Sangdoo, Let's Go to School! (2003– ) User Reviews

A Real Surprise. So much more than a school story.

[garboyau · 9/10 · 18 January 2007]

I bought this box set while I was in Hong Kong after I had JUST seen Rain's (Bi) "Full House" which my father bought for me. I was immediately converted to a Rain fan after watching it but I wasn't sure what to expect from "Sang Doo! Let's Go To School". If I wasn't a Rain fan, I wouldn't have bothered watching this because I was extremely sceptical, thinking because it's one of his very early work, it might not be so impressive, and the theme about school put me off slightly thinking it wasn't going to be very mature.

I was dead wrong. This is one of the funniest series I have seen! If you've seen Korean series, you'll know to expect comedy, cuteness and a touching story - this series has it all and more. School is just ONE of the themes – it has so much more to offer. The show is mature in a way so you take the story seriously but also laid back enough so you get to know the characters and really grow to care about them, genuinely.

Rain REALLY gets to show his acting talents whilst in "Full House" he didn't get many opportunities to show that he is a brilliant actor. At the beginning it seems like an innocent high school love story with some good laughs but it becomes so epic you will be so captivated. It's as if the series grows up along with the characters who in the beginning were High school kids and now they're adults with real problems and it becomes such a heart touching drama.

The music is also very lovely and works so well together with the series. There's a sweetness in the soundtrack that has a high school first love feel, and also despair in the complications of 2 lovers - very effective soundtrack.

All the cast are extremely good actors and actresses but definitely thumbs up to Rain who doesn't hold anything back. By the end of the series I was crying my eyes out and thinking about it for days. I believe that the ending was beautiful – it was so sad but it was also so loving, I wouldn't change it at all. Out of all of Rain's series, Full House, A Love to kill and Sang Doo, this is by far the best. A must see for Rain fans, Korean series fans and especially if you're sceptical about experiencing the Korean world of great drama.

Funny Title for a Sad Story

[Xiayu · 19 April 2006]

This sixteen episode TV Series seems to be another light-hearted, humorous romp through the halls of a Korean High School, where the school uniforms could have been designed by Chanel or Prada, and where the kids are either unbearably good-looking or terminally geeky.

When we first see Sang-doo, he is a young adult, working as a gigolo under the tutelage of his Uncle. He is a smarmy, superficial poser, turning on the charm to an embarrassing degree.

On the same day we meet Sang-doo, and in the same place at the same time, we also meet Eun-hwan. She is a teacher at the High School, engaged to a doctor, and her life is uncomplicated and not unhappy. Disguised as a student, she comes on behalf of one of her students to intercept a meeting with An Older Man. As events unfold we realise that Sang-doo and Eun-hwan once knew each other.

Gradually we are introduced, in flashback, to the young Sang Doo, a handsome, lively, popular kid at his high school, who has a major crush on the serious and slightly self-conscious Eun Hwan. She, in turn almost can't believe her good luck at attracting his interest. Their youthful romance features all the hallmarks we expect of a KTV romance - leisurely bike rides through the floral Korean countryside, walks on pebble-strewn beaches, the inevitable twisted ankle that results in the first shy physical contact. Everything seems sweet and simple. Then tragedy strikes and they are separated.

The title of this series highly misleading - this is not a comedy. Though it has comedic elements, it's essentially a (melo)drama, a romance, and ultimately a tragedy. The adolescent love turns out to be deep and abiding, marred by a freak accident that has serious repercussions for both the young couple and, eventually, their loved ones.

There is a desperately sick child who needs constant and expensive medical care; a young mother who works as a model, has little education and no common sense; an irresponsible uncle with no moral centre; a grown mother who sent her young daughter away because she had planned to kill herself; and Sang-doo, a person with too many people relying on him, too many responsibilities, and no way out of his situation. None of these characters are happy or well-adjusted.

Singer and actor Rain, billed in the credits under the Korean word for rain, Bi (real name Jung Ji-hoon), plays Sang-doo. For those who think he was only cast because of his popularity as a singer (and because he's pretty easy on the eye), you will change your mind after watching this performance. It is sometimes hilarious, frequently moving and at times almost too painfully real to watch.

Kong Hyo-jin plays Eun-hwan as a seemingly strong but actually frail woman who can't let go and can't move forward. Lee Dong-geon plays the doctor, and he brings a very clever ambiguity to his character that is charming and intriguing. Hong Soo-hyeon plays the difficult role of the sick child's selfish and childish mother very well.

To say any more about the plot or the complex relationships between the characters, would be to ruin part of the enjoyment of watching it. Staying with a complete series is a time commitment that can end up being a waste, but in this case it's well worth it. Highly emotional but highly recommended.

Note: Not really suitable for a relaxing night in

Let's go to school summary

[bajakid2001 · 10 December 2005]

I first saw this show in Korea with English subtitles. It's the story of Cha Sang Doo and Chae Eun Hwan. They were each other's first love in high school when circumstances separated them. They meet again after 10 years. It's the story of how they fall in love again, and the struggles that they have in their personal lives. Nothing like US soaps, but I enjoyed it very much. You may find yourself cursing some of the characters. If Korean isn't your first language you will need to watch with subtitles. For some this may be distracting, but for others like me it really won't matter. Rain (Bi) is a popular singer in Korea and does some singing in this drama. This drama will have you laughing, crying and sometimes yelling at the characters on your TV screen. I recommend this show for your viewing enjoyment.

Guilty pleasure?

[megapad2 · 9 July 2006]

Highly clichéd and the characters are over the top caricatures. I wouldn't say the acting is particularly impressive, neither is the attempt to have 25 year olds playing the parts of teenagers at times. The writers have the actors doing things that are totally unrealistic for the sake of plot and storyline.

The problem I have is the show is trying not to take its self too seriously but at the same time be a touching drama. That's a difficult thing to pull off and was done masterfully in the movie My Sassy Girl but just to prove that is not necessarily an inherent property in Korean productions, this one doesn't succeed too well in that department.

Having said all that, I do actually enjoy it. I feel guilty enjoying it as it is almost as bad as a show called Malibu CA from the late 90's.