Four youths’ fates divided by money in High Society
by girlfriday
Not that I wasn’t a fan of High Society’s first teaser that skipped straight to the kisses, but the second teaser is out and it gives us a better understanding of our central characters and the lovelines. The new SBS Monday-Tuesday drama is about four young people on very different sides of the rich/poor divide, the effect that money (or lack thereof) has on their futures, and the ways they each defy expectations.
UEE (Ho-gu’s Love) stars as a chaebol heiress who doesn’t play by her family’s rules: Despite being told that she can’t do a single thing the way she wants because she was born into her uber-rich family, in the teaser she declares that she’s going to marry for love, and on her own terms. She lies about her background and takes a liking to Sung Joon (Hyde, Jekyll, Me), a young man who hides a fierce ambition to overcome his dirt-poor roots.
He’s friends with chaebol heir Park Hyung-shik (What’s With This Family), who reminds him at every step of the way that life is fundamentally unfair, and the disparity between them also drives the hero’s hunger. In the teaser, Sung Joon says, “Do you know what pride really is? It’s not letting someone else hurt you,” as we see him struggle with his jealousy.
When UEE shows up for a blind date looking for a fight, Park Hyung-shik says, “Do you know what I hate most in this world? Becoming a hogu [fool],” and follows up the meta-joke with a glass of water over her head. It looks like he’ll have a loveline with Im Ji-yeon (Obsessed), a good-natured girl from a modest background who yelps half in jest, “I’ve never seen a chaebol’s son before! Jackpot!”
UEE ends up picking up a part-time job for her cover life as a regular ol’ non-heiress, and the girls become fast friends, setting us up for some awkward double-dating scenarios, methinks.
The tagline from the teaser is: “There is one word between happiness and tragedy: money. There is one word between happiness and tragedy: love. The love of unequal youths who each dream of different worlds.” I’m still not sure if this drama’s going to defy social inequality or give it more power, but a reverse-Cinderella tale is as good a place to start as any.
High Society premieres June 8.
Via DongA
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Tags: High Society, Im Ji-yeon, Park Hyung-shik, Sung Joon, UEE
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1 canxi
May 27, 2015 at 7:16 AM
So the guys can't stand each other (or one can't stand the other it seems to me) while the girls are bffs? This just gets better and better.
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glowry
May 27, 2015 at 8:47 AM
Yayyy for more sis-mance in kdramaland.. after that awesome GWSS Chorim and Yeommi.. :P
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Yas
May 27, 2015 at 11:37 AM
or like Hani and Hye Young in surplus princess :D
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canxi
May 27, 2015 at 1:35 PM
Yes, it makes me happy. Especially after watching Unkind Ladies and the female friendships there. I saw someone on viki refer to it as a yeo-mance (yeoja + romance). Isn't that cute??? HAHA!
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Spi
May 27, 2015 at 11:50 PM
Aww it's cute indeed!
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mary
May 27, 2015 at 2:46 PM
I didn't understand the teaser :((( Do the guys really hate each other?
I thought it was more like Sung-joon has always been the sidekick to his richer friend/boss, but since he's darkly ambitious, he doesn't outwardly show that hate.
(Wow so much analyze. Actually, all I did was scream at the screen, demanding it give me this drama. NOW.)
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canxi
May 27, 2015 at 7:57 PM
Hahaha! I think it's because I pay attention to their faces especially in stills-Sung Joon's character seems to always be eyeing his so-called best friend with a sly side-eye. Like he is just tolerating him, lol.
I don't know about Hyung Shik's character but I wouldn't be surprised if there were some hard feelings, I guess. Despite not getting along with Uee's character he seems to look the part of a more rebellious chaebol heir as well.
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2 Chhavi
May 27, 2015 at 7:20 AM
YAY.... for Sung Joon and Park Hyung Shik in a drama....
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3 min
May 27, 2015 at 7:35 AM
Watching this for Park Hyungsik. I was pleasantly surprised by his acting in Sirius. I was afraid he will be typecast after Heirs. Glad he finally decided to stop taking on comedy role.
I think it is interesting that both boys are flawed characters. Read the character profile, Sung Joon uses Hyungsik's trust to advance his career and doesn't really see him as his best friend. Hyungsik on the other hand treats him as his best friend, but still see himself as someone more superior. The ladies on the other hand seems more innocent.
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museofmanymasks
May 27, 2015 at 8:35 AM
I liked Park Hyung Shik in Sirius better too. He would fit an OCN show perfect wouldn't he?
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blubluskye
May 28, 2015 at 7:51 AM
+1
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4 cheekbones
May 27, 2015 at 7:38 AM
Sung Joon is just yummy. Whether in ordinary white tee, in suit, in leather jacket, in high school uniform. It's that simple.
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kobrakiddo
May 27, 2015 at 9:37 AM
I agree with the whole sentence! He is a fine young man :D
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canxi
May 27, 2015 at 1:32 PM
I'm glad the stylists on this production found suits that fit him. For some reason no one was able to do that before now.
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5 kororo
May 27, 2015 at 7:40 AM
I'm actually really exited to see Im Ji-yeon in a drama playing a rather positive, and innocent character it seems, I would have hate for her to be a typical jealous angsty antagonist.
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6 pogo
May 27, 2015 at 7:41 AM
hmmmm, I wonder if dramas with a focus on social inequalities are a trend now?
Heard it Through the Grapevine is the best thing I've seen in kdramas for 2015, and if its followup also chooses to take that tack (minus the baby, of course) this could be interesting. I love 3 out of the four main leads so at least the acting should be solid.
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7 solazie
May 27, 2015 at 7:41 AM
Ugh, I only like Park Hyung Shik overall. I used to like Uee, but she ruin herself. She's so skinny, I always thought she's sick everytime I see her now.
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Quiet Thought
May 27, 2015 at 7:53 AM
Someone needs to start up a "Buy UEE a Sandwich" Internet fund. I can think of a few other actresses who could use the same assistance.
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Daisy
May 27, 2015 at 8:02 AM
I guess the antis comments got to her. They would always write comments of how "fat" she is and her "huge" thighs! They even photoshopped her body to make it look bigger than it is! So disgusting of them to do that! Uee was so gorgeous with her honey thighs and the antis ruined it!
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C'mon
May 27, 2015 at 11:48 AM
Not everyone wants to gain the necessary body mass and weight just to please the majority of people who are overweight or the the people who have too much fat in some parts of the body.
"Go buy a sandwich or hamburguer" became such a stupid request. it's said to everyone who is thin.
I'd like to see thin people ask fat and obese to stop eating so much. Then it's practically declared war.
UEE looks stunning and gorgeous. Stop body shaming.
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Mandy
May 27, 2015 at 12:12 PM
+100
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nana
May 27, 2015 at 1:10 PM
For me uee is always pretty , thin or chobby she's gorgeous
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Spi
May 27, 2015 at 11:51 PM
+10000
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Audy
May 28, 2015 at 12:23 AM
there's no need to teach us, everybody can speak
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mia
May 30, 2015 at 2:47 PM
+100000
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Gumiho_bean
May 27, 2015 at 10:34 AM
She said she became thin because of the travelling she have done before she went to dramaland, but I thought she became too thin. I barely recognized her at first from Hogu's Love teasers because she was missing her much fuller baby cheeks from before. I know they said it was UEE but I kept thinking "are you sure?"
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darcyM
May 27, 2015 at 12:29 PM
Actually I think UEE is too fat. Let's start a "Buy UEE a gym membership" fund.
Something to think about: why is a comment like this clearly unacceptable, while saying she is too skinny is totally okay? Being overweight is just as unhealthy as being underweight, yet most of us would decry anyone who said an actress was getting too fat.
Yeah, it sucks that society puts so much pressure on people to achieve physical "perfection", but for all we know she is very happy and confident in the way she looks. The "buy a sandwich" thing is patronising and juvenile. Skinny-shaming is just as harmful as fat-shaming and should stop. Perhaps we all need to start respecting each other more.
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bean
May 27, 2015 at 4:44 PM
+1000
body-shaming sucks.
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Audy
May 28, 2015 at 12:25 AM
when she die, just like Karla Alvarez, you wont be there, will you?
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8 pogo
May 27, 2015 at 7:44 AM
also, wait - this is premiering on the 8th?! I thought Grapevine was 30-32 episodes but now there'll be only 28 :(
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floralnori
May 27, 2015 at 12:29 PM
No, I think Grapevine is still 32 eps. They aired episode 28 this week.
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pogo
May 27, 2015 at 1:41 PM
it's down to 30, then - finale next week, if this drama is starting the week after that.
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9 Quiet Thought
May 27, 2015 at 7:47 AM
We have gone too far in the age of whitened teeth! Im Je Young lucks like she has more teeth than a human should have.
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kororo
May 27, 2015 at 7:59 AM
OOoooooooh I cannot unsee this now ... creepy
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10 miilo
May 27, 2015 at 8:17 AM
I´m in love with UEE, so there´s no other way than checking this one out, but...argh! Melos really aren´t my cup of tea (School 2015 is beating my brain into a pulp at the moment). What should I do? It looks so baaad, yet so good!
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11 Mandy
May 27, 2015 at 8:18 AM
I really can't wait for this to start - and for Grapevine to finish already. The plot of that drama drags like no tomorrow and I was bored enough to drop it with after going through so many episodes. Good riddance!
Uee and Sung Joon looks really great together but I'm also excited for the other couple. I hope they skip the triangles, because this sounds like a really fun reversal premise. Don't disappoint me, show!
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12 museofmanymasks
May 27, 2015 at 8:31 AM
I'll probably still check this out, but I was more interested when it sounded like The Richest Girl in the World. Oh or Cinderfella since you mention reverse Cinderella. I don't mind melos, but this doesn't seem twisted enough. Still, it might be able to restore my faith in Sung Joon.
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13 dramacasualty
May 27, 2015 at 8:35 AM
I have a sneaky feeling that this show might follow the trajectory of its predecessors, Heirs and Boys Before Flowers, and somehow become a runaway hit that just feeds off its own momentum...
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ellenelle
May 27, 2015 at 9:05 AM
Mmm...a key factor of both dramas was teen angst and school, and there won't be any of that in High Society. In any case, I do hope it gets just as popular, but for better reasons.
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bean
May 27, 2015 at 4:46 PM
idk the teasers give me a different vibe than i got from heirs OR boys before flowers... but idk i could be wrong
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14 Paige
May 27, 2015 at 8:52 AM
I am so hype up for this drama.
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15 sartorius
May 27, 2015 at 9:16 AM
I like that its going to be two separate love lines...note two guys pinning for the same girl or vice-versa.
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16 rearwindow
May 27, 2015 at 9:37 AM
This looks kind of terrible, but I am weirdly excited about it. It could be a train wreck, but it's hitting all of my buttons.
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17 kobrakiddo
May 27, 2015 at 9:42 AM
I'm so excited for this already! Partially because of Sung Joon <3, and because storyline actually seemed pretty interesting. At least there isn't a love triangle for a change (:
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18 R
May 27, 2015 at 9:47 AM
Really looking forward to this drama !
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19 mindy
May 27, 2015 at 9:47 AM
Eh, not feeling this much. Whenever I read these posts I think it doesn't sound half bad and might pick it up... and then I actually watch the video and I kinda wanna barf.
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20 nana
May 27, 2015 at 10:41 AM
Uee is super gorgeous and love her acting
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21 tonbotomoe
May 27, 2015 at 11:30 AM
Omg is that lady friendship I see??? Now I have to check this out
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22 Chococat
May 27, 2015 at 11:43 AM
Is this new drama melo? It seems to be from the music of the trailer.
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23 btsxfangirl94
May 27, 2015 at 2:03 PM
this drama looks like it'll be shit to be honest..from the trailers..not impressed with either lead's acting either..
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24 crazymessy
May 27, 2015 at 6:21 PM
oh please oh please oh please recap this drama.. i know u hated it's first teaser but please give it a chance
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25 Daehoney
May 27, 2015 at 7:20 PM
The teaser is not that compelling other than the potential sis-romance and Im Ji Yeon being bubbly and cheerful (I really dislike her in Obsession).
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26 fantasy
May 27, 2015 at 8:03 PM
1st time looking for a melo !!!!
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27 eunshihae
May 27, 2015 at 8:06 PM
I'm so excited for this drama! I love all the actors in this drama. Seriously, why are people judging the drama by this 40 second trailer? How about you watch the first episode and then judge? I hate people who think they know how a drama is going to go. No you guys don't. I hope this drama does really good just to shut stupid naysayers up.
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28 fantasy
May 28, 2015 at 1:14 AM
Well I did search and found that Uee is actually older than SJ but I can't even imagine him to Cal her noona offscreen :P SJ is too manly to call noona and Uee actually looks much younger than SJ .... I actually don't know the 2nd female cast but she looks fine to me at least now :) waiting.....
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29 eggy
May 28, 2015 at 7:46 AM
Officially more invested in the secondary couple. LOL THEY LOOK ADORABLEEEEEE
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blubluskye
May 28, 2015 at 7:53 AM
Same here!!
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30 cayl
May 28, 2015 at 3:56 PM
omgggg . im rooting for sung joon. yaaay. he's adorable and looking soo manipulatively intelligent.
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31 Carinne
May 28, 2015 at 5:59 PM
Liking the cast of fantastic four. I adore Im Ji-yeon in Law of the Jungle, Indochina. She's a team player. Awesome chick in my books. I really want to see more of her in the smalll screen for many years to come, plus more variety shows. She can be the next Ace in some other show aside from Running Man.
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32 rachel olivia
June 26, 2015 at 1:46 AM
o.mg...sung joon and uee is love
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