After School Bokbulbok (2013)

SEASON ONE
Also known as: After School Lucky or not
Country: South-Korea
Format: 12 episodes
Genre: youth, comedy
Cast: Kim So Eun, Seo Kang Joon, Gong Myung, Lee Tae Hwan, Kang Tae Oh, Yoo Il, Jung Woo Shik, Im Hyun Sung, Guests: Hello Venus, Yum Jung Ah, Yoon Seung Ah, Kim Sung Soo, Joo Sang Wook, Kim Suh Hyung, Jung Gyeo Woon, Lizzy, Robert Holley, Kim Sung Kyun, Jung Kyung Ho, Kim Young Ae, Choi Won Young,
Synopsis: Suddenly one day Kim So Eun recieves an invitation from a pigeon to join Bokbulbok club - so called "Choosing Club" where they pick a task for a day and try to complete the challenge. She meets with 5 guys in the club, each of them has unique personality. But why she was invited? and why is there are club like it?
Rating: 5/5
I loved that it was enough funny, surreal and sad.
Yanne sent me the link and said "Don't ask, just watch it" and after first episode I was "Guys WHAT THE RAMEN??" It made absolutely no sense and yet it had a charm of interest to watch another episode. And oh yeah the episodes are only 15 minutes long, so it takes only 3 hours to watch it.

The main character is Kim So Eun played by Kim So Eun, yep they kept all the names same so it would be easier for you to learn it and remember it. At first she is shy wallflower, who never gets invited to places and almost nobody ever notices her, other students only keep on using her to collect the homework. After she gets invited to the club, she starts to open up. Especially after guys make extreme make over to her and make her into hot chick who is really outgoing.

 All the guys have their own individual thing that they are good at. Gong Myung is known as "general artist".  He can play flute, he paints, draws and he is very emotional. He is the most sensitive guy from them and always really kind. The bad things happen when his hold back feelings become too much and start over flowing. He is also the only guy who gets really big emotional trauma because one of the challenges.

In the first episode you will also see someone who is Dog, actually it is Tae Oh "all around sportsman" completing one challenge. He is not so smart, but he great at sports. He has dirty mind, but at the same time he is virgin. He is the character they speak the least about, maybe that is the reason why he got the leading role in season two.

Yoo Il or "Total flower boy" is a TOTAL flowerboy. I like that they went overboard with his character making "flowerboy" image almost into parody. He looks are great, but he is narcissist and I am even doubting his sexuality, because he finds it appealing when also the guys are fighting for him and he keeps flirting all the time. At the same time, in one episode he hints that he might have an girlfriend. Also, he is the only one who actually knows how to read the signs about others feelings.

Kang Joon - Charisma star.  He is the most silent guy and he has some kind of dark secret that he is carrying. Of course he became my favorite character, because I really like charismatic guys who can be emotional yet have great sense of humor. He is always sucking a lollipop and he rides a bike.. that sometimes looks like a panda. He comes from different family than other guys and he has the most difficult time dealing with the situation. Seo Kang Joon received many role offers after it and made into the big screen - that was also the reason why he did not take part of the second season.

Tae Hwan - Bokbulbok brain.  He is really smart and often makes scientific remarks - usually way too fast to understand it. On the other hand, he gets into things really easily and does not know how to read the atmosphere, causing him to look rather stupid at times. He also has difficult time to look at things in a more creative way when the task becomes scientifically impossible. At the same time, this drama does not submit to any science.

This was the fast introduction to all characters, but now think: we have 1 girl and 5 guys.. which are the chances of not having a love triangle in it? Do not worry, it is impossible to have second-lead syndrome, because for the second lead in love the chose wrong character. I will not tell you the characters who are involved, so you can have pleasure to find out about it while watching. If you really want to know, then read spoiler-review, For some reason most of their tasks turn out totally different as they should, but maybe that is the reason why they would remember them more. This drama is not for you if you are trying to find anything logical.

I love the way they also added the documentary touch to it at first and I wish they would have continued with it also later. They also added a lot of anime-like special effects and their own thoughts into it.  In a way it seemed that they wanted to try out many different things with this short drama.
The director and screenwriter of the drama is Jung Jung Hwa - his dramas are also "Bel Ami", "Flower Boy next door" and "Flower Boy Ramyun shop" so you know what to expect from it.
In addition, because all guys are from band called 5uprise there is also some singing and dancing.
I wish to see second season soon, but I can tell you already that it is without Seo Kang Joon and Kim So Eun.
Here is the first episode in English. Be careful: IT IS ADDICTIVE!

Spoiler-review: In the end of the drama, you will find out the sad truth behind everything. Young Shik. Young Shik was close friends with Kang Joon, explaining why it was the most difficult for him. In addition to actually liking So Eun before Young Shik, Kang Joo has every right to be mad at Gong Myung. It was difficult for Kang Joon after he found out that Young Shik likes her, but after his death it was even more difficult for him to control his feelings. This drama made me cry so much in the end.