CHEER UP: THE PERFECT DRAMA TO GET YOU IN THE HALLOWEEN SPIRIT

Cheer Up is a Korean drama centering around Do HaeYi during her freshman year at Yonhee University. Due to her family’s poor financial status, HaeYi spends majority of her time doing odd jobs to make money and support her family. Exhausted from running around campus, HaeYi quickly naps on bench in the middle of campus. Hoping to give her some privacy, Park JungWoo, the captain of the cheer team covers her face in newspaper. However rather than thanking him for his kindness, HaeYi quickly reprimands him, points out his cheer costume, and calls him a Prince Charming wannabe.

After her freshman orientation, HaeYi suddenly decides to join the university’s cheering squad, Theia. Despite her initial hesitations, HaeYi joins Theia after a former Theia member and alum of Yonhee, Bae Young-Woong, agrees to pay her to join the team. Referring to her as the “pied piper”, Young-Woong uses HaeYi to recruit other members of the freshman class to join the cheer team.

After watching HaeYi hand in her application, Jin Sunho, the freshman class “it boy” quickly submits his application to spend more time with HaeYi. When the Theia members prompt him for his reason on auditioning for the team, he simply answers “Do HaeYi”. As the final members are selected and trained on team etiquette and rules, Sunho learns that relationships with other Theia members are strictly forbidden. However this does not stop him from trying to win HaeYi over.

As Theia continues to practice and prepare for the joint pep rally with Hokyung University, HaeYi begins to spend more time with JungWoo and enjoys his company. As the drama progresses she realizes that despite being an “old fogey”, she may have feelings for JungWoo. As in any kdrama, the perfect love-triangle is beginning to develop.

Despite being a senior and busy planning for his life after college, JungWoo focuses on leading Theia. As a result of the previous year’s accounting and budgetary scams/mistakes, Theia is extremely unpopular and disliked by the rest of the university. Given the pressure from the university’s dean and Student Council’s efforts to disband Theia, JungWoo is dedicated to warding off the constant attempts to get rid of the team.

However, Theia is also surrounded by an ominous prophecy. According to a former Theia member who became a shaman, one member of Theia will die this year. Upon learning of this prophecy, HaeYi receives threatening messages to quit the team, is locked in a closet as the fire alarm goes off, and is nearly crushed by an over-head light.

Overall, *Cheer Up* is a fun and exciting drama to watch. Given HaeYi’s happy-go-lucky and feisty disposition, viewers can’t help but root for her to finally do something that she enjoys, rather than focusing on making ends meet. However, as she spends more time at Theia she is placed in increasingly dangerous situations as many of her fellow freshman teammates envy her talent and participation in the joint pep rally.

Cheer Up is panning out to be a solid drama that will not only make you laugh but will also put you in the Halloween spirit. There is still so much to uncover about Theia and HaeYi’s past as well as see who is so determined to fulfill Theia’s final prophecy. The mystery surrounding the attempted murders and HaeYi’s resilient yet cheerful attitude and never-ending love triangle draw you back for more.

New episodes of Cheer Up air on Monday and Tuesday every week.