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Dream High 2: Episode 1

It’s time to Dream Higherererer with a whole new cast of characters, and a whole new universe as well. As it turns out Season 2 is no dummy – we don’t just pick up where we left off, or reboot to square one with the same narrative and a different cast. Phew. One bullet dodged.

We get a twist right off the bat that brings Kirin down a peg or twenty, and find out that the trajectory for Season 2 is to revive the place where dreams begin – it’s going to be about saving the school as much as it will be about each individual character. This time K really is for Kirin – the school itself.

SONG OF THE DAY

Park Jin-young – “Falling” Dream High 2 OST

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EPISODE 1 RECAP

We open on a familiar bus, as a girl runs after it. It’s RI-AN (Jiyeon) and she’s chasing after… Sam-dong? Wow, Kim Soo-hyun‘s got the opening sequence? That’s one hell of a cameo.

The bus stops and Sam-dong opens the window, calling her Hye-mi. She puts the K necklace around his neck. He cries and they kiss, as another tear falls from his cheek.

And then suddenly a director yells, “CUT!” and berates Ri-an for not being able to cry. HA. Is this the drama version of Sam-dong’s life? Yup. Someone drops the script for this drama-within-a-drama, called Dream High.

He sighs and leans out the window, while the PD demands to know why crying one measly tear is so hard for her. Oh you and your meta about idol actors. You know I’m gonna call you out on it even if you have the sense to poke fun at yourself, Show.

Meanwhile Ri-an gets carted away by her manager, who insists that they have to leave for her next scheduled appointment. She turns on the tv in the car…

 
THE SETUP

So in this world there’s strict enforcement on a law for minors – a 10pm work curfew. The upshot is that idol stars are the most affected by this, and fans take up protests in support of letting their favorite stars be “free.” Heh.

There’s especially a strain on performance shows like Music Bank or Inkigayo, because if any of the performers are minors, they have to be off the stage before 10:00 exactly, otherwise the group, its agency, and the broadcaster all get slapped with fines and penalties. It’s based on real restrictions for idols, but here it’s an extreme version for dramatic purposes.

Meanwhile Kirin School of the Arts is totally rundown, and now the sign for Kirin reads Kurin, meaning stinky, foul-smelling, and of course, totally unhip. Oh what a difference a year makes. Though in this universe, at least three years have passed since we’ve last seen Kirin High. The school also has a new addition: a dormitory where some of the students live full-time.

 
THE PLAYERS

Agency president LEE KANG-CHUL (Kim Jung-tae) and his right-hand woman HYUN JI-SOO (Kahi) run the agency OZ. They run a tight ship and though they’re not fans of the new law, they know to follow the rules to stay afloat.

Their top group is Eden, a two-member beast-idol group, with JB (JB) and SHI-WOO (Park Seo-joon). They don’t seem to be on the best terms with each other, or their agency, or with acting for that matter, but hopefully they’ll get better. One can only hope.

OZ’s other act is a three-member girl group called HershE, with Ri-an (Jiyeon), NANA (Hyorin), and AILEE (Ailee).They’re popular and they have a following, but it seems as though they don’t carry quite as much starpower as their male counterparts. Ri-an is especially busy juggling acting on top of her idol career, and it’s a running gag that she’s terrible as an actress.

One particular Eden fangirl is a little more resourceful than the others: it’s our heroine SHIN HYE-SUNG (Kang Sora), a student at Kirin. She runs backstage and gets a glimpse of Shi-woo and even runs into Pil-sook (a cameo by IU) and asks for an autograph from her sunbae from Kirin High.

But it’s JB that she’s dying to meet, and when she runs into him, she blurts, “I love you!” at first sight. Hee. She’s adorable. She shows him the sign she’s carrying with his name on it, and he quickly dismisses her. That is, until he finds a need for someone to help him break curfew and turns on the charm: “I love you too. I have a favor to ask…”

Hye-sung is basically at the bottom of the food chain at Kirin, relegated to shoe-shining and various other embarrassing tasks. She lives in the dorms, and her dream is to be cast in the OZ open auditions so she can be a trainee next to JB.

And then we have rocker boy JIN YOO-JIN (Jung Jin-woon), also a student at Kirin High. He’s a singer-songwriter and street performer who’s forced to run away from his own performances when curfew hits and cops come asking for IDs. Once his bandmates find out he’s a minor, they cut him loose too, not wanting complications.

Yoo-jin sleeps wherever he pleases, though he lives in the dorms at Kirin. The first place we see him wake up is in YANG JIN-MAN’s bed. (Whoo! JYP!) Jin-man, who’s basically the dorm’s den mother, freaks out to see a student sleeping in his bed. But Yoo-jin acts like it’s no big thing, and steals a banana, saying it’s for Teacher’s own good: “You shouldn’t eat bananas. People will make fun of you.” Ha, because of his face? Hahahaha.

There are two more teachers to note at Kirin: Principal JOO JUNG-WAN (Kwon Hye-hyo) the crotchety old guy who gripes at everyone but doesn’t seem to do much else, and AHN TAE-YEON, the hippy singing teacher that I find particularly funny because she’s played by the glam modelesque Choi Yeo-jin, looking as nerdy as can be.

It’s in her class that we catch a glimpse of Yoo-jin’s particular talent at Kirin – she gives a songwriting assignment and all eyes turn to him. After class everyone comes running to him as Yoo-jin sets up shop… to sell his songs for 10 bucks apiece. HA.

 
THE STORY

The inciting incident that sets everything in motion is one act of rebellion by the Eden boys, who decide to make a statement against the new curfew. They head towards the stage of the live music performance show, just minutes before 10 o’clock. They take to the stage and perform anyway, breaking curfew with the whole world watching.

One of their background dancers, also a minor and a student at Kirin, ends up complicit in their protest-performance without realizing the time, and ends up getting cut from his dance team because of it.

Hye-sung does her part as Number One Fangirl and keeps OZ President Lee locked in his dressing room while the boys are onstage. As they perform, we intercut between Yoo-jin playing the same song in the street, while Eden performs the pop version onstage. Hm, wonder where that song came from.

Their stunt results in the network banning all acts from OZ for three months. The press goes crazy and the boys give interviews saying that it was their way of keeping their promise with the fans who came to see them. Nice packaging. But behind the scenes JB confesses to President Lee that it’s because their new single is plagiarized.

Apparently their last album had the same problem, and he didn’t want to go forward with another stolen song. Hence the stunt. He adds that what he really wants is time to practice and a chance to do what he really wants: to be a solo artist who sings his own music.

President Lee gives him six months to practice before he’ll make the final decision one way or another. Shi-woo overhears the entire conversation, including the part where JB complains about having to make up for Shi-woo’s lack of talent. Ouch.

One person who’s happy about the three-month hiatus is Ri-an, who’s been overworked to the bone, and tells Shi-woo that she approves of their stunt.

Hye-sung meanwhile gathers up every last item that has anything to do with JB, convinced that an autograph has magical powers like a talisman. She then gets ready to perform a ritual in her dorm room, which is already a shrine to JB. She lights the autograph-talisman on fire as she prays for heavenly intervention… so that she makes the cut at the OZ auditions.

Yoo-jin comes home and smells fire wafting down the hallway and starts banging on Hye-sung’s door to rescue her. She panics, not wanting to end the ritual, and keeps going. He finally pulls the fire alarm and the whole dorm runs out in the middle of the night, led by the biggest scaredy cat of them all, Jin-man.

The girls tell him that Hye-sung is trapped in her room, so they send him back in, against his will. (He thinks to himself that he has yet to fall in love, or to debut as a singer… Heh.) He stands at the ready with a bucket of water, while Yoo-jin picks the lock on her door.

He finally gets it open, and Hye-sung screams “Noooooo!” because her final talisman still needs to burn (so she can drink the ashes)… but Jin-man comes barreling in, water-first, and douses her with the bucket while she’s still screaming. Hahaha. Okay, so far I don’t care much about anyone else, but these three, I’m sold on. Well, I loved Jin-man before, so that’s no surprise.

Hye-sung stands there, mortified, while Yoo-jin snaps a picture for posterity. HEE.


Hye-sung wails at her ruined shot at supernatural intervention, and her friends rally around her – her bestie PARK SOON-DONG (Yoo So-young), dancer JUNG UI-BONG (Jr.) who lost his backup dancer gig because of Eden’s curfew stunt, and nerdy PARK HONG-JOO (Kim Ji-soo) who serenades her with a rendition of “Genie” to lift her spirits, in another callback to Season 1.

Bolstered with their support, Hye-sung heads to the open auditions the next day, only to find out that they’re no longer accepting minors, which makes sense since their biggest artists can no longer work due to the curfew-related penalty.

Hye-sung runs inside and gets down on her knees in front of agency rep Ji-soo and begs for a chance since she can really sing. Ji-soo remembers her from every audition for the past few months and tells her point-blank that noraebangs are lined with kids who sing like her, and tells her that she’ll never make it as a star.

Hye-sung stands up and balls up her hands into fists, declaring that she must be remembering her wrong. She repeats her name, Shin Hye-sung, and tells her what it means – a star hidden in the ocean – and declares that someday that star will rise to the sky and Ji-soo will regret this day. Aw, I love her spunk, though I have a feeling she’s not as good as she thinks she is.

At OZ, Kang-chul and Ji-soo debate what to do about their minors. Ji-soo suggests sending them to Kirin, where at least they can fulfill their minimum school hours while focusing on music practice.

Kang-chul worries about the current state of Kirin though, and Ji-soo confirms that it’s basically living off of its former glory. Once the old president went overseas and left it in the hands of the current principal, it all went to hell in a handbasket. She says that anyone with talent left long ago, so the students that remain are basically third-rate.

Hye-sung goes from her audition to meet her father, who turns out to be a country pastor. He tells her to call it quits with this singing business and head to seminary as planned, so she panics and blurts that she’s started praying at a temple (HA) and makes a run for it.

We finally get a taste of her so-called awesome singing on her way home… and it’s totally Not. Awesome. In fact it’s really really bad. Ji-soo’s words ring in her ears and she sighs, wondering if she was right after all.

Kang-chul arrives at Kirin with JB in tow, and tells him to look around. He goes to see Principal Joo, and greets him as “Hyungnim,” and Principal Joo doesn’t look too pleased to see him.

Hye-sung chases Yoo-jin up and down the halls for a favor, begging him to help her turn some tinkering she did into a song. He refuses and she asks if he wants more money, but he says it’s because she’s going to submit it to OZ, for the singer-songwriter auditions (what she’s considering her last-ditch effort to get cast). He doesn’t want his work at that idol factory that churns out kids’ music (what he describes as hook-songs, ie. songs that only have hooks and nothing more).

He calls her pathetic and she doesn’t even hesitate one second before agreeing with him, and continues to beg. She finally gets him to give it a listen and agree to work on it if he likes her song.

He listens and tells her that he could’ve written better in his sleep. She stammers that it took her a month to write that, but he tells her to stop pretending to care so much. He knows that all she wants to be is an idol.

Yoo-jin: Idol? Why do you want to be one? If you can’t sing, you can lip-sync, and if you can’t dance, you can wear flashy clothes. Just do that. Isn’t that what you think anyway? That’s how it seems to me. You have no interest or passion for music, but you just want to be famous, so you do what everyone tells you to do – you laugh the same, you dance the same, you sing with that same voice. Don’t you think that’s gross? People aren’t dolls.

JB overhears the entire conversation, and it stings him. Flashback to Kirin auditions, where Yoo-jin and JB sat side by side, guitars in hand. Yoo-jin had said the same thing back then, that he didn’t want to do what everyone else did, and that he wanted to create his own music, and sing rock.

Principal Joo had told him it’d be a hungry road, but Yoo-jin swore he’d make it big. And then he sang, and blew them both away. JB went next, a giant ball of nerves, and flopped terribly at his attempt to play guitar. He was promptly asked if he’d rather dance instead.

Well the fact that they have a history takes the whole plagiarism thing up a notch, eh? It also explains the complex that JB has, essentially wishing he had the talent that Yoo-jin was born with.

Back in the studio, Hye-sung tells Yoo-jin to get off his high horse, since he’s nothing but a song peddler anyway, and at ten bucks a pop at that. Getting angry, he tells her that her precious idol JB plagiarizes his songs, and that it’s a good thing he pulled that curfew stunt, because otherwise he would’ve faced a scandal.

He sneers that she ought to know what kind of music her favorite singer sings. And at that, JB walks right in on their conversation, asking defiantly, “Who says it’s plagiarized?” Hye-sung’s jaw drops and he tells her that he’ll listen to her song and help her. She thinks he’s here because she helped him pull that stunt the other night, and happily hands him the headphones.

Over in the principal’s office, they get past the niceties in about thirty seconds, and Principal Joo asks Kang-chul if he’s here to enroll some of his idols. Kang-chul says no… he’s here to take over the school. Dun dun. He declares that his company has bought the place, and that he’s going to take it over, and bring his artists with him.

JB turns Hye-sung’s melody into a song with some basic chords, and when she calls him a genius, Yoo-jin scoffs bitterly, saying he could do better with his feet. JB in turn asks if he’s got a complex with idols, and wonders if it isn’t a hit to his pride to be so transparent, insisting he hates anything that’s popular because it’s popular.

Ha. I love that they both have sound arguments that I can agree with, though it’s a little funny to have idols arguing about idols. I agree with the factory-pressed music and doll argument, and I also hate pretentious people who think hating all popular things counts as an opinion. So far, I like the conflict between these two.

The boys get heated up in their argument and Hye-sung tries to intervene, accidentally broadcasting their whole conversation to the school. (I love the random aside in the middle of the argument when Yoo-jin takes issue with the fact that she calls JB “oppa,” when they’re all the same age, because that’s just what you call your favorite idol star when you’re a fan.)

JB challenges him to prove that he can do better, and Yoo-jin obliges and sits down at the computer. But instead of fixing it, he scraps the whole song, and Hye-sung panics when he moves to empty the computer’s trash bin.

He holds the mouse out of her reach and empties the trash, to her horror. JB fumes and grabs him by the collar. Yoo-jin mocks his public statement that keeping his promise to the fans was more important than abiding by the law. He asks if being liked by pathetic people like Hye-sung has made him believe he’s actually good. Oh dayum.

But JB’s slicker about how to come out on top, and when he sees a group of girls appear behind them with cameras at the ready, he backs off. He challenges Yoo-jin, asking if he’s really so good, then how come the world hasn’t recognized it?

He says at least if he hits him, he’ll be famous for something. Yoo-jin takes the bait and sends his fist hurtling towards his face…

But Hye-sung sees it happening and sticks her foot out to trip him just in time, and he goes flying into the glass window like a pancake. Ha. JB gives her a smile.

 
COMMENTS

In some respects it’s better than I anticipated, since it’s not a carbon copy of the first season, and it’s setting up a different story. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t comparing it to the freshness of the original, which was both a more standard story but more compelling. It’s only the first hour though, so there’s room to hook to me. What I do love are the two main characters, Hye-sung and Yoo-jin, who show lots of promise as interesting people I want to get to know.

Kang Sora is especially great, because you’re just immediately on her side, and she’s willing to look totally ridiculous and commit to her character, crazy séances and all. JB is sadly the weak link among the bigger characters. I pretty much feel like I’m reading the dialogue and not his performance, and can only imagine how much better that main triangle would be if he were played by a better actor. I wouldn’t care if he were peripheral, but his story feels central to the main conflict. The rivalry between JB and Yoo-jin is good, but it’d be downright awesome if they were evenly matched as actors. I’m not asking for Baeksang-worthy stuff here, just believable performances.

I do like that Kirin as a school starts out in the dumps. It’s a nice reversal from what we’re expecting, when Season 1 history tells us it’s the best of the best. Now the entire school is populated with misfits, from teachers to students, and the overhaul from OZ (which I totally spent half the episode thinking was OG, yo) will be a great clash of the classic stuff that made Season 1 so great. And thematically, it’s nice to have a focus on the bigger picture (though that’s never been Dream High‘s weakness) – what it means to restore the place that cultivates the dream.

As a premiere I think I could’ve done with fewer characters and more focus on the leads, because we have plenty of time to meet side characters and all the teachers. Basically you only need to set up your two halves of the world – the OZ idol biz and Kirin, and it doesn’t take much to figure out who fits where. But I like that inherent conflict between the two worlds, and the fact that OZ might end up being equal parts good and bad.

One addition I love is the dorm – why wasn’t that there before? The wacky dormitory hijinks with Jin-man as the harried den mother is already my favorite stuff, and I can’t wait till dorm life gets turned upside-down when the hotshots invade the misfits’ quarters.

 
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Woot woot! Finally its here :)

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Oh Yay! And so is my kdrama addiction. After months (since SoaW) of dormancy, I've found my drama crack again. :D

Late night viewings and episode anticipations... here we go again.

Oh, and... I ♥♥♥♥♥ Song Sam Dong! ;)

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Yes, me too!! I haven't been watching kdramas lately. But THIS I know I will love. My only complaint (judging from the recaps) is that some of the guys look... overly manicured. I especially don't like the blond hair look. But overall this looks to be just as populated with cute, compelling characters as the first one.

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Yer right about the well-manicured guys! :D I didn't know I missed Jinguk (Taecyeon) too, because of them. Oh, and Jae-isun. :D ♥♥♥

I'm so re-watching the first season. ;)

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Yay Dream Higgh!!

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Kang Sora!!!!!!!! Man, and I just finished watching Sunny too! Love her. I can't wait to watch this. Thanks for the awesome recap! I hope Sora's star continues to rise. X)

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Okay, I gotta admit that the surprise casting here for me is Choi Yeo-jin. I love her. She can play a dorky tomboy in one show and totally becomes a secy successful career woman in another. She's a total badass, and I'm happy to see her here - nerdy and all.

Man am I ever happy to see JYP! Woot woot! Jinman for the win.

I love the curfew thing because it definitely shines the light on the whole "minors in showbiz" deal and whether these kids need to be cared for or if a curfew is too much of a restriction when something like "number of hours to work a day" makes more sense. It's a law that Japan has to care for it's minors. And although it may seem extreme to some people, it's just one way a country is looking out for it's youth.

And hello there hotty Yoojin. Nice to meet you. What a pretty face you have. X)

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Too bad Kim So-Hyun's cameo was so short :( Oh well, only two more days till I see him in Moon/Sun :D

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KSH's cameo was strange to me. Like he's supposed to have surpassed Rain in amazing-ness and world domination but is just hanging out on a bus playing himself in a drama and the idol actress playing Go Hye-mi gets more star treatment?

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haha, it's for that reason that I thought KSH was playing a guy that looked like himself, in order to act in the movie as K. Know what I mean?

For that reason, I found it an incredibly hilarious scene.

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I found it odd that Pilsuk is back to being skinny again. I mean she was a happy medium size at the end of DH...

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But that was a good decent amount of years later when she had retired(?) from idol-dom and while Samdong was headlining(?) the Grammys.

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That's it? That's the Kim Soo Hyun cameo? Where's the Hye Mi/Sam Dong (Sam-Mi!!!) cuteness?
Can I be a little disappointed even though I am happy to see Song Sam Dong again? ><

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Wow, thanks! I thought this wouldn't get recapped. Been looking for alternate recaps from other blogs but there's none to be found! Seriously, I love you GF!

Ah, Samdong! So cute, ;) IU too!

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I'll definitely watch the first episode for the cameos of KSH and IU. I really hope that this drama can generate enough excitement in me to keep watching though. I think you said it best GF, I'm not expecting baeksang performances but I am hoping that the main leads at least can act. And I hope it doesn't end up feeling to cliched and overused (been there done that in season 1)

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I'm surprisingly liking dream high 2! Maybe not as much as Dream High as of now but I do hope the story gets better and goes a different direction from the first season. Kang So-ra's fabulous!!!! Jin-woon is surprisingly good too! Glad that the two main leads are fun and interesting characters!

Kim Soo-hyun!! Short cameo but still I totally love the way he looked bored while waiting for Ri-an (Ji-yeon) to be prepared for the crying scene :P

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The episode was fun and Ji-man + the dorm was my favorite part so far. Kang Sora really commits to her character, he has stolen every scene she's in!

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Wow! Awesome!!

Thank you Girlfriday!

Now, I just have to add dream hiiiigh and Shut up! to my ever growing to watch list.

I like Kang Sora in Sunny, ended up watching WGM because of her (and now a fan of Leeteuk) so I can't wait to watch this show. Bring it on show! Woohoo..

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lol. dream high and shut up! :D excellent combo.

I have to say, Kang Sora and Jung Jinwoon did not disappoint me :) although I am eager to see what's gonna happen now that the story is set.

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Sam Dong, Y U STILL SO HOT IN HIGH SCHOOL UNIFORM?!

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hmm i see no mention of jinwoon's acting skills in the recaps a all, but im interested on what people think about it. i wouldn't let myself judge since I'm already a fan of his smiles even before he's in here so I am most likely going to be biased.

so far i do like the freshness quality to this, that it isn't just another DH1. I dont know if its deliberate, but the whole cinematography of DH2 isn't as amazing as DH1 - or maybe it was because i was watching from a crappy stream.

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I'm no expert, but I actually think that he did a pretty good job. Most of the scenes were things that he was comfortable with (playing music, in a classroom) but the argument scene wasn't really awkward or anything imo. Then again, I was watching w/o subs which, in my mind, is like watching a show without the volume and only allows for half the drama watching experience :D

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I wonder what JB (javabeans, btw) and GF think about Jinwoon (or Yoo-Jin) acting? As a fan, I must wonder what drama experts think. ^^

In my own opinion, I think he is doing pretty good. In real life, he is literally always ^___^, but in here his ^___^ has a sense of arrogance with it that it's different from his everyday smiles.
Or am I being too fangirly and defending my oppa lol.

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I still havent seen the first one but I think its time to finally watch it so that I can get into this as well! Thanks for the recap!

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I thought the first episode was a little choppy, but I think they did a good job setting up the main conflicts and introducing the characters.

JB was a little wooden (was it just me or did his face not actually move...). But Kang Sora, Jinwoon, Jiyeon in the little bit that we got of her I think will be able to carry this. I think the supporting cast also seems quite fresh, quirky and fun, so the subplots will hopefully be cute!

Can't wait for the 2 worlds to clash at the new kirin! I see a dance off in the preview!!! I love dance offs and sing offs

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Aww so cute! This drama looks good and all but I don't think it can top off dream high.

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maybe it's just because i have so many fond memories of the dream high 1, but i found myself liking this immediately; much more quickly than i liked its counterpart. i remember watching dh1, it took me like six episodes to fall in love. here, i liked the setups and characters right away.

although it could also help that i came into this as a big fan of kang sora and jinwoon's voice whereas i didn't know much about kim soo hyun and actively disliked suzy prior to dh1.

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Am I the only one disappointed with the first episode? I miss everything from the first dream high, mainly the underdog story, MILKY COUPLE, SONG SAM DONG...the Sam-mi couple, and mainly the concept revolving around the K necklace which kept me on the edge from the beginning. I agree that the story cannot be the same because that would make everything boring, and maybe I'm too attached to the original characters, but I felt the first episode of Dream High captivated me, yet this episode felt like random storylines thrown together. We had idols performing, then a curfew thing, then dorms and tailsmans, and then a rivalry??? I feel like this drama has potential, but the execution is all wrong. The acting does not help either. Yet, I am still holding out hope for this drama, because the leads were bearable..Kang Sora was cute and Jinwoon has some acting ability (AND HIS VOICE. Wish the Kim Soo Hyun cameo was longer, and the fan in me was praying for a Sam-mi reunion to start everything off. Or even better, I wish the whole cast did their cameo together...a Dream High 1 vs. Dream High 2 DANCE-OFF!!

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you are expecting way too much from a first episode. even the original dream high didn't have most (if not all) of those things when it first started.

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Actually, I wasn't expecting all of it from the first episode, but I felt like in Season 1, the first episode effectively established the rivalry between Hyemi-Baekhee, set it in the context of the K necklace, established a loveline, and even gave us auditions set in a high school backdrop. I really loved the inspirational quotes we started each episode with, the break-shot being one of the most memorable. I'm not saying Dream High 2 will not improve, because Dream High did, but from this episode I got a sense of shallowness, and I hope this season goes on to establish the heart of music which captivated us in the first place.

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I remember lots of persons were not that impressed with ep 1 of DH1; myself being one of them.

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Kang Sora's character is win. :D

Thanks for the recap. I'll be putting this one up on a shelf so I can pick up later and watch in one go. As with the first, so with the second.

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Oh my, you guys are speedy. Both out on the same night? Cheers my friends. I wonder which Ill start first...

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Dream Highererer! :D

I'm definitely going to watch DH2 this weekend.

Thanks gf!

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I may be biased to Kang So-ra but she's really amazing... I was the one embarrassed for her when practically everyone barged into her room with buckets of water.

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wow.. Thanks for the recap GF, and can't believe there were no dorm on DH 1, otherwise there wont be any problem for Hye mi, samdong and Taecyon to find a place to sleep and hang around. Maybe the dorm needed now to prevent the teacher live with their students like in DH1, hehehe...

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I am disappointed with Kim Soo-hyun cameo. His character just plays himself in a scene we already had and barely talks. For me, the original scene is irreplaceable. I am not expected a long cameo or anything, but please at least give me something new. I know his character is harder to integrate because he's suppose to be in America. But, you can't expect me to believe, he never comes back home at all over 8 years.

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thanks soo much for the recap GF.I didnt watch the first season but i immediately loved this episode..i didnt get the season one references so thanks for the clarification.kand sora shaman scene was a hoot and i was worried she looks a bit older than her age but she made me BELIEVE she is a high schooler.JYP was exceptionally funny and when yoo jin threw the banana in his face and was totally disrespectful while JYP is his boss in real life....i think jin woon enjoys his role!

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The music playing in the background of this episode was hilarious. Ghostbusters, Sister Act, I lol-ed so hard.

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Yay! This sounds interesting. (It also resembles a big chunk of my (largely still unwritten) DH fanfic, so *sigh* but I wasn't planning on selling that anyway.) Thanks for recapping this, DB ladies!

PS I also love that Hye-mi's little sister in DH1 was also named "Hye-sung."

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Not bad... for the actors first debute in acting. I thought the acting wasn't bad at all considering that this is the first episode. As for LB's acting, it wasn't crappy or anything--I think it's fine if that's how his character is suppose to be in the story. If the story changes, etc because he goes to Kirin and mature--possiblity that his character will change also for the better? Who knows. We'll find out in the next few episodes. ^^

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Oh! Hi there, King Hwon ^.^
Can't help falling in love with Jin-woo so far ... He has these what-I-called smiling eyes, and I always have a soft spot for that (*o*)

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I love Kim Sora ^_^

I'm excited for this season's dramas!!! Sun and Moon, Shut Up: Flower Boy Band, and Dream High 2!! WOOHOO!!

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Woohoo! Lots of eye candy. Boy, am I glad that was just a drama w/ Kim Hyun. I was about to pass out and ask why it wasn't Hye mi! I'm loving it so far. Bullet dodged successful. Episode 2 don't disappoint!

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jr is cuter than jb!!! heehee.. jb needs to loosen up his lips a lil bit. but he's not that bad... he must be really really nervous

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OMG it's finally here

I waited like a good girl and now i get my reward. THANK YOU for recapping it.

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too little Jiyeon.... :( Jiyeon, JB, Park Seo Joon fighting! GO GO HershE!!!

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Wait I'm confused it's three years later, and Kirin is in the dumps, no more Oh-hyuk and Kyung-jin, and Baek-hee isn't teaching, yet in DH 1's epilogue, those three are very much present in the school? Continuity fail!

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That *is* disappointing, and the idea of Kirin falling so far in only three years boggles the mind, but I also can't help but like the idea that Kirin as a whole is the underdog this time around.

I think I'll just assume that everyone went away for the moment. Baek-hee definitely needs time to develop her resume... and Hye-mi's sister needs time to grow old enough to enter as a student... and Pil-sook needs time to gain her weight back so things turn out the way they did in the DH1 epilogue. :)

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That's another thing that was disappointing to me, I wanted Kang Eun-bin (the grown up version of Go Hye-sung) to be in this one too (because her crush on Jin-gook was adorable lulz) but instead we have a completely different Hye-sung here (as much as I like Kang Sora).

If by what you say they all need a little time, I'm kind of surprised the teachers in the first DH went away in the first place. Maybe I'm just quibbling lol.

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No, it's not exactly three years later. The recap specified that it's "at least three years" because that's how long the current principal has been at the helm of the school.

We can't tie things exactly to years because I think DH1 mentioned a few actual dates, and in DH2 we see that the two boys auditioned in 2010. So strictly speaking the chronology of both dramas doesn't fit perfectly.

However, if we're not trying to line up every single date and are just going by impression, then it's more like a dozen years have passed. Kirin is coasting on its "old glory" and its old stars have long left. Think of it like an alternate-world Kirin.

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The '12 years have passed' theory makes more sense for the storyline with one exception - Sam Dong's appearance in the first scene, looking not one iota older. Also, JYP must be drinking from the same Fountain of Youth, monkey face and all.
My head will remain in the '3 years later' camp. :)
And this first episode? It ROCKED for me, mostly due to the fearless Kang Sora, the inclusion of 2 full music numbers, and seeing that banana flying through the air at JYP.

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But Kim Soo-hyun wasn't playing Sam-dong, the same character from the first season. He was playing an actor playing a character named Sam-dong in the drama-within-the-drama. Sort of a wasted cameo, really.

I think there's no way to make the timeline work perfectly with both shows, so it works better to consider them alternate worlds. Or Venn diagrams -- some stuff overlaps, and some stuff is unique to each series. And since they've only carried over one character from the series and he's mostly comic relief, I don't think there's much of a need to make everything fit.

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Lol - this is exactly why I can't watch 'Fringe' on Fox TV.
There's a good possibility my head would explode trying to juggle the time/space/alternate universe continuum.
:)

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No...I actually think that Sam Dong was playing himself in that acting gig. That's why he looked so unhappy. He wanted Hye Mi there! Well...that's just my interpretation.
IU also doesn't look a day older...

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If you think about it, in 3 years, the original 6 would have left, they being the most talented students, and they would be working on their careers at the time, so Kirin could fall down due to higher admissions, and lax admission standards. The epilogue of DH1 was 8 years later, so we can think that Kirin was back up to standard by then with Baek Hee as a teacher and Kyung Jin as the principal. :)

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good call! That's what I was thinking as well. Kind of like the 2000-2003 gap year in the real idol industry. There's always a cycle.

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Since I'm watching Fringe S04, I'm more accepting of the alternate Kirin world/universe/timeline. I really don't expect it to have a specific timeline following the first season, I'm thinking of it as a whole different drama so I also wouldn't be comparing both dramas with each other.

Also, re: KSH & IU's cameo - it's sort of like whenever a lead actor of a Hong sisters drama cameos on the next drama written by the sisters, it's often an alternate version of either the character (Go MiNyeo & Jeremy in MGIAG) or the actor (Lee Seung-gi as an alternate version of himself in BL).

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I thought it would be easier to get my head around if it was a pre-quel. Like before Mr. Korea, man of the killer or should I say scary smile, came on the scene and set it up to be THE school to attend.

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I quite like the spin-off of DH2 ~ I also love Kang Sora, she's so cute!! and her acting of her role is great too ^^ I still remember how people were complaining about Sora being lead actress for DH2 and complaining about her "looking old" pfft for the role and stuff but obviously Kang Sora is the better actress and senior of the younger actors/actresses~ (unless you count Jiyeon as more since she have been acting lots)

One thing about JB I'd like to say is.... FK'N HE'S LIKE A HENRY (SJM) LOOKALIKE!! My jaw dropped of how much of a doppelgänger he looks xDDD but seeing this is his first acting debut as well as singer debut soon, I'll give him a cute. After all, season 1 was also full of first timers too ^^

Jinwoon was good as well ^^ so mischievous hehe :D I can't wait til ep 2 tomorrow :D I think I'll love DH2 a bit more than DH1 because it's got the gimmicks I look forward to in a drama .

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now that you mention it he does resemble mochi a lot! but nothing beats henli's squishy cheeks

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looks like Shut up Flower boy band is better than DH2. Casts are better, too

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:D Glad to see how Kang Sora fans are here!
She is the reason I'll watch this show if it gets subbed. I really liked Sunny the movie (I think she acted well there, but I can't tell if it's because I'm biased about her, about the movie, or if its the cinematography, or the dialogue; and also, her role was not large enough), but I watched WGM and that's why I like her. :/

I am glad girlfriday likes her character and her acting... or I will take it as a good sign anyway. Sort of apprehensive because I watched an episode of DH1 and I was like: uhh... no. Not for me. (I dislike shows which takes an x amount of episode to draw me in. I have little spare time... it should draw me in from the first 15 minutes, not 6 hours.)

I can't expect DH2 to be completely different of course... yet I can't help but hope I'll like it. I want to see Kang Sora act :). Hopefully it'll be like Sunny and a really great surprise as a whole package!

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Kang Sora is an absolute scene-stealer in everything I see her in. I really believe she's well on her way to becoming the 'It' girl of this generation of young actors. She's totally fearless in her acting, something that I find really amazing considering her rather shy persona on WGM - although now that she's getting more comfortable with Leeteuk she's showing more of the 'real' Sora.
:)

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Great to see so many positive comments! I totally love Kang Sora's brilliant performance. And her strong on-screen chemistry with Jin Woon, I can't even... Nevermind! I trust we're in for a great season! :)

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a little disappointed with both Kim Soo-hyun and IU cameo... where is my milky couple!!!

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There may be another IU cameo later with Wooyoung, the cameo in this episode wasn't planned. IU just happened to have a schedule in the same building at the same time as Dream High was filming, so she went down to the set, and they threw her in the scene at the last minute.

They were planning cameos for all the original cast, so she mioght pop up later for what they originally planned for her.

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I slightly disagree with the comments on JB's acting. I feel like his character is slightly reminiscent of Hyemi from DH1, a bit closed off emotionally, a bit distant from others. I got the sense that he was not happy with his idol life, and his coldness and detachment (that comes across as stiff and wooden) is the character.

There was a definite change in the flashback scene to his audition for Kirin with Yoo Jin, a completely different emotional set there, and I thought he was anything but wooden in that scene.

I think given a couple more episodes to settle into his character, as Suzy did, I think he will do well. I see potential.

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I agree~! I actually found his storyline more compelling than the other two in that, I'm actually invested in wanting to find out how he got to his current stage.

I dont know if this is because I am less familiar with the actor playing this character (having already seen the other two in variety shows/music programmes) but he seems interesting.

Also, his storyline is seemingly more realistic and something that we could quite possibly draw parallels to in the current industry.

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I liked it!!! It was really good!!

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OMG.....i missed to watch really regret, I want the video.....but it is goodf.....tnx a lot!!!!

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Am I the only one who like Season 2 more than season 1?? Anyway, i can't judge anything until the end of ep. Btw, JB is very cute! ^^

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Oh Dream High I missed you! good thing the laughs and music was back and JYP!!!
best part of the episode was definitely the ritual or whatever it was gone bad. haha i still laugh when i remember that scene.
I was expecting DH2 to follow the formula of the first season but was pleasantly surprised and satisfied when it throws a different story or setting.
Maybe it is because I was so in love with DH1 that DH2 was able to hook me from the first episode. i just hope that DH2 will be successful

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If comparing the first episode of both dream high 1 and 2 , i like dream high 2 more than the first season. I love dream high 1 , and being a big fan of IU and Eunjung as well. But actually i didn't get interested or got hook by the first season of 1st episode at all. I even stop watching it after episode 2. it need 5 episode in oder for me to get interest in and to love it. what about season 2? i have already get interest by the first episode i watched , eventhough i'm not a fan of any 2nd season cast. I think their acting are good. And i dont care much about cameo even i love the old cast so much. Instead of that , i think it is good that they don't draw too much attention at the old cast, but to mainly focus at the new cast. let's continue watching , we can't judge any drama from the first episode. sorry for bad english :)

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thanks for this!
i love Kang Sora!
i love dream high!
looking forward to season two!

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I was terribly disappointed with how most of them acted... It was painful to watch....

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This is JB's first acting debut, so I will give him a chance. After all, Suzy got the same criticism when she first debuted in Dream High. People said she was wooden and could act but then she improved as the drama proceeded and then everyone loved her acting and character. I believe it will be the same for JB and all the other newbie actors in this drama :D Some ppl can nail it on their first try, and some need some time, but they eventually will get there with more practice. So DH2 fighting!!!

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Isn't it Jinwoon's debut as well? I'm all for dramas casting rookies as long as they are bursting with potential, but we shall see. For instance, kim soohyun and kang sora are given a moment to shine in this genre - they aren't rookies but have few projects, and could definitely take on more leading roles.

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Hmm I haven't watched the whole first season so may give that a go but I don't mind this. Kang Sora where have you been all my life? Seriously she is just a bunch of everything all wrapped in one, really adore her :)
As a kpop fangirl, I must say Jinwoon is looking good hehe and I'm glad to be seeing Soyoung seeing as she disappeared after leaving After School. Also Park Kahi is one of my fav girl group members, she is so hot!

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