122

Monstar: Episode 8

This week’s episode isn’t for the faint-hearted as we shine the spotlight on Radio and dig into the past that results in his current situation. We still get some cute and winning moments between our leads that prepare us for a more dramatic turn. But what lies ahead makes me nervous for the future and I’m not sure if I have enough nails or courage left for the rest of this series’ run.

SONG OF THE DAY

Kang Eui-shik – “나의 절망을 바라는 당신에게” To You Who Hopes For My Despair
[ Download ]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

EPISODE 8: “To You Who Hopes For My Despair”

The crowd breaks into uproarious applause at Color Bar’s performance, and even All for One is left amazed. The judges are left to deliberate and Seol-chan gets the usual star treatment as soon as the band steps outside.

Nana takes to the roof and she hides her cigarette when Sun-woo comes by. Then we rewind to catch the rest of the conversation at the design studio, and Nana laughs at his assessment of her. She tells him that he’s still got it wrong: “You don’t say things you see, but the things you want to see.”

She tosses out an offhanded remark that she’ll go if Sun-woo hangs out with her ten times. To her surprise, he agrees. Thus he’s here to keep his end of the bargain and lets her decide the logistics of their hangouts (read: dates. Is it just me?). Then he draws closer and snaps the cigarette in his hand—no smoking.

The Vice Principal declares All for One as the winners and speaks over the crowd’s boos saying that mellow music is more suited for the charity concert. Color Bar can hardly believe their ears and trudge out of the auditorium one by one until Kyu-dong and Se-yi are left.

However, Seol-chan is still within earshot to overhear their conversation and he listens as Kyu-dong remains optimistic about the results. It’s enough for him that they got to perform onstage together, he says. “And the kids saw me sing as Park Kyu-dong, not Radio.” Aww.

At least the battle does wonders for Seol-chan’s celebrity image as Manager Hong beams with pride in the car. In his search for headlines, Seol-chan stumbles upon an article which outlines the 40 Symptoms of One-Sided Love.

He quickly becomes engrossed as he reads on and murmurs in agreement about them, like how you hate them one moment and like them the next or hurt by one dismissive comment from them. Ha.

At home, Seol-chan reads a few more until he picks up the phone and contemplates whether to call Se-yi, his thumb hovering over her number.

Se-yi has the same dilemma as she recalls how disappointed Seol-chan looked earlier that day. Just then, Sun-woo calls to check up on her and he’s about to ask her out when she puts him on hold to take another incoming call.

Seol-chan seems surprised that she actually picked up, but it’s not long before he falls back into his usual pettiness, saying how insensitive it was for her to comfort Kyu-dong before him, her seat partner.

Then he oh-so casually says that she should totally make it up to him by taking him to the movies or something tomorrow. Plus, it’s not like he can watch a movie by himself or anything. Smoooooth.

When Se-yi tells him to go watch one with someone else, he lets out an exasperated cry:  “I don’t have anyone to go with!” Now it’s her turn to be annoyed and she angrily hangs up… on both guys. HA.

Se-yi fumbles for an excuse when Sun-woo calls back to ask her out to the movies properly. Then she scoffs in disbelief at the idea that the adored idol star has no one to hang out with.

So she changes her mind and calls Seol-chan, who hilariously lunges for his phone and hurts himself in the process. You’re adorkable. He pretends to be slightly off-put about the not-a-date even though he has this huge grin on his face. Heh.

They meet to watch a movie the next day. Seol-chan’s argument about why they’re sitting in a couple booth cracks me up—it’s all part of being a celebrity to sit in comfortable seating. He tells her to just watch the movie (it’s A Werewolf Boy!). Says the boy wearing shades in a dark theater.

Meanwhile, Nana calls Sun-woo out for their first outing and she’s surprised when he actually turns up. She even keeps a tally on his arm to keep count. They end up at the same dessert cafe Sun-woo and Se-yi ate at last time. Er, isn’t this kinda awkward?

There’s none of the flirty attitude on his end with Nana, who asks why he agreed to hang out with her in the first place. He honestly answers that it’s like doing “a good deed.” Dude, I think this is a little different from earning a few karmic points.

He continues that he used to be a good kid, but ruined a childhood friendship when one of good deeds went awry. So he’s trying to set things right again in the present.

How cute is it that Seol-chan buys Se-yi a lamb doll as a souvenir? She tells him that she already owns a mother and baby pair, to which Seol-chan mutters: “Then just think of it as your lamb boyfriend.” She smiles.

They stop to listen to a street musician (the same one from Episode 4) and Seol-chan takes issue with how Se-yi looks at him admiringly. He asks if she likes guys playing guitars that much. “Aren’t guys who play the piano cooler?”

She explains that they remind her of her father; whenever he played the guitar, it was like he was standing on top of the Himalayas, blocking the wind. “He looked solitary. He didn’t look lonely or lonesome.”

Seol-chan figures that they’re all the same things and she corrects him. Trailing behind her, he asks what the difference is then. Se-yi: “Everybody needs to be lonely, nobody needs to be lonesome, and being solitary makes you cool.”

Then Seol-chan warily asks how hard it is to learn guitar, not that he has time to learn or anything in his busy schedule. But she sees right through him and figures that he does want to learn so he can find out if he looks cool playing on one or not. Smiling, she takes him by the arm.

They head over to a guitar shop and both stiffen when the friendly owner assumes they’re in a relationship. Seol-chan strikes his best guitar-holding pose to impress and Se-yi deadpans, “You don’t look solitary.” As in, not cool.

Placing a hand on the neck of the guitar, she instructs him to strum. It doesn’t work, so he suggests she come around “to the head” and laughs when she takes him literally and stands behind him.

She sits beside him but it’s not much better. Seol-chan wonders aloud: “This always works in the dramas.” Ha, thanks for the meta joke, Show.

Se-yi tries a different approach and takes his hand to pluck a few simple notes. He gulps at the touch but picks it up easily.

Now Se-yi joins in to strum the chords to overlay the notes to Sanulrim’s “Your Memory” She taps the guitar lightly as Seol-chan sings and then joins in song.

They glance at each other as they sing and play together as a unit on the guitar; their voices provide background music for Sun-woo and Nana who watch the same movie.

Seol-chan smiles at Se-yi once they finish their duet, which is when she suddenly rises to leave.

Once they’re outside, Seol-chan balks when he hears that Se-yi had changed her mind because he looked so lonely sitting in the van when they first met.

Seol-chan reminds her that nobody can see through the van’s tinted windows and is taken aback when she replies that she could see. But she means with her heart, and tells him what she thought then—that the boy sitting inside must hate all the attention and the embarrassment and loneliness he feels.

He stutters back, “T-then take responsibility for it.” (In this case, he basically means for her to make it up to him since he went through all that trouble to look cool.) If she thinks it’s too much pressure, she can be his girlfriend for a day.

A sudden cloud of smoke interrupts them. Once it clears, they find themselves face to face with Sun-woo and Nana. Then if it weren’t bad enough, a nearby reporter recognizes Seol-chan and starts snapping photos.

His name is Byun PD, who guesses the idol star is out on a date and he compliments Se-yi before taking her photo as well. Seol-chan steps in to say that she’s not his girlfriend (Se-yi’s face falls), and the tension mounts when he covers the camera lens to get the PD to stop goading them.

That’s when Sun-woo steps forward. He places an arm around Se-yi to assert himself as her boyfriend. He explains they’re all here to see a movie with some friends (and that Seol-chan tagged along), and tells Nana to call them.

Byun PD raises a suspicious eyebrow at this and asks Se-yi if it’s true since it means he’ll have to sincerely apologize for his error. Se-yi casts long silent looks at both boys before she answers that it is true and demands an apology. Gah, I can hear the crashing sound of broken hearts!

It turns out Nana actually did call out the other Color Bar members, who are puzzled about the sudden get-together. Everyone in the theater enjoys the movie apart from the four and Byun PD, who sits in a nearby row, having followed them there.

Afterward, Se-yi wonders why Seol-chan’s denial that they’re an item bothers her so much. As for Seol-chan, he throws his vest at the framed note on the wall, reminded of how quickly she latched onto Sun-woo.

Though Sun-woo’s car whizzes by Se-yi at school the next day, he clucks at her to get her attention. He thinks aloud, wondering what if the two had a date.

He says in an indifferent tone that he was only hanging out with Nana because she was bored, and admits that he was pretty angry with Seol-chan yesterday because he put her in a tight spot. She protests that he didn’t, and Sun-woo turns to face her: “Then why did you look so angry yesterday?”

If it wasn’t because he almost publicly blacklisted her, then what was it?  But before she can answer, Nana walks in between them and casts a dark look at Se-yi. Sun-woo tells her to receive an apology from Seol-chan, regardless.

In the classroom, the Color Bar members beam silently at the student’s excitement over their performance. Eun-ha pops in join in with them, but falls silent when they ask what role she plays.

Seol-chan and Se-yi meet in his van to talk after lunch. He apologizes for getting her involved in this mess and speaks from personal experience when he says she could be angry at the false rumors when there’s nothing going on between them.

He vows to make sure it doesn’t happen again, but those words irk her, and Se-yi partly blames herself for thinking she could go out to eat and watch a movie among friends. “I forgot that you’re a particularly special person.”

The air is still tense, but they agree to not complicate things further and remain as seat partners.

It’s pretty satisfying to watch Jae-rok squirm when he overhears a few students gush over Color Bar. Thus he’s even more peeved than usual when he bullies Kyu-dong, and takes Do-nam aside to press him for more information.

The ajusshi steps inside the empty cellar and he imagines the Color Bar members roaming about the room. Aw, do you miss them?

There’s a sudden knock at the door and he looks up expectantly. It’s Se-yi, who confides in him, and she tries to assess why she feels so disappointed when she doesn’t even like Seol-chan. The day’s events led her to wonder if Seol-chan has feelings for her. Though his words today convinces her otherwise, she admits that she was still slightly hopeful.

The ajusshi tells her that Seol-chan wouldn’t have been able to answer truthfully and heaves a sigh when Se-yi still can’t connect the dots.

It’s a little strange that the ajusshi plans to move the piano inside, given that he doesn’t know how to play. His voice trails off as he alludes to another time when the cellar was full of people… and then redirects the conversation again. Hm, whose band are we talking about now?

Se-yi decides that she needs a fresh start to overcome her frustration which can only mean one thing: cutting hair.

Cut to: Se-yi in a beauty salon… with the ajusshi sitting next to her. His eyes grow wide when he hears that he’s her proxy. Ha, did you just dupe him into getting a haircut?

As the ajusshi walks her home, Se-yi (with her new bangs) marvels at the ajusshi’s new shorter ‘do which suits him much better. She cheerily waves goodbye, and the ajusshi breaks into a smile.

But as he walks down the hill, he suddenly stops in shock by the sight of the woman traversing up the hill. It’s Se-yi’s mom and he identifies her by name: “Choi Kyung.”

They stand there in silence as he struggles to find the words until he finally utters, “It’s been a long time.” She doesn’t return the sentiment and continues to walk up the hill instead. Aw Mom, you couldn’t have helped us out with a name?

Se-yi has caught wind of Mom’s impromptu arrival, and she immediately packs her bags. Teacher Dokko tries to stop her but Se-yi lashes back, demanding to know why her mother suddenly turned up. But Mom is already at the doorstep and although she casts Se-yi’s luggage aside, it doesn’t stop her from storming out anyway.

Mom follows her out to face her daughter and tells her to go inside. She asks Se-yi if she plans on never seeing her mother again and Se-yi angrily retorts that she plans on it.

But Mom remains resolutely patient, and says that she won’t lose her daughter again even if it means she has to chase her all night long. Se-yi bites back: “Don’t count on it,” and marches back inside.

Byun PD is still acting on his hunch and Hyo-rin happens to overhear him ask if Se-yi and Seol-chan are an item. He’s eager to get his hands on a juicy story, furiously jotting down notes as she boldly announces herself as the idol’s girlfriend, even giving out her personal information.

But Hyo-rin has nothing to worry about since Byun PD works for her father’s entertainment company. She crumples the note and warn him to back off her idol Oppa. Hm, so you turned into a Seol-chan fangirl after Color Bar’s performance, too.

Elsewhere, Sun-woo loudly calls out Se-yi’s name in Seol-chan’s presence, which makes both of them stop. He’s satisfied to hear that Seol-chan properly apologized to Se-yi, and she in turn asks Seol-chan if he thanked Sun-woo for getting them out of their predicament.

Seol-chan doesn’t see why he should do so—should he be grateful that Sun-woo stood up for him? He wonders how Sun-woo hasn’t changed one bit over the years and levels at him: “Listen up. A good deed isn’t a good deed if the other person doesn’t want it. They call that pretense.”

But Sun-woo isn’t looking for thanks, since that kind of formality is pointless for them. Then his eyes trained on Seol-chan, he confesses: “I like you Se-yi.”

Se-yi can hardly believe her ears and asks, “Who does?” Sun-woo: “I do.”

Seol-chan is so lost in his own thoughts that he doesn’t notice Jae-rok rally the students to collectively taunt Kyu-dong nor Eun-ha, who hangs her head in dismay. Also, is that… a bruise on her leg?

But this time, Kyu-dong won’t stand for it. With newfound confidence, he confronts them and declares that he won’t be their personal jukebox any longer. Furthermore, he tells them to stop calling him by his humiliating nickname. I’m punching my fist in the air in victory. Then it’s just icing on the cake when he’s the one to call Do-nam out to talk.

Once they’re alone, Kyu-dong falls on his knees and sincerely apologizes to Do-nam about “that time.” Do-nam grows uncomfortable and barks at him to get up, but Kyu-dong gives a heartfelt apology that he wanted to say sorry on his knees so many times but didn’t have the courage. He sobs:

Kyu-dong: “I never had the courage. To apologize to you. To stand up to Jae-rok. I didn’t even have the courage to stand up to the kids who laughed at me! I just wanted to die… but I didn’t even have the courage to do that. I prayed to God at the rooftop, ‘Give me the courage to jump.'”

But Do-nam doesn’t find Kyu-dong’s confession the least bit sincere. Asking for courage is pointless since he’ll never have any. “You’re just selfish.”

Then we finally learn what happened between the old friends. They had once auditioned together for a music audition program as a team comprised of outcasts and promised to stick together no matter what.

However, when the judges expressed that they only chose Kyu-dong, he agreed to move on solo. Do-nam felt the bitter sting of betrayal, saying that he wouldn’t have abandoned his friend if their places were switched. Then he wrung out of Kyu-dong’s grip and an accidental tumble down the stairs injured his shoulder and essentially left him unable to continue judo.

Which explains why Do-nam doesn’t have an ounce of sympathy for his former friend. In his eyes, it’s too little, too late …and just around the corner, Jae-rok has overheard everything. D’oh!

The bitter truth doesn’t stay under wraps for long, and thanks to Jae-rok, the entire class is aware of the details of their strained relationship when Kyu-dong and Do-nam finally return.

Kyu-dong tears up as the kids throw the victim card at Do-nam, who storms out, angry and humiliated. That leaves Kyu-dong to take another round of abuse a hundredfold worse than before, and he takes off his glasses as if it would help ease the pain.

But Jae-rok saunters up to him and puts them back on his face. To rub salt in the wound, he whispers that all of the applause for Color Bar was for the idol. “You’re just Ra-di-o.” Oh god, my heart aches for him.

Tears fall, and Kyu-dong can barely eke out his request to sing for the class. Jae-rok laughs in amusement and relays the idea to the class, who protest in response.

But Kyu-dong starts to sing Mot’s “To You Who Hopes For My Despair”  anyway. His voice slowly grows louder and stronger as he sings: “No, I’m not all right at all.”

As he builds to the chorus, the instrumentals drown out the students’ objections. He takes a deep breath and the drums joins in, just in time for him to belt that he’s not all right: “Go on, mock me… No, I’m not all right at all… I stagger… I shatter every day.

And now the class falls silent, astonished by Kyu-dong’s audacity to keep singing. He looks right at Jae-rok and finishes the song in tears: “To you, who hopes for my despair. Today — will not — become — a memorable — day.” He leaves without another word.

Meanwhile, Se-yi is downstairs, still ruminating over Sun-woo’s sudden confession when a paper airplane lands at her feet. She looks up to the rooftop… where Kyu-dong stands just behind the railing. Ooohhhhhh nooooo.

She runs, calling his name, as Kyu-dong steps one foot over the railing, and then the other. He slides his feet closer to the edge, breathing deeply while looking out as Se-yi tries to call him down below. He cries: “I’m sorry… Mom and Dad.”

His phone rings—ohthankgod it’s Se-yi—but he apologizes to her too… and lets his phone drop to the ground. Then we pan over our Color Band members: Do-nam stops in his tracks, Sun-woo turns his head from enjoying the fresh air, and Eun-ha lifts her head.

Desperate now, Se-yi makes a run for it and runs right into Seol-chan, who catches her. He clocks her tear-stained face and asks what’s wrong. But Se-yi can only cry in response.

Back on the rooftop, Kyu-dong closes his eyes and narrates in a disturbingly calm voice: “I finally gained the courage I wanted. Therefore, this is enough.” He lifts one foot just as Seol-chan looks up to the roof.


COMMENTS

OH NO YOU DON’T, SHOW! Don’t you dare take Kyu-dong away from us! What does a girl need to do save a character in dramaland?

As one of my favorite characters of the bunch, I don’t know if I can take the subsequent heartache if Kyu-dong is written out of the band. His deep pains of guilt, ridicule, and shame that plague him day in and day out is something everyone can relate to on some level. The richness of his character makes me fully invested in both his journey and his shattered relationship with his former best buddy. There’s real deep-seed hurt lying beneath on both parties, compounded by the sting of betrayal and the loss of a sports dream.

It’s no wonder then that Do-nam lashes out in with his fists and Kyu-dong just takes it, because there’s truth in the words that Kyu-dong is at fault. This adds great depth to both characters who were initially introduced at a surface level as a bullying victim and a bully. By giving us a deeper look into their past, we learn that there is a reason to explain their present relationship. Now that we’ve seen what broke them apart, I look forward to see what will bring them back together.

It’s Kyu-dong’s loneliness on that rooftop that gets me at the heart where it still stands as a place of refuge for him. In his eyes, it’s the one place he doesn’t have to hear the mocking jeers of his classmates, a quiet place for him to contemplate, and even more sadly, the only outlet he can see that will set him free. There’s so much room to grow for his character that I’m desperately hoping this isn’t the end. Say it ain’t so!

I also love the last interaction we got from Seol-chan and Se-yi in the final scene. Like almost every lead couple in dramaland, they say things they don’t mean and ruminate for extended periods of time over what it means. But here, it takes no time for Seol-chan to piece together why Se-yi may be crying. Or at least that’s what I hope. Seol-chan has been (pettily) jealous about her close friendship with Kyu-dong for a few episodes, even misconstruing her concern for feelings toward him at times. Though he’s not the only one who understands this friendship, I do like that he gets the chance to act  before Sun-woo does despite Mr. Perfect’s forthright confession of his feelings.

So even with his petty and often childish antics, I love that we can see some marked development in his character as Seol-chan shaves off the façade for the sake of sincerity. He’s more patient and overall kinder to Se-yi and the rest of the band. You can see how he struggles to protect Se-yi from public scorn with so much of it outside his hands. So then it cuts a little deeper when your frenemy is able to say exactly how he feels whenever he wants when you can barely reveal your true self.


RELATED POSTS

Tags: , , , ,

122

Required fields are marked *

Omg tthere is no body in this globe that loves this series more thAn I do !! I loved the ep and recap ! I read that they havd completed filming and my honey star changed his hair to black ! But no this is more beautiful oppa wish u kept it

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I wouldn't say no body likes it more because maybe my body can rival that! hahaha j/k Though I'm not kidding that this drama has become somewhat of a drug to me, it's soo deliciously good!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Hands down, my favorite 'young love/high school' drama so far. No matter how it goes in the end, this one has already given me enough to think about that I will never forget it entirely.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Agree!! Absolutely the best 'high school’ drama so far with all the common and angst.
Btw, I found it utterly cute when seol-chan murmurs in agreement over 40 Symptoms of One-Sided love. Still remember the day when i act like one..

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Same, same here. Can't believe a simple high school drama with fresh face young inexperience actors can have the same effect on me like say, Queen In-Hyun's man. They are to be cherished. Love everything about it.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I don't want him to die, obviously, and so I've been biting my nails since I saw this episode. After seeing Ep 9's preview, I still can't decide if poor Kyu-dong lives or not! D:

Regardless of the outcome, though, somebody had better say something to those bullies. Seriously. How do they live with themselves?

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree with you 100%. No excuses for their crappy behavior and bullying. Totally monkey see, monkey do.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

god, as soon as he started singing i knew he was going to try and hurt himself. when he turned and left the room i was silently begging eun-ha to go after him or something...

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree with everything you just said!! they're not little kids anymore, they know right from wrong. It's like these demon children didn't go through any of Kohlberg's stages of morality. As teenagers they should be at the point where doing something good/bad implies more than punishment/reward. At the age they're at they should have an understanding that being bullies is not "good" it goes against helping and loving your neighbours. They are unable to build good, healthy interpersonal relationships.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think it's worse no one is actively putting a stop to the tormenting that goes on the classroom. SW does nothing as class president, his peers don't report it. The adults seem to ignore it. It makes me furious!!!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Seol-chan gets his duet!! Yay!

Also, Jae-rok needs to go down.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

I loved the duet! Se Yi was tapping out the rhythm on the part of the guitar that was directly above Seol Chan's heart, which was fitting since she's basically the rhythm keeper of his heart these days.

But I should've known that being given something as sweet as the guitar date so early on in the episode could only mean that we'd be given something really bitter near the end...

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

So true! We get the sweet before the bitter. I love the song Kyu-dong sings though. I've played it over 50 times already.

And thanks for pointing out Se-yi's hand placement. I didn't notice that it was over his heart. Haha.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree, and I'm glad you noticed the hand placement! Oh, how I love this show. It gives us just enough feels that makes the waiting worth it. :)

I'm thoroughly heartbroken about Kyu-dong and Do-nam's backstory, and I understand how Do-nam is bitter and furious, but damn, those bullies, ugh!

As a teacher, I see a lot of bullying, kids these days are really scary... and I'm not kidding when I say that what we see in dramas are not at all different from real life.

Wish there would be more of Se-yis than Jae-roks in the real world.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

It would've ended a little differently if Kyu Dong dies, right?! At least, that's what I keep telling myself! Ugh, my heart hurt so good this episode!

Also, I LOVE the fact that Seol Chan and Se Yi keep asking clueless love questions to other people and the other people just roll their eyes at them or laugh at them, like Ajusshi and Manager. This show could have spent way too much time on things like that like many other dramas that feature supposedly grown adults, and I love how we don't spend too much time on silly angst, and it feels more heartfelt and organic to me. Like, we totally know why Se Yi feels the ways she does, and other characters do, too, even if she doesn't, so she still gets the wonder of first love, but it's not pounded into our heads a million times. At least, that's what I think. Plus, we get cute things like Seol Chan framing her note, and them both wanting to call each other, and her awkward phone conversations with both boys, without everything feeling over dramatic.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

It would’ve ended a little differently if Kyu Dong dies, right?! At least, that’s what I keep telling myself!

And I keep telling myself that the scene where the teacher asked Sun Woo to go up to the gym and open the windows was way too random to not have a purpose-- it's gotta be to help save Kyu Dong, right? RIGHT? It appears that Do Nam, Se Yi, Seol Chan, and Sun Woo all saw Kyu Dong on the roof-- it'd be too cruel to have them all witness Kyu Dong's death, right? RIGHT?

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

I don't know if anyone has said this yet on Dramabeans, but the big question for many is where is Nana. She's the only member of the group not shown at the end of the episode. I'm hoping she on the roof trying not to smoke and ends up catching Kyu-dong!

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think Nana will stop him. At least, I REALLY hope she does.

It would make sense though, because we didnt see her reaction PLUS she is usually on the roof.

BUT I DONT CARE HOW, whether Sun woo magically learns how to fly or Seol chan runs up, but I dont want this suicide to happen.

And can someone please punch Jae rok in the face to get him off his high horse?

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Or DoNam is there...somebody...anybody.
On a side note, I did catch that DoNam said and you didn't even win as if his winning would have helpd lessen the injury.

0

What an emotional episode. Kyudong is one of my favorite characters. Hopefully he does not die. But I hope that the desperation that would make him believe that peace could be found in jumping from a rooftop will make all the characters (whether bullies, friends, ex-friends) pause for a moment. Sorry if that was awkwardly worded :)

I want fractured bromances to be repaired and I want the characters to start communicating clearly with each other. In this episode, Eunha starts to wonder about her purpose in the group. Before the show ends, I wish that we are given more insight into who she is. And what about that bruise? It makes me curious.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

I've been wondering about the bruise too. I assumed it was something she got during the performance (or maybe while practicing?), but maybe she got it somewhere else? Don't tell me she being abused!!!!!

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

If abuse is the case then I hope that it can be properly addressed in the four remaining episodes. But it could be something else.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

The other kids have been such asses that it KyuDong's attempted suicide could increase their bullying rather than reflecting on their behavior and stopping. It could go either way. It will really depend on how Color Bar steps up to handle the DoNam/KyuDong situation.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ditto.

This is very well scripted and acted out. I totally felt KD's pain and humiliation here - I totally understand that at that moment, he would have felt like he didn't deserve to live because he'll never be forgiven.

While I wish he would live, part of me also wonder how the narrative could be pushed forward if he does die. Just wondering - because these things do happen.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

NOOOO! I'm just hoping it turns out to be a failed attempt and not a successful one. :(

And SW, dude calling your date?? with Nana a good deed, you could see her heart breaking into even smaller pieces my that sentence.

EH, is she being abused at home or is she just very lonely.
Right now she's the one with the least attention. SY seems to be her only friend and of course now she has all of the color bar members as well.
And why haven't we heard her voice, I think the actress is a musical theater actress.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Jenny -

My computer wiped out my long response, but I think EH has a poor self-image coupled with a desperate need to belong. It's interesting how we feel invested in the side characters even without a lot of focus on them. I hope we find out the reason for the bruise, and that we get a satisfying scene of her standing up for herself and her friends.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

You hit it right on the nail, shukie :). Wish we could have read the long response

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm not entirely sure what's going on with Eun-ha either. A rough situation at home was one of the first things that popped into my head, too.

I do hope we get to know more about her in the coming episodes *goes to bite nails again*

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I can't get over with the framed note! hehe! And now with a spotlight? haha!

I've been asking myself if I want Kyu-dong to die. I'll probably weep for the entire episode, but I want to use that as a lesson over bullying and for me the most important is the lack of forgiveness... It goes on to show that time doesn't heal until you forgive and lack of forgiveness leads to, death at times.

After typing that, I don't want him to die. Let's just reserve that for another drama.

Thanks for the recap.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Gah, Kyu Dong don't do it! This is suppose to be a fluffy romcom so why am I worried he'll actually jump? I had so many feels for that singing part in the classroom. The lyrics, the tears, gah. Show, you'll make up for this by having Do nam save him, right?

I want to learn more about Eun Ha. She kinda fades into the background sometimes but we still get tiny bits of info about her. I think that's done of purpose to reflect how she's viewed and cast aside in situations.

Love love love this show, not sure if it takes the place of my fav musical drama just yet though.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

such a sad sad episode.., love the cute scene btw the leads.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

gummimochi ~

Thanks for the recap. Radio ! Noooo! I love this show, it's the one I can't wait to watch.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

This episode was just LOVE!!! The date was perfect albeit too short... the stolen glances whilst singing the beautiful duet!! ahhhhh!!! It was the fall out in the following scene which drove home the point that this was pretty much the only time they weren't arguing or at each other's throats.

This episode made me realize that I don't really like Sun Woo. Previously, I actually liked the fact that despite being the second lead he was pursuing SY publicly. Before SY joined their school he did not proactively stop the bullying. Sure, one person cannot do much but the fact that he's supposed to be Mr. Perfect just annoys me further. While SC has been privy to upsetting SY... even if he does not do so deliberately we know that he ruminates over it & struggles with the fact that he upset her, whereas SW did not give a fig about SY's feelings when he confessed to his feelings in front of SC despite knowing that she has feelings for SC. ughhhh...

oh, and was blubbering throughout the last song... KD's peers are evil... they may be high schoolers but them gang-bullying him... omigosh, I can't even!!

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah, Seol-chan has accused Sun-woo of only appearing to be nice and of really being disinterested in other people's problems. From Sun-woo's behavior, you can definitely see why Seol-chan would say that! Sun-woo pretends to be nice with it suits his purposes (e.g. when adults are around). That's why I love that Se-yi called him out on not doing something for Kyu-dong as the class president. That moment said a lot about who she is and who he is. I wonder how he would have responded to her if they hadn't been interrupted.

Also, it says a lot that Sun-woo's confession to Se-yi was said more to Seol-chan than to Se-yi herself. Hardly the best way to approach her, silly Sun-woo.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

The funny thing is the reason you hate sun woo is the reason i love him. I love that him being the second lead he is pursuing Se-yi publicly. A lot of second leads are often not sure of themselves or shrink back, but i LOVE that he just goes after her. For him not proactively doing anything about bullying, i think he used to be in the same group acquainted with jaerok and all for one. So it not be that hes a bad person but doesn't want to stand up to his group or honestly just doesn't care. That's how teenagers are. Not that its right. There are probably other people getting bullied by other kids in the school and nobody else is standing up for them. I love how he's mr. perfect but so flawed. so awesome. I honestly think that he's a more interesting character than seol chan. His character can go either way, you can see the good or the bad, cause they are both there.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

this is one of the episodes that i extremely disliked se-yi as a main character... did the harido kill brain cells or something? do something more than just cry at the sight of your friend standing about to JUMP...

sigh...i hope episode 9 is a nice recovery...

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

I thought she actually was doing quite a bit. She called him as soon as she saw him, to try and talk him down, and she started crying (totally understandable!) but was trying to go get help. She wasn't just standing there watching.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Agree... I think she's doing everything she can... it's not like she fly up to the rooftop. In fact, it would be quite unrealistic if she made it there in time.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

i think she's not just crying. it's probably edited when she explain the situation to seolchan or else no way seol chan would look like that.

her explanation scene must be as the opening of ep 9.

i was almost choke her at first when i saw her only crying like that. i was like "GIRL!! SPEAK!! TELL HIM!! STOP SOBBING AND JUST SPEAK YOU B***H" lol.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

You do bring up a point Yuka -- regarding this show. Because we're so engrossed and paying attention to the characters, the show sometimes tricks us between episodes in exposing it's non-linearity. Thus you have Nana's reason for showing up for the performance. Hopefully, the first scenes will be someone who we haven't seen lately get close enough to actually save Kyu Dong and keep him from doing a swan dive from the roof.

I also wonder where the teachers are during this scene. In most schools, someone singing at their top of their lungs while crying is something to be observed and asked about.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

My feels were all over with this episode. Oh God.

Kyu-dong, Kyu-dong, ahh, I don't want him to go! I really hope he doesn't go ahead with it, suicide is never the answer.

I loved Nana/Sun-woo's moment, I ship them so much and the scene where he agrees to 10 dates (or is it 10 things to do together?).

I understand Kyu-dong's and Do-nam's backstory, it reminds me of School 2013, I don't think my heart can take all these broken bromances.

I wonder what happened between Sunwoo and Seol Chan? Also, Eunha's bruise? Did she get it while practising?

Oh, and I found Seyi so disrespectful with her mother, although we don't actually know the full backstory, she hasn't got any right to treat her mother that way, she honestly needed a slap in that moment imo.
I mean, even if the mother was cheating, which I do not condone in any way, she's still her mother no matter what.

Thank you for the recap!

0
7
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ohhh, also, I find it funny how they were watching A Werewolf boy, if I remember correctly, there are sheeps in that movie, haha

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

i was LOL much at the scene. they watch the same movies twice for each couple, what a funny indirect gag.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I don't condone it either, but I can see her pov too. Imagine if it was true that her dad died while trying to stop her mom from seeing her "lover". Also the show has really shown how close she was with her dad. I can completely see her pov. Mom is a mom, but a supposedly perfect dad who died because of her mom? Well...that's something else...

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I understand Kyu-dong’s and Do-nam’s backstory, it reminds me of School 2013, I don’t think my heart can take all these broken bromances.

Me too! Nam-soon and Heung-soo were bad enough, I can't take mk. II.

As for Se-yi's mother, you have to consider it through her pov, which is that of a daughter who adored her father and in whose eyes her mother committed the ultimate betrayal of them both, by loving another man/having that love cause her father's death. I can absolutely see why she doesn't feel like being mother-daughterly anymore.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

I do understand it, I just get really annoyed with it and think that she's being a bit extreme.
Her mum is going to live with the guilt, Seyi is not the only one who lost her father and who misses him.
She never gave her the chance to explain.

Seyi kind of comes off to me as a spoiled brat in those scenes.
I might be influenced by my own upbringing though, I don't know...

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

She's a kid. She can't be bothered with other people's explanations, especially when she's convinced that she's dealt with the biggest wrong a person could suffer.

Besides, before she see's the woman as her mother, she see's her father's murderer, which just makes her go berserk. So yeah, I can't blame her for reacting like that, especially when Mom isn't explaining her side of the story (one can always just talk to thin air like mothers nagging in hopes that your words will go through) and just barking orders at her. SeYi can't stand her face already and there Mom is, demanding she live in the same apartment as her.

Extreme? I don't think SeYi's being extreme. Who in the world could live with their father's murderer?

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think we should probably not make assumptions that Se-yi's pov of her parents is the whole picture. Parents often do not tell their children the whole truth of the story and take on the anger and resentment directed at them in order to not cause more anger or hurt to the child.

0

thanks for the recap.

wonderful episode for the actor playing KyuDong. He and kim NaNa holds my interest. SunWoo has my attention. I'd find Se Yi more interesting if she weren't destined for Seol Chan who is almost always petty, childish, narcissistic and spectacularly uninteresting as a person or as an idea.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think Seolchan is petty, childish and narcissistic on the surface... that's his façade and protection against the world.

His real self is that person that Se-yi saw in episode one: the one that's actually pretty damn lonely. Given what we know of his background and the fact that he's this celebrity at age 17... I don't feel too put off by his façade, the kid needs some good friends, that hug him when he needs him and that tell it to him straight when he's being an arrogant star that's just too full himself.

Probably his few weeks at school have been the most real-life experience he has had for quite a few years. No wonder he's messed up.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm already starting to miss it. this is first simulcasted drama that I love enough to know that I will marathon when it ends. and because of junhyung, am
actually listening to some kpop.

hopefully radio wil be alright episode 9. can't wait for it.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

sadly
i found myself watching this ep without any emotion
just for the sake of want to know whats going on

i think i started this unemotional feeling towards this drama since ep 5

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

That's too bad for you... you've missed out on this very good drama.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Hm, so you turned into a Seol-chan fangirl after Color Bar’s performance, too.

Oh, did you not see the part in the beginning where Hyo Rin turned to her brother and said she 'wanted' Seol Chan? I ask because I downloaded two versions of episode 8 and in one of them, this scene was omitted.

I enjoyed this episode on the whole, though my patience with Sun Woo is wearing thin. I feel like he *thinks* he's a good guy, so he goes through the motions of doing 'good guy' things, but the only time he really does anything that could be considered 'good', it's with the sole intention of helping/impressing Se Yi. Which isn't to say I think he's evil, or even a bad guy, just... indifferent. (JMO, of course.)

And poor Kyu Dong. My heart breaks for him and I hope someone gets to him in time. I don't think the show would go that dark this late in the game, but then again, these days you never know just how far a drama will go. *bites lip and waits for Friday*

Thanks for the recap, gummimochi!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Cut to: Se-yi in a beauty salon… with the ajusshi sitting next to her. His eyes grow wide when he hears that he’s her proxy.

I love this drama for giving us golden moments like this. Shows that she is full of tricks and it's really funny alright!

Such sad past between KD & Do Nam even it's nobody's fault. The saddest part is sad tale doubles itself (if KD jumps) just when they found courage to bury the past & move on.

A bit more on Sun Woo this episode. I find him imposing at times, just like what Seol Chan said. He's like the big brother or mom or dad that we know we have to please sometimes. Notice how Seyi told a bit of white lie about the date with Seol Chan, it's exactly what I would tell my mom coz she doesn't like the boy too much.

It's obvious he's really not into Nana at this moment but he seems to have a certain kind of respect for her. Their relationship this episode is like a cordial & civil kind of relationship.

0
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

I love the haircutting scene because Seyi's like "this is what you are supposed to do according to society" and then she's like, "whatever, I like my hair the way it is".

Oh yeah! (In fact, I feel like that rebellious streak of hers has been invisible over the last few episodes... I really wanted her to give the photographer a good piece of her mind – BEFORE Sunwoo stepped in).

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

ME TOO! When Sun-woo jumped into the scene, I was mad because I wanted Se-yi to defend herself (and defend Seol-chan too, I think he really needed that). And Sun-woo's method of heroism was unnecessary - if they were going with the friends-going-to-movie pretense, why did he need to act like he was her boyfriend?

I was actually wishing that Sun-woo would defend Seol-chan in front of the reporter and question why he couldn't hang out with his friends.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I know what you mean! I understand the rationalizing that lots of characters have done that Seol Chan couldn't really have done anything, and I agree there, but I'm also seeing Seol Chan's side of Sun Woo more. It'll be interesting when they reveal their falling out as well, like how the Kyu Dong/ Do Nam dynamic changed with this episode.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

well, se Yi is all out of sorts these days with her confusion about her own feelings and trying to figure out SEOL Chan's as well. I feel it's not out of character that both she and seol chan was stumped for what to say in that moment and then sun woo jumped in to, in his mind. save the situation.

his intentions were good and he just wanted to deflect that boyfriend question from Seol chan. at least that's how I see it

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

..give the photographer a good piece of her mind - indeed she has no problem taking care of herself.

SW's imposing methods, though need to be thanked, has unnecessarily cause more rift. Now Nana is miffed at Seyi who is kind of miffed at SC who is miffed at SW who is miffed at SC & Seyi.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Kyudong: I don't want him to die, but I sort of... want him to jump? I feel terrible saying that, but it would be something that would shake up the bullies (at least those that are human) a lot more than if someone tells them "Oh, he was on the rooftop, but he didn't have the courage again".

Maybe Do-nam can soften his fall? There were lots of branches too, so maybe he could catch in them, and be slowed down enough to be no more than injured?

The most realistic scenario, in fact, would be for Kyudong to jump and die, because he is on the rooftop and the others can't get to him in time. Of course, someone could be hiding out on the rooftop (Nana? Or where did Do nam go?) and maybe hold him back... but that would be a manufactured situation (not that I would be upset if it happened, I do want Kyundong to survive).

Message for So-woo: if you confess to the guy that's your rival and not the girl that you are in love with, you are never going to get the girl. I mean, what girl would accept that kind of confession, so obviously driven by the wish to spite the other guy?

Plus, that looked like a love declaration to Seol-chan, more than anything else. I'm not convinced So-woo is in fact truly interested in Se-yi. I don't think he's romantically interested in Seol-chan either, but that triangle is driven more so by So-woo yearning for a friendship lost than romantic love for the girl.

I kinda hated Se-yi's mom. Thinking about it, it's not quite fair, but let's just say I totally felt what Se-yi was feeling in that scene.

Eun-ha we need more backstory on her. I really thought she should have stood up for Kyudong too....

0
7
reply

Required fields are marked *

omg i totally agree with you about Kyu Dong! i was thinking the same thing but i felt like i was evil wanting him to jump :o i wrote the same thing about him in my comment and now i saw your comment :D

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree about Kyu-dong's jump. It'd be great for the plot/characters. But I like Kyu-dong so I'm selfishly hoping that he doesn't jump :( (it's the same thing that happened to me in IHYV, but in that case I was less attached to mom so I could bear it for the sake of plot/evil killer declaration).

I think Sun-woo is doing it for friendship too but...I don't know...he's doing it so wrong that I don't care anymore. Though he did confess to Se-yi, just in front of Seol-chan, so I think she did accept it.

I feel I'm more invested in Kyu-dong/Do-nam/Eun-ha/Nana than the main three :/

0
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

He is doing it wrong... but then again, he's 17 and truth be told his Mr. Perfect was someone who was kinda numb about everything (kinda makes me think of Naoki of Itakiss). Now there are things he's reacting to, feeling emotions about and is totally messing up on how to handle it, despite the cool demeanour on the outside.

I feel like there's been ups and downs with every character. Colorbar is quite a big group, so every episode shifts the focus, which is good, but also means that we kind of distance ourselves from the characters we were already very invested in. It's all a bit uneven, unfortunately (probably it would have needed very experienced writers to achieve anything else) but in the end I do care about all of them. I think Se-yi and Seol-chan are well suited, as are Sun-woo and Nana. I love Se-yi's character, although in more recent episodes her original personality hasn't come through as much (I don't think her rebellious streak is something that would disappear with character development). I love Nana's although she's often been silent and we've only gotten glimpses, not a full-fleshed picture; Seol-chan's "star" side has always been emphasised but what I could relate to the most was the hidden loneliness, which was highlighted the most in ep. 1 (but is coming back now). Kyudong I like a lot, he's one of those characters that gets pushed to sidelines too easily (even here, he nearly disappears in some episodes) because they are easy to dismiss, but I think the bullying issue that comes with him is very, very important. Indeed, I wouldn't have minded if had gotten together with Se-yi, but then a character like his never gets the girl in dramas. With Eunha... well, we still don't know anything much about her at al, do we? They've left spotlighting her to quite let, because the 10 years in the future scene wasn't enough to make me invested in her at all. I'm still not sure about her purpose...

I'm rambling... I'll stop.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Did you notice that during the confession scene Se-yi was watching SC's reaction more than paying attention to SW? I was like whoa, is SW even really there? He disappeared for a moment.

I think Se-yi is a catalyst for awakening in both guys, but for different reasons. For SW, it's actually feeling something and letting his some of his altruistic feelings surface. I think she awakens the need for creativity and individualism in him, and also a protective streak, which of course having feelings arise, makes him like her as a girl. I have felt he's not that much different than the leader of the orchestra meanies, very self absorbed and detached from others. The meanie of course, has a superiority complex and mean streak that makes them different.
SC on the other hand connects with her as an outsider, and also because she challenges him, and this excites him.

Also, I like the "vibe" when Kim Nana and SW interact. I see a subtle difference in how SW acts when he is around Kim Nana, I do not know what the actor is doing, but it's almost like he, as the character, wants to drop the perfect boy act, as he is attracted to her ability to buck the rules. He's just MORE..more human, more male, more interesting-not more male in a protective big brother or father figure way, but almost primal way, when they interact. I do not know how to describe it. I just feel it. I noticed this from the start, and thought, well hello, there is chemistry there between these two actors, too bad they are not the leads.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

I was shipping Kim Nana and SW since from very early on... I don't know, ep. 2 or 3? (Too lazy to go back to earlier recap posts.)

Mr. Perfect and Gangsta-Girl, it's a match that could not be better. One never puts a toe out of line and follows every rule in the school handbook, the other walks out of the classroom whenever she damn pleases.

Truth be told, I think there's a bit of a bad boy beneath Sun-woo's façade...

0

...that last paragraph. Perfection. I could never quite dictate the reltionship between Nana and Sun-woo, but what you said pretty much encompasses all the interaction and chemistry between them.

0

Ya, me too.. I like their story more than main couples. I am a fan of Mr. Perfect and Gangsta-Girl :)

0

That promise between kids Kyu-dong and Do-nam, to stick together no matter what at the audition, was kind of foolishly sentimental. It is just so wrong to expect a friend to sacrifice his dream for the sake of... what? A mere name of "friendship"? Comfort of friend's ego?
Honestly, I don't see any betrayal on behalf of Kyu-dong. Kyu-dong's only fault is that he so easily allowed himself to become a laughing stock for all. When Do-nam said that he wouldn’t have abandoned his friend if their places were switched, I couldn't take those words seriously. Moreover, I didn't see any good reason for that "not abandoning". And, dear Do-nam, what if it were a judo competition?
I hope Kyu-dong will survive.

0
7
reply

Required fields are marked *

Their whole motto was that if two loners were together, they were no longer loners. They said their relationship was that of brothers. Friendship was a big thing for both of them. Calling it "mere friendship" is an insult to their relationship.

I don't think Do-nam wanted to pass the audition any less than Kyu-dong but I thought he was sincere about not continuing if only he passed. Not only did Kyu-dong not hesitate to ditch him, he was a cause of a devastating injury for Do-nam and additionally Kyu-dong didn't even come visit him at the hospital after the injury. I can see why Do-nam would feel betrayed.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

When relationship/friendship is a big thing, there is no envy and there is sacrifice for something meaningful. People often say that difficulties are tests for friendship. That's right, but there is also another qualifier to it: if one can be genuinely happy for his friend's success. From my personal experience, not many can do that.
And you can kill me, but I don't see Kyu-dong as the cause of devastating injury for Do-nam. That was Do-nam's bad luck, nothing more. The only thing I agree with what you said is that Kyu-dong should have visited Do-nam in the hospital. No matter what. I don't know why the writer made it so that he didn't. Looking at his self-blaming character, he should have done this.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Those are some very lofty expectations of maturity there.......from kids who are, what, twelve years old?

To them, that promise was everything and I'm not at all surprised Do-nam was as hurt as he was by it. But I do agree that poor Kyu-dong has suffered enough.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Perhaps you're right. That could be too much for kids. But now they are a bit older, no?

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

They are older now, and have more abilities to reason but still they are 17-18 yo who at that age probably dont even know what to do with their lives. every character in this drama (including the adjusshi) is going through a grown up phase that we as audience is following along through their journey.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

friendship runs deeper than that.
trust in the friendship and the person you made a promise to is important. which is why the betrayal is so much more hurtful. i think do-nam was more hurt by his betrayal than his ego being shot down.
call me a sentimentalist but i guess i did believe in do-nam's words because show set it up to be that way so kyu dong's betrayal would hurt even more.
I also believe in darwinism and survival of the fittest in today's society esp. the entertainment business with sacrifice to alot of things -- but they were kids. Surely, do-nam would grow up to have trust issues with every friend he comes across, and that's also not ideal going through life. You need trust and you need teamwork.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Let's put the immature kids aside for awhile ... Just want to share one realization with you. I think this world is mainly a slaughterhouse (schools especially). But we need to continue, we do need trust in others. So, wouldn't it be better, if before trusting somebody, we would have become strong enough, so that if things don't work, we wouldn't be affected by betrayal? What I want to say is that trust does require some maturity. Or else, better not to trust.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

i know this sounds weird and of course i can only say this because it's a drama: i want Gyu-dong to jump but i don't want him to die :o i love this character and thats why i want those stupid classmates to understand how much he suffers and i somehow think that that stupid bully would even make fun of it if his suicide attempt would fail o.o

i think EH isn't a character who has a hidden talent like the others but i think it's that "unimportantness" will make her do something stupid like for example being jealous of seyi and seol-chan and revealing their (future) relationship to some crazy fangirls or something like that :/
and that bruise could be a result of training for the performance? i mean she was really upset maybe because her hard work wasn't seen by anyone.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I believe the actress who plays Eun Ha was Tracy in the Korean version of the Hairspray musical, so it'd be weird that the show didn't take advantage of her background at some point.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

oh really? but if it's like that i think they bring her talent in too late
and it feels really manifactured that all of the musically talented people at their school (other than All For One) got together so coincidently :D

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I both hope Kyu-dong does not die and also kind of hope he does, because well one of the reasons I love this show is how real it feels compared to other dramas. None of the people they showed Se Yi, Seol Chan, Sun Woo, Do Nam and Eun Ha, are in a position they could possibly get to Kyu Dong and save him, but they didn't show Nana did they, Nana likes to hang out on the roof as well doesn't she?

I'm starting to really dislike Sun Woo, okay I never really liked him in the first place but well as Seol Chan said “Listen up. A good deed isn’t a good deed if the other person doesn’t want it. They call that pretense.”
I'm sure on some level Sun Woo thought he was baing kind to Nana and helping Se Yi at least when he butt in with that reporter but all he did was further hurt both Seol Chan and Se Yi then spread it to Nana to for good measure.

Does Ahn Nae Sang's character have a name I mean DramaFever has him listed as Han Ji Woong but for all I know they pulled that out of their bums.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

You're right, Ahn Nae-sang's character does have a name which is listed on the drama website and in DramaFever. I haven't used it in the recap yet until somebody (anybody, really Show!) calls him by name. Here's hoping we don't have to wait long...

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

In regards to your "show feels real" comment: esp. with the bullying angle this drama, to me, feels like a watered down Nobuta wo Produce.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I like Kyu-dong as well as his arc the best. I cried when he came back to the classroom and just broke down because of people's bullying/him thinking Do-nam told everyone. I really hope KD doesn't commit suicide because I want him to be around longer :( Do-nam, go save him please! Usually, I'd be pretty sure that he wouldn't die but then IHYV happened and now I don't know what to think.

I like Nana a lot too. I totally misjudged her background until episode 6/7. And her crush on Sunwoo is heartbreaking.

I used to love Se-yi but then it felt like she lost her spine. I still love her friendship with Kyu-dong though (I think that's where she shows her original personality the best).

Not too keen on Seol-chan or Sun-woo. I especially don't like Sun-woo. OTP wise I'm rooting for Se-yi/Seol-chan and Nana/Sun-woo. Jumped of the Sun-woo/Seol-chan bromance ship, they're just annoying me now.

I want to find out more about Eun-ha. Her arc is the most relate-able for me (thus far). Plus it reflects what people were saying outside of the drama ("why is she in that group? she's not doing anything" etc.).

LOLed at the ajusshi haircut reaction. That was gold!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

omygooddd, such a good recapp!
i watched it already without subs 3 days ago,
and this recap just made everything so much clearer.
i definitely dont want kyudong to dieeee ;____;
the next episode's teaser is even more nerve-wrecking because we dont get to see kyudong at all ;___;
and it seems like in the next episode, seol chan is going to give up on pursuing seyi. oh god, kdrama definitely ruins my life.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm not crazy about Sun-woo, but I really do like him and Nana together, even if he is breaking her heart by basically treating her as a pity case on their not-date.

(also, that moment at the beginning when he backed her almost up against the pillar to take her cigarettes away......was hot. I'd take that over wristgrabs any day.)

Seol-chan and Se-yi are flat-out adorable together, and for me, the appeal of their characters comes from the way they're both written and played - the actors are raw, but I really appreciate that Jun-hyung and Ha Yeon-soo have what it takes to bring these characters truly to life. And what I really love about Se-yi is that her quirkiness is just so natural, like she thinks she's perfectly normal and it's other people's problem if they think of her as weird. Plus her new hairdo looks ADORABLE.

And Kyu-dong......god I really hope he's alive and ok in episode 9. The setup of that scene was killing me, because almost every other Colour Bar member is perfectly set up to watch it happen, and we're already gutted by his and Do-nam's backstory.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

kyu-dong stop breaking my heart.
he's not going to die. show is not going to do that.
lol this is like IHYV all over again when i insisted mom was not going to die and hey just ripped her from us.
i personally don't think monstar is going to go there considering the general audience this show is geared towards.
The message of his death would be a rather cruel one for us. so the result of bullying and hopelessness would end in death instead of an underdog rising above to become a star. i like the latter. show, give me the latter. I know it's not always like that in real life but one can hope.
Plus, this show has been rather predictable thus far. The heart in this show is with its characters and their relationships to one another, finding each other and discovering their own paths.
monstar does not completely own my heart as it did in the first few episodes but it definitely feels heart-warming, like delicious chicken noodle soup on a cold, sick day.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I know it was for Seol-Chan's reaction for our benefit, but for God's sake, sheep girl, don't stop running! You can run and shout at the same time, can't you? Yeesh.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Why introduce Kim NaNa as a smoker in this episode if she's not on the roof to maybe help save Radio. She's the only student not in the classroom nor focused on as a close up at the end of this episode. I have hope in the plotline she will be on the roof! :)

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

She was outted as a smoker back at the Palace during community service. She was sneaking a smoke when the fight broke out and the tiles were broken (and the poo was discovered.)

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ahn Nae Sang's character name is Han Ji Woong according to dramawiki.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

What will Do-nam do if Kyu-dong jumps? (That's what I keep wondering.) Will he feel so guilty that he beats up Jae-rok? (I hope not. I mean, I hpoe Kyu-dong doesn't jump. I'm hoping Nana will save him. She's strong. She's athletic. And she's smoking on the roof for a reason. Maybe Sun-Woo--who is obediently opening the windows--will call to her.)
WHY DOESN'T THIS SHOW AIR TWICE A WEEK? (I don't know if I'll last until the next episode.)

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank you for the recap! I'm a bit of a lurker and don't show my appreciation to you recappers often enough. You always do a fabulous job.

This episode really got me in the heart. While Kyu-dong was singing his "goodbye song," I became increasingly unnerved. You could tell he was breaking apart in front of everyone. And when the rest of the students finally stopped taunting him and just shut up and listened, that actually unnerved me even more. Like they could finally see the seriousness of the moment.

When I saw Eun-ha's bruise, I assumed it was from the performance. The show's way of telling us that, even though her role has been under appreciated by the rest of the student body, she worked hard as a member of Color Bar. But that's just my interpretation. As others have mentioned, it could be something darker. I hope she isn't being abused. I don't know if I can take much more angst from this show. I just want our little group of misfits to be happy and healthy already.

A part of me is relieved that this series has a shortened number of episodes--that just means we'll get to our (hopefully) happy ending that much sooner. Another part of me never wants this glorious drama to end. When I started watching Monstar, I had no idea I'd enjoy it as much as I do!

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Like they could finally see the seriousness of the moment.

Really? From what I saw on their faces, it wasn't just that. More than that, I saw that HA!-oh-my-chicken-shit-he-is-just-so-persistant-what-an-embarrassing-person-I-can't-believe-this-guy look on their faces. More than seeing them realize how broken KyuDong was, I saw contempt and disgust.

And I was disgusted by them. I wanted to flip a table in their shameful faces.

Beasts. No, worse than beasts!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

OH MY !@#%$%@#%^@^ I just want to SMASH Cymbals Boy's head with his huge metallic cymbals!! Like seriously, what is his deal?! He goes *clang* *clang* *clang* maybe maximum three times during a piece All 4 One plays and there he is talking crap with a head as big as a full grown male humpback whale!

I think some praise is due to the actor playing him if all I want to do is dole out some violent stuff whenever I see him. I want to poke his eyes and wring his neck and ridicule him for being the most useless member in his prestigious All 4 One band. By the way, I think All 4 One is such a stupid name. Seriously? A group of talented musicians and you name them after the musketeers' catchphrase?

On to SunWoo. He is not a good guy and I'm pretty sure he knows it too. I don't even think he's trying to be a good guy. He's just behaving how high society wants him to. Be a class prez? Check. Be related to talented people? Check (remember All 4 One?). Be that perfect student with good grades and manners? Check. Helping others is not his business because high society can't be bothered with that, unless charity can put them in the spotlight. That is also known as Hypocrisy, something which SunWoo can't be bothered about.

I think he got burned in the past. Like SeolChan said, perhaps he had tried to help with the purest of intentions but it just backfired in the most horrible of ways, causing him to take all handles off other people's business. If I help you, that help might just hurt me, so why help you. Even if you die, it's not my business. I think he's like that just because of self-preservation.

Oh bromance, you need to be healed so that the individual bros can heal.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

"OH MY !@#%$%@#%^@^ I just want to SMASH Cymbals Boy’s head with his huge metallic cymbals!! Like seriously, what is his deal?! He goes *clang* *clang* *clang* maybe maximum three times during a piece All 4 One plays and there he is talking crap with a head as big as a full grown male humpback whale!"

I too would like to b**** slap Jae-rok a few times then bang him on the head with his cymbals!

I have never understood his purpose in All for One. He is like a cabbage plant in a bed of roses (not that the other members are roses but you get my point!). He sticks out like a sore thumb. Jae-rok is the kid that popular kids despise but keep around just because.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

The band is named All 4 One, which I think makes a point about how selfish the snooty leader guy is. Like how he totally didn't want to perform, then changes his mind, and Seon Woo totally calls him on wanting to use the performance to boost his college applications. It's all just a tool for him to use at his whim, and certainly doesn't have the real "all for one AND ONE FOR ALL" to it.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Heh, I like your explanation.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

This episode is definitely the most heartbreaking. I am glad that this episode explained the love/hate relationship that exists between Kyu-dong and Do-nam. I'm truly hoping that Do-nam is the one who will reach out his hand towards Kyu-dong and convince him that ending his life isn't the solution. I want them to repair the rift that formed between them all those years ago.

As others have mentioned, I'm hoping that the show will also explore Eun-ha's story more. I feel that in many ways Eun-ha is the classical 'awkward-chubby-girl-best-friend-sidekick' whose there to serve as comic relief. What is her talent? Can she sing? Can she dance? Is she a choreographer? What can she contribute to Color Bar? I WANT to learn this before the show ends! Lastly, what is the secret behind her bruise? At first I thought she might be diabetic. Then I scratched that idea when I realized that the writer(s) showed us her bruise while Kyu-dong is pouring his soul out to his tormentors. Perhaps she is the victim of abuse.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Another lovely episode. This show certainly has it's charm. The writer and directer really do excel with ensemble cast dynamics. And that is hard to cover in a shorter run show like this.

I am really impressed with Yong Joon-Hyung. I find his face a bit plastic and was really not interested him as a male lead, but I definitely give him props for making me pay attention. He's bringing it. I though sometimes find him invoking thoughts and comparisons to Jung Il Woo.

I did have a hard time with Se Yi's passive responses to both the reporter scene and confession scene. It seems out of character for her based on her character so far. She's an observer of human nature, she watches people, and she's always been quick on her feet to assess a situation. That's my 2 cents anyway.

I also really dislike Se Yi's often dismissive attitude toward Eun-ha, as she is so preoccupied with the boys. I really dislike female characters portrayed this way-as supposedly sweet, good, caring people, that treat their supposed good friends as disposable afterthoughts or even nuisances, and don't tell them what is going on in their lives. I am really hoping this is not going to be ignored as acceptable behavior and instead the "neglect" is part of the plot arc of revealing Eun-ha's storyline.

And I heart Kim Nana.

0
7
reply

Required fields are marked *

"It seems out of character for her based on her character so far...That’s my 2 cents anyway.."

No, that's what I thought as well. Being defended by Sunwoo first before speaking up herself just seemed out of character. Remember the Seyi had duet with Kyudong to spite Jaerok? The one that had her claws out like a wild cat when Seolchan was being a total nuisance in early episodes? Even the one that just exploded in the face of her mom in this very episode, all set to run away in the middle of the night despite having nowhere to go?

Plus, she has always treated Seolchan like everyone else, so I don't think you can even say it's because she was worried about protecting his star image....

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Agreed!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Mar,

I agree with your comment... "I am really impressed with Yong Joon-Hyung. I find his face a bit plastic and was really not interested him as a male lead, but I definitely give him props for making me pay attention. He’s bringing it. I though sometimes find him invoking thoughts and comparisons to Jung Il Woo."

I had a similar bias but then realized that he emotes with his voice and not necessarily facial expressions.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think he's a cute boy, just not my cup of tea. I like B2ST well enough. But I am really enjoying his performance, and I guess that makes me "see" him as an actor, as well as the character, as more interesting.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

He reminds me more of cha seung won. His asymmetrical face, some of the expressions etc

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

RE Jun-hyung, when I watched the first episode I thought to myself: so, this guy is an idol AND the main lead AND is not even good-looking *hangs head* In my defense most of the actors I have been drawn to in the past haven't been the best lookers (LSG, RDH, Kame, & Cumberbatch).

As for the PS: I am blind to this but his lips...

I find that his acting style is quite similar to the awesome Ryu Deok-hwan!! <3 It's safe to say am a fan.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I find his face a bit plastic...

They should have done a better job if he did go under knife. He is by no means handsome or a looker but he has his charm & charisma. I'm never for idol transforming into acting taking the lead role from deserving actor but he's a revelation in this drama.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

So...I rolled my eyes when I first read about this show...idol + high school = candy drama with pretty and no substance.

I WAS WRONG!! I have a special little place in my heart for this drama and it best not mess with Kyu-dong.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

am i the only one irritated at the all for one chick? in the beginning i was just like girl, people aren't toys. you don't just get to decide that you "want to have" someone and then go around telling reporters he's your boyfriend. i'm pretty sure he should at least be informed that he apparently has a girlfriend, now. i hope she doesnt start acting all territorial or wahtever

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

ohhhh thank you!!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

After an uneven episode 7, Monstar is back on track with a great episode 8.

Dunno how I feel about Kyu Dong actually jumping. There's definitely significant hurt between him and Do Nam and I can totally see both sides of the story. And it would definitely feel more realistic with Kyu Dong jumping. At the same time, like a lot of other people, I like Kyu Dong a lot, and would hate to lose him as a character since his pains and redemptions are not fully explored yet. Same with Do Nam. I like his character a lot also, and if Kyu Dong were to jump, I know he'd feel the guilt and pain in reverse like Kyu Dong felt all this time. But to get to a place of happiness, he needs to explore his anger and forgive Kyu Dong while he's alive.

Love the Se-yi/Seolchan date. Loved all the nuances between them on the date. I do find it kind of realistic how Se-yi reacts to the reporter's questions and SC's denial, because I think she does have feelings for SC, and her first initial reaction to SC's denial of her being a girlfriend is anger at SC.

Remember, she doesn't understand the whole k-pop fan craze, so she doesn't have ANY context into why SC is doing what he's doing. Add to that fact that SC has pulled this type of stunt before (almost-kiss w/ her AND the actress) and that she has feelings that she's never had before in her life, and I can totally see her attaching to the idea of being someone else's girlfriend to avoid SC's "playing with her" again. She's already asked SC why he's playing these games and told him to stop it, so I see her hooking onto SW's line as a way to avoid these hurts without realizing that they both love her and SC's love is complicated by his being an idol (which she doesn't totally get) and his own buried pain in the past (which she doesn't know about).

Also, I think that when Sunwoo talks about his avoidance of good deeds because of being burned in the past, I think he's referring to the incident that broke Seolchan and Sunwoo apart. It seems to have been as traumatic for SW as it was for SC. And I agree with others who say that SW, while he seems "perfect" actually isn't doing things because he feels they're the right thing to do (e.g., defending Kyu Dong), but rather because it's what's expected for a good son/brother/friend/student to do. It makes me curious whether the SC/SW incident caused him to become that type of person. He's only started to break out of that shell because of Se-yi and even then, it seems a little selfish, but I'm ok with that as perfect people are unrealistic and boring.

Still liking the Nana and Eunha storylines, and would definitely like to see more about Eunha and what's going on with her bruises both physical and psychological (only member of ColorBar who isn't recognized which seems to hit some other hurts within her).

Hmmm, I think I wrote quite a bit, but there was so much goodness in this episode after the discordant tones in the previous episode, that I felt the need to gush :).

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree with you that se Yi was
not behaving out of character by keeping silent. a lot of ppl get stunned in a situation that they haven't encountered before. also, so much has been happening to her world in that short time at the school. she ( and seol
chan and I guess sun woo too) has had to face new
emotions stirred up and all of them are all out of sorts and behaving in less predictable ways.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I was screaming at my screen when I was watching this, especially towards Eun-Ha and Seyi. The last part just made me so upset. I think though that Nana will save the day cause out of the group she was the only one they didn't show. She was probably on the roof taking a smoke.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Please could someone tell me the name of the singer and song for the duet se yi and sun woo did at the end of episode 2? Thanx!

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

The singer is Kim Yoon Ah; the song is "A Nocturne".

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

@akane: Thanx a lot!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

NO.
He's so not going to die.
COME ON SHOW! AFTER ALL WE'VE BEEN THROUGH!? You're not gonna kill this awesome character.

Well.
I had it predicted actually. When he was singing while the other kids ridiculed him, i had a feeling he'll commit suicide. Gaaawd. Someone will stop him. Hopefully. Probably its Do Nam too. Idk. This show's killing me.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I Hope No One Dies ThankYo For Your recap!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Kyu Dong is one of my fav characters. ;A; I'm worried that he really reached his breaking point.
Will somebody save him in time??????!

I feel like he will commit suicide in the next episode. And this in turn will up the seriousness in this show.

And poor Eun Ha. I want to see more of her story.
That bruise on her leg. At first glance, I thought she got it from the performance/practice. But now I wonder if it was self-inflicted or abuse.

I felt really bad for Nana when Sun Woo called their hangout just a "good deed". Their dessert date was so awkward.
I ship them, but I don't think Sun Woo will ever feel the same attraction to Nana like she feels for him. I hope so but.... Time's running out in this drama...

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks for the recap! I'm a fan of this show now. Fingers crossed for a great next episode :-)

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Wow, this episode really surprised me. Especially the ending. The last few minutes with Kyu-dong, when he was talking to Do-nam, when he was singing, and finally, when he was on the roof, really tugged heavily at my heart. I started crying, it was so intense. Poor Kyu-dong. Don't jump!

I hope Seol-chan confesses soon. I hope Se-yi connects the dots soon too. He likes you, Se-yi!

Thanks for the recap, Gummimochi!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

This totally reminded me of my Jong Suk-Woo Bin bromance in School 2013! Hope it turns out well for them just like for my other favourite "brothers". Please don't let them be loners again for when they are together they are no longer loners =)

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I love all your recaps/ summaries! I love your personality <3 you are amazing! Rock on!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *