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Drama Reviews
Posted by eric_r_wirsing Monday, December 8, 2014

[Drama Review] 'High School: Love On' - Episode 18

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Woohyun, Sungyeol, Kim Sae Ron

HIGH SCHOOL: LOVE ON - EPISODE 18


Tae Ho, Yo Han, Chun Shik, Byung Wook taking goofy pics.

RECAP


When Woo Hyun and Seul Bi collapse, Ji Hye and Sung Yeol tend to them in their separate homes. Sung Yeol places a bandage over Seul Bi's mark, which got damaged when she fell. When Woo Hyun is up and around again, the items in his room attack him and his mother thanks to Sunbae. At school, Seul Bi faints once more, which causes Woo Hyun intense pain. Later, the President of Earth Angels contacts Woo Hyun and tells him they are sharing each other's pain because they love each other. The President's other advice? The mark is damaged. If it doesn't heal, she'll disappear. Meanwhile, the P.E. teacher gets shot down by the homeroom teacher, Mr. Kim, for using Se Na as a spy. In the parking lot, Ji Hye and Sung Yeol's father argue about her desire to raise both boys.


"Just go before I change my mind and stop you."

The next morning, it's field trip day, and the students are left to their own devices. Byung Wook and Tae Ho apologize to Chun Shik and Yo Han and end up taking funny group pics together. Joo Ah, Ki Soo, and Woo Hyun ask the other students for help protecting Seul Bi's secrets and caution them not to touch the sigil on her wrist or she could disappear. Se Na runs off to do just that, but is stopped by Young Eun. Jae Seok isn't told anything, but finds Seul Bi passed out on a bench and is driven off by Sung Yeol. Seul Bi is magically transported away by Sunbae. Woo Hyun looks frantically for Seul Bi, but defeated, sits down and begins a confession of love that somehow is broadcast all over the building. The President of Earth Angels removes Sunbae's powers and tells him why. Seul Bi finds Woo Hyun and hugs him, saying she was always next to him, even when they were apart.

"I've always been next to you."

The students make yellow wristbands to show solidarity and make one for Seul Bi to cover her brand. The happy feelings are sullied by bad news: Young Eun's little sister has been hospitalized, but the family doesn't have the money for treatment.� That evening, Sung Yeol lets Seul Bi go, but Jae Seok confronts her right as she comes outside -- he's found the note asking everyone to protect her secret. She passes out again, and the pain in Woo Hyun's chest is back for an encore. Sung Yeol also collapses.� Jae Seok sees her sigil glow and goes to touch it. Before he can, the thing glows like a sun and he is overwhelmed. The light spills out into the alley beyond...


Yellow wristbands to show solidarity with Seul Bi.

MY TAKE


They're certainly milking Seul Bi's brand for all its worth. How many episodes have we had in which the sigil is about to be touched or discovered by someone? Multiple times per episode? Sometimes used as a cliffhanger? I'm usually taken in by it. "Oh, this is where something truly outrageous is going to happen and Sung Yeol will end up with two heads and Woo Hyun will grow tentacles or something," I think. But. It. Never. Happens. It always flares up and dies down again, Woo Hyun or Sung Yeol enters the scene and it stops its weirdness. Little hard for me to get excited about that when it happens too often.


Sunbae looks at his hand, confused that his powers didn't work.

Se Na and Jae Seok just don't get it. Sung Yeol, at least, has been redeemed. He realizes that you just can't keep two people who love each other apart, and I think he cares for Woo Hyun as much as he complains that he doesn't. He doesn't want to see Woo Hyun sick any more than he wants to see Seul Bi hurt. So he finally understands that what he's doing is wrong and lets her go. He's lost his love, his stepmother, his friends...and now he realizes he's becomes something he fears. Jae Seok is just the bottom-feeder he's always been. Even threats from his former friends can't seem to keep him in line. I'm still not sure about Se Na. Her surrender this episode was essentially forced. I'd like to see her and Seul Bi just be friends.

The students seem rather flaky. I've written about this before. One minute they're hazing her and deriding Seul Bi, sarcastically telling her to use her superpowers, the next they're banding together and helping her. We've got the core group of good kids (Joo Ah, Ki Soo, etc), we've got the bullies (Jae Seok, Young Eun, Se Na) and then roughly half the class or more who seem eager to jump on whatever student is on the poop list at the moment. This is all in the same episode, mind you.


The brand explodes and knocks Jae Seok

And I admit it. When Woo Hyun was making his declaration of love, "my eyes were sweating," to coin a phrase from the series. Maybe it's like Pavlov's dog -- cue the music from Afternight Project or Mad Clown and Yozoh and you know how you're supposed to react.� Regardless of what it is, it is effective here and doesn't stop me reaching for the tissues.

We only have two episodes left. Two episodes to make this all right or have everything fall apart. I'm hoping for a happy ending. Maybe the shop can raise funds for Young Eun's little sister. Maybe Seul Bi appears to disappear at the end, but doesn't, and Woo Hyun doesn't stay heartbroken. Maybe Ji Hye and Sung Yeol's father find a happy middle ground. I'm hoping. Two weeks left, guys! Bear with me!

And now, another sneak peak from the OST:

SEE ALSO: TWICE's Mina captivates fans as she reveals some of her underwear


  1. Woohyun
  2. Sungyeol
  3. Kim Sae Ron
  4. HIGH SCHOOL LOVE ON
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