"Who Are You - School 2015" set a personal record with its final ratings. The KBS drama recorded 8.2 percent, which meant it increased by 0.7 percent more than the previous episode and reached its highest percentage ever.
"Splendid Politics" scored 11.0 percent for the same time slot while "High Society" tied "School 2015" for second place with 8.2 percent. The high school drama started off with low ratings but gradually acquired more of a following.
The drama's storyline began with a strong statement about the evils of bullying. The dual roles of Lee Eun Bi and Go Eun Byul, both played by Kim So Hyun, demonstrated how easy it is to become a victim of bullying and how a person might become one. Lee Eun Bi defended another outcast and became bullied. Go Eun Byul did not think of herself as a bully but was in subtle ways and her shunning of an old friend led to her death. The character of Kang So Young, who bullied Lee Eun Bi, demonstrated how children learn bullying techniques from their parents.
Spoiler alert: However strong the statements about bullying were at the start of the drama, the final episodes focused more on tying up loose plot lines and resolving the romantic triangle that Kim So Hyun shared with model-turned actor Nam Joo Hyuk and BtoB member Yook Sung Jae.
It looked close for a while but Nam Joo Hyuk got the girl, Lee Eun Bi that is. And even though there was another twin, Yook Sung Jae was left alone.
The ending promised happiness for twins Lee Eun Bi and Go Eun Byul. Lee Eun Bi was adopted and loved. Go Eun Byul grew wiser and expanded her horizons. The bullies hopefully learned a lesson.
A few inconsistencies were never resolved. For example, the body thought to be Lee Eun Bi's was never explained or identified.
Overall this drama can be considered a success because of its ratings and also because of the acting skills and charisma of its young cast.
Kim So Hyun did a good job of playing two different sisters. The 16-year-old actress posted a photo on Instagram shortly after the drama's end, thanking fans as well as the cast and crew for their support.
"Thank you for making me look pretty and thank you to Joo Hyuk and Sung Jae. It was hard, but thanks to your support I was able to make it to the end. I won't forget it and I will always be grateful. I'm going to catch up on some sleep now."
Actress Cho Soo Hyang, who played the bully Kang So Young, is eight years older than Kim So Hyun. According to the Korean media outlet Sports Hankook, she did not like acting out the bullying scenes so she tried to film them as quickly as possible. Or it would seem too much like real bullying.
"Thankfully, So Hyun is very mature so she understood. She's so kind, too. She approached me first and smiled and talked to me. She was worried about me being tired. Sung Jae and Joo Hyuk are also younger than me but they are so mature. I was the childish one. They took care of me and not the other way around."
Did you see the final episode? What do you think?
