Going back to school doesn’t mean you have to stop getting your daily dose of K-dramas! If you feel disappointed that campus life isn’t as fun and romantic as it is on screen, here are five K-dramas in a school-setting that are sure to cheer you up!
1. Who Are You: School 2015
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to trade lives with someone who is your complete opposite?
“Who Are You: School 2015” is a 2016 drama about a pair of identical twin sisters played by Kim So-hyun who are separated at birth. One sister lives at an orphanage and gets bullied at high school by a mean girl gang, while teachers turn a blind eye. The other sister studies at a prestigious high school in Gangnam along with her best friend, played by Nam Joo-hyuk. When one sister attempts to end her life, she gets amnesia, and the twins end up switching identities.
For those of us stuck in quarantine, we can live through campus romances on screen!
2. Reply 1997
For lovers of vintage concepts, “Reply 1997” is the perfect drama that combines retro elements while maintaining a timeless storyline. “Reply 1997” tells the story of six friends in Busan as they reminisce their past as 18-year-olds in high school at their reunion in 2012. The greatest suspense that holds the series together is the mystery of which couple will announce their marriage at the reunion dinner. As the first part of the “Reply” series, later including “Reply 1994” and “Reply 1988,” the series captured the blossoming of youth in a school setting as the characters grapple with romance, family issues, and their career paths.
Fans of K-pop will enjoy this drama because of the incredible acting from APink’s Eunji, Infinite’s Hoya, and SECHSKIES’ Jiwon!
3. Cheese in the Trap
“Cheese in the Trap” is a 2016 drama adapted from a webtoon and focuses on the daily life of a group of university students. Hong Seol, played by “Goblin” and “Eternal Monarch” star Kim Go-eun, is a hard-working scholarship student who ends up in a complicated yet delicate relationship with her senior, Yoo Jung, played by Park Hae-jin, a rich and popular heir who seems to have it all.
4. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo
Tired of typical female heroines?
“Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo” tells the story of an ambitious and tom-boyish weightlifter who stands up for injustice, Kim Bok-joo, played by Lee Sung-kyung. She ends up in a relationship with her childhood friend, Jung Joon-hyung, played by Nam Joo-hyuk, a playful competitive swimmer who is overcoming personal trauma. This drama is a coming-of-age story about college athletes who balance pursuing their dreams with a search for unlikely love!
5. The Heirs
Nobody can talk about school life dramas without mentioning the ultimate cult-favorite, “The Heirs.” Fans who recently watched “Legend of the Blue Sea” and “The King: Eternal Monarch” and fell in love with Lee Minho’s acting may know that Lee Minho rose to greater popularity from his acting in “The Heirs.”
The story is set in a high school only attended by inheritors of the extremely rich and provides a glimpse into the difficulties that even the most privileged face as they prepare to take over their families’ massive business empires, whilst trying not to lose themselves in the cruel world of the rich. Kim Tan, played by Lee Minho, falls in love with Eun-sang, played by Park Shin-hye, a down-to-earth and hard-working girl during his exile to the U.S by his older brother who wishes to take control of the family business.
We may not all be as wealthy as Kim Tan, but we can get a glimpse of high society through this classic school-life romance drama!
cheese in the trap will leave sane people depressed i vowed to never rewatch it but i wanted my younger sister to feel my pain and i regret watching it again