Who Are You—School 2015: Episode 16 (Final)
by girlfriday
Go figure, I was happy to be able to come back and write the final recap for Who Are You—School 2015. It’s a franchise near and dear to my heart and I had hopes that it would pull through in the final hour, to at least wrap up our characters’ arcs in a satisfying manner before sending them off. Yeah. So then I watched the episode. And then this happened…
SONG OF THE DAY
Yook Sung-jae – “Love Song” for the School 2015 OST [ Download ]
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FINAL EPISODE RECAP
It’s the moment of truth, literally—Eun-bi stands before the class ready to confess that she’s been pretending to be her sister for the last few months, when suddenly Eun-byul bursts into the room, guns blazing. Okay, it’s more like laser eyeballs blazing, but she’s here to save to the day.
So-young has got the twins right where she wants them—together in front of everyone, so that she gets to prove that Eun-bi is still alive. Way to go. You drove a girl to suicide but she survived. Yay, you?
Eun-byul steps closer and tells Eun-bi to go ahead and say what she wants, and tells So-young to follow her outside. So-young won’t go willingly, but Eun-byul doesn’t care what she wants and drags her out, leaving her classmates reeling.
Eun-byul demands the video (I’m presuming it’s the one where the bullies forced Eun-bi to undress at the start of the series) from So-young, who scoffs that the game would end if she handed it over so easily. Eun-byul demands to know what the video is and what she did to her sister, and So-young actually has the nerve to say, “Don’t worry, it’s not like she’ll die if it gets out.” Are you freaking kidding me right now?
Instead of slapping her like I would, Eun-byul has the good sense to reach into her bag calmly, hopefully to do something smart like record their conversation. So-young says that she just wants people to see the video and talk about the two sisters with the same face, and Eun-byul presses for her to admit that she took the video herself.
Back in the classroom, Eun-bi admits who she really is, and her friends quickly put together that Amnesia Eun-byul was Eun-bi all this time. Jaws drop, and Song-joo asks Yi-an if he knew. He says yes, and they feel betrayed all over again.
Eun-bi tells them that she really thought she was Eun-byul, and by the time she had recovered her memories, too much had happened. She says that whatever the reasons were, she lied to them and deserves their anger: “I’m really sorry.”
Meanwhile, Eun-byul drags So-young by the hair into the bathroom, where she plays the recording she just made of their conversation. God, I love that Eun-byul is a badass. She warns So-young to go ahead and make her video public, and Eun-byul will make sure she goes down with it.
So-young makes a grab for the phone so Eun-byul pins her up against the window and snarls, “As long as I remember, the only way for you to live is to not appear before my eyes. To not do a single thing. That’s the only way.” So-young sheds a tear as she trembles in fear.
Yi-an finds Eun-bi sitting outside and she admits that it feels irresponsible to cause others pain because she wanted to apologize—it feels like a way for her to feel better when she has no way of knowing if they’re hurting worse because of her. Yi-an says that’s what he must’ve felt towards her, and why he couldn’t say he was sorry.
She tells him that it’s okay because you should be able to refrain from saying the things you don’t want to say. She wonders how nice it would be if you could refrain from hearing the things you don’t want to hear.
Yi-an puts his headphones over her ears, and from a distance Tae-gwang watches them with a defeated sigh.
The next day, Eun-byul runs up to her friends, who eye her suspiciously and ask, “Who are you?” They’re just teasing her though, and soon Shi-jin is suggesting that they call Eun-bi to hang out in a foursome, and Song-joo is demanding that Eun-bi call her. Aw.
So-young feels a little vindicated when she overhears some of the other students admitting that she was right about a lot of things, but Song-joo comes up to her and asks, “Why is it that once I found out you were telling the truth, I find it even harder to understand you?”
When So-young is confused, Song-joo asks if she really doesn’t know why the kids are colder to her than to Eun-bi, who lied to them all this time: “Do you make friends because you need someone to validate you as the best and strongest? I’m saying this sincerely for your benefit: Don’t live that way.” It’s satisfying because it’s calm and mature and spot-on, and So-young starts to shake as the other kids give Song-joo a slow clap.
Mom comes to school and demands that So-young be punished for threatening her daughter, and So-young’s mother insists that the video in question was never discovered, and asks why they’re getting so worked up over kids playing pranks on each other. Oh you have got to be kidding me.
Eun-byul’s mom says that she always thought So-young was scary, but now that she’s met her mother, she can see why. Dayum. The principal says that they have no choice but to open a disciplinary hearing for So-young, so her mother demands that one be opened for Eun-byul as well, because she won’t go down alone.
The class gets their new homeroom teacher (cameo by Bae Soo-bin), who announces that he doesn’t care about anything except grades, and anyone who doesn’t keep to themselves and study won’t be tolerated. Ack, he’s scary! Bring Teacher Kim back!
Teacher Kim is currently working as a tutor at an academy, and he gets up to lecture that day and finds Tae-gwang sleeping in the back row. I luff this bromance. After class, Teacher Kim asks if he missed him that much to come to tutoring, and Tae-gwang says he really did: “Your voice is better than a sleeping pill. I just had the sweetest nap.”
Yi-an begs his coach to let him compete in the next swim meet, and promises not to strain himself trying to win a medal or anything. He just wants to be back in the competition now that he’s feeling better.
After practice, Yi-an sits in the locker room trying to figure out what to text Eun-bi, and he erases a few attempts before accidentally sending the curt and shouty, “Hey! Come outside this instant!” He cringes at the mistake, but lights up the second that Eun-bi replies, saying that she’s at tutoring.
But it’s Tae-gwang she sees first after class, because he’s enrolled here as well. He asks if she’s doing okay, and Eun-bi says that she is, because she doesn’t have to lie to anyone anymore.
Yi-an waits outside for Eun-bi to come out, and his face hardens when he sees her walk out with Tae-gwang. Yi-an scoffs to hear that Tae-gwang goes to tutoring, which I would agree is rather transparent, given his notorious rebel ways.
Yi-an says he’s here to take Eun-bi home and takes her away by the wrist, only to have Tae-gwang grab the other one and say it’s not necessary. OMG. THIS AGAIN? Why are we still doing this? Eun-bi, make up your mind, before these boys rip you in half!
She decides to break free from both and says that she wants to go home alone. Not a bad choice, after that caveman display.
Mom sits the twins down to suggest that they move and start over at a new school together, and they both agree. Eun-byul adds that she’s found something that she wants to study, which sounds like she means to go far away.
At school, Eun-byul stops Tae-gwang and invites him (er, orders him) to sit down at their lunch table. She tells her friends that she’ll be transferring and moving soon, and studying abroad soon after that. Tae-gwang stomps off, and Eun-byul considers her message delivered.
Tae-gwang goes to see Eun-bi that night, and he tries to keep the mood light as he asks if she wants to see a movie this weekend. He insists that it doesn’t matter where she moves to, but asks if it matters at all to her that she’ll be far away from him. *sniff* I’m not sure I want to hear the answer to this…
Eun-bi starts, “Tae-gwang-ah, every time I see you, I’m thankful and sorry. I wanted to be as good to you as you were to me.” Oof. That doesn’t sound good. He cuts her off and says that she doesn’t have to answer—he’s fine with things just the way they are.
But this time Eun-bi calls him out on it: “That’s a lie. That’s why I’m saying this now. I can’t look at you the way you look at me.” Saaaaaaad. He stands up abruptly and says this is all stuff he already knew, and leads the way out. Augh, puppy.
So-young ends up having to transfer as well, and it’s unclear what the source is, but we get a diagnosis in voiceover that she suffers from anorexia. And don’t forget bulimia—we’ve seen her throwing up her lunch in the bathroom.
She looks up her new school online and finds that people are already talking about her there because they’ve heard all about her trouble at Sekang and Tongyeong, and she cries.
Eun-byul sits with Yi-an by the pool like they used to, and she tells him about moving and preparing to study abroad once the semester is over. She tells him to do well so that she can brag about being his friend even when she’s abroad, and he counters that he’s been bragging about being her friend since they were eight.
Eun-byul says that she’s thought a lot about herself and her friends since everything happened with Soo-in, and she wonders why it took her this long to realize that other people’s eyes don’t matter, only what’s in her heart.
She says that’s why she’s decided to spend more time chasing her dream. Yi-an tells her to be well and that he’ll always be cheering her on, and she says the same to him. She asks if he’s met with Eun-bi, and when he grows silent, Eun-byul sighs that they’re both super frustrating and totally not her style. Dude, right there with you.
So-young’s father comes bursting into her room in a fit of anger, screaming at the top of his lungs that he told her to lie low or squash the problem, but because she couldn’t manage to do that, he’s lost his nomination for public office. And that’s not at all your fault? I mean, she’s scum, but you’re worse.
He’s enraged that they had to start all over because of what she did in Tongyeong, only to have it happen again. Uh, that’s kind of what happens when you cover up crimes instead of dealing with the root of the problem, buddy. He screams that if she does something stupid like this again, he’ll just disown her. So-young collapses on the floor in sobs.
Eun-bi goes to a sleepover with Shi-jin and Song-joo, and they promise to hang out like this often, even after she moves. She gets a text that night that surprises her—it’s So-young, with one last thing to say.
They meet up the next day, and Eun-bi asks why she called her here. So-young says that Eun-bi is stupid and always runs to help pitiful people, no matter what it costs her: “You said you felt sorry for me, from the start.”
She admits that she doesn’t have the video—it was lost when Eun-byul crushed her phone, and So-young scoffs that she’s so grateful she could cry: “I think I forgot a long time ago how to stop.”
She says she’s not going to apologize or ask for forgiveness, and she knows that nothing would change even if Eun-bi forgave her. But Eun-bi turns to her and says, “I know you regret what you did. The only thing I can offer to you in comfort is the fact that I’m alive.”
Eun-bi thinks of her sister and asks how horrible it would be to realize what you did wrong, only to know that you can’t apologize to someone who’s dead. She’s a bigger person than I am, and says that she hopes the fact that she’s alive and well is some comfort to So-young, when the day comes that she wants to say something to her. She gets up to go and So-young calls out her name, but can’t bring herself to say anything else. Eun-bi walks away and So-young breaks down in tears.
Tae-gwang is lost in thought at tutoring, and Teacher Kim asks what’s wrong to make him stay awake all the way through class. Heh. Tae-gwang asks if it’s possible to live without seeing the person you like most in this whole world, and Teacher Kim says wistfully that yeah, living is possible.
He asks why Tae-gwang would have to, though, and he answers, “Because… she likes someone else most in this world.” *craaaaack* Yup, there goes my heart.
Teacher Kim says that he can avoid seeing her, but that won’t stop his feelings from existing. He gives him the advice that it’s possible to endure, but adds honestly that it isn’t a happy way to live. And then he teases Tae-gwang for growing up and liking girls, and chases after him asking about the crush.
But when he goes home that night, Tae-gwang’s question lingers in his head: “Teacher, what is it that you like most in this world?” He opens up a website for a high school looking for a math teacher.
Tae-gwang waits outside for Eun-bi to get out of class, and they sit in a playground feeling awkward for a while. Eun-bi says that she’s moving in a few days, and Tae-gwang asks if she plans to avoid him until then.
He puts her at ease by saying that he’s going to clean up his feelings so she needn’t be uncomfortable around him, and lightens the mood by joking, “You’re definitely going to regret it later—rejecting me!” I KNOW, RIGHT?
He tells her that he’s not even going to walk her to the bus stop and tells her to go, but as soon as she starts to walk away, he changes his mind and goes running after her. He stops just behind her and holds onto her shoulders to keep her from turning around and looking at him, and with her back turned, he screws up the nerve to tell her the truth.
He admits that Teacher Kim told him that it’s possible to endure if you really like someone, so he was planning to lie tonight about being able to stop how he feels about her: “But now I don’t want to. So I’m just going to be honest. No matter how I think of it, I can’t come up with a way not to like you, so I’m just going to stay like this. You don’t have to be sorry and you don’t have to do anything… Just know my heart.”
Tears roll down Eun-bi’s cheeks but she gives no answer, and Tae-gwang tells her she can really go now, and lets go of her shoulders. She walks away without turning back.
Eun-byul finds Eun-bi staring at the Yi-an Bear and asks her outright if she likes him. Eun-byul tells her not to look so shocked and calls her stupid. Eun-byul says that all she’s ever wanted is for them to be a family with Mom—she has what she wants, and Yi-an has always been and will be a good friend to her: “Whether or not you accept his feelings is your choice.”
Eun-bi goes to meet Yi-an to say goodbye before the move, and he deflates to hear that she can’t come to his swim meet because it’s her first day at her new school. He asks why she’s acting like she’s never going to see him again, and Eun-bi finally admits, “Han Yi-an, I like you.”
But she says that right now she needs to figure out who she is before thinking about the person she likes, so that when she’s loved she knows it’s for her, just as she is. She thinks she can accept his feelings then.
He tells her that he’ll wait as long as it takes, and she puts her hand out for a shake to say goodbye. He takes it and puts her medal in her hand, and asks her to give it back to him when she’s found herself as Lee Eun-bi and is sure about her feelings for him. He makes her promise to return it though: “It’s my most prized possession.”
A few days later, Eun-bi is lost in thought as Mom drives her to her first day of school, and she keeps nervously checking her watch. Yi-an steps up to the platform to begin his first race after his injury, and all eyes are on him to gauge how his recovery went.
He leads the race at the start, and the commentators note that it hardly seems like he was injured and out of training at all. But then he suddenly stops dead in the water mid-race, clutching his shoulder in pain. The crowd comes to a still as they wait for him to move, and Eun-bi races to the stands, here to cheer him on after all.
She thinks to herself, “Be strong,” and Yi-an finally begins to move. He keeps going with only one arm to make his strokes, even as the other swimmers lap him. But he refuses to quit and finishes out the race in last place, bringing the crowd to resounding cheers.
Six months later.
Teacher Bae Soo-bin leads a new transfer student into class, and everyone gasps: “Go Eun-byul?” “No, Lee Eun-bi?” “Who are you?” Eun-bi breaks out into a huge smile and answers proudly, “My name is Go Eun-bi.” Aw, she took unni’s last name.
Tae-gwang saunters into school late that day, and breaks into a grin when he gets a familiar text from Eun-bi: “Roof!” He races up there and beams when she turns around to face him, and he realizes from her uniform that she’s transferred back.
But she suddenly hits him on the head in a classic Eun-byul move, and his smile disappears. He stares at her, confused: “Is it not you? No I’m right! You’re Lee Eun-bi!” The attitude is all Eun-byul, but she corrects him: “I’m Go Eun-bi!” She finally smiles and shows off her new nametag. I don’t know whether to be happy that you guys are friends again, or go cry in a corner.
Teacher Kim is teaching high school math again at a new school, Min-joon is learning new hobbies like playing the guitar, Shi-jin has finally discovered something that interests her and buries her nose in a book about cake decorating, and Song-joo does a photo shoot.
Eun-bi narrates in voiceover: “Eighteen. It’s too early to realize your dreams, but the perfect age to begin dreaming. Falling down hurts, but it’s the perfect age to learn a hundred ways to get up again.”
We see Yi-an winning races again, and Tae-gwang greeting his father who’s been released from prison and is back at home. They sit down to dinner together and Tae-gwang puts a piece of tofu on Dad’s spoon (to make sure he stays out of jail, per the old superstition), and they laugh.
Eun-bi runs to Mom with a postcard from Eun-byul, and they light up to hear that she’s coming home soon.
The next morning, Eun-bi sees Yi-an on the bus and sneaks past him undetected. She peers over his shoulder as she texts him about how his meet went. She lies that she didn’t watch it and he lies that he didn’t do so well, so she calls him out on the lie and dangles her medal right in front of his eyes. He whirls around and smiles, and they tease each other on the way to school.
Eun-bi laughs with her friends as they head into class, and then she stops to look into the camera as the narration closes:
Eun-bi: We’re eighteen, so we live every day as if it’s our last—loving and hating fiercely. It’s an age where we falter and get hurt easily, and are hurting more than anyone. Despite that, the reason we can look back on that time and say we were happy is one person’s warm outstretched hand. Not more, not less, but just one person—if we each approach one friend who’s crying and stretch out a hand like this, there’s nothing that I—we—can’t endure. It’s okay. You can hurt. Because you’re eighteen.
COMMENTS
Yes, but what about MY PAIN?! WhatEVER, Eun-bi. All I’ve gotta say is, there’s no accounting for taste in this world. I have no idea why anyone would like Han Yi-an over Gong Tae-gwang, but I guess to each her own. Oh, who am I kidding. That’s just CRAZY. My problem with the resolution isn’t simply her choice—Eun-bi has been consistent from the start in liking Yi-an, so I get that it’s the obvious choice for her and I honestly didn’t expect her to waver, even when I was screaming at my screen, How can you not love that adorable friend who’s been by your side all this time?! Because I understand that it would’ve been just as strange to suddenly have her change her mind this late in the game, despite her feelings being alien feelings from another planet.
My problem is with the way Yi-an’s character was plotted from the start, because I’m still confused as to when he stopped liking Eun-byul and started liking Eun-bi. I feel like they hastily gave him a way to sort out his feelings retroactively, without bringing us along for the change in the moment. So at the end of the day, Yi-an says he likes Eun-bi, and I’m like, I guess I’ll take your word for it? It’s not very satisfying narratively, seeing as how he began the series so completely to devoted to Eun-byul that I was rooting for them to find their way back, even after all the hurt feelings. It’s mainly due to the writing that Yi-an’s character motivations didn’t always click for me, but he also wasn’t helped by Nam Joo-hyuk, who’s still too green to play a leading man(boy). I could feel his limitations when he was trying to convey complex emotions, and it was difficult at times to look past that when seeing his character as a whole.
Maybe they thought it’d be too pat for the two sisters to each get one boy instead of making as many triangles out of four people as possible, but I found Eun-byul’s wrap-up dissatisfying too, given that she just gets written off the show after saving the day and gives Eun-bi tacit permission to date Yi-an as if it’s no big deal. I don’t see why she had to go abroad when all I ever wanted was for the two sisters to go to school together and be best friends. And it pains me to think that Tae-gwang is left pining away after Eun-bi at the end, even when YOU HAD THE MATH TO MAKE IT WORK. Two boys, two sisters, no brainer, right?
The thing is, I might not be this focused on the lovelines had the show developed anything else. But the story was essentially reduced to the love triangle (and you couldn’t even manage to do that right), and everything else ended up feeling incidental. Truthfully the love triangle was compelling and it’s what sucked me in early on, but it kept going, and going, and going… and soon I started to feel like they were just dragging poor Eun-bi around by the wrist to prolong the romantic angst. And of all things, I’m pretty sure it was mostly at the expense of Yi-an’s character development, which seems to be shooting yourself in the foot if he’s your endgame. Hello. You did it wrong. Not to mention the fact that I don’t want to be mad at my heroine for not being clearer about her feelings or for choosing the boy who seemed to be in love with her sister, over the one who basically declared he’d love her till the end of days. Augh.
Had any of these things been cleared up sooner instead of being prolonged for the sake of the love triangle, we could’ve had time left to focus on Eun-bi’s growth and change, and on So-young. I feel like their storyline got shafted for the lovelines, which is a crying shame. I wanted more for So-young—both more punishment and more resolution—partly because the character was so layered and interesting at the start, and partly because Jo Soo-hyang was so phenomenal in the role. In comparison to the pain she’s inflicted all series long, I didn’t feel like it was enough to see that she just had to live with the guilt (welcome to life) or that she had terrible parents (which we knew). Yes, it’s somewhat satisfying to know that she can’t keep running away to a new school and wipe her slate clean because her past follows her, but I’m pretty sure she needed to be sent to juvie or at least an asylum. You can’t write her to be that much of a sociopath and then just have her feel sorry.
I saw so much potential in the setup where Eun-bi suffers as the victim of So-young’s bullying and Eun-byul mirrors it in the reverse with Soo-in, but the resolution left so much to be desired. The one thing that would’ve made it satisfying is what we never got: We needed Eun-bi to be the one to stand up for herself and put So-young in her place. Isn’t that obvious? Why did we not get this? I love when Eun-byul shows up like the badass she is and sticks up for her sister, but then they skipped the all-important part where the two sisters actually influence and change one another, and Eun-bi grows strong enough to stand up for herself. That’s the character arc I wanted, and I’m actually confused as to how someone could set this story up and not give us that penultimate moment of triumph.
We basically spent the entire series with Eun-bi being meek, and only in the last five minutes do we get to see the new Go Eun-bi, who’s finally figured out how to adopt her sister’s sass but stayed true to herself. Five minutes. Sixteen hours, and five minutes is all you give me. It’s a good thing that I love Kim So-hyun as much as I do, because I think she tempered my frustration with Eun-bi whenever she remained passive (or loved Yi-an for some unknowable reason). It helped when Eun-byul showed up, though again I feel like her character was mishandled and only brought in to save the day and then leave so that the Eun-bi Show could go on, which made me sad. I wanted way more sister love, which perhaps wasn’t on the menu because Kim So-hyun would’ve had to play both sides of that relationship. Even still, I loved her performance as both sisters—she always makes me feel for her in the moment, and it was great to see her carry a drama on her young and talented shoulders, because she’s certainly capable of it.
It’s no shock that Yook Sung-jae is the breakout star of the series, and deservedly so. He was already good in Plus Nine Boys, but nobody saw that drama—thankfully School has a way of catapulting people to stardom, and here he got to really play up the angst, and of course the epic puppy love. I guess if he couldn’t get the girl, it’s some consolation that he walks away the more empathetic character in the end, with all the fan love and praise for his performance. Sometimes it pays to be the Chilbongie, even if the path is littered with heartbreak.
I thought this installment of School an interesting departure from the usual slice-of-life focus in the franchise, and honestly enjoyed it a lot as it was airing. There was a much bigger dramatic pull in the setup of twins with swapped fates, and amnesia—it had the melodramatic works, and it sucked me in completely. But it fell short in developing the story that I found so intriguing at the outset, and in bringing that narrative to a satisfying close. In that regard I can’t help but wonder if they tried to do too many things by adding the high drama and lost on both fronts.
I remember feeling the angst of School 2013 down to my bones, but this time around I feel like things were resolved too swiftly, too easily, and without carrying me along for the moments that really hit home. It was slickly directed, beautifully scored, and on the whole well acted. But there’s a distinct lack of depth and follow-through on the writing that you can’t gloss, no matter how much the other stuff shines. Still, what it couldn’t manage to do as a whole doesn’t negate that I did love its parts, sometimes a great deal. I just wish there were a B-side to this drama that followed Teacher Kim and Tae-gwang around. What I wouldn’t give for that reset. Get on it, School 2017.
RELATED POSTS
- Who Are You–School 2015: Episode 15
- Who Are You–School 2015: Episode 14
- Who Are You–School 2015: Episode 13
- Who Are You–School 2015: Episode 12
- Who Are You–School 2015: Episode 11
- Who Are You–School 2015: Episode 10
- Who Are You–School 2015: Episode 9
- Who Are You–School 2015: Episode 8
- Who Are You–School 2015: Episode 7
- Who Are You–School 2015: Episode 6
- Who Are You–School 2015: Episode 5
- Who Are You–School 2015: Episode 4
- Who Are You–School 2015: Episode 3
- Who Are You–School 2015: Episode 2
- Who Are You–School 2015: Episode 1
Tags: featured, Kim So-hyun, Nam Joo-hyuk, Who Are You–School 2015, Yook Sung-jae
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101 omomo
June 18, 2015 at 3:22 AM
Welp. Now that was quite, um, underwhelming. Bah, writers.
Tae Gwang/Yook Sung Jae, you were winsome and just marvelous. It's alright if you didn't get the girl. I think you deserve someone much better.
Eun Byul, you were infinitely the better twin. Go girl. Go kick some butt abroad (although I do wish we've seen more of you).
So Young/Jo Soo Hyang, you were a perfect villain (kudos for making me want to drown you in a drum filled with acid). Yes, you were that good.
And... I have nothing else to say. *sighs*
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102 ia
June 18, 2015 at 4:24 AM
I feel sorry and sad for tae kwang because he fails to win eun bi's heart. But i feel so happy for sungjae because he wins many viewer's hearts.
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103 blurbel
June 18, 2015 at 5:23 AM
Finally finished watching the last episode...and feeling strangely empty.
I say in that in the sense of, School 2013 absolutely played havoc with my emotions & I felt drained at the end of it. This instalment, however, just didn't quite tug on the heartstrings.
The series started off brightly for me with the mystery theme to it, but it felt like things got either un-resolved, or resolved too quickly & suddenly. I'll freely admit the last 6-7 eps for me were an absolute struggle to get through but it was worth it for the final ep.
1 of my few highlights from this - seeing Yook Sung Jae in yet another role where he shone. First saw him on Plus Nine Boys and he was my fave char there, so was really stoked to see him again here. Suitably impressed & highly anticipating his next role. His character was quite well-written compared to Han Yi Ahn imo.
Kim So Hyun again showed what a great actor she is. Been seeing her pop up in a few dramas here and there in recent years and I'm glad she got this leading role. It couldn't have been easy to play 2 characters at once that are quite different, but imo she did so with distinction. While it was the same actress, each time EBi or EBy came onto screen, it was easy enough to distinguish who it was because of the subtleties she put into the roles.
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104 jcw_mesmerizing eyes
June 18, 2015 at 6:34 AM
Thanks girlfriday, dramallama, Saya, Purplecow, javabeans for recapping this series! I never saw the original School franchise but I must say I totally enjoyed this show. The plot was good for 14 eps and then flickered a little towards the end. Awesome acting from all the characters (Kim So-Hyun, Nam Joo-Hyuk, Yook Sung-Jae and Jo Soo Hyang) were all phenomenal in their roles. I will definitely watch them in other series. I do really wish that Yi An’s character was flushed out a little bit more which and incorporated more swimming. Poor Nam Joo-Hyuk, for what character he had to work worth, he did very well.
I had no problems with the In Soo story's climax, if the writer threw in the bully tactic again - it will just be more meh. And if she committed suicide then we are back to the Smart guy's resolution when he was trying to go to the rooftop. A child died of negligence from multiple parties in a school, that is a big deal. As a parent you think your child is at a safe place when they are in school because you trust the teachers and staff to take care of your children while you are not there.
This show was not perfect but it was good entertainment that had me coming back every Monday and Tuesdays. I think I have maxed out my high school dramas for the quarter with this and Angry Mom and Orange Marmalade.
I didn’t’ have a particular ship because I liked both boys so I was fine with either boys. ;) The writer trolled us alittle bit but I watched it like a Japanese Shojo Manga like I did with Heirs.
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105 kiwichan
June 18, 2015 at 6:45 AM
Go Eun Byul all the way!!! badass girl is badass! was afraid if suddenly writernim makes her go back to HYA.
Hats off to Kim So Hyun btw..I wish i can give her daesang! also YSJ, good job..was feeling nothing in P9B but he did an awesome job as Gong Taek Gwang here..good bye School 2015! You’ll not be missed as much as I thought but I will miss Go Eun Byul. so. much!
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106 meihuas
June 18, 2015 at 7:28 AM
so like what was the point of the replacement teacher. is he supposed to be a hint at the next School instalment or what? I was so confused why he was given heavy background music and was so tense. i didn't make sense.
This drama really messed up. There was a lot of amazing plot concepts that where put on the back burner for a love triangle. Every major plot twist or dramatic reveal was wrapped up too nicely and too quickly. It honestly seems like it was written by a rookie where everything was to go in favour of the main leads and that they were the obvious hero who never did anything wrong. There were so many open paths of side stories with Shi Jin and Song Joo but those were open ended. And for the love of god YI AN AND TAE KWANG NEEDED TO HAVE A BROMANCE. What the hell! I know that maybe bc of School 2013, they wanted to down play the bromance so that it didn't seem like a replica, but i desperately needed them to bromance it up.
And the whole Soo In thing was a flop in my POV. For the build up, there was no result (which is a reoccurring theme in this drama) The start of this drama was so interesting with the romance and the mystery but it felt like it just lost its spark
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107 frankie
June 18, 2015 at 9:21 AM
Honestly, I'm super pissed at how Sungjae didn't even get a decent song to sing for the OST. Since he didn't get a happy ending, "Love Song" is useless. Why couldn't they at least showcase his deep voice and soulful vocals with a touching ballad?!
Can I do publicity for him? Click on the links below. Just discovered them recently. You will be pleasantly surprised.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui1v1oqizRE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ffFvrg62Cs
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frankie
June 18, 2015 at 9:47 AM
Whoops-forgot to mention: the first song is called Confession:) It's a cover!
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weirdnshort
June 18, 2015 at 5:40 PM
Are you me? haha. That's how I feel too. If they were going to make him so pitiful, they should have at least gave him a good song... which is voice is suitable for.
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frankie
June 19, 2015 at 3:09 AM
glad to hear someone feels the same way:) His voice was so underused that I felt even more indignant haha
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panshel
June 18, 2015 at 5:59 PM
Personally, I love "Love Song" and have been playing it nonstop. I'm just pissed they didn't release it earlier. Why would you release it on the day of the last episode? Release it while School 2015 is still the talk of the town. Even though "Love Song" did rank first on real-time charts, I believe it would have more staying power had it been released while the drama was airing.
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frankie
June 19, 2015 at 3:12 AM
It does have a nice jingly and (somehow) chrismassy feel, but completely unsuitable for the last episode. Sadly I think that decision was made to lead the viewers on:/ To make sure Taebi was still possible before the finale, to keep ratings
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108 marshmellow
June 18, 2015 at 9:44 AM
YA got the best of both worlds: a girl who looks like Eb but doesn't act like like Eb. The EunByul he always wanted to change. EunBi: the reset version of EunByul.
Yeah EunBi - you're only 18. There's time to change your mind -- but TK is right: you will regret not choosing him. TK will always be the guy who got away... :(
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109 utopious
June 18, 2015 at 10:11 AM
Poor puppy Taekwang didn't have to be so sweet, helpful and thoughtful to win Eunbi's heart. He just had to grow taller and build muscles.
This is how I don't understand why and how she chose Yian over him.
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110 Samantha Reed
June 18, 2015 at 10:23 AM
First, when I watched the ending I was disspointed (to say the least) but now, after a few days, I'm glad that Tae-gwang did not end up with Eun-bi.
I think that Tae-gwang needs and deserves someone better. Someone who cares for him like he cared for Eun-bi (unconditionally) and not someone sho treats him like a lost puppy she's too kind to truly kick to the curb.
Eun-bi was such a bad friend to him, there are a few lines in a Maroon 5 song that remind me of how I felt Eun-bi was to Tae-gwang.
"I was there for you
In your darkest times
I was there for you
In your darkest nights
But I wonder where were you?
When I was at my worst
Down on my knees
And you said you had my back
So I wonder where were you?
When all the roads you took came back to me"
Eun-bi was OK leaning on Tae-gwang when she needed a friend, and didn't even reciprocate as a friend. It's OK. She has a right to love whatever or whoever she wants, but could she at least been a good friend?
She was never there for Tae-gwang. When he suffered because of his dad, when he was sad, when he needed cheering up? She just wasn't there.
And if she was like that as friend I cannot imagine how well she would fare as a girlfriend.
After all the growing up and after how Tae-gwang demostrated he was the bigger, kinder person, he deserves so so much better than Eun-bi.
I actually would ship Tae-gwang with Eun-byul. She's badass enough for him :)
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ajtee
June 19, 2015 at 1:45 AM
I know right!!! I was kind of pissed off at Eun Bi when Tae Kwang was having a hard time during the days when his mom was about to get remarried, add his jerk of a father also. Everyone noticed how TK looked so down, even Kang So Young commented on that! Everyone except Eun Bi.
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111 skinnymocha
June 18, 2015 at 10:55 AM
Like the case of Chilbongie, you know these sweet guys won't be end game, because it ultimately boils down to how the girl feels. Not once did I feel the heroines look at these guys with any feelings other than platonic. Had the writers tried to throw a spanner in the works and given the girls a change of heart (or even worse, pity) during the final hour, I just... cannot.
Never believed in Taebi so I'm glad that ship didn't sail. If anything, I thought him and Eun-byul would've been a cuter fit. Plus, I was kind of rooting for Yi-an and Eun-bi until I realised the number of episodes were fizzling out yet both characters remained bland and stagnant. However, I *am* a little irked that Eun-bi was never there to support Tae-gwang AS A FRIEND. I guess it was easier for her to connect with Yi-an since 1) he had more history with Eun-byul and 2) he was more of the type that was outwardly hurting and you know how Eun-bi likes to stand up for people. Other than herself. Anyway, there was far too much focus on romance here and it's unfortunate the writer(s) let the other relationships fall to the wayside.
On a more positive note: Jo Soo-hyang. Hope it's only onwards and upwards for her :)
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112 Kdrama Addict
June 18, 2015 at 11:01 AM
Daebak! It's finally over,I couldn't stand the torture which is Yi An and Eun Bi. Taekwang oppa saranyeo and I'm right here waiting for you so feel free to come over anytime, lol
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113 oosiee
June 18, 2015 at 11:55 AM
Eunbi:"Han Yi-an!I like you."
Me:*DOOMED*
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114 zara
June 18, 2015 at 11:56 AM
"because I’m still confused as to when he stopped liking Eun-byul and started liking Eun-bi. I feel like they hastily gave him a way to sort out his feelings retroactively, without bringing us along for the change in the moment."
I see a lot of people complain about this but as someone who went through almost the same thing as yian, i totally understand him. I lost the person that I've loved for 8 years without warning because of an unfortunate accident and only those who've went through it would know how awful it feels, things that went through our mind at the realization that the person you love is no longer in this world. yian is damn lucky to have eunbi that not only looks exactly like the person he loves, but also very nice, who is there to support him and likes him. so i would say that when he started to like the 'new eunbyul' more than the old one, and when he realized that eunbyul is dead, his feelings have already going towards eunbi. the scene at the grave where yian witnessed eunbi cried whe she saw the kids, and having heard the kids' words, that's a very important and powerful scene. he realized the consequences of eunbi's lies and what eunbi had to sacrificed. i like nam joo hyuk but i have to say that his acting is one of the biggest reasons of why the viewers ain't really buying his turnover.
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bobthegiant
June 18, 2015 at 12:42 PM
completely agree, i was reading another recap of the finale...and he/she made a very good point of the change
something along the lines of everything started as a lie, and ended up being their own ultimate truths
yi ahn liked eunbyul for a long long time but never reciprocated his feelings, then he met another version of her who is nice to him and cares for him (the lie)
eventually, the lie helped him come to realization that the one he liked isn't going to like him the way he wants it, and instead there is someone else who he should be pursuing for
for eunbi, it started out getting the love but all was a lie, she wanted to live in the lie, but came to realize that this isn't her own life
eventually, the lie led her to realize she doesn't know who she really is with confused feelings for real friends/romance, and ultimately find the right path for her - rekindle friendships, and go with who u really like
njh's acting was kinda the downfall but at the same time, 16 episodes was really not enough to make the OTP a true convincing pair
taekwang had a lot more open romance lines as his character is much more open to his feelings
yi ahn on the other hand is a much more reserved character, and acts much more like a real person in real life romance
he also spent 14/16 episodes being weird and confused, i definitely blame the writer, the scenes with him and eunbi seemed much more superficial than actual romance until the last few episodes
deep inside as a viewer, we knew eunbi never liked taekwang, it just happens that the romance between eunbi and yi ahn wasn't as full blown sweet couply as we would have hoped
had there be at least one more episode...they could spend that entire episode doing cute stuff together and confirm with the audience that the mutual feelings wasn't as random or rushed as it was presented
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Raqeena
June 18, 2015 at 3:31 PM
Cute stuff doesn't justify that they should be together lol. And besides, they'e only 18, the likelihood of them staying together is very low. But, as a whole, I still enjoyed both characters respectively, it just was a hard love line to believe in my opinion.
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Jyc
June 18, 2015 at 10:20 PM
I believe it's this one: https://dramajjang.wordpress.com/2015/06/17/school-2015-who-are-you-episode-16-recap-end/ ;)
I like his/her reviews, too, since the insights were well-balanced.
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115 Raqeena
June 18, 2015 at 3:29 PM
Hello fellow avid drama watchers. You probably don't remember me, I don't comment as often as I'd like to here because I'd end up writing an essay, but I think it's appropriate here so here is the sum of my personal feelings and opinions about this drama. Imagine the "Reset" OST playing in the background because I would like to reset and re-write some major things in this drama... if only...
First off, let me just say that I've been an avid fan of both Nam Joo Hyuk and Yook Sungjae since they both debuted and this drama gave me both of them and I was both happy and torn. The beginning of the drama had such potential and it breaks my heart to see that the drama lacked oomph, logic, sense, and poignant impact as it ended. This is most likely due to the addition of a loveline in this School series, and even though I wish School 2013 had kept the love line, I understand now why they didn't.
This story had so much potential in all of the characters, and yet only a few were able to showcase fleshed out characters through character growth, namely Tae Gwang, So Young, and Min Joon. As Girlfriday said, EunBi's growth was only shown in the last 5 minutes of the drama, which was such a waste because she could have used that newfound spunk to take down So Young herself instead of having her sister do it for her. EunByul and Teacher Kim were also terribly misused as they only appeared when they were needed and the connections between them and other characters needed more screentime in order to secure the foundation of their characters.
As for the lovelines, while I do love Nam Joo Hyuk with all my heart, I think this leading role may have come a bit early for him as his acting seemed lacking in comparison to the rest of the cast, namely Kim So Hyun and Yook Sung Jae, and that is both due to himself and the writer's choices for his character, AND he has admitted this himself on his Instagram. BUT, hate is never justified so those spreading hate on his insta STOP. I hope to see him in more roles in the future as he learns from his experiences and becomes a better actor. Nam Joo Hyuk HWAITING! <3
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Raqeena
June 18, 2015 at 3:34 PM
As for Yook Sung Jae, my respect for him and his acting ability has increased tenfold. With only a couple of other projects under his belt, I felt that the portrayal of his character was marvelously done because the raw emotion he projected felt almost palpable and while he may have not gotten the girl, he has earned a legion of fans and will soon get the girl on We Got Married ;D. Honestly, I didn't understand the actions of either EunBi or Yi An because both of them didn't end up liking those who were best suited for them, in my opinion. How was it so easy for Yi An to lose his feelings for Eun Byul? And can we talk about the lack of comfort Yi An gave Eun Byul after the whole Soo In incident was revealed? There had to be reasons for why he had liked her prickly personality in the first place, and if I had to take a guess, I would say its because she was a strong and opinionated girl, with alot of charisma and a powerful personality. To me, she and Tae Gwang were my favorite characters of the show (not that I could ever see them together ever lol). The fact that he just decided to go for the other sister in the span of less than one school year boggles my mind when there was a perfectly fine boy who stood by her side and defended her too often for me to count. And for those who thought that his three time rejection was too much and it served sole for the purpose of ratings, I somewhat agree. However, this is actually kind of realistic because why would you give up on someone you care about? In my mind, it was as if he was giving her chances to realize that he truly cares for her more than she'll ever know.
In retrospect, perhaps her ending up with Yi An is a good thing because after all, what are the odds that Eun Bi and Yi An would stay together forever? NONE. Lol. So I am inclined to think that since they're 18 and everything is temporary and doesn't last forever, eventually she and Yi An will mutually break up because they figure out that they're not right for each other. Eun Byul and Yi An stay best friends and eventually figure out that they belong together (just like in The Time I Loved You) and Tae Gwang and Eun Bi will get a chance to be together as Eun Bi realizes what she missed out on and she'll have to chase him this time. BAM! That's the premise of a great fanfic that I'm inclined to write lol, not that I'm arrogant enough to think that I can write better and more poignant character arcs than the School 2015, BUT I will strive for logical pairings and happily ever afters because believe it or not, THEY DO EXIST.
I would like to thank GirlFriday and Javabeans for the wonderful and insightful recaps of this drama, all of which I wholeheartedly agreed with almost all of your opinions. School 2015 was definitely a rollercoaster of a drama with a mix of cute and angst yet very little of the grounded substance I was hoping to see. Here's to the hope that the next segment of the School series will improve upon its...
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Raqeena
June 18, 2015 at 3:34 PM
predecessor! :)
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116 kandie123
June 18, 2015 at 7:27 PM
There were 2 guys and 2 girls. Seriously. It was all set up, and the writers couldn't give them all someone to end up with? They should have had Eunbyul with Yian and Eunbi with Taekwang in episode 10 at most and moved on to develop the rest of the characters or flesh out more of the anti bullying plot!
Or better yet have no one end up with anyone!!
This is how much the writing was messed up: I NEVER root for the 2nd guy. EVER. Because it is always clear through the writing that he is the 2nd guy and in SOME WAY he is lacking than the main guy. But for school 2015? I was confused until the end of episode 16 about who eunbi would end up with. When it was TG that showed up at the orphanage I actually had the thought that TG was the main guy after all! They were frolicking together with children for crying out loud! And then came the hospital scene! And the crab eating scene! And the kiss scene! What the heck!
And to all the ppl who are saying that TG is a creep who cant take no for an answer: did Eunbi run away after TG kissed her? Nope. She made him confused more than ever by her own confusion therefore leading him on even further.
I was played by the writers into watching this drama. They led me on into thinking it would be Eunbi Taegwang and then they slapped me down hard. Im actually pretty annoyed.
And NJH's acting. Wow. Lets just say that he had two expressions this whole show: happy and the other one was mad/confused/sad/stuck whichever one he was trying to convey. He sure is lucky to be in yg just like lee yeon hee has sm. Pfft. Hopefully he'll improve. Because like it or not he'll probably be back.
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117 Jyc
June 18, 2015 at 8:09 PM
I am satisfied with this ending because it brought back the sentimental feelings it had in the earlier episodes. But I do agree with the problems of the writing: too much complexity which weren't resolved properly. I also do think that had Yi-an's character arc was developed well, there will be a lot more people rooting for him, but the show spent more time developing Tae-gwang's portion of the story than the male lead, so I guess the natural response was to like him more. The thing with Yi-an and Eun-bi is that their connection is waaaay too subtle that you have to squint hard to see it--for instance, in the way that they look at each other, or even the meaning in the distance they have when they're together (as compared to when Eun-bi is with Tae-gwang, where it's always Tae-gwang who closes the distance when she stands/walks/sits far away).
I came into this show already cheering for Nam Joo-hyuk and Kim So-hyun for the shallowest reason: I have always loved Kim So-hyun, and I have just finishes Surplus Princess, where Nam Joo-hyuk is a supporting character romancing Kim Seul-gi, so I am endeared to him. And while at it, no matter how much I love Nam Joo-hyuk, I still think that he's too green for that kind of role that he wasn't able to bring enough 'character' into the character. Which is why I do think the writer should have given more meat to Yi-an's arc. That swim meet where he swam with one arm was my favorite moment of his in the show, it's a shame that it hadn't happened earlier on.
School 2015 left me feeling satisfied with the open ending--it's open right?--but I had hoped that the resolution to the problems of each twin were solved better, and that the sentimental feeling in the beginning (and in the posters) was fervent in the entire course of the show. I got to hand, still, to the directors because I really liked the direction of this show--from small stuff like distance and gazes, to the endearing locations and topographies.
Joo Soo-hyang did well as the bully, and I hope she gets more projects, hopefully not a bully again (hehe). As always, I love Kim So-hyun to bits. She has a bright future ahead. And I am still a fan here waiting for her to romance Yeo Jin-gu in their own series. See? No amount of Yi-an or Tae-gwang could topple this OTP for me HAHA
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118 Jyc
June 18, 2015 at 10:14 PM
BUMP. I have been following this other recaps by dramajjang, and it's been a really positive one especially for you guys who sympathizes with Yi-an:
https://dramajjang.wordpress.com/2015/06/17/school-2015-who-are-you-episode-16-recap-end/
S/he has some pretty nice thoughts on the finale, too :)
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Jyc
June 18, 2015 at 10:16 PM
P. S.
It's not a ship. It's a bus. :)
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119 ANGRY_VIEWER
June 18, 2015 at 10:30 PM
If the writers WANT us to STOP shipping Eun Bi and Tae kwang!!!!!!!!!! They should have made more scenes of Yi ahn and Eun BI!!!!!!!!! NOT THIS UNBELIEVABLE ENDING !!!!!!!!!!! MAKING EUN BI LOOK LIKE A TEASE!!!!!! THEY SHOULD HAVE NOT SHOWN THAT EUN BI LOOKS INDECISIVE OF HER FEELINGS!!!!!!!!!! THEY SHOULDN'T PUT THE SCENE WHEREIN EUN BI SAID TO TAE KWANG THAT HE IS ONE OF THE PERSON SHE IS HAPPY IN SCHOOL????!!!!!!!!!!! THEY SHOULD NOT ASK KIM SO HYUN TO CRY WHILE TAE KWANG LET HER GO IN THE LAST EPISODE!!!!!! THEY SHOULD HAVE MADE THE OST 8 A SADDDDDD SONG!!!!! THEY DESTROYED EUN BI'S CHARACTER TO FIT THE UNFIT MAIN LEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE PRODUCTION SHOULD HAVE CHOSEN JINGOO MAYBE "MAYBE" ILL ROOT FOR YI AHN!!!! JINGOO KNOWS HOW TO SWIM AND ACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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120 Nikilann
June 19, 2015 at 12:38 AM
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ! You spoiled Answer Me sniiif. I haven't seen the 1994 version yet and... Argh. Now I know who gets the girl in the end (and if I got it right, that's the thing you're supposed to wonder until the last second of the drama...)
I'm gonna try and forget.
Concerning School, I really agree with about this ending. It felt rushed and incomplete. And... Tae Gwang. Just... Why girl ? Why ? How is it possible to love Yi Ahn and not Tae Gwang ? It's understandable looks-wise, because they're not the same style at all. But... puppy love should always win damnit !
So Young was awesome, and like you, I'm very sad with her last scene. She was a monster, and it feels like... no one cares. Her dad isn't gonna be punished... all that feels unfair (not that life isn't).
But I really loved how it was resolved for Tae Gwang. Ok, he doesn't get the girl, but he gets his father, and that's something at least. He deserved it.
And I hope that new Eun Bi will be too much like Eun Byul for him to still like her because she clearly doesn't deserve him ! haha. I'm fired up against the writer ! What the hell ?! Yi Ahn ?
And I don't get it even more because Yi Ahn, who I loved from the start to the middle of the show, just disappeared in the background for like 2 episodes. I get how he fell in love with Eun Bi. But I really don't like the logic. I mean, he loved the memory of Eun Byul, he loved how she was when she was young : bright, funny, happy.... then she changed and he stayed on the image he had of her before that. He wanted her to not have grown. Eun Bi, when he meets her, is more like the Eun Byul of the past, so of course, he prefers the girl who cares and loves him to the cld Eun Byul.
However, all that is very twisted. He calls them different names, but I feel that for him, they could be swaped and he would'nt see it. If he didn't see it for so long, it's because he lives in his fantasy and for me, that's why Tae Gwang should have been the absolute natural choice for Eun Bi ! He knows who she is. He love who she is. And I feel that's what love is about. In real life, Eun Bi would maybe have love Yi Ahn, and we wouldn't have been able to do something about it. But here, we're in a drama, where everything is possible. So logically, you can fucking swap a romance for the pleasure of it (it's not like it never happened before. And it was perfectly possible to make that credible.)
I loved this drama, but the end leaves me with a sweet and sour taste that just... doesn't compare with the thrill I felt for episodes 6/11.
And stop grabbing the writs of heroines ! When she tells them she is going home alone in the episode 15, I was like "why didn't you say that earlier girl ? Seriously !"
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121 hanijjang
June 19, 2015 at 1:55 AM
girlfriday i agree with everything that u said! i wanted more for soyoung mostly the punishments cause the satan deserves it, secondly, YES OMG TAEGWANG BBY I PITY HIM AND GOD EUNBI WHY CAN'T YOU SEE IT HE'S THE BETTER CHOICE, thirdly, i wanted way more sister love too, like going to school together, hanging out with their friends, sharing stories before they go to sleep etc.oh yiahn i'm sorry i loved you in the earlier episodes but you got a tad annoying and boring sawry
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122 Reina
June 19, 2015 at 2:52 AM
I was rooting for taekwang right from the first time einbi met him. They seem to have more chemistry rather with yian. I'm so disappointed with the love line. But otherwise, it's a good story.
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Reina
June 19, 2015 at 2:52 AM
*eunbi
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123 SixtyOne
June 19, 2015 at 3:43 AM
I thought Eun Byul comeback was to settle up Yi an feeling and her. I keep rooting for both from the very beginning. So I was do happy when she's still alive. But, I'm just so disappointed in the end Yi an just end up with Eun Bi.
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124 niki9001
June 19, 2015 at 4:13 AM
I felt the ending way too rushed and they just tried to make sense of everything and failed quite miserably.
First of all why Eun Byul was brought back so late into the series. She could have been brought back at least 6 episodes before the finale. Even half way to the series would have been perfect. She is such a better character than eun-bi who was just skating through the whole series. Where was the Eun-bi who stood up for that girl in her class? They sort of just gloss over the fact that she also had some level of spunk to stand up for whats right.
Also i feel that the love story was given a little too much weight-age in the series and what a boring ending and the sad part is I saw this ending a mile away. A part of me still hoped for something better but alas. Also Eun-byuls friends and classmates sure accepted things very easily which was also surprising.
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125 thatdoublenine
June 19, 2015 at 7:26 AM
Oh my god yes! Gong Tae = Chilbong. The exact feeling I get when I was watching the show.
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126 Affie
June 19, 2015 at 9:12 AM
I had high hopes. Very high hopes that this would be my fave out of the School franchise. Nice bubble burst! Good thing i knew the writers were trolling us with Taebi lol. It saved me a lot of grief. I like all the actors even NJH and wish people wouldn't go hurt his feeling on his IG . Sigh. Don't do that people. Instead find the writers addresses and let's skewer them for ruining all the potential of this drama. I couldnt help my dafuq did i just watch after the finale but i could at least could through my day a little less wrecked.... Becos i just knew they would do pull that stunt.. i blame everything on the writers and whoever though trolling us with Taebi was a good idea. Next time u want to do a love triangle execute it so the persons to end up together make more sense. This is not a tragedy. I know they are 18. But it still didn't make sense. Lol. Everything GF said 1000000x. Thx for the recap.
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127 jellybine
June 19, 2015 at 8:26 PM
I don'y mind that Tae-kwang didn't get the girl. I was prepared to have that. What I don't understand is the part with Eun-byul going abroad. Well, maybe having both Kim Soo-hyun's character at the same scene is difficult but there's no need for her to go abroad.
I was on SNS and read a tweet that goes:
After watching School 2015, I WANNA RESET I WANNA RESET I WANNA RESSSEEEETTTT
~~~~Totally with her!
I'm just glad that Yook Sungjae was able to get the love and popularity from his performance in School 2015. That's my consolation. :>
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128 Belle
June 20, 2015 at 2:41 PM
"Because I understand that it would’ve been just as strange to suddenly have her change her mind this late in the game, despite her feelings being alien feelings from another planet."
EXACTLY what I thought! I really did understood that the writing actually did not write any progress to Eunbi's feelings towards both boys. Taekwang was friendship, Yi An was love. I feel like the writing was sloppy because of the ongoing, and ongoing, and ongoing love triangle. And in the end, I feel cheated because it kinda feels like they used the (fan)love for taekwang as a help to get ratings up. BUT I am equally happy for Sungjae, who I adored in Plus 9 Boys just as much as I did her.
"Sometimes it pays to be the Chilbongie, even if the path is littered with heartbreak."
Dammit I really had second lead syndrome with Reply94, but the potential for the sister bonding is what made me not quit this drama after it was clear my chilbongie/taekwang loving heart would be broken into smithereens. AND YET I did not get any of the sister team-up plot either. I really wished Eunbyul would give Eunbi the strength to fight Soyoung herself and that even if taekwang didn't get the girl, at least the sisters would be happy together.
Especially with the ending of Eunbi back in Eunbyul's seat.. It just feels like eunbi replacing eunbyul AGAIN and that's not what I hoped for at all.
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129 qienna
June 22, 2015 at 7:51 AM
i wish so much there is part 2 for this drama. i hope so, the main character is go eunbyul.. i wish so.... pleaseeeeeeeeeeee
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130 qienna
June 22, 2015 at 7:58 AM
i wish so much there is part 2 for this drama. i hope so, the main character is go eunbyul.. i wishso…. pleaseeeeeeeeeeee
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131 Luna
June 22, 2015 at 9:28 AM
Ok, I agree that the ending is the best but look at the bright side. This school story is not all about the romance and love triangle between students. It is about the students and the teacher of that certain class. I know that joohyuk couldnt express his expression well but i can see that he is trying his best and i also know that sungjae really did well as an actor. But still, do you think who you will like more if it was joohyuk who played taegwang and it was sungjae who played yian? I guess the character development is lacking there. I can see that yian is supposed gentleman who has feelings for his bestfriend and a school athlete that doesnt really care about other school's affair. And taegwang is supposed rebellious student who creates trouble and sleep through class and he just happened to know about eunbi earlier than yian. Ergh i dont even know what im talking about!
Anyway, the ending is satisfying to me since from the start it had been about dreams and found out what you want to do the most. And i like how eunbyul decided to study abroad to pursue her dream even though it was obvious that they just want eunbyul out of the screen. And how minjun, sijin and songju also found their true interest after some hardships especially on minjun's side. I think he suffered the most. And there is also the homeroom teacher who is so caring and loving towards his students. And he also suffered some damage regarding suins case. Lastly, soyoung. Yeah on this i agree that she should be sent to some juvenile instead of just transfering to another school all together. But maybe her father has his way to not let hos daughter into a juvenile. And in the end where eunbi gave her the chance to say sorry but she said nothing, i can clearly relate to that since she is not someone who easily say sorry and admit defeat so sure it would be hard for her to say the word out even though she truly felt sorry deep down inside. And because of that habit of her, she suffered the guilt.
About idol actor and model turn actor. I like them both. I am a big fan of actress suzy instead of idol suzy and actress uee instead of idol uee. I also love lee soohyuk who is a model turn actor. He too is still new compared to bang sung jun and lee jongsuk but through time he managed and his acting in valid love is superb! So i would say give joohyuk some time and he might get better and better. But honestly, i could not stand goo hara acting! I watched her in kara love drama and she sucks especially at the crying part. Ergh and i think she kinda dragged kim youngkwang along with her. I think gyuro would be a better actress. But they really need to learn how to kiss! Duh
P.S. I really love all this model turn actor. I already love nam joohyuk since he was a model and seeing him acting though kinda lacking i still love him and support him. Other than him, lee soohyuk, kim youngkwang, bang sungjun, hong jonghyun, kim woobin. They all are my bae!
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Luna
June 22, 2015 at 9:32 AM
*the ending is not the best out there but...
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idk
August 26, 2015 at 4:55 PM
Yes, thank you.
I supported Nam Joohyuk the entire time, but I also loved Sungjae. However, most of the time I get the impression that TaeKwang was so loved only because it was played by Sungjae. If the roles had been reversed they would have liked Yi An more.
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132 nadiyah
June 25, 2015 at 12:42 AM
i don't know when i'm going to watch the final episode of this series. i'm just frustrated that this drama does not really focusing on the bully case. i think only the 1st episode is the best. And for the love triangle (though i don't really like that they go too deep for the teen love stories) i'll just think that EBi will regret her choice & 10 years later she will be with TK (well they are only 18 lah!)...mwahahaha *excited* *fans imagination*
*pardon me for my bad english
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133 K
June 25, 2015 at 10:20 AM
thank you so much for the recap!! You totally just wrote out my exact thoughts on this drama and in a much more detailed and clear manner. Sungjae really acted so well and I would say he's third best after Kim So Hyun and Jo SoHyang (who was such an amazing villian)! I was so focus on the story that it was only after reading your recap that I realised how they basically had EunByul out for superhero needs. And I was pretty sad that the showdown between EunBi and Soyoung didn't happen. But hey, I'm happy that they didn't forget about ShiJin! I would say it's a good enough ending to resolve everything but gawd do I feel you sister. Why on earth did EunBi choose YiAn over TaeKwang I have no idea. And I 100% agree that YiAn's character wasn't properly written and Nam JooHyuk wasn't able to play him out well enough. To me, YiAn and EunBi got together because YiAn is suppose to be the handsome 'perfect' guy and since EunBi is the 'lead', tadah! We get our perfect couple. Still wish she had ended up with TaeKwang or even remaining alone. I'd rather the story had reduced the lovelines and focus more on the 'main' plot of what goes on in schools.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this show a lot and would be looking forward to Kim So Hyun's, Jo SooHyang's and SungJae's acting a lot more!!
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134 sizzlepink
June 29, 2015 at 5:48 AM
Although Tae Gwang didn't get the girl, at least we get to see him kiss the girl. ;)
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135 Wanderer
July 26, 2015 at 11:44 AM
So it's been two months I guess or just a month since this show ended. And I miss this show so bad and I'm just coming now telling all my comments about the finale. I've watched this along with the broadcast but I never got the chance to express my feelings in here. The finale was disappointing for me. Of course, as a Taebi fan, you would be. The writer was doing great at confusing us with Eunbi and Taekwang. All I thought it would be them at the end but NOOOO. At the last two episodes, they had to put Yiahn back and let him get Eunbi. But that's okay (because I have accepted it already since Sohyun said she would've picked Sungjae if it was her in real life hahaha).
As a tip to all who's going to watch this show in the future, ENJOY AND LOVE THE SHOW. But just a warning: Never ship Eunbi and Taekwang if you don't wanna get hurt in the end. But hey, it's inevitable. Their chemistry is overflowing.
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136 yoon
August 7, 2015 at 1:06 PM
i feel tae-kwang. TT^TT its okay. you will get better girl than this one. i'm here for you.. huuu #gotaekwangforlife!!
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137 yoon
August 7, 2015 at 1:10 PM
after all taekwang done for you and after all yi does not done to you. what a life... i'm hoping till the last minute of the final episode. please appreciate what taekwang have done. obviously, he more deserved to be loved. TT^TT
#gotaekwangforlife!! #frustated
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138 idk
August 26, 2015 at 4:45 PM
To be honest, I'm really happy that Yi An got the girl..or his medal back..When they went out to eat he actually said that he sometimes liked the new Eun Byul more than the old one..so I'm not entirely sure that we can say that he suddenly stopped liking Eun Byul.. He was slowly falling harder for the new Eun Byul and then he found out that it was actually Eun Bi. Sure, it is a little bit forced but still...
I noticed that both male leads don't have much acting experience. What did you expect? I honestly don't understand what's with all this hate aimed at Nam Joohyuk. Sungaje is more popular so it's understandable that he'd have more fans.
I do agree that he is a better actor, but both of them are at the begining. Stop with the hate please..
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139 Lamphead
September 28, 2015 at 11:34 AM
The most puzzling part of this drama for me, above all, is..
Yi Ahn was completely shafted from any interesting side story that would develop his personality. Here's what he got:
- He's a great swimmer but his shoulder is injured
- Has to deal with Eun Byul of the past and Eun Bi now
- A few token scenes with his dad
Tae Kwang gets:
- Protecting Eun Bi, being her best friend
- His dad
- Other token relationships, like with the teacher
Tae Kwang gets the better dad scenes. He gets more interaction with key characters like the bully and the teacher. He gets comparable if not better scenes than Yi Ahn with Eunbi, such as him going to the orphanage. He has way more personality.
Yi Ahn wasn't even played poorly, he just had the poor fortune of having nothing interesting developed for him. There was no depth of emotion. I fault the whole swimming thing. It's meant to be a device to develop his character, but let's be real, did anybody care about that side plot? We had secret dad reveals, people dying, hidden twins..I overall did not care that much about a shoulder rehab..maybe it's just me.
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140 Pictar
October 10, 2015 at 7:48 PM
Yeah about the end if anyone know the reason why Eun Byul screamed in the bathroom in the first episode that would be great. I hope this is not another unanswered question :-(
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Sawako Park
May 13, 2016 at 3:19 PM
Yeah I wish to know too!!!! It had lots of missing pieces. Like why have twin sisters if it wasn't going to be like one sister ended up with one guy and the other with the other guy. Plus Eun Byul wasn't mentioned as she had to total failure of an end .
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141 dramabird
October 16, 2015 at 2:34 PM
I'm going voting crazy!
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142 Mae ri ah
December 2, 2015 at 5:28 PM
I'm salty wtf is wrong with the ending?
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143 Aliah Myers
January 13, 2016 at 9:54 PM
I think the School series dramas in general always leave out something. That one piece of the puzzle (or character development in this case) is missing. For instance, "Why did you choose him?" I think it keeps people rooting for the second guy. The drama gave me lovable character and a new story line. It kept me wondering what was going to happen next. Don't be so hard on Nam Joo Hyuk. I believe they make dramas for us to need the second guy to win, only to be let down in the end. If they gave him, more time to develop his role/feelings, he would have done a better job.
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144 Sweetsammy
May 11, 2016 at 12:43 PM
Hi there!
Finally caught up with the recaps of this drama in 2016. I guess I was too busy sleeping or dreaming in 2015 that I caught onto this drama so late. I just loved the first few episodes and was so sure that it was Taegwang all the way, but ironic reality in this drama hurts A LOT!!
If I knew that after all the playing YiAn would be the winner, I would simply continue to sleep and dream through 2016 without giving any thought to this school 2015 franchise. Oh Dramaland, why art though wake me up from my blessed slumber only to sleep dejectedly through the last episode????
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145 Sawako Park
May 13, 2016 at 3:15 PM
I am totally mad to find out that Eun Bi did not stayed with Tae Gwang(BTOB guy) and stayed with Yi An . At least if Eun Bi was going to stay with Yi An then Eun Byul should have fallen for Tae Gwang to be even . Furthermore, it was a really awesome drama to have that end !!! The ideal end to me should have been the two sisters stayed together at the same school, and Eun Byul stayed with Yi An while Eun Bi should have stayed with Tae Gwang then what is the point of having twin sisters if at the end there was still a broken heart and Eun Byul wasn't mentioned too much . I honestly expected this ending not the ending the director gave us .
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146 kstar
July 15, 2016 at 5:27 AM
I had high expectations from this drama. I've been seeing its title for a long time now and had doubts since I'm not used to watching twin dramas. But alas, I gave it a try, and I was completely disappointed.
Since when Eun-bi liked Yi An and the other way around? Yi an and Eun Byul's relationship was very strong from the stat you could actually feel it. I shipped them so hard. But I just don't understand why Yi An suddenly gave all that up.. I mean his relationship with Eun Bi was not that close. And we actually saw Yi An choosing between Eun Bi and Eun Byul? With that choose-what-medal moment. Ugh. Eun Bi didn't realize how Tae Gwang like her as the real her and Yi An looked at her as Eun Byul.
I also think that Kang So Young's character was not that shown. It would be better if we have seen her getting help or something. I know she regrets it, but I don't want to see her living with a burden all her life. Out of all the characters, she was the least developed.
Oh well, I guess I just have to endure this.
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147 Belu
August 27, 2016 at 2:39 AM
I honestly couldn't stand the ending. I didn't even understand when did Eun Bi start liking Yi An. I mean, i tought she felt sorry for him liking her when she's just pretending to be her sister, then there comes the medal, the teddy bear, etc, but i never saw her screaming "LOVE!", just friendship and heartache for being a liar. Same goes for him though, he liked her sister, then suddenly switched because the same face changed her attitude and gave him hope. I dont know, him liking her didn't feel right.
I got so mad watching Tae Kwang being pushed aside... He was ALWAYS there for her, from the very begining, yet for some unknown reason Eun Bi ended up falling for the other crazily aggresive guy(which is fun to call him that since at the begining,Tae Kwang would look for a fight without a reason.. Yet in the end the one who got angry for everything, was super posessive and always acted like, as you well put it, a caveman, was Yi An) who had loved her "dead" sister for TEN(yes, TEN) fucking years.
I have a tendency to like the guy who doesn't end up with the heroine, yet for this one i had hope it would work out between them. Annoying, soooo annoying. It feels wrong! The show is about bullying, consequences, being stupid at 18yr old, and how it seems every Korean parent has anger issues... but then there's the main topic: the love triangle, the only reason most of us watched all 16 episodes, and they ruined it in the end.
Liked it at first, couldn't stand it after the 8ish ep.
Also i have a few doubts, for example, I had trouble figuring So Joon out. At first she looked like a bitch, with the whole "walking wallet" thing... Then out of nowhere she becomes a "Ohhh no you didn't! You lied to me?! K we aren't friends anymore!" ... But yet, after all that dont-lie-to-me show, she doesnt do anything when So-young lies to her face about not being a bully and is proven wrong... Just goes back to sitting with her old friends like nothing happened. Not even "sorry for not believing in you"... Not even hating her for "killing" her friend's sister. Not even nothing. She couldn't care less. Ohhh and then when Eun Byul comes out being Eun Bi? She's like "o.m.g. .. I dont believe it" aaaaaand the next day they're back to walking arm-in-arm. xD its just weird.
I have nothing good to say about the twins, honestly, i couldn't stand either one. Eun Byul was an arrogant asshole, who showed up to save the day and disappear again, multiple times. And Eun Bi seemed to lack the essence of having any kind of deep feelings (besides that sadness that almost killed her, of course) and yeah that's influenced by her not choosing the guy i preferred, i won't deny it. It makes me mad just saying "preferred".. There shouldn't have been a competition to start with, no, there wasn't. She just went out of her way and had the wrong ending. Like i said, ruined the whole show.
Could've been a 10/10 had they done ONE thing right. Now.. I'd...
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148 alison
September 10, 2016 at 3:19 AM
It's already 2016 and my heart still yearns for TaeBi ;-;
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149 Sanjita konsam
May 8, 2017 at 12:47 AM
I am literally not satisfied with the ending I wanted Lee eun bit to end up liking gong tae kyung he was the one who liked Lee eun bi not eun byul
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150 alexa
May 21, 2017 at 12:25 PM
What is going to be called the 2017 school season?
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