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Dream High: Episode 16 (Final)

Dude, someone owes me drinks, and then MORE DRINKS. I’m on a roll. Maybe I should play the lottery or something. Vegas, anyone?

We’re here at the finale whether we like it or not, and we’re met with song and dance, laughter and tears, as we send off our dreamers to their bright and shiny futures.

SONG OF THE DAY

Suzy – “Only Hope” [ Download ]

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FINAL EPISODE RECAP

We begin with a montage on the REAL star of today’s show, The K Pendant. We see it make its journey from President Jung to Baek-hee, from Baek-hee to Hye-mi, who gives it to Sam-dong, who tosses it to Jin-gook…

And we see the moment (going back in time into Episode 15) when Jin-gook gives it to Hye-mi. He asks if she has the confidence not to regret her decision. She figures that she’ll have regrets either way, and then Jin-gook hands her the pendant, and asks her to stay and regret it then. Aw.

The Dream High group gathers with Doo-shik, who tells them that he’s running up against a giant wall when it comes to the studios: Baek-hee and Jin-gook, who they refuse to put up in front of the cameras. He tells them that it’s either split those two off and debut the rest first, or stay together and face the chance of never debuting.

Baek-hee and Jin-gook both offer to stay behind, not wanting to hold the group back because of their past. But Sam-dong tells them that it’s not an option—they’re all or nothing. He admits to not particularly liking either of them (Baek-hee for making Hye-mi suffer and Jin-gook for being stingy about his underwear, HA.) but tells them that this is what he would want from them, if the tables were turned.

He turns to Hye-mi and says that he’ll never leave this group, making her gulp down her fluttering feelings. She walks out later to get some air, and Sam-dong gets thisclose to her face…to tell her to smile. She can’t even look him in the eyes (awwwww) and just stammers a “yeah.”

At school, she takes up her usual thinking position—head-to-desk. Pil-sook immediately recognizes the signs and asks what’s on her mind. After hemming and hawing, Hye-mi finally leans in uncomfortably close to ask how you know who’s in your heart.

Pil-sook reminds her that she’s already told her—it’s the person you think of first when you’re happy or sad. Hye-mi: “Yes, but…what if it’s not the person you thought it was going to be?” Eeee!

Pil-sook looks confused, only ever having experienced the all-in, one-and-only kind of crush. As they ponder what it means, Jason bursts in from out of nowhere, getting right up in Hye-mi’s face with a devilish smile.

Enjoying the moment more than life itself, he tells Hye-mi that THIS is what you call two-timing, which he reminds her is what she said his “manners” were about. He throws her words right back in her face, loving the fact that he gets to rub her smug face in it.

I have never seen Jason this happy about anything, and it’s HILARIOUS. Seriously, if you made me choose my favorite pairing in this show, it’s this one, right here. Their mutual dislike coupled with their protectiveness over Pil-sook is just the cutest thing ever. It rivals the Jin-gook / Sam-dong Underwear Wars.

Hye-mi denies it and leaves in a huff, but she’s shaken by Jason’s words. Meanwhile he actually lets out a “Yessssss” as she leaves, totally relishing the victory. Pil-sook shakes her head, embarrassed, and he smiles at her like a guilty little chipmunk.

Hye-mi shakes her head, trying to knock the Sam-dong-feelings right out, and yells, “Sam-dong is just a friend! Stop getting confused!” Only Jin-gook happens to be standing right behind her, and he confirms what he’s noticed for some time now. Aw, well if it makes you feel any better, she’s as happy about it as you are.

Jin-man shows Hye-mi, Baek-hee, and Sam-dong a video of himself doing a dance in his apartment, and tells them that it went viral on the internet. He gets the idea that maybe they don’t have to wait for a studio to pick them up—they can do a flash mob.

All they need is people, and Hye-mi smiles. They get started on gathering as many students as they can, using everything from intimidation to fear. Pil-sook actually becomes a horror movie ghost to scare Ria into helping. Heh.

They give everyone costumes and start putting the show together, and Hye-mi takes the lead with the bullhorn, directing everyone. It’s so great to see her use that bullhorn for good, even if she’s still a little scary to some of the students. Meanwhile, a new reporter (from a fishing magazine) sees the students gathering and starts snapping away.

At home, Hye-mi’s dad just counts down the days until they can go back to the States, while Sam-dong and Jin-gook just eye him warily and do passive-aggressive things like sing and dance around him.

They both end up at school, because they can’t practice at home. Jin-gook takes the opportunity to ask Sam-dong what happened with Hye-mi, since he swore to go up against him, man to man.

Sam-dong says that he’s decided not to confess his feelings. Jin-gook looks at him, surprised.

Sam-dong: When Hye-mi said she was leaving, I knew. It doesn’t matter who she has in her heart. I like that girl. I like her if she likes you, and I like her if she hates me. She just has to be nearby.

AW. Jin-gook finds himself moved, and then shakes out of it: “You still have that talent…of turning people into chickens.” (In Korean, goosebumps = chickenbumps, hence chickens.)

At home, Hye-mi’s dad starts singing “Dream High” despite himself, and then gets into a fight with Oh-hyuk’s sister. He ends up spilling the beans about Oh-hyuk putting up their house as collateral for Hye-mi’s debt, and she ends up spilling the beans about his wife.

He cries outside, finally facing the fact that he is the worst dad ever, and admits as much to Oh-hyuk. He promises to repay the debt, deciding to go to the States alone, unable to face his daughters. Not sure that you’ve learned your lesson there, but whatever. Oh-hyuk’s a better dad anyway.

Oh-hyuk asks him to go find Hye-mi first, and he finds her, just as she’s about to perform in the middle of the street.

Oh, yeah…here we go! Jin-man walks up in the middle of a busy square, wearing a chef’s outfit and holding a takeout delivery carrier. He holds it up above his head, and it says “Dream High” on the side. The music starts, and he begins to dance, in all his JYP glory.

One by one, the kids who were dressed as random passers-by join in, until soon a giant group of Kirin students is dancing in unison. It’s totally cheesy, and TOTALLY awesome.

As they watch from the crowd, Oh-hyuk tells Hye-mi’s dad that she didn’t give up her dream—this is her dream, right here. He adds that now is his chance to step up and guard her new dream.

In the coming days, the street performance goes viral, and all sorts of people upload videos of themselves doing the dance to “Dream High.” Kyung-jin finds Oh-hyuk uploading the videos wherever he can to help them gain some traction, and they share an accidental kiss in their excitement.

They separate awkwardly, and when Kyung-jin turns back to ask Oh-hyuk to dinner, she has a pin in her hair. Hahaha. Oh-hyuk declines, and Principal Shi witnesses the whole thing, getting ragey over the fact that he kissed her and then dared to turn her down.

Doo-shik stands vigilant at his post in the studio, passing out CDs, bodily functions be damned. And finally his work pays off, when he comes upon a PD who gets a last-minute cancellation on his music program.

At home, Oh-hyuk gets the call and runs to tell the kids. Jin-gook, Sam-dong, and Hye-mi share a jumping three-way hug, until Hye-mi realizes how close she is to Sam-dong and breaks free awkwardly. Sam-dong clocks her reaction, misinterpreting it of course.

It’s the day of the performance, and everyone is a ball of nerves. Jin-gook finds Sam-dong minutes before their turn onstage with a dark look on his face. Uh-oh. He realizes that Sam-dong’s hearing is on the fritz, but Sam-dong assures him that he’ll be fine as long as he’s on cue, and not to tell the others.

Hye-mi sees him, and when she walks up, Sam-dong makes an excuse and leaves. She asks Jin-gook if his hearing is out, and tells him the same thing that Sam-dong just said—not to tell the others, and that he’ll put everything into the performance.

She turns to go after him, and Jin-gook stops her to say that the day has finally come, for them to stand up onstage together. She agrees, like it hasn’t occurred to her until just now. He says that it took longer than he thought, and smiles.

They take to the stage, and he counts down for Sam-dong, and they perform without a hitch. As they sing and dance together onstage for the first time, Jin-gook says in voiceover:

Jin-gook: There are two kinds of happiness in the world. One is a happiness that you realize after the fact. The other is a happiness that you feel in the moment. The happiness in the moment is so rare that they say you can live your whole life on the light that shines from remembering it. I think we’ll go on remembering this moment, today, like that kind of happiness…that we can remember for the rest of our lives, the moment when we shined.

Later at the house, Hye-mi continues to be awkward around Sam-dong and avoid him (or rather, her feelings) like the plague. He finally calls her on it, asking why she’s being so avoidy, and she just stammers that she’s not.

Jin-gook interrupts to ask Hye-mi to go somewhere with him, since it’s her birthday today. Sam-dong suggests they throw a party all together, but Hye-mi shuts him down cold. Aw, if you only knew why.

Jin-gook takes her out on his motorcycle, but she realizes that she’s dropped her wallet inside. He says she doesn’t need it, but she insists on running back in to get it in a panic.

And here’s why…Sam-dong finds it on the floor and opens it up to find a group picture of all of them. He goes to take it out, and here’s what’s underneath:

!!! So. Cute.

He barely has time to register what just happened, when Hye-mi runs in to retrieve it. She asks worriedly if he looked inside. He lies that he didn’t, and Jin-gook watches from the doorway.

He takes her to the river, back to where it all began. He watches her walk with heavy steps as she tries to put on a smile for him, and he finally admits that they’re both trying to force it, when he knows—and has known for some time now—who her heart really belongs to.

He says that he selfishly was hanging on even when he knew, and tells her that the heart isn’t something you can force to go where you want it to. She looks at him in the eyes for the first time in a long time, and cries, saying she’s sorry.

He puts her helmet on her head, letting her cry. I love this gesture that gets repeated in their relationship. He tells her that they can be comfortable around each other now, and go to school together, and look each other in the eye, and be friends like they were before. Aw, I always knew he’d be the good guy and send her off to Sam-dong, but I love that he’s so sweet about it.

Oh-hyuk gets called to the principal’s office on official business, since one of his students made it to the final round of the EMG contest. But Principal Shi isn’t in the mood to be congratulatory, since Oh-hyuk is out to break his daughter’s heart.

He points it out to Oh-hyuk, who of course had no idea…until now. Awkward. He grins, giddy at the news, while Principal Shi kicks himself for playing Cupid between his daughter and his least favorite person in the world.

Oh-hyuk gets ready to announce the winner, as everyone dies from the anticipation. Only Hye-mi looks unconcerned, swearing that she never expected to win anyway. He pulls the paper out of the envelope…and the winner is…Hye-mi!

She jumps, screaming, and then tries to play it cool as she sits down. Everyone congratulates her, and even Jason has to eat his own words and say he’s happy for her, through clenched teeth. Heh.

But when Oh-hyuk pulls the paper all the way out, he sees that hers isn’t the only name…all six of them have passed onto the next round. In the days that follow, they gear up for their solo auditions, fighting good-naturedly over who gets to practice in the studio first, deciding over rock-paper-scissors.

Kyung-jin watches them wistfully, noting to Oh-hyuk that she misses that time in her life, and he notes that life is fair, since they don’t have the perspective that she’s earned since. He then asks her to dinner, and she jumps to accept.

The second he walks away, she puts a pin in her hair and primps. I don’t know which is funnier—the hairpin as an indicator of her crush, or the fact that she carries it around at all times, just in case.

As they practice, Oh-hyuk tells them that he realized why they all passed the first round, despite not qualifying, according to the contest’s crazy prerequisites. He tells them that it was a test to see who would rise to the challenge. Yeah, only in a drama, people.

They wonder how they even made it past the second round when they never even interviewed. They find out on the day of the audition: it turns out that the weird fishing magazine reporter was actually an EMG scout, and he was observing them the whole time.

They stand outside, wondering what it would be like to be the best. Sam-dong thinks that it’ll probably be lonely at the top. Jin-gook asks if that means he doesn’t want to be at the top. Sam-dong: “I still want it.”

They audition, each with a flashback of where they came from, and their words about how much they want this dream. It’s a lovely sequence, and it takes us forward in time, to 2018.

Pil-sook has a slew of albums and awards to her name, displayed at her kindergarten class, where she sings the kiddies to sleep. Cute. Jason comes to escort her for the Big Night, and they get excited about seeing everyone again. He says that he’ll be going onstage as a guest, and asks if she wants to join him. She laughs and says no, she’s had enough of being in the press with him.

Baek-hee is now a teacher at Kirin, and an exact replica of Kyung-jin. She even uses the same lesson with the thumbtacks, and cracks the whip. Kyung-jin, who’s now the Art Director, observes her with a smile.

Oh-hyuk meets her outside, bowing to her as his boss…and then offering his arm as her husband (and father of her baby). Yay, cute!

Jin-gook is a huge star in Korea, and he even has a rivalry going on with K. Doo-shik is his manager, and he’s married to Oh-hyuk’s sister, with a kid of their own. He insists that his schedule be cleared tonight for the big concert, and smiles to see good news about his father.

And…it’s time for the Grammys. We catch up to the beginning of the series, and go backstage, as K puts down the picture of Dream High next to the K pendant…which is next to his…TUNING FORK! YESSSS!

Sam-dong for the win! He puts the pendant around his neck, as we flash back to the day when he found out that he won the EMG contest.

He refuses to go to New York, and Hye-mi tells him he has to go. (Man, after all that running and crying for Hye-mi not to go…now HE’s going!) He tells her that he didn’t enter this contest to go to New York—he did it to show her that he could do it, and that she needn’t worry about him anymore.

Sam-dong: I’m NOT GOING! From the beginning, you were music to me, and music was you. That’s why I came this far. If you’re not there, there is no music.

Hye-mi reminds him that he wanted to show her that she didn’t need to worry about him. But she says with tears in her eyes that she’s still worried…so he has to go, and become the best, so that she’ll consider what he means to her.

Oh, man. Who would’ve expected Hye-mi of all people to do the gallant thing, and send him off to pursue his dream, even when it breaks her heart? She smiles at him through her tears, and he shakes as he cries, telling her just like he did in the beginning, that she’s lying to him right now.

He insists that she’s lying, and that she wants to hold onto him right now. But she says no, if this were a year ago, she would’ve been upset that he won over her. But she’s happy to let him go. She says it through her tears, and he asks if that’s the face of a person who’s happy. She responds with her trademark: “This IS my happy face.”

Gah, they’re breaking my heart. They cry, and Hye-mi insists that he go, and show her. He finally puts her cell phone charm in her hand, and walks away.

Cut back to the Grammys, and Sam-dong as K gets ready to go onstage. He takes his earpiece out, ’cause he don’t need it, yo, and flies onto the stage like a bird.

Back in Korea, we get to the Big Concert, which we find out is Hye-mi’s 100th concert, as she thanks all her friends and teachers who have helped her along the way. Oh-hyuk and Jin-man watch proudly (Jin-man cries, heh), Baek-hee smiles, Pil-sook and Jason snuggle, and Jin-gook arrives backstage.

He watches with a smile, and then a girl wearing a Kirin school uniform comes up next to him and motions for him to come closer. He leans in, and she kisses him on the cheek. He looks at her curiously, and she flashes her nametag at him: it’s Hye-sung, Hye-mi’s little sister, all grown up. LOL. He really DOES end up with Hye-mi’s little sister! That Cracks. Me. Up.

Hye-mi thanks everyone and adds a thank-you to someone who couldn’t be there tonight, someone who’s walking a lonely road, and dedicates the following song to him. It’s her cover of Mandy Moore’s “Only Hope,” (posted above) which she sang to Sam-dong when they first met, that snowy night at the outhouse.

We flash back to the first time he chased her on the bus, when she lied to him that she liked him. And then as she finishes the song, we catch up to when they parted, on Sam-dong’s way to New York.

He hands her the cell phone charm and leaves, and Hye-mi cries. He gets on the bus, and then she chases after him, in another of this show’s great reversals. She catches up to him at the next stop, and he opens his window.

Without a word, she puts the K pendant around his neck. He leans out, and pulls her in for a kiss.

Aw, sweetest ending ever.

 
COMMENTS

Excuse me while I do my victory dance to Swan Lake, hip-hop style.

What a satisfying end to a satisfying drama. The funny thing about this show is that it delivers exactly what you want it to, but somehow manages to keep it fresh, despite playing by the rules. It’s a great example of what happens when you follow a classic storytelling formula, but inject it with a lot of heart and a whole lot of pop culture wit and style.

While I can’t say that any of the outcomes surprised me, it did successfully keep me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The whole ride was suspenseful and engaging from the get-go, not only because of the K question, but because we were rooted in each character’s journey toward their dream.

I’m a huge fan of this kind of ending, that gives us the satisfying resolutions to the immediate questions—that Sam-dong is K, and that he finally got Hye-mi’s bus-chase confession—while still leaving the future open-ended.

I like that everyone’s succeeded in their own way without ALL having to be pop stars and such, and that their futures are still left to be written. It’s neat, but not sealed: it speaks to fulfilling their dreams, but leaves the road ahead of them, and not behind.

I also love that this episode was as much about Hye-mi (maybe more so) than it was about Sam-dong. Her love, and her willingness to put his dream before everything else, is what makes him K. So in essence K is the both of them, because she’s the music, and he’s the dream.

It’s no secret that I wanted Sam-dong to be K and get the girl, so I’m sure this ending made me happier than those of you who backed a different horse. But I say, if you loved Dream High, you’re a winner. Cheers!

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crack high!!!

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Kim Soo High! :D

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Aw! What an awesome drama! I love many parts of this ep.

I was hoping to see SamMi reunited tho.

When Samdong left to New York. Does this mean they (SamMi) didn't get to see each other for 7 years?

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I don't know if they haven't seen each other for 7 years, but I agree it is really sad they never got to be together in the show at all. I mean, we got to actually see Hye Mi with Jin gook, but never with Sam Dong. Makes me a little sad.

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i totally understand how you feel. i'm glad that sam dong can pursue his dream and stuff. i'm also happy that at least they got to kiss and they know the other's feelings. but i wish sam dong and hyemi actually be together.

and i wanted them to actually meet in the future, but now i'll never know. sigh.

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yeah I'm actually kinda sad that we don't get to see them together in the future. And also, maybe jingook hasn't seen hyemi and others in 7 years because he didn't recognize hyemi's sister. I mean, surely if he saw them sometime in between those 7 years, he would have recognized her sister O.o

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me too. I want to see Sam dong and Hye Mi together. I also think that Jin Guk was also picked by EMG, together with Sam Dong ( if I remember right, it was said that there are two slots ), that's why he was not able to recognize Hye Mi's sister for he's also been away.

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Watching this show again 2 yrs after i first watched it. I just watched suzy's cameo in 'my love from another star' and i felt the need to revive again kim soo hyun's humble beginings with suzy be4 he became a really big star and performed in so many top dramas and movies.

Watching this ending again, i felt satisfied. At first i was really against open ended endings. But now i felt satisfied. I guess i became more open. From the start this drama highlight is the process of chasing dreams, not who is going to be with who, or whether all of them managed to become top stars. It is the process that is important. And this drama lives up to that.

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in the drama my love from another star, suzy (cameo as go hye-mi) again in ep 17 she said that the professor looked like her ex-boyfriend samdong. does that mean they broke up ? :'(

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happy that sam-dong is K, but a part of me wanted it to be jingook. really liked samdong but it's a little saddening that sam-dong gets both the girl and the title. And because jingook had former daddy issues, i thought it would be a nice resolution that they could crown him K and make his daddy proud.

lol, though i would welcome the notion that they crown k as the "underwear bromance". win-win, samdong plus jingook :D a little gay, but... ^^

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actually, it's good they make samdong as K because the actor who played that characters is the only one who is not a singer in real life. the rest are actual singers and you don't really want to be unfair to any of them coz i'm sure personally as singers they want to be #1. haha. just a thot.

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but Jinguk became a famous star. i'm sure his daddy is plenty proud

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I'm glad it was Sam Dong. I mean, they even stated in the show that he's been through the most xD But either way, Jin Gook because a huge star, also. I liked how they ended it but I was really hoping for Sam Dong to, like, cut in for the chorus dramatically. I don't care how many times it's done. It's beautiful every time. That's what I was hoping for! But I loved the show either way!

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lol yeah! kim soo high!

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What!!!! feel sorry for Hye Mi and Sam Dong

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Saddest, yet the best happy ending ever. But i want Hye mi and Samdong to be TOGETHER like they are together not seperate :'( Drowning in my own tears*

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I had to hold back tears...I would like to hope that they reunited at least once during those long 7 years!

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TELL ME ABOUT IT! I was like "THAT WAS IT?!?! ;o;"
I wanted to see their reunion... I have to come up with that ending in my mind now...

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I know right ??!?! I want to see Hye Mi and Sam Dong together very very much . Hey , will there be a Dream High Season 2 ?? with the same cast ???

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Just finished watching the final episode. It got me thinking that the ending seems to be highly influenced by JB and GF's blog. =)
1. GF's wish to for Sam-mi pairing
2. JB's (or was it GF) comment and wish that we see more of Sam dong's full made up glowing bird face
3. Sam dong as K =)

I think the writer/s also listened to our wish not to make Samdong to be a tragic one with ear defect. They made it a minor one =), or turned it to another challenge to him that made him excel.

If not because of the fans, the pairing could have turned to H&J given that they seems to be the first 2 lead stars as seen in the billing (quite noticeable during the special/concert).

Anyway, they are just my observations and opinions. But, boy, am i glad im a JB's and GF's blogs follower. More power to you both and hope you won't stop feeding our addiction till you're both over a hundred years old =).

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Anybody know the name of the song that plays at the end of the episode when Jin Guk appears in 2018?

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Okay, in case anyone else was wondering, I found out.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110301062327AA4kZ9P

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The fans have nothing to do with the flow of the story because right from the start, i believe it's Hyemi and Samdong because they're the main leads here.

During the special concert , the introduction was in the order where they stood on the stage, it had nothing to do with the billing.

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Even though Sam dong and Hye Mi haven't seen each other for 7 years I think they will see each other soon even they didn't show it.

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Once again, another ending to another great drama.
i'm feeling satisfied :)

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file Dream High under "Dramas to Watch Over and Over Again" together with Coffee Prince, Woman Who Still Wants to Marry, Sungkyunkwan Scandal, and My Girlfriend is a Gumiho.

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I still havent watched MGIAG, I dont like LSG.. but everyone says its good.... anything until i find my newest fix...

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Oh this drama is Just Sooooo funny!!

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Amen to that! Every drama you mentioned is in my 'Go to drama' file! and Dream High got added to that list say... around episode 3?? I absolutely LOVED it! There were endless squishy feelings in my little heart!

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We kinda have the same taste in dramas. XD Have you watched Biscuit Teacher Sugar Candy yet? ;) That one made me finishing Coffee Prince a bit less painful. O.o

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NO ! NO ! awwwww ...they can't ended like that !!! I want to see if Sam Dong and Hye Mi end up together !! :P I want to see more of Dream High !!! With the same castttt

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My girlfriend is a gumiho is really touching, I LOVE the main girl in that drama but I often didn't like the guy that much. it's definitely not one of those dramas where they overexagerate how perfect the guy is. But the couple is really cute and I cried a lot at the end (happy tears!) definitely watch it, it's one of the better dramas I've watched this year..

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Bella Luna - an excellent list!

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FINALLY! WOOHOO! (Although I had several spoilers about it being bad)

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Oh Thank you! This is one of the best endings from a kdrama ever! SamMi forever!

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I want to gloat all over because I shipped for SamMi & I've always wanted Sam-dong to be K, but even though I got what I wanted, a part of me wanted Jin-gook to be K instead.

Fave scenes:

- Jason & Hye-mi pairing! LOL at Jason getting even at her and the best was Pil-sook's disgusted face when he was relishing his victory. Nyahaha!

- When they were recruiting people for the flash mob, I loved Hye-mi & Baek-hee's smiles - so scary! And Pil-sook scaring Ria! (Just a side note: maybe because of IU's busy schedule that she wasn't in the scene where Doo-shik says they can't all debut together & I didn't see her in the flash mob scene too)

- Jin-gook's narration during their stage performance

- I didn't get to read any spoilers about this so I was plenty surprised & excited when Sam-dong saw his pic on Hye-mi's wallet. Aw.

- Hye-mi's reaction when Oh-hyuk announced the EMG winner. Such a little cute diva. hahaha. And then Jason had to say congratulations too. But how cute is it that he'll be going onstage as a guest @ HM's 100th concert? Aw, they finally made up!

- The principal who had inadvertently played cupid to Oh-hyuk and his daughter. Serves him right.

- 2018: I liked the fact that Pil-sook gained weight again and Jason's still by her side. Baek-hee as mini-Kyung-jin: check. Oh-hyuk still being Oh-hyuk: check. Jin-gook & K rivalry: check. JG & Hye-sung: check (but she's still in High School JG so you'll have to wait a few mor years!)

- Hye-mi wanting Sam-dong to go for his dream and be more. SD: "..you were music to me, and music was you". Aw.

- Lastly, HM running after SD's bus and the long-awaited kiss.

Okay, so when can we have another winning kdrama like Dream High? Some of the other dramas I've watched before were really, really good at the beginning but weren't so great at the ending so I'm having a hard time wanting to watch it again. And what a way to start the year, huh? Even though MP had flat episodes during the middle (especially when Yoon-ju was prominent), I really liked the last two episodes. It made up for the others. But DH, even if the first 2 episodes weren't as good as the rest, it was consistent and solid and just plainly great.

What will I watch now that DH & MP's finished? Ah, maybe I'll just wait for the MiGook shippers' rants and see if they're still in denial. ;) Waiting in anticipation to rub SamMi in their faces.

Thanks JB & GF for the fantastic recaps. I think you both deserve all those drinks since you both loved DH so much. I can feel your love during the recaps unlike when you were recapping some later episodes of a certain 2010 popular drama (reciting 김 수한무 거북이와 두루미).

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love those scenes so much!

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Loved Loved Loved the flash mob. When I read about it I thought it would the cheesiest, but it turned out to be the most delicious. And the last kiss was just right on. Good job Dream high team. I see great things happening in the future for all involved.

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Am i mistaken, i thought i saw some of the 2AM guys dancing with the Mob. Maybe all of JYP's talents were in it.

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well.. I definitely saw Miss A join the flashmob, so yeah, probably, there could have been more JYP people XD

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Yeah, I was surprised and happy to see Miss A join the dance mob. :)

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the rest of miss A was there. and I definitely saw jo kwon and jin woon. anyone else seen any other jyp ppl?

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seulong was also there! he wore the paramedics(?) jacket like jinwoon

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I'm pretty sure I spotted Miss A's Jia, Min & Fei there :D ... and also 2AM's Seulong & Jinwoon... and 2PM's Junsu (?) not very sure about this one though.

I really liked that scene :)

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Thank you thank you thank you. Crack high rocks!!!!!!!!!!!

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omo!!!!!
its out..... m HIGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH :P

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ah...its so goooooooooood!!
gah!!! n jin-gook n hye-sung...dat was AWESOME!!
finally...i gt to see hye mi chasing sam dong. now DAT was something...it was coming to u girl n m so glad she went for it dan jst standing still n saying "THIS IS MY FAREWELL FACE" :P

m gonna go watch n read DREAM HIGH all over agn!
thanx a lot, gf!

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Yay! QQ I wished for better Milky Scenes

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Me too!!

But it's okay. I'm totally gushing over the fact that Pil-Sook gained weight back, but her Jason is still in Love with her and loves her for who she is . I just sqeeed.

Thanks JavaBeans and GirlFriday!!

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jason rock!! He's so sweet..

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jason and pilsook couple is adorably sweet!! love the moments when it was his'good manners'..hahaha~!

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finally -- waah -- im watching the raw and stalking here at the same time

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i wasn't expecting much but it has become my favorite dramas i loved the ending even when i didn't want to end but everything has to end right...... tear

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Yeah, when I first heard that DH had such an idol-centric cast, I wasn't expecting much either.... but it ended up being one of my faves, too. I feel like DB ought to have a PayPal button that says "I owe GF a drink" for We of Little Faith. (Truth be told, I owe JB and GF muchos drinks for being such prodigious purveyors of delight.) Thanks for sharing such a fun ride, y'all.

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LOL! that is an awesome idea :D

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I was palpitating so badly when they were about to reveal who K was!! Awesome finale! Well done, Dream High! :D

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I seriously refreshed the main page every minute to read this XD It was so freaking sweet I absolutely love how they all got a satisfactory ending and Pilsook didn't stay thin but they were still happy together and it was just freaking pefect <3 Can't say anything more than that really thank you so much for recapping this awesome drama :D

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This was truly a gem of a drama. I came into it just wanting to see KSH, with absolutely zero expectations, maybe even negative expectations. I was really scared about Suzy and her acting, but she was a pleasant surprise. All of the idols have done surprisingly well despite their lack of acting experience.

and man! I really love the script-writer, director, editor, and producer of this show. They're the real stars for making this drama shine. Such great work!!

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I agree - I was the same, I actually was dreading the drama. I loved KSH in WISFC and wanted to see him in something else but my expectations were low. But boy didn’t it do well; it’s like the little drama that could.

If we are honest, the strongest actor was KSH (and the teacher) and it wouldn’t have had the same emotional punch without him – but still the story was just brilliant and well executed. Just one other thing, I was SOOOOO happy that Samdong was K – I was shaking and crying and punching the air – then when Samdong got on the bus, I was like NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!
This was before I knew what they were saying – and then chasing the bus, passing over the pendant and kiss, DRAMA YOU ROCK HARD! What a GREAT ENDING.

Dream High, please don’t be over – I want to know more about my favourite students!! First time in a long time that I’ve felt so passionate about a drama – the fact it’s a could have been cheesy, slightly over the top drama, about kids chasing their dreams in high school? Well I know you won’t judge me cos, you all feel the same! DREAM HIGH.

PS, anyone know if you can buy music from the show? You must be able to right?

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If you mean the OST you can get it off yesasia =]

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YAY :)

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This drama was a home run for me. It was way better than what I expected. Sad to see it go and I little part of me wants a season 2. GAH! I was wishing and hoping for "K" to be Sam Dong for quite a few episodes now and it WAS him. HAPPY VIEWER!

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WOOT!!! I LOVE DREAM HIGH.

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this ending was AMAZING. i'm sorry to those who were left dissatisfied, but HOW CAN YOU NOT BE SATISFIED WITH THIS!? (GAH! the milky couple! = adorable as usual)

the 2 teachers with their own little love relationship is SO CUTE! i'm so glad they ended up together hahaha<3

okay, i do admit i wanted samdong to come to hyemi's concert too and get on the stage with her. LOL but the final scene made up for it~

i'm REALLY REALLY REALLY gonna miss this drama.
ah! time to rewatch all of the episodes hehehe :D
- hope there's a season 2! <3

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Thanks for the recap! I'm so ready to watch this drama in one go!!!!

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Yayayayayyyy I love this drama! Can't wait to actually watch it ((((((: weeeeeeeeee <33

Kim soo hyun, you're the reason, ur the reason...ahh, do more movies and dramas, pleeeeease.

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wonderful story!!

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i just wish that samdong would come back to korea, he would find hyemi, and then he and hyemi would have a more.. satisfying... kiss! i'm just saying.. that kiss was sweet, but i think there could be a teensy bit more than that.. :) hehe
is the special tomorrow? (17th ep) because i know that they were gonna lengthen it by something, like 1 ep or something but i know that this was also the last "real" ep.. hopefully there will be some fanservice ep and we can have some real chemistry between all the pairs! i want more between samdong and hyemi and pilsook and jason.. and jingook and me! bahaha.. :)

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i cant help but wonder how effing amazing they would have been if they stayed as a group!!! >.<
but i do like how pilsuk is a bit chubby now and jason's still with her. adorable <3 woou forever.
and jason. what are you doing now???
sighs....... i love samdong being k. i love that hyemi could let him go for his own sake. but i HATE how they did not end up completely together altho they only have eyes for each other.
and the sister... how did she grow that quickly?!?!?! thats like wrong. lol

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I was looking at the screencap and wondering whether Pil-sook had regained some of the weight. It was nice that she found a happy medium in order to feel good about herself :)

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She was like 9 or 10 for most of the drama right? Add 7 years and you get a high school student :)

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kekeke i just realized that the age difference between jingook and hyemi's actors is about the same as the one between jingook and hyesung's characters

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Even though it is kinda cute that jingook and hyemi's sister might end up together. I can't help but think of the huge age difference. the child actress who plays hyemi's sis is 7 yrs old(in real life). Let's say she was 7 throughout the drama, and jingook was 17. that's 10 years older, which is ok if both of them were a lot older like in their 20s and up or something. but now that hyesung is old enough and reunited with jingook, they're likely to have their own little romance thing and she's 14 while he's 24, it's not right!

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I don't think the romance going to happen right there backstage, it a preview of what could happen years later. When she 20 and he 30, that work for me.....

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I agree about the Jason/pilsuk couple - it feels healthy somehow. Good for them!

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I AGREE I'm grateful they love eachother but not satisfied enough cos they are not physically together. Come one it's been 7years i want to see them TOGETHER :'( AAAHHHH :'( i'm dying here

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And just like that, it's over... what a great, fun drama :D

Thanks for the recaps DB!

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WHO ELSE LOVED THE KISS!!!!!
LMFAO

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ME!!!! It was quick but looking at it I think Hyemi enjoyed it loads. Gah so envious!

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omgosh BEST ending ever! <3 Thank you for recapping!

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OMG THANK YOU FOR ALL THE RECAPS GIRLFRIDAY AND JAVABEANS ! I am so sad that this series has ended but I am also so glad that it ended well. *sigh, how shall I spend my Mondays and Tuesdays now??

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Am I the only one that see the similarity to the movie/TV series Fame. I was just waiting for JYP to utter these words: "You want fame? Well, fame costs and right here is where you start paying, in sweat."

JB and GF you mentioned they should do a series 2, I just want to point out that it totally worked with Fame.

Disclaimer: I was not old to see the original movie when it came out. I have to say this to make me feel better.

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I never saw the movie, but managed to catch the series, ahem, several years back... anyway, the whole idea of Kirin reminded me of the high school in "Fame," so you're not alone!

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There was a scene in one of the earlier episodes when the FAME theme song was playing in the background. I recall that the teacher was talking in the scene.

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WHAT. A. FANTASTIC. ENDING.

Sam Dong gets the girl.

Sam Dong gets to be K.

And there's a kiss to seal it all. :D

I'm rather satisfied with the ending. It's sweet how Hye Mi and Sam Dong has each other in their thoughts -- that's enough for us to conclude that they're bound to meet again and pick things up where they left off.

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YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I intend to cyber stalk that actor for the rest of his career. Sam Dong was an amazing character and major props to that kid for making me care so much about him!

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I kinda like that jason still liked pilsook even though she gained weight, yet I wish she had still been skinny because she was just to dang cute that way.

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girlfriday ( and javabeans too! ), if I live nearby, I definitely will bring you to get more and more drinks.
Thank you for recap, amazing journey. Love these kids more than before I watched them in this drama.

Happy and satisfying ending all around!!

Cheers!

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and I was soooooooooooo happy that at least I got 1 prediction correct! Jin gook will end up with Hyesung!
Go Hyesung!! Show him who's the boss!!!!

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:) aww.. so sweet! This is one of the few shows where the whole show was solid. Too many shows are either let down by a draggy plot or a terrible ending.

I can't wait to watch all 16 episodes at one shot!

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Hyesung <3 Jingook FTW :DDD

oh and of course samdong <3 <3

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i can see it now on the recap scoreboard. Dream High: 10/10. CRACK HIGH-- THANK YOU!!!!!! i KNEW it would be sam dong!! you don't make a delayed entrance in a show coz you're the second lead, yunno. :P

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OMG. My heart is racing. (Mostly because Show decided to leave the Sam-Mi kiss until the very frickin end! LOL)

I think everything I love about this show is in this episode - I'm currently trying to list them down but all the thoughts are swirling crazily in my head. How wonderful is Sam-Mi and yes, Gook-Mi? (Both guys were awesome characters, let's admit it.) And Jason finally getting one up on Hye-mi? And Baek-hee turning out to be the second coming of Kyung-jin? And Doo-shik and Noona ending up together? And all of Kirin rallying behind Dream High, even if some of them had to be terrorized into it? :-p And Hye-sung all grown up?

This was a fun, crazy, amazing ride and thanks as always to JB and GF for being our brave conductors. I'm sorry to see the end of the drama, but there's always fanfic....

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So devastated about Jason and Pil Sook though :( why can't they be famous don't let them squaaaander it!

I'm satisfied with SamDong being K, because being K isn't the end all be all for the kids--if anything, I've learned from Dream High that getting their first isn't everything and you're admirable in your own right.

soo good, gimme a second season!

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Pil Sook+Jason are famous! :)
Remember she says she doesn't want to be followed by the press anymore. Pil Sook looks like the type that wants the quieter life. So I think she might have retired early and left the entertainment circle or kept on the downlow..her walls are filled with trophies and records.
And Jason is also doing well...he is even going to appear on stage at Hye Mi's concert. ;)

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AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! ~glomps~ I LOVED loved LOOOOVED this episode! It really was pure genius. I loved it so much that I even watched it again, immediately, and I have never, ever wanted to do that before. And I've seen a lot of dramas. (Maybe not as many as jb and gf, but still. Enough.)

The ending was so poignant and so touching. I ADORED the shot of Pil-sook and Jason cuddling at the concert, and almost died giggling when Jin Gook remet Hye-sung. Haha! Can you imagine family reunions for the rest of their lives??? Sam-dong and Jin Gook rivalry -- at home and professionally -- ALL THE TIME??? Be still my heart.

Thanks to you, javabeans, and you, girlfriday, for your recapping efforts. As always, it's been a pleasure.

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AHAHAHA. Quite honestly, while I did root for Hye-mi/Jin-gook at first by the end I really didn't care. It was obviously going towards Sam-Dong.

BUT LOL Jin-gook/Hye-sung...AHAHAHA. He gets a girl. I'm happy.

Dream High was a total exceed expectations drama in EVERY way. And boy, am I glad.

Was refreshing since 8pm waiting for this recap, haha. This was awesome.

And the ending, where they all gather together again...and you can tell they're all still connected, even after what, 8 years? Where some of them have been apart, some together, etc....it's nice to see.

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...wait. I was laughing so happily at this episode and watching the cute parts that I just realized....
....

....crack is gone?!!?! T_T

Noooooooooooooooo. What do I do nowwww?

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Ditto your comments.

And wasn't that flash mob awesome.

As to getting your Dream High high don't forget the concert to follow and the sequel which HAS TO COME.

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I say let Dream High become a franchise series. Here's how I would cast the students in Dream High 2....

Female Leads....
Park Eun Bin - She played HyeSun in the final episode.
JiYeon (Tiara) -
Lizzy (After School) -

Male Leads....
Hong Jong Hyun -
Jung Jin Woon (2AM)
Lee Ki Kwang (BEAST)

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yeah!!!! a second season of crack high with Hye Sung as the main character.... and we can get news of the previous dreamers through the story. where do i have to sign????

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I would also cast ft island's hongki. he can sing and act :D Actually, I would be happy with any acting idols and even happier if they can sing too, one being hongki which i have already mentioned.

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wait wait…the second season 2 of your options became REAL

T-ara jiyeon & 2AM Jinwoon

waaahhhh…I love the G-Minor Couple…

I want Hyemi-Samdong and Rian-Yoojin in DREAM HIGH 3...

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I just wish there was one last reunion for all six, including SamDong so we know that they will always have each other or something equally trite.

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i'm still hoping that the dream high special concert would have sam dong come back and finally claim hye mi hehhehe...the ending today was great and it leaves a lot for our imaginations but i just want an actual steel proof that sam-mi did meet up after all those years....right???

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That kind of ending would certainly be trite, but it still makes the "warm fuzzies" every time. Can't wait for tomorrow night's special!

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best drama EVER.

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YAY! When i started, I did not expect this show to be this pleasantly surprising! My interest was piqued because of your wonderfully written recaps. Thanks very much!

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The second I saw the tuning fork I jumped up and yelled, "Yes!" at the top of my lungs. I doubt my neighbors appreciated my enthusiasm, nor did the kitty who was so rudely displaced from my lap. But, man! So awesome!

I loved Crack High from start to finish.

Now I just have to wait for the subs to be released so I can watch it all again - and actually understand the words this time.

Hahahah! I feel so lame, but oddly don't care.

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I'd kill for a Season 2.

Can we start a petition or something???

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yes sammi!! a kiss and a confession and K!!!... I love you SAM DONG.. I am so gonna miss you...

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CALLED IT!! hahaha! yesss, samdong as k! and it wasn't even anything figurative that led me to know for certain samdong was k, it was the screen shot you guys had of jingook and samdong next to each other when they were trying to impress hyemi's dad. i noticed the different shapes of their shoulders, rewatched the opening scene of episode one, and KNEW it was samdong. hahaha.

thanks for the recaps, jb and gf. loved this drama so much. thaaannks! ^^

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So Perfect! When I saw the tuning fork, my heart lifted. Loved this show!

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Samdong can get back to Korea anytime to be with Hyemi. It's not like they can't be together anymore. What's important is that they're exclusively dating!!!!

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I'm kind of disappointed at the ending...it was pretty anti-climatic...tho it was happy ending for all. I think it was sweet that PilSook gained her weight (not all of it back but some of it) that she was still happy with herself.

I wish that SamDong and HyeMi had actually met up for the end...tho we all know what would've happened...

Sigh i'm sad it's over - I really wish there was a dream high season 2 (tho i want the same cast members lol)

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I feel soooooooo satisfied, agh. I geek-tweeked maybe twelve times and chased unbelievers away a few times while watching the episode. Or dragged them in to watch JYP and his flash mob of glory...I kept telling the people I dragged in that it was cool and I would be their friend...

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PS Thank you girlfriday for the excellent recaps throughout. I hope you have an excellent victorious revelry.

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I had no expectations of this drama and didn't plan on watching it at all, but the recaps by javabeans and girlfriday captivated me and I'm just waiting for a few more subs to be released before I jump right in and see everything firsthand. thanks for the great recaps.

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