Reviews

This is a drama with great cinematography. The story isn't bad either, but definitely falls off in the later episodes - maybe even halfway. The only thing I don't like is the music selection - I prefer more melodic, orchestral music, especially for historical dramas.

Overall, the production quality is great imo. Some of the camera shots are amazing.

The characters are fun to watch in the beginning and hooks you in. Unfortunately, it gets very melodramatic around the halfway point.

The cast is great, even greater for kdrama fans, especially for fans of good-looking male kdrama actors. They seem to have got them all in 1 drama.

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I started this drama with a lot of expectations because the Thai remakes of Full House and Playful Kiss were the best versions to me so far, so I was thinking they were going to do something as good with this story....Ehh no.
The story is exactly the same : Same jerk prince who cannot say a simple no to his ex, same annoying evil characters, and pretty much all the things the same.
What is different: the weeding is beautiful I must say, the landscapes are worth seeing, is not made in high school but university, she behaves more (a little bit) as a princess who knows her place and duty...but NO ROMANCE okay, the actress has a no kiss policy so you will only get real kisses from the ex girlfriend and the prince...yes, the second female leads get the real kisses.
The romance that was Goong is not there, and I don't think is blame in the actors (besides yes the no kissing policy) cause I can feel the chemistry is just like..something is off. I'm on episode 13-14 and they haven't get a real romantic scene. I give the story a 6 because is the same story, acting I think they are doing good with the script they have because is not the best. Music...Repetitive, boring. I will end this drama by habit of watching it but I think I could be using my time better watching Two Moons or something.

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Where to begin...
I can't fault (most) of the actors. They had very little with which to work. The script is almost nonexistent. There were so many directions the writer could have taken to make this an interesting remake. Instead the producers decided that the names of actors, pretty scenery, and beautiful costumes were enough to justify this horrendous piece of work. The director didn't help matters with his choices (again, sorry actors.) Editing was sloppy and use of music was even worse. I don't expect a masterpiece when watching any drama but I do hope that out of respect for those watching, those involved would strive for excellence and not just ratings. Very disappointing! This definitely goes down as the worst drama ever watched!

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“Don’t forget that you will be happy tomorrow only if you are happy today.”

This line is for the perfectionist, workaholic kids out there, like me.
I was actually really impressed by the way this drama addressed not kicking people when they were down. And that that was the whole point about cheerleading. It’s not for those who are in their happy place or people who are necessarily good. It’s people who need cheering up. There is a lot of generosity in this show. It really hit home for me the importance of showing support for people even though it might not seem like much, even when it seems like words won't help the situation.

The plot is fast-moving. As soon as someone says they’re going to do something, they do it, and it gets resolved pretty quick. So I like that we don’t have to wait or dread future happenings. I was warned that this was some serious content, but at least none of the kids are dealing with poverty, teenage pregnancy, jail, sexual assault, or homelessness. I’ve only ever watched two school dramas and that’s what was entailed so, in comparison this was pretty smooth sailing. For the record, this is my favourite school drama ever.

Kim Yeol
“Kim Yeol isn’t someone who you can mess with.”

Our rival leader has such a happy and empathetic face, it’s hard to dislike him. He also does this weird head dip that you might see on older actors. It’s a bit strange. He of course pulls off his menacing side very well too.
Kim Yeol is rather resigned to the system. He’ll protect himself but he’s rather bored with life.

“Geez...even when I lie, I’m practically bursting with sincerity.”

I couldn’t help but like him. There’s something about his expression and delivery of his lines that entertained me. Even in negative circumstances, there’s a non-sardonic smile that finds its way to his face. It’s a bit contrary to the usual image of a high school king.
He’s quite direct, I like that about him too. That he doesn’t beat around the bush.

“You wouldn’t talk to me, so I had no other way. So I prepared a time and place for us to talk.”

It’s also a really interesting concept to have characters acting so mean to people but then so freakin’ loyal to others. It’s such a clear theme in this story.

“Pride? That seems to be the most important thing to you. But for me, that friend is a lot more important.”

Right from the first episode, there is no room for judgment as we see the “bad guys” established. Everyone has their reasons or knows how to make up for their mistakes. I’m glad, because I didn’t want to watch a drama that made me really angry at a particular person. It was nice that I could root for everyone.

Another theme is trust. Kim Yeol always goes on about not trusting adults and people in general. But he started to change when people started putting their trust in him.

Yeon Doo
Eun Ji has the biggest brightest smile that wants to make me laugh every time I see it. She plays her character in such a fun and realistic way. I feel like her creativity for doing her own thing is really off the charts. I mean showing up to the preppy classroom in a sleeping bag? Gosh, I love this girl.
I can also understand why everyone looks to her for leadership. She has so much charisma and charm and ferocity.
If someone tries to physically intimidate her she just gives it right back to them.
It’s also so great how loyal her posse is and how they all care about her so much.
Her loyalty is what makes everyone love her.

Dong Jae
I usually see N so full of himself so it’s nice to see him as the innocent and quiet Dong Jae.
I love the friendship between Dong Jae and Yeon Doo. I love that even when she’s mad she remembers not to have physical contact and instead bashes him with a tissue box.
Dong Jae keeps such a calm expression on his face all the time. Even in tense situations his face never carries any malice. I really liked that about him. He’s very accepting of whatever happens.

Kim Yeol - “Dong Jae always gives you strawberry milk. I’ll make myself different by giving you vanilla milk.”

Ha Joon
“He learned how to love even if it hurts.”

Everything that comes out of Ji Soo’s mouth is gold.
Ji Soo is once again a hot-headed, angry and suicidal kid.

“I cut myself. Do you know why I did that? Every time you beat me up I also hated myself to death. I felt like I was useless. But I don’t feel that way anymore. I still get depressed at times, but...I will try to hold on to myself from now on.”

I liked how he totally didn’t mind that his best bud was falling for their arch enemy. I really liked how he became friends with Yeon Doo. That gummy bear scene is so cute.

At first Ha Joon is only loyal to Kim Yeol. But then he started expanding his friendship circle. And he really is so brave with the way he backs up the crazy Yeon Doo. Ha Joon is the one character that really has everything on the line.

Yeon Do to Ha Joon - “That’s why you get mad because you don’t know your own feelings.”

Kim Yeol - “Seo Ha Joon! You traitor! Choose between me and Kang Yeon Do.”
Ha Joon - “Of course I’d choose you.”
Yeon Do - “Yeah!”
Ha Joon - “But she’s so strong...”


Ha Joon jokingly says, “If he cheats come to me. I’m very faithful, you know.”


Ha Joon’s relationship with Yeon Doo is really interesting. He wouldn’t have liked her so much if it wasn’t for him opening up to her because of his best bud’s interest in her. And he also loves her because she is so concerned about Kim Yeol, just like he is. His like for her almost seems like an extension of his friendship with Kim Yeol. He even (only) gets jealous when Kim Yeol gets jealous of someone else. Ha Joon likes to see Yeon Doo happy with Kim Yeol. Kim Yeol, is a bit more territorial haha.


“Wait...why am I jealous of them getting punished?”

I kind of like how the perspective on punishment changed throughout the drama.
For the posh kids, it was like it was the end of the world. But they came to see that it’s just part of life and sometimes it’s worth it, or sometimes being punished with your mates isn’t so bad as long as you’re together.

Romance
“Now you kids are flirting by using pickled radish?”

Bahahhaha.
In the end Kim Yeol and Yeon Doo were like a married couple looking after the kids, and supporting each other like a well-oiled machine. They’re such mature teens.

“If I’m alone with you under an umbrella...I may get myself in trouble.”
I like the premise of the two opposing gang leaders. A bit of a Romeo and Juliet. Even right from the start, almost every time Kim Yeol looked at Yeon Doo when she wasn’t watching he smiled or looked completely fixed on what she would do next.
It’s also interesting to see that it’s a relationship that could only develop if one of them was defeated. One of the things that Korean dramas like to do is let a hero see the heroine’s raw pain, and that is what moves him. I guess it’s a passion thing, that he saw her heart, and realised what he’d done to wound her.
I kind of liked how easy going Yeon Doo is. She’s not too prideful or spiteful against Kim Yeol.
They let a lot of words fly, but I feel like there’s a grudging respect on both sides.

“Hey, you idiot!”
“I’m No. 1 in this school!”
“I know, you No. 1 idiot!”

I love how Kim Yeol knows he’s being unreasonably jealous towards the naive Dong Jae and how he tries to drop hints to make Dong Jae go.

“You should eat at home! Your mum will be disappointed!”

Dong Jae – “Yeon Doo. Let’s eat dinner at your place.”
Kim Yeol - “Hey! E-e-eat….at your own place.”

I also liked how the couple showed the parents that it wasn’t puppy love.

Yeon Doo - “I was a person who didn’t think much, but just did things. I’ve calmed down a bit now. I’ve also learned to protect myself thanks to Yeol. ”

Kim Yeol - “I am grateful and happy that she believes in me no matter what. Now that I’m with Yeon Doo who believes in me...I’m beginning to have the courage to believe in other people.”

I also noticed that when Koreans want to change the conversation to something more intimate, they thank the person.

Bromance
Hell. Yes.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen this.”
“Huh? What.”
“That kind of expression on your face and you laughing like that.”

I love how observant the friends are. And the way Ha Joon notices how happy Kim Yeol is.

Kim Yeol - “We should do nothing. We don’t smile or cry. Let’s stay quiet as if we were dead. The adults want us to do that.”
Ha Joon - “That’s why I’m trying my hardest to survive. It’s all for you.”

Ha Joon -“I’m on my knees now for what Ha Joon did yesterday. Please forgive him.”

Kim Yeol - “I don’t care.”
Ha Joon - “It doesn’t sound like that’s coming from someone who turned the classroom upside down for her.”

I thought it was interesting the way the boys each showed their true colours in protecting Yeon Doo. For example, Kim Yeol always approached in a very predictable, political way while Ha Joon stood up for her in rather dramatic and risky ways.

Yeon Doo’s mother is the best. “It’s ok if you’re not good at studying. It’s not like your grades could get any lower, anyway. And dancing...I’ll allow it since you love it so much. But I won’t be able to stand it if you’re ostracised or in pain alone, ok?”

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Let me start of by saying that historical dramas are NOT my cup of tea. It's a hit or miss for me and most of the times I end up dropping them. Why? Well, its filled with hanboks and same palace locations, except the scenery scenes it can become pretty dull in my eyes. So, I focus more on the story and acting in historical dramas and if that's not enough to captivate me nothing else will. I was glad rebel Hong was one of these exceptions.

Story: The flow of this drama is just perfectly right. Not slow-paced not fast-paced. It's enough to make you sympathize with the characters root for them, understand them, hate them, love them. It allows you to feel all these spectrum of emotions: sad, laugh, getting angry, excited, smile, tear up, cry, make your heart tighten and all with the right speed.

Acting: I will mention a few actors here but almost everyone delivered and made their character feel alive. Yoon Gyun Sang our protagonist, knew him from playing the older brother in pinocchio, I'm happy he got this role he did amazing! I must admit his height made some of the fighting scenes seem a bit awkward : he really seems like a big bear compare to everyone else xD But at the same time I think his height fitted his role perfectly. Kim Ji Suk aka the king, oh man you could just tell from his eyes if he felt disgusted, twisted, betrayed, satisfied and his voice was such a king's voice; deep and trembling. I recognized that he played a funny comical character in 'Another miss oh' after a few episodes that's how good his transforming was. Kim Sang Joong our hero's dad: if you've ever watched a drama casting this actor it's hard to forget his presence or character. He's captivating and roots in your soul in everything that he does simply breathtaking acting abilities. Chae Soo Bin our female protagonist, she was good, her character wasn't that special at the beginning but she made me like her and not find her annoying (I usually find female leads annoying they cry and whine a lot, I'm happy she had a strong vibe and wasn't a weakling). A small mention to the bad old lady, a character whom I despised the moment she appeared on screen. I wanted to get inside my monitor and kill, she made me hate her so much I cant even begin to describe, good job there xD

OST: Havent heard such music before. It felt like traditional korean songs travelling from a thousand years ago. And that's how it should be right? A historical drama needs historical music not sounds that feel out of the ordinary or their surroundings. Meaningful music, it was like this show was created for this music and not the other way around.

This show is not a masterpiece, which drama is? But has a solid story with great actors that will draw you in. Give it a chance^^

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This is my first time reviewing a drama.. and this drama was really good

Story: The story was good ,I would give it an 8 ,it had a lot of twist and turns.The story was fun to watch

Acting/Cast: The acting and the cast was really good. They gave equal parts to all the main characters. And as expected from the WGM couple.. Their skinship was amazing .The romance didn't look forced
and the kissing scenes were a must rewatch.

Music: It was a good , but not a memorable one

Rewatch: i just finished the drama and i really want to rewatch some scenes , For the rewatch level I give it an 8

Overall: i felt this drama is fun to watch , and a good drama for time pass..

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The story is a ten because it is a remake. The cast .....as the series progressed I thought to myself, others could have done better. The music was so - and -so doesn't give you LSS feels and the rewatch- nope I am not gonna watch this, I would rather watch the lengthy Goong than this.

This had a promising start but this drama turned out to be a disappointment. It was such a waste because it was obvious that they had spent a great deal of money for the production. I managed to watch the first few episodes with much expectation but as the series progressed I couldn't watch any further. At times I did try to pick it up but it just got too stale for my taste. As a remake it was a complete disappointment. Most of the weight of its failure went to the actors and how the plot was executed. The original Korean showed character depth and development, but here the series is almost done but still they act like a bunch of elementary kids. I am also uncertain if there was a non kissing clause in the main female lead's contract but if it turns out to be true then it is a disappointment. There are some drama that have no kissing scenes but still managed to deliver but this one just went around the bush, it is not even a push and pull. This drama failed me so much, It failed as a romance genre because the main leads are just too cringy to watch with all those fake kisses. The villains are just plainly annoying. This drama will go into the archives that I assure you. Hey it is just my opinion.

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Rebel was right where it needed to be in story and plot, but it absolutely excelled in characters, acting, and OST.
To establish the perspective of this review, I'm a complete sageuk/historical junkie (scarlet heart, orange marmalade, queen inhyuns man, rooftop prince, splash splash love, the moon that embraces the sun, the princess weiyoung(c), saimdang, rebel, nirvana in fire, to name quite a few in my list) and will review this show both standalone and within the context of this genre.
The story isn't especially surprising, but that's what I liked about it. Modern television has been pushed to an almost ridiculous level of pursuing thrill factor that other aspects of shows lose their luster. Rebel isn't overly ambitious in its writing, but that allows it to shine as a whole. Of course, it is indeed gripping and refreshing, but that is due to the attention to detail and fleshed out characters. Rather than seeking originality through complete innovation of this genre, it finds originality in the writer's care for the story rather than pandering to an audience. Weaker points of the story would get into spoilers, but let's just say that there could have been more episodes (surprising because I usually call for less) and that while the antagonists were good, they weren't my favorite.
Now the acting- this was just phenomenal. Kim Sang Joon's Ah Mo Gae is arguably my most favorite portrayal in a historical drama. Ever. His irresistible charm pulls in viewers and his control of emotion makes him like the most human character. I'll cut the character/acting section short because I'll sound repetitive but tldr every character was unique, properly developed, and absolutely charming in their own ways.
The music. Oh my god. I just found out the OST was on spotify and have had it on repeat since. Before we start, I must say that I take OST very seriously- it's just as important as cinematography, casting, everything. Rebel has a distinct and unified sound that matches its story. It ranges from your typical heart-wrenching ballad and love song that every kdrama has, to the intriguing music of the palace. But what really takes the cake is the section of the OST that has the traditional sound more akin to what common people actually sang and still do sing. Fiery tracks like If Spring Comes are what get me excited and even sing along while watching. Definitely 10/10
Overall this drama is absolutely my top sageuk because it deals in complexity with great care. I live for nuance, and most of my favorite media involves ambiguity. No plot spoilers, but I'm going to say that Rebel somehow pulls off complexity without ambiguity and excessive nuance, which made it work as a sageuk really well. Definitely recommend, and I will be posting a spoiler-included review later on my blog!

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I feel like this drama doesn't get recognize that much. It's actually really good combining romance and sports was well written. Love triangles are so hard to watch for me. Not going to spoil anything but I hated Hikari how she had a boyfriend already but sometimes just didn't care about him and cared more about Hiro. Let's just say the romance couple ended how I wanted it to end. I loved watching the baseball games. The drama was about achieving your dreams and achieving others dreams along with yours.

Any drama with Satomi Ishihara in it I'll surely watch. I really liked Yamada Takayuki in this drama just seeing how different he was back then. The actors I think really were playing baseball good. There's just no character you can hate in this drama pretty much based on how it was written.

Soundtrack brilliant it's on YouTube by the way unless your reading this then that video might of gotten removed. I love K-Over back then when dramas had much better songs in them.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7DnKG7mc0gk (H2 OST)

It's a nice heartwarming drama and I loved it. It's up there on one of my favorites.

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