Can't agree with you there tbh. DH could've undoubtedly been better with better actors but it was fantastic despite being crippled by some and that's a feat I absolutely refuse to take away from the drama. The fact that it managed to be that amazing even if everything was truly against it right from the start... that itself makes me forgive most of its flaw. Also the fact that high school dramas with a much better ensemble cast like SGG or School 2015 etc etc etc only managed to be 'cute', have useless love triangles and pointless resolutions instead of bring about a concrete message, inspiring goals and kids dreaming the impossible.

But yes, not every writer is Park Hye-ryun and this person certainly ain't. So she'll surely need actors who can actually do the job for this to succeed.

As for casting rookie actors, I agree there. Although really, it sounds like an idol drama from the synopsis so I'm not sure what they're looking for exactly. On the contrary though, they are courting actors who can act so I'm probably wrong in my assumptions. We'll see what eventually develops.

I actually thought Sassy Go Go had the message (academic pressure and parental expectations suck, but friendship can save you), but because that was rather more down-to earth than DH's 'go for your dreams', it tends to get overlooked and dismissed as nothing but cute fluff.

It's also one of the few dramas I've seen where the love triangle and its resolution actually made sense because, rather unusually, it hinged on the friendship between the two boys. Bonus points for not beating us over the head with super-obvious saving-girl-from-gangsters etc scenes from the get-go, we didn't even get a hint that those two particular boys would be the ones in the love triangle until the second half of the drama - that's quite a contrast to how kdramas usually set things up.

As for School 2015.... well, at least it got people to realise that Kim So-hyun is leading lady material at all of 15 years old? That one just shot itself in the foot.

and returning to the subject of this present drama, you're right that they have courted talented actors - maybe it's a bit too ambitious of them considering the writer's previous work. But I'm sceptical enough to believe they're being courted for fame reasons more than talent ones (though they are both fantastic actors), and that that will carry through to whoever gets offered this drama after they reject.

(and if it really has to be an idol, please god, no Hongbins! At least pick ones who CAN act, not ones who stand around looking like they're thinking about camera angles and poses instead of, you know, being the character)

SGG was fun in its run but to me, nothing special. I enjoyed the story of a girl who had expectations push her down almost to the point of no return. Speaking of which, I personally loved School 2015's story about the guy who was first in class but considered suicide because of his crazy mother. That one really got me in the heart. But yea anyway other than Soo-ah's story (which got resolved so poorly, omg) everything else was cliche and expected without being exhilarating. I didn't root for anyone in earnest unlike DH where every character had their own individual triumph carved into the idea of winning as a group.

As for the love triangle, it was ridiculous and unnecessary imo. Ha-joon could've easily liked Yeon-doo just as a bestie and they could've been an awesome threesome inspiring and urging one another. Being in love with her brought absolutely nothing to the story other than emphasize the stupid girls-and-guys-can't-just-be-friends rule. Hated that love triangle although at least they didn't ruin the friendship in the end. If they did, SGG would've gone down my crap list of dramas.

This drama: you have a good point. It could really just be the popularity being courted. But we can also see it as IF they manage to secure these two actors, then they'll most likely not need a lot of idol ones because the popularity aspect is check marked? Or I guess not. Productions are greedy so they'll probably go for the Seolhyuns, Ls and Ns just to get fangirls to tune in. Hongbin can't even smile a true smile on camera, he's so bad, it's embarrassing. Although really, no one's worse than L. Like... No. One. And when his kyaaaagirls argue otherwise, it makes me barf.

(the story of Min-ki, who nearly committed suicide because he was under so much strain to be first in class, was from School 2013 btw. Not 2015!)

I guess we're just going to have to agree to disagree about SGG – it simply didn't follow a triumphalist kind of trajectory at all, and that was never the point of that story– it's not really about underdogs and winning, more about how the system is toxic to everyone and has to be coped with (which makes for a much less rah-rah message than most kdramas give us). But pressure over school and differential treatment over family backgrounds and grades are issues that real-life high school students do face – I saw it in my own high school days, and by the sound of it, things haven't changed. fwiw I had no trouble with Soo-ah's resolution either, because the drama made it very clear that the kids' forgiveness of her was as much for themselves as for her and that even after her almost-suicide attempt, it wasn't a get-out-of-jail-free card – she still had to take her punishments, do all the crappy tasks she used to get out of earlier, and take a zero on her cheated midterms to start earning their trust back.

As for the love triangle, I didn't want it at first either but it worked, oddly enough . It's not as if the drama negated the idea that boys and girls can be friends – you had Dong-jae and Yeon-doo being BFFs (to the point where Yeol is jealous) but never showing any inkling of even registering each other THAT way. And the love triangle did serve a purpose, though it was mainly to underscore the boys' friendship and how much it meant to them. I actually liked the way it was handled – no one played noble idiot over it (Yeol thought Ha-joon was, but he was mistaken in thinking it was about Yeon-doo), no one unilaterally broke up with anyone else or pulled back from mutually-known crushes over it (Answer Me 1988, I'm looking at you), and it managed to both be respectful of Yeon-doo's feelings AND not leave anyone keeping secrets to fester (the gummy bear confession). It's actually a really healthily written triangle, we're just so used to heartbroken mopey second leads that it takes some time getting used to one that's actually handled like an unrequited crush NOT being the end of his world.

As for this drama..... you're right that if these two actors take up the roles they've been offered, there won't be any need for idols – Ji-sung and Park Bo-gum are way more popular anyway. The real worry is about who they'll go to after a rejection. No one needs any more of Hongbin's acting in this world..... or whatever passes for 'acting' with him, anyway. I actually can't tell whether that degree of suckage is all him, or if the seeming surgical tweaks contributed to it – whatever the result is, he looks like a very surprised fish.