Hi everybody! Welcome back to Sunday Drama. Today, we are going to conclude High School Entrance Exam. We have four episodes today. To prevent this post from becoming a novel, I will only cover major story points in each episode. After, I will give you my final thoughts on the show. If you are unfamiliar with the show, here are the links for my other posts (Eps 1-3, Eps 4-6, Eps 7-9). Here we go!
Episode Ten
The teachers are all sitting around a conference table. They are accusing each other in colluding with those in the message board. They are also trying to figure out if there is any validity to Victim’s accusation that Jerk cheated. Or, if Victim is making a false accusation because Jerk is a bully. Apparently, poor little Cell Phone has the same type of fake friends I had when I was in elementary school. You know the type. They pretend they are your friend but never invite you anywhere and seem annoyed by your presence. When her phone finally rings and it is a friend, you are happy that she has a friend. But, it turns out that they were mining for dirt to put on the message board. Kids can be so cruel. That aside, one of the teachers finally found Erina! And, Smirk confesses to his brother that he is carrying out this elaborate plan on his brother’s behalf.
Episode Eleven
Now the elaborate plan starts to unravel. Erina, Kyoko, and gym teacher Aida are spekaing privately in the lounge. Erina confesses to planting the teacher Sakamoto’s cell phone in the class (I called it). She is responsible for some of the message board posts, but she stopped posting at noon and did not continue until that evening. She also confesses that her and gym teacher Aida are in a relationship. But, guess who is snooping at the door? That’s right! His other girlfriend music teacher Midori. Midori bursts trough the door, a whole bunch of bickering ensues, and Midori attempts to charge Erina, prepared to hand her a beat down. Creepy teacher Murai breaks up the chaos by yelling and starts a miles long monologue about wanting to go to Tachibana, but his parents not letting him. Meanwhile, it is revealed that the main instigator on the “Crush the Entrance Exam” site is already accepted to a prestigious private school. That main instigator being Smirk.
Episode Twelve
Creepy Murai accuses Kyoko of colluding with the message board kids. And he is absolutely correct. Kyoko says she did not put up the “Crush the Exam” posters, but she did play a part. She knew that Erina planted the phone. She even put a love note near it, knowing that clean-freak Aida would find it along with Sakamoto’s phone. Her and Smirk spoke in code to put parts of the plan in action (there is a scene in one of the earlier episodes where Kyoko and Smirk are talking about cherry blossoms). The reason she decides to go along with this plan is because she wanted to see the school’s reaction in this particular case. She is motivated by the death of her lover, a teacher that made a grading error on a test, which resulted in that student not getting into the school. The student committed suicide, and the teacher is struck by a car (either on accident or suicide). Kyoko believes that people put too much importance on going to THIS school, as opposed to being passionate about education.
Episode Thirteen
Kyoko continues are to explain her motivation for participating in the scheme. She shows them a documentary by Smirk’s brother. The documentary explains how he did not get into Tachibana because he forgot to put his student number on one of the tests. More importantly, she shows them the vicious comments underneath the video. These comments are instrumental in the brother’s psychotic break. And here comes the big reveal. The main one posting the comments is Ogino. Who is Ogino you ask? I thought he was one of the administration. It turns out he is a teacher. A teacher was cyber-bullying a student. To atone for mentally destroying this kid, he is the mastermind behind the message board. He put up the “Crush the Exam” posters in the classroom. He stole the answer booklet.
The show concludes with no one getting in trouble. Cell Phone, Jerk, and Victim made it into the school. Jerk did not get into trouble for cheating. Cell Phone did not get into trouble for keeping the phone. Smirk did not get in trouble for starting this whole mess. Jerk and Victim make peace. Kyoko and Ogino are not exposed for colluding with Smirk. The principal resigns. Some of the teachers go to different schools. This includes Aida. Midori breaks up with Aida. Erina vanishes off the face of the earth. The principal sends “suggestions” to the prefecture to make improvements on exam administration.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the show could have been better. I like how they address issues like cyber bullying,regular bullying, and the pressure to succeed. However, I’m not comfortable with no one being held accountable for their actions. I think their point would have been stronger is someone is martyred (figuratively speaking). The first two episodes are boring, but provide information needed down the line. The last two episodes are boring and anticlimactic. I think the principal “taking responsibility” because he is the principal is lame. It feels like the writers ran out of ideas so slapped this one on to wrap up the story.
Well, we made it through High School Entrance Exam. Next week we begin I’m Mita, Your Housekeeper. Until then, I will see you for MC Tuesday and Iron Man.
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