This review may contain spoilers
Live without regrets
Purpose. Meaning. Justice. Revenge. Loyalty. Betrayal. Pride. These are the themes of Itaewon all rolled into one. This series is not without faults, I agree that there are big plot holes here and there and the ending was not fully satisfying. Those however should not take away from the overall storyline and superb acting of the cast. The story is about how people choose to live their lives and how their choices somehow affects how others live theirs..The FL’s story is the most interesting for me, she’s young and has everything she wanted at her fingertips, effortlessly it seemed, yet finds that life is such a chore to live. She didn’t see any purpose in living and would rather not have been born. She eventually found purpose upon meeting Saeroyi, Somehow this simple-minded, but determined, man ten years her senior warmed her cold heart and made her see the colours of life, They fell in love in the most convoluted way possible.
Overall I find this drama complicated at the best of times yet very real and honest. A little over the top at times but hey if I get to see Park Seo Joon’s rom-com antics then I’m all for it.
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This review may contain spoilers
As we know it's about a young boy who is up against the no. 1 conglomerate in his country.In the beginning episodes we are shown how he has some values and principles in life , and he is strong enough to achieve what he wants. The start is so promising that you know that the end is gonna be nothing less but epic.
We are shown the relationship that the main character Park Sae Ro Yi ( park seo joon) has with his father , which is beautifully shown and executed by the actors , and they make you believe , and you can invest in their relationship.
( Through out we feel the pain of his father's death and love they had , it is that good, we feel what the character feels how he felt the surge of revenge )
We also see Soo Ah ( kwon nara) as Ro Yi classmate, friend , and his first love, and its so cute( I was rooting for them till the end ) .
We are also introduced to the main protagonist Jang who looks and feels bad, you right away start hating him and we just know it's a great fight waiting for us.
Now the story moves forward 3 years and we still see the same Ro Yi strong , with a plan to take down Jangga co. which excites you more.
7 years of hard work and now he owns a pub at Itaewon his first step towards the end . We are introduced to some new characters like Jo Yi Seo ( also a love interest for park sea ro yi) who is young, strong , cleaver, mean and really smart. And wants to help Ro Yi to take his revenge cause she is madly in love with him. ( I enjoyed watching her in the beginning but towards the end it was more of an irritating experience) .
In future episodes we see the story moving forward and the character building and it is soo good , it's a rollercoaster ride and you're gonna enjoy it. Sae Ro Yi as strong and positive as ever and really inspiring, Soo Ah still cute who is working at jangga co. And struggling between jangga and Ro Yi. It is her character i relate and feel alive. Yi seo seemed nice, smart and psycho but i just couldn't like her. There are other supporting characters who have done a great job and you enjoy their part .
Upto the 13 episode the show was really good and i couldn't just get enough , but then some things went highway , like the main villen getting old and is not that strong anymore ( it somewhere killed the hype for the ending in me) , Kim Dong Hee turning into a confusing bad person and Yi Seo.
The last two episodes weren't satisfactory for me as we saw some major changes which we didn't see coming in Park Sae Ro Yi who had these values, principles and love for people , but now he is just another business man . We see Chairman Jang so week that he kneels befor Ro Yi who don't give a shit and i couldn't help but feel bad for the villen ( which should have been satisfying ) . We see Ro Yi falling for Yi Seo which was sudden and we had not built that in our minds through the journey.
Overall it was a good journey ( was not disappointing ) , the acting was good , story was good , OST were really good , the end wasn't great but it was worth watching and we also had PARK BO GUM with a cameo, which was lovely.
I would suggest everyone to go and watch it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Let's start with the good stuff first. The first half Itaewon Class is amazing! The acting is on point, the story line is great, and I think that you can truly feel the emotions of certain actors (*cough cough* Park Seo Joon) when they are on screen. Although I have watch many K-Dramas, I have never seen one with a black character (that wasn't an extra) or a transgender character. I think that was very refreshing. Another thing that was refreshing was that no matter what obstacle the IC/Danbam group went through, they always came back to support and comfort one another. I loved that so much. But for some reason things started changing half way through the show.
My biggest issue was Jang Geun Soo. His random change from being the nice innocent part of IC/Danbam group to being the antagonist was so weird and kind of annoying. I understand that he liked Yi Seo for a very a long time and was trying to win her heart, but does it make sense to destroy everything that she had worked for and think that she'll come running into your arms? Like, what? She even told him that she doesn't like him in the way he likes her but he still continues to pursue her because of something she literally said YEARS ago. Get a grip dude. His character became increasingly annoying because he made it clear that the only reason why he was doing all of these terrible things was to get Yi-Seo who had publicly said on multiple occasions that liked, no LOVED, someone else.
And then Oh Soo Ah. She was just an annoying and forgettable character also. She would do all of these things to hurt Danbam but then would go and apologize to Sae Ro Yi right after. Her apologies meant nothing to me, which made them even more irritating. I understand that the chairman was the one making her do all of that stuff but still, why did Sae Ro Yi continue to forgive her? There were some moments that I think that he was just way too nice. He should have dropped her earlier and stopped forgiving her. She is hurting him on purpose. There's nothing stopping her for leaving Janga and going to Danbam (I can almost guarantee that she would get a job there if she asked for one). Instead she just continues to hurt She Ro Yi and Danbam. And then out of no where, she is now just another pushover Janga employee when Geun Soo shows up? Huh?? She was the chairman's right hand woman for so long but since Geun Soo made a prediction that was wrong, she's not anymore? The show just started confusing her character at the half way point and now she is just as annoying as Geun Soo.
This is going to turn into a long rant if I continue.
I haven't finished the whole show yet, I am almost done. I don't hate it, but there are definitely some characters that are getting on my last nerve. They are just so annoying and random at times.
I'll leave another review once I finish the show, but so far I would recommend it to others. It's not on my top 10 K-Dramas list but it is pretty good.
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The story apparently took a few detours from the original webtoon that it was based on, but this also makes it stand firmly on its own. The storyline was so well crafted, manipulating the audience into cheering for the heroes of this tale and despising the villains. This is a very typical hero vs. villain saga - Saeroyi is the underdog with firm, unwavering principles and that natural born leadership that will make you a loyal follower of his in no time and CEO Jang is that bastard big man who takes advantage of the power he has. Because of this approach, and the graphics used, it does seem very comic-book like. As someone who loves comic books with a burning passion, this made the show all the more entertaining to me. For those of you who do not, it may seem a little cartooney at times, but don't worry, if you hang in there I promise it's worth it.
There was remarkable consistency in the storyline, which I greatly appreciated. Heck, even the side characters all got justice in their own way. The writers tied up every single loose end, which made watching this drama through to the end all the more worthwhile. One thing I will say about the storyline is that it deals with some very unfortunate themes (imprisonment, crime, violence, death, privilege, etc). All of these themes are delivered to us through rose-tinted glass. They are very real and the characters definitely feel the force of them, but we as viewers have the pleasure of simply watching it all from our comfortable homes on our expensive laptops/TVs/phones.
Enough about the story - the acting.
With a cast as strong as this, you can expect strong results. Park Seo Joon particularly deserves a shoutout. I'm convinced at this point this man can literally act as anything and he will pull it off with perfect precision and consistency, which is exactly what he did in the drama. The rest of the cast was remarkable too, and even if you hated the character, you couldn't help but love the acting (which was the case with Ahn Bo Hyun with me, hated his character but damn did he do a good job!).
Areas to Improve: Yi Seo. Kim Da Mi's character. I'm certain other reviews have complained about her already but I think we need to drill this in a bit more. Though I appreciated that she was supposed to be the polar opposite of Saeroyi and provide some storyline tension that way, she was such an annoying character to watch that at times I wished she would just be removed from the drama altogether. As well, something that is introduced to us about her in the very first episode is that she is a sociopath. If you keep this in mind for the whole of the drama, it is bearable. BUT, this fact was only introduced at the beginning and I don't believe it is revisited. It also wasn't really brought up at the end either nor do we ever see her go to a counsellor ever again. Some consistency with the sociopath arch would've been nice to see.
As well, Yi Seo promotes a very unhealthy message about crushes. Try, try, try again and eventually they'll fall in love with you? She kept pestering Saeroyi to the point that it made him uncomfortable and kept shoving everyone else away in a very possessive and insensitive manner. I understand that it is part of her character traits, but still, an incredibly unhealthy and immature message. (Though keep in mind, many other dramas do the same with male leads instead...)
Finally, the love square. I really appreciated the fact that this drama didn't jump into the romance right away and kept it on the backburner as Saeroyi went about accomplishing his goals. It was pushed to the sidelines in the story because it also wasn't a priority for the main character. Makes sense, right? However, the love square that was constantly dangled in front of us was so tedious, predictable and annoying to watch. Frankly, I believe that it should've been pushed to the sidelines even more.
Don't let these things deter you from watching the drama however. It truly was a gem of a show and as a bonus, was the most diverse show that I have ever seen. It did feel a bit like checking boxes at one point (got an LGBTQ+ person? check. got a coloured person? check?) but still, there is no other drama so far doing it like Itaewon Class, so props to the entire cast for making inclusivity a priority. It truly is a good example for others to follow moving forward.
And finally, I'd be horribly amiss to not mention the visuals or the OST. I never once skipped the intro theme, partly because of the music but also because of the beautiful graphic art depicting all of the characters. The aesthetic of the pub and really the whole environment around them was beautiful (truly like seeing the world through rose-tinted glass!). The OST is INCREDIBLE. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT SO MUCH. So much so, that it is my new favourite drama OST of all time.
From the story to the acting to the visuals/OST, this drama despite its flaws is a revolutionary piece that deserves a watch immediately. Truly, a 21st century show.
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. ,..........................kffu dum it is only a few minutes ago to me in your memory of the world is only a few minutes to get the best of luck to you and your family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family
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THE BEST
I don’t even know where to start. from the beginning this drama is such a hit that keeps you still in your place. I wasnt a big fan of park seo joon and didn’t even know kim dami but after watching this i fell in love with kim dami’s acting.Ki Dami played her character soo good that it was worth watching it multiple times. She was the most bitchiest, annoying, narcissistic, insensitive, jelous, cool, strong, intelligent, hard working, and THE MOST LOVING character that loved park saeroyi more than anyone could.
Whatever she did, she did it out for love for him. From the beginning its always been him for her.
I would definitely recommend this drama to everyone
And park seo joon’s character was also very well delivered to the audience we could see the hurt, revenge and love for his people and his never changing attitude.
Overall a worth watching drama. Definitely should give it a try!
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Most people hate it because their hate stem from their dislike to the female lead. You will see despicable phrases to describe her, but don't worry it's not true or entirely true. They completely wiped out all other parts of her character as if those qualities don't exist. The writer is a pro. Now the writer may lack focused on other areas (nobody is perfect), but do you really believe the writer will make his FL so despicable? You see only a few people hate our female lead (if all the people who view this drama positively were to comment, not a single negative comment will be visible in succession). Don't worry about what they say about the FL, she is fine.
Anyway what do I like about this drama?
1. Story Flow. In the first episode, I already knew I was going to love this drama. Itaewon Class is well paced and keeps you interested.
2. Acting. Everyone in importance did super well. There's something about Park Seo Joon that's really captivating haha, I think the answer is he's so good at acting and at the same time maintain this air of charm. And thanks to this show, I get to see a new talented face: Kim Dami. She's pretty amazing. And of course our villains, they were awfully good at being evil.
3. Characters. We have a wide range of characters that reflect society to some degree. There are interesting leads with touching backstories/thoughts/actions that makes you care about them. Realistically, in life not everyone in a relationship are good saint like people. Even the people who had bad attitudes based on the environment they grew up in can eventually change and find love. All kinds of people exist in this world, and for Itaewon Class to show a quite opposite female lead was refreshing and interesting.
4. A bonus: Devoted Lover Character. We got FL who is devoted to the morally path ML. Who doesn't want a person who love them a lot (but will try to respect your values (assuming you are a moral person) as long as you say it)? And kinda cool, but there's like a direct opposite relationship. I guess you could say there's one other character A who is devoted to another character B, but character B is not morally path.
5. Cinematography. The shots are beautiful. You will be well fed.
6. Music. We got a lot. The musics are really good too and served their purpose well.
What I don't like about this drama?
1. Villains. I'm just not buying some of their characteristics that the author implanted to them because based on their history/achievements/orlackofachievements it just doesn't seem plausible. But I realized in the end there is a chance for the villain to become that way, it's just that it wasn't a high chance imo...so maybe if the chance was higher (by adding more compelling reasons or showing that a reason was compelling), I would accept it more.
2. Some weird meetings. character A meets character B, but if you think about it character B could have denied the invitation but why did character B accept the invitation or why was character B not notified of the invitation or be surprised???...idk so it's kinda like forced meeting by the writer.
3. That one plot device. The author made a certain event too easy to occurred, that it doesn't seem realistic. Without spoiling: at the end of episode 15.
However, I really like the drama overall, so I can overlook these things.
What I wished was included (but it does not affect my rating)?
1. expand the episodes to 18. The pacing will still be the same, with the ending of episode 16 occurring in episode 18, but I want more scenes of interactions between characters and of course between our leads. I believe in their character development, but adding more scenes will create a stronger foundation. And like I said about the villains, make a bit more scenes to explain why they're so twisted because I'm not really buying it. idk maybe I'm not supposed to understand the villain because their mind are twisted and that's why this don't affect my rating.
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some problems with womens?
there are no mothers, no wifes, 1 is a sociopathic, 1 is a selfish who waits to be saved, a granma is a loan shark and a manager single is searching power… and last… the only lovely, sweet and comprehensive “girl” is a transgender REALLY??? SORRY? some problems ??? and MEN… the good one became a traitorous shit, the bastard only worst, the big boss another bastard and the leader… I know very true with his principles but why “virgin and pure” till 35??? next time do Saint Francesco … the only moment i felt joy was when appeared PARK BO GUM, Thank you!Was this review helpful to you?
storyline: The storyline has its twists but it is continual in one thought. It is not so much revenge or avenging but for a person to take responsibility for what they have done. I wished everyone even those in corporate or government to take responsibility for what is intentional or not intentional. What I love about this is the diversity of actors and how it brings that diversity onto the screen. What I hate the most is discrimination against a person's skin tone, gender, age, disabilities, weight, height, the poor and middle class, and religion. The awareness is in this drama! I understand a little more as I couldn't stop thinking about this drama. For a minute, I was angered because I thought Park Seo Joon was killed off. That's what I get for not watching Ep 15-16.
I didn't understand and asked myself why Itaewon. Was that all true to what I was watching? I did some research and found this link on youtube. you should watch it which has changed my mind on how I rated it. I understand South Korea a little more. Itaewon is the only place in South Korea where you can feel Freedom and Diversity and that was explained in this drama but not as clear as I wanted. So here is the link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OutGsIwEg5o It's in English so no need for subtitles.
It always comes down to a triangle romance in these dramas but were no females fighting so that is a good thing. I wanted Park Seo Joon's character to end up with Oh Soo Ah. The chemistry was not there for Park Seo Joon and Kim Da Mi. The kiss was there for Park Seo Joon but I'm sorry not for Kim Da Mi.
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This review may contain spoilers
decided to watch this bc its famous
the headline says it all, that's why i've decided to watch it. i'm half of the episode one and yeah they talk about depression and things which made me interested since i also feel that way, maybe it could give me advice or some but when i'm like at the timestamp 30:00+ i realized that it's too long and boring. yeah, i dropped it that fast. some ppl said that they felt the same way so it's up to u if u will watch it or not. i think it eats too much of ur time tho. ANYWAY the good thing here is they also said that it's just like that so that u'll get the pov of each character but i just think its too long for me so i dropped it. BUT it'll be good on the next episodes (i guess)Was this review helpful to you?
Assolutamente si
Ho iniziato Itaewon per ben due volte, la prima ero arrivata alla fine del primo episodio ma non ero proprio riuscita a farmelo piacere. Lo avevo lasciato lì, con la speranza di riprenderlo, perché non mi piace lasciare le cose all'inizio.Allora ci ho riprovato e quello che ho capito è che non era il momento giusto, perché Itaewon non è il solito drama stucchevole, è una rappresentazione perfetta di come funziona la nostra società.
La verità è che dovremmo essere tutti Park Sae‑ro‑yi. Dovremmo essere tutti delle castagne ostinate per far realizzare il nostro sogno e per riprenderci quello che ci hanno tolto. La verità è che questa storia potrebbe essere un po' di tutti. Io ho un debole per Park Seo-joon, mi è piaciuto in tutti i suoi ruoli ma credo che questo sia stato quello che mi ha colpito di più.
Kim Da-mi non la conoscevo ed è stata una rivelazione, ma bravissimo anche tutto il cast secondario.
Guardatelo e se trovate che i primi episodi non vi colpiscano, continuate. Vi assicuro che ne vale la pena.
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it was okay
me sorprende un montón que las reseñas en inglés más votadas le ponen una nota tirando a baja y señalan todas las flaquezas (que también le he encontrado yo) a este drama y sin embargo las reseñas en español son todo nueves y dieces... así que me he sentido un poco en la obligación de escribir la míavale, primero que todo
me costó un montón ver los primeros capítulos, ha sido de los pocos kdramas que he estado a puntísimo de dejar simplemente porque me aburría demasiado pero finalmente decidí esperarme hasta al capítulo 4 o así y ciertamente la serie empieza a despuntar a partir de ahí, se hace entretenida, etc. sin embargo hacia el último tercio vuelve a decaer (literalmente hay un secuestro y yo ahí ya marco la línea definitiva donde cualquier kdrama descarrila).
pros:
- diversidad (por fin!!)
- hay un par de personajes secundarios por los que daría todo
- el sentido/importancia de la amistad, lealtad, etc
contras:
- los main characters
- el romance es forzadísimo e innecesario
- el personaje principal no avanza, sigue psicológicamente igual de moralista y pesao
- la venganza como único plot conductor de la trama es agotador y repetitivo
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