Itaewon Class: A Review

The name “Itaewon Class” didn’t seem all that convincing as a drama title at the first glance, but I had decided to put it on my to watch-list just so that I could see Park Seo Joon’s swooning charms once again. Thank goodness, he didn’t disappoint. I mean, this drama exceeds my expectations that it’s beyond amazing. Itaewon Class is a kind of motivation I’m yearning to have during the hardest time of the year; the emerging pandemic.  And this is the first drama that makes me want to write a review as soon as it finishes.

ITAEWON CLASS / 이태원 클라쓰 (2020)

This masterpiece tells a long long agonizing journey of Park Sae Ro Yi (Park Seo Joon) who was expelled from school after standing up on behalf of his bullied classmate, whose culprit turned out to be the oldest son of Jangga Group’s CEO, South Korea’s number 1 pub company, Jang Geun Won (Ahn Bo Hyun). Sae Ro Yi’s father, who was working for Jangga Group, resigned from the huge corporation to stand on his belief and teach his son not to compromise about his principles. On their way to start over, Sae Ro Yi lost his father due to a hit-and-run traffic accident in the middle of the night incited by Geun Won. Sae Ro Yi lost his mind and was imprisoned for attempted murder on Jang Geun Won. Such a long history marked his ambition to avenge his father’s death and pack a big punch to destroy the great Jangga Group with his great 15 years-worth grand plan. With the help of Jo Yi Seo (Kim Da Mi) and his team members, Sae Ro Yi opened a pub restaurant in Itaewon, a lively district that reeks freedom.

INITIAL IMPRESSION

Full of strong angst, overwhelming sorrows and convoluted emotions, Itaewon Class attracts your attention at first and then dwells well in your mind. Each character is a beast in their own league and everybody has stories to unfold. Despite the melancholic background story, the journey is dramatically-inspiring with uplifting music to boot. 

Park Sae Ro Yi (Park Seo Joon) is a hard-headed strong character, often a brazen idealist, who stands on his beliefs and principles. I have seen this type of character circulating in Kdramaland’s lead characters, so Sae Ro Yi isn’t as new as his name is referred to. However, I see that he really takes his principles to a higher level. We often call these kind of people lunatic idealists in real life. Nonetheless, Sae Ro Yi always walks the talk and stubbornly takes responsibility of his every behavior and choice.

There isn’t any doubt that Park Seo Joon embodies the character well, just like what he did in his previous series; the swoony noona romance in Witch’s Love (2013), a lady killer-but-annoying-jerk in She was Pretty (2015), the neighborhood-oppa vibes in Fight for My Way (2017), and also a perfect-but-narcissistic CEO in What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim? (2018). Here he turns into a numb chestnut-like character who sticks to his principles well, sometimes way too straight like an unbending tree.

Oh Soo Ah (Kwon Na Ra) is Park Sae Ro Yi’s first love during high school. She lived in an orphanage and worked hard to stand up for herself. As a viewer who would likely be inclined to root for Sae Ro Yi, I didn’t necessarily think of Soo Ah positively because of her constantly disappointing choices that subconsciously affected Sae Ro Yi’s livelihood. Regardless, I agree that she is one of the realest characters I have ever encountered, for her logical choices out of uncomfortable options. She hates the sympathy she kept receiving for being an orphan during her childhood, for it looks like a distasteful emotion where you look down on someone and get comfort from it. And, thus, she climbed up in silence so that she would never need to receive such a pitiful sympathy. 

I have yet to see Kwon Na Ra’s acting performance, but she really did well in visualizing the first love-vibe whom Sae Ro Yi had constantly liked for years. All of Soo Ah’s boastful pride when it came to Sae Ro Yi, her bold striving for getting the best in life, also her desperate attempt to shield herself from any heartbreak; they were all carefully-painted in Na Ra’s expressive eyes and tone of speaking.

Jo Yi Seo (Kim Da Mi) is a genius sociopath ever since she was a kid. I looked up the term to find out the meaning and it refers to a person with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) according to healthline. They still have conscience, albeit weak, but it doesn’t hinder them from breaking rules or being impulsive for their personal gains. Yi Seo lies and manipulates people easily without an ounce of consideration to other people’s feelings. I believe that her mom also takes part in shaping her traits as she is in the present. Her mom wants her to be exceptional and even blurs out the lines between the good and the bad. It wasn’t until Sae Ro Yi stole her attention that she gradually grew into a better person.

Kim Da Mi is a new face for me, but I have heard of her excellent performance in The Witch (2018). She was surprisingly so adorable despite her bitchy face almost to everyone but Sae Ro Yi. This drama makes me look forward to her future acting projects for how natural she is.

Jang Geun Won (Ahn Bo Hyun) is the true madman in the show (apart from his unbearably mad father, definitely). He is childish, atrocious and a power abuser, truly the epitome of madness. I wasn’t convinced at all about letting out my sympathy to justify his behavior. His father is indeed malicious and I believe it has been like that since day one, but Jang Geun Won’s evil deeds were beyond anybody’s limit for forgiveness.

I have never seen Ahn Bo Hyun’s previous acting projects before, but I would say that he is very talented and I trembled for real watching his enraged expressions.

Jang Geun Soo (Kim Dong Hee) is Jang Geun Won’s stepbrother who left the house and struggled all by himself without any real adult to lean on. To me, Geun Soo always looks like a lost puppy, which is why Park Sae Ro Yi keeps referring him as a kid who can’t take responsibilities yet. He keeps going here and there to places unsuited for him, for which I feel pitiful all along the episodes. But I guess he has kinda matured by the end of the story.

edit: If you follow South Korean entertainment news, you must have been aware of Kim Dong Hee’s bullying scandal back in his elementary days. As much as I had grown fondness to his acting, I wouldn’t comment a single thing regarded to his personal life as an actor or a person.

ALLURING STUFFS

Too many good stuffs indeed, but gotta sum it up in one sentence: Everyone is bold in their own ways. Which is, what actually matters. What good is it to live a life without guts to do this or that?

Chestnut-like Park Sae Ro Yi

I might have said it before, but Park Seo Joon is one hella fine-looking man after completing his military service. He was sensually hot, but he manned up so much as Park Sae Ro Yi. As socially-awkward Sae Ro Yi is, he understands the value of people and what he stands by as the core of his business. Despite his bleak past, Sae Ro Yi managed to rise up and gather the pieces of his crumbles that broke apart before. For him, Soo Ah was his first love and the drive inside his subconscious mind to keep walking forward in life. On the other hand, there were Jangga, Jang Dae Hee (Yoo Jae Myung) and Jang Geun Won; the trinity subjected to his revenge plan to tear apart those who tore down his life.

EP2. [SPOILER ALERT] Let’s start with Soo Ah’s bravery to report Sae Ro Yi to the police after the death of his father. Sae Ro Yi, who had turned mad knowing the culprit behind his father’s death was no other than Jang Geun Soo, was literally in the verge of sending him to hell. [END OF SPOILERS]

Sae Ro Yi let out a long painful weep amidst the rain, and it’s been so long since I witness such a poignant cry. But Soo Ah did well regardless, and even Sae Ro Yi was grateful to her for stopping him from becoming a murderer.

EP3. [SPOILER ALERT] When Sae Ro Yi’s pub got into troubles because of Yi Seo and Geun Soo, here came Jang Geun Won looking dumbfounded to encounter him again. He even meticulously offered help in sarcastic manner. Sae Ro Yi burst out in anger seeing how the police became wishy-washy with Geun Won, to which he then replied, “My dream was to become a police, but I lost my temper once and became and ex-convict. An ex-convict can’t become a police officer. I understood it and gave up on my dream, because the police are supposed to defend the law. They must be cleaner and more righteous than anyone, that’s the police whom I dreamed of and admired. But you, who do you think you are? So what is he? Is he the president or something? Why does his word have the power against police forces?“ [END OF SPOILERS] While I believe that he was being too idealistic and unreal, I do admire his rough determination in life.

EP5. One of the core principles in Sae Ro Yi’s life is trust. He believes that investing in people allows him a better space of growth in the long run. [SPOILER ALERT] When Yi Seo found out that Ma Hyun Yi (Lee Joo Young) was a terrible cook, she insisted on having her replaced by another competent worker. Nonetheless, Sae Ro Yi came to her with a thick envelope. “It’s twice your pay. If you like working in this place, I want you to work twice as hard. Can you do that?” [END OF SPOILERS] Instead of intimidating oppression, people will perform well if trusted better.

EP12. [SPOILER ALERT] When DanBam was struggling because the fake investment offer incited by Jangga Group, Sae Ro Yi tried as hard as possible to keep the business afloat without asking for favors. I get that his stubbornness comes from the pride he had been holding onto, the pride to stick to his beliefs and idealism. “I don’t want to be swayed by anyone or any injustice. I want to live a life where I make my own decisions and I don’t have to pay for sticking to my principles.”

Yi Seo made a great effort by asking the favor of Kim Soon Rye, Kim Toni (Chris Lyon)’s grandmother, but Sae Ro Yi politely rejected her offer as he didn’t want to use Tony as a leverage. Later on, Kang Min Jung (Kim Hye Eun) spouted a brutal fact. “You think you can keep your pride and also have freedom? You know what, freedom is not free. Freedom comes at a price.” [END OF SPOILERS]

I learned a lot about business thanks to this drama. Business is all about people, said Sae Ro Yi’s core principle, and he stuck with it till the end of the day. As stubborn as he was, he eventually put down the pride for the sake of the people so dear to him.

EP15. [SPOILER ALERT] The very first time Sae Ro Yi confessed about the hardships he had been barely enduring was in front her father during his long coma. “It was tough. I kept telling myself that I would get through this and everything would be fine, but the truth is, life has been nothing but burdensome. I missed you, Dad, and living based on hatred was so difficult.” [END OF SPOILERS] I bawled down for quite a long time thinking of how lonely he must have felt all this time. Sae Ro Yi was a powerful warrior in a lonely battle he fought. Regardless, he finally sent his father at peace as he remembered Yi Seo and the people he cherished in DanBam. After all, all he ever wanted was to be happy again.

EP16. [SPOILER ALERT] And finally, the very final grand scene that nobody might have expected in the first place. There was Sae Ro Yi, getting on his knees in front of Jang Dae Hee, his very enemy, in order to rescue Yi Seo, somebody who means the world for him now. [END OF SPOILERS] Did he feel that he had lost? I don’t think so. My man had found better things to cherish and treasure instead of his hatred towards Jangga. When his motivation was altered, the battle of pride no longer carried any meaning for him.

This is a solid prove that, at the end of the day, being surrounded with people you love is all it takes to be happy. Screw that bullshit about pride whatsoever.

Badass bitchy Jo Yi Seo

Jo Yi Seo really portrays the reality of the Millennials, a generation whose source of happiness, and even income, comes from the social media. And I like that she handles things smartly and with common sense, although I couldn’t say that she is 100-percent sane. I mean, slapping her classmate’s mother could never become a thing to brag about, but I understood where she was coming from. She only teaches people how convenient it is to drag someone’s down based on their purposely- recorded behavior. She was a bitch in her youth, but also coolly badass when it came to her inner power.

EP4. [SPOILER ALERT] After being rescued by Sae Ro Yi, Yi Seo expressed through her narratives about his interest in him and even had the guts to offer him a cup of coffee to repay his kindness. And even though Sae Ro Yi had indirectly told her off, she didn’t bug at all. You can’t find this shamelessness anywhere. [END OF SPOILERS]

And this sight feels familiar to that of an awkward meeting between a husband, the first wife and the second wife, which makes Sae Ro Yi a cute pushover.

EP5. [SPOILER ALERT] The prettiest people are those who spark blinking confidence. I admire Yi Seo’s confidence in leading people to do makeover on DanBam’s interior and concept in general. She might come off a bit commanding and nosy to Choi Seung Kwon (Ryu Kyung Soo) and Ma Hyun Yi, who had been part of DanBam longer than her. However, they did acknowledge that Yi Seo knew exactly what she was doing. She confronts people with facts and logical assumptions, which made her a great weapon to DanBam’s success. [END OF SPOILERS]

EP8. After learning about Sae Ro Yi’s characteristics from Soo Ah, Yi Seo managed to quickly adjust her lens of perspectives because of her desire to stay with him. I like that as convenient as her shameless audacity is, it is easy for her to ask for Geun Soo and Toni’s forgiveness for everything she did wrong, The word “sorry” doesn’t seem like a heavily-weighed pride after all.

EP13. [SPOILER ALERT] Ma Hyun Yi having her transgender identity exposed is another heart-rending scene, but I like that Sae Ro Yi and Yi Seo responded to the crisis differently. The people-oriented Sae Ro Yi told her not to feel burdened and offered to take over the live show instead if she wasn’t confident enough since he cared about her mental state, while the profit-oriented Yi Seo assured Hyun Yi that she would be capable of overcoming the current circumstance and battle with her skills alone. Both share the same value, in that they put a trust in Hyun Yi. And the result was beyond awesome. [END OF SPOILERS]

Edit: My little token of appreciation to Soo Ah

I wrote this paragraph long after my review was finished, soon after re-watching the drama and discovering tiny fragmented details I might have missed before. Here’s my apology for doubting Soo Ah and starting my hatewagon towards her. It’s easy to misunderstand a good intention once being clouded with grey behaviors. Soo Ah seemed like a devoted salary woman who abandoned her moral sanity and chased over profitable results no matter what.

[SPOILER ALERT] It wasn’t until her shocking reversal of reporting Jangga’s corrupted misdeeds over years and becoming a whistleblower that I realized how mind-blowing her character was written. Being a whistleblower is a serious issue since no human capital management will be sane enough to hire an employee with a history of destroying her own shelter. That being said, all of Soo Ah’s ambiguousness towards Sae Ro Yi also made much more sense than it was before. When Sae Ro Yi was fighting a lonely battle with the help of people whom he trust, Soo Ah was constantly in defense mode while having her behavior being side-eyed and misunderstood by everyone else apart of Sae Ro Yi himself. There was nobody to trust and lean to or her mission would be impossible to accomplish. [END OF SPOILERS]

Thankfully, Soo Ah was a well-equipped warrior that she managed to bring Jangga down with a single attack and left the bloody empire unscathed. Instead, she saved a great deal of fortune and started becoming her own CEO of a fine dining restaurant.

EP16. Her greatest bonus was having this fine man as a cook. Thank you Park Bo Gum for shining so dazzlingly on the screen for such a tiny period of time.

STUFFS THAT IRKED ME

I was continuously annoyed with Jang Dae Hee and Jang Geun Won’s evil deeds. To me, both are just losers trying to intimidate other people by abusing their money-drawn power because they don’t have much confidence in what they can bring to the table. Nonetheless, I’m not going to write much about them because let the evil stay in the dark. I usually consider different characters by putting myself in their shoes in order to understand why they do a certain thing. But here, I don’t want to write anything about Jang Dae Hee or Jang Geun Won at all. I would never get why one can be so devoted in destroying other people, or requiring the other people’s approval so bad. Period.

Soo Ah’s overbearing self-pity

“At least, I should cherish myself. A poor little girl who was never loved by anyone.”

It was the voice inside Soo Ah’s 17 year-old mind. And while I empathize with the anxiety she was surrounded by during her childhood, it bugs me that her stance remains the same even after all those years. It feels like another victim-playing method to justify her every behavior. Being cornered by unfavorable options is never easy, but see that what you choose in the end defines you.

Yi Seo’s hypocrisy (and hurtful remarks)

I was genuinely contemplating whether I would consider this scene as an alluring stuff or the irking one. [SPOILER ALERT] I initially thought of this scene to deviate from the prevalence, where a woman who initiated a kiss was impudently blocked by the other. And the guy was only as stiff as a plank, looking like an adorable pushover. [END OF SPOILERS] But, nope, this was Yi Seo’s pure hypocrisy since she also initiated a kiss on Sae Ro Yi, when he was heavily-influenced and not really sober. At some point, she drew herself as a little kid compared to the mature Sae Ro Yi and Soo Ah. After re-watching the drama, sometimes I gave a second thought whether or not Yi Seo was a compatible match for Sae Ro Yi because of little stuffs like this. Not that Sae Ro Yi was an absolutely perfect match, either.

I am persuaded enough that one of Yi Seo’s undeniable charms lies on her ability to stay brazenly reasonable no matter what. [SPOILER ALERT] Nonetheless, I slightly loathed the part where Toni was called out by a pub’s security member for not looking like a Korean. Yi Seo added fuel to the fire by emphasizing his dark skin, which is so unlike Korean people. [END OF SPOILERS] I could let pass any other atrocious words that she babbled, but a racist remark isn’t part of them. It did make me a bit uncomfortable. It’s only appropriate that Toni felt hurt with her bluntly racist remark.

Geun Soo’s betrayal

We’ve got a clear glimpse of what triggered Geun Soo to enter Jangga Group, but it annoyed me so much seeing how drastic Geun Soo’s character switch was. [SPOILER ALERT] The worst part was when he disclosed Hyun Yi’s transgender identity for the sake of beating DanBam in “The Best Pub” show, whose attempt failed even after such a dirty scheme. [END OF SPOILERS] I wasn’t so convinced, too, that Geun Soo was capable of doing that.

LOVELINES ALERT

Park Sae Ro Yi & Oh Soo Ah

First loves are always like that, aren’t they? They are the perfect benchmark of your ideal type, convincing you to believe that perfect love exists after all. Soo Ah is that perfect figure for Sae Ro Yi; pretty, independent and strong-willed, truly a badass on her league. Sae Ro Yi liked her regardless of whatever she did even though it might disappoint him, and his feelings didn’t change for a while. “Why are you having a hard time? Don’t be like that. Whatever you do, I will be fine. You just tried the best for your life. You didn’t do anything wrong,” he said, which only frustrated her.

While I didn’t hate the idea of their pairing, I was constantly disappointed with the choices she made. Aggravating enough, as upset as I was, I didn’t exactly misunderstand the turmoil inside her mind. As a salary woman, she was merely being dutiful and responsible enough for the given job. And kudos for her thorough dedication, a quality which would definitely make her a successful person.

On another note, it was meh for me about the way Soo Ah kept the relationship hanging for a freakin‘ 10 years. She indeed made it clear about her utmost devotion to Jangga Group and told Sae Ro Yi to stop liking her, but it was also her who kept blustering about being his first love in front of Yi Seo.

The last time Soo Ah boasted about Sae Ro Yi’s feelings towards her, I was extremely glad to hear Yi Seo’s refreshing witticism. [SPOILER ALERT] Soo Ah said that Sae Ro Yi would become rich and destroy Jangga Group so that she would stop having a hard time. Yi Seo pointed out her selfishness, about asking for things continuously without doing anything in return. “Rich? I will make him rich. Jangga Group gives him a hard time? I will destroy them for him.” Well said, Yi Seo. [END OF SPOILERS]

Park Sae Ro Yi & Jo Yi Seo

This loveline surely is a dark horse nobody would have expected in the first place. I believed that Sae Ro Yi had only thought of her as a little sister, just like how he behaves around Geun Soo. However, the trust eventually grew into a sense of dependence and constant needs. Sae Ro Yi might not realize something as trifle as it was, but the gaze in his eyes had uttered more unspoken words. The way he kept worrying about her and patting her head when something good happened feels so pure and sincere.

[SPOILER ALERT] When Sae Ro Yi found Yi Seo on the floor after getting thrown by Jang Geun Won, the bursting flame was so visible in his eyes that my heart fluttered so much despite the tensed atmosphere. [END OF SPOILERS]

Understanding each other plays a pivotal role in the growth of their relationship. If Yi Seo gave up after one or two fights with Sae Ro Yi, he wouldn’t have been able to get the picture of Yi Seo’s heart. Instead of suppressing one’s opinions and casting blames on the other, they argue with each other in order to reach a true consensus. What a comparison with Soo Ah who drew a line since the beginning because she couldn’t understand him. Yi Seo talks back but is also bold enough to try understanding Sae Ro Yi.

EP11. [SPOILER ALERT] One of the most heart-breaking confessions ever in Kdramaland. Sae Ro Yi got upset at Yi Seo for using Geun Soo’s feelings for her advantage, to which Yi Seo replied. “I know that it’s not ethical. I don’t expect you to understand me. I just don’t want to lie to you. This is just me. But I know that since you hate things like this, I won’t do it anymore.” If even the sociopath being like Yi Seo ever thinks about considering other people’s feelings, it’s crystal clear that she truly loves Sae Ro Yi. And when Sae Ro Yi was being ambiguous with his words, Yi Seo straightforwardly continued, “If you don’t like me, that’s just what it is. Work, age gap, those excuses are cowardly. That’s the last thing I want to hear from you.” [END OF SPOILERS]

The greatest reversal was when Sae Ro Yi finally managed to fathom his own feelings, that his mind is filled with Yi Seo. I love that Sae Ro Yi made a different remark between Yi Seo and Soo Ah. It’s always been “I like you” to Soo Ah, while it’s “I love you” to Yi Seo. It might have been a sense of admiration towards his first love, but Yi Seo managed to stay by his side all those years until he knew he truly needed her.

Yi Seo wants his sleepless nights become sweet and to make him genuinely happy. And never has Sae Ro Yi looked happier.

I have seen countless comments that despise this pairing because they saw no chemistry between Park Seo Joon and Kim Da Mi, anyway. While I found it believable enough that Park Sae Ro Yi managed to grow some love for Jo Yi Seo, I can’t disagree that they could make a cute brother-sister pairing. Chemistry-wise, both still look good together, although I have seen Park Seo Joon developed better chemistry with his previous love-partners like Kim Ji Won and Park Min Young.

Jo Yi Seo & Jang Geun Soo

After a short analysis of Geun Soo’s basic traits, I sorta understand why he fell for Yi Seo. A lost puppy that had been wandering off the empty desert without anybody to lean on. On the other hand, Yi Seo comes across as a strong independent character who knows exactly what she wants in life. She is also capable of protecting herself from danger and giving counterattacks. I believe that it was part of the reason that triggers Geun Soo’s love interest. They had been in each other’s company for so long that there’s no way feelings wouldn’t spark.

Nonetheless, Yi Seo never beats around the bush when it comes to her feelings. She declared her feelings to Sae Ro Yi and never looked back ever since, not giving any space for Geun Soo to misunderstand her heart. Yi Seo is 100-percent honest in front of Geun Soo, a quality which keeps him going back and forth with his feelings.

[SPOILER ALERT] After all the misunderstandings and hurtful words shoved to each other, it was only adequate that they ended Geun Soo’s one-sided love properly. The closure was satisfying enough; Yi Seo genuinely apologizing for using his feelings for her own good and telling him to live well. Well done. [END OF SPOILERS]

FINAL THOUGHTS

This is a pure lifetime drama for me, not merely a source of entertainment. There is always something that we hold onto to survive the world, which is called the basics. Basic principles, visions and goals construct the foundation of the life we have been granted, And as naive as Park Sae Ro Yi’s stubborn idealism is, he teaches people to define their own worth and unlock their inner motivation.

“You don’t think you have a chance because you’re a poor under-educated ex-convict? You can’t do anything if you believe that is the case. Why don’t decide after trying it out? You have no right to determine my value. My life has just begun, and I will do everything I want to do.”

It feels like reading out loud a Christian value, for God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son (John 3:16). If even the Holy God values you with a high price, why shall you lose sight of your worth merely due to unfavorable situations or people?

Another point to note, Sae Ro Yi isn’t all-talk about his goals. He did not become ambitious and too stubborn for nothing. Sae Ro Yi made his goals happen with the help of other people, whom he gained by sticking to his principles. Marvelous, isn’t it?

Speaking of life, I have seen people who work their asses off to make a seemingly- unattainable dream happen. I have also discovered more people who work their asses off to grow the dream of other people. Between them all, I found people who leech on other people just so that they work less hard to gain as hard. And amidst the hassles, I realized how inspiring Yi Seo is for standing up on her feet to pursue what she truly wants, without hesitation. “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.”

At the end of the day, what matters in life is pursuing the goals you are running into, without the need of convincing other people about who you really are. Those who are meant to understand you will not require your justification.

Witnessing Sae Ro Yi’s long journey also reminds me to stay on the track I am currently walking and endure life whatever it takes, and that I can overcome everything as long as I stay alive. It’s never going to be only ordinary days ahead. Nobody actually knows what tomorrow holds, even though everyday may look so trivial.

Thank you DanBam for delivering such a sweet warmth.

Thank you Park Sae Ro Yi & Jo Yi Seo for delivering such a warm love.

GRADE

10/10

To anyone who is still fighting with the heavily-weighed life they have been enduring, here is a beautiful song to keep your company.