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[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Who Are You - School 2015" Episode 11

As it turns out, I-an is still dealing with the consequences of his dramatic decision to protect Eun-bi. It turns out that the swimming team wasn't just background noise- "Who Are You - School 2015" correctly notes that even in an individualist team like swimming, proper camaraderie is a pretty big deal. I-an hasn't just ruined his own athletic inspirations for the near future- he's also wrecked the relays. I-an's story is a cold reflection of how even noble actions can reverberate negative consequences.

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So-yeong, meanwhile, has completely missed the point of that entire exchange. The main issue with So-yeong is that she seems to think what matters is who's right. In reality no one cares who's right. They care about people who are able to demonstrate some minimum standard of empathy. Ironically, So-yeong used to understand this- back at her old school So-yeong was smart enough to stage events in a way that made her look sympathetic.

Another major point of irony is that Eun-bi appears to actually be willing to give up and leave this school, simply because she's tired of dealing with all the stress. Why didn't she just leave the last school, where So-yeong's attempts at bullying were actually effective? Because in that circumstance, too, Eun-bi too cared more about being right than behaving sensibly with regards to her long term future. So-yeong, by contrast, appears to have completely failed to realize that even if by some miracle she's vindicated, everyone's still going to think she's a petty jerk. Because that's exactly what So-yeong is.

By way of further contrast, another subplot involving apparently bullying is resolved- and note how the perpetrator in this case is treated sympathetically because, well, because he's not acting particularly spiteful. Min-joon has a difficult home life. But it's really to the credit of actor Lee David that we can see Min-joon has a difficult home life even when his mother's not around to hassle him.

Technically, of course, the whole Min-joon subplot has been a distraction from the central mystery. And "Who Are You - School 2015" is skirting dangerously close at this point to refusing to explain important story points just for the sake of building up the greater mystery. It's the characters that make "Who Are You - School 2015" interesting really- and after a strong start Tae-kwang has barely even had anything to do lately. It's just, really, I'd like to see everything get tied together soon.

Review by William Schwartz

"Who Are You - School 2015" is directed by Baek Sang-hoon and Kim Seong-yoon, written by Kim Hyeon-jeong-II and Kim Min-jeong-II, and features Kim So-hyun, Nam Joo-hyuk, Yook Sung-jae, Lee Pil-mo, Lee David, Kim Hee-jung-I and more.

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