Okay, this drama is right up my quirky drama-loving alley. EXO’s Kai (Choco Bank) is bringing the growing pains in KBS2’s new high school drama Andante, which looks like a nice mix between creepiness, quirkiness, and puberty(ness). Andante is centered around 18-year-old Seoul high school student, Shi-Kyung who transfers to a suspicious rural high school after his mother moves the family to the countryside. Suspicious is a little generous considering the high school literally has a get acquainted with the dead class where kids sleep in coffins AND people go around saying how killer (awesome) the town is! I mean…I couldn’t love this setup any more.
The stories first teaser opens with Shi-Kyung playing an online video game. Shi-Kyung says “This loser is challenging me again” and the online person says, “I may be a slow starter, but I can beat you easily.” It’s all talk though because Shi-Kyung wins and yells, “You win by doing it like this, this, this!” But everything stops when he hears footsteps, “It’s mom!” lol. He then quickly covers his tracks and makes like he has been studying the entire time. His Mom (played by Jeon Mi-Sun) asks “Not sleeping yet?” he reply’s through an Oscar worthy haze “No, I will study a little more.” The caption reads: Game addict Lee Shi-Kyung.
The next several scenes delve further into his personal life. His sister (played by Lee Ye-Hyun) says to him: “Mind your own business!” he promptly hits her upside the head and replies “I told you to call me oppa!” the caption reads: Tough older brother (oppa) for his younger sister (dong-sang)? But then she hits him right back and says: you don’t deserve to be called oppa with your elementary school childlike mental age!” The caption changes to: Older brother who is beaten by his younger sister. To add insult to injury, over dinner the younger sister says: “Aunt, he can’t fight, he’s always losing to me.” And Shi-Kyung doesn’t reply. Poor guy, I’m already feeling for him.
In the next scene Shi-Kyung catches someone getting beaten up and it looks like he may be able to redeem what his sister said. The caption reads: He can’t stand injustice? But the very next caption is: When he faces injustice, he runs away! Lols for days. Poor Shi-Kyung. The catalyst for the big move happens in the next scene. His mother is meeting with his counselor and pulls out her sons report card showing all A’s. The caption says: God of Study. But the teacher pulls out Shi-Kyungs real grades (OMG) and the caption changes to: God of Forgery. He is a horrible student! His grades are free-falling into the ocean and sinking to the bottom. His mother has a family meeting and tells them they are all moving to the countryside.
I love the first teaser setup. I really feel for Shi-Kyung! The next teaser sets up the creepiness of the town they are moving too; and with this kid who gets beat up by his little sister and does not like confrontation – this can not end well.
Teaser two opens with the family driving to the countryside. Sister’s voice over: where on earth are you going now? What kind of place are you taking me? Are you threatening me like this?” The car stops and the creepiness starts when they see a girl (played by Kim Jin-Kyung) hanging over a tree like a limp sock.
Sister: What is that? Playing dead somewhere like this?
Shi-Kyung: Playing dead?
Sister: Kids from my school did it a lot too. It’s my first time seeing someone do it by themselves.
The girl looks up from the tree and Shi-Kyung is immediately taken by her look. The next scene we see a death procession and a girl (played by Lee Ye-Hyun) says: this is a killing place (note: Killing is a double entendre that can also mean awesome). When you live here, you will realize how killing this place is.” Caption: Killing town? Killing school? The creepiness continues as we see three people standing over a dead body. Voice over: “Before we wipe their body, we will do a silent prayer.” But then Shi-Kyung sees a toe move! (Okay, right then and there this little muffin would have moved my undungi right back to Seoul.)
Another person tells Shi-kyung “Why don’t you participate in a death experience while you are here.” Yes, he actually says that. Cut to a bunch of kids sleeping in coffins. Shi-Kyung: “I really hate things like this. I heard a new bride died from excitement right after receiving a love letter!” A coffin opens behind them and a girl says, “My god, I really can’t stand all this noise!” Shi-Kyung immediately recognizes her as the girl from the tree. Caption: Spring has finally come to my heart. In the last scene someone on a motorcycle tells Shi-Kyung they will give him a ride home. When she pulls the mask away he says “Kim Boon?”
This drama looks like so much fun. Andante is directed by Park Ki-Ho (Ad Genius Lee Tae-baek) and written by Park Sun-Ja and Kwon Ki-Kyung of the youth series Sharp. It will begin airing on KBS2 in the second part of 2017.
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