Uni has started, but luckily, the 4th year of medical school is considerably less intense than 3rd year. Plus, we have a 6 week research project at the start of Y4, and I happened to choose a pretty straightforward project and I chiong-ed in the first 2 weeks - which left me a lot of time in the past 3 weeks to watch stuff. So I picked up School 2017! Mainly because I was an IOI fan and curious about how Sejeong was doing, and also because everyone was swooning over the main couple.
School 2017 is about Ra Eun Ho (Kim Se Jeong), a pretty ordinary student in Geumdo High School who doesn't like to study and prefers drawing webtoons, and how she gets involved with Hyun Tae Woon (Kim Jung Hyun) through a mysterious figure X who is doing pranks in school.
This is my first School series - never had the desire to check out the previous editions because frankly not a fan of bromance (so School 2013 is out), and I have heard enough bad reviews on the ending of School 2015. I don't watch a lot of school-themed dramas, firstly because the actors and actresses I like aren't casted, and secondly since I'm still studying, I don't need another reflection of how difficult school life can be :( I'm not from Korea, and I'm not even in junior college (equivalent of high school) anymore, but some stuff never change. Sometimes you feel like you're in a pressure cooker where everyone is competing to climb to the top, and so lonely despite having friends. Even the swoony male leads aren't swoony when they appear in your life haha. School is always tough (though work is MORE tough sigh. Life is just tough lol).
The few other school-themed series I've watched are Monstar and Angry Mom, and School 2017 really reminded me of Monstar. In that it had a lot of heart, but really choppy writing and directing, and the acting was all mostly by very very green newcomers. And both had me hooked still haha.
The first few episodes were really weak and choppy, which was fine since I went in with low expectations. And the lead couple had a surprisingly easy and natural rapport that was just fun to watch. The middle stretch was absolutely fun and great, when they started spending more time together and he was getting obsessed with her. So cute, so squee-worthy! And I really loved the little arcs of growth for the other side characters. But the last couple of episodes were a bore to me, because the lead couple were both trying to be noble idiots, so that dampened my liking for the show a bit.
The standout 'little arc' for me was definitely Bora's. Honestly, the first time she appeared getting bullied, I was wondering why the prettiest girl in class was getting bullied. But that's besides the point haha. (I hope Han Bo Bae gets bigger roles in the future though, she has leading looks for me.) I liked the slowly reveal of her character, how much effort it took for her friends to get her out of her shell, and finally when she became that cute smiley yet spunky student again, and then when SHE reached out to her former friend.
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| My favourite scene in the whole show! |
DaeHwi's growth was also lovely. He constantly toed the line of being moral and ambitious, but I couldn't blame him because of his circumstances. His hesitancy and self-doubt is something many (or at least I) could relate to very well.
I was less enthused about his relationship with NamJoo - who just wasn't that interesting of a character.
For our lead couple, I thought the ambiguous part during their courtship was alot more exciting to watch than after they got together, which got abit too cheesy for me haha. But my favourite thing about them is that they're so clearly comfortable with each other and make each other be a better version of themselves. And I love her irritated faces at him lol!
As for the other characters, Teacher Shim was the typical idealistic form teacher, but I liked him alot. But I had zero idea what Officer Han was doing in the show, other than to be a love interest for him. Wasted opportunity there. Just make her another teacher or something!
The Principal, VP, TaeWoon's dad were all such stock characters, I couldn't take them seriously at all sigh.
The 'X' mystery was slightly stupid at first then got real tiring by the end, but I loved that it brought our band of friends together. Because in the end, what you will remember and keep with you from school is not the lessons, but the friends.
All in all, a sweet little breezy drama. Mediocre in all aspects, but lots of heart and swooniness.