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Dream High: Episode 10

Cute, fun, and angsty, all wrapped up in a big bow of feel-good. (And then some feel-nervous.) Now that’s my kind of episode.

No Song of the Day today, because there were so many in the episode proper. It’s a veritable extravaganza of song ‘n dance.

 
EPISODE 10 RECAP

Backtracking for a moment, we see our Misfits take third place at the awards portion of the Dance of the Year competition. They’re all thrilled about it (except for wonderboy Jason?), and Sam-dong calls out to Oh-hyuk in the audience, asking him to stay with them forever. Not betraying his promise to resign, Oh-hyuk just nods.

It’s time for the students to head out for their class trip to Japan, with the Misfits traveling separately to sing at the wedding to earn their plane tickets. At the last minute, they hear that Pil-sook is in the hospital, having fallen ill last-minute.

They’re picked up by their rich Japanese contact in a stretch limo and led to a yakuza-lined pavilion. Oh-hyuk mutters to a nervous Sam-dong that they’re not yakuza — just “important businessmen!” — but the check-in consists of a pat-down and a weapons surrender. ‘Cause the bloodbath’ll just have to wait until after the ceremony.

Sam-dong and Hye-mi take their places to sing their selection, but accidentally take up the wrong sheet music. (Pil-sook had packed it and included the music for the song Jason had been listening to in the previous episode, Lee Juck/Panic’s “Waiting.”)

“기다리다” (Waiting) [ Download ]

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Deciding to go with it, Sam-dong and Hye-mi perform it anyway, and the attendees enjoy their pretty rendition… until the one dude who understands Korean translates the somewhat inappropriate lyrics to the mobster groom, who is NOT pleased to hear that it’s actually about separated lovers who vow to be together… in their next lifetimes.

The groom cuts in angrily, accusing them of ruining his wedding. Our trio can’t understand his words, but they sure as heck can read the hostile energy in the room, and Sam-dong urges Hye-mi to run. Oh-hyuk buys them a few seconds by blocking the pursuers, and the kids flee through the neighboring streets.

They manage to hide, at which point Hye-mi scolds Sam-dong for almost getting caught when he turned around at one point. He holds out his hand to show her what he had to turn back for — the sparkly cell phone accessory she’d given him (a matching pair with Baek-hee), which I’m sure is gonna break my heart at a future point.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Kirin students check in to their hotel with Kyung-jin, where already we can see the lines being drawn between the debut hotshots, who sit off to the side and enjoy more comfortable accommodations, and the normies, who get stuck four to a room.

Oh-hyuk staggers in, hoping his students have made it here, and admits that he lost them. Mention of the Misfit Mafia grabs the attention of the Hotshots, and Jin-gook immediately volunteers to go find them, followed by Jason.

Sam-dong asks for directions to the hotel in his broken Japanese, while Hye-mi is distracted by the sight of a fancy enclosed Ferris wheel. Mere seconds after they head off, Jin-gook and Jason come by and ask (in Jason’s fluent Japanese) the same passersby for info on the kids, but since they’re looking for one guy and two girls, they get back a negative. This drama’s doing its best to push the Jin-gook-and-Hye-mi-as-soulmates storyline, and so, Jin-gook also finds himself transfixed by the Ferris wheel.

Hye-mi sighs that they shouldn’t have come on the school trip, but Sam-dong reminds her that she wanted to come, and that he knows why. But when she challenges him to give her reason, they dance around the truth, and Sam-dong chooses not to mention Jin-gook..

Right now their most pressing concern is hunger, and upon spying some street performers, Sam-dong suggests earning some money.

What ensues is an upbeat performance, albeit one that annoys me because they’re clearly singing without instruments or background music, and yet they somehow magically have an instrumental track accompanying them. (I know they do this in musicals, but not when the characters are supposed to be performing in the drama itself — is it too much to ask for an awesome a cappella performance instead?)

Gradually they attract a large crowd, even stealing the other group’s audience, and engage their audience to join in and cheer.

The song they pick is Lee Moon-sae’s “붉은노을” (Red Sunset) . [ Download ]

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As they wind down, a group of b-boys (part of the rival group) crashes their party and starts dancing, which catches them by surprise… capped off with the appearance of Jin-gook, Jason, and In-sung, who challenge the other dancers to an impromptu dance-off. Did I just type that sentence? Dream High, I love you.

Not far behind them are the rest of the Kirin students, who join in on the dancefest, including Baek-hee.

The Kirin kids “win” when a b-boy stumbles, and with emotions running high, everyone exults together. Even Baek-hee offers up a silent high-five to Hye-mi, who accepts.

Okay, we then get a series of adorably cute sequences that send my giddy little heart into overdrive. ONE would have been fine, but a whole slew, back to back? Aghhhhh, sugar overload (and I mean that in a good way):

Sam-dong crashes with Jason and Jin-gook, and I love how casually Jason asks him about Pil-sook, and then freaks out when he hears she was hospitalized for hepatitis, asking if it was A, B, or C. It’s A (the least dangerous), but Sam-dong didn’t pay attention to that little detail, and Jason bursts out that it’s really important which it was.

Hye-mi crashes with Ria and Baek-hee, and her stomach growls loudly but her embarrassed pride won’t let her accept the snacks that Ria offers. At first Baek-hee seems to be purposely mean, telling Ria to forget the offer, but later that night she casually nudges a wrapped pastry off her nightstand, then pretends to be asleep while Hye-mi takes the offering. Aw. She out of anyone knows how to work around Hye-mi’s brick wall of pride, and it’s sweet that she makes the overture.

Hye-mi eats outside on the balcony, where Jin-gook spots her and asks to talk. Still upset with him, she mutters (with a full mouth) that they have nothing to say to each other.

In the morning, Kyung-jin spots Oh-hyuk sleeping on the common area couch, since a room hadn’t been available. As she nudges him awake, he mumbles sleepily, “Teacher Shi… I have to talk to you…” and the realization that he’s somehow dreaming of her makes her aflutter with nerves. It’s hilarious to see the icy, hardass teacher reduced to schoolgirlish insecurity so suddenly — and by Oh-hyuk, at that. Well, stranger pairings have happened… (and if I have any hope for a certain leading couple, it’s that Dream High seems to be fairly consistent about the opposites-attract pairing over the two-of-a-kind type).

Another case in point: Jason hits the web to research all the various possible symptoms of the kinds of hepatitis, and grimaces when he finds one entry that lists hepatitis as a leading cause of death. LOL. I mean, death by hepatitis is no laughing matter, but Jason’s earnest concern? CUTE. Then he swipes Sam-dong’s pillow out of pique, accusing him of being a bad friend for sleeping through this crisis. HAHA.

In the hospital, Pil-sook (who has given in to her mother’s temptation of smuggled pork, despite the diet) takes a call from Hye-mi, who’s relieved to hear that Pil-sook’s all better now and will be discharged tomorrow. Jason spots her as she hangs up, and hesitantly asks about Pil-sook’s condition. Hye-mi asks, “Is this interest or manners?” and he readily replies, “Manners,” then asks for clarification of which type of hepatitis it is.

Hye-mi clocks his uncharacteristic intensity and starts to reply, “Of course it’s A…” but seeing how he reacts, she adds, “…is what they thought. But it turns out it’s B.” Jason freaks out, and Hye-mi adds with a secret smile that Pil-sook’s going to be hospitalized for a while.

Hye-mi points out that he sure is concerned for this to be mere manners, to which he retorts by accusing her of not caring at all, then storms off in a huff. Hye-mi scoffs to herself, not believing for a second that he’s so worked up over manners.

Later, the Kirin kids head over to the set to watch as the K members shoot a music video. Oh-hyuk reads over the synopsis for the MV and laughs at the absurdity, since the plot features Jason injured and bloody, reaching out for Baek-hee, who sees a figure in the distance and throws herself in front of him to take the bullet instead.

As Baek-hee collapses, Ria cries, then turns the gun on herself. Jason’s tear hits Baek-hee’s cheek… and revives her. Oh-hyuk chuckles, calling the “Midas touch” director a “minus” instead (ha).

While watching the proceedings, Sam-dong listens to the song playing in the background (it’s K’s single), and tells Hye-mi that while it’s a well-designed track, it doesn’t quite feel seasoned enough. It just needs a little “salt” to make it great, and Hye-mi agrees, thinking the repetitive tune may be the culprit.

Pil-sook freaks out about a 2 kilogram weight gain, which is why she misses Jason’s phone call. Worried to death, he’s at his breaking point and declares that he’s heading back to Korea asap, now that the shoot is over. Aww. What nice manners they teach in America.

Sam-dong recognizes one of the crew members at the shoot as one of the street-performing guys from the day before. The difference is, while yesterday he seemed like a petulant prat, today he’s much more polite and hard-working. He greets everyone respectfully, then heads out to distribute flyers for his crew’s first concert, though most of them get tossed immediately in the trash. Sam-dong muses to Oh-hyuk that today the guy looks pretty cool, whereas yesterday he hadn’t, and wonders why. Oh-hyuk smiles, and merely offers that those kids remind him of Sam-dong & Co.

It’s their last night in Japan, and Kyung-jin warns her students to keep it a low-key affair. The kids send each other winks and loudly proclaim their intentions of sleeping early, while Oh-hyuk invites Kyung-jin out later that night. She thinks he’s suggesting a date — while he remains oblivious — and accepts.

Oh-hyuk leads his kids out for the night, running into the K members on their way out. They’re heading back to Korea tonight and can’t come along — or at least that’s the excuse until Jin-gook tags along, and everyone follows his lead.

The Japanese dance crew is, appropriately enough, named Dreamer, and the hall is sparsely attended, with the audience sitting docilely on the ground. The lead singer stiffens to recognize Sam-dong, wondering if there’s going to be trouble. Instead, Sam-dong smiles and leads the Kirin kids in livening up the atmosphere.

Kyung-jin gets ready for her “date” (primping hurriedly while grumbling like she soooo doesn’t care) and makes her way to meet him, getting to the concert when it’s in full swing. Dreamer’s lead singer takes a moment to signal their Korean guests and introduces “yesterday’s enemies and today’s friends,” inviting Sam-dong and Hye-mi up to sing.

Sam-dong gives the violinist a note, then the music begins — what he’s done is (supposedly) create a riff on K’s song (the tune that needed a little dash of something extra), transforming it from empty techno beat to a catchy melody. The teachers are awed at his impromptu accomplishment, while the Hotshots recognize that this is their song and join the others onstage.

Dream High OST – “Dream High” — this isn’t a rip, but the OST track posted in a previous recap. [ Download ]

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Hye-mi takes the mic to (I presume) freestyle some lyrics, and here’s where we just set aside that whole suspension-of-disbelief issue and enjoy the effect, sort of like those old Hollywood movies where people “spontaneously” start dancing and end up in magically coordinated dance numbers. We’re just goin’ with it.

Jin-gook joins in with a rap, Dreamer dances with them, and it’s a big, warm, fuzzy ball of awesome.

Landing in Korea, Jason cabs it to the hospital and races inside to find Pil-sook. Directed outdoors, he finds her jumping rope (with her Jason doll).

She’s shocked to see him, and asks (with a teeny bit of censure in her voice) if he’s skipped out again, since he’s supposed to be shooting an MV. Upon hearing that it was hepatitis A (and cursing Hye-mi), Jason had turned to go, but at that he starts to exclaim, “Do you know what you put me through?”

He cuts himself short and says scornfully, “You really annoy me,” though it’s pretty clear it’s himself he’s upset with (though he hasn’t realized that yet). Just as he turns, Pil-sook hits the ground behind him, unconscious. He rushes to her side in worry, then carries her inside.

After the concert, the Kirin kids join the Dreamer crew for an afterparty, and Ria notes that Baek-hee and Hye-mi seem to be on better terms now. Baek-hee admits that she’s starting to think it’d be nice to get along again, but it’s a short-lived feeling; as soon as she steps out, she overhears the agency president (who’d followed the kids to the concert) talking with his assistant about how great Hye-mi is. In fact, he’s thinking of swapping her in for Baek-hee, and making her the face of the group. Ah, truce is so fragile.

The Dreamer singer gives Sam-dong two tickets to the Ferris wheel as a gift, explaining that he works part-time there. Excitedly, Sam-dong arranges to meet Hye-mi out in front, wanting to take her — but once again he’s one step too slow, because Jin-gook gets to her first, and wrist-grabs her off while Sam-dong (sob) waits patiently.

Hye-mi’s annoyed at his autocratic manner, her mood further tested when a couple of Korean girls recognize Jin-gook and snap a photo of them. Hye-mi’s about to swipe the camera away from them angrily, but Jin-gook intervenes and asks pleadingly for them to help him — he’s wanted to talk to his friend for ages, but has been unable to. “She’s so important to me that I don’t want to lose her like this. So please, help me so she doesn’t run away.”

The girls back down grudgingly and leave them in peace, but Hye-mi glares, saying that this is why she didn’t want to be seen with him and dragged into scandals. She’s more angry that Jin-gook was the one who broke the promise to debut onstage together, and he finally confesses that debuting was the only way he could stay in Korea, since his father was about to have him shipped off to America (has the script so soon forgotten that it was Canada?). If he hadn’t done anything, he would’ve just been swept away cleanly, part of his father’s messy past.

Hye-mi’s anger fades at his explanation, and Jin-gook asks her not to fight with him anymore — time’s too valuable for that. By way of response, Hye-mi takes her scarf and wraps it around his face to cover it up, suggesting that he wouldn’t be recognized with her this way.

Argh, I really, really wish this touching exchange were performed by better actors. I want to feel for them, really… but I’m fixated on how technical Jin-gook’s declaration feels. More on this later.

Kyung-jin is waiting for Oh-hyuk to make his move, so when he starts talking about how he thought she used to hate him, she listens expectantly. He, unaware of her line of thinking, asks her to take good care of the Misfits, who’ll be joining her class, and goes on to highlight their good points:

Hye-mi, for instance, seems difficult and irritable, but she’s actually quite soft-hearted and will follow eagerly if led gently. Sam-dong seems simple and foolish sometimes, but his innocence lights him up, and he’s a talented songwriter. Pil-sook’s just the opposite of Hye-mi — she looks weak, but she’s strong, though she doesn’t know it yet.

Kyung-jin comments that his statements are excessive, like someone about to leave for good, and rather than explain that that’s exactly what’s going to happen, he goes with it. Kyung-jin accepts his answer, but there’s something about his behavior that bothers her…

Pil-sook wakes up at the hospital with Jason at her bedside, having overexercised herself into exhaustion. He’s in a tense mood, and she asks if his behavior this time was also mere manners, expecting as much. He tells her no, but fumbles to explain that he only wanted to hear her sing, stammering a bit about how he likes — only — her singing.

Well, that’s not much of a compliment and Pil-sook nods glumly, while Jason grimaces — SO not what he meant. But instead of correcting himself, he digs himself deeper, telling her not to mistake things — he only came because he had nothing else to do, and he’d made sure to come after his activities were over.

With that, he heads out, though he immediately stops in the hall, upset with himself. And then, he hears the strains of a guitar playing from her room. Pil-sook starts to sing “Waiting,” and this time, the lyrics are appropriate:

Pil-sook version [ Download ]

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Waiting for you, I thought to myself
You’ve left, and you’re hurting so much
You’re crying on the road to returning to me

Watching you, the thought came to me
If the sky brightens one day
Just like I’d left you, you’ll come quietly to me
You, in front of me

Will you be able to see me again?
I’m not in your eyes
Familiar gestures and small smiles
linger dimly, and make me cry, but

You’ll return to me
If your heart calls out to me again
Don’t hesitate and come back to me, in front of me
and I’ll hold you like before

Sam-dong, still waiting for Hye-mi, hears that she left earlier with Jin-gook, and glumly trudges to the Ferris wheel. He arrives at the adjacent restaurant where the Dreamer leader works, explaining that he was stood up.

Sitting inside a car together, Hye-mi comments that Jin-gook had mentioned wanting to ride these cars before. Jin-gook explains that as a child, he’d had family for one day — his father had come on Children’s Day, and he’d gone to the amusement park. Because there were so many people there, the only thing he could ride was the cable car, and it had been surprisingly pleasant, content to spin round in it all day.

Tearing up, he confesses, “When Father abandoned me, when he used me, I could’ve just hated him. But because of that one day, I can’t throw my father away. Without that day, it would have been easy.”

Hye-mi’s moved at his pain, and cries silently as she listens. Jin-gook notes that she’d cried for him once before: “It was the first time someone had cried because of me.”

He kneels in front of her to wipe her tears and asks why she’s crying, knowing it’s because of him but wanting to hear her words. She answers that she doesn’t know, and he kisses her.

Which is, of course, the exact moment that Sam-dong looks out the window.

And, adding insult to injury (or perhaps its injury to insult), his hearing fritzes out again, and he falls to the ground in pain. While clutching Hye-mi’s heart-shaped trinket.

 
COMMENTS

Noooo, you can’t make Sam-dong deaf, d’you hear me, drama? That would be too cruel — you can’t make him lose the girl and his hearing! This is one case where I’d be perfectly happy to accept some medical deus ex machina of ridiculousness with a newfangled surgical procedure that magically restores deaf ears. Just sayin’.

My favorite episode before this one (which is still my favorite, I think) is Episode 5, which was mostly because of that street performance by the then-quartet of misfits. Despite the cheesiness of buying that these kids are just coming up with everything on the fly, I do like the impromptu performances more than the staged ones, because it’s about a more organic expression of music (at least organic in a narrative sense, since they’re actually polished and slick with dubbed-over vocals). And those moments are where music the theme collides with music the plot, and jives in this really nice, layered way. It’s like in stage musicals, where the numbers come out of the emotions of the moment more than a plot point of performance.

And I do love that each episode takes one (or more) old pop hits and revives them in a fresh way — practically after every episode, there are news articles quoting the original singers/songwriters thanking the show for such a respectful expression of interest in their work.

As for the acting… well… mostly I’m willing to overlook the flaws, because I’m so won over by the story. And I swear I’m not (very) motivated by my love of Sam-dong when I say that the Jin-gook and Hye-mi pairing just doesn’t work for me that well because of the lack of chemistry — in a romantic sense, but also an acting sense. It’s too bad, because I’m eating up their pairing in a narrative sense. I just wish I could feel for them, too.

I have no illusions that Taecyeon would bother to read this, but apparently he’s asked for acting critique, so here’s what I’d have to say:

He’s not explicitly bad. He cries at the right moments, he delivers dialogue adequately (though he can’t quite muster heartfelt yet). What I have a problem with when watching his scenes is that he feels very much like he’s performing to the camera. Which you’d think should be fine, only it’s like he’s only aware of what’s in front of him, and neglects to act with his whole being, and only acts with his mouth. Or with his face. Or with his eyes. You know how you look at yourself in the mirror and you think you look great? And then you go out and catch a glimpse of yourself walking past a window, unawares, and are horrified? You realize you’ve only dressed yourself for the mirror — the frontal, angled, prettily posed view — and forgotten that you’re in 3-D, and everyone else can see the rest of you.

That’s what he’s like for me (and to be fair, he’s not the only one). He’s acutely aware of his angles, and what exact pose looks the coolest, or emphasizes his beautiful bone structure the best, or highlights his intense scowl to the best effect… but he’s trying to look cool, and therefore he’s not in the moment. Whereas you look at someone like Sam-dong/Kim Soo-hyun, and he’s just IN the moment at all times — if you look at him from any angle, he’s there. He’s present, alive, and eminently relatable.

Anyway. My two cents.

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Thank you thank you for the fast and funny recap!

My little heart was shouting:
!!!!! STREET DANCE-OFF AWESOMENESS !!!!!

I loved how the K team came out of nowhere to support their Misfits. I didn't expect that.

Also, Jason's complaint to HM that she didn't show enough concern for Pil-suk was very meta.

He says something like - "Is this your worried face?" and she says, "Yes, this is what I look like worried."
I like the interaction between these two. It's non-romantic, but playful. I like how HM challenges him. It's some of the most real dialogue on the show.

Taec, as far as I'm concerned, could just stand on the screen, glare and smile, and I would be satisfied. Throw in his non-choreographed dance moves (swoon), rapping and tear dropping and I am bowled over. He'll be fine if he listens to your advice.

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He says something like – “Is this your worried face?” and she says, “Yes, this is what I look like worried.”

I love how the Show is cheeky like that.

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i'm all for HM-SD but i have some doubts. if it is meant to be HM-SD, i wonder how the script writers make a good transition of HM's feelings. from the ep1 to ep10, they just showed HM's feeling towards JK. now, we only have 6 episodes left. this kind of feeling cannot just happen all of a sudden for HM.

it would be very interesting how the writers can make a twist and turn logically to put HM and SD together nicely.

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MILKY COUPLE!!!!!!! <3 <3 <3

I don't even care about any other conflict in the drama (fine, I do care about who gets HM but only because of not wanting to see SamDong get hurt), other than seeing how this pairing progresses.
I demand MORE SCREENTIME for the Milky Couple!! I was so happy that this ep delivered the much needed fan service to all us Milky Couple shippers. :DD

and to the one who asked: I love the Kyungjin-OhHyuk Pair!! I so love Lee Yoon Ji!! <3

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Woah, love your recaps javabeans! Thank you!!! Can't get enough of DH!

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**** SPOILER AT 105*****
Avert your eyes!

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just saw the previews to ep 11 n am effin mad r they really going to turn SD deaf really show IS that the best you can do

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very Dae Jang Geum. when she lost her sense of taste.

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Thank you so much JB for the recaps!
Sam-dong! I'm rooting for him to end up with Hye-mi. I just can't see Hyemi & Jin-gook together. I rather see Jin-gook end up with Baek-hee.

Pil-sook continues to be one of my favorite characters (Sam-dong is 1st).
Haha...I wish there was some more JYP dancing like during the previews of the last episode. I wasn't sure if it was the bright pink outfit or the gumby hairdo that made me laugh the most.

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Thanks for the recap!!

I really enjoyed this episode. ~o~

I think the couple that I am mostly interested in is the Pil-Sook/Jason-Couple...they are so cute <3 And I am always hoping for more screentime for them *hehe* I was even a little disappointed, that they didn't show if Jason just walked away or re-entered the room after listening to Pil-sook~~

I still really hope that SD's not becoming deaf...this would be just cruel. I wish he would have gone to the hospital right after the first time he lost his hearing for a few seconds.

Ah, by the way, don't know if that was mentioned before...but does someone else think SD ~might~ be the son of Yon-sama (forgot his name...the Kirin Manager from the first 4 episodes...this Winter Sonata guy)? Just that SD doesn't know...and SD's Mom also doesn't know what became out of him after leaving them?
Because they never really mentioned HOW/WHY he(Yon-sama) chose SD as a special pupil. And SD's Mom said that his Dad was also a musician...
Or did I miss something? ^^;;

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i cried a lot at this episode. Firstly beacause what jason did to pil sook and secondly when i saw sam dong crying like that. i was extremely happy whan hye mi and jin gook kissed but when i saw sam dong crying i cried too

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I was not really digging Jason until this episode. I loved his concern for Pil Sook. He really cares for her, now all he has to do is admit it.

Also... why can't the kids at least pucker a bit when they kiss? Just a little to show that they are responding instead of just holding still. Did she like the kiss? Did she want the kiss? Who knows. I mean really.... that's how I kiss my husband when I have a cold and don't want to give him the germs.

C'mon kids... Pucker up!

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I don't think they can pucker up because of the censors aka Korean parents / viewers.

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It's their ages. Suzy's just 16 while Taec's already 22.

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Huh. Is the problem the age difference? Or that she's too young to pucker up at 16 on tv?

I dunno, at least a small pucker it would look sweet... like she is accepting his affection. Instead it looks like it is "done to her" which I think, looks even more problematic.

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MTE. The kiss didn't look like a real kiss at all, and it was weird how he just sat there with his lips just touching hers. If they were worried about scaring the kids, they should have done the cop-out thing where their heads cover the kissing. At least it would have looked more real.

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Apparently, the lips didn't touch at all. Camera angle manipulation.

Yes, the age difference and that Suzy is underage makes the kiss a no no.

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Your description of Taecyeon's acting is so apt. I've never thought he's an atrocious actor per se, but there was always something just kinda "off" about him, that I couldnt quite put my finger on. But your analysis is brilliant and I totally understand now what you mean by how 3D, holistic, and larger than life Soohyun is as an actor compared to Taecyeon's more practiced and "safe" 2D delivery.

And I cant bring myself to get into the Hyemi/Jingook pairing either! I simply dont see the spark, it's a shame because the writers are REALLY pushing for the both of them right now.

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Um, Canada IS part of America.

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Ah, this didn't translate. In Korean, the word for America the country is MiGook (Beautiful Country). This word is not used to refer to America the continent. Hence, JB is still in the right. The Show in the wrong.

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There's a Vancouver in Washington state? I didn't watch the episode where they first mentioned where he was going, but they might have been talking about there...?

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Thank you for the recap!! I'm glad that I found this site and realize I'm not the only one who obsessed with kdrama. lol

Ahh... I agree w/ you about taec... like when he cries, it felt like he just put some teardrops and tries to show his cutest and hottest face to the camera. :S

I wish I would like the JG and Hye-Mi couple too...

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"the Jin-gook and Hye-mi pairing just doesn’t work for me that well because of the lack of chemistry — in a romantic sense, but also an acting sense. It’s too bad, because I’m eating up their pairing in a narrative sense. I just wish I could feel for them, too."

Yeah, me either. And for that alone I am disappointed in the writer for pairing them up. What a waste of what could have been? tsk tsk tsk

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hey jb!^^ i'm not following the series but am faithfully following the DB recaps.

taec does go online a lot and likes to lurk in forums/pages where he finds his name. he doesn't only do it on korean sites... he does it on english sites as well.

half of me hopes that he'll get to read this because it should help him a lot. but the other half of me insists that it stays here in case taec reads it while he's in a bitchy mode. he might rattle off an angry reply like he did with another person who critiqued him on twitter.

*sigh*

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Hye-mi is so falling to Sam-dong, though she doesn't know that yet! Ahh My favourite episode so far - ep.11 and that too without subs!

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Funny how some people are ranting about sympathy for Sam Dong and whatnot. I mean seriously are you kidding me??? The only real child actor on the show is Sam Dong. If sympathy is all you guys feel for his character because he's crying over a lost love then you guys shouldn't be watching the show at all.

I mean come on are we even watching the same show?? SMH

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I'm shocked to find Jingook-Hyemi shippers in here... ! I honestly can't see it between them; it doesn't work no matter how much I WANT to like it and I think it comes from Taecyeon's mechanical acting more than anything, it's just so unnatural!

Besides that I'm loving the dynamic. :) So so good.

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Technically speaking, Canada IS still America.

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But Canada is NOT the USA, which is what he said. Though we could sure use their health care coverage.

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Technically speaking, Canada actually isn't America. Not trying to be tart so please don't take offense but using your logic, then one could make the assertion that Cuba, or even Peru, Brazil, etc, is still America too.

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It is. Central America and South America. I guess the trans is the problem as JB explained.

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I had a relative ask me once why do people in the USA call themselves Americans...but why can't people in the rest of North, Central and South America call themselves Americans as well.

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ps,The restaurant is BYJ's in Nagoya where the wheel is.

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I want to go there.

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Love this episode! The ending made me cry, though truthfully, I do like Jin-gook better than Samdong. Thanks for the recaps!

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thank you for the recap!

Samdong! please let him be okay!! WHY OH WHY DIDN'T HE GO SEE A DOCTOR ABOUT HIS LAPSES IN HEARING THESE PAST 200+ DAYS?!

I can't believe how good Dream High is. The feel-good feelings of Dream High gives me goosebumps!

the Baek-hee and Hye-mi truce - please don't let it disappear! it's already episode 10, let them be friends already! give them a common enemy or something! I hope they will make Baekhee confident enough this time to not let adversity make her into some sort of twisted person- otherwise, it will just be repetitive to have her try to ruin Hye-mi.

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U don't know how I cried....because of Sam don't :(

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Thank you JB! this episode was sooooo great! i kept yelling and taking to my computer so my mom thinks i'm crazy again, haha.
I agree with your Two Cents: i like Taecyeon but he's too stiff and i can't feel his emotions when i'm supposed to feel his pain, happiness or love. He looks awesome in the screen but i don't buy his love for Hye mi, sorry dude but i wouldn't buy you if i were her. And well, i expect Suzy to give more emotions because the declaration in the car wheel was just so dull! where's the love guys????? i feel like the writers are forcing me to acept your relationship!!
But HM/SD is so different because KSH has become Sam Dong and i want him to get the girl even if he has to go it against fate (although i'm starting to change my mind and i want him to get someone who truly loves him).
PS and Jason are just freaking adorable and their chemistry has been great since the begining, and UI's singing just made me want to cry; i'm also expecting the pairing of teachers Shi & Kang, she's so into him! i can't wait to see her expression when she learns that Kang is resigning (;_;)
Sam dong... i just LOVE U!!!!!!!!!!, and i'm hoping for the magical healing procedure that will restore your hearing.
Thank U again Javabeans, love your recaps!!!!

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I'm really loving this drama! I can't wait until the next episode.
K-dramas are usually predictable early on; however, here, not so much... there are so many possibilities. I'm still not completely sure who "K" is but I'm leaning towards SD for now (I'm biased towards SD)...

Kim Soo-kyun is so good here and I'm looking forward to his character's transformation adding greater depth/complexity. Soo-Hyun is such an organic actor. He's always present and completely committed. I'm drawn to him as I was with Yoo Ah In when watching SKKS. [These two actors just kick-butt!]

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I totally agree with your comments about Kim Soo-hyun and Yoo ah in!!

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Now if they could play siblings I'd die happy xD

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i agree with JB's comments about Taecyeon.
No offence to his fans, but i find his acting a tad annoying for some reason, and i sometimes just can't help rolling my eyes.
I thought he was decent in cinderella sister, but yeh i agree, there seems to be a rota of expressions and actions that he has and he just recycles and reuses them. No change, no drastic improvement.
Soz.
But i'll give him credit, he can dance.

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just saw the episode. i cried along with samdong at the end. but, imma stay positive because i hope he and hyemi will end up together....and seriously, if they make him deaf someone's gonna get it....our music genius has to have a happy ending.
.and while i still think taecyeon's bad at acting, i do sympathize with his character. i feel that jingook and baekhee have a certain chemistry, mostly like a tension of sorts, but i see that couple working out. mostly, i want jingook to get over his father's unlove, and succeed with his idol career. but i just don't see any chemistry between him and hyemi. and all the "fated" moments seem sort of lame mainly because of that. plus the fact that they are all sort of forced. other than the sweet meeting as kids, and the rescue sequence maybe, their encounters feel awkward, and not in a heart thumping way.

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Thank you for the recap, javabeans :) Today CNY is stuck in another wretched storm, deep snow piles and bitter wind...but, my flat is reasonably warm, I am eating Laotian curry and reading about Dream High. For a moment I experienced a profound sense of wonder that things turn out like this sometimes...and then I thought oh no not JG! SD! Hye-mi c'mon!...oh wait...can't decide....! Its always such a quandary with this show since neither fully fits into the guardian spirit friend zone....

Would it be possible for SD to become one of the full body deaf musician people [Evelyn Glennie]? I betcha he can feel music with his whole body already. He is a genius afterall, hehheh.

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JinGook = Guy with bad childhood, lost both parents family and emotional problems. Has skills in dancing and rapping. Just debuted with group K under shady management company people. In love with the first person that shed tears for him

SamDong = Guy whose lost a parent, got a sweet mother, not much emotional problems, happy go lucky positive type. He seems to be GOOD AT EVERYTHING !!!(which makes me resent him a bit actually)(He's even gonna win a grammy ! ) Obsess with a girl that barely blinks at him twice.

Considering the episode was filmed earlier than most, im gonna give Taec a break, his emotional scene around the dinner scene with SamDong's mom was alot better than the ones on the ferris wheel and such. But also his character is not as emotionally bent as Samdong who wears/shows everything by just looking at him. Not everyone in this world is as expressive and that's what Jingook's character represents to me.

Love the JinGook Hyemi relationship. Other than his hearing, as i see it Samdong is gonna have everything by being this super prodigy/musical genius type, Jingook should at least get the girl : )

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Although I'm a die-hard Sam Dong fan (or I shall say KSH fan. He's the only reason I started watching the drama), I will agree with you that Taecyeon has been doing quite well leading up to the 10th episode. This episode was strange in that it was shot at the beginning.

I was especially touched by his scene with Sam Dong's mother, when he let silent tears fall as she fed him. It was so vulnerable and raw, and I kind of understand his suppressed emotions. When someone is as hurt as him, especially for so long, it is almost natural to control your facial expressions as a defense mechanism to seem as if you're ok, even if you're dying inside, even if tears begin to fall.

I was feeling really uncomfortable with all this Taecyeon-bashing (even if polite), because he really did improve quite a lot throughout the series, despite being up against the awesome KSH. There were little brilliant moments that he really shined as an actor, though most of the time I was still slightly off-put by his "idol-aura."

I really love this drama b/c it's really about individual growth that's based on relationships, and the focus is not on relationships alone. It's not like the couple gets together, then hooray! But it's really about whether they grow individually as people, and the relationship is more like a second thought.

I just hope SD gets to establish his personal goal for life and fight for it, instead of wallowing in self-denial about HM. He can do much better than that. I hope the same HM, and JG, that they can dream more than just being with the other person. They're so talented for a reason.

^_^ v

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Lee Moon-sae’s Red Sunset reminded me of Big Bang Sunset glow! I did my research and found out he was the original singer and Big Bang made their own version. I love both versions such a catchy song!

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I love Pil sook and Jason. ahah.
They are 90% of why I watch this show. Then it's 8% SamDong and 1% the rest of the people lol.

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that makes it 99%. What happen to the 1% left? lol

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Jingook expression was soo funny to me this ep..I agree with JB..to me he look constipated and just awkward. In cinderella sister when he and MGY says their goodbye I actually thought he was pretty good. Hope he get better bc to me this was his worse ep so far.

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i have noticed that Taecyeon acting is quite stiff, even back in Cinderella's sister. if felt like something was stopping him on acting all out. it's sad... but he definitely has more room to improve. :)

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I just cannot feel anything for the GukMi couple! Like... I understand why they'd be together, but ugh! I don't feel anything for them! Sorry, but throughout the whole ferris wheel scene between them I just dazed out. Like Jin Guk telling the story of his life, I couldn't even feel bad for him. And then Hye Mi started crying and I was like "Why is she crying?" I then I realized it was because JinGuk's story was supposed to be sad.. I mean it's sad... but he had no emotions while telling it. Yeah, he teared up a little.. but he didn't deliver the emotions of a young child torn by the longing for love from his father.

Sam Dong just brings out all my emotions when he's on screen. I can feel his happiness, his anger, his proud moments and his heartbroken moments... Gahhh!! He's too good for hye mi!

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can anyone tell me who the original singer of the song that pilsook sang is?

thanksss

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Panic.

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waiting by panic i think...jb posted the singer on here somewhere

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i agree i feel no chemistry between JG and hye mi....just imagine hoe good that last scene would have been with the acting chops of kim soo hyun .......forever a sam dong and hye mi shipper

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Okay, this is my issue. Sam Dong's hearing has been (what?) fine for the past 200 days when K was gone? Now he sees Hye Mi kissing some other guy in a ferris wheel and it's like he had a stroke? WTH?

I am not okay with this story line. That's all I'm saying...

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agree with u on jg criticism on how he wants to be the cool one... whenever hes on screen with hye mi i jus get so irritated and end up skipping/fast forwarding their scenes...

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anyone know what song they sang to earn money?! i totally recognize it but i can't remember from where!

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Honestly, as a dude who prefers Jin Gook as the lead or whatever, the main guy, I really hope Sam Song Dong ends up with Go Hye Mi. I prefer Jin Gook matched with Baek Hee.

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oops i asked about the song played when they were trying to ear money but i just skimmed it n didn't realize the song was on it - ignore my other comment!!

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I loved it! It was bittersweet, but things fell into place in their own ways... As for their acting? They're all very new to this so I have to give them props for what they're doing. Samdong is a natural so it will come to him as is, but the rest is picking up just fine... Fighting!

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shipping SD & HM until the end <3

I just don't feel any sparks with JG & HM...
... It feels like JG fell in love with HM just because she was the little girl in the past..it's cute but I don't think it's enough to base your present/future love on childhood memories. In real life it may work but in dramas
I don't find it convincing... esp. since the child actors are different from the grown up ones.. it's almost like there's 2 different pairings

Suzy's acting is a bit stiff at times but in a lot of the scenes I think she's doing good.
I prefer stiff over cute exaggerated face expressions any day for someone's first acting debut.

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Cue gigglefest! And tear fest. Damn you, Deafness! Or rather, Hollow Pseudo-dramatic Need for Medical Emergency. At least they set it up early rather than suddenly pole-axing him in Episode 14.

And I'll add to the chorus- SQUEEEEE Pil-sook and Jason! It is so wonderfully gratifying to see him unsure and awkward and unable to communicate, while Pil-sook is just serenely confident. LOVE.

Also, note to this fickle President dude who's about to axe Baek-hee: helLOOOOO! why don't you fire Ria, the girl who can't even SING? I mean, I know that Baek-hee needs bitch ammunition and that it's too soon for them to make up, but geez.

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I couldnt be more agree with you about Taecyeon acting skill. no offense, i am Taecyeon fan. Back then, I even felt disapointed when the producer decided Kim Soo Hyun would be the lead instead of Taecyeon. But now, i know KSH worth it. His acting is..i dont know, could make you feel the way he feels?? I swear, I cried when I saw episode 11, the scene where Sam Dong was crying on the street is just so deep. He's a real good actor!! not a real good singer or dancer like Taecyeon though. hehe.. Taecyeon is still the best at dancing and singing. But KHS is totally won over me now..

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Does anybody know the name of the Dreamer male singer? ;D
thankyou !

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ahhh~~~ Love Pil-suk/Jason/guitar part!!! <3
they are my faves here!!! i want to see them more!!!
thank you JB!!!! <3

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ok, i'm not gonna go on a shipper rant or anything. i just felt like i had to say this.

KIM SOO HYUN IS JUST AMAZING.
...the last scene packed more emotion than, in my opinion, the whole sequence with jin guk and hye mi.

it's like you could feel his heart breaking. he conveys every bit of pain sam dong feels to the camera, and it's just FREAKIN' BEAUTIFUL. the kid just about brought me to tears in less than a minute.

if dream high dares to hurt sam dong, i will rage. D:

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After watching ep 10 I won't change my mind abou the chemisry between JG & Hm from the time they met. They look good together. T is new to acting so I won't magnify what may not be right but rather what I like about Taecyeon. Charm.
I don't think a newbie has the power over the director & camera which angle should be taken of him.
Teacher Oh-yuk is a fine example who supports & encourages talent to be developed & nurtured gradually unlike Principal Shi...!
Samdong & the rest show a good example of supporting budding talents when they joined to watch & be in it & had fun.
Dream High shows parents & teachers who will either make or break (the spirit) the dream of youth.
SG & HM to the end! The pair have developed & grown more mature with their relationship.

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Wow, there's hope yet for the samdong-hyemi couple! I just think that if hyemi's gonna end up with jingook (WAYY predictable), there's no way that the writers would waste time to set up all the conditions for Samdong's pivotal point into a 'cold city man' (quote allkpop). There must be a reason why they included this scene in ep 10 and not ep 15, because in any cliched korean drama, the second lead does not get a 'second chance' to change himself and create a disturbance in the drama's dynamics. I'm really looking forward to samdong's transformation, and seeing where that leads him in this drama!

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