181

Who Are You–School 2015: Episode 14

This week has been a surprising one with sinking ships and various triumphs over evil, but I’m not yet sure the right people are on the job. The twins spend the episode apart, fixing things that are broken. All our friends struggle for acceptance — not just with their friends, but also to accept the truths about themselves.

 
EPISODE 14 RECAP

So-young overhears that Eun-bi is back in Tongyeong, and sneers at Eun-byul. Doesn’t she know Yi-an got his injury from trying to save “Eun-bi-nim,” when he already knew she wasn’t Eun-byul? Turning to Yi-an, she says she’s curious which sister he has feelings for.

He tells her it’s none of her business, and she simpers that she thought Eun-byul might be curious. But her words don’t make Eun-byul rise one bit — until she accuses her of lying.

Then, Eun-byul grabs her by the neck and advances on her: Is she messing with her using her sister who nearly died because of her, and her best friend of ten years? She blocks So-young’s hit, and Yi-an steps up, too, at which point she’s suitably fearful. Without turning a hair, Eun-byul gives her a shove, and tells her to take her hobbies elsewhere.

Yi-an ruffles her hair, impressed by her fierceness. She bats his hand away and asks about the injury, but he lightly tells her it was already hurting. She then asks what’s up with Tae-gwang, who went tearing off after finding out she wasn’t Eun-bi — all the way to Tongyeong, where he even spent the night. The news gives Yi-an pause, although he doesn’t say anything to Eun-byul.

Speaking of Un-goldilocks (I like your new hair, boy), he stubbornly insists he can’t make it back to school, but Eun-bi puts the kids on him as escort to the bus, an indignity he protests. He walks backwards so he can keep talking to her — she’s coming back, right? “I’ll be waiting,” he tells her, before running to join the kids.

Back at school, a student looks for Teacher Kim for maths help, but he hasn’t come in today, so Min-joon offers to take a look. So sweet to see him coming out of his shell and making real friends. The other kid is happy, too, and even more impressed when he finds out Min-joon’s signed up for some sporty extra-curriculars. Aw, just seeing you smile makes me smile.

Teacher Kim goes to see Detective Park (Min-joon’s dad) at the police station. He had wanted to wait until the kids finished the semester, but he can’t hide the truth of Soo-in’s death any longer, and is therefore turning himself in.

Mom tells Eun-bi on the phone that the paperwork’s been fixed so she’s not dead anymore, and that she’s about to start on her formal adoption. Eun-bi’s silent at that, and Mom asks if she isn’t coming back to Seoul. She figures that being with her foster-siblings again has made the choice harder, and Eun-bi asks for some time to think. Little Ra-jin overhears the conversation.

Eun-bi visits the mystery ashes in the vault with her name, but is surprised to find Oh Jung-ah there — the bullied girl she stood up for at her Tongyeong school. Jung-ah admits she thought Eun-bi might not have been dead.

She tells Eun-bi that when she heard she was missing, she went to the seashore everyday — until one day, a body washed up.

A flashback shows us a crowd gathered around the body of a young female student whose face is unrecognizable. Jung-ah dropped Eun-bi’s name badge (picked up that last day when Eun-bi discarded it) by the body, and confesses that even if it wasn’t her, she wanted to punish So-young. Sobbing, she says she’s worse than So-young for not sticking up for Eun-bi in return, even though she wanted to. Eun-bi reassures her that it’s okay — she knows better than anyone how terrible it is to be bullied.

Song-joo catches up to Yi-an and Eun-byul walking together, and asks if they’ve made up now, which goes over Eun-byul’s head. Yi-an offers that they didn’t fight — he was in the wrong. Shi-jin laughs that it’s more likely Eun-byul wronged him. Lol, this girl (Shi-jin: The Quiet Riot). Eun-byul argues, but with the two girls playfully ganging up on her, she huffily stalks off. They marvel at how thoroughly the gentle “Eun-byul” has disappeared, now that she’s got her memory back, while Yi-an looks pensively after her.

Coach lays into Yi-an for his long face, and reminds him it wasn’t going to be easy. Yi-an assures him he definitely won’t give up, and Coach approves of his attitude. After he goes, Yi-an takes out the medal Eun-bi gave him from his locker, thinking back to her parting words to get better quickly and go back to his old self.

Ra-jin finds Eun-bi pondering Yi-an’s real medal, which she must have retrieved from the vault. Eun-bi tells her it was meant for someone else.

Noticing her mood, Ra-jin tells Eun-bi it’s okay if she goes back to Seoul — she has a mom now, after all, and lots of friends. She’s not worried anymore, now that she knows she’s alive. Instead, she makes unni pinky-promise to come back on their birthdays, Children’s Day, and Christmas.

Tae-gwang is back home, troubled by the autopsy documents he secretly snapped.

At school, Teacher Kim hands in his resignation. Director Gong rails at his unnecessary actions — he’ll face some disciplinary action, but it’ll die down soon enough. Her death was an accident, and he (Gong) covered it up for the sake of the school, not personal gain. Teacher Kim replies that they violated of the Child Welfare Law, and remains firm that even if the director doesn’t come clean, the buck will at least stop with him. Making a deep bow to his old teacher, he takes his leave.

Tae-gwang slurps ramyun alone when Yi-an joins him. After a tongue-tied silence, Yi-an says he heard he went to Tongyeong. Tae-gwang thinks he’s here because he couldn’t contact Eun-bi, and tells him she changed her number, but that’s not it. Nonplussed by his staring, Tae-gwang barks at him to spit it out.

“Is she well?” Yi-an finally asks. He retorts that she is. “Then that’s enough,” he says, leaving at last.

So-young updates her Tongyeong minions on Eun-bi’s return from the dead. She tells them to give her a warm welcome, when Eun-byul whips the phone out of her hand. It hits the ground, and Eun-byul grinds it in with her foot; she wants to kill her right now, right? So-young makes no bones about it and stepping closer, she says, yeah, she wants to kill her.

Eun-byul: “When you stepped on my sister, how do you think I feel? If you want to kill me for stepping on your measly phone, what do you think I feel looking at you?” She kicks the phone away, and leaves So-young quivering with anger, and perhaps a touch of intimidation. Taste good?

She meets Tae-gwang, asking him who he is to keep summoning her, “You know we don’t talk to each other, right?” Somehow, I find this unreasonably funny — must preserve the status quo! He asks how much she knows about Jung Soo-in’s case, and to what extent the director (i.e. his father) is involved.

She tells him that the police initially thought she’d died earlier in the afternoon, and definitely not later than 5 pm. But when the autopsy results came out, it was recorded as 7.30 pm. The family insisted it happened during class-time, but were refused a reinvestigation. Tae-gwang’s mind back flits to the case-reports with the two different times, and asks if that means the papers were forged. She replies that the administration probably wanted to shake it off as an accident (rather than accept liability), since there was nobody around at that time.

Teacher Kim drinks alone at a pojangmacha when Tae-gwang joins him. He holds out his cup hopefully, and Teach makes as if to pour him one, but rewards him with a forehead-flick instead. Haha, you get points for trying! He sighs heavily and suggests they tell each other one problem each again. Going first, he tells Tae-gwang that in order to do right by one student who was hurt, he’ll take away the father of another. Tae-gwang stills.

“Being the teacher of both kids, what should I do?” he asks, finally looking up. Tae-gwang replies that it was the father who did wrong. If it were him, he would tell that student, “Convince your father one last time, before it’s too late, before he falls at somebody else’s hands.” Eyes full, Teacher Kim looks at Tae-gwang with a mixture of respect and sadness.

At home, Tae-gwang approaches his father. He slides his phone towards him, with the picture of the original autopsy report (stating the time of death as 4.30 pm). Once Dad registers what he’s seeing, he curses his ungrateful son for threatening him. Fine, he snarls — what is it that he wants? There’s something terribly sad in this misunderstanding.

But Tae-gwang is lost himself — he doesn’t know what he wants. Welling up, he tells his dad that he truly hates him, and he thought he would be the happiest to see him fall…but even with this damning evidence in his hand, he can’t seem to do anything. He leaves the phone on the countertop, and tells Dad to do as he wishes with it — he’ll take that as his answer. For the first time, it looks like Dad’s dam of denial is cracking.

The next day, the kids of Love’s House see Eun-bi off with the assurance that she’ll be back in a fortnight. They wave goodbye.

A police car arrives at school, and Director Gong is escorted in. Tae-gwang pushes to the front of the crowd and he and his father share a look before the car pulls away. Yi-an looks from the departing car to Tae-gwang’s grave face. Does he know?

At the police station, Director Gong hands over the original autopsy report to the detective. He makes a full confession for the forged document, and trying to cover up the fact that Jung Soo-in died during class. When the detective mentions Teacher Kim’s share of culpability, Gong repeats that it was solely his doing, and that he used his authority to block every attempt that Kim made to tell the truth. I almost admire you right now. But I wish you weren’t such a brute to your son.

Eun-byul and Yi-an share rainbow slushies (I really want one of these, damn you PPL!) and she asks him how well he thinks he knows her. When they were kids, he knew everything, he says. But recent events made him realize he doesn’t really know her so well after all. Talk turns to Eun-bi, and he says she’s lucky to have a strong, protective sister like Eun-byul.

She responds with a rueful smile, wondering who’s the unluckier one: Eun-bi who, for the crime of protecting an outcast, became an outcast, or she, who ignored her friend having a hard time and ran away. She asks Yi-an if he’s disappointed, but he jokes you’d have to have expectations first. Still, she feels better now that he knows it all.

Back at home, Eun-bi looks for the bear Yi-an gave her, and Mom says Eun-byul put it in her room, since furry things make her sneeze. When Mom asks who gave her it, she just says it was a friend.

She goes to the pool to leave a box at the desk for Yi-an, where he catches her. She snatches the box back, and everything’s a little awkward. They go outside, and sit nearly next to each other — on different benches. They both start talking at once, but she tells him to go first. He started rehab while she was away, he tells her, which makes her light up — she knew he’d get back up once Eun-byul was back.

Yi-an’s face says she’s got it aaallll wrong, but she blithely continues that she’s happy that she doesn’t need to worry about him anymore. She returns his winner’s medal to him, saying that he should give it to the person it was meant for.

She asks if it’s a little less hard for him to see her face now, and he sets her straight. It was hard, and he was pretty harsh to her, he admits, but does she really think he wants her to just leave and he’ll feel better? The gruff forgiveness makes her even happier, and she says she won’t avoid him anymore.

At the bus stop, Eun-bi sees a news announcement of Tae-gwang’s father’s arrest, and she calls him right away. The ringing wakes him from a fevered sleep. He finally answers, but the exertion knocks him out and the phone drops from his hand. She calls his name, worried.

Now hooked up to a hospital IV, Eun-bi lingers at his bedside. He still shivers with fever, and she notices with soft eyes how he mouths “mom.” She scrolls through his phone — where the bulk of his calls are with her or the housekeeper — and dials his mother.

Eun-byul discovers Soo-in’s note, which Eun-bi tucked into her diary, “Eun-byul. It’s okay that you pretend not to see me. You’re still my one and only friend.”

Tae-gwang’s mom gazes at her sleeping son, and touches his face. He remains asleep, and she tucks him in. Outside, she leans against his door with a sigh, and meets Eun-bi. She assumes she must know something of their family situation since she isn’t surprised to see her (guys, help me out here — how does Eun-bi know who his parents are?).

Ruefully, Mom tells her that he used to be such a sunny child, but the parents’ divorce really hurt him. She turned her back on him a lot, she admits, so she feels she doesn’t have the right to have regrets now. She’s grateful that he has a friend by his side, and leaves Eun-bi with a present to pass on to him.

Tae-gwang finally wakes, and Eun-bi reproaches him for not calling when he was that sick. “You came even though I didn’t call,” he quips weakly. But is it okay for her to worry when she won’t even like him? Eun-bi asks, “So…should I go?”

He shakes his head. “So…I’m grateful.” He wraps his hand around hers and closes his eyes.

Eun-byul, meanwhile, marshals her courage to visit Soo-in’s family, and (ex?) teacher Min-young finds her in the foyer.

Eun-byul steps slowly into Soo-in’s room. She stops at the photos of the two of them together, when Min-young pads in. She says that when she was sorting Soo-in’s things, whether it was her blog or journal, Eun-byul’s name was everywhere. Their times together were her happiest, Min-young relates.

In a flashback, Eun-byul remembers once when they shared earphones and sang together, carefree. The song continues, Soo-in’s beautiful voice interposed with the memory of the bullying Eun-byul ignored. Min-young plays back that song now, a recording on Soo-in’s phone.

She explains that that’s why she went so far — because Soo-in thought of her as her one friend, if she had been just a little closer…! Eun-byul breaks down in tears of grief and guilt, apologizing. Min-young wraps her in a hug and says sorry, too — it must have been hard for her, as well. O…kay?

Yi-an contemplates the returned medal, which now hangs at home. He thinks of Eun-byul’s last words to him before she went missing: “I’m not the Eun-byul of our childhood. We’ve grown too much and a lot has changed.” He takes out the humbler medal from Eun-bi, and her wish for his recovery and promise to help percolates in his mind. He hangs it next to the big one.

Tae-gwang picks at his spread, uncomfortably alone in his empty house. He calls Eun-bi and orders her out to eat, “I’m so sick I don’t have the strength to lift my chopsticks.”

They go to a crab restaurant where you pick your own, and it’s too cute for words. Tae-gwang laughs for real! Squee! But mate, I don’t think the way to a girl’s heart is to tell her the crab you’re about to eat looks like her. Haha.

He eats so heartily, Eun-bi questions his supposed lack of appetite. She tells him to take care of himself, since she’s not going to his place even if he faints. She softens on hearing he has nobody at home, but he just brushes off her concern with more crab.

She tells him that his mom came by at the hospital, and conveys the gift she left. Inside is…a tie? Wow, that’s a rubbish gift, and his disappointment is evident. He goes back to the meal like nothing happened.

Night draws in when Yi-an finally concludes his contemplations. I swear he’s been contemplating (ruminating, pondering, running out of synonyms here) all episode. Taking one of the medals from the wall — we don’t see which — he runs out.

Tae-gwang walks Eun-bi home from their almost-date, and she offers to tell him how to make the time go faster when he’s alone. He demurs that there’s no such thing — there’s only one way for time to go faster for him: “Being with you.”

When he comes closer to her, she doesn’t step away. Just looks at him. So nobody can blame him when he — the captain of his own ship — swoops in for a kiss, his lips grazing her cheek.

Except maybe Yi-an. The medal Eun-bi gave him drops from his hand, shock written all over his face. I can’t tell if Eun-bi sees him, but right now, she’s only looking at Tae-gwang.

COMMENTS

I honestly wish the high drama of this show didn’t come down to a love triangle. It’s a bit disappointing that so many interesting potential storylines remain unplumbed while geometry dominates. Take for example, the compelling teachers’ storyline that its predecessor delivered so well, which 2015 only offers a smattering of here and there. Lee Pil-mo is criminally underutilized in a role that he’s killing, even with piddly screentime. The teacher-student relationship between Director Gong and Teacher Kim carrying into their adult lives is such a fascinating source of tension — a difficult face-off between idealism and necessity — which could have been expanded into a really satisfying arc.

The biggest loss, though, is not having him interact and connect more deeply with his students. It’s that flow of emotions between teacher and student that make this kind of show hit home, because it has a way of tapping into the our most treasured hopes (or experiences) of school, which are universally relatable. It made the flashes of it — with Min-joon, Yi-an, the twins — even more tantalizing, and those secondary storylines remain few and underdeveloped. But my favorite is his bromance with Tae-gwang. In a sense, they really are brothers, shaped by a common hand, even if Director Gong is kindly mentor to one, and harsh authoritarian over the other. Still, it’s not a coincidence that it’s their combined influence which brings him to confess.

His refusal to admit wrongdoing seems at least somewhat driven by a distorted desire to protect. As he sees it, nothing brings the dead student back, so why should they go down for an accident? Kim argues it’s his fault for leaving her, and this highlights a subtle difference in their respective worldviews. Gong sees consequences within a bigger picture, where Kim focuses on the indefensibility of his personal actions. As we see, Gong isn’t above pulling a few strings, and he can sacrifice some moral ground for expediency. But he’s also not exactly bad, with his refusal to embezzle school money despite Prosecutor Kang’s blackmail attempt. Up until this point, I think he’s really just been in denial — like, if he closes his eyes, it’ll all go away. But all of this culminates in a moral crisis and when he opens them to find himself at the top of the proverbial slippery slope.

Tae-gwang’s mom’s short visit was both illuminating and unsettling. The nature of her job (and celebrity) makes her turn her back on her kid? Really? You (rightly) don’t have a right to a lot of things when you ditch your kid, but your responsibility to them doesn’t just go away — there’s always a debt, a failure. She must think she’s punishing herself by denying herself her son, but the reality is that he pays the price because ultimately she denies him his mother. It makes Tae-gwang make sense — how he wants to be with her but doesn’t allow himself, because that’s just a world of pain waiting to happen.

I did find the plot turnover this episode a little too neat and quick, focusing on delivering dramatic plot points without the requisite build-up. For example, the significance of Director Gong’s voluntary confession is undermined if they had to take him in to get it — why did the police come to the school? Dramatic effect? And the overnight change of heart is a stretch. It’s to the actor’s credit that you see him crack in that raw, vulnerable moment Tae-gwang makes him feel shame. So on the one hand, I can produce the rationale (see: above), but on the other, I’m not feeling it. Perhaps we have to fault the writing for taking somewhat clumsy shortcuts with plot and character development, which means we skip to the endgame without due process, thus undercutting its own emotional climaxes. Teach says show your working or you don’t get the marks.

Another example of this is in the twins’ conflict with So-young. Gratifying as it is to see her brought down, it needed to be Eun-bi doing it, because isn’t that the whole point? That’s my biggest criticism of Eun-bi’s character, who has constantly been passive when it counts, even though we’ve seen her with plenty of pepper. I don’t want her victory to be that she decided on her own whether to go back to Seoul or stay in Tongyeong. That’s not to devalue self-determination (which is life itself to, say, Min-joon), but being agent of her own fate is only part of her battle. As long as So-young exists in her world, she needs a full victory against her tormentor — not for the sake of winning, but so she can end that threat permanently on her own terms. It’s frustrating to see her keep taking the backseat again while other people fight her fights, especially when you notice that Yi-an doesn’t interfere in Eun-byul’s clashes.

I resolved not to talk boys this time, but Tae-gwang remains the show’s shining light, and the way he offers an uncomplicated friendship that asks nothing back just never fails to get me. Yi-an precludes his own momentum with Eun-bi and spends this episode as little more than a brooding paper cutout, as if they can’t be bothered to write him anymore (maybe because our boy Tae-gwang is on fire).

I’m not sure what to make of this ending for a couple of reasons, mainly Eun-bi. It’s too rushed to feel organic (did this get called in the same meeting they decided to geld Yi-an?), but at the same time, Kim So-hyun is rooted enough in her character and the moment to sell it. But this definitely would have been way better a few episodes ago. So it’s a bittersweet note this episode to see how she doesn’t step back from him, or take her hand away first, which in Eun-bi might just be as good as a “yes.”

 
RELATED POSTS

Tags: , , , ,

181

Required fields are marked *

Shi-jin: The Quiet Riot LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL Best line ever.

Also, then whose body washed up on shore? Are we just to assume that it's some random girl that just happened to die to and it doesn't matter how she died or who she is?

That means that there is some girl's family who doesn't know that their daughter's body was found and had already been cremated. that's so effed up.

0
20
reply

Required fields are marked *

I was really surprised to see so many holes in the plot of this drama, especially in comparison to the previous "Schools".

After the reveal that Eun Byul hadn't died, my first question was who's the dead girl? And, didn't anyone think to report it to the police?!

Anyone noticed the absence of the Hope Orphanage Director? Not a sign of her upon Eun Bi's return from the dead. But we know why she's absent. She's, now, working as an ajumma in the mistress' house in "High Society". pffft

As for the tie from Tae Kwang's mother, I think there is some meaning to it. She was acknowledging his presence at her wedding. Remember, that he was tieless in his suit.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

guys, Boy Tieless totally dressed up for Eun-bi -- he's wearing a buttoned-up shirt for her! He decided it was a date! He NEVER buttons up a shirt if he doesn't have to (if he wears one in the first place)!

I lub him.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

if I were Kim Soo Hyun, and not to feel anything for Oppa Sung Jae would make her a human droid, just saying. it's kinda hard not to have a crush on him. As to why he looked hotter when he reverted back to black is beyond me. The blonde hair really suited him but goin back to his natural hair color I guess gave him cred, just a statement to say that he is serious with everything that he said and done.

Eun Bi, dont break my heart by choosing the stoic boy. But if you must, then tell Tae Gwang that Soju's on me by the end of ep 16. it will hurt like crazy but we'll be fine.

Girls, just let the dead body be, okay?
It was just to enable Eun Bi try on her sister's life and for her twin sister to take a break from her life,as well. No need to call CSI for any forensics or dna testing, just play along,

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

That's actually a good explanation for the tie gift.

My mind went to Reply 1997 when Shi-won got a (red?) tie for Tae-woong and he told her it meant love.

But blue ties are supposedly good peace offerings so I guess that was the easiest way for Tae Kwang’s mother to say 'I love you' and 'Let's be at peace'.

...

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Dead body with unrecognisable face who is identified on the basis of a NAME TAG.

Like, show, you make no sense whatsoever.

That scenario requires that the dead body had the same or very similar body type and height as Eun-bi (possible but what a coincidence!) and was wearing a school uniform from the same school as Eun-bi (so who is the missing, dead student from her school?) – because they would have asked someone who knows Eun-bi to confirm the identity (the orphanage director; a teacher from her school) and all that would have had to match.

But more than that, they would have normally done a DNA test!

0
11
reply

Required fields are marked *

Since Eun-bi is an orphan, there's no relatives to check her DNA samples with. And she's under 19 with no identy card which means no formal finger prints of Eun-bi left to compare with the body's fingerprints. The body was found swollen after a few days in the water so the it was impossible to identify the body's face.

0
9
reply

Required fields are marked *

She had a relative though: her twin sister. They were together at an orphanage at the very beginning, so unless someone manipulated the data there should be a record of her having a sister.

Also – dental records.

And: her scar from riding the bike (and possibly other body marks).

A name tag just doesn't cut it, not in a situation when they are uncertain about who the dead person is because of the state that it's in. It's just bad crime science.

And: we still have a random dead body.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Eun Bi and Eun Byul were never in the same orphanage, that's because they never knew the other's existence until Eun Byul saw the newspaper with Eun Bi in it.

Eun byul said herself that she was never in Love house and when she ran way she went to her old orphanage.

I agree that it was a negligence on the part of the police, and it was a coincidence that the real Eun Bi was missing at that moment, and "Eun Byul" had appeared days before.

0

You're right. I thought they were in the same orphanage because of the adoption confusion.

However, even if they were never in the same orphanage and knew nothing of their own background, it would be in their orphanage records who their parents and siblings are. But the police obviously didn't look at anything other than a name tag on the ground....

0

that's probably the best story they could cook with (of course, in reality the police dont work like that just with indirect evidence.. thats scary)

imagine if they came up with DNA report and stuff.. how are they going to refute the story later that the body wasnt eun-bi.. they probably dont want to go to that extent and it would be more ridiculous to say the police made a mistake in the report, so they just did some lazy writing i guess..

since eun-bi had a scar on her upper arm.. it wouldnt be too much to at least put some coincidence that the dead body had a similar scar too and was being confirm by the director of the orphanage that the body is her most likely during an identification..

but of course, there's so many other way to recognise one.. like dental record and stuff..

0

there is no need for relatives. The police can find have DNA test with Ebi's hair or toothbrush which they can easily find at the Love House.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think we would have done a better job at ID-ing that body than the police in that drama... (ˆ_ˆ)

0

Eun-bi had been missing for days before that unrecognizable body was found. Biological or organic samples for DNA analysis would already have degenarated. Add to the fact that DNA analysis is very expensive. I don't expect that precint would shoulder the cost, nor would the poor orphanage (who are still looking for sponsors/investors... probably why the director has been missing in action). Fingerprint also degenerates, so if that body is unrecognizable, it's likely there are no more prints as well. The next best thing would be forensic analysis on dental records, which would be less costly and with quicker turn-around time. But given that they are poor, I think they would just have simple dental procedures. It's unlikely Eun-bi would have had something suitable for dental comparison like hi-res dental x-ray. So I think it would come down to what's found with the body, any eye-witness that can provide possible identification. Also Eun-bi would already be on police record for recently missing person. Assume OJH also step forward to the police. She's the only one who could have provided the info regarding Eun-bi's bullying, too. My first thought when a body was found some days after Eun-bi's suicide was, that bridge was probably famous spot and got a high rate of suicide incidents. Otherwise, what time & coincidence! Following this conjecture, I can believe that police station deals with a lot of similar cases, probably a lot of unsolved cases, too, leading to a degenerate police force, unmotivated and incompetent in their job. That body might not even be a local, which would have made it harder to identify. The police probably felt lucky there's a possible claimant, instead of them cremating an unclaimed body. I'm betting they won't be keeping a dead body for long. And as a final after-thought, there probably weren't any sign of a crime to further the investigation.

0

The idea of a DNA test is to confirm the ID of the body. They could have very easily gotten DNA samples from her hairbrush or toothbrush where she lived. And with current tech, you can get a DNA test done in less than two days.

Major plot fail - one of many.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'll invite you to read my previous comment.

DNA is expensive - Orphanage is poor

Biological sample as you've mentioned already degenerated due to time & environment exposure.

A dried blood sample might provide a better DNA quality, but I think environmental exposure would also have degenerated it.

0

I think it was already established in the drama High Society that only rich people can afford DNA tests in Korea. Police must not have the funds. Yes, I wrote this with a straight face. Not.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

At this point I feel this drama has many "hole"..

About the dead body, teacher-student relationship, Song-jo desire to become an artist, Tae-kwang's father, Shin-jin insecurity (shown in early episodes) and so on..

Sigh.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

i totally forgot that song joo wanted to be a celeb

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Also, I want to see Eun-bi stand up for herself agains So-young.

She HAVE TO do that! For the sake of herself, so nobody dare to bother her again.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

@Arwen Your points might be correct but it's a lot for us to just assume. The show is making us guess the reasons for such a huge question mark. And my main concern is the fact that this means some other girl died and her family and friends will never know what happened to her. Her body is already cremated and she's already in someone else's grave. Her family won't even know if she's dead. It just seems like such a big hole that we are force to come up with excuses for ourselves.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

How does Eunbi know that Director Gong is Taekwang father? Can someone enlighten me about it? Feeling confuse here..~_~

thank you..

0
15
reply

Required fields are marked *

i THINK it's because around the time he first met, he told her that he was his father, but she thought he was just joking around (bc that was the same time that he told her that his mother was that actress) so she thought he was pulling his leg, so when she realized that he told the truth about his mother, she figured that he told the truth about his father as well. at least that's my 2 cents

0
13
reply

Required fields are marked *

around the time THEY* first met (i mean tae kwang and eun bi)

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

It's stretching it quite far, though you may be right.

But did she really even realise the truth about his mother? I mean, mom shows up but there's nothing that she does that reveals she's an actress and that thus Eun-bi can realise that TK wasn't joking and that she draw further conclusions from.

And I still wonder how she knows where he lives? Am I forgetting a scene where she finds that out?

0
10
reply

Required fields are marked *

Tae Kwang's mom is supposedly a top actress though. At the time they played their "lying" game, he held up his phone with a news article about his mom and said she was his mom.

0
6
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yup, i guess Eun-bi realised that Tae-gwang was telling the truth when playing the 'lying' game when they first met.

0

Yes, it's possible. I just wish the writer had given us more crumbs – like with Yi-an and his should injury where we had several hints (though we didn't even need them – just the accident with the car could have given him an injury to threaten his swimming career). We basically have to assume that Eun-bi believed Tae-kwang's lies and that she's deducing things on the basis of a brief conversation she had a long time ago. Like she looks at a TV screen and it all suddenly becomes clear to her. Ok, maybe... but I feel this could have been done much better. I'm not surprised multiple viewers are asking "How does she know?"

I also still don't understand how she knows where he lives. Did he ever tell her that? He wasn't responding on the phone, so it's not like he could tell her now. I also can't see Tae-kwang suddenly becoming sick as the writer trolling the shippers to give them scenes with Eun-bi "caring" for Tae-kwang (hence keeping the love triangle well and alive). Why does a healthy teen suddenly get super sick? Is he (physically) that frail to react to his father's request? Or does this have something to do with him being in the hospital at the very beginning?

0

*father's arrest NOT father's request...

(edit button, where are you!!!)

0

Maybe eun bi called the school and tell them something had happened to him. Or she got that phone tracking thing, haha, very unlikely though.

0

@alua Yeah as people mentioned he already told her about his his dad and mom and that fight between Taekwang and Gitae confirmed it. She knows where he lives, because I assume that rooftop they went to when he kidnapped her is where Taekwang lives. He even found the key of the rooftop door.

0

I think Eun-bi realised that Tae-kwang is telling the truth in the "lying game" after Tae-kwang attacked the other Iljin guy.

Remember at that time the whole class is gossiping about Tae-kwang's parent. And him hearing about the other Iljin bad-mouthing about his mother gets him riled up. If i remember the class call Tae-kwang crazy for attacking out of nowhere.

0

Eunbi is the one calling TK's mom with his phone. I think when a woman came, she'll assume she's TK's mom. She probably know that TK only living w/ his father (I don't remember though)

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Of course she'll know when a woman appears that it's TK's mom (I didn't question that?).

None of that gives her his home address though to find him ill and get him to the hospital though...

I did sarcastically think though of course he conveniently has no password on his phone... (^_^)

0

"(edit button, where are you!!!)"

In the urn in Tongyeong ?

0

yup Eunbi knows because of :
1-"lying game"
2- later in class she looks at him when the students gossip about his mother's third marriage then he gets in fight.

And about his mother's gift as @auntiemame mentioned above I think she noticed that he was tieless at her wedding.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Taekwang told Eunbi a secret that he's the director's son and later when they played lying game, he told that the top actress is his mom. After that, Eunbi overheard classmates gossiping about third marriage top actress which turned out to be director's ex-wife. At that time, Eunbi just stared at Taekwang and I assume that Eunbi knew it since then. Eunbi realized that Taekwang told the truth. Moreover, Taekwang suddenly attacked Gitae show it even more.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Dammit Yi An make up your mindddd

0
7
reply

Required fields are marked *

Word. Seriously, what's wrong with this guy?!

He is already emotionally cheating on Eun-byul, because ???
He has been obsessing over Eun-byul all the time, stressing that being her childhood friend and stuff gave him the right to be possessive towards her. And then he spends a few days with Eun-bi and jumps ship, completely forgetting Eun-byul? Why?

0
6
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think they'd have to be dating for cheating to happen and Eun Byul does not seem to care about him.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm still not quite sure about their relationship, but Eun-byul clearly cares about Yi-an. She's just a rather messed up teenager*. Yi-an accepted Eun-byul's weird push-pull ways in the past. He made it very clear that HE IS in a very close relationship with Eun-byul.

*) You know, the kind of girl who thinks that "I hate my life, I want to get away. Wait, there is my identical twin, who suffers from amnesia after her attempted suicide: How about I dump the life I hate onto her, I probably do her a favour." is a reasonable and kind way to treat your sister.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

She likes him as a friend. I can see that, but it's not emotionally cheating... She gives no signs she gives a crap if he likes someone else, even that person is her sister.

The thing is she's letting go of guilt and opening up some, so I was hoping if there was more there we'd see it by now. And it's just not there.

0

Because he's stated that he likes 'now' Eunbyul (Eunbi) more than 'then' Eunbyul. I think that's why? Even after he knows that its Eunbi not Eunbyul? ._.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

he says that he likes "some" new things about the new Eby. However, the aim of most of his and "new" Eby's dates is to bring back her memory and his "old"Eby. He does want the old Eby (to some extend), so it s weird that he can forget that crush so fast.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

it makes him see better probably.. if its another looking girl, it might not be that effective or he could get over the crush in such a short time

and after all the incident (his time with eun-byul since young, his time with eun-bi when she was having amnesia, his time when realise that eun-byul wasnt eun-byul.. his gradual acceptance to eun-bi..) and things going on, and his never ending hesitating (insert whatever words that suitable)..

its like if another/different actor plays the same character in a drama.. u can easily tell who is doing the better job and who is not.. and whatsoever comparison.. but, there might be cases where both are suitable and portray differently but as well too, vice versa..

what im saying is, with the same appearance, where he got to interact with a totally different person yet he think its the same person and realising it later.. the contrast might result in easier to digest and conclude who is the one he really love..

0

I'm pretty sure Tae-gwang told Eun-bi about his mother in the nurse's office when they were trading "lies". Although I could be wrong and misremembering that scene.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

yeah you are right

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Didn't care if Yi An saw the kiss. Eunbi not pulling away or stepping back was all that mattered to me. ?

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I hope that EunBi ends with TaeKwang but it really bothers me is that every time the story progresses, Yi An gets hurt. So the last scene gave me mixed feelings.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Poor Yi An! He's just too late to realize.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I wish the writer did not go with the triangle route and frankly, at this point it is not logical to change ship.

0
6
reply

Required fields are marked *

For me though, I have always only feel chemistry with Yian and EunBi. Taekwang and EunBi had always give me friend zone vibes and now Yian and Eun-byul feel totally friend zone to me.

0
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

I am in the same mind as you, lol. xD

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Same. The only thing is that kiss. KSH is so young so I figure a kiss is a big deal and there's not going to a lip kiss... so TK getting her cheek seems like a huge deal, even if she looked like she'd rather he didn't lol

And Eun Byul/YA are friends. Unless she's just seriously very good at hiding her feelings. I mean, really good since she gives no hints at all.

These kids should all just be friends.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

In Hi School Love On, Kim Sae Ron who's like 2 yrs younger than Kim So Hyun had to do that nasty bubble gum kiss. Their lips were separated by a thin layer of popped gum, so it might as well have been an actual lip kiss..

That's why I don't think it's that much of a big deal....if they do kiss on the lips, but nothing could possibly lead up to that level of intimacy in two episodes xD

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah, it may not be much of a big deal. In Superman Returns, even the youngest of the famous Song triplets (Manse) kissed Sarang (if i remember correctly, on the lips too), and they're below 10!

0

It seems Eun Byul is being misunderstood. She has feelings and showed them on the bus in the very beginning, she also hid what she listened to to her friends. She fights her battles alone. She isn't open about it.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

the reason why it seems too fast and jumps to just important part of characters... I guess because they only have 2 more eps to go. ...I mean, WHY NOT MAKE IT INTO 20-21 EPS?????

The audiences really rooting this drama, can the KBS2 expand the episodes? I really like the way the schoolmates thought Tae Kwang likes Shi-jin and the way Shi-jin gives a rejecting very cool ^^ I wonder if Shi-jin can be with Min Joon ^^

I wish ep 15-16 will be like ep 1-2/3-4 when all the casts have their own stories and scenes. :)
I really love all the characters and casts.
Especially that tomboy girl, who sits in front of Eun-bi's desk, that turns out it's a wrong desk. ^^ She's really has the expression. And the flirty boys and mean girls, this class is amazing. Its really gets me back to my high school. ^^

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

So satisfying to see Eun-Byul put So-young in her place. Sure, it would be better to see Eun-Bi do it herself but at this point, anyone telling her off is good for me.
I'm not so much into the love triangle as wanting to see So-young served with justice. Hope the show delivers on that.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm tired with this So-young sory line by now. It was very interesting originally, but it has been wasted because no new light have been shed to her motivations and the whole things has become repetitive. So-young does smth to bring EB down, is thwarted, looks angry, swears to get her. Repeat. Repeat. REPEAT.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Tbh i felt like all the sweet Taekwang moments in this episode were bait, to reel in more views from anticipating fans of second-lead sung jae (sound familiar? *cough* AM 1994 *cough*). Writers will probably make eun bi shoot him down for the third time and she'll end up with Yi An.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

The most deciding thing between Yi-an and Tae-gwang for me was when they both stood up defending Eun-bi. The difference between their actions told pretty much everything one needs to know about these two. Tae-gwang jumped into defense by _passing the figurative sword to Eun-bi_. This is extremely important: he pushed Eun-bi to take action, to be the hero of her own story. He was empowering her, not just defending her.

Yi-an, on the other hand, simply shielded her. For him she was like a passive princess for whom he must fight.

In short, Tae-gwang is the type of guy who will say "you can do it, you are strong and awesome, I am here having your back, go get'em!" while Yi-an says "you don't have to do anything, I am here doing it for you, you just relax and take cover while I fight the dragons".

Now, this doesn't make Yi-an bad choice. Not in the least. He is a nice guy, truly. BUt in my opinion this makes Tae-gwang a better choice because he will not only be there for you but he will try to make you see how powerful and awesome you are.

------------

Anyways, I wanted to answer that one person in some previous thread about TG deserving EB and people bashing YA. I definitely do not think TG "deserves" to get EB, but he DOES deserve recognition of his friendship. It frustrated me to no end that it took so long for this to come while EB just kept moping after YA. We had it finally so it's fine. I still wish she would pick TG bc as I said, I think he's better + more interesting + their chemistry is better, but I am steeling myself against this happening.

I do not like the emotional manipulation this drama is doing with the love triangle, however. Bah.

----

Also, what recapper said. SO MUCH more interesting stuff has been going on than this triangle. And Eun-bi's passiveness has really bothered me, too. It was the whole point that she'll rise to occasion and defend herself but nope. It was almost always somebody else doind it for her! Even when she had chances, she would just stand there and look at her foe. Ugh.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

While the characters reaction to the OMG moments in the drama made sense in the beginning . Now I think the TV show isn't grounding the plot absurdities in character realistic reactions.

What the bullied girl did was falsify the confirmation of Eun Bi's death. Falsifying death doesn't make sense as a reaction to the bullying. It's not the first reaction anyone responsible would have to the dilemma

Having someone declared legally dead is a big deal. It's silly and what about the people who know the dead girl? Don't they have the right to know? It's convenient for the
premises and everything from eun buyls' actions to this falls together TOO nicely.

I'm done with the love triangle. While yian makes the most sense narratively, character wise he wouldn't. I feel like the writer is trying to pair the least dynamic characters in the story. Meanwhile Tae makes sense emotionally, but narratively it would just be slapdash.

0
7
reply

Required fields are marked *

I do not see anything wrong with TG being the choice narratively, either. Well, ok, maybe at THIS point when so much ruckus was made about EB's whatever-that-was with YA and when she has clearly told TG she's not into him (I do not blame him for the kiss here, though - she gives no red signal even though she could and knows TG would immediately back off - ofc it's possible they are just doing it as a cliffhanger and she'll stop him at the beginning next episode).

On the other hand, TG could still work narratively if they would portray the situation by EB growing to value his friendship and thus realize that he's the one, after all. And Yi-an was a side road she took bc she was broken after all what happened and Yi-an treated her so well so she latched out to him and couldn't bear rejection bc it resonated with her past rejections. But this is just wishful thinking, I suppose. I do not have any trust for the writer to be able to pull anything very sensible off anymore.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I would love for your last paragraph to be the case. But I don't trust these writers to make it happen without feeling slapdash in the last two episodes. And I 100% agree with your last sentence.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I don't think Eun Bi's reactions necessarily mean she likes him.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm done with the love triangle too. Yi-an flip-flopping about being in love with EunByul for years, then hating EunBi, then hating on EunByul for lying to him, then getting interested in EunBi. None of it follows smoothly or is developed well. -- And they're in high school for goodness sake. I think they should take it easy on the love department. Be a teen. Enjoy friends, life.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thing is, all those are actually very logical and sensible reactions. He loved Eun-byul for years and she was his best friend - obviously he'd be devastated to find out she is dead and it makes perfect sense to feel resentment towards the person who pretended to be her. Then he finds out Eun-byul ISN'T dead. Of course he's angry! If my bf faked his death and then came back like "yo, sorry, but I was kinda messed up, no biggie, righ?" - I'd probably murder him. (Yes, Eun-byul wasn't his gf, but any loved one is suitable example here.)

However, problem is that Yi-an doesn't really sell any of these emotions. At least not to me. I am so not invested in his struggles that it isn't even funny and I cannot quite understand why. Maybe it's the actor or maybe it's the writing, I cannot say. What should feel real and logical feels disconnected and artificial.

I so want to like Yi-an but I cannot. I do not dislike him, he's a very good guy on the paper, but I feel nothing for him. Just meh.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think Yi-an's reactions are certainly sensible but a) the writer didn't develop his side enough and b) the actor playing Yi-an indeed doesn't sell the emotions enough.

I think it's both the writing and the acting. Poor Yi-an only ever served as a plot device as part of the love-line, he doesn't have a stand-alone story. His swimming story doesn't hold up (it's a joke and ultimately used either to tie him to Eun-byul or for his injuries to make Eun-bi guilty).

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think Yian's dullness is a combination of both factors. I can't help think if Lee Jong Suk or Kim Woo Bin played the role, I would at least not cringe when Yian emerges on the screen. I'm a little disappointed by a show known for featuring rising stars. None of the cast, excluding Kim So Hyun possesses that it factor.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm done shipping. I love both boys so much that if either one of them has to be unhappy, I'd rather all of them be unhappy. No one ends up with no one. Eun Byul is the biggest question mark. Mainly, I need to know how Eun Byul feels because Eun Bi would never steal her sister's boyfriend. She may not have had a problem doing so when she thought her sister was dead, but it is impossible for her to do it now that her sister is alive. The fact that Yi An didn't even consider Eun Byul could be home and witness him confessing to her sister confirms that he has fallen out of love with his best friend. Eun Bi still doesn't like Tae Gwang (How, girl?!) as evidenced by her wide-eyed shock after he kissed her. And this isn't your ordinary Park Shin Hye wide-eyed shock every time she's kissed; this is a "Whaddya doing?" wide-eyed shock. Unless Eun Bi miraculously develops feelings for Tae Gwang after his kiss -- which she didn't after his hug -- more than likely they will stay friends. So even though the only two people who mutually like each other are Eun Bi and Yi An, it all boils down to whether Eun Byul can give them her blessing.

Ever since yesterday, I've been nonstop professing my love for Eun Byul. She is such a badass. Grabbing So Young by the neck with one hand and blocking her from hitting her with the other hand. Then throwing So Young's phone to the ground and stomping on it. Who needs Yi An and Tae Gwang when we have Eun Byul? I. Love. Her.

Eun Bi has one friend in Tongyeong after all. Although I pity the nameless soul who will forever be unclaimed, Jung Ah staged her suicide with the best of intentions. It was gut-wrenching seeing her cry her heart out. All of our characters went through a cleansing process today: Eun Byul reconciling with Soo In, Tae Gwang convincing his father to turn himself in and his mother visiting him in the hospital, and Yi An sorting out his feelings. I aww'ed at his simple "Is she well?"

guys, help me out here — how does Eun-bi know who his parents are?

From their opposite game. Tae Gwang offhandedly told Eun Bi he is the director’s son, which she brushed off as him playing around (Episode 3). Then when they exchanged secrets in the nurse’s office, Tae Gwang's secret was "Song Hee Yeong is my mother" (Episode 4). Eun Bi must have figured out Tae Gwang wasn't lying, since she had been telling the truth, too.

the captain of his own ship

Ha, I loved this. That, he is. A big thanks for the recap, Saya!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Excellent recap, Saya.
I wanted to write a long comment about some of the issues I had with the current episode(s), but you addressed virtually all of them already and much more eloquently than I'd be capable of.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Add me to that! Saya said it all perfectly.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I find the storyline becoming excessively boring as the show progresses. School 2013 was a lot better . As for yi an , he is so indecisive ..how can he just let 10 years of his friendship/crush die out in a few weeks ..seems ridiculous given that till the end he did not know that eun byul was actually eun bi . TG and eBi seen so much better together . But I'm totally fine with minimum focus on the extremely uninteresting.love lines and more on friendships,teacher - student relations . Instead of jumping from one plotpoint to another, it would make sense to tie up the loose ends ..yi an definitely needs to have q little more facial expressions than just wide eyed shock or anger . Kim so Hyun is killing the twin role absolutely ..just the storyline is going down the pits .
#fighting

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

School 2013 was a gem for me, I still repeat it randomly

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Re: Eun Bi's passive behavior and lack of reciprocating Tae Gwang's friendship.
I think this behavior is in line with her character. She became a victim of So Young's bullying because she didn't fight back. She is a non-confrontational person who didn't stick up for herself. One doesn't suddenly change this behavior. I think she is surprised and grateful that others have stood up for her, and made it easier for her to not have to confront So Young.
With respect to Tae Gwang, I think she is also surprised by his support and friendship, as she didn't have this in her Tongyeong school (no "boyfriend"). So, I think she is just unsure of accepting this situation, not rejecting, because it is something new to her. Same with her mother, since she grew up an orphan, so to have 2 people suddenly deeply caring for you may have been difficult to adjust to. Again, this is consistent with her character, so people should understand her behavior from this perspective.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I don't think it's people questioning it in the sense that it's out of line for her character.

Rather, it's people hoping that she would grow as a character over the course of the story – a character arch. Because that's what normally happens in kdramas (unless they are slice of life perhaps which isn't a common kdrama genre). Because that's how we end up cheering for chaebols that started out as mean guys, or candy heroines that come into their own.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

"She is a non-confrontational person..."

Is she though? She became an outcast in the first place because she was the ONLY one who stuck up for a bullied classmate. For me, that shows someone with a spine. It's just hard to reconcile that girl with the one who allows herself to be picked on. I'm wondering if they're trying to show the effect long term bullying can have on someone's inner self/ self esteem? If so, I'm not sure they're succeeding.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I don't know if people are on the same mind as me?

But, Yian changing his heart means he understand Eunbyul's word when they met in Tongyeong, for me. 'We're different like we were before.' it looks like, 'We can just be friend, no matter how much you tried, we won't be a thing.' sort of like that.

If Eunbyul likes Yian, the hint lay when she's listening to his match, wether its because they're '10 years friend' or she silently like him. We don't know.

For Eunbi, I can't help but not being in TaeBi ship, since Eunbi already make it too clear that she can't be that person to him. But I am giving all thumbs for Taekwang, because he's still there. Four of them are friendship goal, for sure, lol.

Everything seems lay on the medal that Yian bought towards the twin's house. Aaand, if Eunbi likes Yian, then it means the hint was in Episode 7? When Eunbi asked Taekwang.

ANYWAY, I AM NOT READY TO LEAVE SCHOOL 2015 T_T

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Okay, I honestly still don't see any romantic feelings from Eun Bi to TK, regardless of how cute the scenes or how much he needs her or how great he is. It's just simply as that. I'm seriously trying to see something there, but I just can't. There's nothing and Kim So Hyun is good enough to tell us if she was playing Eun Bi as wavering there. And she's not.

Eun Bi and YA also have unfinished business and he's still not being honest with her. The scene where she's happy but sad that he's in rehab, but not for her shows me they still do not have real closure. Eun Byul and YA are wonderful as friends. You can see how quickly they made up and just went right back to how they always were. There's not feelings there anymore. They might have flirted occasionally, but nothing more. I don't really have much issue with him moving on there and being confused.

Even the kiss was not one that showed she enjoyed it (the grabbing her bag/flinch was there for a reason, or was it just surprise? ) and she has to have seen YA. The shipping is a mess because the writer is obviously playing both sides and it's going to most likely end up with YA/Eunbi regardless. They aren't above throwing bones to TK fans though.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

i think she does have feelings towards YA.. if not why she dont want to tell the truth when her memories recovered (refering to the moment when she was telling him outside YA hospital door).. and there's so much other opportunities and loophole that almost expose her and could be a good chance to confess (like on the bus where YA texting her behind.. or when YA question her at the park that night asking if she's go eun byul after the scar thingy)

of course it could also simply be that he dont want to hurt him and hiding the truth for as long as she could.. maybe she's that noble.. but it definitely pains her and she couldnt possibly be enjoying in her lie either.. but most likely is her feelings towards YA that developed during this period and by not telling him for one day, she at least gains that one day with him by his side..

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Okay, even though I'm probably the only one that feels this way, can I just say I'm sick of all this Tae-gwang obsessing? Yes, he's a great character, and the actor should be applauded, but I don't understand people's desire to raise him onto some pedastal while tearing everyone else down. Like, if the story doesn't revolve around him or kisses, it's somehow less story-worthy? Yi-an is still a fascinating character; Eun-bi has amazing depth that I enjoy exploring; Min-young's breakdown was heart-wrenching; and Eun-byul's ability and desire to confront her sister's tormenter was awe-inspiring and made me stand up and cheer.

Yet, because the popular ship is tilting, people just want to gripe and find things to complain about?

For me, the most important ship is Eun-bi/herself, and I love how this episode started focusing on that. She needs to fully reclaim her own identity and learn to love herself again before worrying about romance and dating. Who she chooses to love after that is irrelevant. What makes this "love-triangle" interesting (and story worthy) is that it's portraying the growth of both Tae-gwang AND Yi-an through their relationship with Eun-bi: Tae-gwang is opening up and is realizing what it means to care for someone, selflessly and beautifully; and Yi-an is able to grow up, to re-evaluate his feelings, his priorities, and to finally see Eun-byul in a more realistic light, without the child-hood adoration clouding his vision. I think it's great that he's torn, that Eun-bi may be more important to him than he originally thought. But either way, it's the journey that's important for both of them, not the destination. What they learned through Eun-bi is what will help shape and define them; not who she chooses to make out with.

Still, the love triangle is merely one aspect in the story, it's not the most important, nor is it the only thing going on here.

And yes, I know we're all impatient to see Eun-bi reclaim her honor by taking down So-young, but patience, people, there are still two episodes left! If she doesn't manage by the finale, THEN complain and scream, and fault the writer. But don't belittle Eun-byul's chance to shine, or assume her actions are somehow less swoon-worthy because she's not a romantic interest. She deserves to stand up to this sort of injustice just as much as Eun-bi! After all, cowardice and inaction are the very demons that have been tormenting her since Soo-in's death! Her desire to put So-young in her place, doesn't take agency away from Eun-bi. All it does it give her another ally, and when the final show-down finally happens, Eun-bi may need all the allies she can get!

0
12
reply

Required fields are marked *

Sorry but no. Loving Tae-gwang isn't same things as putting everyone else down. Throughout the comment sections and recaps people have given lots of kudos to many other characters than him, like the teacher, the bully (actress, to be clear), Min-joon etc. And rightly so.

However, I cannot give any credit to Yi-an myself. I am sorry but as the recapper says, for me he feels like a paper cut out instead of a real character. Eun-bi has more depth but I am tired with her passiveness and really not interested in her anymore.

I would prefer the show to be about something else than this triangle.

0
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm sorry you feel that way. I don't, and there's got to be at least one other person in the universe who shares my opinion, because I love all the characters, including Yi-an and Eun-byul. It's too bad that so many of you don't, but I'm simply expressing my opinion. It's not going to change.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Nowhere did I said it should change. Other people are just expressing their thoughts, too. Just like you.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Which is why I prefaced my entire entry with "I'm probably the only one who feels this way." Which makes your reply (that you don't share my opinion) redundant.

So then, let's debate, because I don't see any other reason why you felt compelled to reply to my post otherwise. So please, tell me, why do you feel like Yi-an is a paper cut out rather than a real character? Because I find him well-rounded, likeable, and interesting . . . yet, it's almost like everyone (and I'm not saying you, specifically, because maybe you didn't), but a lot of people on here, and dramafever, seemed to think Eun-byul's appearance would magically solve the love-triangle, but when it didn't, suddenly it's because Yi-an is unrealistic, and horrible, and boring, and TAE-GWANG, I LOVE YOU!!

Also, how did you make it this far into the drama without liking Eun-bi? Her passivity has pretty much always been her main character flaw, and her fight to overcome it (to reclaim who she once was) has always been the conflict's main driving point. And who wants to read a story where the hero slays the dragon within the first couple minutes anyway? It's the *journey* that we enjoy, which is why it usually occurs at the end - it's about the allies they gain, the trials they overcome, and the internal struggles they bear, which makes the final confrontation so satisfying. And THAT'S why I'm okay with Eun-bi taking her time while preparing to slay her own personal dragon, because, like the saying goes, "You usually have to wait for what's worth waiting for."

Now, if the drama ends *without* Eun-bi defeating So-young, THEN I will compain - but I won't complain yet, because the story's still not over, and the writer (thankfully) has yet to disappoint me.

0

My comment had more in it than just "I disagree with you".

But, anyways.

It is hard for me to pinpoint why exactly I feel nothing for Yi-an. Part of the reason is the actor, I think. I do not find him engaging nor expressive enough and mostly I feel like Yi-an has two emotions, pleasant "this is nice" and annoyed "this is not nice" which comes with something that tries to be an intensive stare but do not work for me. Obviously you feel differently so same things have not bothered you.

Also, I have not said I never liked Eun-bi. I did like her in the beginning but by this point I do not care about her anymore, really. For me she hasn't shown much of character growth so it's too late to cram everything in two last episodes now if it even happens. I do not trust it will.

I watch this drama mainly for other reasons than for Eun.bi's journey. I've found the theacher's story to be very compelling and also there's Tae-gwang, Min-joon, Eun-byul's friends etc. Parts with Eun-bi and Yi-an I usually skip now.

0

I'm with you...love all of them...especially the cute tae kwang...

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

<But don’t belittle Eun-byul’s chance to shine

I'm sorry, but I want Eun-bi to shine. I have watched Eun-bi for 14 episodes. I have seen her suffer. I want to see a character that grows over the course of a story.

Eun-byul wasn't there. I still barely know her as a character and I'm not especially interested in her, because she was completely absent from my screen pretty much up to this episode. It's great that she's standing up to So-young, but the satisfaction I'm getting out of that is because of So-young/Eun-bi, not because Eun-byul as a character.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yep. It's a little bit late to introduce her as a character right now, and it's kind of "identical twin sister ex machina to solve all your problems for you".

It's not only the story telling that makes Eun-byul a side character in the show. Neither did Eun-bi care too much for Eun-byul after her "Unnie" died, nor did Eun-byul about Eun-bi, she just dumped her mess onto Eun-bi and called it a day. Even now they don't communicate at all about what Eun-bi experienced while living as Eun-byul (you could say that Eun-byul doesn't care about Eun-"byul" either).

On a personal level, Eun-byul and Eun-bi don't care too much about each other. Eun-byul does have a protective streak towards Eun-bi, but that's her social role more than a personal thing.

Except for the part of being played by the same actress as Eun-bi, Eun-byul is a character who doesn't have a connection to the story. Not even Yi-an cares about her anymore.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I see your posts almost everywhere, and you don't like anything, Jon, lol.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

It's sixteen episodes, she's not hurting the story by showing a little development or growth. And having her return makes much more sense than having her die in place of her sister, just because people want to connect to Eun-bi more.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

This! :)

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yaay, I'm not alone in the world! *hugs*

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Eun Byul...who needs boys when she's your Unnie? I saw way more than a touch of fear and intimidation in So Young because Eun Byul's words were right...she should fear what Eun Byul wants to do when she sees her.

The way she just tossed her aside after saying, "Stop while I'm asking nicely" WHEW

I do not support any ships.

Tae Gwang and Eun Bi are friends...he knows they are friends...why must he keep pushing his boundries and annoy me so much

Yi An...the character almost doesn't exist anymore though he is useful to highlight how the twins are different I suppose

Also Eun Byul is COMPLETELY disinterested in Yi An as anything other than her best friend and dismisses Tae Gwang completely.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Am I the only one who wanted to cheer when Eun Byul gave that great comeback to So Young? She throws away So Young's clumsy attempt to manipulate her with such ease and stands up for her sister. ...... their relationship is more important to her than any boy.

yes, Eun Bi should stand up for herself but it's more meaningful when Eun Byul does it than when the boys try. It's also more meaningful because So Young finally seems to get it into her head that this girl will do much worse to her than either Yi Ahn or Tae Kwang, because unlike them or Eun Bi, she has no fear of So Young and has wayyyyy more power among the students than the boys. And her anger is greater.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

i missed the bromance in School series =(

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Am I the only who ship Eun Byul and Tae kwang? hahaha they just spark on me when eun byul hit tae-gwang I know its weird, but were in this drama where ships are rolling around :)

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think if Yi Ahn ends up with Eun Bi i would most likely be disappointed because Tae Gwang and Eun Bi’s chemistry just gives me the feels.And how can you just forget your crush of 10years.

But enough about love triangles

Eun Byul is becoming my favourite character in this series.She is giving So Young the @#$* unlike her sister.

I think Eun Bi needs to stand up to So Young on her own.
And also end up with Tae Kwang(sorry i know i said no love triangles but his just so cute)

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Dang! If these people pull another "Chilbong" on me, my shipper heart won't be able to take it. I still can't forget that scene in AM1994 when Chilbong cries; don't want to see Tae Kwang cry too. I mean, I can't. If all these TaeBi scenes are incorporated in the drama just to increase the ratings then that's just a shitty thing to do. For god's sack, make up your mind Writer-nim, only 2 episodes left.
Also, I don't get why people think Eun Byul doesn't like Yi An. Of course, she does. The little trinkets she has of Yi An in her box, the secretly listening to the radio broadcast of his swim meet were clear indications. It's just that her character is so complex, she doesn't want to share her feelings.
And, Tae Kwang! Oh god! How much more anguish is he suppose to go through...The next episode better NOT start with Eun Bi running after Yi An to explain the TaeBi kiss while leaving Tae Kwang alone. That would be the worst.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I really liked the shipping thing but this is getting out of control. I feel like the focus in school problems is vanishing (or has already vanished).
Can't the four of them just be friends or something?

At this point, I just want the Soyoung thing to wrap up, and then I want to see cute interactions of the classroom kids and, of course, the twins <3

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

arggh why did the writers push for the eunbi-yian story in the 1st place. it just took away the good flow of the story. yian has been very clear from the start that hes had feelings for eunbyul as more than a friend for the better part of 10 yrs but now he's suddenly thinking thinking about going to eunbi? WHY????

and i can never feel the connection between them. i get that they like each other but as a viewer i just dont understand why they do?? i feel like they barely know each other...not in the same way as taekwang knows about eunbi and eunbyul knows about yian. it would be such a waste if yian-enbi happens tbh

and i dont understand people who complain about the viewers focusing on the love triangle so much when the previews, the marketing, everything all direct our attention towards it so it would be natural that people would clamor to talk about it, yes?

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

To be honest, ever since I fell into a drama slump from late 2014 until the beauty that is Healer bestowed itself upon me, I have never disliked a drama presence as much as I dislike School 2015's and that's saying something. The saddest part is that it's not even the actual drama I dislike or even the characters, but it's the way the writers chose to write the characters that piss me off.

How can TK's character be the most developed out of everyone here? The main focus at the start was Eunbi, but even her character developement trailed off at the end.

But what hurts me more is the fact that I came to dramabeans to read the recaps, and usually, I am in agreement with what is mostly said or analyzed about a drama, but even with the interpretation of this drama, there seems to be so much bias, I feel like only those who comment here are more logical (trust me, I have seen the comments from Korean viewers as well), i.e if they are willing to see both sides of the argument (or ship) without putting any other character down.

I am ready for this drama to be over and I honestly feel bad for Nam Joo Hyuk, Yi an's actor, because he had soooooooooooooooooo, and I mean sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, much potential, but sadly all this drama did was get his character hate when he hasn't even done anything that deserves being "witch hunted". I can count on two hands male leads who have done so much worse and redeemed themselves, but he really hasn't done anything wrong. Most of his behavior was justified (besides the choking, but no lie, that scene was sooo random and I can't even)

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

To be honest, I do think Nam Joo-hyuk IS doing something wrong (not Yi-an as a character, though). As I've written before, there IS meaty stuff there, there are emotions, conflict, contradicting feelings. However, for me this drama isn't really selling any of that which ultimately leads to me not caring about who Yi-an is or what he wants etc. And I do think part of it Nam Joo-hyuk's acting. There have been many situations where I should have felt for him and I wanted to but I didn't. Total disconnect. For me there are almost two emotions in him, either he's happy and smiling or angry and annoyed with something that tries to be intensive stare but doesn't quite manage to.

Yi-an, as a character, as you say, has done nothing wrong (yes, except that choking, but as you say, that was rather wtf + the wrist grabbing, but TG has done that, too). I've already explained why I prefer TG and it has nothing to do with YA doing something bad. I simply prefer TG because I think he has done more right things and done them better. But, it is a matter of preference, I do not contest people's right to like Yi-an more. Whatever works for them.

But yeah, cannot get on board with Nam Joo-hyuk. I honestly do think that had they chosen a better actor, I might like Yi-an more. I find actor to be more important in the equation because if an actor is bad or bland, not even good writing can save much, but a good actor can still make an interesting character even if writing is bad (not always, of course). It's not all Nam's fault, writing here is not good either, but yeah, I find him bland and not very good.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I got a feeling that there are plenty actors whose acting skills are on par with Nam Joo-hyuk's. However he belongs to a powerful agency and that means a lot in the industry. He is tall and not a bad looking but he is relatively expressionless.
Still he must be young so he has time to hone his acting skills.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

yea he definitely had more opportunities compare to those in other smaller agency.. everyone start off small..give him time to grow haha.. he dont really have any major role before this anyway.. (this comment its more than a year late, scarlet heart was pretty ok, though i think the role is pretty much "close to him" so playing it well isnt challenging, though im quite disappointed with him taking on the fairy weighting drama in nov, seems pretty similar genre as school, high sch, romance, teen, swimmer(?).. maybe i shall hold my comment till i see the show.. but i find that he should try sth else for breakthrough or gaining experience when young.. it wouldnt be bad until u are like a senior in the industry and start taking/trying other roles, by then the fail would be even more spectacularly.. and he's limiting himself, if he had the potential to do better..)

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I don't know.. as much as I'm (was) a TKxEBi shipper, I'm not sure the kiss means anything or will amount to much. EB didn't hit him, but that's because she isn't the type, I'm sure she'll run after YA.

It's all flawed writing and inconsistencies and worst of all, lack of payoff for the audience (or may be just me)

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

There also always next week. They aren't giving away her reaction. They also aren't above changing cliff hangers (YA runs in to help Eun Bi before anyone else, cliff hanger. Next episode, TK already helped her and YA just gets in the way and annoys viewers). So yeah.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks for the recap, Saya!

I agree with your comments. School 2013 had more depth and there was a lot of potential in this instalment. Reducing everything down to a love triangle is neglecting all the other issues and conflicts that are happening. I also wanted to see more personal stories of the other characters. There was the one ep on Minjoon and a brief look at Songjoo with the commercial gig. I thought there would be more continuation with Songjoo's dream. Not to mention, Shijin's struggles and even taking a look to see how the supposedly kind teacher became today's Director Gong.

Anyway, only 2 more ep's to go. I hope they can wrap things up on a good note. Definitely wanna see Eunbi standing up to Soyoung at some point.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

"Another example of this is in the twins’ conflict with So-young. Gratifying as it is to see her brought down, it needed to be Eun-bi doing it, because isn’t that the whole point?"

See the thing is she can't. She can and has learned how to not let So-young get to her as much and frankly she stands up to So-young in her own way. But not everyone is capable of being aggressive like say Eun-byul, Eun-byul can crush So-young under her heel like a bug, Eun-bi cannot.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Eunbi knew about Taekwang's parents 1) because he told her about his father when they were on the roof 2) because he told her about his mother in the nurse's office and 3) because Taekwang's started that fight with Kitae when he was talking badly of his mom, pretty much confirming those earlier claims/confessions (Eunbi already seemed to believe that they were his parents though, since she glanced at Taekwang when she first heard Kitae and friends talking about Taekwang's parents.)

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Taegwang told eunbi that his mother is the actress on the phone while they play the liar game in episodes eons ago. I think taewang also told her that the director is his father.

I'm all off for the unsatisdactory way they tied the problems. But my biggest concern comes to Yi-an. Wtf dude your momentarily crush to a girl looking like your 10 years long crush makes you waver just because she seems kinder? Show, what the hell?
I thought all the show sold us about Yian is his permanent puppy loyalty to Eunbyul. Nah, all this drama got is Kim Sohyun's very very nice acting ans Gong Effin Taegwang.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Tbh I'm torn between YiAn and TaeKwang. I mean I'm fully a TaeKwang shipper as the story progressed but I did initially shipped Eunbi/YiAn.

In a logical sense at first, I would go for YiAn since he has stability. While TaeKwang is troubled, however personality wise Eunbi suits TaeKwang more. But as the story moved forward, YiAn keeps being unsure of himself while we see TK being 100% sure of Eunbi. I still believe that Eunbi would lead a good life with TK since he'll change for better good because of her. That kind of character development and arc is what makes more of a better romance story. It kind of reminds me of Hana Yori Dango/Boys over Flowers. The troubled guy changes for the better. YiAn seems like the typical second lead for me...I mean sure he has a everything that TK lacks...I'm just confused. With that cliffhanger, the writer may go either way.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Great recap, as always ofc :)
Also, I wanted to point something out, feel free to correct me if it's just my delusion, but in the scene when Yi Ahn takes the medal from the pin board, he seems to be getting both of them, the one which he won for Eun Byul and the one Eun Bi gave him. I replayed it a few times and everytime it seemed so to me. He used both hands, they weren't aiming for the same spot and he hid the thing(s) he took in his pocket. They put too much effort in covering the pin board later and not showing his second hand when he saw TG and EB during their kiss.
Therefore, I think the writers are still playing with us, but considering that next week's OST by Sungjae is an upbeat song with lyrics like "I'm loving you..., I think of you..., Baby for you..." I doubt his character is going to end up brokenhearted.
But yeah, would be glad if someone also watched this scene and confirmed it.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

That's what i thought so too! Also, even if he only took Eun Bi's medal, it also does not mean that he likes Eun Bi. I think that if he likes really does, he wouldn't be bringing her medal to return it to her.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I wonder why Yi An wants to return the medal to Eun Bi. Or maybe it's not for returning but for something else.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Hopefully Eun Bi and Tae Kwang end up together.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I don't care who ends up with who(ok maybe a bit) but I hope they end up friends. The dead body bothers me so much. So Young is exhausting. Yi An has been contemplating so much. I'm so friggin' confused as to how they will wrap this whole thing up. Sigh.

The love geometry makes my head ache.

And can somebody clear things to me? Eun Bi never said anything about liking Yi A, right?(though she did stalk him). Lol. Not liking(as in like-like) TG doesn't mean liking YA. Am I wrong? I'm not in any ship but.... it's frustating. Can't we leave romance behind for friendship?

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Can’t we leave romance behind for friendship?

This so many times. And not just in this K-drama.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes. Why not develop Eun-bi's friendship with GIRLS? This has bummed me throughout the series. Both Eun-byul's friends were just kind of forgotten in the sidelines while Eun-bi did nothing but chase after Yi-an. I'm sorry but IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. As a person who was bullied and had ZERO friends at school, I'm pretty sure she would have tried to be friends with there people who suddenly fall on her lap. But nope. It was all just Yi-aaaaaaan.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Somehow Eun-bi seems to be very reluctant to approach anyone but her love interests when it comes to issues of friendship.

With Eun-byul's school friends, she was supposed to at least pretend to be friends with them, but even that didn't go skin-deep.
She's not even friends with Eun-byul herself. They handle the restoration of identity almost like a financial transaction, and Eun-bi doesn't even tell Eun-byul anything about what Eun-bi did in her time as Eun-"byul".

Maybe she is a natural loner and simply doesn't do friendship. And she NEEDS guys who have a crush on her (or her identical twin) to force her into friendships.

Btw.: There is nothing wrong with friendships between a boy and a girl (or adults of different sex for that matter). Even though this almost never exists in K-drama without at least one side having a crush on the other.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

So I really want Yi An to realise that he loves Eun Byul, not Eun Bi, because Eun Bi belongs with Tae Gwang. I agree that So Young should be dealt with by Eun Bi, that was her bully, but what happened with Ming Young was bound to happen. It has been hard for Eun Byul, losing her friend both because of her distancing from but also by being the one to find Soo In. In the end, I think both of them got what they needed.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

So I really want Yi An to realise that he loves Eun Byul, not Eun Bi, because Eun Bi belongs with Tae Gwang.

"You cannot choose who you love." (Well, technically, you can, but not in romance fiction.)

I don't think you can (or the writer should) tell Yi-an: "Stop loving the girl because she is destined to be with TK and settle for her identical twin sister." That's not how it's supposed to work (unless you are Shakespeare, then it's fair game).

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think I started watching this drama from episode 3 or 4 so I decided that I would watch ep 1 and 2 and did that. These episodes made me think that Eun-byul might have liked Yi-ahn but was a bit confused because of the messages from "Soo In" and the guilt. And Yi-ahn really seemed to smile a lot more than in other episodes. So maybe they really do like each other, but Eun-byul doesn't realise/want to admit it and Yi-ahn is confused. Maybe it would help if he saw both of the twins at the same time.

And the scene when Eun-bi gave Yi-ahn the medal back gave me the idea that Eun-bi might see both Tae-gwang AND Yi-ahn as "just friends".

By the way, in episode 3 (I think), Tae-gwang told Eun-bi that his father was the Director and that would make sense, because they have the same familyname (and Gong isn't THAT common) + Tae-gwang became her friend so she probably believed him. Then later he told her who is mother is (ep 4?) when they had the "don't-believe-what-I-say-cuz-I'm-a-liar game".

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

At the end of the series, I would like not just So-Young but her parents too to be dealt with / punished / learn their lesson. As I'm also watching Masked Prosecutor, it's disturbing that prosecutors can do whatever they like to their favor and bring down people they don't like.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

The moment when eunbyul throwing, stepping and kicking soyoung's phone is exactly what i want. For soyoung, it will be better to eunbi to doing her 'revenge' herself.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

people complain that yi-an has turned his back on 10 years worth of a crush for a one of a few weeks,
then they complain that he is undecided.

like what do you want? for him to quickly kill his feelings for eun byul and admit the once for eun bi, or just never even give eun bi a chance because he has been involved in a one-side love affair for 10 years?

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

And you complain about ppl's opinion.
Like what do you want? For ppl to follow your way of think?

I have reason: why complaining about yi ahn turning his back over his 10 years crush? Because Yi Ahn stated that even Eunbyul isn't same with little eunbyul he used to know, he said he'll never give a f, or get tired. . 'Geuraeseo mwo, eojjeorago' scene remember? His action makes ppl believe that he will love eunbyul no matter what..

That sounds like a PROMISE for some viewers(including me). But now..?

And how do you know Eunbyul has no feelings for Yi Ahn so that you jump into conclusion that Yi Ahn was involved in onesided love? Because eunbyul never shows any sign of that? Or you something know the writer personally?

Unseen thing doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

it doesnt matter whether or not eun byul likes yi-an back or not, what matters is that they arent in a romantic relationship and while he has been very obvious about his feelings hers' have not been that obvious either way...

so yes its still one-sided.

isnt the fact that he has had a crush on eun byul the reason he is taking such a long time making up his mind? clearly the decision isnt an easy one for him, but all people seem to care for is that he makes a decision as quick as possible but that decision has to be him staying with eun byul because he has loved her for 10 years.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

The real problem with Yian isn't that he's indecisive, possessive or reckless. I don't even think it is Nam Joohyuk, as much as people may dislike his acting. It is his under-development. The writer completly under-used him and left him in the background, he became a plot device. We aren't given details about his swimming career, his love for Eunbyul or his sufferings, it's pratically just him helping Eunbi and being by her side. I liked it when he snapped at Eunbyul, it reveals he let go of the Eunbyul from his childhood and began seeing her realistically, but that's it. Plus, his romance with Eunbi might have been good for his character, if only the writer had written him better. Eunbi became the one who returned his affections, maybe that's why he moved from one to another.

People might've forgiven his indecisiveness, possessiveness, recklessness or even Nam Joohyuk's acting if only the writer used his character, not as a plot device, but an individual character. Of course that most people ended up not caring for him.

This drama had so much potential, if only the writer focused more in the characters themselves and NOT the lovelines between the three leads and developped the male lead better (at this point, Taekwang has more development and probably screentime for himself than Yian). What about Eunbi battling Soyoung and growing a spine out of it, Shijin and Songjoo's struggles, Minjoon's suffering and the whole fiasco with Sooin (which turned out bad)? I know these things appeared often, but if they showed more of them PLUS Yian's development, the drama would be a whole lot better.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

True. Really poor writing. However the acting of these two - the model en the idol - is also different level wise. The idol really acts out this character well en uses the whole potential.

The model on the other hand seems to not undestand the swimmer at all en has no acting skills.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I don't really think Nam Joohyuk (the model)'s acting is horrible. His whole character is the awkward type who doesn't showcase his feelings a lot, while Sungjae (the idol)'s character is more of the expressive, emotional type. I don't really think that Nam Joohyuk's acting is amazing (of course that Sungjae is better than him) but he's not that bad. To me, it's not his acting that ruins the character or the flow, it's the writing which is poor. Many of Yian's scenes are done awkwardly. Anyway, what is important is that the writer is completly sucking the potential out of this story to zero and we're gonna reach the two last episodes.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

aigoo.. i dont know if i will be irritated or amused with some of the comments..
why are you guys asking how can someone fall out of love (even if it is 10yr-love or 1)? we dont know that, it just happens and it is realy confusing..

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Actually we do know. For some reason, a lot of research has been done in that field (not sure why researchers are so obsessed with that one aspect of the human mind -- beats me) and we are pretty sure how it works.

Of course, a romance plot in fiction does not need to follow the scientific plausible cause of action (it rarely does), but it needs to follow the narrative cause of action. It doesn't.

You can tell the story about a immature boy who thinks he is in deeply love with this one girl but then he suddenly becomes passionately infatuated with her sister, even though he knows it's wrong. You can tell this story about the juvenile hormones that he confuses with love and how that makes him stupid. But that's not a romance story or a love line, that's more a romance farce. And was already written by William Shakespeare 450 years ago.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Seriously. Not to mention this is a high school drama with teens. It's not strange for grown married adults to fall out of love for random reasons. Let alone a teenager who was never actually confirmed to be in love.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

And yet the practice of fall out of love is something frowned upon so of course many people isn't sympathizing with YA especially since the new girl is like the 'upgraded' version of the old girl. Like same face but different attitude. Maybe for the grown adults like your example...changing spouse to the younger or prettier ones? which is like we all know is not a strange occurrence.

I mean, I can understand or forced to understand if the feelings change to someone else (like half of drama plot out there) but towards your crush twin sister? Come on.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I give up on shipping though it's so hard not to. This episode was quite fast in terms of coverage of plot, but I do wish they spent more time on the death of Soo-in. It was resolves too quickly despite being a good way of resolving. Eun-bi is so passive I wouldn't be surprised if she actually likes Tae-gwang. Yi-an is still disappointing meh. In this drama the one thing I cannot be made to understand is: How is it that Song-joo and Shi-jin didn't think about Eun-byul not being herself for the whole 14 episodes?! I mean Yi-an realised, and even Tae-gwang knew.. Nevertheless I still have hope for a good ending but I hope they don't spend 2 episodes mulling over the love square.

Thanks Saya for the recap :)

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I am new to comment here although I have read a lot of reviews ?.
I loveeee reading ur reviews and all the comments so I am not gonna comment anything abt the show as all my feelings have been already written by u guys so I will just keep reading I guess.?

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Well this is what happened when a compelling drama got invaded by voldermort soldier, the so called TaeBi shipper or Taekwang obsessed. It reminded me of Doctor Stranger. The narrative start getting messier once there's a strong intervention from the viewer side then the writer/director start to deviate from the main story and just throw in unnecessary plot just to appease the viewer and to increase rating only. And don't deny that the viewer doesn't have the power to effect the narrative bits cause believe it or not they do. Case in point they just throw in a lot of these cute dating moment between Taekwang and Eunbi without any significant reason. Why? Well we all know Taekwang is selflessly in love with Eunbi while Eunbi..all I see is her caring for him as a friend and just that. And we've known this for like what? 5-6 episodes before? All my simple mind is seeing lately is Taekwang gets all these lovey dovey moment with Eunbi while Yi ahn and Eunbi get all the emotional build-up. And as harsh as I have to say, sorry but Taekwang only got the emotional build-up all by himself, alone. He alone felt the angst about him and Eunbi while I can't any reciprocal build-up coming from Eunbi towards him. And Yi ahn is mad at Eunbi for lying to him? Well all I'm seeing is he is mad at Eunbi was because he already liked her. That's why he's so mad and in agony with the situation between him and Eunbi. Because, rather than mad at Eunbi, it would make more sense that he should be moping about his crush for 10years, Eunbyul. But nope, he's just too preoccupied with Eunbi lying to him because he couldn't accept that his affection have shifted. And Yi ahn and Eun byul, all I'm seeing is they have both friendzoned each other. Whether they are eating or talking or joking, all I get from them is, they are really just friend.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think you are wrong in both instances, here and with Doctor Stranger. The shipping war in DS was launched -- and I'm convinced that was intentional -- by the writers, not the viewers. It was consequentially picked up on the receiving end, but that would never had happened without the way the writers designed the whole thing.

This show is similar in that one respect: TK is written as the more interesting character to a broad range of the audience, and he has been designed that way from the start, while Yi-an got second lead treatment before the third episode even aired (the first one where it would have been theoretically possible of the viewers to intervene).

I agree with you however, that in both cases the writers fell into their own trap. Things like the bicycle ride are a cringeworthy way for the writers to appease the monsters they've created.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Exactly. I'm into Tae Kwang character more since episodes 3-4 because he's way more interestingly and well written, Yi An on the other hand always felt flat. Something is just missing with his character. The fact that Tae Kwang is given more screen time is a plus for me, I hope the writers/producers aren't just using him as a ratings tool.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

By which I mean I hope he ends up with Eunbi lol. But if the writers convince me that he's completely over her and is doing super fine without her, I'll take it too.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Even though I think the main actress is a really great in her job I don't understand why Eun Bi would like the swimmer. Why would she? She looks like she likes him. But why? The only explanation I can think of - is that she is a teenager and that she goes simply for more good looking model. I am talking about korean standards of course. I think it is more of script problem...

And the swimmer (clearly the weak acting link - sometims I have the idea that he cannot control his movements and mouth - it moves on its own) seems sometimes like a psycho. I think he is the type "if I can't have you nobady would". And he is slightly agressieve a well. Eun Bi is a meow person. She agreed to be Eun Byul! She has little personality. Is kind but zero personality. Who would agree to give up on yourself to be somebody another? Ï couldn't believe that that mother even dares to ask about such thing.

I am really amazes by this idol guy. I would not say he is my type before, but I find him so handsome now. So talented - the character itself is very lovable of course - the best written one in this drama. Eun Byul is also a very nice one - a strong one which is a nice change in the k-drama world.

The thing that should be more exposed is the building of the relationship between mom and Eun Bi. Even though both of them are really poor written it got some potential.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm okay with Eunbi ending up with Yian only because I know I won't be upset alone. Majority of Korean viewers prefer Eunbi- Taegwang along with the international viewers... LOL! So if the writers decide to make it Eunbi-Yian they'll just piss off a lot of fans..

Btw I like Taegwang not cause he's played by an idol or that he's the better actor but because it just makes sense. He liked Eunbi for who she was and didn't get all pissed off when he found out the truth. If they had just made Yian like Eunbyul as a friend from the beginning with no crushes and then falling for Eunbi I'd probably would've shipped him and Eunbi too. I think it's the factor of him always liking Eunbyul and protective of her & then all of a sudden spending a couple of months with Eunbi changed his mind is what disappointed me.

In the end it was the writers choice though I have a feeling it'll be open ended.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Actually I've wanted to ask... Where did eunbi get tt medal from? The one she gave YiAn..?

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Its a fake medal, Eunbi made it.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Does anyone know the song title that Soo in and Eun byul sang in episode 14?

0
reply

Required fields are marked *