The show has a pretty good concept, with a little mixture of 49 Days, Heirs (all the high school drama) and a little of the fantasy concept and feel from dramas like You Who Came From The Stars but this drama turns out to be....
Before I start this review, let me just apologize if you are a fan of Infinite and I offend you with my review, I understand how annoying and frustrating it can be to read bad reviews of your bias (I am a fan girl myself) but I want to remain honest about my opinion and views so if you think it will annoy you, please skip this review. I am not really particular about acting, I seldom heavily criticize actors for their acting since I think it is fine as long as I feel comfortable watching them but I felt a little frustrated with the show due to the acting which is rare but this is just how I feel. (KEYWORD: I)
I enjoyed the first half of the show, it was fun to watch and the story was interesting despite being predictable but as it goes on, it started being slightly irritating to watch, the story tried creating mysteries and drama to keep it interesting but it failed to hold on to my desire to continue watching. (BUT I did finish it anyway) The drama decides to show the realistic life and problems in a high school despite it's fantasy elements which I think it's good since high school Korean dramas doesn't usually aim to be realistic (Heirs/Boys Over Flowers etc) but of course there are realistic ones too, Reply Me 1997 is a great example. Sad to say, it was nowhere near Reply Me 1997, in this drama, the boys fight in almost every episode for the dumbest reason to the point that it was tiring and irritating to watch (Yes I know they are going through puberty at that age but-in real life boys fight and there are many that fight for childish reasons too but not to the extent of the drama), the drama did manage to portray some elements well but it's not enough to cover it's flaws.
THE CHARACTERS
Kim Sae Ron as Lee Seul Bi/Chun Sa Rang
Seul Bi is a angel that doesn't age, she isn't suppose to have feelings since she's a angel so she tries to understand and know more about humans through dramas. (At least we have something in common) She becomes a human through an accident and randomly calls herself Seul Bi since she doesn't have a name and claims that she's 18 since she doesn't know her age too. She has a bubbly and curious personality which makes her different and much more likable than the other girls in her school so she caught the attention of 2 guys and ends up forming a love triangle that kind of didn't work out well. (Love triangles are fun if it's done well but this drama makes it irritating...?)
14 year old Kim Sae Ron is probably the most experienced actor from this drama, she is well recognised for her acting and is one of the most popular child actress in South Korea. This is my first time watching her and I can't say that I'm impressed since Seul Bi is suppose to be emotionless so it doesn't really showcase her acting but she was cute and likable. Something that disturbed me a little was her age, despite the fact that the show didn't ever state that she's 18 (angels doesn't have a age?) and she just proclaimed that she's 18 herself, it feels weird seeing her with a love story. Kim Sae Ron doesn't really look mature for her age (She did look 18-20 with her new hairstyle in the last episode so I wonder why they didn't use that hairstyle for her), she looks around 15 since she have a really cute baby face so despite her height and makeup, she doesn't look 18, ironically, she just acted as an Elementary School kid in The Queen's Classroom which is around a year before High School-Love On and a year later, she becomes a 18 year old high school kid.. I do like Kim Sae Ron and I think she has a really good sense of fashion in real life which is impressive for her age (when I was 14, I was still wearing Barbie doll tee shirts) but I think it's better if they casted a actress closer to 18, the drama can't add in anymore sizzling scenes due to age restrictions too so.....
Infinite's Woo Hyun as Shin Woo Hyun
I'm not familiar with Infinite so I only know Hoya and L since they are most active in acting, I didn't know Woo Hyun's real name is Woo Hyun too haha. Shin Woo Hyun is a 18 year old human that makes a lot of girls go crazy for since he is good looking, he is helpful (quite?), nice, hardworking and is really filial to his grandma whom took care of him since young after being abandoned by his parents. He can become a jerk at times but he does almost anything possible to protect Seul Bi after falling in love with her and knowing her identity, the best thing about Woo Hyun is that he doesn't hesitate to show his love for Seul Bi, he doesn't try to deny it at all, he goes all out for her after he realise his feelings and tries to make her fall in love with him too.
I think Woo Hyun's acting is pretty decent, he is relatively new to acting so at least I feel quite comfortable watching him act although there were moments that was a little awkward but overall it's acceptable since he isn't experienced and at least it feels natural. I honestly think with more training and supporting roles, Woo Hyun can actually make a pretty good idol-actor.
Infinite's Sung Yeol as Sung Yeol
As stated before, I'm not exactly familiar with Infinite so I didn't know that Sung Yeol's real name is Sung Yeol before writing this review haha. Sung Yeol completes the love triangle, he is a quiet and A* student in school, he has his own family issues so he usually just keeps quiet and is almost emotionless until he meets Seul Bi whom made him smile. Sung Yeol was a nice character until the writer decided that he was too nice and wants to make him a psycho... (doesn't this remind you of I Miss You?)
Sung Yeol's raw acting here reminds me of Yong Hwa's acting in Your Beautiful, they have a pretty similar role, quiet, nice second lead that's in love with the female lead. The role honestly isn't easy since the character is mostly emotionless but the drama did give the character chance to perform and showcase acting but Sung Yeol didn't showcase anything, he was in fact awkward in those scenes. He was pretty alright in the first half when he was nice and all since he just needed to put on a straight face but when there's a chance for him to perform, he didn't. Sung Yeol is still considered new in acting despite several past projects since this is his first leading role, he isn't a great actor but well, he will probably improve with more practice. (Yong Hwa did great in Three Musketeers and his improvement was huge compared to his performance in Your Beautiful)
*ONCE AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE IF YOU ARE A HUGE SUNG YEOL FAN AND I OFFENDED YOU WITH MY OPINIONS*
ACTING
I don't usually talk much about acting because who am I to judge? But the acting here was pretty awkward which is something I have to point out, despite poor performance, there are a few supporting actors that acting actually impressed me.
Na Hae Ryung as Lee Ye Na
Hae Ryung is from the girl group BESTie, she has quite a few acting projects under her belt (She was in Nine but I never noticed her), she acted as Lee Ye Na whom is the pretty, bitchy girl (all high school dramas have a bitchy girl so...), despite her character being annoying, her acting was pretty good, she did give me the Kim Ji Won vibe which is good since I do like Kim Ji Won.
-Random Thoughts: Infinite's fans must be really jealous of her since she did this drama with 2 of their members and she also did My Lovely Girl which stars L and Hoya at around the same time-
Cho Ah as Jin Young
Jin Young only appeared for two episodes but I think Choa Ah did a good job in portraying her. Cho Ah is from girl group Crayon Pop which I am sure almost everyone knows about after their Bar Bar Bar success, this is actually her acting debut so I think she has potential if she continues acting.
THE STORY AND DIRECTING
Title: 하이스쿨 - 러브온 / Haiseukool - Reobeuon
Also known as: Hi! School - Love On
Genre: Romance, fantasy, school, youth
Episodes: 20
Broadcast network: KBS2
Broadcast period: 2014-Jul-11 to 2014-Dec-19
Air time: Friday 20:55
Original Soundtrack: High School - Love On OST
FROM DRAMAWIKI
The writer is new and from the drama, I can easily sense that she's new and inexperienced which is bad right? The story and it's concept isn't bad, it was entertaining in the first half but the story starts being uninteresting as it goes on. The writer is largely responsible for a lot of the drama's failure since she failed to make the elements in her drama work, she added in birth secrets in the drama but didn't utilize it fully, she tried to make bromance a large part of the story but it didn't work well and it seems incomplete, she tried to make high school a fun place towards the end which failed after scaring viewers with her depiction of high school in the beginning.
The directing wasn't bad since it was visually pretty and the special effects were pretty well done.
IN CONCLUSION
I didn't enjoy it completely but there are many other viewers that loved it so.... definitely not one of the best high school dramas around but was still entertaining despite making me lose all my interest on the second half of the show.
Personal Ratings: 8/10
How much it deserves: 8/10
Before I start this review, let me just apologize if you are a fan of Infinite and I offend you with my review, I understand how annoying and frustrating it can be to read bad reviews of your bias (I am a fan girl myself) but I want to remain honest about my opinion and views so if you think it will annoy you, please skip this review. I am not really particular about acting, I seldom heavily criticize actors for their acting since I think it is fine as long as I feel comfortable watching them but I felt a little frustrated with the show due to the acting which is rare but this is just how I feel. (KEYWORD: I)
I enjoyed the first half of the show, it was fun to watch and the story was interesting despite being predictable but as it goes on, it started being slightly irritating to watch, the story tried creating mysteries and drama to keep it interesting but it failed to hold on to my desire to continue watching. (BUT I did finish it anyway) The drama decides to show the realistic life and problems in a high school despite it's fantasy elements which I think it's good since high school Korean dramas doesn't usually aim to be realistic (Heirs/Boys Over Flowers etc) but of course there are realistic ones too, Reply Me 1997 is a great example. Sad to say, it was nowhere near Reply Me 1997, in this drama, the boys fight in almost every episode for the dumbest reason to the point that it was tiring and irritating to watch (Yes I know they are going through puberty at that age but-in real life boys fight and there are many that fight for childish reasons too but not to the extent of the drama), the drama did manage to portray some elements well but it's not enough to cover it's flaws.
THE CHARACTERS
Kim Sae Ron as Lee Seul Bi/Chun Sa Rang
Seul Bi is a angel that doesn't age, she isn't suppose to have feelings since she's a angel so she tries to understand and know more about humans through dramas. (At least we have something in common) She becomes a human through an accident and randomly calls herself Seul Bi since she doesn't have a name and claims that she's 18 since she doesn't know her age too. She has a bubbly and curious personality which makes her different and much more likable than the other girls in her school so she caught the attention of 2 guys and ends up forming a love triangle that kind of didn't work out well. (Love triangles are fun if it's done well but this drama makes it irritating...?)
14 year old Kim Sae Ron is probably the most experienced actor from this drama, she is well recognised for her acting and is one of the most popular child actress in South Korea. This is my first time watching her and I can't say that I'm impressed since Seul Bi is suppose to be emotionless so it doesn't really showcase her acting but she was cute and likable. Something that disturbed me a little was her age, despite the fact that the show didn't ever state that she's 18 (angels doesn't have a age?) and she just proclaimed that she's 18 herself, it feels weird seeing her with a love story. Kim Sae Ron doesn't really look mature for her age (She did look 18-20 with her new hairstyle in the last episode so I wonder why they didn't use that hairstyle for her), she looks around 15 since she have a really cute baby face so despite her height and makeup, she doesn't look 18, ironically, she just acted as an Elementary School kid in The Queen's Classroom which is around a year before High School-Love On and a year later, she becomes a 18 year old high school kid.. I do like Kim Sae Ron and I think she has a really good sense of fashion in real life which is impressive for her age (when I was 14, I was still wearing Barbie doll tee shirts) but I think it's better if they casted a actress closer to 18, the drama can't add in anymore sizzling scenes due to age restrictions too so.....
Infinite's Woo Hyun as Shin Woo Hyun
I'm not familiar with Infinite so I only know Hoya and L since they are most active in acting, I didn't know Woo Hyun's real name is Woo Hyun too haha. Shin Woo Hyun is a 18 year old human that makes a lot of girls go crazy for since he is good looking, he is helpful (quite?), nice, hardworking and is really filial to his grandma whom took care of him since young after being abandoned by his parents. He can become a jerk at times but he does almost anything possible to protect Seul Bi after falling in love with her and knowing her identity, the best thing about Woo Hyun is that he doesn't hesitate to show his love for Seul Bi, he doesn't try to deny it at all, he goes all out for her after he realise his feelings and tries to make her fall in love with him too.
I think Woo Hyun's acting is pretty decent, he is relatively new to acting so at least I feel quite comfortable watching him act although there were moments that was a little awkward but overall it's acceptable since he isn't experienced and at least it feels natural. I honestly think with more training and supporting roles, Woo Hyun can actually make a pretty good idol-actor.
Infinite's Sung Yeol as Sung Yeol
As stated before, I'm not exactly familiar with Infinite so I didn't know that Sung Yeol's real name is Sung Yeol before writing this review haha. Sung Yeol completes the love triangle, he is a quiet and A* student in school, he has his own family issues so he usually just keeps quiet and is almost emotionless until he meets Seul Bi whom made him smile. Sung Yeol was a nice character until the writer decided that he was too nice and wants to make him a psycho... (doesn't this remind you of I Miss You?)
Sung Yeol's raw acting here reminds me of Yong Hwa's acting in Your Beautiful, they have a pretty similar role, quiet, nice second lead that's in love with the female lead. The role honestly isn't easy since the character is mostly emotionless but the drama did give the character chance to perform and showcase acting but Sung Yeol didn't showcase anything, he was in fact awkward in those scenes. He was pretty alright in the first half when he was nice and all since he just needed to put on a straight face but when there's a chance for him to perform, he didn't. Sung Yeol is still considered new in acting despite several past projects since this is his first leading role, he isn't a great actor but well, he will probably improve with more practice. (Yong Hwa did great in Three Musketeers and his improvement was huge compared to his performance in Your Beautiful)
*ONCE AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE IF YOU ARE A HUGE SUNG YEOL FAN AND I OFFENDED YOU WITH MY OPINIONS*
ACTING
I don't usually talk much about acting because who am I to judge? But the acting here was pretty awkward which is something I have to point out, despite poor performance, there are a few supporting actors that acting actually impressed me.
Na Hae Ryung as Lee Ye Na
Hae Ryung is from the girl group BESTie, she has quite a few acting projects under her belt (She was in Nine but I never noticed her), she acted as Lee Ye Na whom is the pretty, bitchy girl (all high school dramas have a bitchy girl so...), despite her character being annoying, her acting was pretty good, she did give me the Kim Ji Won vibe which is good since I do like Kim Ji Won.
-Random Thoughts: Infinite's fans must be really jealous of her since she did this drama with 2 of their members and she also did My Lovely Girl which stars L and Hoya at around the same time-
Cho Ah as Jin Young
Jin Young only appeared for two episodes but I think Choa Ah did a good job in portraying her. Cho Ah is from girl group Crayon Pop which I am sure almost everyone knows about after their Bar Bar Bar success, this is actually her acting debut so I think she has potential if she continues acting.
THE STORY AND DIRECTING
Synopsis
An angel, who is in charge of sending the dead to the other realm, suddenly finds herself a part of the human world and struggles to get back to her own. She meets Shin Woohyun (Nam Woo Hyun) and Hwang Sungyeol (Lee Sung Yeol), both are high school students and befriends them. Thinking that she had amnesia, Woohyun takes her in and the angel starts to go by her fake name, Lee Seul Bi (Kim Sae Ron). Though he had initially found her annoying and would constantly push her away, a series of events causes Woohyun to fall for her with Sungyeol as his rival for her love. However, by the time anything had developed between them, Woohyun then finds out about her identity and is forced to keep it a secret for a year, otherwise, she would disappear from the human world. As hard as it already was to help her hide her identity, Woohyun faces the wrath of another angel who was determined to bring Seul Bi back to the spirit world, while at the same time, he struggles to improve his relationship with Sungyeol, who wanted nothing more than Seul Bi and a proper family.FROM DRAMAWIKI
The writer is new and from the drama, I can easily sense that she's new and inexperienced which is bad right? The story and it's concept isn't bad, it was entertaining in the first half but the story starts being uninteresting as it goes on. The writer is largely responsible for a lot of the drama's failure since she failed to make the elements in her drama work, she added in birth secrets in the drama but didn't utilize it fully, she tried to make bromance a large part of the story but it didn't work well and it seems incomplete, she tried to make high school a fun place towards the end which failed after scaring viewers with her depiction of high school in the beginning.
The directing wasn't bad since it was visually pretty and the special effects were pretty well done.
IN CONCLUSION
I didn't enjoy it completely but there are many other viewers that loved it so.... definitely not one of the best high school dramas around but was still entertaining despite making me lose all my interest on the second half of the show.
Personal Ratings: 8/10
How much it deserves: 8/10
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