I know I’m late in getting this final review up and I’m sorry about that. Life just happens sometimes and there’s not much I can do about it. I just gotta catch up when I can so that’s what I’m doing. Or I will as soon as I stop sobbing over Seo Ha Joon… Curse my weak heart! Always falling for those adorable, wounded, softhearted seconds begging desperately do be loved!
Seriously, I knew Ha Joon was going to be my undoing and I was so right. That poor boy, always suffering first by his father and then by his own conflicted heart… I have to ask, will this kid ever catch a break? At least he finally found the courage he needed, within himself, to stand up to his wretched father. I wanted to sing from the rooftops when Ha Joon finally put his father in his place. It sickens me to think his dad never really got the punishment he deserved for beating his son but what can I do? At least I can walk away from this believing Ha Joon will never again fall victim to his father’s rage. In my own wandering (and rather imaginative mind) I’m choosing to believe Ha Joon will never again go back home. Instead he’ll spend all his free time with Kim Yeol and Yeon Doo and the three of them will be this inseparable trio of awesome who makes trouble now and then, but only small amounts that might naturally come with being a set of normal high school kids.
It made me happy to see that Soo A finally stood up to her mother and told her enough was enough. It certainly wasn’t an easy thing for Soo A to do but she knew, as did we all, that it was the right thing to do. It’s sad that it took Soo A so long to stand up for what was right but really, the fact that she could do it at all was a miracle. With such a mother, it’s amazing Soo A had any shred of humanity in her. I guess that goes to show you just how important and meaningful friendships can be. If you truly have people around you, who love and support you no matter what, you’re bound to be better off than those who are alone and miserable. Maybe Soo A’s mom would do well to drop her superiority complex and try being friendly every now and then. You never know, maybe she’ll find herself her own group of amazing friends and actually become a human someday… Okay, so maybe that’s wishing for a bit much. Still, she does have Soo A and it seems like they’re both taking the steps needed to become better people than they once were. One can only hope these two continue down this path and end up in a much better place in the future.
Really, that’s all I want for all of the characters in this story. I want them to go on with their lives, living not to fulfill the wishes and dreams of others but to live making their own dreams come true. I want those who have done wrong to not only pay for their mistakes but learn from them. I want them to become better people and I want them to find happiness along the way. I want those who have suffered heartbreak and loneliness to find love and friendship. I want those who have been hurt to find healing. I want everyone to go on with their lives, learning from the past as they head towards a brighter future. Because really, I think that’s what this show is all about. It’s about overcoming life’s hardships. It’s about standing up for what you believe in. It’s about fighting for the things that are precious to you. It’s about finding your dreams and doing whatever you can to make them happen. At the same time, it’s also about facing the realities of life. It’s about accepting the fact that there are some things you can’t change but that doesn’t mean you have to give up. It’s about rising above the hardships and not letting the bad bring you down. In short this show was written solely for me, to remind me that just because life is hard and some days suck, it doesn’t mean you give up completely. You just have to fight harder and believe that someday things will be better than they are now. (Jeez what is it with these dramas lately!?! They keep speaking to my soul… It’s kinda wiggin’ me out!)
All in all, I’m happy with the way this drama turned out. There were a lot of emotional ups and downs (as one would expect from a high school centered drama) but they all brought about a pretty satisfying end. Lessons were learned, lives were changed and we were left with this very satisfying feeling of hope. I really can’t ask for more than that from any drama so I’m happy. But what about you? Did you like the way this drama ended? Would you have rather seen things work out differently? You know I always love hearing from you so be sure to let me know what you’re thinking by leaving a comment below!
Catch up on all of my reviews of Cheer Up! here: