I'm Not a Robot

I’m Not a Robot

8.5/10

I'm Not a Robot

Genre:                                                Episodes: 16                                           Year: 2018

Romance

Comedy

Synopsis:

Kim Min Gyu is the director of a finance company, but lives in seclusion after developing an allergy to human contact. Hong Baek Gyun is a developer of android robots, and his most recent AI, Aji 3, is based on his ex-girlfriend, Jo Ji Ah. Baek Gyun is in the process of selling Aji 3 to Min Gyu, when an accident causes the robot to break down. Baek Gyun offers to pay Ji Ah to pretend to be Aji 3 while the robot is being fixed.

Cast:

Chae Soo Bin (Jo Ji Ah/Aji 3)

Yoo Seung Ho (Kim Min Gyu)

Uhm Ki Joon (Hong Baek Gyun)

Park Se Wan (Pi)

Song Jae Ryong (Hoktal)

Kim Min Kyu (Ssanip)

Kang Ki Young (Hwang Yoo Cheol)

Hwang Seung Eon (Ye Ri El)

General Thoughts:

Well 2018 sure has started off strongly. After going through a year that had a bit of a drought of good romantic comedies, ‘I’m Not a Robot’ was like the long awaited rain. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come and not a start-with-a-bang-end-with-a-fizzle scenario.

This was the rom-com i needed in my life right now

The robot/human set-up is a new take on familiar trajectory, but it was handled so, so well. The path was pretty similar to a lot of typical rom-com stories- meeting-deception-falling in love-discovery of deception-fallout-make up. That being said, this drama had its own twist on that set-up that made everything seem much newer and more innovative than it actually was. 

Good Characters = Happy Audience

Rather than it seeming like this drama was treading the same path as a hundred others before it, it was more like this drama was coming along to show those hundred others how it should be done. Scenarios I usually find myself rolling my eyes at, such as the angsty patch in the middle, instead had me feeling invested and understanding. Because rather than using these situations to try and spur the plot along or fill out more episodes, ‘I’m Not a Robot’ used those moments to highlight character development and struggle that it had laid the groundwork for previously. What the show did so well is that it made its characters the main focal point- not the various occurrences in the plot. Yes, there were robot hijinks and a company backstory, but very clearly the main point was Ji Ah learning her self-worth and Min Gyu learning to trust others. The hows and whys were important too, but it was the way our characters responded to these situations that was the main draw. And of course the characters themselves.

The human allergy was constructed surprisingly well

Min Gyu was completely loveable, and quickly became a hero to root for in the very first episode. By opening with Min Gyu and not Ji Ah, the show allowed us to get a complete understanding of who he was, how is human allergy impacted his life, and ultimately how much he craved human contact. This was essential, as his first few interactions with Ji Ah didn’t exactly show him in the best light- he didn’t get out of his car to greet her, refused to pay her, and was basically a big ol’ jerk.

Yoo Seung Ho, please stay in rom-coms

But because we’d previously seen how terrified Min Gyu was of his allergy and how totally awkward he was (he threw a birthday party for his robo-vacuum), this scene became hilarious rather than being a reason to dislike the lead. Ji Ah wasn’t as whacky as our hero, but she was a refreshing and loveable heroine.

She may have the lowest IQ, but she has the most common sense

She did have a few Candy traits, but she was also innovative and stubborn, which gave her a sense of individuality. I loved that the show played her IQ for comedic effect as it was done in a sensitive way. No one was making fun of Ji Ah for being dumb, but the characters’ surprise (including coming from Ji Ah herself) when things worked out well for her were just hilarious. Such as her heart lamps being based on a complex hypotheses that took the scientists years to figure out, or her simple solutions to problems she couldn’t solve (such as breaking the box rather than finding the code to open it) that made Min Gyu think she was a extraordinary, futuristic robot. The side characters were all delightful, particularly those on the Santa Maria Robotics Team. Baek Gyun was a refreshing second lead, as it’s not often we get totally nerdy second leads actually being the ex-boyfriend of the heroine. They’re usually two completely different ballgames. But Baek Gyun had his own character arc of self discovery. I’m endlessly glad that the writer opted for Baek Gyun searching for the meaning behind his and Ji Ah’s break up, rather than simply having him compete with Min Gyu for her affections.

I always prefer when the second leads don't encroach on the happiness of the leads

There were certainly elements of regret and Beak Gyun wishing he could go back and be a better man to Ji Ah so that he could keep her, but his quiet, individual realisation that he and Ji Ah were now two different people made him and his arc so much more engaging and enjoyable. For a drama that had its heroine posing as an actual inanimate object for a large portion of its runtime, the male leads to an outstanding job at treating her like her own entity to be connected to and communicated with, but not fought over and won.

Teaching Min Gyu How to be Human Part 1

Hoktal and Ssanip were mostly there for comedic relief, and they were very funny, but they also had their more poignant moments. These came particularly when there were scenes of bonding between Min Gyu and the Santa Maria team. It’s Hoktal and Ssanip who are at the dinner Min Gyu throws, and it’s these two that chase after Min Gyu's car after he discovers Aji 3 was a human.

Scientists and love are always a fun time

Where the importance of these characters lie is that it shows Min Gyu opening up to a group of people, rather than only to Beak Gyun- which makes a world of difference for Min Gyu’s development. I was so happy to see that there were also a variety of female side characters- and they all had different, yet likeable personalities. How often does that happen? (For those of you who don’t know- not often). Pi was nerdy without being classically shy. She was bold and sure of herself, and was a great addition to the story. Her one-sided love and eventual love-line with Beak Gyun was super sweet and I always enjoyed watching the two interact, as Pi was often the greatest source of hard truths for Beak Gyun, as she was significantly more socially clued in than Baek Gyun. Sun Hye was used more for comedy alongside Hoktal and Ssanip, but in a similar way as Pi, she was the perfect person to deliver hard truths to Min Gyu. As someone who wasn’t a part of the Santa Maria Team, she was excluded from the complete betrayal Min Gyu felt when he discovered how the team had been deceiving him, and as such she was able to give him the facts of the situation without getting yelled at, scorned or ignored.

Learning to Forgive- also known as Teaching Min Gyu How to be Human Part 2

It was Sun Hye’s message that everyone would move on without Min Gyu if he didn’t choose to forgive that lead to the big reconciliation. Sun Hye’s character was carefully set up all series long with just the right amount of involvement so that she would be able to deliver this message- which I found to be an example of truly excellent writing.

Two thumbs up for a second female lead who isn't a basic b*tch

I was all primed to dislike the second female lead, Ri El, and I was so pleasantly surprised that she wasn’t at all how I thought she’d be. Rather than being the petty, shallow rich girl who comes to marry the hero, Ri El has a lot more depth. For one she has a conscience, which already depicts her differently from every other rich female character. Despite being the second female lead, I loved how separate her story was from Min Gyu’s, as it gave space for the main romance to grow and prevented us from getting annoyed by her character. Rather than watching her pine over the man she doesn’t get, we get to see Ri El begin to realise how her father is using her for his own agenda. Ri El doesn’t just sit meekly by, and goes out on her own to figure out how she can break away from her father and become her own person. Rounding out our support cast is Kang Ki Young as Min Gyu’s ex-friend. I’m so glad that Kang Ki Young is getting more meatier roles (he’s mostly had roles more like Hoktal and Ssnip before), as I’ve always found him a great actor. He’s an excellent comedic actor, but after seeing him as a kitten murderer in ‘While You Were Sleeping’, I’ve been excited to see him get more roles.

The company plot-line stayed where it belonged- in the background

He played Yoo Cheol with a great ambiguity. For a long time I was unsure if there was a simple misunderstanding between the men, or if Yoo Cheol actually seriously wronged Min Gyu. Yoo Cheol’s conflict was really interesting to watch, and provided some interest in the company plot-line. Like most company plot-lines, I didn’t actually care about what went on in the company,

I like you so much better in comedy than in melo

but Yoo Cheol’s actions in the company directly aligned with his relationship with Min Gyu. If Yoo Cheol supported his father he was abandoning Min Gyu for good, but his choice to walk away from his father and all his wrongdoings is what enabled him and Min Gyu to reconnect. With all great characters there of course needs to be great acting to back it up. Kang Ki Young wasn’t the only one that impressed me. I’ve sort of come to dislike Yoo Seung Ho a bit- not as a person, but as an actor. I don’t have any problem with his acting, which I find to be of a high quality, but then I started to realise that either his characters were annoying (Remember) or the drama was just bad (Ruler). I think that maybe because he’s so good at crying it gets overused a bit and his characters can sometimes be annoyingly weepy. But I like him so much more in rom-coms. He’s cute and funny and delightful, but also has the acting ability to back up the more emotional moments in the drama. I loved him as our hero, and he suited the role really well. Chae Soo Bin was just an absolute standout. Her last three dramas just fell of my to-watch list, but I’d heard good things about her.

She also kinda has the perfect face for playing an AI

Seeing her in action is so much better. She has a great flair for comedy and is a solid emotional actress- I was on board her rants and raves and all her heartbreak, and she made Ji Ah a beautifully relatable character. As well as making Ji Ah a wonderful heroine, I love Chae Soo Bin as Aji 3. There was great distinction in her facial expressions, her body movements and her voice, so it was always clear (to us) which character she was portraying.

Magic umbrella of magic

Also special shoutout to the Westerner who wasn’t the worst actor on the planet- what a nice change of pace from our usual white guys/gals. The directing and writing matched each other perfectly, and one thing that really stood out to me was the competence at which they told their story. The writer and director had faith that we were all smart little cookies and could follow along without feeling the need to overexplain anything, or rehash the same information again and again. This kept the story feeling fresh and the momentum racing. I also applaud the show for its minimal use of character flashbacks. Despite drawing parallels between the leads and why Ji Ah understood Min Gyu’s loneliness, the show didn't feel the need to actually show us a childhood version of Ji Ah being similarly solitary. Instead we heard this information as we needed it from characters in the present, which also allowed us to see Min Gyu’s response- which we wouldn't get in a flashback. I’ve never been a big fan of overusing flashbacks, and despite how easy it would have been to do that here, we don’t get an overload of them.

What Was Great:

Human Emotion:

I’m finding more and more that what gets me invested in dramas and causes me to really fall in love with them are the characters behind the story.

And I love these characters

A lot of the time it feels like we’re just going through the motions and using the same old formula when it comes to the rom-com storyboard. ‘I’m Not a Robot’ doesn’t do anything groundbreaking story-wise

Rather than using miscommunication as a plot device, this drama actively avoided it

(in fact it follows that old formula to a tee), but it’s the way the characters were written so humanely that made the drama so great. The characters feel like people- not just figments of some writer’s imagination. Often the problems presented could only be overcome through our characters’ development, and it worked because our characters acted like actual people and tried to learn from their mistakes and better themselves. And they communicated well- how much do I love that practically a whole episode was devoted to Ji Ah and Min Gyu sitting down and having an open, honest discussion about their feelings and how they wanted to proceed (hint- I loved it a lot). The writer knew exactly what scenes would be impactful and could draw the exact emotion she wanted out of the audience- a trait that a lot of rom-com writers seem to lack. 

Bearable Angst:

Usually I hate angst in rom-coms. There’s always a patch of it, usually just on the other side of halfway, and usually it’s ridiculously unbearable and completely avoidable. However, in this drama the angst made sense.

I get why they can't be together and I get why that sucks

Falling love with a robot is pretty angsty stuff. She’s not real, she’ll never be real, and the ‘person’ you’ve fallen in love with is just a machine with pre-coded responses (or so Min Gyu thought). Min Gyu’s choice to reset the robot in an attempt to overcome his feelings for her was believably sad.

It is inadvisable to fall in love with your pre-programmed companion

This was helped along by the fact that his complete isolation and lack of interaction with people from the outside world made it understandable how he could end up falling for a humanoid robot where most other people would be able to clearly draw a distinction between human and robot. The heartbreak from both the leads after the reset also made complete sense. There was no plausible way for the two to see each other again at that time. Min Gyu thought the robot he’d fallen in love with had been completely reset, and Ji Ah can’t reveal that she’s a human for fear that Min Gyu’s feelings of betrayal will trigger a fatal allergic reaction. Min Gyu’s actual feelings of betrayal are again understandable, as he’d been lied to by people he’d come to trust and love completely. There was no easy away around this particular angst- from the moment the drama synopsis first became available we knew we’d be headed for this particular territory. Because there’s just no way to come out of that sort of deception (as innocently as you may have gone into it) without hurting the one who was deceived.

This situation could not have been avoided

There was no moment when Ji Ah should have told Min Gyu and just didn’t, because from the moment she stood in as Aji 3, Min Gyu was always going to feel betrayed when he discovered the truth. The pièce de résistance was that the angst was just the right length. It wasn’t so short that it made the characters’ reconciliations unbelievable, and it wasn’t so long that I stopped caring.  

What Wasn’t:

Forgotten Plotline: 

I know it was pretty strongly hinted that Min Gyu’s groundskeeper was Madame X, but the whole Madame X thing just kinda got ignored a bit.

I don't even have a screenshot to go in this section- just shows how little airtime this plot-line got

I didn’t necessarily need a big Madame X reveal, but at least a little confirmation, or backstory or something would have been nice. As it was it just kinda felt like they ran out of time to include that particular plot-line.

Recommend?

I 100% recommend this for those that are lovers of a good rom-com. 

I adore all the parallels of this kiss

School 2017

School 2017

8.5/10

School 2017

Genre:                                Episodes: 16                         Year: 2017

School

Romance

Synopsis:

Ra Eun Ho attends a high school where all the students are treated according to their rank. Eun Ho is the bottom student, so is always discriminated against by the teachers who only recognise grades and money. A mysterious student known only as ‘X’ pulls pranks around the school, and when Eun Ho is suspected of being X she faces expulsion from the school. 

Cast:

Kim Se Jung (Ra Eun Ho)

Kim Jung Hyun (Hyun Tae Woon)

Jang Dong Yoon (Song Dae Hwi)

Han Joo Wan (Shim Kang Myung)

Seol In Ah (Hong Nam Joo)

Park Se Wan (Oh Sa Rang)

Han Sun Hwa (Han Soo Ji)

Kim Hee Chan (Kim Hee Chan)

Seo Ji Hoon (Yoon Kyung Woo)

Z.Hera (Yoo Bit Na)

Han Bo Bae (Seo Bo Ra)

Min Sung Wook (Jung Joon Soo)

General Thoughts:

Ahhhh, I don’t even know where to start with this drama. There’s so much I want to say that it’s all getting a bit lost in my brain. It fits in well with the ‘School’ franchise (ya know, even though I’ve only seen two of the lot).

Naw those kids ♥

‘School 2015’ felt a lot more K-Drama-y than ‘School 2013’, and that actually took away from the realism of the series. Though the storyline was intriguing it didn’t have the everyday, this-could-happen-at-any-school vibe that ‘2013’ had. In that sense, ‘2017’ did a great job at bringing the show back to a more relatable place. The X storyline had me a bit concerned that we’d follow the direction of ‘2015’, with the focus falling heavily on the mystery element.

Development > Mystery

Thankfully, while the X plot played a large role in the story, it was used to develop our characters and explore their relationships rather than simply being used to enhance the mystery element of the show. The young cast were just delightful, and they did an excellent job at bringing the youthful vibe. I find a lot of high school dramas tend to feel a tad juvenile and the problems faced often come across as insignificant, but ‘2017’ never fell into childish territory at all. In fact, it was rather the opposite. It was similar to ‘Reply 1997’, in that the show had a sweetly nostalgic vibe. Rather than feeling like the characters were being bothered by small insignificant things, I was reminded of my own time in high school where all emotional responses were either extremely high or extremely low. It’s that sort of heartfelt sentimentality of the show that makes it so widely marketable. Younger viewers can enjoy it as it’s a sweet show and they can relate as they are a similar age, and older viewers can enjoy the show as a step back in time that remains relatable. The issues the students faced at the school weren’t small issues, and extended further than a love-triangle or grades, which prevented the series from seeming silly or childish.

School violence is kinda a big deal

Despite how excellent the main leads were and what a draw their relationship was, it was the growing friendships where the heart of the show really lay. It nailed the beautiful uniqueness of high school so perfectly. The kids are on the boarder of becoming adults, about to be thrown into the world, but they also held the idealism and hope that is so prevalent in teenagers.

High school is the best place to make friends

Rather than high school simply being a setting for the story, the school became almost a place in time rather than a physical place. It’s the time where you don’t have to work too hard to maintain friendships as you get to see your friends every day at school. It’s also a time where it’s possible to be friends with anyone as long as you try. It’s a part of why Eun Ho felt so lost when facing her expulsion- it wasn’t exactly her desire to attend school itself, but her desire to go to the same place her friends were staying and where her friends were spending their youth. This portrayal of school was also something that heightened the tension of the expulsion plot line. While it would have been sad for Eun Ho to miss out on the last of her education and would have hurt her chances of getting into university, it was this forced separation from her friends that felt like a huge injustice and raised the stakes. Speaking of stakes, I was just a tad disappointed at how cartoonish the adult antagonists were. The Principal and the Vice-Principal didn’t really seem to have adult motivations and almost seemed corrupt just for the sake of friction. The Principal’s obsession with finding X felt forced and almost a little childish.

If only we had some believable antagonists 

Tae Woon’s father was a much more believable antagonist and provided a bigger conflict. Although he was corrupt, he was still Tae Woon’s father and Tae Woon still loved him. It was clear from the moment Tae Woon’s father bought him chicken after seeing Tae Woon order it so many times that he was in for a redemption arc, so it was a little disappointing that more hints weren’t dropped about his love for his son.

You could be a cute Dad if you weren't such a weenie

Ultimately his love for Tae Woon is what makes him admit his wrongdoings and free the school from corruption, but his change in heart was rather abrupt. Even though he was constantly doing illegal things, it was insinuated that he was doing so in order to protect and create a better future for his son, but the writers could have done a better job at making that a little clearer as he mostly just came across as an asshole for most of the show’s run. So while the conclusion was passable, it could have been a really heart-tugging conflict if a little more effort had been put in. All in all, pretty much all of the adults in the show were pretty under-utilised (except for Eun Ho’s parents and Sa Rang’s Mum). While Teacher Shim was insanely adorable and remained interesting enough, he was rather ineffectual. He had compelling conflicts, such as his desire to protect the students even though they could be breaking the rules, but nothing really played out enough. It was the same with Officer Han. Her romance with Teacher Shim and their differing approach to teaching the students was interesting enough, but just never really got developed much, and I ended up wondering why they bothered including her at all.

But...why does the school need a policeman? Especially a policeman who does nothing...

On the other hand, the students were all developed beautifully. The broken bromance reminded me a lot of ‘2013’ but with a bit less angst, and I was so keen to see the boys mend their friendship. It was fascinating to see how they had fallen out and why, and was really quite heartbreaking, as neither boy was technically wrong for being angry, but just completely misdirected their anger.

Nothing is as angsty as two teenage boys beating the cr*p out of each other because they love one another

Similarly, I’m glad the show addressed Eun Ho’s fight with Sa Rang. I had noticed that as the show progressed Sa Rang was getting less and less screen time, so while I ADORED the relationship between Eun Ho and Tae Woon, I did miss the girls' friendship. I initially thought that the show was just going to continue phasing Sa Rang out in order to create more screen time for the budding romance between the leads,

Why did Seo Ji Hoon get so little screen-time? Whyyyyyyy?

so I was happily surprised when the show addressed how Eun Ho was now spending all her time with Tae Woon. It’s something not many K-Dramas do- they usually just shaft the female friends to the sidelines, so it was nice that this was an issue that was addressed. Hee Chan was a much better villain than any of our adult characters, and his motivations made much more sense than the Principal’s. An adult being hung up on a teenage prankster is a little immature, but when it’s another teenager out to ruin his classmate it becomes a bit more serious. Because Hee Chan had more power than Dae Hwi, he was a real threat. Should Hee Chan and his mother withdraw the perks they’ve been giving Dae Hwi, Dae Hwi would find it difficult to get into university even with his top grades. It was aggravating (in a good, I’m so into this story that I’m mad for the characters way) to see Hee Chan use his money to influence, control and blackmail Dae Hwi into doing what her wanted. Dae Hwi was an excellent character with a smooth progression that wouldn’t have made as much sense if Hee Chan hadn’t been such a convincing a-hole.

Threatening girls...what a man.

Bo Ra’s character arc wrapped up perhaps a little quicker and a little smoother than I would have liked, but was enjoyable all the same. The good aspect of Bo Ra’s arc is that it didn’t try and over-explain the situation. We didn’t need half an episode of flashbacks to figure out what had happened between Bo Ra and the female teacher who lost her trust- the writers gave just enough information so that we could form a cohesive picture and then moved on.

I only really care about you cuz Dae Hwi does...

Similarly, we were given only enough necessary information with Nam Joo. The writers didn’t waste time in showing how her family lost their money, but instead focused on how that impacted Nam Joo. I wasn’t sold on the love-line between Nam Joo and Dae Hwi at the start (because Dae Hwi looks like he had and had always had zero interest in her), but by the end I was a little more on board when it was clear that the drama was going to go ahead with the romance. It was an excellent choice to have the school being the main setting for the series, especially having X’s hideout still be located in the school, as it shows just how central the school was to those kids. As an adult watching it could have been easy to brush off the happenings in the school as something unimportant, as once you leave school your world becomes so much bigger, but by having the school as the main setting, with few other places where the kids interacted, it really highlighted how important the high school was to the kids- this is where they spent majority of their time, this is (apart from their homes) basically their whole lives, so it made sense that the school was the most utilised setting.

When you think teenagers you think high school

The song ‘Student X’ was also one of my favourite things about the show. It captured the essence of the series perfectly, and really fit with the characters. Just like our main characters the track was a little innocent, a little cheeky, and a little rebellious. It was nice and unique and I know I’ll always remember this song and the drama it accompanied. 

What Was Great:

OTP:

Perhaps the biggest reason I fell in love with this drama is because I fell in love with its leads- and of course the relationship between them.

More like Tae SWOON

Not only were they cute and fun, but there was also a sense of maturity about them and their interactions that felt like more than just puppy-love. The friendship and sweet flirting between Eun Ho and Tae Woon was just plain fun to watch. There were so many different dynamics to their friendship (and then relationship) that they were never boring to watch as they were always developing and moving forward. They had a very youthful vibe about them, but that never took away from the seriousness of their feelings for each other. As enjoyable as the teasing was, it was how they stood up for each other and protected the other’s dream that really warmed your heart. The chemistry between Kim Se Jung and Kim Jung Hyun was completely off the charts- I don’t think I remember the last high school drama I watched where the leads had such cracking chemistry. It was clear that the two really enjoyed spending time around each other, so their interactions were just so natural and believable. They weren’t perfect kids- they both had their issues and weaknesses, and they often clashed with each other, but it was the colliding of these two strong personalities that made the show so enjoyable.

These guys totally made me forget how crappy the romance was in '2015'

Each of them was a force to be reckoned with on their own, so when they teamed up together it really added an extra layer of excitement to the show. And they’re just so bloody cute together. 

X Progression:

Where this drama really hit the nail on the head was making X more than just a catalyst for conflict. It actually reminded me a lot of ‘V for Vendetta’. X was more than just one person going against the system. He meant something different to each of the students and was what sparked hope amongst them.

The face behind the mask...or hood.

Because they were unaware of who X was, the kids could feel a sense of justice and hope. If they’d known all along that it was Tae Woon the effect wouldn’t have been the same- as the son of the school’s director he would easily avoid any sot of punishment. But by keeping X’s identity a secret from most of the students it gave them a sense of empowerment- someone was working to show the corruption in the school, and if one person could do it why couldn’t they? It was this empowerment that made X so dangerous to the corrupt teachers- even if they caught him now, he’s already set something in motion- you can’t kill an idea. But more than that it was the way each of our main characters was brought into the group that made X such a success. Despite having his identity revealed to the viewers early on in the series, the show still managed to keep the tensions high. Once the kids started bonding with each other the whole idea of X became much more dangerous- Tae Woon could get away unhurt, but the other kids wouldn’t be able to if they were caught. Even though we knew that Tae Woon was X, we didn’t know who would be the one to take the fall for it- Dae Hwi, Eun Ho or Tae Woon himself. It was this fear that kept the tensions high throughout the whole series. Adding more students to the group increased the chances of discovery, and while the kids were safe and even held a piece of power while they hid behind the X mask, once they were discovered that power would have vanished.

The ever expanding vigilante squad

Another interesting aspect of X is how Tae Woon’s motivations changed as he spent time with Eun Ho. At first X was a way to release his anger and a way to antagonise his father, but the longer Tae Woon spent around Eun Ho the more X started to become about helping the students who couldn’t protect themselves.

The heroes the school deserves

The earlier stunts (like stopping tests with the fire alarms) were purely about creating trouble for the teachers, but with each new stunt X’s motivations became more altruistic. He saved Eun Ho because he didn’t want someone else to take the fall for him, he exposed the rigged math competition to help his friend Dae Hwi, and by the end he was doing things purely for the benefit of other students- such as revealing the expired ingredients in the cafeteria food. X didn’t start out as a vigilante hero striving for justice, but through each addition to Tae Woon’s friendship circle and as he was exposed to how other students perceived X, eventually that is what he became. More than being a hooded figure out to expose corruption, X was the story about Tae Woon finding friends and learning to trust them, and his own journey of forgiveness. The X storyline developed so beautifully and so smoothly that we were in a completely different place at the end of the series the we were at the start and it made complete sense how we, and our characters, got there.

What Wasn’t:

Bad Stays Bad:

One of the things I remember sticking with me from ‘School 2013’ is how deeply fleshed out every one of its characters were. We had a school bully as our antagonist at the start who we all hated, but by the end of the series so much of this boy’s life had been explored that we understood how he came to be that person and how how much of a victim he really was. The main weakness I found in ‘2017’ (despite the cartoonish vibe of our main antagonists) was how the mean kids in the school stayed mean.

Hee Chan is still a butthole

Hee Chan had a few scenes where we saw the alarming amount of pressure his parents put on him and how his parents had no issues with breaking the rules to get ahead, but Hee Chan still remained a really horrible person right to the end of the series.

This is how much Bit Na cared about her wrongdoings

He didn’t really have any redeeming qualities about him, and never really faced any consequences to his actions (like, this dude was beating up girls and got no punishment for it), and there was really no sense of hope that he could somehow turn out to be a better person as time went on- that kid was only going to get worse with age. It was the same, though to a lesser extent, with the other rich students. These kids were willing to do illegal things to get into the best universities, and didn’t mind taking advantage of other students to get ahead. In particular, Bit Na never showed any remorse for her selfishness and the way she would fly off the handle when things didn’t go her way, and none of the kids in her friendship circle were developed at all. As wonderful and as perfect as the development was for Team X, I do kind of wish a little more effort had been put into developing the ‘mean’ kids and telling their stories.

Recommend?

Yes, yes, yes! 100 times yes! This drama has a lot going for it. The characters are endearing and relatable and the show has a whole is slightly nostalgic and deeply enjoyable. 

Love it