I had full intentions of writing/publishing this post the day after I wrote the first part, but clearly that did not happen.
It has been almost a week since the last episode was aired of School 2013 though surprisingly the interest in the show remains. The only reason why I’m surprised is because arguably our generation has a very short attention span. Anyways, let’s get back to talking about the rest of the characters.
Last week, I talked about some of the boys, this post will, however, be focused more on teachers and female characters. Though, MinKi and Youngwoo are exceptions.
Let’s start off with Lee MinKi then.
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At first glance, he is a perfect student. Straight As. Down to earth. Helpful. And kind. But there is more to his character than being perfect. Jung Ho has an abusive parent; Namsoon, a neglecting parent; MinKi, however has a dominant parent. She wants him to be perfect. Wants him to take the path that she has selected for him. To get him on that path she is willing to go to any extent.
Firing a teacher. Stabbing others on the back. Getting exam questions in advance. Manipulating the school to act in her favour. She does all that and more, not realizing what impact it’s having on her son. I was amazed that despite the character of his mother, he remained faithful to the class and the teachers. Not once stabbing them in the back. Well, in exception of one but the whole class was responsible for that.
The writers went an extra step and showed what kind of consequence overbearing parents can have on their kids. MinKi’s brother, who supposedly is studying at Yale, is actually a Hikikomori. The pressure his brother experienced led him to confine himself in his room. I assume that MinKi’s life was pretty relax because of his brother being there but once his brother was out of the picture, his mother tries to make him her new protege. The path he set himself upon could have led to his end but thankfully he stopped.
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Young Woo’s character is extremely adorable but heartbreaking at the same time. A kid with learning disabilities thrown in a class with a mixed group of kids. Who are nothing like him. It’s not surprising that because of his learning disability, he is treated unfairly by his classmates. And of course bullied by the trio. But despite all that, he pretends to be okay.
On the other hand, his loyalty towards his classmates, especially Nam Soon is admirable. He wants to be treated equally and be respected. Thus, he treats everyone equally and with respect. His love for poetry makes me want to sit him down and help him write poems all day. It would have been pretty heartbreaking if his story had ended after his sudden violent outburst to help Nam Soon and his subsequent recognition in class. Well somewhat recognition. The writers though took it one step further.
After the class stopped looking down on him and bullying him, there was no further news of him. Occasional scenes to remind the viewers that he was still part of the cast showed him being okay. But he was not okay. In the last episode, Ji Hoon, on his path to become a good person and leave his bullying days behind, writes a letter to Young Woo. Apologizing for his behaviour. Young Woo who has been pretending to be okay all this time, admits rather shyly that he wasn’t okay but he will be now.
This is not to say that apologizing makes bullying alright but rather it’s a step towards recovery and forgiveness. To me, this was one of the most significant scenes, along with MinKi’s suicide attempt.
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This is certainly not a flattering picture of Ha Kyung but it is relevant to her character. Just like MinKi, she is a perfect student. But unlike him, she is not too kind. She is competitive. And like every other character in this story, she has a reason for being the way she is.
Her family consists of smart and perfect people. Who have all gone to Korea’s top school. She wants to do the same. To live up to her family’s expectation of her. She is good at it but not always the best. There are multiple incidents that happen to her which shapes her to realize where her path is leading her and why she must stop. Her character takes us on a journey of taking pills, lying, being jealous of our friend for being better, getting bullied, living with expectations, and of course living with parental pressure.
Unlike MinKi’s mom, Ha Kyung’s mother uses her power in sweet way to get what she wants. Even going as far as treating her own daughter’s friend unfairly, of course in a nice way. Ha Kyung is allowed to do whatever she wants as long as she goes to the school her family went to. At any cost. From having just one goal in mind to becoming a true friend is what we get out of her character. It doesn’t mean she quits her dream or is still not being followed by expectations but she realizes that having friends and being there for them is equally important.
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Most of the characters have a backstory to justify their current characteristics. Kang Joo doesn’t. It is not because she might not have one but because it is not necessary to have one. She is a true friend, looking out for everyone around her. Many complained that by not giving her a backstory, the writers did not create a more in depth character. I disagree.
To me, she is just a normal student. With normal family and normal expectations. She is not under pressure to do well but that doesn’t mean that she is not a good student. She just is what she is. I loved her dynamics with Ha Kyung. How no matter how harshly she was treated by the latter, Kang Joo tried her best to be there for her best friend. It is not to say that she never got angry but she at least tried to understand. I think this is what a true friend is. They don’t always have to get along with you but they at least give it a try. And so should you.
When she does not raise her hand to stop Teacher Jang from leaving, many viewers were disappointed in her. But her action is justifiable. She is a good writer but not a straight A student thus she is passed over for an important competition. Her best friend is jealous of her one skill. What else can one expect from Kang Joo. The fact that she regrets her action and says so is admirable.
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Nari is one of those characters who I thought would be in the background all throughout the series but when her character comes to the forefront, it seems a little forced. But it isn’t. She is not important. No one remembers her. She is just part of the background. That’s a little saddening isn’t it.
The writers did a great job in creating such an image for her that when the viewers realize that she is important, it seems to be sudden. She doesn’t want to be part of the background. The scene where she asks Teacher Kang if he even knew her name before a certain incidence, not only takes Se Chan aback but the viewers as well. She craves attention but she doesn’t go out of her way to gain it. Except for one time. Which leads to her gaining attention but puts her at risk of losing her friend.
Hye Sun, her best friend, is someone very important for Nari. She does not ignore her. She is there for her. But when Hye Sun finds a new interest, Nari feels left out. How many of us have felt this way before? I know I certainly have. What I love about the two of them is that their friendship is so strong that despite an incident which could have caused conflict, does not. Well, not too much at least.
Though, now that I think about it, isn’t that the theme of the show? Friends are there for you no matter what.
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Well, certainly not in Kyung Min’s case. I don’t think she has true friends at all. Eun Hye for sure is anything but a good friend. When we are first introduced to Kyung Min, she is anything but a nice person. Not that much changes in the end but she is better off than her ‘friend’. Kyung Min has a reason to be super competitive, as do most of the characters for their individual behaviours. Unlike Ha Kyung, Eun Hye, and MinKi, she does not have an influential parent or a supportive family, who will help her reach her goal. She has to do it herself. And if she has to sabotage others to do so, she will.
Her attitude does change slightly when she backs Teacher Jang’s return to class 2-2. There were many hints to different romantic connections in the series, which were never explored because of different reasons. One was between her and Yi Kyung. I would have love to see them falling in love and changing each other. But alas. Just like Jung Ho, she doesn’t suddenly become a nice person but she is definitely on a path to improving her attitude.
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Eun Hye is everything our society represents. Rude, competitive, arrogant, snooty, to name a few. She has her mother backing her up for every wrong move. Why? Because is a good student and has a chance to get into the top school of Korea. Why does she want to do that? Because she wants to marry rich. That’s it. That is all there is to her character. She is not planning on changing her attitude and she is not planning on being a good human being. She is what she is.
Not everyone can change. They will remain the same throughout their lives unfortunately. Eun Hye is one of them.
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Moving away from the students, let’s talk about the teachers. First off, Teacher Uhm and Teacher Jo, who at first glance are total opposite of each other. They are different but have the same purpose. To help students become better human beings. Teacher Uhm, or as he is called, Uhmforce, is a strict teacher, who knows how to get the students to obey him. But he knows when to bend over backwards to help the ones around him.
Teacher Jo, similarly, is always there for his students and fellow teachers. He is, however, much more softer in his nature and gains respect because of his gentle attitude. He knows that the life of a teacher is not one without hardship. And he wants his fellow teachers to know that as well. All his advice, throughout the series, are very relevant and to the point.
I think having these two teachers created a good support system for our resident class 2-2 homeroom teachers. Especially because of the unsupportive administration, aka the Principle and Vice-Principle.
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Kang Se Chan. A full of attitude and confident teacher. Who does not like being a teacher. He just wants to be someone who helps the top students get into top schools. He does not care about other below the mark individuals. At least that’s what we understand of him. And again, there is a reason for his behaviour. A past incidents.
In one of the earlier episodes, he told Oh Jung Ho to quit school because school does not need a kid like him. It was harsh. It was exactly what our society wants. To get rid of those who disturb the system or can’t keep up with it. Se Chan, perhaps, changed the most throughout the series. Or rather changed back to how he used to be. Caring for the students beyond his abilities. Being there for them despite the backlash.
His problem throughout the series, in my opinion, is that he either does not care at all or cares too much. The kid he told to quit school is the same kid Se Chan begged to return to school. He did not want to hold on to the kids in the beginning but at the end had a terrible time letting go of Jung Ho’s hand. I love how through his character I learned that one needs to care but one also needs to know when to let go and hope for the better.
His character, turns out to be a great support system for Teacher Jung, Nari, Nam Soon, Heung Soo, and Oh Jung Ho.
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Lastly, let us talk about Jung In-Jae. An optimistic teacher who thinks all that a student needs is a great support system at school. Maybe she is right. Maybe she isn’t. But that does not matter to her. She tries her best to be there for her students. Which is why it is heartbreaking when she is on the verge of being fired and the students do not care. Of course, they have a reason to be mad at her. Some think she only cares about smart students while others think she only cares about the bullies. Despite knowing her too well, they act like they don’t.
When she loses support of her students, she loses hope. For her being a teacher is all about students. For each and every one of her students. In Jae wants to see them all succeed. To do better. She does not want to leave anyone behind. Thus, even till the very last scene she has hope that the one who was left behind would eventually come around. We never find out if he does or not but it is sweet to see In Jae still hoping. I wish we had more of these kind of teachers. The ones who cared about you. About how you were doing. If you had any problems. Or even if you had a meal that day.
If class 2-2 only had her as their teacher, they might have become good human beings but maybe not good students. Not that they became either/or. But the point is that both Teacher Jang and Teacher Kang are very important part of the classroom. It is great to see two different types of teachers working together to help their students.
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This is the last of the character description. I will, however, have a third and last instalment of this series. That one will talk about inspiring quotes that have emerged from this drama. I hope people give this drama a chance. I am sure most folks will like it.
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