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What’s Up: Episodes 7-8

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We now get to focus on the Sun-Man! He’s such a tortured being, and I do think there is a good justification on why he left the stage five years ago. I’ve seen plenty of comments about its choppy editing, but I don’t really see it personally. Maybe it’s because I’m so caught up in the story that I don’t mind the cutaways to other scenes. There are so many stories and threads being told at once, so there isn’t going to be a perfect way to transition between each one.

I’m glad that for once, I’m really caught up in a musical drama’s story.

SONG OF THE DAY

“Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People (featured during their morning exercise in episode 7) [download]

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Hilariously, on the next day for morning exercises, it’s Jae Hun all dressed up and ready to go, and trying to make Do Sung get up from bed. Do Sung won’t get out from under his covers, and keeps waving Jae Hun away. Jae Hun: “Are you sick? If you give me a cold, I’ll kill you!” Aw – such a nice roomie.

As soon as Jae Hun’s gone, Do Sung quickly makes a desperate phone call to his uncle.

The freshmen gather in a studio and partner up, one person sitting with their feet crossed and leaning down, and the other person behind them, pushing down their knees or back to help them stretch. Cheon Jin (or more like Chang Jin – I keep messing up his name) sees Mr. Born to Dance leaning on top of Chae Young, and he immediately pulls the guy off, and switches him out with Ka Young. Heh. Meanwhile, tiny Tae Hee is paired up with tall Jae Hun, and she’s slapping him in the back, trying to force him to stretch out further down.

Chang Jin calls for all of them to switch – revenge time! Jae Hun gets on top of her – not in that way! – and Tae Hee collapses completely. Jae Hun freaks – did he hurt her!? He peeks down to her face, and she suddenly pops up. Surprise! She’s amazed he’s so enthusiastic over morning exercise now. Jae Hun: “I’m a changed man now!”

Then Chang Jin tells them to change positions – one person below facing up, the other person on top, helping them stretch their legs over their shoulder. Tae Hee is below; Jae Hun gets on top of her – yes in that way! – but then the two realize just how close their faces are… When Chang Jin calls for left leg to be on top of their partner’s shoulder, Jae Hun and Tae Hee gulp awkwardly and look away. (Am I the only one giggling and blushing for these two!?)

Red hot car drives up to campus – it’s Jung Myung Hwan. Sun-Man comes racing out of the building and drags Myung Hwan inside – he’s late for class! Sun-Man announces to the class that they’re going to have a wonderful guest teacher for voice lessons today, the great Jung Myung Hwan! While Myung Hwan sputters out a feeble denial, Sun-Man plows on about how Myung Hwan was a junior who went to Germany and studied opera. But now that he’s back in Korea, he’s decided to teach because he’s got nothing better to do. Introductions done, Sun-Man races out the door.

Myung Hwan chases after him, and the two play a tug of war with the door. Sun-Man threatens his friend: if Myung Hwan refuses to teach, he will release incriminating photos of Myung Hwan with different girls to his fiancee and college sweetheart. Myung Hwan loses; the students stare at him; Sun-Man jams the door outside with a mop for good measure.

Myung Hwan asks if anyone has a question about vocal training, to which Jae Hun raises his hand. He wants to know if it’s possible for a man to sing if he’s never sung before. Myung Hwan cries out – how could the guy never have sung?! But Jae Hun’s quite serious, so Myung Hwan swallows his protest. Chae Young gives Jae Hun a long sideways look.

In his office, Sun-Man calls up the Chancellor of the school, the one who convinced him to come back. He wants to know the identity of Eun Hae’s relative already, but the Chancellor holds back on the details. She won’t tell him until he’s a mature professor who won’t show favoritism towards a student, and who can stand back on stage and sing.

Back in class, Myung Hwan asks if Jae Hun has ever spoken; he has Jae Hun come up to him at the piano and repeat some lines loudly and emphatically. Then he sings out one line, and expects Jae Hun to repeat. (Oh my goodness, Jae Hun sings!) With some hesitation, Jae Hun tries to copy, but lets his voice peter out at the end. Myung Hwan continues, but Jae Hun is too scared to sing along, so he continues playing the same notes for the next line over and over again until Jae Hun sings.

When Jae Hun finally sings, he reveals to the class his deep, strong voice, still laced with some hesitance and insecurity. Myung Hwan sings with him, making it a duet, but he lets Jae Hun finish off the last note. The class breaks into an applause – Jae Hun can sing! Tae Hee and Byeong Gun smile with happiness and admiration for him. [download of episode rip, unedited]

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Heading back to the dorms, Jae Hun can’t stop singing to Tae Hee, and she hands over a tonic and some oranges. Jae Hun thinks it’s a gift for him, but it’s actually for Do Sung. (His heart drops a teeny bit.)

He then asks if her father was present during their show, and she replies that he was – in the form of a picture that she put on a seat. He had passed away last May (indicating that it’s been a year since the accident), and that she was very close to him because her mother had disappeared when she was 3. She adds that her father was hit by a truck. It makes Jae Hun feel so guilty for asking that he asks her to hit him on the head (which cheers her up a bit), and then later thinks back to his own accident… Needless to say, he has the nightmare again.

The next day, Byeong Gun waits around the front of Sun-Man’s office. He jumps away as the door opens to reveal Myung Hwan and Sun-Man arguing; Sun-Man wants him to teach for a full semester!? Byeong Gun seeks Myung Hwan’s advice (which gives Sun-Man the perfect escape) because he knows how to sing – but just can’t sing in front of others. Yep, Jung Myung Hwan – you are now saddled with the responsibility of solving every little problem of young twenty-somethings – fun!

Chae Young and Prof. Yang have a photo session in one of the practice studios with the annoying photographer/reporter. As they pose by the piano, Chae Young fawns over the professor by making sure her hair is perfect. That’s also when the reporter asks if Sun-Man is going out with a student. He had seen something, but a teacher-student relationship would be really bad for the school, wouldn’t it? He asks for another favor – can he have a list of students in the musical department?

This is one bit of juicy gossip for Chae Young against this professor who kept picking on her.

Sun-Man heads to the storage room for his secret stash of soju. However, it’s missing. “Are you looking for this?” It’s Doo Ri – and she’s already drunk from drinking half the bottle herself. He angrily takes it from her, asking how she knows so much about him. She tells him to shut up and then says, “I think I’m in love with you.”

Sun-Man’s response? He takes her to the men’s room and dunks her head into a sink full of water several times. When she appears lucid, he tests her with some multiplication tables. Doo Ri retorts that she didn’t say she liked him because she was drunk, but that she got drunk so that she could have the courage to say it. Sun-Man thinks all this love stuff is nonsense; Doo Ri: “How do you know it’s nonsense? Have you tried it?” She is willing to try loving him, and she’ll figure out for herself if it’s nonsense or not.

She leaves the bathroom – face soaking wet – and bumps into Byeong Gun and Yang’s assistant moving a bench. They think nothing of it until they see Sun-Man come out as well, and then realize that it was the men’s bathroom. UH-OH…

Do Sung’s uncle arrives at the school, expecting to whisk Do Sung away immediately. But Do Sung isn’t packed; he still needs to attend Prof. Yang’s afternoon class! The arrival of the reporter has threatened his security in the school, and they know that his mother’s high-profile political life may be over if news leaks. The reporter also has a reputation for playing dirty and digging deep. The uncle wants to bring Do Sung overseas for school, but his nephew likes Haneul Arts. He actually has a friend here! (And by “friend,” I’m pretty sure he’s referring to Tae Hee.) His uncle says friends are overrated, but Do Sung didn’t even have that so-called “overrated friendship” growing up.

Prof. Yang hands over the student roster to her assistant to give to the reporter. But her assistant is lost in thought, wondering if it’s possible that Sun-Man is having a little affair with Doo Ri. Her other assistant – Jeong Dae – comes in and nervously tells Prof. Yang that Sun-Man won’t wake up no matter how much he knocks. It’s possible Sun-Man is drunk again… and he’s late for class.

That’s ok for his students though, because Byeong Gun is doing an excellent job imitating Sun-Man and his pickiness. He’s like that nervous joker who tries hard to make everyone laugh, but is so endearing.

Sun-Man is curled up in his sleeping bag in his office, dreaming of the fateful night his love Park Eun Hae ran to him across the street, and was hit suddenly by a car. He rolls off his cot and groggily turns off his alarm by throwing it at the wall. Prof. Yang comes in, raging at him while he’s trying to sit up due to a severe hangover. It’s perfect that she came to his office, because he has a favor to ask: can she sub for him tomorrow? He has somewhere to go and it’s quite far away.

Prof. Yang steps in close; if he is late one more time or skips a class for any reason at all, she will make sure he gets fired. Connections to the Chancellor be damned – she has her own connections too.

So Sun-Man stumbles into class, barely walking straight and reeking of alcohol. He has the lights turned down, and then seats two chairs facing each other. They’re going to learn about the emotion “anger.” He calls over Ji Eun and another student to sit in the chairs and get mad at each other. They just have to create a scenario themselves, and get mad at each other. Ji Eun confronts her partner – why hasn’t he paid her back? She wants her money now!

Unfortunately, her acting isn’t convincing, and the whole class ends up laughing.

Meanwhile, Yang’s assistant searches online about the ramifications of professors dating students. She gets caught by Prof. Yang, and so outside the office, she’s forced to admit that she saw Sun-Man leaving the bathroom with Doo Ri. This just confirms Prof. Yang’s fears, and what the reporter had told her. And speak of the devil – the reporter was just around the corner, having heard everything. “I told you so!” he gloats gleefully to the two ladies.

Back in class, Doo Ri volunteers herself to try the “anger” experiment. She doesn’t know whom she should address, so Sun-Man throws out her father. Doo Ri starts off by reminding her father that she’s his daughter. He only comes home 4 times a year, so he’s probably forgotten about her grandparents, her mother, and even herself. However, she stops midway; she can’t get mad at her father because she’s never expected much from him. His abandonment is like nothing to her.

Sun-Man tells her to go stand at the corner facing the wall. When she can remove the cloak that she uses as a shield for her emotions, then she come back and talk to him.

He picks his next target: Tae Hee. Jae Hun quickly pulls out Tae Hee’s father’s picture so that he may “watch” her act. Sun-Man orders her to get angry with her father. Tae Hee taps into her unresolved issue with her father: how he promised to take her to England but never did. That just pisses off Sun-Man, who’s already impatient with the class. They’re not tapping into their real emotion of anger. They’re just picking shallow issues to be angry about.

He creates a scenario for Tae Hee – what if her father were sitting right there, unable to look at her in the eye, unable to speak to her? What is going on? Why can’t her father – who’s never gotten mad at her – all of a sudden uncommunicative? Tae Hee remembers a time when he was like that, when her aunt had died.

Sun Man gives her a curious look… Thinking they might have something here, he urges her to keep going. She continues telling her imaginary father that he should not have done it again; he should have told her that he was leaving. He should have told her that he was sorry towards her.

Those words echo with Sun-Man – because Eun Hae had told him the same thing before she died. However, he goads Tae Hee – is her father her employee where he has to report to her everything he’s doing? Tae Hee yells back, with tears: “I didn’t die!”

A flashback of Eun Hae saying that she’s not dead yet, and her time isn’t over yet. She can go back to acting if she wants, because she’s still talented. She’s just working right now as a teacher for Sun-Man’s sake…

Back in the present, Sun-Man yells at Tae Hee to stop crying. This isn’t a diary entry where she can feel survivor’s guilt and cry. She’s supposed to get angry! Jae Hun stands up, unable to take it anymore. He doesn’t want Sun-Man to continue yelling at Tae Hee. Sun-Man banishes Tae-Hee to the corner with Doo Ri, and then calls for Jae Hun to come down for the exercise. Jae Hun refuses.

Sun Man: “Why? I think you have a lot to say. Your mother is sitting right here.” Jae Hun: “Let’s not talk about my mother.”

Ooh – Sun-Man’s hit a nerve. He continues: “I don’t think the man who came was your father. Women who obsess over their sons usually do it because their husbands have left them.” Jae Hun rushes down from his seat and right up to Sun-Man’s face, balling his fist. He warns Sun-Man not to go further, but Sun-Man tells him to get angry at his mother instead, not him.

Furious, Jae Hun tosses the chair across the room and glares at Sun-Man. Fine – he dares Sun-Man to trash talk his mother some more. He doesn’t care if he gets kicked out anymore – so Sun-Man can just keep on going!

Sun-Man walks up close to Jae Hun’s face. Now that is real anger. He tells Jae Hun to never forget that emotion he just felt. Heh – I knew that was coming, where Sun-Man just played Jae Hun for his own purpose.

Sun-Man: People say the stage is a fake world. No way. It’s the stage where it has to be real. Everyone is watching there. You can’t fool them. It’s harder to find the real stuff in the real world. Everyone is just full of crap. So whenever you feel real emotions, remember it well. It’s really precious.

One part sad, one part true, and 100% insightful. His words clearly have an effect on Do Sung.

The Chancellor shares a cup of tea with the security guard, who’s quite the tea connoisseur. He’s curious as to how the Chancellor got Sun-Man out of the mountains. She said that he wanted to come out, but because he felt so guilty towards Eun-Hae, he couldn’t. All she did was call him down, and he came.

Sun-Man stands alone on the school’s stage, thinking about his conversation with Eun Hae. She calls him twisted, because he’s breaking up with her so that she can pursue her own dreams of acting rather than working to support Sun-Man. She’s losing so much just by loving him; it’s a twisted version of the Noble Idiot syndrome. It’s also appropriate that they speak of these feelings truthfully while on an empty stage with a set behind them.

Sun-Man returns to reality – and he sees Doo Ri sitting in the front row, watching him. He ignores her, and she begs him to teach her how to shed that “cloak.” Sun-Man tells her to figure it out on her own, and she wonders if he just doesn’t want to teach her, or if he doesn’t know the answer to that as well. She thinks he’s wearing a “cloak” too, and therefore is unable to tap into his true emotions.

He thinks she’s flirting with him. She thinks he’s scared of something. All she wants is to learn acting from him, for the first time in her life. She dramatically grabs him by the t-shirt and begs him to help her. Sun-Man: “You must have been fooled.”

And several rows back, the reporter snaps a picture in that specific angle so it looks like the two were kissing and having an intimate moment.

Do Sung stares off into space, and Jae Hun has to snap him awake to pay for all the drinks and chocolate for Tae Hee. He gives tips to Do Sung on how to cheer a girl up (with chocolates), and how to repay her kindness for giving him a tonic. Jae Hun: “I’m such a great guy – I even take care of my roommate’s love life!”

He turns around and finds Do Sung gone. Do Sung has gone to hide behind one of the aisles because the reporter just arrived. He asks the girl at the counter (who’s also the president of Soo Bin’s fan club) if there’s a cold drink that’s not soda. “What do you mean a ‘cold drink that’s not soda’?” she snaps. “I don’t know such drink – go look for it yourself!” HAHA – yes! Someone has finally rendered the reporter speechless!

Later on, Do Sung sits on the steps, thinking about what to do. The ghost appears behind him and mimics his every movement of frustration. Do Sung decides to call his uncle…but then hangs up right away. To stay or leave?!

Soo Bin goes down to the piano hall and finds Tae Hee sitting there, playing a song by herself and then crying. He sits down next to her; he’s never cried in front of a piano since he was 11. It amazes him that there is someone out there who can still cry because of a song at this age, and he’s a little jealous.

Soo Bin comes up with a little melody that describes Tae Hee – playful and fast, but also strong in tone because she’s also strong and persistent. Tae Hee is impressed – he can come up with melodies describing people off the top of his head?! Soo Bin thought everyone could do that, but he says it so unassumingly that he doesn’t even come off as an arrogant ass. He then plays a little melody describing Sun-Man – it starts out with simple notes, and then gets a little darker when describing his drunken state, and then ends with one very low note – Sun-Man throwing up after hungover. I love that there’s a little cartoon describing the different states of Sun-Man through the melody!

Jae Hun heads back towards the dorms and bumps into Chae Young. She advises him to watch out for Sun-Man, because he has a past. Jae Hun: “Do I have to know a guy’s past?” She links arms with him and wants him to escort her to the piano hall; Soo Bin hasn’t been paying her enough attention, so she wants to make him jealous. How pathetic is this?

Chae Young also knows that Jae Hun is interested in Tae Hee. The thing is, Sun-Man was kicked off the stage 5 years ago because of a girl, and now he’s seducing a student that is possibly Tae Hee. Jae Hun is confused – why on earth do girls make up random rumors!?

They go into the hall, and Chae Young is furious to see Soo Bin and Tae Hee spending quality time together at the piano. She leaves the room, complaining that she hates those innocent looking kind of girls who then make other guys take care of them. They play several guys at once and then pretend they don’t know that they’re doing it. If it’s true that Tae Hee is the student involved with Sun-Man, then it’s obvious who started it. Jae Hun yells at her to stop talking about things they don’t know anything about.

Urgh – she can be so hateful!!

In the computer room, Doo Ri hunts Byeong Gun down. He knows a lot about musicals, right? She wants to know about Sun-Man’s past. Ok then – does she want to know the stuff that’s on the internet, or the other side of the story? Byeong Gun has crazy connections with people who are in the arts and culture industry, or will be in the industry (thanks to his family’s high status). He quickly texts someone he knows for the full story…

Back in the day, Sunwoo Young was a musical prodigy, and everything he did led to sold out shows. He was dating Park Eun Hae, who came from the drama department. Both were equally talented, but he got more popular than she did. Rumor had it she was holding him back. (Byeong Gun then asks if Doo Ri likes Sun-Man, and she says she does. He’s surprised to hear that she’s serious, because they’re a teacher and student!) So Sun-Man dumped Eun Hae because he felt pressured when she gave up her acting dreams to make money for him, since he was broke. Then he got the lead role in a Broadway play after auditioning, but he didn’t go…

In the restroom, Prof. Yang approaches the Chancellor, who’s washing her hands. She wants to talk off the record: she thinks Sun-Man is having a thing with a student. The Chancellor doesn’t believe it for a second. But if Prof. Yang thinks it’s a big issue, the Chancellor will speak to Sun-Man about it. She also reminds Prof. Yang that tomorrow is Eun Hae’s death anniversary, so Sun-Man will be going to her grave. She asks Prof. Yang the favor to sub for him tomorrow. Prof. Yang can’t deny this request; especially since it appears that she had favored Eun Hae as a student.

Meanwhile Sun-Man sees Do Sung trying to leave the school. Yang’s assistants try to convince him to just take a year off, or if he has no money, to just work in the summer. But Do Sung wants to leave; if he leaves, all his records would be eliminated right? Sun-Man barges in. There could only be three reasons why Do Sung wants to leave so badly: 1) he’s a wanted fugitive; 2) he was scouted by an agency who then told him to leave school; or 3) Do Sung is just giving up.

He doesn’t really wait for Do Sung’s answer, and just informs the assistants that Myung Hwan will be teaching his 9am class tomorrow (even though he hasn’t really told Myung Hwan face to face yet. Ha!)

That evening some students are practicing dances, Soo Bin is trying to compose a new song, some students are doing CGI work, Jae Hun is practicing how to spin outside, Chang Jin finishes his training and wishes his poster of Chae Young good night, and Do Sung takes out his Hades mask. When he puts it on, he can hear the screams for Hades. But he reminds himself that Hades is dead, and the screams die down. As if tamping down his dreams, he repeats to himself that he’s dead.

Suddenly we’re in a flashback, where Sun-Man is auditioning for his role on Broadway. Oh Man Suk singing! (The song is “Springtime” from the play “The Organ in My Heart.”) [download partly edited episode rip]

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Eun Hae contacts Sun-Man that she wants to meet him at a cafe at 6. She will wait all night if she has to, because they really need to talk. Sun-Man thinks she’s just being clingy, and reminds her that he’s going to New York. He hangs up on her, with no confirmation on whether he’ll meet her or not.

She waits all night, and after his celebration with some musical producers, Sun-Man decides to finally head over and meet her. She spots him from across the street. Excitedly, she runs out… and right into an oncoming car. Sun-Man yells for her too late, and she tumbles onto the car and down on the street. He waits in the hospital, his shirt bloodied, and the doctor informs him he did all he could, but she died. Because she was 4 months pregnant (!!!!!!) she sustained greater injuries.

AGHHHHHHHHH – Sun-Man just inadvertently caused the death of his lover and baby!!!!!!!

Jae Hun goes running at the “steps of friendship” to complete his rounds honestly, except this time he senses a spirit near him. He turns around, and he sees the ghost!! The ghost smiles, then points to somewhere far in the distance. Jae Hun tries to shoo it away, but the ghost insists on pointing at that location. So Jae Hun looks – and there’s nothing but trees. Jae Hun turns back, and the ghost is gone!! But, curious, he goes to check out that area. It’s a full moon… and he’s walking into the Forbidden Forest…

He hears some whimpers, and… it’s Lord Voldemort! Kidding – it’s Sun-Man, totally drunk.

Back at the dorms, Do Sung is quietly taking out his belongings to his uncle and the van. He’s made two trips already, and the uncle worries that Do Sung will get caught if he makes one more trip for more stuff. That’s when he hears Jae Hun calling for him, dragging along a drunk Sun-Man. His uncle tries to get him to run to the car, but after a moment’s indecision, Do Sung goes to help Jae Hun.

The nurse’s office being closed, Jae Hun had no choice but to drag Sun-Man to their dorm room, and dump him on his bed. (Jae Hun has one cute doggie pillow.) That’s when Jae Hun realizes that Do Sung’s stuff are all packed – is his roomie running away because of debt?

Suddenly Sun-Man stands up, looking dark. “I killed her…so don’t start with me! I killed two people… I’m a serial killer…” Um – that’s kinda freaky, having a teacher suddenly say all this. But then Sun-Man starts wanting to throw up. Hehe! Do Sung gets saddled with cleaning out the bucket in the bathroom. He also has to call his uncle – maybe they should leave tomorrow?

That night, Sun-Man sleeps on Jae Hun’s bed, Jae Hun on Do Sung’s bed, and Do Sung on the floor in the middle. He lies awake, and hears Sun-Man ask for water. Sun-Man doesn’t remember his name, but when Do Sung introduces himself as a musical student, he mumbles that Do Sung is unlucky to have him as a teacher. Do Sung quickly assures him it’s not true. Even though Sun-Man didn’t want them to take notes, he takes them after class. His favorite lesson? The one about feeling real emotions, and how the world may be fake, but on the stage you have to make it real.

Sun-Man’s already fallen asleep again, but Jae Hun’s eyes are open, listening.

The next morning, Byeong Gun calls Doo Ri down early. He shows her an article on the phone…

The news has spread – the photo of Sun-Man and Doo Ri in the auditorium has become headline news. All the students are abuzz, discussing it, and even Chae Young is curious over the identity of this 19-year old student. Sun-Man reads the article in his office; he’s in deep shit.

Comments:

First off – I think this drama is carrying out the teacher-student controversy that You’ve Fallen for Me had in a better manner. The one in You’ve Fallen For Me was a weak setup, and it lead to a fast conclusion (where Song Chang Ui‘s character quits the school to protect Park Shin Hye). However here, the whole incident was based on a misinterpreted photo, and there are no mixed signals between teacher and student. Sun-Man clearly does not like Doo Ri; Doo Ri clearly likes him, but isn’t really pursuing him. The consequences (I hope) will be dealt in a more satisfying and complex manner. I can see Sun-Man denying it, but I can also see him not, and dealing with the problem his own way. (I didn’t watch the preview for the next episodes, so I’m just assuming away!)

Plus, the characters are facing a formidable opponent in the form of a relentless journalist acting outside of all the other characters’ motives.

I’m satisfied with the way they’ve handled Sun-Man’s backstory because he holds enough guilt and anger to make him the bitter, jaded star he is today. He has enough experience to properly teach his students how to emote from a real place, so the students really are lucky to have him. Despite his abrasiveness, it’s obvious each student wants to learn from him. I do think Doo Ri’s desire to learn is definitely clouded with the fact that she thinks she likes Sun-Man. I think all she really craves is attention and comfort from an older father figure, because her father was never around; therefore, Sun-Man acted in a caring way in episode 6, which made her think that it was love.

As for Chae Young, her thoughts about that “innocent girl who beguiles all men” are thoughts that we as viewers usually would have about a character. She must encounter a lot of those kinds of girls in the film industry to make her hate them, and that indicates that she’s not “that kind” of girl. She just beguiles men and knows it. It’s a little sad to see her as such a cynical woman, but it’s also very hateful of her to spread unnecessary rumors. At least it doesn’t work on Jae Hun; that provides some relief because there’s hope for avoiding unnecessary misunderstandings.

On to the mini stories: in episode 7, Yang Soo Jung visits Sun-Man’s home in the mountains, only to run into some bee hives. She screams through the front door and then calls out for Sun-Man. A figure rises from the bed under the covers; Sun-Man stumbles out of bed, sees her, and cries out “Yang Soo Jung-ahjumma!!” Hehe. For episode 8, Jae Hun works at a gas station, and while working he memorizes some English words. Meanwhile Do Sung is in an English class as well, but instead of paying attention he composes a new song.

Onward ho!

(On another note: here’s Jo Jeong Suk singing quite confidently in front of an audience.)

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Oh Man Seok definitely OWNED these episodes. I definitely will watch him in his play/musical in Seoul next time!! Right @hjkomo!!

And of course, I was swooning, flailing and giggling over Im Joo Hwan's short singing exercise. I know the time will come when Jae Heon will sing for Tae Yi.. I know it has to happen.. Heeeeeee ~ !!! More fangirl squeals!!!

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For anybody who is curious as to what the song Jae Heon sang during the class.. It's called 담배 from the Korean musical "Singles".

Here is the whole song..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQZVlTWzWJM&feature=related

And this is the cut from the musical
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5Av2YGLQHY&feature=related

I want the OST of What's Up so badly!!

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I want the opening beat!! It is dope!! (As we used to say)!!

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I didn't know I had a fangirl mode, but I totally was in it when he started singing. Loving him and this drama to bits.

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LJH totally brought me over the dark side of fangirling. Loving this drama a lot too. I hope we get an OST soon!

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Thanks for the recap!

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i can't stand chae young. that is 1 character in the drama that is spoiling this drama. though if know kdramas likes to have 1-2 bad/spiteful characters in their plots, but this gal ... she really took the icing on the cake.

the minute she shows her face on tv, i'm so tempted to fast forward if not for the other characters in the drama acting opposite her. sad to say, but i definitely did a lot of fast forwarding in the next 2 episodes due to her.

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agree! she's the only one in this drama that I can't stand. if she at least were an interesting villain, but she is actually quite predictable.

Don't understand why the others don't stand up more to her (although I'm very glad Jae Hee called her out on her fake rumours), because some of them have come to see that she's playing evil games.

But heck, I don't quite understand why the first years don't stand up to the older students generally - only Jae Hee has been making clear that he has his own mind and isn't a dumb sheep. Doo Ri is veering more in that direction (and definitely so in episode 9), but the other characters?

Love love this show though.

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Ah ! I thought the same about the bullying of first year students. Rub me the wrong way, i will do the opposite i'm asked. Seriously, everyone is here to learn, not for losing sleep at night because a baby dictator. I would have Tazered the guy in the ass and made a clear announce to kill the crap in the egg and warn the others : Doo Ri and Jae Hee are really the characters i rely myself to. Respect is earned, not imposed.

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Yeah, I was thinking maybe it's just because of that rebellious streak in me that I don't get it. I might not confront the guy, but I would just ignore him - like not show up, walk away in the middle of any ridiculous command, etc.

In high school I would definitely do the opposite of what the crowd was doing so for me that kind of scenario is just... ughhhh!

But yeah, that's why totally love Jae Hee's and Doo Ri's characters.

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I am LOVING this show so so much! There's so much music, whod've thunk? I wish you included a rip of Tae Hee's song, though, it was so hauntingly beautiful. But a great recap nonetheless so thanks, Kaedejun.

It's weird that I'm so interested in ALL the characters, even Chae Young, because there's so much depth in them. I do feel like the episodes are too short at cable's standard 40+ mins, as I understood that they were originally filmed to accommodate the usual 60+ mins for network. It feels like they did the best they could in the cutting room, but it does leave me clamoring for a Director's Cut. The transitions aren't that jarring and they seem to be doing a good job at maintaining focus, despite the numerous intersecting storylines.

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I second the motion for a Director's Cut! Each episode is almost fantastic; the only thing holding it back is that missing 1/3 of the story. It's not just the scene transitions, but the fact that characters aren't being fleshed out enough and plot points are getting just a bit hurried. Imagine if we had the whole thing, it would be great. It's a pity this had to happen to a drama this good, and a preproduced one at that, since the writer can't adapt the story to the timeslot.

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If they DO release a Director's Cut, it will be the second time it happens to Im Joo Hwan (the first being Tamra the Island). Poor boy. He does seem to have a knack for choosing great projects that allow him to showcase his immense talent, only to have the broadcasting station unceremoniously hack off bits and pieces of it to accommodate ratings (as in Tamna) or airtime (as with this). I hope he comes back from the army with a project that's not only a critical success but a commercial one as well.

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Like you said, poor guy. I haven't seen Tamra, but I'm blown away by his nuanced, sincere emoting in What's Up. He deserves to be a much bigger star. Let's hope after army duty he lands a project that'll get him some recognition.

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I would love a Director's Cut!!!

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it was weird the 40-45 min / show, but since i watch it in on shot (last night) I say Thanks! this way I could sleep 4 hours last night :)
I Love this show, it's so much better than You've Fallen for me, or the Musical (actually I think that What's up? deserves the name "Musical" ).

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This show is SO GOOD, even though it's missing 1/3 of the story due to the cuts (Grrr, I hate this station for cutting out 20 minutes of running time).

By the way, there really is great chemistry between Professor Sun Woo Young and Doo Ri.

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Whoops, I mean Prof. Sun Man. The English subs call him Sun Woo Young. Weird.

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it actually is sun woo young, just that kaedejun refers to him as sun-man in the recaps.

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i would totally buy it if they released a director's cut. i'd really like to see the whole story and not just the "meatiest" parts that they pieced together due to the time constraints.

the chemistry between the two really is awesome, however one-sided and impossible it actually is.

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Never say never. Who knows ? :)

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Yay! Thanks, kaedejun!

I liked You've Fallen for Me, but this story actually has an interesting plot...well, plots, so I'll probably watch it once it's over.

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Thanks for the double recap, Kaedejun!

This is really a terrific drama - it just flows from episode to episode. Have to say that the editing is still rather jarring to me. There's very little segue between scenes to aid in transitioning, and I get the feeling that some of the chopped/dropped dialogue could have been integral to the understanding of the scene. 'Abrupt' is the only way I can describe it.

Other than that, I'm in love with these characters - even the insecure, bitchy actress. I also am impressed at how neatly (and quickly!) various storylines are wrapped up as we move into new territory. Kudos to the writer(s)!
:)

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I truly admire how Oh Man Seok interprets his character - he SHINES in these 2 episodes.

He manages to instill fun in a unique sarcastic, ridiculous way acting with his guest teacher Myung Hwan. His handling of timing, subtle/huge emotion transitions etc, brings much meaning/weight to his acting. It is so satisfying to watch him, and his singing...wow! precious!!

Most main characters do well so far...with one or two exceptions maybe...

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am totally enjoying this drama... i find the kids adorably talented and i like the JH-TH pairing... they are so cute...and yes. Oh Man Seok is owning his role here... thanks for the recaps...

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I was kinda disappointed with these last two episodes. Everything was great until Doo Ri suddenly confesses her undying love for Sun Woo Young. I was like...wth? All he did was comfort her and now she suddenly loves him?where did that come from? She definitely lost some cool points.

I think there could have been a better intro to the conflict about the student-teach thing, instead of Doo Ri claiming her love for her teacher, it's just too sudden and doesn't seem believable.

I can't wait to get back to Byung Gun's story. He's always fun. What I'm surprised about is that he didn't get in trouble with that girl when Chae Young blamed everything on him though...

Even though I hate Chae Young, I can understand why she'd hate girls like that. The sad thing is that in drama land, those are the only girls that get the guys, unless she's a anti-hero or something. It kinda gets old. I think that's the only reason I don't like Kim Ji Won's character. She's so innocent and sweet and nice so that's why every guy like her. But her character makes up for it by being quirky and fun I guess.

Idk, I still like the show, but I'm starting to see some tiny plot holes.

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Chae Young totally lacks any self-confidence. Sadly, she doesn't realise that her manipulative/fake way of behaving is sabotaging herself a lot more than other girls (like Tae Hee or the girl who had the solo) would.

I don't think innocent, sweet and nice girls get all the guys or that every guy likes her. Even if they do, it's not Tae Hee's fault - because, unlike Chae Young says, Tae Hee isn't after them. It's pretty clear who she likes (although I don't think she's quite realised it yet).

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Although I don't agree with Chae Young's reasons for disliking Park Tae Hee, I don't like her either. Especially from episode 8 onward. She is always so helpless, needy, and naive that it just grinds on me + the actress is no good.

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Just watched episode 10 and am starting to agree with you.

It's actually a little disappointing - like they going about developing her character in a very cliché way. Would have preferred to see Tae Hee innocent and quirky, but with her own mind, right now she's becoming a silly puppet - and that's not exactly how she was presented in the first few episodes. She's got some very good friends (and she should be aware of that already) so why is she ignoring them and pretending to be besties with Chae Young? You'd think someone like would value loyalty a bit more.

Loving Doo Ri and Jae Hun. And Do Sung and Byeong Gun. But either Jae Hun or Do Sung will need to have his heart broken, no? They both do like Tae Hee, or not?

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Even if she doesn't do it on purpose, does it really mean it's not her fault?
I mean, it's not that I think that it's wrong of her to "beguile multiple guys". But in this episode, Chae Young's boyfriend is clearly flirting with her, and she plays along. In this instance, I think, her obliviousness and innocence IS a fault.
Of course, Soo Bin is also responsible. But so is Tae Hee! And I think Chae Young hating her for that is understandable.

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I feel like this drama is way too underrated. Out of the musical/music related dramas released in 2011, this is definitely the winner of the bunch

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Does anyone know if there is an OST for this drama or if there will be one in the near future? I loved the song Tae Hee was playing/singing at the piano.

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Thanks for the recap! I'm really enjoying the show.

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YAY!!! I can't get over how awesome this drama is. I hope it continues to be good till the end.

Although, I am in episode 10 now and I am starting to really get annoyed at Park Tae Hee's character. All the other characters seem to have so much depth, but she is just bleh, especially in the later episodes. It's like the writers ran out of ideas and pulled that stereotypical cute, bubbling, stupid, clumsy, always-needing-to-be-protected-but-super-kind-at-kind troupe. It doesn't help that the actress perpetually has the same freaking expression in her face. Every-time she is on screen, I can't wait for her part to be over. Anyone else feel like that?

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*trope

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I love the stories in this drama.

I find it interesting how SunMan becomes the Sun in the musical department. The students will have to depend on him ..he is their guiding light lol.

Another thing I like is how the stories of SunMan are similar to the students in a way.

JaeHun inadvertly causing the death of TaeHee's dad. SunMan with EunHae's death....

Doori's acting expectations by her mother...SunMan might be the only decent man to be the father figure.

DoSung maybe becoming more confident about performing thanks to SunMan.

As for Chae Young, she has a vendetta towards nice girls it seems. Or those aeygo girls who get what they want. She's a villain that struggles. I look forward to more revelations about her as well as her fall/metamorphosis to someone more real,

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I love the contrast when Soo Bin is with Chae Young vs Tae Hee. Soo bin seems gentle and sweet with Tae Hee and with Chae Young, he's opposite.

The vocal teacher is cute and loved his voice. Thanks for the episode rips :) Woot, hope to hear Jae Hun singing more in the future :) YEAAAAAH! Such a touching scene.

That reporter is super annoying. I know it's a campus but he needs to be banned.

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Aaaaggghhh. I was really hoping they wouldn't go there for Sun-man's reason. I find that reasoning unbelievably lame and doing a diservice to the dead. Such a poor excuse as he's just dealing with an odd survivor's guilt because she failed at basic "Look both ways before crossing". I was really hoping it was something more substantial, like he had to get secret surgery or overstrained his voice and didn't want anyone to know.

Otherwise I find the "I like teacher" thing came on really fast, but at least this situation is compelling. Only issue is I have this niggling feeling it'll somehow turn into a mistaken faux-incest with all the talk about her father. Just has that feeling.

Still, thanks for the recap kaedejun! Hoping the "I blame myself cause my lover failed basic street safety" thing blows over quickly.

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Was wondering the same with the 'mistaken faux-incest' thing....

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It's HanWOOL school, Not HanEUL.

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So far in Episode 9 I've heard Le Freak, an '80s disco hit; one of my favorite ballads from Jesus Christ Superstar (a '70s musical) and a song from the early 90's by Shakespeare's Sister.

Major, major props, music picker. Major.

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I really really love this drama. I was shocked to see eps 9 and 10 already up. It just keeps getting better.

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this was such a good drama that i was complaining hard that it wasn't picked up by the main broadcasting stations! although it may not really be liked by all people because of the darkness/gloomy feeling of it especially since a lot of teens nowadays like the light and vibrant dramas like rom-coms and this is opposite of Dream High in some kind of a way...

i demand the director's cut!

and for the love of God, if there's volume 2 since the title is "What's Up Vol. 1", i'm hoping that it will be picked by the main broadcasting stations...

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"He hears some whimpers, and… it’s Lord Voldemort!! Kidding – it’s Sun-Man"...I LMAO here

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Thanks a lot for recap! I tottaly LOVE Prof. Sun Woo and Do Sung! :)

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Reading through some of these comments, I'm surprised by some of the dislike/hate that Park Tae Hee is receiving for being a shallow cliche character. I think she's perfectly fine the way she is considering entirety of the rest of the cast. She's the character that brings in a lot of the light-hearted fluffy feelings that I quite enjoy compared to other characters like Doo Ri. Both of these girls, in my opinion, are awesome and they're both completely different from each other. They handle each of their issues in their own way so I don't expect Tae Hee to suddenly become another Doo Ri.

She has her own problems that she has yet to deal with (eg. feelings of guilt in regards to her father's death while she was having fun hanging out with classmates) but she's also very optimistic and compassionate. I think Tae Hee is a wonderful character and I think some people who have some beef with her may not have a lot of things to relate to her with or who have seen other characters with similar traits but have ruined that image with terrible acting. I have experienced this before (eg. Mischievous Kiss) but at least that didn't carry over to other dramas that I've watched.

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Darn, after reading someone else's comment about Tae Hee ignoring her friends for Chae Young I'm completely blown away (a spoiler that I really wasn't expecting). I wonder what Chae Young said her to her to make her act that way. I know that she certainly admires her so she's pretty vulnerable to Chae Young. I think, after whatever Chae Young is planning with Tae Hee is done and over with, Tae Hee will eventually learn what betrayal will really feel like.

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No wonder the poor man is so tortured! No only to witness her death but to feel responsible!! And let's not forget their last conversation as she told him she had something to tell him! No wonder he is a drunk! Drunk with guilt! WOW! A great episode!! Chae Young? Still don't like her.

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Do you have Tae Hee's song available for download?

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