Kolorful Palette: Cursing in the streets [High School King of Savvy]

by Fanderay

It’s official; that overwhelming sensation of having too many compelling dramas to watch has finally returned. I’m pretty sure that’s a good thing, although my pasty white skin probably thinks I need to spend a little more time outside. High School Kind of Savvy is hardly reinventing the wheel, but it does what it does so well that I find myself completely caught up in all the hormonal angst, and anxious to see what all these flawed but likable characters will do next.

Although there’s not much that this drama does poorly, I think what really carries it and gives it that extra X-factor is Seo In-gook as Lee Min-seok. He’s perfectly cast, and I love how real his character feels, even in the midst of an unrealistic situation. How many “high school” dramas have we watched where the protagonists talk and act like adults? Lee Min-seok is such a teenager, and it’s fantastic. He took on his brother’s job with shockingly foolhardy bravado and responds to almost every circumstance emotionally and impetuously before he’s even realized it. He’s terrible at filtering or restraining himself, and I find myself sometimes cringing at his complete lack of awareness regarding how serious a situation is. His immaturity is balanced by a kind and likable personality though, and I don’t even find myself thinking that he needs to grow up because he’s pretty much the quintessential teenage boy, and there’s really nothing wrong with that. I just hope that he doesn’t end up busting himself.

Normally I think I would find it hard to find a romance like Min-seok and Soo-young’s particularly believable, but she seems like the kind of person who would benefit from being with someone slightly childish. It’s sad that she is so resigned to having an unhappy life, and Min-seok seems to bring out some much-needed fight in her. That’s one of the reasons I liked this scene so much, where Min-seok takes her out on a scooter ride to cuss out a horrible customer after a string of unfortunate events. I’m not one for profanity, but I don’t think it was about insulting that nasty woman at the convenience store. It was about Soo-young standing up for herself, and believing that she deserves to be respected (not just by others, but by herself). Anyone would feel horrible after being spurned by a crush and then fired, but Soo-young accepted it as some sort of inevitable fate. I was much relieved to see her actually accept Min-seok’s help and have some fun. They’re also just so dorky and cute in this scene that it’s pretty hard not to love it.

I suppose the overall arc of this drama is fairly predictable, but I’m still on pins and needles waiting to see who finds out what, and when. The plot isn’t very complicated so there’s potential to see some lag towards the end of the series, but I think Min-seok is charming enough to keep us entertained, and I really just can’t get enough of the way he wears his every emotion on his sleeve. In fact, I plan to watch Episode 7 as soon as I finish writing this.

Next week, Joseon Gunman! How I’ll pick just one scene is beyond me.

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