Well I thought I'd never post this entry at all! I've finished watching this drama for some time and I just procrastinated on creating this entry. Let's just assume my lazy bug has bitten me. Nonetheless, this entry is created!
I've got to say that God of Study is a bit old and my review may be a tad too late. But due to the fact that it is currently airing in Singapore on a mandarin cable channel, I thought it may be appropriate to air some comments.
I was attracted to the show primarily for two reasons: The adaption of Dragon Zakura and the actors in this drama. Kim Soo Ro stars as Kang Suk Ho, a lawyer who took up a job to review the conditions of the school. After learning about the conditions of the school and the very fact he himself was reformed by a former teacher who didn't give up on him, he decides to save the school by creating a special class promising admission to the most prestigious college in Korea, "Chun-Ha-Dae University." Hwang Baek Hyun (Yoo Seung Ho), Gil Pul Lip (Go Ah Sung), Hong Chan Do (Lee Hyun Woo), Na Hyun Jung (Park Ji Yeon) and Oh Bang Goo (Lee Chan Ho) decides to join the special class due to various reasons. The story tells about the dedication and hardships they have to go through to achieve the dreams that they want.
In terms of actor lineup, for a school drama, I would consider it to be an overkill. Kim Soo Ro is an accomplished actor and you may remember him as the "game master" in the variety show "Family Outing". Bae Doo Na is Han Soo Jung, a dedicated teacher who always thinks about her students. Bae Doo Na should not sound unfamiliar to Japan drama fans as she has lots of work in Japan. Perhaps, her most daring role to date is her role as an inflatable doll in "Air Doll" where there are scenes where she is naked. Park Ji Yeon is a member of popular Kpop group "T-ara" while Go Ah Sung is the main lead in the Korean movie "The Host".
That said, while the average ratings for the drama in Korea is pretty impressive, I am less impressed with the adaption of Dragon Zakura. Of course, the writers tried to relate it to the Korean way of excelling. Also, there are some changes where it is different from the Japan version. I have nothing against the changes. However, after watching both dramas, I'd still prefer the original version due to a couple of reasons.
For the Korean version, I thought that the tips that were given in the show is somewhat ambiguous as compared to the Japanese version. I gave this part my benefit of doubt as I do not know the Korean education structure. However, I still thought that the Japanese version seem more precise, focusing on certain areas that viewers can easily catch.
Another reason, although somewhat biased, is that I still feel the actor lineup for the Japanese version is just too strong. Kim Soo Ro really is a good actor, however against Abe Hiroshi, Abe's acting is more natural due to his smugness. Student-wise, I think of it as a tie but I was hoping the writers should develop each student's sub-plot in a better way. The flow for the Japanese version seems to be smoother, while the Korean version gives me a snip-shot feeling.
Make no mistake, overall, I enjoyed watching this drama. However, due to the fact that I have watched the original version before, this version left me with a short feeling.
Probably that why, I procrastinated.
