Watching a great high school drama can be a fun way to relax during the back-to-school season.
We listed a few of our favorites. These kdramas range from the stuff of fluffy daydreams to a few that examine the serious issues students confront in real life:
"School 2013" tells it like it is by taking on some of the real issues that students face. It talks about bullying, suicide, violence and relations between students and teachers. And everything takes place in one small classroom at Seung Ri High. The award-winning drama stars Daniel Choi, Lee Jong Suk, Kim Woo Bin and Jang Nara.
Going to a high school reunion is an eye-opening way to put your glory days in perspective. That's what happens in "Reply 1997," a drama that flips back and forth between high school and the lives of the students a decade later. The five friends in the drama meet at a reunion dinner and one couple announces they will marry. Who is it? Does the love that's true in high school survive a decade? The cast includes Jung Eun Ji, Seo In Guk, Hoya, and Shin So Yul.
"Shut Up Flower Boy Band" is a drama that's both about a band and high school. This series, starring Sung Joon and Infinite's L, examines high school friendships, rivalry, romance, and it has a great soundtrack. It also provides one of the more realistic views on what it means to be creatively gifted in high school.
If you do like your high school dramas with a wonderful soundtrack, check out "Dream High" and its sequel "Dream High 2." Both are about students attending the performing arts school, Kirin High. With a touch of "Fame" and "Glee," "Dream High" features performances from Suzy Bae, Taecyeon, and Kim Soo Hyun. But there's a realistic side too, with the jealousy and insecurity that torments creative students faced with such intense competiton
In the manga-inspired "Boys Over Flowers," four spoiled beautiful boys who call themselves F4 terrorize Shinwha High School until one plucky girl stands up to them. It's a school with a four-star restaurant for a cafeteria but it also has bullies and violence. The highly popular drama made superstars out of Lee Min Ho, Kim Hyun Joong, Kim Bum and Gu Hye Sun.
If your notion of the perfect relationship is defined by a one-sided high school crush, check out "Playful Kiss." This fantasy comedy about a girl who follows her crush, no matter how dismissive he is, stars Kim Hyun Joong and Jung So Min.
If you've ever considered pretending to be a boy to follow your crush to an all male high school, watch "To The Beautiful You," starring SHINee's Choi Minho and f(x)'s Sulli. Not many schools will grade you on successfully dressing up as a boy but Sulli should get an A+ for effort.
Wonder what it's like to have an idol attend your school? Watch "Monstar." Although it's the story of a troubled idol forced to attend a high school, its also the story of how teens can use the power of music to heal psychological wounds from a traumatic past.
Any high school dramas we missed? What's your favorite?
