Dream High Episode 5: Uhm Ki-joon as Kang Oh-hyuk

Episode 5 was by far my favorite. I may sound like a broken record, but Dream High really is getting better by the episode. Ep. 5 was poignant and funny. Now the students are all at Kirin and are starting to strive for their goals. The show no longer relies solely on outside forces to cause problems. Hye-mi continues to fight against others, but the real obstacle now is herself. She has to learn that she’s not perfect and has to be able to slowly break down the wall around her heart.

NOTE: The following is not an actual recap of the drama but is more of a concentrated recap of the character Kang Oh-hyuk in Dream High.

Kang Oh-hyuk will be shortened to Kang in the following recap.

Episode 5

Kang reprimands Hye-mi for making a bet against Baek-hee. Is she crazy!? She can’t even take lessons right now, how does she possibly think she can beat Baek-hee in the upcoming test?

Hye-mi declares that she’ll win. It’s just that she’ll need some help. Kang can’t hear her mumbling and asks her to speak up. Hye-mi whispers a little louder that she needs help, but Kang still can’t hear her. Jin-gook shouts that Hye-mi asked for your help, and Kang can’t help but smile.

Sam-dong says if they all join forces, they can overcome this wall and turn it into a bridge. As the special class decides that all three will try their best to succeed, another student enters. Kim Pil-sook has been demoted to their class and shyly asks if they can make it a quartet rather than a trio.

The test grades the singer’s ability to be able to pass the song onto the audience. Kang records teacher Gong Min-chul’s class and takes his students to an empty music classroom. The students start doing the exercises and try to emote. Kang praises Pil-sook and says she could be an actress. He turns to Hye-mi and asks her why she’s not participating. Hye-mi states that she was acting and showing her internal emotions. Kang stares at her flabbergasted and bluntly tells her that she can’t act.

Just then, Principal Shi enters and asks what they’re doing. They’re only supposed to use their designated classroom. Kang speaks up and says the room is not being used since class time is over, but lowers his tail at the principal’s glare and meekly agrees with him that they shouldn’t be in there even if it’s empty.

The class is kicked out and goes to Jin-gook’s basement where he hangs out with his friends. Everyone pitches in and helps spruce up the place. However, now they have more pressing matters. The students need a real teacher and not just video recordings. Kang tells them that he has someone in mind but the only problem is that this teacher hates his guts more than Hye-mi hates him.

Kang meets up with Yang Jin-man and asks him to teach the special class. Jin-man ignores Kang until Kang shouts out if he wants the students to be like him. Does Jin-man want to see those kids trust in Kang to only be let down and have their talents buried.

Jin-man stops in his track, turns around, walks up to Kang and punches him in the gut. Jin-man yells that Kang’s mouth should be sown for the good of the public and leaves in a huff. Kang recoils from the punch and shouts after Jin-man. Kang says to at least sell his instrument to him, and Jin-man asks, “How much?”

Jin-man brings his instrument over to the basement and watches the eager Sam-dong with a twinkle in his eye. Kang smiles at their interaction, but once he locks eyes with Jin-man, Jin-man’s smile fades. Kang asks him to stay but Jin-man refuses, though he hesitates at the door, Jin-man shakes his head and leaves.

At school, Kang passes teacher Shi’s class, but she calls him over. She starts to bashfully state that she called him last night and that she was happy to hear that he was still single. Kang is at a lost for words at teacher Shi’s actions and stutters, “I… don’t have any interest in teacher Shi. I already have a woman that I like…”

 

Teacher Shi turns to her class and tells them this is how it should be done. She was acting all this time and was merely using Kang to show her students how to express the emotions of a song using monologue. Kang laughs and sighs that it was all acting.

Kang uses teacher Shi’s idea and wants the special class to use song monologues. Jin-man enters and shoos Kang off the podium stating that he can’t solely rely on stealing other teachers’ ideas.

The students start reciting the songs, but when it’s Hye-mi’s turn, she’s awful. Jin-man laughs in disbelief and mocks Hye-mi as fanastic (fantastically horrible!). Kang ushers the angered Jin-man to step out and cool for a bit. Jin-man leaves but stays long enough to throw something in Hye-mi’s direction and makes Kang jump up in surprise and fear.

Kang explains to Hye-mi that she doesn’t understand. He asks her what wasted dream is, and when she can’t answer right away, Kang asks Pil-sook who tells him the answer. Kang points out that this is her weakness and the reason why she failed. She may be the best singer of the bunch, but she has less that a tenth of the other’s ability to convey feelings.

Jin-gook’s hyung tries to commit suicide but fails. Now he’s at jail and calls Jin-gook in order to identify him. Jin-gook and Kang arrive at the police station and free Jin-gook’s hyung. He thanks them and tells Jin-gook that he really liked his old life in the cramp apartment. Even though it was uncomfortable and difficult, at least he had a dream back then.

His hyung’s words hit Jin-gook who remembers their old bet. Jin-gook had said he’d dress up as a girl, wear a miniskirt and dance Girl’s Generation’s Genie if his hyung ever passed the bar exam. Jin-gook asks Kang if he could learn Genie, and Kang takes this opportunity and makes everyone participate.

Hye-mi is not pleased and doesn’t understand why she has to do something so stupid. Even Jin-man doesn’t understand why they’re wasting time when the test is just around the corner, and Hye-mi still sucks at acting. Kang explains that this is all for Hye-mi. Even if she constantly reads the music, she will never learn. He looks at Hye-mi and earnestly asks her to trust him this once.

Everyone goes to Jin-gook’s hyung and perform Genie. The hyung is touched and the students thoroughly enjoy themselves. Everything is a success as they eat over chicken and Sam-dong asks if they’re brothers. This riles both of them up asking whether they really look that “bad”?

On the bus ride back, everyone is tired out and sleeping. Awww…

The next day, the test has begun and Kang and Jin-man watch nervously. Jin-man figures out teacher Gong’s grading method: the number of students paying attention equals the score. Finally it’s Hye-mi’s turn, and she decides to change her song at the last minute. She sings Winter Child which is a token of remembrance to her and Jin-gook’s past.

Hye-mi is amazing, and Jin-man says that she must have practiced a lot on her spare time. Kang smiles and says that right now… Hye-mi is sincerely singing that song for someone else and not for herself.



My Thoughts:

Teacher Kang is adorable! I love when he smiles, and I love how easily flabbergasted he is. I am officially a Kang Oh-hyuk fan and unless he does something really, really, really bad, I will remain his loyal fan. I like how he is slowly starting to become a real teacher and care for his students.

If teacher Shi tries any funny business (because it looks like she might have some interest in our Kang Oh-hyuk), she's going to meet a very unhappy camper. She better not have any ideas about trying to hurt our poor Kang because if she tries to play with him... Anyways, Sam-dong is really cute and Jin-gook is too. Another mention, Park Jin-young as Yang Jin-man is surprisingly good. I still find him scary looking, but his acting doesn't make me cringe but makes me smile.

I never thought I would say this, but I'm really enjoying Dream High and am actually anticipating the next episodes.