For this cultural post, I would like to talk about a recent Korean drama that I really enjoyed called Itaewon Class. This Korean drama was originally a webtoon, which means that this story line was originally produced as a cartoon/manga. The drama was then produced by Showbox, and then aired throughout Korea from JTBC Entertainment. Once popularity sparked in Korea, the drama was then released and streamed through Netflix. I personally did not hear about this drama until my parents and brother told me that this was a very entertaining drama to watch. So, I gave it a try and I was immediately hooked on the drama.
The drama follows Park Saeroyi, the son of a man who works for Director Jang. Director Jang is the man who owns one of the biggest food businesses in all South Korea. As Saeroyi attends high school, he gets into a fight with the son of Director Jang, Jang Geun Won, who abuses his father’s status to rule the school with an iron fist. Saeroyi, an honest, stubborn, and upstanding individual, could not stand the sight of a classmate getting bullied by Jang Geun Won, so he decides to stand up to him and fight him. This resulted in a situation where both parents got involved. Director Jang, who likes Saeroyi’s father, tells him that all will be forgiven if he bows and apologizes to his son. Being the stubborn person that he is, Saeroyi refuses and results in him getting suspended and his father losing his job. Rather than the father being angry at his son, he told him that he was proud of him for standing up to his beliefs. Though their circumstances were not the best, they both put on a bright smile and sought for a way to continue their lives, which was to open a restaurant.
The summary I gave here only covers about one half of the first episode of the drama. Due to spoiler sake, I will not go any further. However, I can almost guarantee that anyone who watches the first episode of this drama will immediately get hooked, and then fall in love with the characters as the story progresses. I felt like what made this drama so attractive to people are that all the characters are admirable in their own way. The main character stands up for what he believes in and that sense of goodness you get from him makes you want to support him despite all the difficult circumstances he had to overcome. Also, the drama has a mix of romance, action, and comedy so it is continuously engaging, while not being draining or boring to watch. Looking at the reviews, this drama was positively received by most of its audience, and since Netflix has a subtitle option, I think this is a great drama for those who want to get into Korean culture can try out. I know that this drama was the buzz in the Korean community, so I think it will be worth the watch.
Comments
During my quarantine time, I have watched so many dramas and films to kill times, and Itaewon Class is definitely one of my favorite one. The characters in the drama are not traditional Korean drama characters who are typically beautiful and rich teenagers. Also, the drama talks about a really sensitive topic in Korean -- School violence. I really like when the heroine fights against the bullies and protect the victims.
I haven't watched this drama but I have been exposed to many classic scenes in this drama. The distinct characteristics of the characters in the play left a deep impression on me. One of my favorites is that the heroine fights for the victims of school violence. I think the most attractive part of this drama is that it can expose the dark side of the society and the ugliness of people's hearts in a relaxed atmosphere.
Itaewon Class is one of my favorite Netflix dramas that I've watched this year (unfortunately second to Kingdom). My favorite feature of this series was not only the business aspects and management skills involved, but also the boss's work ethic and killer determination to succeed and avenge his loving father. Overall, it was a solid k-drama that combined action, comedy, love, and human will.
I've been really into this drama as well! I think it's absolutely amazing. I didn't know it started out as a webtoon, so that's interesting how they transformed it into a typical Kdrama format. Despite the long episode length, they definitely keep you engaged throughout. My favorite aspect of this drama is the unpredictability of the characters and the plot. Many Kdramas follow the same formula with a cute, caring, passive female with a rich, kinda mean, but also sometimes caring, guy. Itaewon Class not only presents strong, well-developed female characters but also addresses social issues such as being a foreigner in Korea, being transgender, and following an atypical life path. I hope more dramas follow in the footsteps of Itaewon Class.