Official Synopsis: Kirin Arts High School has fallen from its status as a top academy of arts into dire financial straits and is in danger of closing. This season follows a new group of students after the previous group graduated. The school is taken over by OZ Entertainment Agency, who transfers their own idol stars over to the school to avoid the law that prohibits underage entertainers from performing after 10 p.m. Competition arises between the troubled students of Kirin and the newly transferred idols from OZ.

Ratings: 'Dream High 2' hit its bottom with the lowest rating of 5.8%. With the cluttered conflict and character developments, 'Dream High 2' can only hope it can salvage its rating to a 6% level with the recent ratings plummeting. Meanwhile, the low rating of 'Dream High 2' can also be attributed in part to the broadcast of the finale episode of SBS's 'History of Salaryman'. Ultimately breaking the 20% boundary, it brought in its highest rating of 21.7%, placing its next drama, 'Fashion King' (starring Girls' Generation's Yuri, Yoo Ah In, Shin Se Kyung) in a good launching pad. Meanwhile, MBC's 'Lights and Shadows' brought in a respectable 17.9%.



Recap of Ep. 14: Ambulances rush to the car accident scene, where JB begins to bleed severely from his legs. Hyesung (Kang Sora) trails behind sobbing, while Rian (T-ara's Jiyeon), Yoojin (2AM's Jinwoon), and Teacher Ji Soo (After School's Kahi) rush to the hospital, all waiting anxiously for the results of JB's surgery. Rian begins to scream at the silent Hyesung for not being able to protect JB, troubling her even more, only to stop with Yoojin stepping up to protect Hyesung. With the surgery concluded, the surgeon breaks the good news that it was completed successfully, only to have the relief and joy shatter at the shocking news. JB cannot continue doing intensive sports, including dancing.

While Hyesung hides in her dormitory, burdened by the guilt and heartache, and Yoojin trying to comfort her, Rian stays by JB's side and cries for JB's dilemma as she relays the heartbreaking news to him. Giving one of his sneakers to him, she asks him to wear it once again. With JB's friends coming to cheer him up, Rian begins composing a song for JB for the competition.

Hyesung, hoping to encourage JB to persevere in his dream, makes arrangements with Shin PD and Rian to relinquish her stage for JB. Handing her composed song, "Together", to JB, she promises to sing with him in the hospital. However, JB meets a surprise as he begins singing alone when Rian joins him, appearing from the crowd. Meanwhile, in the super star audition, Hyesung showcases JB's and Rian's performance.


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kdramacrazy's Thoughts:

[ Note : This post reflects the opinions of the author, not necessarily those of allkpop ]

Watching the fourteenth episode of 'Dream High 2' awakened the memories and conflicted emotions that arose from watching the final few episodes of 'Heartstrings' (starring CNBLUE's Jung Yonghwa and Park Shin Hye). [Spoiler: Heartstrings] During one of the last episodes, the writer felt like inserting a 'filler' accident, to help instigate a conflict with the sudden (and quite frankly, implausible) accident, in which Yonghwa's broken finger halted his dream of becoming a guitar player.

Much like that, JB's accident handicapping his leg to the extent he cannot continue dancing is like an accessory to the plot, not the conflict itself. If the accident had occurred in the middle of the drama, and the writers had used the latter half to create his resolution in overcoming the handicap to become that superior dancer, then I wouldn't be so critical. The heartfelt poignant emotions I felt in the five minutes of Rian crying for JB's annihilated dream, JB facing that insurmountable wall, and JB attempting to walk without his crutches and crumbling to the floor could have been exploited, and integrated the 'dreams' and 'passions' aspect beautifully, salving the final three episodes.

In addition, Hyesung's character development is one of the most bewildering and disappointing in relation to the overall theme of the drama and the continuity. Hyesung willingly sacrifices her dreams, her passion for JB. I'll give kudos to adding the extra layer of not only handing the stage to him because of her love for him, but also because she received the gift of hope for her dreams (abstractly, sounds beautiful, but didn't get to see too much of it in the last few episodes of the drama). But her portrayal was like a timid, and resigned character with her dreams, which contrasts with the exuberant and confident girl she was in the first half of the drama. Especially when she had told JB that her place is in the audience, not on the stage. It could be interpreted that she had lied for JB's sake, but all her actions following it give that statement a ring of candor. If the writers had wanted Hyesung to realize her dream is with composing, then that should have been underscored, rather than having the entrails of her dream disappear.