This review may contain spoilers
There are shows like Game of Thrones that have a wide variety of characters, mind you, very interesting characters that complete and defines the show overall. Dream High is the same. It's not main character's centered, it focuses a lot on all the characters. It wavers consistently but the execution is done somewhat right.
As it is, it contains three big actors or even four! Suzy, IU, Kim Soo Hyunn, & Ok Taek Yeon. Now the reader must be wondering how they were able to give all these characters showtime with all the side characters as well. Well they were able to especially with only sixteen episodes as well. It's still a mystery how they were able to pull it off but it gave me a sour after-taste and I still shudder every time.
I fully admit, I like Kim Soo Hyunn, he's such a great actor and so I have such a big expectations for him. He outdone my expectations of course but ... it's laughable when the viewer barely sees the main actor, the leading actor on screen. I was this close onto dropping this show because they simply did not give Kim Soo Hyunn enough screen time, subsequently his growth and relationship with Suzy were missing throughout the show and the ending barely fixed the error.
For example...
(Spoiler Start)
When Song Sam Dong realize his hearing capability is going down the drain and also when he saw Jin Guk kissing Suzy, they just left it at that. Sure they gave the viewers a small consequence of the event but it was strewn all over the episode so by the time you watch Song Sam Dong changing, the viewer doesn't feel any compassion.
(Spoiler End)
This irritated many viewers to an extent, it felt as if the producer did not care about the lead actor. The favoritism for the Jin Guk is very visible. It hurt many viewers to see this, many did not realize this because the shows tries to confuse them and give more views toward other characters.
Other than this horrible, simply terrible mistake, this show is great. If they had done better job giving more beef and showtime towards the actual lead, perhaps it can get 10 but this kind of mistake is too big to relieve.
The story was always moving, it related to the actual subject -- school. Each characters have their own story and this stories were convey throughout the show, albeit some were rushed because of the limited showtimes and the great casts. However these stories were always interesting and touching.
Throughout the show, all kind of emotions were thrown to the audience, from love towards anger, they were merciless but it was touching and the ending simply gathers this emotions for a spectacular finale!
Some may say that the story is Dream High's greatest strength but I beg to differ. It's actually the character's development which I may respectfully say the greatest I've ever seen! Every characters, literally all characters develop from level one hero slaying slime to a level 50 hero defeating legendary dragon. The supporting characters were all great, they gave the viewers a humor relief in some cases but they all contribute to the story and of course the ending.
The viewer learned to be angry towards the "villains" but at the end of the day, the drama pulls strings with equal suffering that these "villains" enacted in the beginning and with this suffering, they learned how to be happy and in the end support everyone! It's the same for the "heroes" as well. Some were haughty, some were uncaring, and some were timid but with the suffering that the "villains" showed, they learned how to survive through and use it to enhance their character.
Also, the show's primary theme was "To dream is to work hard, to work hard is to experience wide varieties of emotions and challenges" and at the end, the show was able to provide the subsequent result of the hard work with proper ending for all characters!
Romance were thrown to the show but the way it was pulled was pathetic. It tries to create a soft love triangle but it backfired and it didn't feel satisfying at the end, scratch that, it was satisfying but not fully, at least in comparison to Pinocchio's romance. If they had more episodes, perhaps it would've been honed to perfection but at it's current state, it's not great.
Watch the show for the story and development, don't watch it for the romance because you won't be too disappointed.
Now, we're finally at the music section. Alright folks, make way please. Dream High has the best, not one of the best, but the best Music in any Korean drama out there! It's understandable as to why they have such great music but they fully outdone themselves in this area, if it was possible to rate the music 15/10, I would've done so. In every situation, there's the soothing and relatable OST or song accompanying the scene. Without these songs, it may have made the drama boring but alas and thankfully, the music were active throughout.
My favorite is Song Sam Dong's Maybe. I cried a river at this scene. It felt so touching. It was so relatable. The few scenes that Song Sam Dong's were in, this was the best part. It felt like it was calling through me and I simply cried like a baby. If i were to compare this, I would compare it to the legendary Clannad After Story Scene with Tomoya crying his heart out with Ushio.
Should you watch this show? YES
Do I recommend this show? YES
Is it a masterpiece? NO
Is it bearable? YES
Is it enjoyable? Definitely yes, anyone can enjoy this show in a heartbeat. From the first minute, viewers will fall in love with the cast, the stories, the development, especially the music, and basically everything.
It's in my top 20 dramas but definitely not in my top 10 because of a single but terrible issue.
Please enjoy the show and remember do not be too bias! The show hates that because it showcases all the characters, encompasses favoritism, and ignores a certain character.
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