Itaewon Class : A class apart from your stereotypical Korean content
If you havent seen the show yet, well do look it up on Netflix. A bit dialogue heavy and laden with management jargon, this show is unlike your average Korean Dramas. It is a tale about a bunch of misfits ( high school & college dropouts ) starting a company on their own, as revenge.
There are some clutter breaking things about this show that will definitely surprise you but the show also has it’s Achilles’ heel. Let us discuss both the strengths of this series and things that could have been better. I personally feel that the positives outweigh the weaknesses making the show worth a watch
School Drop Outs / Convicts achieving their dreams: This could have easily made the series a one man show. But instead of just focusing on himself and his dreams Saeroyi actually lifted two more people out of difficult situations. Anyone feeling worthless and uninspired in life can take his words seriously to pull themselves out of a rut. If Saeroyi (without a professional degree) can , why can’t I. Seung-Gwon remarked, about Saeroyi once :
“Everyone is given the same amount of time. But I realized that the depth of the time he and I had spent is completely different.”
Transgender Character : Other than Sabrina the teenage witch, I haven’t come across any show that depicts a transgender person with the respect they deserve. They are often relegated to a role meant for comic relief or a limited to a caricature. Not everyday do you come across a transgender person in a drama who has his/her own sub plot. Although Jo Si Yo read this poem out aloud in the series, but it summarises the journey of Hyeon-Yi in the show. After being almost fired from the pub, she comes back as a much better cook. After being publicly outed as a transgender person by the media, she shuts down her naysayers by winning the cooking contest.
“I’m a rock. Go ahead and sear me. I won’t budge an inch because I’m a rock.
Go ahead and beat me up. I’m a solid rock.
Go ahead and leave me in darkness. I’m a rock that will shine all alone.
I don’t break, ash, nor decay as I go against nature’s way.
I survive. I’m a diamond.”
Mixed Race Korean Character : Asian cultures are notorious for treating foreigners badly, especially those who don’t fit into their definition of beautiful (think black straight hair & perfectly fair skin). To actually have one of the major characters with his own subplot, an actor of a different race takes a lot of guts. I do wish that he was given more screen time. But for Korean shows with homogeneous cast, this was a good starting point. Tony you will leave a mark on the audience’s minds for sure
Lead Actor with no makeup : There could be a chance that the lead actor had some makeup on but he wasn’t made to look like perfection personified. You should compare him to the lead of What’s wrong with Secretary Kim and you would be surprised to know that this is the same actor sans makeup. The show makers didn’t shy away from giving him a very dorky (out of fashion) haircut. I know its a very shallow point to discuss but for Korean shows, I think it is definitely clutter breaking. To create a character where the focus is not on his looks but his struggle and his story.
Successful Single Women : who script their own path in life : I am always a fan of women who are not defined by the men in their lives and this show had so many beautiful female characters. The romantic angle was not focused on too much during the first half which gave the show its character.
Oh Soo – Ah ( the almost leading lady ) was unlike any Korean female characters. She played by her own rules and followed her plan to the T without being influenced by power or lifelong friendships. What amazed me was her remarkable ability to compartmentalise her feelings and work with the man who murders the sole father figure in life. But she never forgives nor forgets !! It’s just that her method of seeking revenge was a lot better even though initially most viewers thought that she is a sell out.
“I’m not depending on someone else’s dream. And I’m not going to live your dream either. I’m going to live for myself. It’s my life.”
Stradling between the Protagonist and the antagonist: Miss Kang : I think she was by far my favourite character. Probably more diplomatic and graceful than the others, she was the sensible calming presence in Saeroyi’s life. Rest of his friends and companions were as reckless as him, and for a major part of his life he didn’t have any guiding force.
She was the one who could run a company single handedly on one hand and patiently befriend a stranger’s little daughter on the other. That balance of power and sensitivity is what makes her remarkable. She was literally the right hand to Janga Coo’s CEO before Soo-Ah rises up to the position. I think it is commendable that she didn’t lose herself while working for Jangaa co’s megalomaniac CEO
Successful Sociopath : Jo Yi Seo was a funny one. She was every millennial’s dream come true. I can picture them aspiring to be somebody like her. An influencer with a social media presence strong enough to make or break anyone’s career. She is shown aimlessly wandering around in life and Danbam (the pub) provides her with a much needed direction and pursuit in life. What I love about her, is that she knows her worth and doesn’t shy away from demanding it. Whether it is her work life or personal life, she knows what she is capable of. She retained her badass nature, right till then end of the series, not losing her focus on even when she was kidnapped.
The Evil CEO of Janga Co. : Initially you hate him, then you get bored of him eventually you pity him. I can imagine people with his thought process but its hard to imagine that somebody will say all those things out loud. Hum raja tum praja (me king, you commoners) syndrome is expected of him but hardly justifiable given his own humble background. He stands for the previous generations of Korea who have lived though wars, famines and financial uncertainty. He built his empire Janga co. by trampling on his subordinates. Unlike Saeroyi, he doesn’t accept that his company is built by the people who work for him. He feels that everyone is replaceable.
“It’s servility. You’ve been tamed to my taste. I pressured everyone around me with power to tame them like that. It’s easy to control them. And I despise them”
The Unconvincing parts of the show
Spoiler Alert : Don’t read further if you haven’t watched the show
Arc of the Geun Soo : How did he suddenly go from being an innocent bystander to conniving manipulator. The plot twist was not convincing enough, at least for me. I know people can go to extreme limits to prove their love for somebody. But he was the neglected extra child who was always trying hard to not turn into a bully like his older brother. For him to a complete turn around and betray his friend for a mere TV show cooking contest is hard to believe.
The revenge game : The entire series revolves around seeking revenge and bringing about this one man’s downfall. But eventually when it happens, I personally found it to be too late and drawn out. What is the point of winning when the person you are fighting against is on his deathbed. The last few episodes, made me want to skip the scenes with him in them.
Yi Seo’s journey from a troubled teenager to a hopelessly in love grown up : I expected her to grow out of her smitten phase. Honestly speaking, I find it hard to believe that you could have a romantic relationship with your professional mentor. It would have been far more logical to have her acknowledge that it was childish to pursue Saeroyi romantically and focus on her professional life. But to have the second half of the series drag on about Saeroyi’s realisation that his concern for her is actually love, really tested my patience.
The kidnapping/murder attempt : Poorly executed and thought out ending of the show. The last three episodes were such an epic fail given how strongly the show began. It felt like the writers were running out of ideas and were in a rush to end the series so they decided to have a murder / kidnapping / love confession all at once.
But inspite of all this I would still say the show is worth a watch. In terms of acting Saeroyi is our weakest link. All the other actors are phenomenal in whatever screen time they got.