School 2013 Final Episode 16

Lee Jong Suk as Go Nam Soon

What makes this drama stand out is that it isn't much of an exaggeration from  the real lives of high schoolers. Even considering the constant dramatic events the characters were involved in, it's still believable because high school really is a constantly dramatic community. Whereas in adult life every day blurs together in sameness, most days in high school varied from one another. School 2013 features some of the same characters and themes that many face in their teenage years. There are the kind-hearted teachers, the boring teachers, the bullies, the goodies, the dumb kids, the super-smart kids, the beautiful people, and everyone in between. This drama also reveals the the elation, depression, love, and growth that make this part of life especially emotional.

Kim Woo Bin as Park Heung Soo and Lee Jong Suk as Go Nam Soon

Of course, the main romance of the show produced many more feels than any that I witnessed in high school. You all know that I'm talking about Go Nam Soon (Lee Jung Suk) and Park Heung Soo's (Kim Woo Bin) bromance. It started a few episodes into the drama and began as hatred with no explanations. As more information is brought to light, though, it is apparent that these two guys cared deeply about each other before their falling out. Since Nam Soon was partially responsible for injury Heung Soo leg which caused him to lose his chance at a successful soccer career, their friendship was severed for years. The animosity slowly subsided throughout the show with the help of teachers Kang Se Chan (Daniel Choi) and Jung In Jae (Jang Na Ra) as the guys sorted out their issues and made amends. Nam Soon and Heung Soo have the kind of loving friendship that everyone wants, it's a pure mutual connection between two people who experienced life together and care about each other. In this last episode at the very end, they looked at each other and asked what they will do in the future. Neither of them had a strong reply to the question, but it seems that they plan to look forward to it together.

Kwak Jung Wook as Oh Jung Ho

Another underlying plot line throughout the course of School 2013 was Oh Jung Ho's (Kwak Jung Wook) struggle. If you are one of the viewers who was annoyed by/ hated Jung Ho then just know that you and I will not agree on anything in life. Oh Jung Ho turned out to be my favorite character. He acted like a real high school boy would in many ways, he was cold, didn't want to reveal any emotions, did want to apologize or act thankful, and he struggled with life and relationships inside and out of school. His friends loved him fiercely despite his prickly nature, and even Nam Soo and Heung Soo whom he was constantly bickering with tried to help him remain in school. If the hard efforts of the teachers and his friends don't prove he is worthy of affection then I don't think anything will change the haters' minds. In the last episode he was beaten badly by his father, nearly expelled for accidentally hurting Ha Kyung's leg (on top of all the other trouble he caused), and decided not to complete school in the end. His harrowing transition from school bully to wounded young man was really apparent to me when he left Nam Soon's house and shed a tear as he made the decision to quit school in order to get a job to support his father. I'm not sure in the final moments of the episode if they were alluding to him showing up at the last minute or not, but I hope that he did. Teacher Jung worked so hard and gave so much love to Jung Ho that I cried when I thought he wasn't going to finish 2nd year.

Daniel Choi as Kang Se Chan and Jang Na Ra as Jung In Jae

I can't write about this drama without including a shout out to the teachers also. Jung In Jae and Kang Se Chan. They were played beautifully by the couple from Baby Faced Beauty. Jang Na Ra as Teacher Jung gave students and parents something to think about which is: what does an educator go through every day while trying to teach, watch over, and earn their living? Along with Daniel Choi as Kang Se Chan, they showed what the best of education can look like. Different teaching styles and ways of approaching conflict are important to attack each issue from all angles. I think I learned a lot from these teachers also while watching this drama. Caring about other people and doing the right thing may seem cheesy, but it will make you a better person regardless of wealth, power, or intellect.

Now, I cannot claim that my high school experience was as eventful as class 2's, but I think any one who went to high school can relate to certain experiences and feelings. After watching this show it made me miss the days of spending time with friends laughing in the lunchroom, making fun of the teachers, hanging out in front of lockers, and dreaming about getting out of that place and becoming adults. I don't really want to go through the whole experience again, but I will at least flip through my yearbooks now and reminisce about the good memories because those are the only ones that matter now that everything is said and done.

Watch School 2013 final episode 16 with English subtitles DramaFever.com