King of High School Episode 2 - It's Not Easy Being Me.

Whew.....now that the stress of recapping episode one is over (it is always hard when I just want to add every moment into a recap) I can hopefully start finding my recapping groove with this drama.  It is the first time that I am reviewing someone who I really really like so I am still trying to figure out how to mix my fangirling side with my usual sarcastic/observant blogger side.  It will be interesting to see which one dominates (my fangirl side is cheering Seo In Guk within my head so I suspect there might be some dominate SIG moments in our future). Thank goodness that this drama highlights his strengths since it would be truly tragic if I was forced to make fun of one of his pieces of work.  Crossing my fingers that the quality continues.

A friend in one of my kdrama groups asked the question, what characteristics make you enjoy a certain actor?  As I thought about it, I realized that what I really like is not the eye candy factor (not that it hurts) but when an actor can take a role and he becomes that character, leaving the real him in the dust.  Seo In Guk is such an actor.  He truly commits to the characters 100%, he does not have his characters become just a version of his own personality.  Every gesture, nervous tick, or facial expression is true to who he becomes, and it has never been more in evidence than in King of High School.  He truly has made the character of Min Seok his own.

Min Seok's loyalty gene kicks into high gear and he agrees to his brothers crazy plan.  In case you don't recall so said plan, Min Seok is going to go to Comfo's and take his brother's place for a couple of months.  Yes that is right, months!!!  Not a day, not a week, actual months, in the plural.  I don't know if you all understand how school and a job work in Korea, but they are not nine to five gigs.  Students and employees invest an immense amount of time into their studies and careers, the only reason I can believe this even a bit is because Min Seok is such a slacker academically.  Also for the ease of this blogger's sanity.  We will continue to call our lead Min Seok, even when he is pretending to be Hyung Seok. 

Given specific details such as where he lives, and who he needs to talk to, Min Seok rushes to his brother's apartment to switch into business attire (and of course change to a more mature hairstyle).  Let's all pause for a moment and just enjoy the photo montage of Min Seok donning his new outfits. 

Still paused

Wow, this is almost as good as a shower scene.  I would go into more detail and spazzing but my mom reads this blog so we will stay in the PG zone.  Just let the photos speak for themselves.

His brother did not leave him totally alone in a sea of worker bees, he enlists the two men who hired him to be in on the plot.  Well, it was actually a "by the way my identical brother who is in high school is going to pretend to be me for a couple months.  Go with it" text.   Of course they realize the absurdity of the situation and decide to not use Min Seok as a stand in.  Unfortunately for them, Min Seok meanders into his department before they can cancel the insanity and introduces himself to his new underlings.

CULTURE CLASH MOMENT OF THE WEEK

Here in America, we just don't go around talking about people's looks.  Especially not in a group/work setting and really really from one guy to another guy.  For the most part it is considered rude or if you are you mention how hot someone is, you could find yourself facing a sexual harassment lawsuit, lickety split. But not in Korea (or at least Korean Dramas and Variety programs,  Those of you who actually are in Korea, is it really like this?) in Min Seok's case, his coworkers surround him and flash out questions asking him if he knows how attractive he is?  You have such a baby face. What does he do to look good.  I love how he is so honest in his answers including how he knows he is handsome and does the occasional facial.  HAHAHA   

His poor boss finds out that he already arrived and drags him into his office.  "This can't be happening, you have to disappear and go back to Germany.  We will just tell everyone that you have cancer".  HEHEHE  I feel so bad for this poor boss who is stuck with this crazy scheme created by the older brother.  He just continues to pace, rant, and attempt to hit co-conspirator #2 with his golf club.  But before they can attempt to get rid of the fake employee (again) the president of the company walks in.  He eagerly greets Min Seok and tells him that they will be meeting up to play golf soon.  Min Seok just smiles and says that he does not know how to play golf, but since he is good with balls, he is sure he can figure it out quickly.  The higher ups take his quirky speaking as a sign of being confident and aggressive and just agree with anything he says.  As a viewer it is very pleasurable to watch this interplay between what is being said, and what is being heard.  I have a feeling that this will be a major dialogue style used in the future.

Now that Min Seok has settled into his new role as his hyung, it is time to get back to some OTP (one true pairing) action.  Recognizing Soo Young as the drunken girl on the bus, he is fascinated by her odd personality.  Noting that she does not recognize him, he decides to relieve his boredom (studying papers is obviously not his thing) by messing with her.  Min Seok orders her to buy him a hamburger and soda then makes her stand there with him since he hates to eat alone.  He then needles her with comments about popcorn and one sided love.  HEHEHE  They are so cute.

He continues to study her even on their mutual bus ride home (so funny that she does not even notice him) and is yet again a gentleman (kind of) when he chucks a piece of paper at her head to wake her up when they arrive at her stop.  Very sweet scene, but all I could think of was how far away do they actually live from their office.  That is one huge commute.

Stalker girl, Jung Yoo A, does not take Min Seok's absence from school two days in a row lightly.  Especially with her two besties filling her head with thoughts of him sleeping with other women.  But no worries, where their is a stalker there is a way.  She whips out her phone and announces that she had prepared for this day, by putting an illegal GPS tracking app on his phone.  Ahhh, smart phones, making stalking easier since 2002.

She tracks him to his new office building and notes, that this is where her sister works.  She then spies Min Seok coming out of the office, makes eye contact, then races after him when he runs.  Poor Min Seok races up the stairs and runs into Soo Young (who is trying to avoid Jin Woo), thrusting her out the stairway door and pulls it tight.  Soo Young tries to yell at him, but Min Seok covers her mouth with his hand, while holding the door closed against Jin A with his other hand.  All of this is observed by a baffled Jin Woo.

Random Thoughts
I love the music in TvN dramas.  It is always unique and spot on in tone.

I now want a massage chair just like the one in his office. As a hard working blogger I think I deserve a massage chair.

I have to admit that I had a few worries about the double identity plot line.  I am watching another double identity drama called "Fall In Love With Me" in which the guy completely loses himself within the two identities.  There is a lack of a single basic persona to help connect his two halves, and while it is still ok, it does tend to take me out of the story.  But lucky for us Seo In Guk was totally able to pull off the 2nd identity while still letting his innocent high school persona shine through.  I love that his coworkers just assume that his weird way of speaking is just confidence rather than inexperience.   King of High School is providing us viewers with a lot of depth and is not just a comedic one note.  Can't wait for next week.

Kmuse

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