[REVIEW] TV series "Master of Study"

"Master of Study" - Episode 12, KBS2 TV (Mon-Tue 9:55 PM)

"Master of Study" is extremely comic book-ish, but its theme -- study -- is real. This is the reason that this drama has captured teenage viewers, as they can observe studying tips depicted in the show, and they can reflect on themselves by looking at the characters who are obsessed over studying, as seen in this week's episode.

Another factor which explains the show's high viewership rating is the casting which offers characters with cutesy and fancy images. Save for Kim Soo-ro, all the characters are cute and lovely. From Bae Doo-na -- who shows good acting even through a close-up shot -- to the charming and adorable young actors, the show feels as refreshing and green as the summer seen in the show where one can hear cicadas crying. In particular, actress Ji-yeon who plays Hyun-jung -- a character who goes back and forth from being quiet and lonely to extremely cheerful -- has grown out of the sorrowful character she had portrayed in her previous work and is emitting her hidden charms on this show.

But the most successful casting out of the bunch is Oh Yoon-ah. With her trademark high-pitched voice and beautiful physique, she has created a completely unique character through "Master of Study". Her image, which is pretty but off-the-wall and acts before she thinks, is a perfect fit for her character Jang Marie, the chairwoman of the school board. There is probably no other actress who can play the part better than she does, being able to look pretty while being irritable and screaming.

By Kim Kyo-seok

Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr