Dream High (2011)

I actually don`t remember much watching this drama to be very honest lmao. But what I do remember is how`d they incorporate the music scenes. How it came along during the entire run of the drama. Also maybe because I`m a hottest that I preferred Taecyeon over Soo Hyun hahaha. Most people also said that there was no chemistry between Wooyoung and IU but I beg to differ. I actually found them to be cute. Especially the part where they changed places during the show. That was adorable. And it was a fresh one for me since you`d never really see Wooyoung act that mature and cold in real life. hahaha

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You’d fall for K drama if this was your virgin drama!

2011 - yes the fashion was dated, there were some cheesy parts but the story is such a classic feel-good! With a perfect cast. Jinguk’s character was my favorite - for his sweetness, maturity and love for his friends and family. Completely not how I would expect the writers to do for his character given Taecyeon’s built and good looks. They really managed to make that secondary and write a beautiful character. My favorite pairing has got to be Jason and Pil-Sook. Overall this show didn’t bow down to tropes as much as I expected it to given this was produced 10 years ago. It’s a good watch, embodying all the fun that comes with K Drama. Enjoy!

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Iconic

Dream high is a very impressive, inspiring and entertaining drama and it's very worth watching. I liked it a lot more than I expected, I was of course, very impressed with the cast. This drama has the most incredible cast i've ever seen, the main 6 roles were taken by some of the biggest names in Korea. Bae Suzy, Ok Taecyeon, Kim Soohyun, IU, Jang Wooyoung, Ham Eunjung and even JYP himself. Some of the most popular and legendary kdrama actors and idols today. I already knew most of the cast prior to watching the drama and I was really excited because I admire them all a lot. The acting in this drama was really good, especially considering that most of the cast were rookies here, they all did very well and made the drama feel very real and impactful. each actors performace was wonderful.
One of my favorite thigs about "dream high" is the character development and story progression. This drama did very good job at developing characters and making the grow, For example, I hated Go Hye Mi in the first few episodes, She was truly the most irritating female leads i'd ever seen . She had a terrible personality and I was certain I would never like her, but as the story progressed, she actually improved alot, Not only that, she was forced to accept that her past behaviors were wrong and face the consequences by not being able to debut early. She became alot nicer and alot more likeable, I actually ended up liking her. She had a very natural but very effective character development. The same could be said for ms, Shi who was quite a ruthless teacher who taught in a not-so-advisable way. But she was forced to face the consequences when her own student turned into a cheater and a liar because of her and her teachings. She became a very good teacher who inspired students and supported them when they were having a hard time.
Another thing I really enjoyed were the showcase performances, namely Jin Guk and Baek Hee's duo performance, I'm a big fa of Taec and his rapping and dancing skills that were displayed in this drama were amazing, Baek Hee and Jin Guks first showcase performance was my favorite, it was so powerful and the outfits and makeup were really eye catching. The song sounded great and the dancing was amazing from both of them.
The music in this drama also added many emotions to it. Especially the main OST "dream high" which I really loved. Every time it played, the scene was enjoyable and fun. The songs, especially the one that Hye Mi ad Baek Hee sung in their auditions were also great.
The story progression was really good too. Everytime I thought that things might get boring, something new was added such as Jin Guks assault scandal or Sam Dongs ear injury. The story was always fresh and it just kept getting more interesting. The progression was smooth and constant. There was never a boring moment, the story was always taking new turns and the plot was really captivating for me.
I admit, I was a bit disappointed with Hye Mi and Sam Dong ending up together because I truly thought Hye Mi would end up with Jin Guk. I really shipped them and I still think they were much better together, they had many moments and connections but I guess I understand why she chose Sam Dong, he was always there for her and always protected her. But still, I think Hye Mi and Jin Guk were just better together.
Jason and Pilsuk were adorable though, definitely my fave couple in dream high. Jason was a total gentlemen, who wouldnt fall for him? they both were just so cute together and Jason encouraged her to loose weight so she could debut even though he liked her either way. Pilsuk was really sweet too and she had a beautiful voice, I find it so funny that she carried around a doll of Jason and he never noticed she liked him.
Basically, I have a lot to say about this drama so I tried to sum it up. I'd give it a 9/10, might seem a bit high but I think its well deserved. I like this drama alot, its very worth watching at least once!

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Teen musical drama that inspires one to chase dream

Watched this drama after witnessing the meteoric rise to the top spot in this list 1-2 days after summarising the top 3 dramas about 11 days ago.. (it is currently 4th-placed… Old but Gold: Must Watch Dramas Aired in 2013 and Before https://mydramalist.com/list/LAlaOn21) and driven by curiosity on the making of kpop idols, and to see Bae Suzy and IU in their acting debut 11 years ago!

It is an inspirational growing up drama of high school students courageously and passionately chasing their music dreams, finding life directions in their dreams, overcoming adversities and achieving successes, amidst lies, delusions, betrayals, support from teachers, friends and families, tears and laughters. Add catchy OSTs (especially the theme song Dream High https://youtu.be/TWHYicm0LJo), street dancing (including a flash mob), surprise guest appearance by Bae Yong Joon (styled per his iconic image in the hallyu drama Winter Sonata) and a fond look into the wacky and very talented Park Jin Young in his acting debut. I first saw Park only last year as guest mentor in a Master In The House clip (https://youtu.be/h2YG7tCb97k) and was wowed by wacky personality and his dance moves without knowing much about him.

^ “Music is the most common language in the world”
^ “I think talented students who work hard should be considered first-rate. Hardworking students who are not so talented are second-rate. As for the third-rate… i consider students… who are prejudiced third-rate.”
^ “My Mom said this before, if we met an obstacle, all we have to do is knock it over. That obstacle will turn into a bridge.”
^ “I’m sorry for not taking your dream seriously. Once i had a dream of my own, i realised that there are no dreams that should be laughed at in this world.”
^ “If you’re 100 percent sure about one of them, then that’s not a choice. It’s the correct answer. But this is 50-50/ That’s what choices are. They make you torn. What can you do? You do have to make your choice. And when you do, dont look back and turn that 50 percent into 100 percent. You should do your best to prove to yourself that you made the right decision."

Other noteworthy wiki info:
1) This is a co-production by KeyEast and JYP Entertainment. Bae YJ (hallyu actor and chairman of KeyEast) was also the creative producer, providing overall concept, goals and ideas while Park composed the music and choreographed the dance for the series.
2) Other kpop idols in the main cast are Ok Taec-yeon and Jang Wooyoung from 2PM, and Hahm Eun-jung from T-ara.
3) Kim Soo Hyun was the only non-idol among the main cast; but had studied music and dance for 3 months at JYP Entertainment in order to portray his role.

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Dream High (2011) – IU, Suzy, Soo Hyun, Taecyeon – wow, kpop is real. I wasn’t really into this drama because I can’t tolerate Suzy here, I did not really like her acting here but I understand since she is still starting up as an actress.

What I look forward in this drama is IU and Wooyoung. I really felt the butterflies and chemistry between them to think that they are not the "main spotlight leads"

The soundtrack is solid, knowing that it composes of KPop Idols. I still can remember the songs from this drama, it's pretty addicting. Good job on that.

Would not rewatch, pretty much for beginners only.

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When a guest character lays the foundation for a whole drama. So who is the power behind the throne?

When a guest character lays the foundation for a whole drama. So who is the power behind the throne?

This drama is fantastic!

I want to say that I am a fan of Bae Yong Joon, but that doesn't make me a blind and biased fan, even though it appears to be. I am a music and theater teacher. That's why I identify with this drama.

This is Bae Yong Joon's last drama as an actor and his first project as a producer. I recognize that this is Bae Yong Joon's drama that the public likes the least, because it is the one in which he participates the least, because he is not the protagonist and because of his youthful theme. But... did you guys ever think that those four episodes laid the groundwork for the rest of the drama? What would have happened if he had been with his character from 'The Ghost', throughout the drama? If only 4 episodes were enough to demonstrate his talent to recognize a hidden star behind an ambitious and talented young man, just imagine if he had been fully immersed in the drama and hadn't withdrawn due to illness! No wonder he had the vision to found and run the Keyeast agency back then!


His character was one that gave the impression of being contradictory, with wry humor. It brings back a lot of memories of his character Shin Dong Hyuk in "Hotelier". Professor Jung Ha Myung saw the hidden talent in the most unlikely places, with the nose of a bloodhound. The young people rejected by others were his chosen ones. He did the same thing when he trusted his teachers, the same ones who were his classmates in the same school. A failed teacher, about to be fired, a fellow antagonist, they were the spark for a group of young people, completely different, from different backgrounds, social classes, different lifestyles, to succeed together and alone. He erased prejudice from their minds, because in art there should be no prejudice. All artistic currents are valid and all are equally worthy. Be it popular art, be it classical or urban music.

His character was enigmatic, with ironic humor and even a little sarcastic. What teacher is going to look for his students and even protects them from the school administration? Very few! This earned him many enemies. What professor surrounds himself with prospects who are 'failures' to others and 'mediocre' professors, together to make them shine? Only 'The Phantom'!

And after laying the groundwork for what he wanted for the school, he left without a trace. But the 'trail' left by Bae Yong Joon (as The Ghost and as a person) lasts from 2011 to today.

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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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I watched this drama pretty late as if saying, it's 2017, but still enjoyed it a lot. This drama deffinetaly got up to my new favorite drama. Here are some things I would like to say about this drama.

Let's start with the characters we have to follow along in this drama.

Go Hye Mi, firstly I entered the world of Dream High with a huge hatred towards her, as her character was really cold and spoiled. But I musy say the actress did an amazing job at showing her emotions. Her character development was really interesting to watch. Of course me being biased at first, I had a tough time falling in love with her and let's be honest to the end, I still showed a lot of hatered toawrds her. But now as I have finished this drama 2 days ago, I can say she is actually my second favorite character. All that aside I can tell you this character is really interesting to follow along.

Song Sam Dong, I loved this really innocent boy from the very start. The character was actually really loveable all thro the drama, the story with him doesn't really change much, but what we do get is interesting. I don't have much else to say about Sam Dong without spoiling anything.

Yoo Baek Hee, don't get fooled by the sincere little HyeMi's follower in the start. This character was really annoying to follow a long in my opinion, but for those who love following along a story of a girl, who is blinded by fame and is getting extremely self-centered then this will be really interesting for you.

Jin Guk. As a character pretty annoying to watch as it always feels like he's switching from BaekHee to HyeMi all the time. That's not even a spoiler that is just something that will happen in every episode. I still to this day this his story was deffinetaly the most interesting to watch, as it included a lot of his past and the reason he's molding into the person he now is. This character is deffinetaly a tear jerker.

Jason. Jason really is as a side character. He is a main, but his presence is really rare and there was no back story what so ever. As because of that I don't have much to say about him, but if you love an arrogant little boy, you will deffinetally love him.

Pil Suk. My favorite character. This girl is the cutest human being you will ever see and her innocent presence was always like a new breath of fresh air. I don't have much to say even tho she is my favorite. all tho she didn't have much of a back-story she deffinetaly had a really interesting present time story.

The music in this drama was really good. I have to be honest I couldn't get ''Dream High'' out of my head for a day at least. Non of the songs were really boring as most of them had a really catchy tune and kept you wanting more.

If I wasn't an indecicive person, I would deffinetaly rewatch this. as it had so many interesting moments.

Taking that all in I deffinetaly recommend this drama to any ''school musical drama'' lover.

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Bittersweet

This was overall a really fun watch and I never thought it got too heavy to handle even though it addressed a lot of heavy topics like dream-ending injury, suicide, assault, etc. It was overall really bubbly.

The way they did the love triangle was really different from any other drama I'd watched. I already knew who was ending up with the girl at the end, and I felt like if I didn't know this would've been the drama that would actually SATISFY any SLS. The romance played out really well and exactly how I wanted it to. I hate other dramas that have the heroine end up with whoever she's "supposed" to be with, and this drama talked about loving the person who is there for you instead. Beautiful and realistic.

However, I do think I enjoyed the first half of the drama better than the second half if we look only at plot. Both the male characters went through this emo phase where they just refused to communicate with other people. They were for different reasons abut it honestly felt a little annoying and repetitive — it's already my least favorite character arc and we had to deal with it TWICE.

The first half had more of the underdog story as well, which I really like. The "us vs. the rest of the school" plot is always super fun to watch, especially when the main character had experienced such a harsh fall to hit rock bottom and still has so much confidence in herself.

The ending is honestly a little bittersweet to me, partially because I'm never a fan of epilogue time skips, even though I knew we were always going to get that, with the drama starting out with the K mystery. With that being said, I did enjoy how the pendant necklace bounced around from person to person, not only becoming such a strong symbol but also making us wonder who is going to end up with it at the end.

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No wonder that this is much better than season 2. The story about dreams and heart breaks are a typical teenage drama. Yet this one delivers the teenage life at its best.

OST-
I don't know what ever I should say about their singing, or about songs that plays in the background, but both were okay.

ACTING-
When this came out I watched it and loved it, yet missed that many leads I knew previously. Anyways, Suzy did great, she played the arrogant girl well, and portrayed the characters growth great. She never let her character stray, and was focused. The male leads heartbreaking story was greatly acted by Soo Hyun. He made me feel his sadness. Other actors did well, which made my focus stray to them and pay them unneeded attention.

PLOT-
The plot is one of those, that makes you question why are you just lazing around. I also loved how they fooled me about the male lead at first. I loved how MC growth was apparent, and she didn't just change out if nowhere. The plot makes you feel like you can do anything you want, no matter who you are, how you look or what trials you're facing. I'm sad that the 2nd season couldn't deliver what first did.

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