Hierarchy (2024)

A Fully Pretentious Drama with an Empty Plot

This was a drama i enjoyed to some extent but i cant ignore its flaws. First of all, there is no real plot. Its just a pointless love triangle with a predictable murder mystery and a few twists. The plot was heavily inspired by Western teen dramas like Elite and the approach was similar. It was made for those who enjoy shows with attractive leads, sex and glamour but no substantial plot. At least in Elite, there were erotic scenes, here there was nothing.

The story revolves around Kang Ha, who transfers to a prestigious high school to take revenge and expose his twin brother's murderers. He becomes entangled with Jae Yi, the female protagonist and her ex boyfriend Rian, which forms the main plot.

Not gonna lie, the first episode really impressed me despite its shortcomings. But as the series progressed, i realized it was just a pretty facade with nothing inside.


Here is what i liked and disliked:


What I Liked:

1. Production Values: The first thing anyone will notice is the gorgeous production. Every shot looked expensive. I was quite impressed by the money spent on it. Costumes, sets everything was meticulously designed.

2. Direction: The direction was absolutely perfect. The director understood his assignment and did a fantastic job. Its a shame that the plot and actors were not strong enough to do justice to his direction.

3. Cinematography: The cinematography was stunning. Every shot looked cinematic and the color grading was flawless.

4. Background Music: The background music was catchy and perfectly conveyed the emotions of each scene. Overall, the BGMs were very well done.

5. Ending Scenes of Each Episode: Each episode ended on a high note with scenes designed to leave viewers exhilarated.

These are the few things i liked about the drama.


What I Didnt Like:

1. Plot: Was there even a plot?? It seemed like it was cobbled together from various Western shows, mainly Elite, trying to create a korean version but failing. The love triangle was pointless and the murder mystery, while initially intriguing ended predictably and unsatisfactorily. This show is a perfect example of a pretty exterior with nothing inside.

2. Acting: The acting was bland except for Ji Hyewon. None of the other actors impressed me. Roh Jeong Hui was expressionless throughout the series. I dont understand why she was cast. Both male leads were just okay and did nothing remarkable. The supporting actors were also mediocre.

3. Characterization: The characterization was the worst aspect. There wasnt a single likable character, not the female lead, the male leads, nor any supporting characters. Yoon Hera was the only character who showed some growth and the actress nailed her role but she alone couldnt save this empty drama.

4. Pretentiousness: The entire drama was pretentious. The flaunting of wealth and everything else felt very contrived. Among all the series i have watched about chaebols this was the most pretentious. Even in Glory where Yeonjin and her gang were super rich, they never came across as pretentious.

5. Lack of Chemistry: There was absolutely no chemistry between the female lead and either of the male leads. There were no emotions or connections at all. This could be due to the female lead's casting but the male leads also seemed disinterested.

6. Teen Characters Pretending to Be Adults: I hated how all the teen characters were trying to act like adults. They havent even turned 18 but they behaved like 35-45year old ahjussis and ahjummas. Even during the breakup scene between Rian and Jaeyi, they acted like they had been married for 10-15 years and were now bitterly divorcing.

Overall this is a good timepass drama. I dont regret watching it but it was really below average. If you like western teen dramas like Elite, then this is for you. Just dont go in with high expectations.

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In the Hierarchy of kdramas this will not have a memorable spot !

I mean who didn't sign up for the eye candies and tbh we all know we loved it somewhere ....then the thinking brain comes into play and maybe just maybe ruins your watch experience because well -- we all need a plot ( and it can't be just hot oppas) !

The plot was all over the place or maybe non existent-- we can say a highly westernized drama like elite gets a kdrama touch and again Netflix saves the day with it's visual appeal but for how long will they dwell on such script-less dramas !?

story -- just like always we have a teen drama where everyone is pretending to be an adult ! -- a rich lifestyle and parties traded with mental health and freedom and there comes a variable -- a literally poor one this time ! it's not a revenge story of a poor puppy in the realm of rich brats knocking them down it's a damsel in distress romance and by the end very much a "MORAL SCIENCE " lecture !

So let me tell you my expectations with this and then we'll progress to how disappointed I was with this !

I was looking forward to having a visually stunning and planned nerve-racking revenge plot that will go down in the books-- a romance that shatters the foundation of this well build school and all it's riches !
but in turn --
This show stands out as a perfect example of DO NOT JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER ! -- while in the initial stages the show is very promising of all your expectations it falls flat on it's face by the end ! -- the mystery the villains the chemistry the storyline everything !

I would have appreciated if background for characters was explored in depth-- like he's not just the always happy guy , she's not the always untouchable queen and the perfect prince or so and so ! - i wanted to know them for who they are and not just what the world knows of them it kind of weakened their role and made them superficial !

What I liked -- the actors ! -- all of them give their best ! all the eye candies perfectly in place even to the side characters !

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE -- (oh hell we have a list) --

THE CONFUSION -- They should tell me who do I root for, the writers themselves got confused mid way about their final ship !
THE FRIENDSHIP -- either shallow or deep -- there's not supposed to be an in-between -- cuz there is no in-between !
THE VILLAINS -- even tho i was disappointed by the story -- their acting disappointed me even more !
THE REVEALS -- even if there was a strong build up that had my attention -- they revealed it in the dumbest and most convenient way possible !
THE MOTIVES -- it was just so weird for everything to be that predictable and illogical by all means !
THE TEENS -- man never for a moment they behaved their age (and i don't mean the parties !)
THE END -- They did not have to have me so uninterested in the ending and make it so over the top !
THE MAIN CHARACTERS -- (I'll put it in a spoiler tag comment )!

Overall this is the drama that you normally dote on -- if western, so i can't say I am disappointed but then if you are a kdrama fan then you don't look forward to western touch I mean I would love more netflix productions and high budget hyped shows with the most amazing cinematography but ones that do have substance !

Please watch it -- do not look for a plot -- just enjoy the ride you have in front of you -- do not get your hopes up due to initial eps ...I am hoping you'll love it if you follow this !!!

my fav line --
"I want to protect him even if it means to give up all I have - I want to protect him because he's all I have" !

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A POOR KOREAN REMAKE OF ELITE

***DISCLAIMER: THIS IS JUST MY OPINION. YOU DON'T HAVE TO AGREE AND I'M NOT HERE TO ARGUE WITH ANYONE.***

A/N: This review is long so please bear with me or just skip to the “final thoughts” section.


OVERVIEW:

The drama opens with a scared boy running away from somone who seems to be chasing him. It flashes back to some memories of him shouting at someone saying "you're all crazy". Then when he finally runs outside he is hit over by a car and bleeds to death. The camera zooms in on his ID card from Jooshin focusing on the motto which says “noblesse oblige” This is from French meaning, “nobility obligates” which touches on the belief that the wealthy and privileged are obliged to help those less fortunate. The boy who was killed is In Han who we eventually find out is the protagonist, Kang Ha’s brother. He then enrolls at Jooshin to exact retribution on those guilty and obtain justice for his brother.


GENERAL COMMENTARY:

The drama was, to put it mildly, unremarkable.

First things first, the high schoolers racing around a track driving million dollar sports cars in episode 1? Come on, be for real. This show is such a joke. That added nothing to the plot and I think they blew the budget on unnecessary things.

The FL irritated me. Although ML was seemingly in love with her, she only has tunnel vision for Ri-An. Watching it was irksome, especially in the beginning when everyone thought Ri-An was involved in In-Han's murder. It was clear that initially Jae-i was using Kang Ha to get over Ri-An, and she shielded him out of guilt that he might be related to In-Han. I was so annoyed by her passion for Ri-An but it just goes to show that someone can do everything for you and you’ll still mean nothing to them. I didn’t understand why Kang Ha didn’t just let go of her. He tried protecting her when on the flipside she told him she didn’t care about protecting anyone except Ri-an. I had assumed that the writers would have written the story that she was in love with In-Han (similar to Elite) but apparently not. It was just your typical rich boy in love with a rich girl and both willing to go to any lengths to keep the other safe.

It’s so ironic to me how she almost had to abort their baby because she couldn’t face her father’s wrath and yet she was still in love with him? Make it make sense. She knew they could never truly be together and so she breaks up with him but at the same time she still loves him and would do anything to protect him even if she knew he had a hand in In-Han’s murder? I’m sorry but Kang Ha deserves better.

This drama just shows that the rich will always have eachothers backs and do whatever it takes to step on those beneath them.

Which brings me to the another point, I don’t understand why she was so shocked / stunned to speak when ML finally revealed the truth than In-Han was his brother. That much was so obvious and even she was shown to have had a slight suspicion that he was related to him in some way because he continued to provoke the rich and popular kids.

I believe Roh Jeong Eui tried to create visuals similar to Han So Hee and Bona. However, I believe she overdid her plastic surgery, which is why her emotions don't translate properly onscreen. She was expected to play a cold, unfeeling and disinterested character but character lacked flavor and she had same expression throughout the drama. During the scene where she and Ri-An were lamenting the loss of their baby together, she cried but did not show any emotion on her face. It was quite unpleasant to watch ngl. Ji Hye Won reminded me very lot of Song Ha Yoon from Marry My Husband. She did her role justice. Her performance was superior to FLs if I’m being honest.

Some claim Jae-i had no chemistry with either of the boys. That is not entirely true, as there was steam between her and Kang-Ha in episodes 1 and 2. I disliked how they built up the kiss so nicely in episode 2 and then nothing because the headmaster, Ri An, and Woo Ji had to intervene. But, while I agree that the chemistry / spark faded after that, her “slight” fondness for Ri-An and her friends was still somewhat present in the flashbacks. She tried but it just wasn’t good enough.

The show felt so flat and the romance between Kang Ha and Jae-i was just unnecessary like how did he let a trivial crush hinder his ‘revenge’ ? I swear so many characters needed to STAND UP. I hate how both of the guys were just pathetic simps for Jae-i. I had to ask myself if I was He-Ra in this situation? Bc I could not stand her AT ALL. Lmao those boys needed to bffr!

I don’t and will never see the appeal of Ri-an either I guess that’s just me. I enjoyed Kim Jae Won’s performance in KTL so much more. He was irksome, and insufferable not to mention the main reason for the violence on the less fortunate scholarship kids at the school and I doubt he was actually sorry at the end, he was just sorry he got caught. Imo he was just a one dimensional pretentious bastard and it took him learning that his baby died for him to break down his walls and have a heart? Spare me with the lazy writing fr.

Additionally, I couldn’t understand why Ri-an liked Jae-i and why her love for him was unwavering. I didn’t feel any warmth or real emotional or even physical attraction pass between them in the 7 episodes. I wonder if it would have been different had Chae Min played Ri-an and played Kang Ha. Idk why but I kept on thinking this through the entirety of the drama. The casting directors made a certain choice and I’m not sure if it was the best one. Chae Min would have carried the drama and stood out either way and so I applaud him for giving this role his best. Usually the poor characters have that wide eyed bambi look much like Ri-An and Chae Min has that evil / gold spoon look in my opinion. I also don’t think 2MLs acting is that strong of an actor. He needs more training so he can improve. People were raving about his acting in episode 6 especially and to me it was just a mediocre performance that felt quite stony and flat.

I was not surprised that the teacher and Woo-Ji had a hand in In-Ha bring killed. From episode 2 they were the most suspicious to me not to mention the most taboo / disgusting couple. The moment I saw them sleeping together that right there was a 0/10 for me. 18 in korean age or not… (which is 17 in international age) IDC THAT’S A WHOLE ADULT AND A MINOR… EW!

The teacher was pathetic. She only cared about Woo-ji and then fakes empathy in front of the kids at school like she even gives a singular f*ck about In Ha dying… LIKE BITCH YOU WERE THE ONE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE.

I got so sick and tired of her patronizing attitude. She must feel so accomplished to be f*cking a student half her age and then trying to hit over the girl Woo-ji loves after she is forced to resign? Did she want to be charged for a second hit and run? Lmao. She was the definition of immature and unserious.

Jae-i’s back story of wanting to abort the baby then having a miscarriage is sad but the build up towards that took too long. Everyone knew or could infer that she aborted or lost the baby. I get that she was grieving and couldn’t face Ri-An, but if she just communicated imagine the difference that would have made. Idk the plot was just unnecessarily dragged out and she quite literally treated Ri-an like she hated him for more than half of the drama.

The resolution was terrible. It's a massive eye roll that they always manage to have Ri-an look like the "cool guy". It was so cheap and performative of him to acknowledge his part in bullying at the last minute. Dramas like this constantly give the impression that problems are easily fixed. Someone literally died for God sakes!Furthermore, I don't think 2ML's acting is that good. While I thought his performance in episode 6 was merely passable, many were praising him.

I find it cliche that the writers always make it out that the rich are envious of the poor because they can do whatever they want and find joy in the simple things in life. I could have told you I saw that scene coming from a mile away.

The farewell scene between Jae-i and He-ra was unnecessary. Imo they spent almost the entirety of the drama being horrible to each other so I stopped caring about them & didn’t want to see them rekindle their fake friendship.

“Take care of yourself, my mean and beautiful friend." lmao, this was such a backhanded compliment that I side eyed. The FL had the opportunity to finally express her actual emotions in that scene, but she failed. Like she even finds it difficult to smile? Bffr.

The bike scene between Ri-an and Jae-i annoyed me because that was literally Kang Ha and Jae-i’s thing. Ugh is nothing sacred anymore? Honestly I couldn’t care less about Jae-i and Ri-an. But I suppose they suit each other in the way that they’re lowkey the same / have the same trashy morals. Imo their chemistry is nonexistent and it felt like the writers were trying to force their relationship down everyone’s throats. She didn't even appear to be enjoying the "toast" either — like girl not even you believe it’s good.

“Kang Ha once told me that I should find and protect whatever makes me happiest in life. So I thought about it and that’s you Ri-an.” they need to stop forcing this actress to be endearing because she can’t do it. Also I find it ironic how it took Kang-ha sharing his advice for her to realize it. Jae-i just seems pathetic if you ask me.

I hate that knowing each other since childhood trope that they use to show that two characters “belong” together or are “destined” to be together. I also dislike the fact that there’s no real reason that they like eachother other than that they are familiar and comfortable with each other. This is a case of the “just ‘cause” syndrome again. Like yes, give us absolutely NOTHING. I would have preferred they stayed broken up. It was annoying how much screen time they took up in the final episode, as that was where the drama became a complete drag.

The scene where Ri-an and Jae-i say farewell to their baby by allowing the ultrasound to float into the river was not moving (to me) at all. I believe both actors are inexperienced and have not dealt with a similar situation, hence it didn't translate properly on screen. I wanted them to delve into their grief and actually communicate. I needed Jae-i to open up him about how she felt about keeping the secret and how she felt when the baby eventually died etc. She mentioned it to Kang Ha, but we never saw her explain herself to Ri-an. A lot was missing and that scene seemed to lack a lot.

I said it once and I’m gonna say it again; dramas doing these sacrificial love arcs need to quit while they are ahead because it never hits especially with no real backstory or build up. I think 7 episodes hindered them from doing that but they could have cut out the unnecessary drama and tried to create more multidimensional characters. Even Kang-ha’s home life beyond his memories with his brother. We didn’t see his living situation with his uncle or what happened to his parents. I feel like the writers could’ve explored this more.

I hated the scene where Kang-ha pitifully asked Jae-i if there was ever a time she had real feelings for him and she just smiled and he figured she was lying. Enough with that bs! It’s sad especially when you realize she only felt guilt towards him and that’s because In-han was so good to her and she saw similarities between the two.

The scene between He-ra and Kang-ha came out of the blue but I believe the writers threw it in at the end because they wished they explored that dynamic / pairing more. It was cute but unnecessary imo.

Not Kang-ha running pathetically towards Jae-i when she’s about to leave and confessing / apologizing for the 100th time. She needs to put in the work and chase him. Mind you she should be the one apologizing to him! I think he needs to get over her. I didn’t care that she finally admitted she had feelings for him because it means nothing and if it came down to it she would still chose Ri-an. I hate how they wrote him to be a loser simp… like he really lost sight of his revenge all because of her?! BE SO SERIOUS.

To be honest, I don’t ship Kang-ha with any of those mean rich kids. He deserves so much more than to be a mere option / someone’s sloppy seconds!

I’m glad that Jae-i left on her own accord to find herself and ended up going to visit her mom but imo, the ending was just bathetic. I mean we don’t even get to see her mom’s face? Bye.

After the credits they showed another murder with Kang-ha smiling at his phone “appearing” to send a message to Ri-An which said “you look shaken up” was so dissatisfying. It’s obvious they’re teasing S2. I’m so over it. NEXT!

Throughout the entire drama I was thinking what if ML played Ri-An and vice versa. Usually the poor characters have that wide eyed bambi look like Ri-An and Chae Min has that gold spoon look. I can’t explain it but the casting directors certainly mad a choice because at least if Chae Min was Ri-an we’d actually see some chemistry or sparks (like in that final hug)


LIKES:

The cinematography was good but I felt the color grading at times was a tad harsh on the eyes and made the FL appear like she belonged in the Addams Family. Her skin was super pale which emphasized her ghastly demeanor. She was emotionless and she looked like the FL of a horror film.

I liked the scene in which He-Ra viewed the video of Jae-i and Ri-An. Rather than using it as a weapon against them much like Jae-i's cruel brother, she scolded and then slapped him. I had mixed feelings while watching because I thought I'd hate He-ra forever for wanting Ri-an for herself and then trying so hard to get back at Jae-i for many episodes, but that scene alone showed me how much she still cared for her and was hurt knowing all that it was all she was dealing with. On the other hand, she has feelings for Ri-An as well, so imagine how she felt seeing them be happily in love. She had to put her feelings aside because she knew that the intimate moment between the two should never get out and should not have been recorded in the first place. He-ra is a complicated character, with some layers. She's not the textbook bitch I assumed she was.

The more experienced actors in this drama ate down. Lee Chae Min and Ji Hye Won never disappointed. They both carried the entire drama on their backs. Jae-i’s father (Choi Won Young) and Ri-an’s mother (Yoon Se Ah) nailed their roles. I was also impressed with the headmaster (Bae Hae Sun) and her son (Seo Bum June) I also liked Kim Min Chul's portrayal of In-ha and Kang-ha's friend Tae Ho (Yoon Seok Ho) The bullies also did a good job.

I loved the ending cameo of Oh Na Ra as the new principal of Jooshin.

I also enjoyed the OST, that for me was one of the best things about the drama.


FINAL THOUGHTS:

The concept of this drama and it's execution does not stand out to me. You may have seen similar scenes in movies and tv shows in western media.

I don't think this idea is unique in Korea, which has had its fair share of aristocratic high school dramas (Bitch x Rich, Sky Castle, Heirs, BOF etc.) with affluent kids doing inconceivable things. But I still believe that younger audiences would appreciate this style of entertainment as that they now have a drama for their generation. Imo more recent dramas like Pyramid Game and The Glory do this type of plot far better.

Overall episodes 1-2 were the best, 3 was ok, 4-5 started dragging and had buildups that led nowhere / were resolved quickly, 6-7 were rushed, choppy and anticlimactic. I believe this drama is a waste of potential. The teaser seemed interesting, but the drama was a total letdown.

Imo the original Elite series is so much better than this, specifically seasons 1-3. I thought it would be a total copy of the plot but they changed things and put their own spin on it. For eg. I thought In Han was in a secret relationship with Jae-i and he was the father of her baby. This would've been more interesting and would explain how he got killed by Ri-an but it turns out they had other plans with the teacher being the culprit. That was predictable for me because when first came on the screen she looked very suspicious.

Hierarchy is not good by any means but not so atrocious that it’s completely unwatchable either. I think some persons can possibly relate where I couldn’t and find enjoyment in this series but sadly it was a miss for me. I’m not sure if this drama will be renewed for S2, if it does i’ll be very surprised.

In my opinion, this series is skippable. If you don't trust reviews then you'll just have to watch it for yourself and go in with little to no expectations. I say give it a try if you’re looking for something to binge quickly and casually. This drama is primarily geared towards a younger audience, so be aware if that is not your preferred genre. If it’s dragging for you then I suggest speed watching or watching something else entirely. Either way the choice is yours!

With that being said I give this drama a 4.5 rounded up to a 5/10 and only for the effort from the more experienced actors.

Thanks for reading and happy watching!

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚


__________________

SIDENOTE:

This is simply my point of view and I don’t intend to offend anyone who thinks differently.

/) /)
( ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ )<(thank you!)
/ づ づ ~ ♡𐭩

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Hierarchy: A Colossal Disappointment

3/10

For some context, I have watched a lot of dramas and series and lowest score I've given up until now was a 4. I like to categorise and rank all dramas I watch according to the rating I give them. This show opened a new category lol.
I watched this drama in 2x speed, I never do that. That just shows how bad this show is.

One of the reviews I raid said, "It's a pointless love triangle story marketed as a murder mystery". And I agree because it's just that. This had so much potential yet the writers didn't capitalise on it. I'm not gonna lie but the show had a pretty good build up to the plot in the first 2 episodes, but they just lost it mid way through.
The death of the lead's character also has no effect to the overall plot here. I mean the teacher accidentally killed him? Where's the spice in that? Her character is near irrelevant to the plot here. I know the bullies confessed and apologised and were held accountable for their part. But seriously thats it? And some of the scene, man... Did the writers want the us viewers to sympathize with these condescending rich bullying pricks?

This show is the definition of being mediocre. The acting, the characters, the plot, everything felt lacking and were mid at best. I mean the lead actress was expressionless throughout the show, a corpse has better expression than her character. And also zero chemistry between leads. Characters in wattpad stories have better depth to their characters than the ones in this show. The only thing that was decent in the show was the soundtrack. It was good.

We've had many dramas similar story to this such as Bitch x Rich, Revenge of Others, Soloman's Perjury etc. and each and every one of those dramas, blows this one out of the water.

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The Hires 2.0 with fancy aesthetics but predictable plot & lack of Chemistry b/w leads

Let's start with the plot side by side characters;

Hierarchy is not about the rich or poor it's about who has more power in this chain, nobody gives a damn about teachers/principal because the school was established by the conglomerate Jooshin Group whose hire is Kim Ri An, that school is his playground, basically what we already see in Boys over Flower, The Hires, F4, Sky Castle, and Penthouse series already. Netflix spends a lot on aesthetics, Fancy cars, fancy backgrounds, beautiful cast, and costumes in the end they don't have much for the script.

Kang Ha (Lee Chae Min): This character has so much potential but the writer be like: no, he is a poor kid, let's make him clueless. A guy who comes to the school to find out who Bullies his brother later leads to his de@th, without any plan. He should take revenge But this is not a revenge plot (wasted). This is the 1st Kdrama I watched where ML became a side character. If he had not been in the story, it wouldn't make much difference. This story is supposed to be about his innocent brother Kang In Han's bullies & k!ller to get punished.

According to the title "Hierarchy" he should be fighting for justice in the system But joke on you, the title didn't justify the bland and predictable plot. Instead, the title should be "Rich Kids Problem" don't get it? Let's meet these 4 real main leads of the story;

Jung Jae I (Roh Jeong Eui): She is a cold & bitchy rich FL, who doesn't want anyone to know she is pregn@nt but she took the pregn@ncy test at his friend's birthday party when the whole school was invited, & didn't show that to her loyal childhood love/bf instead show that to a new friend Kang In Han who is a scholarship student gets bullied by her bf's friends.
Now I understand why she sits on the main poster while everyone is standing. She is the kind of girl who says something & does exactly the opposite.

Jung Jae I: You are my best friend He Ra since the moment we hang out.
Meanwhile: she never even considered her a friend, she didn't even acknowledge her.

Jung Jae I: You can have him (Ri An), I'm leaving for NY. Best of luck.
**A few moments later**
Reach to her farewell Party with her BF

Kim Ri An (Kim Jae Won): The second ML is the actual ML. Everyone is criticizing the plot but like him, he is a green flag💚 it wasn't his fault if FL didn't tell him the reason and ghosted him for 3 months. In the whole series, the only job he does as eye candy is walk, Ri An walks into the Hall, walks in the rugby field, walks with his sidekicks behind, and is a so-called bad boy who doesn't do anything except for yk what I mean😈

His character isn't like Li Min Ho's The Hires where he was a bully, Ri An doesn't give a f**k to anyone he knows his classmates bullying a student because of him but he did nothing. In the end, he apologizes half-heartedly because Jae I said so. The only satisfying scene was when he beat FL's step bro.

Lee U Jin(Lee Won Jung): If you see him in My Perfect Stranger you know he is an excellent actor, but his role there is not that deep you can’t see aside from his looks.

Yun He Ra (Ji Hye Won): Her character is too predictable yet she did well. I think she doesn't really like Ri An, she actually wanted to be Jae I. She was just jealous but she is girls girl in the end.

You don't need enemies If you have friends like them. The plot doesn't have any mystery or thriller, the Main leads don't have any chemistry. Ri An & Jae I also don’t have any chemistry. The Second leads has more chemistry than the MLs. You can understand that* Ri An and Jae I liked each other since childhood but there is no point in Jae I liking Kang Ha when she said in the end that she liked him. The whole time she only liked Ri An suddenly saying this is so unnecessary. What is the point of telling him that?

In the end, if you think that the k!ller is arrested and Ri An admits that he was one of the bullies does it make any change?

Nope! The consequences that are not shown in the drama could be that it will be in your records that you were a bully and you will have fewer chances to be accepted into the prestigious University of SK. But they are the 0.01% of wealthy kids who don't consider those Universities instead they choose to went abroad for further studies.

The Bullies face the authority but Did they get punished?

No, they get back to their life like nothing happened. Imagine someone losing their life because of you and the maximum punishment for you is to went abroad on your Daddy's money. (It's not about Jae I)

Do I recommend Hierarchy?

No! But it's up to you because S1 has nothing to keep you if you have watched the good Kdramas you are not going to like that predictable cliche plot, but if you want to see the cast you could. Instead of watching Hierarchy, you could watch The Hires at least it has a story.

PS: I had a few questions, If Jae I paid Kang Ha's fees for those special classes why didn’t he attend it after she had gone? did she get a refund? maybe he attends separately who knows? Is Rugby popular in SK? This is 1st time I have seen Rugby in a Kdrama. If ML didn’t leak that one video, Ri An mother would also won’t do that, so, how does it leak?

Edit: My prospects for this series changed a lit bit, after seeing the post-credit scene (which I watched after roasting it) Maybe there are 7 more episodes of this series where ML takes revenge for his brother.

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Easily one of the worst dramas that I've watched.

❥ This is solely my opinion and it is not necessary that you should agree with this.
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I had very low expectations for Hierarchy after watching the trailer and that's why it did not let me down. I did not enjoy watching this show one bit. Not even a single minute. This show was a whole trashcan and I'm being generous.. I mean, why did they even release this? This script should've been kept in the drafts. I think this would've been slightly better if it weren't for the cast.. or am I wrong? The show was very messy and all over the place which was why I couldn't enjoy it. So many illogical things are taking place here.. This also had an iffy vibe (mainly school scenes) making the drama less watchable. Netflix original shows are getting worse nowadays (like Chicken Nugget) and nothing could save this horrible drama.

☆ STORY:
Was there even any story here? Yeah, I don't think so. The "plot" was garbage, and it was definitely full of flaws. So many dumb things happening and the characters were written very poorly. It looked like they recycled a western teen romance show into a Korean drama and let me say it happened to be an utter failure. I was watching this in English dub because I did not feel any k-drama vibe here. The ending was done badly too.

☆ ACTING:
The only person who could act here was Ji Hye-won (Yoon He-ra). Roh Jeong-eui (Jeong Jae-yi) remained unexpressive throught the show. She failed to portray the character she was given to play and let me say her acting was insufferable. Kim Jae-won (Kim Ri-an) wasn't any better. They both are pretty good actors, but what happened here? Exactly. Lee Chae-min(Kang Ha) was pretty mid, I guess. I did not feel any chemistry between the leads. Jae I did have a teeny bit of chemistry with Ri An tho. Their scenes were more fun to watch. Roh Jeong-eui and Lee Chae-min are acting in a show together once again and I hope that's a good one.

☆ OST/BACKGROUND MUSIC:
Background OST's were okay. I did not like the intro song, but the OSTs were actually quite good. liked Junhyeon's (TIOT) OST the most. Its called Ruin Life. I liked almost all of the songs except for 1 or 2 ones.

What I liked:
✔ Production: The production was pretty good. It felt expensive and cool. Their outfits were not bad and yeah. That kept the drama alive in some way
✔ Cinematography: They did a great job on the cinematography. I liked how they managed the lighting and the color grading, it looked pretty nice.

What I did not like:
✘ Characters: As I said before, they were written very poorly (or idk if it's the acting) which I did not like. The couple lacked chemistry and all of them got on my nerves (especially Jae-yi) everytime except for Kang Ha. Also the teacher and the student? That was the most creepiest thing ever.
✘ Direction: The direction just felt flat and I think it's one of the reasons why it felt like a western series like how their expressions go. It's not the worst thing here, but I wouldn't say it's good either.


And yeah. That's pretty much it. I would not recommend this drama to anybody here. If you like teen dark romance shows with a synopsis like this then I guess you would enjoy it, or most likely not. It just feels like a failed remake of Elite. That's all. And would I re-watch this? Never. With all of this, Im giving this drama a 3.5/10.

Tysm for reading and have a great day <3

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

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could this be the worst kdrama in 2014?

First off, this is my opinion. If any of you liked the drama, then good for you. Just respect the fact that not everyone liked it

This drama made me wonder if Korean elite really lived like that. Seriously, students who rule the school, so much so that the teachers are afraid of offending them??? Be that as it may, the extravagant display of wealth i.e. helicopters, chauffers, butlers, etc... was just a bit too much for me.

I though that this story revolved on bullying but the sub-stories easily overpowered this notion. The FL, while visually pretty, was nothing short of irritating, Blank expression from start to finish... MEH... I hated her character really. The way she avoided her ex BF would make you think that the guy did something MAJORly bad. But loh and behold.... it ended up that she was "protecting" him. Seriously, what kind of storyline was that. Protecting him from the fact that she got pregnant and miscarried? Very lame.... This show was literally children playing grown-ups by making common life problems a BIG issue.

And Hera? From bitchy BFF, it felt rushed how she turned a 360 sympathizing with the FL.

This story has just too many flaws and I wholeheartedly agree with anyone who gave it a low rating.

Not to belittle the efforts of the cast and crew, but this really was such a waste of airtime on Netflix.

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So infuriatingly mid

It reminded me of HBO's The Idol in that it looks stunning - of course it does, it's the same director who did Alchemy of Souls S2 - but there was no substance beyond that.

My biggest issue is with the plot. It was a mess. Period. I was so confused watching this, not knowing what the point of it all was. Our main character Kang Ha gets introduced as a cunning guy with a plan for revenge, but what does he even accomplish in the 7 veryyy long episodes of this show? Pine for some girl who may or may not have been involved in the murder of his brother. He keeps talking about how he's going to change things and expose the people at the school, but he does no investigation - no nothing. He conveniently gets all the evidence handed to him on a silver platter by another person and is then credited as the genius behind the whole thing. HE DID NOTHING!!! It makes me mad. He had so much potential, because it really did seem like he had a some kind of plan in episode 1.

The acting definitely left something to be desired. Go girl give us nothing. Jae Yi was mysterious and intriguing in the first episodes but it got tiresome very quickly. She is pretty. I really didn't get much else from her character. It's a shame, because her backstory and all she's gone through is really interesting, but all she does is just stand there. Yoon He Ra was a joy to watch, because the actress was acting her boots off. She's also the only person with some semblance of character growth (slay h&m fashion queen).

The tension felt so artificial with the whole: "I have a bow and I'm ready to release the arrow" "I'll stand ind front of him and take the arrow" - like cmon I couldn't take it seriously, because NOTHING HAD HAPPENED FOR SEVEREL EPISDOES WHILE THIS DUDE JUST KEPT MAKING EMPTY THREATHS. and it wasn't even his "bow"??? dude did nothing this entire show.

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a waste of time

BEFORE YOU ATTACK ME THIS IS JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION
I was looking forward to this kdrama because this is Lee chae min's first lead role + he's been my one of my favorite actors since Crash Course in Romance but... (SPOILER ALERT)

CHARACTERS & STORY - 3/10
I was so angry when he (Kang ha) didnt end up with our fl. Probably; because my reason for watching the show was him that I naturally rooted for him but, why would she choose Ri-an? I get that they've been close for so long (since childhood actually) but knowing that he looks down on people that are lower than them in financial and social status, bullies (emotionally and physically) them and actually encourages it would definitely make me uncomfortable. Another thing I hate about Ri-an is the fact that he's very possesive and overprotective. Like in one scene where he referred to Jae-i as an "it" as if talking about an object or an inanimate that belongs to only him. It's so annoying how obsessive he is. It's totally fine to get jealous if someone tries to do something with someone you're in a relationship but Ri-an takes it to the extremes! As soon as he sees Kang ha even near Jae-i, Ri-an starts having murderous ahh thoughts and will try to do everything in his power to keep him away from her. With how Ri-an acts he's definitely a psychopath. Not even a sociopath. He'll only feel bad if Jae-i feels bad. Like one scene where Jae-i was chasing Kang In-han because he was being bullied by Ri-an's minions that dont have their own life, but Ri-an stopped her and she started crying. She started saying stuff like how she wanted to help him, and Ri-an literally said, "Why are you crying over a kid like that," EXCUSE ME? Then she responded with something like, "He's my friend," and with no remorse in his eyes Ri-an said that he'd just tell his minions to stop bullying him... LIKE OMG THAT TOTALLY RESOLVES ALL THE DAMAGE DONE! Hold up cause imma need to send my american public school friends to pull with a glock and shoot this ahh. He needs to learn respect, humility and integrity. But its hard to say that with the kind of environment he grew up in...

The line in question:
How dare he take what's mine!
Soooo... Yeahhhh.

This story was SUPPOSED to be about a twin brother going to his late brother's school to take revenge on the people who bullied him and killed him. If this story was going to be centered on revenge I dont get the point of adding romance, but since there is I ship Jae-i and Kang-ha naturally, but seriously, the romance is reeeeealy unescessary. There's so much drama going on with yall, I'd rather just watch a nice suspenseful psychological story about a brother going through the pains of losing a loved one and turning to revenge to bring justice to his late brother. With the way the characters are acting got me thinking, "Am I watching Euphoria or Riverdale korean ver? I'm confused with what's going on. The story and plot is so messy, probably as messy as this review but everything is everywhere. There's no clear story. Everything is just happening. Like, Woo-Jin sleeping with his teacher and then suddenly realizing his feelings for his long time best friend He-ra? AWH HELL NAWH. The teacher also crazy cause I assume that Woo-Jin was the one who confessed to the teacher, but as a teacher, she's accountable for whatever happens to her students, and if she knew basic morals then she would've rejected his confession. Like this woman has no right to get jealous over a girl who's the right age for her boyfriend. 💀

MUSIC - 3/10
I know the editors work diligently to provide and produce great audios and music that will accompany the show's cinematography, but why does it feel like they just chose random english music and thought, "Yeah! This music is fire because its American!" I literally would've preferred the nice kdrama ost rather than random english music from stock music library.


Dumb notes:
I don't know if this is just me but is kpop and kdrama getting more westernized? Or idk?
Actress who played Jae-i lowkey looks like Lee Doona/Bae Suzy.
By the way, I did not even know what I watched once I finished it. I was so confused. Was it a revenge story? Love story? Psychological romance horror like scum's wish? Or just kdrama version of Euphoria? I can tell that the studio spent ALLAT of money on this just for it to go to waste. (for me atleast)
The whole classroom and overall vibe looks like the classroom from "Classroom of the Elite." anime and kdrama fan fr.
I did not like this show. I only liked Lee chae min. PERIODT.

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Descent acting but the plot felt forced by not so smooth plot developpement

it started with promising outcome, but I feel like the "crime, mystery" part got lost in the "romance" part...a bit too much. It felt like forcing "love" emotions into a script about someone getting killed...or vice versa? it wasn't the best drama but it also wasn't the worst imo. I was expecting a bit more of suspense x mystery but 50%+ of the episodes are about the rich kids bullying the poor kids and the adults being useless. The character developpement was poorly done imo. In all, it was Hera who I ended up liking more because she actually did have a character developpement that made sense. The others got lost into a useless love triangle...this was what f*cked up the plot imo. It was really pointless...and it took A LOT of space whilst In Han's tragic death –which I thought was the point of the story at first– took a good whole 15-20 minutes of screentime lol they kept showing the same scenes for most episodes about him getting hit by a car and his brother, Kang Ha, was getting no where during his so called "investigation". It was just him fighting with the rich and ending up getting beaten...like...idk who so say this 7 episodes made no sense BUT couldve make sense if not for that useless love triangle. so many unresolved issues...

gave it a 4.5/5

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