Cine Ești: Școala 2015 (2015)

7/10

Like cheese with holes in it.

I like dramas with the right kind of drama for the right kind of romance and because this, had that, I could enjoy it without any problems. Though I'm not too happy with the many plot holes here, it was still enjoyable if you try not to pay so much attention to it. The character development was good enough and because there is a twist to this typical high school story, it didn't get boring at all.

On the other hand, I didn't think the dialogue was well written because there were so many useless, time-consuming conversations that didn't even contribute to the story and sometimes the characters made me want to high five myself in the head with a chair.

Still, recommend you watch it though!

Enjoy!

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If Lee Eunbi would’ve chosen Gong Tae Kwong this drama would’ve been 10 times better, but she didn’t which is why I am giving it such a low score. The story was interesting in the beginning, but as the drama went on things just got confusing. It felt like the writers didn’t have a clear direction that they want the drama to head in. Many of the supporting characters arcs were wasted, and the main characters arcs were dragged on and became so boring. I would’ve loved to see more of Shi Jin and possibly a relationship between her and Min Joon. Cha Song Joo could have been used so much more!!!! Also where the heck was their mom for most of this drama. She was pretty much nonexistent, and would only come to act like she was a mom when something crazy happened. Also who the heck watches the kids at the Love House?!? That one lady wasn’t even shown when Eun Bi returned home. Overall I just feel like this drama was a combination of 5 different stories that had absolutely nothing to with each other. I wasted so much time binge watching only for it to have such a boring ending.

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I’ve always seen snippets of this show here and there on the Internet but never thought I’d venture into it. High school bullying is always so cruel and frustrating. This is thriller mystery and it’s fun. The characters lack depth but our heroine carries the plot beautifully. The pacing is good and the show keeps you engaged because something is always happening. It’s very easy to watch. You’ve got a love a good twin switch. The show does it beautifully. I saw reviewers comment on the difference in Kim So Hyun’s gaze but the real difference for me was her voice. Her voice was more lower when she was Eunbyeol.

It moves quickly and the girls switch places almost immediately. It is lovely to see the battered twin enjoy the spoiled twin’s life. The boys jump to defend her, and the girls love on her. The romance of the show seems to be heading one way in the first half but when it comes to wrapping up the story it takes a strange nosedive and it’s weird. Not so much in first male lead vs. second male lead, but on a greater scale since there are two girls involved.

Eunbi
“I’m sorry. I guess we weren’t very close.” Eunbi is so sweet! It’s cute how she finds Gong Taekwang’s antics amusing. Eunbi successfully navigated Eunbyeol’s world and mistakes. I liked seeing her successful in her kindness.
Eunbi’s easy going relationship with the boys is fun and cute. They expect her razor sharpness but she’s so gentle and sweet. I wouldn’t say that our heroine’s character is a damsel in distress, but she does know how to make use of the boys’ loyalty to her. I liked seeing her be nice to them and be genuinely happy that they liked her.

“I was very happy here. You’re one of the reasons.”

It feels good to see her accept their help instead of a heroine who pushes away people who care for her. She’s very mature in the way she is around them. She doesn’t take them and their friendship for granted. Eun Bi is so sincere with how she deals with Ian you can’t help but forgive her.

Eunbyeol
I liked how Eunbyeol’s reputation lived on and benefited Eunbi. Everyone knows what she’s like.

“Do you know what a fierce temper Eunbyeol has? No one in school can touch her.”

Eunbyeol is absolutely above Soyeong’s games and I love it.
Eunbi might try to scare people off with words but Eunbyeol plays a lot rougher than her little sis.

“Eunbi is lucky. She has a reliable older sister like you.”

It seemed a bit sad that nobody could really be close to Eunbyeol.

Taekwang
Taekwang is such a fun weirdo. He is very quick on the uptake to see that something is wrong with Eunbi and is a great defender of her when she’s still trying to work things out. It was nice to see him have a purpose even if it was being about a white knight.

“I don’t care whether you’re Eunbyeol or Eun Bi. So when you’re with me, be whoever you want.”

He is also so hilarious and awkward when it comes to romance.

Ian
Love to see a kid working hard, learning from his mistakes and minding his own business.

“We didn’t fight. It was all my fault.”
“What could Ian have done wrong to Eunbyeol? It’s always the other way round.”

Lee Pil Mo is always such a delight on the screen.

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The Pains of High School

I absolutely fell in love with the cast and the story. I was hooked from episode 1.

One thing I loved about this series was how you get a glimpse into the personal lives and struggles of so many of the characters. Not just the main character and antagonists.

The music is super catchy and conveys the right emotions for the right scenes.

The actors did great in this film. So much so that I could find myself sympathizing even with the least likeable of characters.

This drama made me cry more than I have ever cried watching anything. Definitely recommend to anyone who likes a good high-school based drama with all the common struggles that students face in their youth.

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I’ll admit this drama has its share of unlikely events and ridiculous plot points, but the core story is interesting and the characters are so likable (plus the music’s amazing) that I’m more tolerant of its shortcomings.

One of the overarching themes is the struggle of growing up and figuring out who you are as a person while dealing with others’ expectations of you. It shows the meaningful difference it can make to have people you can rely on in your life and how much harder things can be without that support. Another important recurring theme is learning to admit your mistakes and trying to make amends for them.

While the drama’s tone mostly avoids getting too dark, it does deal with the subject of bullying and illustrates the serious repercussions it can have. I hesitate to critique such a sensitive issue, but from a narrative standpoint I feel like they could’ve done a better job portraying its effects in the beginning. More specifically, I never felt like the female lead had reached the mental place required for the major turning point early on before it happened. Aside from that one exception, the subject is handled remarkably well.

Whatever gripes I may have with certain things, the entire cast did a great job and probably could’ve handled even more if the script had allowed it. Not only does every character seem engaging and believable, but the relationships between them are interesting to watch unfold. To highlight a few of the supporting ones, I like how comfortable Eun Byul (/Eun Bi living as her) and her two female friends are with each other and appreciate how they navigate rocky points in their friendship by generally trying to stay understanding of one another’s feelings. It’s also entertaining to see the antagonistic dynamic between the class delinquent and the second male lead, primarily because it comes across as strong annoyance rather than deep hatred. The main teacher’s relationship with his students is always a bright spot, as well.

Focusing more on the main cast, the actress for the twins probably had the toughest job of anyone since she had to portray two separate characters, but she pulled it off excellently and each one feels like an entirely different person. The male leads are both genuinely likable and adorable in their own way, and their actors effortlessly conveyed each character’s struggles and emotions. I also deeply appreciate how both male leads generally respect Eun Bi’s autonomy and don’t try to force her to choose them, which helps make her evolving bond with each of them one of the biggest strengths of the drama.

Among the supporting cast, the most memorable and impressive to me is Eun Byul’s mother. The actress was exceptional as a devoted mother and some of her scenes are especially poignant. The stubborn and scheming bully, on the other hand, is a fitting antagonist with a sobering arc. The class president also deserves mentioning, as he has some of the most compelling development of any character.

As for the music, every song is amazing and I’m pretty sure this was the first drama where I specifically looked up the soundtrack after finishing it. …And proceeded to listen to it on repeat for who-knows-how-long. Honestly, it’s still one of my favorite OSTs.

All in all, I actually really like this drama and have rewatched it several times. The entire cast is talented and the fantastic music is a cherry on top, and despite some dumb moments the overall story still holds up. It also ends on a strong note, devoting enough time to show how the myriad relationships and characters are fairing with things playing out in a mostly satisfying way. That said, I’ll admit that I considered dropping the drama about halfway through the first time I watched it because I was so exasperated with certain plot contrivances, but I decided to keep going and didn’t regret it. Now that I know what to expect, I just enjoy the ride whenever I rewatch it.

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So much potential in this drama, I don't exactly know what happened but it hurts me to even score the overall score as a 7.

Plot | Honestly nothing I haven't heard before. It reminded me of the plot from Arisa (manga) but I don't get tired of the whole twin switch-a-roo. It being a high school drama is also appealing for some reason. But overall, how the writers wrote in how everything happened was written pretty well in my opinion. Everything made sense and it would've been pretty hard for someone to be confused by it.

Acting | Sungjae. Woo. Now I understand why others were raving about his acting in this show. But really, Kim So Hyun is an amazing actress for someone so young. It was extremely easy to tell apart the twins. With facial expressions and body movements she was able to let the audience know who was who and that's pretty amazing for someone who was only 15. The friends, teachers, villains etc were all good too. I enjoyed everyone's character development, especially Sungjae.

Music | There were 2 or 3 songs that they played throughout the whole drama and Reset was a really interesting song and ended up being my favorite. It fit the drama and the scenes pretty well. Wendy's song was also a favorite of mine from the soundtrack. It was refreshing to see these OSTs have rappers in them, kind of gave it a modern feel to fit in with the fact that this is a school drama.

Rewatch | So much more pain and sadness than I expected from certain characters so I highly doubt I'd come back to rewatch this whole drama.

Overall | Literally, episode 1-13 or even to 15, were really good. Everything kept me hooked. There wasn't really a boring period most dramas usually have and I was enjoying it all. But I'm not sure what happened with the ending but I was left with a bitter feeling when it ended. Maybe it's my own greed for wanting the perfect closure but for how good all the episodes were, I wasn't expecting the ending to be that..bland. Overall, it wasn't a bad drama and I would tell others to watch this. I think the actors and the overall storyline did a well enough job for me to recommend this to those who are on the fence about it ~

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I know there's loooooads of reviews for this show already but I-...I just to have say something. (If you're having a "tldr" moment, skip down two paragraphs!)

I really liked this show. Seriously. Up until the last episode I was as hooked on it as I was with Healer, despite not knowing any of the actors, having not seen any of the other 'School' series, or even expecting that much from a school based drama. Yet it was still honestly fantastic.

All of the acting was superb, especially the main actress! The music is so catchy that I have the main song, 'Reset', as my ringtone now. The story hooked me in and just wouldn't let me go: despite what other people seem to have been saying, I personally found it be the perfect balance between romance and suspense, and I watch RomComs all the time! And it wasn't anywhere near as predictable as most Kdramas either.

But the ending...?

I'm sorry. There will always be someone out there who will disagree, but I was not satisfied. I knooow. It's symbolic. It's deep. I can see why they did that. (And I won't say anything more than that because spoilers!) But...I felt so empty at the end, with this confused heart that really wished there was more to come but knew there wasn't.

So personally, if I was writing the only review my past self could see, I'd tell her to watch it. It's brilliant. Even if the ending has got a bittersweet and only partially satisfying ending, it's well worth the time regardless.

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