Life Lesson from What's up: More eyeliner, more badass. Rules of dramaland.

Written by kaedejun

The last of the 2011 musical dramas that ended in 2012, and probably the best. What’s Upfollowed the dreams of a group of students who wanted to be a star! It’s very similar toYou’ve Fallen For Me, and yet it managed to take on a more serious tone, showing the rivalries and friendship that grew out of all these students who had one remarkable professor who made them think about why they were in that school, and to be true to themselves. Only then could they become the best.The stakes were higher in this drama than You’ve Fallen For Me, which was appropriate for college students.

What's Up is ONE of my all time favorite drama's.

I wanted to watch What's Up for a long time ago but never really got around to do so. But I picked it up on Tuesday and already finished it. IT WAS SOOOOOOO GOOOD. I watched over 70 K-drama's in the last 4.5 years. And What's Up is ONE of my all time favorite drama's. IT WAS BEYOOOOOOND GOOOOD!It's sort of like dream high but only a thousand times better. Every character, every conflict was so well portrayed. I am absolutely floored. Of course the actors were really gooood as well. Im Joo Hwan, Im Joo Eun, Kim Ji Won, Daesung, Oh Man Suk, Lee Soo Hyuk and Jo Jung Suk had stellar performances. This drama had some of the BEST songs EVER in any drama before!

I just wished the eps were longer and some of the earlier conflicts introduced were played out more but they had a 45 min time constraint so they cut some stuff out. Sigh. I know some people didnt like the ending but I liked it since the whole drama was done in a slice of life format.

I really want a Vol 2 since I am guessing that the writers really wanted to do a second season hence the ending. But with Im Joo Hwan in the military now and how the drama flew under the radar. Idk. But like seriously broadcast stations have drama's like BoF and Dream High 2 which are like mindless disasters but the real dramas like What's Up get pushed aside for that sort of ridiculousness. Which is beyond me.

Also besides Daesung's Lunatic, their were a lot of other songs in the drama which I think was the drama's original score have they been released?

If you have not watched it get to it.

What's up - I declare I love this show.

From: Maymaywatch

I declare I love this show. Truth is I never completed any other musical drama so I can’t really compare, but if they are anything as good, I’m game for more. I think I loved everything about What’s Up – I’m invested in all the characters. Hell I cried for half of them in the past 20 episodes. I know some complained about the jarring and fickle moods but I actually loved it. It prevented the drama from being draggy because it’s an emotional rollercoaster. One moment I’m crying, the next I’m laughing…sometimes both simultaneously. That’s how crazy it is for me.

The set-up isn’t anything novel, but I think it’s done just right. I know the drama’s been edited for a 45 minute broadcast, but really I didn’t feel it. I love how all the characters have grown for the better, and realistically. Jae-hun never lost his cockiness, Do-sung is as timid as ever, Byung-gun with his overflowing confidence, Chae-young’s bitchiness….you geddit. Their circumstances might have changed but they are in essence still very much the same person as they were in the earlier episodes.

K-drama Review: What's Up?

By saryre

I think I have found my new K-drama favourite. Actually, What’s Up? really took me off by surprise. I wasn’t that excited about the premise, nor did I care about the cast. Moreover, it took a long time before it began airing. At one point, I was convinced that the drama had been dropped completely. So when it actually started I wasn’t expecting it to be my taste at all. But, boy, was I wrong! I loved it so wholeheartedly with my anticipation constantly growing for the next episodes. I don’t even know if it’s fair to compare What’s Up? with the usual dramas because it sure doesn’t fall on the same level. I felt like I was watching a really long (but well worth the time) movie production. Seriously, there is a lot that other drama creators could learn from What’s Up?...like A LOT.

What I first noticed was that this What's Up? did not try to force me into loving it with pretty (idol) cast, cutesy factors or unnecessary drama. No, What’s Up? won me over because it didn’t have any of that superficial-ness. It had a wonderful cast, lovable characters, a gripping story, heartbreaking conflicts, great editing and directing, and impressive musical performances. What’s Up? felt sincere. And most astonishingly, it did it all with a great pace that never made the drama bothersome to watch.

What's up - Gif - Ep 01-03

What’s Up with the Ending

By rebzombie

What’s Up is one of those dramas that took me by surprise. I didn’t expect to like as much as I did. It is definitely a lot better than Dream High 2. The drama features music and romance between students belonging to the theatrical department of a university.

The cast members of What’s Up don’t need to be cutesy in order to get my attention. The drama has gripping plotlines, compelling characters, good directing and remarkable performances. The pace is just right to make it not tedious to watch. It focuses on the characters and their stories.

Im Joo Hwan is Jang Jae Hun the thug. He is a petty pickpocket but after causing a car accident that resulted in the death of a person, he decides to take up musical theater in the university.

What’s Up, Final Thoughts

By jennyukari

I didn’t screencap this drama only because I watched it through Dramafever instead of downloading it. Out of all the music-themed dramas I’ve seen so far though (Dream High, You’ve Fallen For Me…), “What’s Up” definitely had the best music which is kind of important in a music-themed drama.  Check out the duet between Park Tae Hee (Kim Ji Won) and Kim Byung Gun (Jo Jung Suk) above.  It was goosebumps all over for me. That being said, I have mixed feelings regarding all the other aspects of this show.

I think the problem I have with this show is that it spreads itself too thin. There were too many things going on and in the end, it had a hard time tying all the storylines up.  It’s not the unknown that’s unsettling, it’s that the show ended so abruptly making it feel unfinished.  

There’s Jang Jae Hun (Im Joo Hwan)’s struggle with his conscience over the death of Tae Hee’s father while trying to put his juvenile delinquent days behind him.  There’s the awkward romantic relationship that develops between the two. One feels guilty for his past misdeeds, pushing the other away.  The other feels it’s her fault that no in her life sticks around for too long.  Then there’s Tae Hee’s clash with the cut-throat world of the entertainment industry. It was like watching a baby duck being thrown into a big bad ocean.

What’s Up: Episode 20 (Final)

The end is here! And it is not without pain, suffering, sadness, and tears. Oh my – I think I sound quite depressive, but then again, how else can I feel when such a wonderful series comes to an end? There are enough happy moments, but all tempered with a tinge of dread as we all know what’s going to happen to Sun-Man. I hope you’ve enjoyed watching this series, more so than reading recaps; What’s Up is quite the rare gem, and it’s definitely up there in my list of favorites.

Now let me just whip out a box of tissues…

SONG OF THE DAY

This ballad plays quite frequently in What’s Up. [download]

 

Sun-Man is rushed to the hospital, and fades in and out of consciousness. Doo Ri and Jae Hun sit in the waiting area all night; Soo Bin plays his violin in an attempt to distract himself; Byeong Gun practices dance moves, but falls down and doesn’t get back up.

 

Meanwhile, in his own dark practice room, Do Sung sings his Hades song, “Lunatic,” but he doesn’t get very far when he realizes someone is in the room with him. It’s Chae Young. She doesn’t buy his story that he’s trying to “mimic” Hades’s music, and wants to know why he’s hiding the fact that he’s Hades. It’s no use trying to deny it to her.

What’s Up: Episode 19

Episode 19 and 20 are really two halves of a whole. It sends the entire series hurtling towards the end, and wraps up the Tae Hee and Jae Hun storyline into a neat little bow. I actually don’t like that it’s a neat bow, but more on that later. What we do get is a nice moment with Chae Young, who shows no indication of changing her manipulative ways… or will she?

I was most disappointed by the lack of music in this episode. Boo.

 

After the joyous performance by our wonderful Doo Ri, we’re back in the hospital. Seems like Sun-Man got more of a leave of absence for a one-day excursion, rather than a full discharge from the hospital. Hooked up to his IV, his first visitor is Jang Jae Hun, who was just released from jail. Jae Hun hasn’t been back at school yet, still too scared at the possibility of seeing Tae Hee. He isn’t ready to ask for forgiveness from her just yet. Sun-Man teaches him a trick: just say the word “forgive” a hundred times and sooner or later, the meaning of the word will be lost on him.

Despite his feeble appearance, Sun-Man manages to pull Jae Hun close by the collar – his last wish is to see Jae Hun direct a musical performed by his students. Well, when you say something like that with the words “my last wish,” do you think anyone will really be able to say no?

 

Outside the room, Doo Ri is waiting. Jae Hun tries to cheer her up by saying that Sun-Man is still the same crabby teacher as ever, but she only breaks down into tears. He offers her his shoulder willingly. *Swoon.*Sob.*

What's Up: Episode 18

 

Meanwhile, Jae Hun leaves a letter on his mother’s doorstep. He apologizes to the door, as she is not home, and then gets on the floor and bows deeply. And with that, he runs off to the police station.

After the lady leaves, Tae Hee spends a moment looking at her father’s picture. She knows that the lady she just met is really her mother. “Why didn’t you ask her then?” Tae Hee turns around to see her Angel Daddy beside her again!

He’s finally back!

 

Even though the lady had not acknowledged herself as the mother, she still came to see Tae Hee, and so Tae Hee can’t hate her completely. Angel Daddy admires at how much his daughter has matured. But Tae Hee is more preoccupied with the yellow piece of paper – she recognizes it from Jae Hun’s wallet, when she thought it was a love letter. How did Jae Hun get it? Was he at her father’s accident? These questions scare her so much that she’d rather not think about it.

But it just leads to more questions – if the slip was with her father, and it led to her mother, then was her father searching for her mother? Was Jae Hun the cause of the accident? Angel Daddy can’t say much else, but advises her to go see Jae Hun. She should seek her answers there, no matter how scared she must feel. Only then can she know what she truly fears.

 

As for Jae Hun, he records his testimony with Detective Cho. He was racing down the alleyway when Mr. Park had appeared out of nowhere. He swerved and hit the wall to avoid Mr. Park, but Mr. Park must have stumbled backwards anyways. He fell on the road and got hit by the truck.

He remembers seeing Mr. Park’s face, but ran away at the shock of the incident. He didn’t know if Mr. Park died, so he eventually went back and asked the cashier lady in the supermarket about what happened. The cashier lady said nothing happened; Jae Hun believed it. Little did either know at the time that Mr. Park had actually died.

What’s Up: Episodes 17

Agh – these two episodes were emotional roller coasters. I felt happy, then sad, then heartbroken, then happy again, then euphorically happy, and then sad again. SHOW – WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME!?!? The best part is? Episode 18 had twowonderful performances. I couldn’t bear to write about them as two separate recaps…

 

What?! Jae Hun leaving?! Wait what?! Who has cancer?!

Two bombshells happening to two very different girls, with their male-best friend/sidekick as the bearer of bad news. While Doo Ri is stunned into silence, Tae Hee doesn’t want to be the one to stop Jae Hun from leaving. She hates that everyone is using her as Jae Hun’s kryptonite, like he’ll do anything for anyone if Tae Hee asks it of him. Do Sung practically yells at her – is she ok with not seeing Jae Hun – ever!? again!?

What’s Up: Episode 16

Whoa. I fervently request that all remaining episodes – however many it may be, because I REFUSE to count down – be 90-minutes long each. At it’s rate, it’s going to be difficult to resolve everything when each episode is only 45-50 minutes long, and the drama is just starting to reach the climax by adding more conflicts and obstacles for our dear characters!

Plus, I’m getting really attached to the coupling in the above photo.

 

This episode begins with a monologue. Our dear Doo Ri muses about the story of “The Princess and the Frog,” and I’m sure she’s seeing Byeong Gun with new eyes; he’s her Frog Prince, and his singing is a rare miracle. It doesn’t mean she’s in love with him though.

Yet. (Maybe?)

Still hovering around Sun-Man, she follows him all the way to the hospital, and then watches from a distance as he says goodbye to his doctor. Immediately her eyes widen in anger and jealousy. She puts on lipstick (in the men’s bathroom no less, because her anger has made her oblivious to bathroom signs), and then angrily confronts Sun-Man in the reception area.

What’s Up: Episode 15

Being obsessed with a show has a double-edged sword; when things are going well, it’s great. When things go exactly the way you want them to, and/or turn out to be better than you expected, it increases the level of fandom. And that’s difficult for me because I can’t go shouting on the rooftops, “What’s up, WHAT’S UP!!” and turn on everyone’s computer to episode 1. I’d get the stink-eye, no matter how sweet or charming I think I am. The point of all this “fandom rambling” is: this drama needs an official OST, stat. The songs are what increases my love for this show each week because of the talent involved. There’s only so much I can do with editing audio tracks from the drama episodes to create my own personal OST.

 

Sun-Man is informed of Team Yang’s progress via Prof. Yang’s assistant. (Frustratingly, I have not heard her name yet, but she did change up her hairstyle.) They not only have a musical (“Fame”) but are already rehearsing the choreography. Doo Ri is also in Sun-Man’s office, listing all these history facts about “Fame” as if she read the same musical encyclopedia Byeong Gun probably wrote. She’s always around him, and Sun-Man offers $50 if the assistant can help him get rid of her. Sun-Man has the gall to say that he’s disappointed in Prof. Yang’s lack of creativity, for not using the students to create an original script, score, and choreography. He wants to do an original musical, to which Doo Ri quickly shuts down because they have no script, score, or even actors. Sun-Man throws a book at them – here’s the script! Except… It’s just one liners on each page. You have the start (a “challenge”), a failure, a build up to climax, and the ending. Basically it’s the bare bones of the “Hero’s Journey.”

What's Up: Episode 14

OH THE ANGST! At least we have some resolution now with Tae Hee and Jae Hun, but the ANGST! I knew it was coming…

As for Byeong Gun’s storyline, it’s predictable in how it ends, but that doesn’t take away from the sweetness factor of it all. I am most touched by the revelation on who his first audience/person really is.

 

“So what’d you do?” Sun-Man asks. Deep breath. “I can’t say,” Jae Hun responds. WHAAAAT!? You can’t leave people hanging like that! It’s like saying, “Oh, you know what happened to me last night? Oh wait, never mind.”

What's Up: Episode 13

For anyone wishing to get Byeong Gun and Do Sung’s backstory, you get your wish in this episode! While Do Sung’s is told quite quickly, his story is heartbreaking enough that I’d rather see him move on, than try and resolve the issues of his past. Mothers can be so damn ruthless. They’re ruthless about your appearance, your future, the state of cleanliness of your room, when you’ll be home for dinner, when you’ll be home so we can continue another drama marathon…

I digress. Gah.

 

Tae Hee may not know how to put on makeup, but she sure does take forever on picking what to wear. She even confesses to her father that she likes Jae Hun, then squeals in her room, jumping around like a little bunny. Aww… As she tries on one outfit after another, poor Jae Hun’s nose gets redder and redder in the cold, waiting. He practices introducing himself, but at the sight of Tae Hee taking out the photo, he quakes, and asks if he can just speak to Mr. Park via mental communication rather than say everything aloud.

Tae Hee: “Dad, he’s a bit of a macho guy. Macho, macho maaaan~”

 

Just as she’s about to take out that photo frame for the hundredth time, her phone rings. It’s Min Woo. Tae Hee says she finished all her training, and her schedule was free, so she already has other plans. However, Min Woo ends up strolling right up to the both of them. He’s picking her up personally to bring her to the CEO, a.k.a. his dad. Because his father is always abroad working, Min Woo had to wrangle a time slot to show his father that he has been working, and has been cultivating a new artist.