King Of High School Episode 1

High School King of Savvy, which shall hereafter be simply referred to as Savvy, finally aired its first two episodes, and it met all of my expectations and then some. The main character Lee Min Suk is a high school student who has to pretend to be his brother, the head of a major company, because of some mysterious circumstances. The premise is a little ridiculous, but it’s easy to ignore that and instead focus on all the hilarious shenanigans that ensue.

King Of High School Episode 1

The first episode starts off with some cool shots from above Seoul, while a helicopter lands below. Our main man steps out and is enthusiastically greeted by his colleagues, who congratulate him on taking care of a difficult contract. This is Seo In Guk as he’s pretending to be his hyung, Chief Director Lee Hyung Suk. He steps into a limo to go get praised by the President of the company before his assistant, Jung Soo Young (Lee Ha Na), reminds him he has an exam at school. He rushes out, tugging at his clothes, to go take his test as high school student Lee Min Suk.

After that it cuts to a hockey game Min Suk is competing in, and I spent the next ten minutes or so really confused. There’s absolutely no indication of it, but they’ve jumped back in time to show how this all began. Really, just a single line at the bottom, maybe saying “Two Months Earlier,” would have been nice.

The episode does do a good job of laying down the foundation for the drama and introducing the main characters. During the hockey game at the beginning, Lee Min Suk demonstrates how much of a hot-headed teenager he is when he starts attacking the other team after they trip him. Eventually, he calms down after being punished by the coach. He’s got a couple of main friends at school, who are already adding good bits of comedy.

At home, he looks relaxed with his Dad and Grandpa. They wait for his hyung, who’s supposed to be returning home after spending years abroad, but he never shows up. I’m not sure when, or if, they’re going to have the brother appear, but right now I’m not very concerned. Min Suk obviously loves his Dad, even if he’s not his birth father. Though, I do wish that the main character in a drama could have a normal family life, just once. Poor Min Suk’s got two dead parents and an absent brother.

Jung Yoo Ah (Lee Yeol Eum) makes her first appearance at the hockey game as Min Suk’s super fan and stalker. Apparently she cut class to go see her “hubby” play, and her sister Soo Young has to come get her. Soo Young talks with the teacher on the phone and tells him that Yoo Ah has always been dense. She once got bit by a dog and then proceeded to retaliate by biting the dog back. Ah, she’s so great. Usually I don’t like any character who’s overly clingy, but Yoo Ah is more cute than annoying so far.

Soo Young goes to work as part of the Retail team at Comfo (no idea why they decided to name it that). She makes sure her co-workers re-use and throw away their cups, and stays longer to finish her work. Her attitude at work is quiet and professional, though that whole plant watering thing seems a little weird. Soo Young’s real, awkward self gets revealed when she sees Director Yoo Jin Woo (Lee Soo Hyuk). She’s the only one left at the office when he calls to request a contract. It’s cute how she freaks out, and pretty realistic of someone who has a major crush. She borrows lipstick to put on, but then regrets it and tries wiping it off. Noooo, second hand embarrassment already; she walks in with the lipstick smudged on her face.

Director Yoo is on the phone and Soo Young proves she’s quick on her feet by helping him out. Yoo Jin Woo is impressed and makes sure to remember her name and remind her to come to the company diner. She gets terribly flustered when he mentions the lipstick, asking if she had just been kissing someone at work. Denying it vehemently, she replies that she hasn’t dated anyone for a few years and Jin Woo pretty much says “TMI.” But Soo Young is still infatuated, so she starts styling her hair (unsuccessfully) and reading books on pheromones. As she reads, there’s a little animation of butterfly’s using pheromones, which is cute but seems a little out of place when there’s no other animation in the episode.

At the company diner, Soo Young can’t help but organize the shoes as she comes in. Director Yoo arrives soon after and sits across from her, offering to pour her drink. Meanwhile, Soo Young mind’s going into overdrive and she starts thinking everything that he does is a “signal” that he likes her. Don’t listen to the stupid pheromones argument Soo Young! Too late, when Yoo Jin Woo gets up, Soo Young follows him into the men's room. Apparently she has decided that it is the best place for her to confess her feelings. The amount of awkward is almost painful. He lets her down politely.

I’m not really a fan of the common drunk calling trope, but it does get Min Suk to notice her on the bus. I like that the scene allowed us to see the start of Min Suk’s interest in Soo Young and Jin Woo’s good side when he goes to pick her up. Yoo Jin Woo as a character is surprisingly interesting and three-dimensional. The “rival” in dramas doesn’t always get a realistic personality. Jin Woo is good at his job and is a genuinely nice person, if a little too blunt sometimes.

His relationship with his father, the President of Comfo, is full of tension and I can’t wait to see their history together. Jin Woo has brought his mother back and says no one will find out if she’s in a rehabilitation center. Find out what, and why is she in rehab? President d-bag is not impressed, saying that just because she’s not famous anymore doesn’t mean people won’t recognize her. Now I’m really curious. But Soo Young heard their conversation so now her and Jin Woo are connected whether they like it or not.

Min Suk gets a call from a blocked number and it turns out to be his hyung. He asks Min Suk to go to his workplace and pretend to be him for just a few months. “You’re the only blood relative I have who looks like me,” Hyung Suk begs. Min Suk is about to leave the next day but remembers his brother’s heart-felt words and the mention of blood ties and he decides to do it.

I’m really loving the ending song for Savvy. It’s a nice, mellow rock song and fits so well with the tone of the show. It would be great if they only included songs like this one for the soundtrack, and avoided the dramatic ballads.

Watch King Of High School Episode 2 online at dramanice.com