia"...that's gonna be my new name for them :D

and this drama is really stepping up to its name....it's awesome!
i mean, how hilarious was that "Genie" performance in the middle of the street?

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Thanks for the recap. ^^

Well, the plot for this drama turned out better than expected. I think I will like HyeMi when she becomes less snobby. She's not as bad as she was in episode 1.

Also, argh, why is BaekHee becoming so EVIL? T_T Why does she lack so much confidence and self esteem? Oh right -- she was looked down upon by everyone, including her own mother. What I know is that BaekHee doesn't lack a conscious. If she did, she wouldn't have been hesitant about dropping that pot (It was obviously her who did it. If not then, maybe BaekHee isn't as evil as I thought.)

I hope that Eunjung doesn't get antis for her role, like how UEE got hate for You're Beautiful. Honestly, her acting is pretty good.

I only watch this for Eunjung and Kim Soohyun, anyways. Heh. I skip all the scenes in which they aren't included and just read this recap. =P

Thanks again. ^^

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I ACTUALLY FEEL SO PROUD OF THIS DRAMA. THAT I PUT MY FAITH IN THE RIGHT DRAMA! I mean, the first episode was SO all over the place, but I was interested and I was hooked by the second and I KNEW it could do well.

The ratings have shot up---- it's now in first place I heard, beating out Athena and according to some people on the forums, the song that Hyemi sang to Jin Gook--- 'Winter Child' is now the most searched item in S. Korea.. for today.

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