Schools in Korean Dramas and Films;

Part 1

While school dramas are supposed to be fun and light, the themes depicted have been getting darker  making school dramas just hard to watch. Despite that, we still crave them every now and then as adults. Students on the other hand enjoy them because they can relate. I, as an example, wish I was able to watch such dramas when I was a school student.

School dramas cast young and adorable students and charismatic teachers. Though most of the dramas tackle the same themes, every one of them has its own charms. And we go back and watch them even after we’re fed up.

The themes presented in school dramas are overused to the point of exhaustion, especially the negative ones; bullying, suicide, indifference, social expectations, selfishness, ousting, smoking, drugs, family troubles, shaken youth, blurry future, etc.. Though the themes are dark and abused, we cannot deny that they exist. As a teacher, I witness every single theme, though not as dark as it’s portrayed in Korean works. I don’t know if it’s the requirement of a dramatic work or the difference between education there and here, but the students go through the same problems everywhere. There are all types of students and media focuses on all. The variety of the cases is what makes school-based works watchable.

And we have the teachers and the educationists. We have those who chose teaching as a career and those who live by teaching. The latter suffers more. Korean school dramas and films shed the light on the crooked relationship between the students and the teachers, on one hand, the teachers and the people in charge on another. Between the students and their parents on one hand and the parents and the teachers on the other. The writers’ job is to bridge the gap between the different and contrasted factions.

The dark themes might chase the audience away, but the hope, love and friendship interrelated with the misery and the pain make it endurable. School dramas always leave a way out. There’s always someone who’s ready to hold the students hands till the end. Someone who believes students deserve more chances and a better life. That no matter how many mistakes students commit, they’re students and they need guidance, trust and patience. I have tried to be that type of teacher, I couldn’t. It’s much easier to do in dramas than real life.

I’ll present the dramas and films I liked first. We’ll leave my negative views till the end.

School 2013

Now that was the best school drama for me. A well-written plot and awesome acting. The drama and although it presents all the previous themes, it focuses on human relationships and their effects on students’ lives. Every student has their own story, pain and troubles. Friendship is able to snatch students out of the pit they fall in. A dedicated teacher with a message may set a hopeless student on the right track of life. Parents mistake their obsession with love and care but, the suffering of their children wake them up. It needs one persistent person to set things straight. Students need sincerity and perseverance. They need patience and love. They need someone to tell them it’s going to be okay eventually. That no matter what, someone will be there to catch you when you fall. That’s School 2013.

Dream High

As the title manifests, the drama is about students’ dreams. Being a singer is a common, but hard dream. Teenagers know that. They know how hard it is to get in, to become famous and to hang on in that field. Still they dream, try and persist. Dream High is a lovely journey with a bunch of dreamers. With only one goal, they risk whatever it takes to reach that goal. The drama tackles the common themes with emphasis on the adults’ roles in shaping the students’ future and personalities, be it for better or worse. The drama is a beautiful account on students’ dreams, ambitions, friendship and love. It’s full of sentiments and music.

Biscuit Teacher and Star Candy

Though the drama is about a love story between a female teacher and a troublemaker male student (blasphemy!), the drama is set in a school and does deal with students’ problems. The drama deals with one class, and one student’s case per episode; illnesses, part-time jobs, broken families, poverty, etc. The students needed one person to understand and respect their issues. That teacher stepped into their lives and proved herself worthy of the trust. That one teacher changed the life of a whole class. The drama is utter fun.

Who Are You: School 2015

This drama brought us nothing new; AT ALL. It was so twisted I called it school makjang. But the ironic thing is that it was addictive. The drama was all about second chances in life, be it for the students, their parents or the teachers. There’s always a chance to repent and redeem yourself . (I’m not going to state my thoughts on the matter). I don’t know what it was but I liked the drama; very.

Angry Mom

Hell! This was a masterpiece!

Again we have all the dark themes but we have a fighter here. If the whole world acts as if nothing’s wrong in schools, if the whole educational system is corrupt and only cares about marks and money, if the entire nation thinks it’s normal to be bullied, beaten up and sexually assaulted; one woman doesn’t. She does everything she can to set things straight, with the help of other fighters. Raw but impressive. Painful but touching. We all need such fighters in our schools; people who never give up or grow tired.

Jungle Fish 2

Adults turned the world into a jungle. High school students are the fish who lost their way and got stuck in the jungle. The painful part is that those teenagers succumb to the world they find themselves in and prey on one another; fulfilling the exact purpose of the jungle. Suicide, parents’ greed, schools’ corruption, sexual harassment, pregnancy and dropping out are all themes tackled in the short drama. In the middle of all this turmoil, the students are faced with threats to their friendship, love, beliefs, dreams, independence and hope. Misunderstandings, miscommunication and guilt stand in the way of their unity. But, they still carry on. Despite the social prejudices, the grown-ups siding with the powerful, the prison-like school and the cruel educational system, students knock on Heaven’s door. The song was no coincidence when played in the drama.

The question the drama tries to answer is: can we really change the world? Can the hopeless teenagers actually change anything? Even when they know that ‘’at the end of the dark tunnel there’s a cruel truth’’, can they still carry on? How should they live their lives? With all the incurable scars, how will they survive?

My Little Bride

Cuteness overload! The thing about this film is that it presented a bizarre tradition that is still alive in many cultures; arranged marriages. Though it’s become less common, it’s still there. Married high school girls is no surprise in many societies. The film discusses the troubles and obstacles in the way of a married high school girl. To live her normal life as a teenager contrasts with her marriage life. What’s the solution? The film is more realistic than many think.

Zzang

If I were to choose one film to broadcast to the world on high schools in South Korea, I’d choose this one. A perfect combination of all students’ issues mentioned, all their worries, dreams and hopes and their relationships with adults in a breathtaking way. The film is absolute fun. Lots of music, laughter, tears and touching scenes. Realistic, painful but beautiful. Superb acting and a masterpiece of a script. No new issues presented. Of course not. Schools are schools. Where to get new ideas? But, you can trust me on this one. It’s better than any school work you’ve ever watched. Well I got mesmerized by it.

The Harmonium in My Memory

This delightful film is about a high school girl’s inner struggle between her reality as a poor and ‘vulgar’ girl who has to take care of her younger siblings, and help her mother, and her one-sided love for her educated and charismatic city teacher. The journey Hong Yeon traveled is one many –if not most- of girls have traveled. That time of our lives where we could only tell our diaries how we felt while staring at the moon! It’s the story of every teenage girl out there. Extremely touching and enchanting.

Reply 1997

In teenage years, there are two options: get involved with ‘bad’ friends and fall into bad habits or get addicted to something. I personally was addicted to football and didn’t get a grip on myself until second year in college. Come to think of it I’m glad I did. Many of my classmates at the time have lost the track. Reply 1997 is about that addiction. For our lovely main character, it was pop.

Of course the main story is the love story that actually lasts! (not going to express my opinion here either). The love story was so cute; just what a fictional love story should be. The drama is joy manifested (despite my thoughts!!).

C’mon Chohwa! Take it easy! The readers are tried of reading!

So we’ll wrap it today. Let me hear your thoughts on the topic.