Itaewon Class (2020)

The Satisfaction!!

A revenge story that actually leaves you feeling satsified. The drama is well paced and the story unravels nicely, they dont leave any questions unanswered. I loved how everything wraps up at the end. I know a good amount of people shipped Soo Ah and Saeroyi, but i couldnt stand Soo Ah sometimes. I loved Jo Yi Seo, she was so badass, smart and knew exactly what she wanted. Saeroyi is a well developed character who grows patience and the will to become happy in the future. The soundtrack was amazing, well suited to the drama. If you're looking for something exciting, with some romance and an amazing cast. Then please go watch Itaewon Class!!

Leer más

Some great messages and themes, delivered poorly in an overall lukewarm experience

This show just didn’t do anything for me, kind of all over the place. Around episode 10ish I felt no tension at all about what was going to happen, bored, but I was already so far in so I trudged until the end. I liked some of the concepts and issues the show tried to look at (school bullying, transgenderism, racism, abuse of power) but the presentation was quite over the top and cartoonish, and undoubtedly a bit too corny to take seriously. Everything was a bit too shallow and skimming the surface, nothing and no-one was explored in enough detail and even if it was, it was presented in such an unexciting way I managed to forget it or it blew past me. It’s also one of those shows where the ‘epic slow-mo moments’ drag way too long and you become aware of them, making them super ineffective and not cool at all.

Annoying tropes which put me off at the very start of the show:
-The villain characters are extremely over the top and in no way redeemable, they EEEVIL
-'Oh look one of the main character did something bad/something the other main wouldn't like ( one ep later ) no worries it was just a misunderstanding they're still perfect (AKA Soo Ah never called the police it was the 'totally how real humans act' evil catty girls who hate Yi Seo, even though it was later established Sae Ro Yi wouldn't even see it as a terrible act nor was it that bad)
-Setting up a parent/parent figure as extremely lovely, wholesome and wonderful angel with no flaws and then killing them off super early
-Whenever in doubt just slap someone it's totally great ... slap slap slap slap slap

‘Romance’: Any romantic parts in this show are incredibly wooden, no chemistry or excitement between anyone involved, I was convinced halfway through that Yi Seo and Sae Ro Yi were going to end up as a brother-sister relationship as it seemed Sae Ro Yi did not and was not going to see her romantically at all, but props to surprising me at the end I guess? At the same time it made Soo Ah into a completely useless character since all that there was to her was her childhood romance with Sae Ro Yi and it ended up not meaning much so… what was the point of building them up at all, it was boring and really dragged. It was just so weird how these characters went 5 year timeskips after 5 year timeskips still pining quietly after each other and expecting the audience to care about their nonexistent romance after the fact… bruh… they should have moved on(Yi Seo from Sae Ro Yi, Geun Soo from Yi Seo) long ago instead of waiting on people that on multiple occasions stated flat out they don’t like the other. It felt unrealistic and just plain dull. I’ve had a huge crush before and if the other person clearly doesn’t care at all it just goes away and you find someone or something else to obsess about, you don’t just sit still and structure your life around someone who doesn’t give a fk about you.

Thoughts on some of the characters:

Sae Ro Yi: Ok since he’s the main lead I’m supposed to be enamored with him and I did like him at the start but overall he wasn’t all that charming?? All he really did is every few episodes suddenly shout and then once everyone was staring at him in awe because ‘wow he raised his voice!’ he delivered his speech. That’s literally the first thing I remember about him besides his not so great haircut. Not very expressive nor interesting, but I appreciated his values and care for people.

Yi Seo: Again a good first impression and interesting with her ‘psycho’ persona, but predictably got annoying later on with being petty and clingy, but overall one of the best characters in terms of having charisma.

Soo Ah: Not a bad back-story and good in the first half of the show but becomes incredibly forgettable and unnecessary later into the show – all she does is keep working at Jangga and there’s absolutely nothing else to her except going to work and occasionally staring at Sae Ro Yi. Written lazily past the first few episodes.

Geun Soo: Was actually the most likeable character to me personally, early on, he was kinda sweet kid and his acting was expressive. It made no sense he would suddenly work at Jangga but I guess since Geun Won was at prison they needed a new ‘villain’ since the old man wasn’t enough apparently. That kid who worked at DanBam and who was treated like nothing by his ‘family’ would never have gone to work there and hurt one of his close friends. He only seemed to because of the convoluted romance plot – again, as if you would structure your whole life around the person you have a ‘crush’ on(which isn’t even explained why besides he still ‘likes’ her even tho she has a terrible psycho personality) and become an asshole like your brother who you hated your whole life and had to live with. As if you’d go and help your shitty fathers company, after having worked in a wholesome place like DanBam with your friends.

Geun Won: It’s funny how in a weird way I liked seeing him on screen more than the main characters purely because his performance wasn’t so wooden and boring, this dirtbag had more charisma and expression in one scene than Sae Ro Yi had in the whole show. Sure, it was just Sae Ro Yi’s character personality but that doesn’t mean he isn’t sleep inducingly boring to watch as the main character. You can have a stoic main character all you want but if there’s nothing interesting besides virtue and justice to him he isn’t all that great of a character. Anyway, Geun Won was quite the cartoonish villain in many ways, could have been much more toned down to get the point across, almost thought he’d get some sort of redemption or twist down the line but sadly not, would have been more compelling.

Big Boss Dae Hee: One of the better written characters since he didn’t flip-flop around, it was clear what he stood for and what kind of person he was, yet still he could surprise. He was given enough back-story and depth so he didn’t feel as one dimensional like many of the other characters. The easily best in the show acting performance helped.

Overall I just feel, well, I don’t really feel much about the show. It just wasn’t great.

Leer más

Itaewon class started as a full of heart, emotional and intelligent drama not unlike its beautiful characters and it stayed that way for most of the part. To the point, that based on the first 60% alone, I'd give it a solid 9.

However, towards the end it lost a lot of its identity and took a turn most run-of-the-mill k-dramas do. The writing took a lot of hits as it floundered confused about what direction to take.

Out of the blue kidnappings, dramatic fight scenes, near death experiences and other ridiculousness that was so unlike what the show stood for. It started as a very bearing drama with a constant melancholic but hopeful vibe as it documented the journey of various characters with different paths in life who came together to build a dream with tenacity and determination. Never knew it would turn into fucking "The K2" towards the end. Lol

Speaking of characters, Park Sae Joon did a brilliant job bringing forward a hero unlike many others. He was the definition of silent strength, a brilliant mind and perseverence. A man who got up again and again even with the odds stacked against him. Someone who managed to retain his composure, compassion and child like purity despite all the shit life handed to him.

Kim Da Mi, surely the breakout artist of the year was a delight to watch. Yi Soo was a tiny ball of vicious energy. She was driven and determined to the core, with a sharp young mind and someone who never gave up no matter what you did to her.

At the same time however, she was also incredibly rude, selfish and did downright horrible things. I'm all up for that as it added to her complexity and made her sweet moments all the more impactful but I hated that her backstory was not explored at all. What made her that way? I would really like to know but nopes.

Some people didn't buy the romance but I did. I think the drama pulled this aspect fairly well. Both of them played a significant part in the other's life. For Yi Soo, her quest for love gave her genius but idle mind a purpose, it grounded her and made her a better person and for Saeroyi, Yi Soo was his backbone. The true kingmaker and the force behind his success. When everyone told him his dreams were impossible she not only stood by them, she made them happen.

They were good for each other which is why the romance rang true for me. Sure, Yi Soo was a bit obsessive and took it to another level but that was her character from the start. Love or success, she'd take everything to the extreme. (Again, I'm annoyed at the fact why that was so. We are just supposed to accept her personality as it is though without any insight.)

All the characters had their amazing moments in the show however some did not develop as nicely as they could have cause of bad writing 101. The second FL came through at times but mostly her victim-is-me mentality annoyed me to no end. The villains were okay-ish, none too exceptional but they did the job.

Over-all, the drama delivered a lot of important messages and did a good effort at being woke. That said, it also had a lot of corny, overly sappy and unrealistic moments where I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

In the end, I'll say that while this drama was definitely not exceptionally good in terms of writing and later on even the execution, it was a fun ride for sure. I binged it in 2 days straight and never found an episode that made me yawn.

So while I do reccomend it, I would advise not to have sky high expectations going in, because of the hype surrounding it.

Leer más

I heard a lot of good things about this drama so i thought id give it a go. Usually i watch thrillers and action dramas so this was a bit of a change!

Story:
I loved the first 4 or 5 episodes, the story felt very heartwarming. I enjoyed the diversity of characters, especially the transgender character (Hyun Yi), i feel the show handled her so well and i really appreciated it as someone from the LGBT community. Another favourite character of mine was Geun Soo, at least to begin with. I liked his sweet relationship with Yeo So and how he wanted to fight against his father. Unfortunately from about ep 6 onwards the show lots the warm feeling it had built. Everything became very serious, i really didnt like Geun Soo's complete change in personality (felt really forced) , Yeo So became incredibly annoying and clingy, Saroyi became unrealistically 'perfect'. I also wasnt a fan of the huge 10 and 4 year gaps, did really nothing significant happen in that time at all? The romance sub-plot also took a turn for the worse, the sudden change in Saroyi's relationship was a shock and not particularly satisfying! The ending wasnt great, we didnt really get full closure for a lot of the characters and i think the fight scenes were a bit unnecessary, like a last minute addition.
Acting/Cast:
The acting was fine, the cast did well with what they had. I have to praise Joo Young as Hyun Yi again, she was perfect for the role! Kim Da Mi and Seo Joon were also really good. Dong Hee was perfect as the lighthearted friend, but i feel as he had to become more of a villain he didnt fit the role as much, but as other people has said he's a young actor and has time to develop his skills.
Music:
I loved the ost! great songs and all matched the scenes well
Rewatch value:
Im not one to rewatch dramas anyway, but i wont be rewatching Itaewon Class anytime soon. I might give the first few episodes another go, but because i really wasnt a fan of the drama's progression id have to stop there

It was a bit of a shame as i had such high expectations from the first few episodes, however the plot was a bit weak and i guess to stretch that out for 16 episodes wouldve been a challenge! maybe if this drama had less episodes the story wouldve developed at a slower, more manageable pace.

Leer más

Itaewon Class was a drama about surviving the obstacles a person may face in opening a business. It talks about many issues such as corruption, bribery and how people might use their power for the wrong issues. The popularity of this drama is no surprise as when you have PSJ as your lead then there isn't much to worry out. However, something was missing in this which caused my rating to go down significantly.

The start of this drama was amazing, we meet Park Sae Royi and find out the reason for him wanting to take down Jangga. We meet all the main characters and find out their motives. This part of the drama is truly wonderful as you get to know these characters and you feel emotions for them. Even though it is probably the time you will weep the most tears for these characters.

During the first half, they also talk about various prejudices and obstacles the Danbam group face. Such as Hyun Yi coming out or Danbam not being successful even after all the effort Park Sae Royi faces. We see Kim Dami gradually falling in love with Park Sae Royi and genuinely root for her. We also see the inspiring story of ex-convicts trying to make a name for themself.

*Also on a side note: I know that this was the scriptwriters first ever drama and I think she did a great job for her first time. While what I'm about to say isn't nice I do genuinely believe she did an amazing job for her first time.

However, all of this beautiful base seemed to crumble in the second half. There is a lot of things I had a problem within the second half. It felt as if they just switched from a nice drama about youth to a makjang ( and don't get me wrong I love makjang just not in a scenario where it's not matching with the vibe of the drama) which didn't match with the original premise. There were unnecessary twists, completely useless side plots and ridiculous scenarios. I would prefer to break it down character by character.

First, Park Sae Royi. His character at the start was a youth full of idealism and was overall very lovable. However, to the end, you realise his true motivation is greed and not justice. You might ask, how did I come up with this conclusion? Well, there is a scene with Soo Ah when she begs him to stop going after revenge and live a normal life with her but he refuses. That was the first time I realised he wanted something more than justice. How when Jang Geun Won's arrest came, I realised now this is more of a battle of greed and pride.

I feel like this change of mentality is more due to the influence of the person right next to him. Jo Yi Seo. Her character at the start was nice and even though they claimed she was a sociopath she didn't fit that label. She also seemed to very obviously manipulate people and didn't realise the importance of networking. Another thing I didn't like was how she was a genius in everything even though she seemed to have never worked in an actual company. I felt her character was too perfect in the world of management and seemed to get everything her way in a very unconvincing manner.

I also felt that the romance plot between the two was very badly executed. Jo Yi Seo seemed to genuinely love him but the way they showed this was bad. As she seemed to ignore his direct requests of her behaviour when if it was the opposite most people would've claimed he was harassing her. Which gave an unrealistic message to viewers that would give people the wrong idea.

Also, many people said that Yi Seo was a better fit because of the way she stayed by his side. However, if you use that knowledge then he should've chosen Seung Kwan or Hyun Yi. As they were the people who stood by him just because they liked him and wanted to protect him not expecting anything in return. They genuinely wanted him to succeed and that was better than expecting something like affection. I think her character was great for the business aspect but the romance was pushed too much.

The romance could've been nicely executed however the fact that they did a 4-year skip makes it hard for us to connect with this ship as we don't know what all happened in 4 years. This skip is problematic in many ways however we can discuss that some other days. For example, Jang Geun Soo becomes a director in 4 years now even for dramas that's a stretch a high school graduate becoming a director in four years. Geun Soo was just used as an unnecessary side plot. He's good then he's bad now he's good again. There was no character development and there's no no sense to his whole character. I'm not kidding when I say that his character served almost no purpose to the story. I honestly started to cringe when he came on screen because unlike the other characters there's no motivation to his choices and is overall badly written.

Now onto characters, I liked. First was Hyun Yi, I honestly loved how she was the one who was normal in this drama and also how unlike many tv shows (Western and Asian) her being transgender is not her personality trait. She was what a genuinely good person is in real life. She helps people and seems to be the only person who sees what's going on at times. I loved her character and I think she shows a lot of the struggles with being a member of the LBTQ+ community even when it's not on the centre screen.

I liked Jang Geun Won and Jang Dae He a lot. I think they made you hate them yet pity them. Jang Geun Won is not an inherently evil person but his upbringing caused him to be. How Jang Dae Hee was also manipulated by business and how his objective became different after facing tragedy. I liked how they both had quite similar stories yet the way they grew up affected the way they looked at their situations. I think they both acted extremely well and I'm excited to see both of their new projects.

This one is more of an unpopular opinion. Its the fact that I liked Soo Ah a lot. I felt her character was something I could relate to a lot and how she was a real woman. The way she reacted to Royi rejecting her was was something I would expect a real woman to feel. Letting go is never easy but we need to do it because we may be what's holding the person back. I liked how her ending was with Park Bo Gum because it shows that she's starting a completely new life of satisfaction. Also, how she was the one who truly brought down Jangga, not Royi was a powerful moment as you realised he was not the only one affected by his father's death.

I felt like this drama missed a lot of potential ideas and themes like how unfair life is for ex-convicts, mental abuse and, the reality of bringing down a company. I feel like the revenge card was not well played as even though he was planning to make Jangga bankrupt the drama seemed to forget how many people would go bankrupt and how many enemies Royi would get.

Overall it was an okay drama that had a lot of potential which was wasted. It is not really rewatchable because it's too plot-driven to rewatch. Also, it was a little too predictable but it is enjoyable or at least tolerable till episode 12 so I'd recommend to either do that or forward watch

Leer más

The first 5/6 episodes were really good and had a good pace to it- i was immediately binge watching it. But slowly to the middle they didn't simmer out the story in a well-balanced way and it was always a fluctuating spike of interesting scenes and boring scenes (mostly boring xp). Additionally, they also over-dramatised a lot of minute and insignificant scenes in an attempt to keep the story’s pace going- but it only further distanced the audience from the story as it seemed so unrealistic and reminds them that this is just a drama.

A lot of the characters lacked development and were just played it out in small stories here and there- not having a good dynamic as a whole cast together. Only Saeroyi’s character development was complete and consistent, Yi-Seo’s was almost there- though a tad bit forced. The main problem I have with the show is how archetypal all the characters were. Archetypal characters can be played out nicely when the layerings are done carefully- but because ALL of the characters were pretty archetypal and only Saeroyi’s story was the main focus, all other characters did not have a chance to shine and seemed rather flat and unnatural.

Another thing i would criticise is how the director lacked awareness of what each scene may bring to the table. The first few episodes established the love story between Saeroyi and Soo-ah SO WELL that it may mislead a lot of audiences to root for them. They had a much more natural chemistry as compared to the latter love story, albeit their efforts to make the audiences hate Soo-ah and favour Yi-Seo.

This was a good story and held its central values tight, it definitely had a core message that each audience can have takeaway points from- unlike most K-dramas. But it had too many elements they tried to implement and the romance was almost unnecessary, though it made the show a tad bit cuter. I would still recommend the show though my comment seems rather negative HAHA. But that’s because i really loved the show at the beginning, and the thrust of the story- i just felt like they didn’t play it out well in the middle and did not do the story justice. I would also like to compliment how unique the setting of the show was! It was such a treat for us oversea-audience!

Leer más

The Strong Prey on the Weak

The strong prey on the weak, that's what the President believed his whole life, but he never once accounted to one day being the weak. Life is but a series of learned lessons, and if one pays close attention, they might be blessed enough to understand its power and the fact that every weakness contains within itself a strength. For me, the biggest takeaways from this drama are that one should focus on character, not reputation, and count their blessings rather than their misfortunes. In the end, revenge was a proper fuel to get Sae-yo-ri to where he needed to get to, and once he got there, he understood it was time to let it go because revenge only makes wounds fester. The value of life is in the people you choose to have around you. It is too short to waste on people who don't respect, appreciate, and value you.

I enjoyed this drama a great deal, with all its subtle difference in, or shades of meanings, expressions, and actions. Most importantly, I appreciated the writer, director, and actors for tackling sensitive matters such as racism, transgender, relationships, and love in all its forms. True love is to love with all of one's being -- provide support and love to that person through anything and everything. Love hard, with everything you've got. I also appreciate this drama for all the heated and passionate discussions and for helping me understand that the meaning of life may mean different things to different people. Still, we are all just trying to live to the best of our abilities.

Leer más

Itaewon Class is a drama that strives to stand out from the crowd by proposing a peculiar mix of characters, including a black boy and a transgender, in contrast to a plot based on the most typical clichés of Korean drama: the class struggle and the love triangle. Despite the contrast, on the whole, the series managed to blend well the typical elements of kdramas with innovative and peculiar components, offering us a fabulous set of characters, perhaps at times too eccentric, a compelling soundtrack and excellent acting, where Kim Da Min and Park Seo Joon stand out.
However, as it often happens with kdramas, it has failed to entertain me in the long run, the solidity of the plot begins to lose its charm towards episodes 7-8, when the story begins to forget more and more about the revenge that the protagonist initially aimed for, fitting him into a forced love triangle and in a power struggle inherent in Jangga Co.
At the same time, the characterization of some characters will begin to falter, first of all, the protagonist, from revengeful man to martyr, he didn’t do anything for his own pub, other people have worked hard to make his dream come true, while he was busy helping & supporting everyone, enemies included. This kind of character totally clashes with his initial revenge plan. Overall Itaewon Class deserves to be viewed because as a whole it stands out from the multitude of drama that comes out every month, offering excellent performance in various aspects but it fails in the most important, the screenplay and the ML characterization, due to the inconsistency of writing. The drama had the potential to do more, especially without the romance part.

Leer más

|| OVERALL ||

Let me preface this by saying that I prefer watching rom-coms, and that I watched Crash Landing on You (experiencing its accompanying post-drama blues) while watching earlier episodes of Itaewon Class which inadvertently affects my review.

To put it bluntly, throughout the drama’s run I didn’t get too absorbed into the plot or any of the characters. The weekly wait for new episodes wasn't too difficult and there weren’t a lot of scenes I would rewind and rewatch. That is not to say the drama was terrible as there definitely were scenes every couple of episodes that would be touching, heart-wrenching, lovely, cute, or funny. My main complaint is probably that I didn't feel much of a climax in the story or a comparatively more significant scene until the last few episodes. There were scenes that intended to be intense but I just felt it was poorly built up or dragged on. Character-wise I felt some could be more three-dimensional and those that do show development lack a smooth transition (simply stating many years passed is insufficient) hence changes seemed rather abrupt. As such, I found it difficult to fully root for any character or relationship. Regarding acting, most were good although chemistry was a bit lacking. Something commendable about the drama are the messages about society and people scattered here and there, although it is unfortunate that the drama only scrapes the surface of many important topics. Ultimately, this was a decent drama, hence the decent score.

**I recommend this drama to those that like underdog stories, or when people from different walks of life come together to achieve a common goal to help each other change for the better. Some viewers prefer a more visually appealing cast when picking dramas, but for this drama the focus is more on their personalities.


|| DETAILS ||

= Story =
*Premise - Mainly just a group of “misfits” fighting for the same goal (main protagonist’s goal really) to take down a major corporation. Simple and not particularly unique.
*Genre - There were some elements of various genres but not enough to be categorized under any of them. In other words, there was some romance but not enough to cause heart fluttering, there were some funny scenes but not enough to trigger more than a chuckle, a bit melodramatic but not enough to be tear-jerking.
*Plot - As it was straightforward and simple, I expected more depth but it felt as if every time there seemed to be more to the story I get pulled back and realize the characters’ motives and justification to the story’s progression was quite shallow still. Though the plot could be seen as rather repetitive or dragged out, I won’t go as far as saying it was boring. It was entertaining to see their business grow and improve despite the setbacks, but I just didn’t feel that there was a major turning point or climax that would leave me curious as to what would happen next. The time jumps do justify a lot of the plot developments but because the foundation wasn't that strong, after the time jump the plot progression still felt somewhat sudden. Side plots were well executed in that they added some colour to the main plot and wasn’t too overpowering. There were themes of gender identity, racial discrimination, psychological disorders, and abuse, just to name a few. It is commendable that the story touches on these important topics but felt more like a flaw as the story could only scrape the surface of each of these topics making it seem like they were included just for the sake of representation. Somehow I just felt like the story had opinions on society and humans that were deep but these opinions were just thrown in which made it a bit cliché and extra.
*Characters - I liked how each character was significantly different from each other and had different reasons for why they were doing what they were. However, that’s as far as it goes. Focusing on the slightly more three-dimensional characters, initially almost all characters were so one track minded that it got a bit annoying to watch. The stubbornness made it extremely difficult to fully root for any character or relationship, and so I didn't find any character particularly outstanding or likeable. As the drama aimed to reflect real life struggles and conflicts, the characters also seemed a bit too extreme for my taste. The “evilness” of the antagonist was a bit exaggerated, and the sense of justice of the protagonist was also a bit ridiculous. Perhaps this could be favourable in another light as it’s the first time I felt annoyed with the protagonist, which is quite different. Character development was rather lacking in that there either was none or that the development felt rushed and random at times. It felt as if by stating numerous years passed, the abrupt change in character was justified. My recommendation would be to show more hints of change prior to the time jump so there is a smoother transition. There was definitely potential, just weak execution. For the character relationships, the main love line is unique but again difficult to fully root for. I flip-flopped too much between rooting for the two female leads that it got a bit tiresome. Near the end, I decided that the protagonist didn't deserve either female lead so didn't really care much about who he ended up with. The strong friendship between the Dan Bam crew was decently executed and explained though.
*Ending - An extremely predictable ending with all loose ends tied. I hit the fast forward button multiple times throughout the episode as it was dragging on, and the happily ever after aspect was a bit forced and try hard, but I suppose a plain ending is better than a bad ending. Simply put, my opinion on the ending was compatible with my opinion on the drama. There was nothing added, nothing lost. In the end, a decent ending for a decent drama. Unlikely to have post-drama blues for this one.

= Cast =
*Acting - For the most part, the actors / actresses portrayed the characters well, though I didn't feel that anyone in particular stole the spotlight. One of the actors I thought was a bit lacking regardless of the character design was Kim Dong Hee (Jang Geun Soo). Given his character’s experience I felt like he could’ve shown it more with his expressions (his go-to expression is the mild pursing of lips or just slightly raising his eyebrows) or his actions, as it seemed a bit mundane throughout the drama. However given he is still a new and young actor there’s plenty of time for him to improve.
*Chemistry - Didn’t feel that there were any perfect matches or overwhelmingly good chemistry that was exuded. Perhaps that’s what the story was going for as the Dan Bam crew were misfits after all.

= OST =
Decent soundtrack which was quite unique. There were a variety of songs including uplifting motivational ones and also sentimental songs. As a whole, not really the type of music I enjoy, however the songs were a great pick and did match the drama well.


|| A LESSON ABOUT POWER ||

True power comes not from materialistic possessions but from those around you. With the right people, everything impossible suddenly seems possible.

Leer más

Unfortunately Overrated

I was really excited to watch this drama because of the immense hype around it.

After the first 3-4 episodes, I thought it would become one of my favourites. I loved the backstory they created for Park Saeroyi's character. Those episodes really make you hurt for him and root for his ultimate success. Unlike some Kdramas (e.g. Heirs), it was unique to see the male lead really stand up against bullying and class differences at school, and I was expecting an epic and satisfying revenge arc for his character.

Unfortunately the drama started to go downhill from that point. What could have been an amazing story fell flat. I expected the plot to be more layered and complex than it was. The episodes became excruciatingly slow, and the main female lead increasingly unlikable. Much of the dialogue became stunted and contrived, with excessive pauses and blank stares. Character motivations were difficult to justify, and felt cartoon-ish and unreal (particularly in the case of negative/villain roles). The social justice messages in the drama were also conveyed in a very long-winded, preachy and non-subtle way. And without saying too much - I also found the final few episodes laughable. It seemed as though the writer didn't know how to end the drama, or resolve loose ends, so they decided to throw together a cocktail of cliches and coincidences to make it work.

I understand that for a Kdrama, it was definitely unique and progressive for featuring characters from different backgrounds, in terms of race and sexuality. For that I give it credit. The actors did a great job too, and the OST is brilliant. But unfortunately, those things don't save it from being poorly written. I hope in 10 years they decide to remake the show, with the same premise, and a better ending!

Leer más

Itaewon class as one of the most expected drama in this year was just an okay experience for me. I agree that there are segments which were different from the regular set of ROM coms but sometimes the drama tested my patience. Park SEO Joon had very little to do in this drama where the rest of the costars where mainly involved in the acting part. Finishing the drama, I had mixed feeling . Rich evil guy is something that is overused in kdrama world, and in this drama, it seemed more unrealistic. The chairman who played the antogonist role was superb ,I would say. The lead actress was okay, but there were moments when her acting got on my nerves.
Music and ost are below average. Finally , this is not a drama that I would recommend if you value your time and data

Leer más