Itaewon Class

This is a perfect underdog story

I really loved Itaewon class. It's been a while since I watched it but there are many memorable moments in it that come to mind. It's not my typical genre of drama, but I am so glad I watched it. The plot is about a young man who has been wronged by the world, but picks up the pieces of his life and creates something spectacular. His grit and determination never waver, helping him find success in the most difficult of circumstances, up against an enemy much more powerful than he is. He is also a kind and compassionate young man, fiercely loyal to his friends even when they also cause much trouble for him. This makes them extremely loyal to him, and no matter what anyone does to this poor young man he always bounces back and his hard won success was truly a joy to watch. It's really well written and I can't praise it enough. Every single character in this show has spectacular depth and motivations. The ML was fantastic, I will now watch anything with him in it. Seriously, even if your typical favorite genre is romance, give this one a watch. I really think you'll like it.

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Itaewon class was everything. Recommend 100%

Itaewon Class is genuinely one of the best K-dramas I’ve ever watched, and I mean that with my whole heart. From the very first episode, I was hooked. The story pulled me in immediately, and I just knew it was going to be something special. There’s something about the atmosphere of this drama that feels so different. It’s not just about business or revenge—it’s about growth, resilience, and standing up for what you believe in, no matter how hard it gets.

Park Sae-ro-yi is one of the most inspiring characters I’ve seen. He’s not perfect, but his values are so strong, and he never gives up even when the world is against him. I loved how he didn’t seek revenge in the typical aggressive way. Instead, he built something from the ground up and proved people wrong with patience and grit. That kind of character is rare, and I admired him more and more with each episode.

The DanBam crew? ICONIC. Every single person brought something unique to the team, and the way they supported each other made my heart so full. I loved how this drama gave us characters from different backgrounds with different struggles, and it made everything feel so real and relatable. Jo Yi-seo was such a complex and chaotic character, but I ended up loving her so much. Her confidence, loyalty, and intelligence really made her stand out.

The emotional moments hit so hard. I cried more than once because the way the story explores pain, injustice, and healing is just so raw. But it’s also balanced with lighter, heartwarming scenes that made me smile like an idiot. The pacing was perfect—never too slow or too fast. And the way they built up tension with Jangga Group made every win feel like a victory for all of us watching.

And let’s talk about the soundtrack! Every song fit the vibe perfectly. “Start Over” by Gaho was basically my anthem during the time I was watching this. It captured all the hope and ambition the show gave off. Also, the cinematography and editing were so clean and beautiful. There were so many scenes I wanted to screenshot just because they looked like art.

By the time I finished Itaewon Class, I felt like I had gone through a whole journey. It wasn’t just entertaining—it taught me something about life, dreams, and not letting go of your beliefs even when it’s hard. I can’t even pick a favorite episode because honestly, every single one was worth watching. No skips, no slow parts—just pure vibes from beginning to end.

If you haven’t seen Itaewon Class yet, I highly recommend it. It’s emotional, empowering, and unforgettable. This drama easily earned a 10/10 from me, and I know I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.

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✒ ♟️ Tails, we win ♨️ Now Pay the Tab °8.7° °Outstanding°

IC is the story of a man on a mission. Park "Sae" Ro Yi's been cruelly abused & tossed in the 🗑. Now, it's his goal to beat his enemies at their own game ~ He's the /tenacious/ type. He has a 15 yr plan. Ain't nothing gonna turn his head to the right or the left. He will not bow to anyone - his knees don't work that way... Until she changes everything.

Smack dab in the middle of Seoul, Itaewon is one of the wealthiest streets in one of its wealthiest sections. IC takes place there. There's 3 whole eps of set-up. In ep4 things start to roll, and it's magnificent. It's rough: Business is a 🐍 pit. It's a satisfying watch, & in the latter eps, when so many shows resort to padding & bad writing, IC sprouts wings (and claws) as it becomes stronger & more forceful w/ newfound depths.

Park Seo Joon is our ML, Park "Sae" Ro Yi. He looks completely different w/ that hair~squared. In What's Wrong with Secretary Kim-6.8, he's quite beautiful (WWWSk has an excellent cast & many wonderful moments, but suffers from the occasional directing & writing miss). In IC, he's more rugged. He's manly. He's controlled on the surface & seething underneath, while exuding pain from every pore of his body. He's a star for a reason. He has score to settle with Chm Jang & his son Geun Won. He decides to start a pub across the street from theirs and beat them at their own game. The Chm will not allow him to survive.

Kim Da Mi is one of the best characters anywhere, ever, Jo Yi Seo. She's got a dangerously high IQ & a dangerous amount of snark. She's been described as a psychopath. She's the type of girl to decide her future w/ the flip of a coin. "If it's heads, I'll live the life my mom wants. If it's tails, my mom will cry." She decides to work instead of going to school: She's matriculated in the Itaewon Class. As the show goes on, her part gets better & better & better & better. Sae has never once disappointed her. She's decided she really likes him. "I'll kill everyone who's been bothering him." She declares for team Sae. He should be very frightened, but he just doesn't know it yet.

Kwon Na Ra portrays Oh Soo Ah. I've only noticed her in Bulgasal: Immortal Souls-6.1, which should have been better, but its problems didn't emanate from her. Yoo Jae Myung plays chairman Jang Dae Hee. He's horrid, but his backstory is heartbreaking. He was the oldest of 4 & lost all his siblings to the food shortage. That's a dark part of Korea's history that is mentioned in features every now & then. His part seems like he's a typical 2D psychopathic CEO & derelict father, but his character takes on extra dimensions in the last third. In ep10, his performance is stunning.

Ahn Bo Hyun is the chairman's spoiled son, Geun Won. He's so good at playing a jerk that you wouldn't know how adorable he can be if you haven't seen some of his other stuff. In Flex X Cop-8.5, he's cheerful & irrepressible. In Her Private Life-8, he's earnest & determined. In My Only Love Song-8.7, a comedy I adore & have watched a couple times, he plays the big silent type. He's completely different in everything, so he's as versatile as he is good looking - & he /is/ a specimen. This is the first time I've seen him play a loathsome bully. He only ends up serving as a great motivator.

Kim Dong Hee is Jang Geun Soo, a part-timer who makes a very disappointing decision. Lee Joo Young plays Ma Hyun, a chef dealing w/ major changes. Her character is a lovely human being. Not everyone is going to agree on everything all the time. We do, however, have a moral obligation to treat every human being w/ kindness, dignity, respect, & care. IC is the 1st Kdrama I've seen showing an actor w/ skin browner than a paper bag. Chris Lyon plays Kim Toni. He's an American born actor who made friends w/ some 🇰🇷 exchange students, visited 🇰🇷, & that led to some acting & music gigs. He's wonderful & projects a sense of genuine warmth & care.

IC is great drama, really good romance, & an overall philosophical treatise on pride, revenge, success, & what is really worth living for. The theme is: Happiness. "Beliefs. Ambition. They're words used by those who have nothing but their ego. If you gain nothing, that's just being stubborn & foolish," says the moral-degenerate. Wait a sec, let's define GAIN 1st, before we sign on to any philosophy. Is successful revenge GAIN? Sae thinks so for most of the show. Sae tries to live a life motivated by hate & revenge, all while maintaining his moral principles. He keeps it up for a long time but finally must let it go. He finds he's lost nothing.

Leadership style is a theme. Chmn asks an employee why s/he continued to devotedly work for a hated boss? "It's servility," the Chairman explains to the blank stare facing him. "You've been tamed to my taste. I pressure everyone around me... It's easy to control them, & I despise them." The Chmn is held up in direct contrast to Sae, who elevates everyone around him (except for the slobs he's trying to bring down). Sae picks up nobodies & takes them to the top WITH him.

Pride is a theme in most Kdramas. 'It's about The Company.' 'The COMPANY provides for my family.' 'Ultimately it's about my FAMILY,' we hear. No.it.isn't. It's about pride. These are the utterances of a person who is probably genuinely self-deceived. Speaking of pride, that's what's up between Sae & the Chairman. "Will life be better if I get on my knees?" Sae is fed up. "Why is everybody obsessed w/ putting me on my knees?" Pride: It always lies. It's what makes us lie to ourselves. 'Bow to me,' Sae hears every few episodes. (What does that even do, other than provide a temporary illicit thrill?) In the end, Sae understands what's really important. It's important to maintain dignity, but pride never does anyone any good; it's only a roadblock to living free.

"Do you know what sympathy is? It is this wasteful emotion where you look down on someone & get comfort from it." There's a gem from Yi Seo, who can be hard & cold. She's analytical, not touchy-feely. Sae is a caring mush & rigidly principled, which is contrasted w/ Yi Seo, a pragmatic utilitarian. Life is about balancing both sides: Both feelings & logic must be present, & balanced, or we fall into error. Her interactions w/ Seo transform Yi Seo b/c she is not only smart, she is wise. She quickly understands what true fulfillment is. Yi Seo & the Chairman are contrasted. If she hadn't ended up falling for Sae she would have been /worse/ than the Chairman, who had the blessing of Sae's dad but learned nothing, & just took advantage. Wise Yi Seo chose a better life over mere 💰. She ended up w/ all of it, but she chose the right path 1st; the rest followed.

"You can't gain anything w/ your conscience," says Chairdad. Bad dad = bad son. A man w/ all the wrong values ended up raising a destructive monster. No surprise. "Everyone is just born evil. You know the evil nature principle. The theory that human nature is fundamentally evil. But if people stick to their instincts, society will collapse. That's why people repress themselves w/ manners, consideration, morals, & the law. Repression? It's stress." Now that's a tantalizing quote. Hmm. Theologians would point out, about now, that we are born in the image of God, but we are fallen. Therefore, we know what is right in our 💓s, but we are, tragically, unable to do it on a consistent basis. It's a subject worth giving thought to. Doing the right thing is never the easy thing, but it shouldn't cause undo stress. I would avoid anyone who claims it does. Speaking of evil, sometimes it's a matter of opportunity. Rich people do heinous things b/c they /can/.

IC isn't perfect, but it isn't far from it. One character pulls an Anakin Skywalker & goes too evil too easily. Yes, it's sad, but it's also cack-handed. They should have built up to it better. There's no dead zones or padding. I don't have many criticisms.

There's oodles of tasty treats. They serve chicken & they can play chicken. Watch & see. Two women are vying for a man. One really loves the guy while the other seems to love the attention & sense of importance & control she feels from his devotion. The first girl puts everything into her love, while the 2nd woman never put an iota of effort in. Only one of them is worthy of his 💘. Sae happens to be out together w/ these 2 women, though he's unaware of anything when it comes to love & sex. When he leaves the table they have a riveting discussion. It's unforgettable.

There's laughs & good cheer. Sae is actually pretty funny, he's such a rigid dunderhead in some ways. "What don't you like about me?" Geun Won thinks he can win over Yi Seo. Her answer: "Let me see... Your face, the way you talk, your voice, your pupils, teeth, eyelashes, pupils... Did I say that already? I don't like anything about you..." She is totally self-actualized, until Sae... 🤣 Yi Seo doesn't have the answer for once. The soundtrack is GRADE A. Soft guitar & vocals augment the scenes w/ an almost indie vibe.

They give us a satisfying wrap up, something missing from too many Kdramas, though recently, that bad trend is dying out. At the end of all the years & all the junk, we learn: He who bows last bows most. So don't start the bowing game & make enemies in the first place! Live in peace, b/c "Living is a difficult thing to do".


QUOTE📢

You have no right to determine my value... I'll do anything I need to... My life has just begun

Everyone makes mistakes. But not everybody takes responsibility, only the brave can do that.

Life is repetitive, you know... And it's predictable.

I'm doing it now... I'm not going with you... I have a date.

〰🖍 IMHO

📣8.6 📝8.8 🎭9 💓8 🦋5 🎨7.5 🎵/🔊8.5 🔚9 🤗8 ▪ 🌞7 ⚡5 😅3 😭5.5 😱3 😯4.5 🤢4 🤔7 💤0

Shazams: Still Fighting It by Lee Chan Sol & Kang Kyoung Yoon, & Say by YOON MIRAE

Age 14+ violence; Language: scattered R-rated

Re-📺? Definitely

Originally 〰️🖋 2/2025

In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may also like:

The one you love is right in front of you:
Crazy Love-7.8,
Romance is a bonus book-7.9,
Oh My Ghost 10,
Hospital Playlist 9,
Familiar Wife-8.5,
I'll See You When the Weather is Fine 9,
Something in the Rain-8.6.


Modern Day -
A Witch's Love 7.8,
Love to Hate You 8.9,
Her Private Life 8,
Touch your heart 8.2,
Crash Landing On You 9.1,
It's Okay Not To Be Okay 9,
Love Struck in the City 7.3,
Be Melodramatic-8.7,
Call It Love-8.4,
My Liberation Diary-8.9,
Cheese in the Trap-7.7,
Mine-8,
My Mister 9.5,


🎎 -
My Only Love Song 8.7 ~ excellent comedy,
Mr. Queen 8.5,
My Sassy Girl 8.5,
Saimdang 8.5,
The King's Affection 8.3,
Mr. Sunshine 9

⚡️/🛸 -
K2 8,
Private Lives 8.1,
Descendants Of The Sun-8.3,
When the Camellia Blooms-8,
Why Her?-8,
Sisyphus 8,
Tunnel 8.5,
Signal 8.6,
Blood Free-8.5,
D.P.-8.4,
The Cursed 8.3,
Flower of Evil 8.9,
The Man from Nowhere 8.9,
Black 9,
Squid Game 8.4,
Kingdom 8.3,
Sweet Home 8.4

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Promising Beginning but Don't Expect so High

IC got a promising start but went downhill later on. That's one of the flaws of most kdramas, they give you a very good start then mess it up in the later parts.

The things that I personally find that ruined the drama are these:

1. nonsense love triangle

2. Saeroyi achieving his goal through luck and connections

3. ridiculous characterization for Geun Soo (I feel bad for him, his initial character got so much potential but there's not quality development)

4. time skips

5. lack of chemistry between Saeroyi and Yiseo, I like them better as just business partners and friends

6. Soo Ah, Ho Jin, Hyun Yi and Toni's grandma are the key characters to actually destroy Jangga (especially Soo Ah), not Saeroyi

7. the nonsense kidnapping and fighting scene on the last two episodes

The things that I like:

1. strong and motivating beginning
2. versatility and inclusivity of issues
3. marketing strat (in the first half)
4. Dae Hee's kneeling
5. actor's acting
6. Saeroyi's consistency with his beliefs and attitude (except w/ the romance part)
7. APPEARANCE OF PARK BO GUM (LOL)

How I wish it happened this way:

1. Saeroyi learned business and marketing while reading books in the prison (I was expecting that at least he learned something after going out of the prison, it turned out that he just read Dae Hee's book. He just turned out to be a clueless businessman with a high dream but didn't even know the "basics" if not because of Yiseo).

2. Soo Ah being front to her feelings (I can't blame Saeroyi why he fell for Yiseo in the end, bcoz Soo Ah did nothing for Saeroyi).

3. No love triangle (or at least just subtle, but the drama gave emphasis to this).

4. Geun Soo's drive to be better so that Yiseo will see him, not an evil kid that he become like his dad (his character is so lame, I had so much hope for him at first bcoz he's different from his family, but he turned out to be one of them still).

5. Saeroyi destroyed Jangga bcoz of his beliefs that he learned from his father and from his life, his hard work, his knowledge, and most importantly, HIS COOKING SKILLS. He's given the potential to be a good cook and make signatured dishes. Unfortunately, it is Hyun Yi who made IC get its first investor.

6. Romance would work out better if they stick out with the initial expectations.
- Saeroyi being faithful to his promise to Soo Ah
- Soo Ah being transparent even a bit to her real feelings and helped Saeroyi behind still
- Geun Soo not being so blinded to his feelings toward Yiseo, and
- Yiseo respecting Saeroyi's space and appreciating Geun Soo

7. If not the number 6, at least they should have developed Saeroyi and Yiseo's relationship better. It felt forced and sudden. It didn't feel so natural for me.

I enjoyed a lot of Park Seo Jun's dramas, and Itaewon Class is pretty decent. But it's memorability and impact are not that much for me. I expected too much after enjoying watching Fight for My Way and Hwarang T^T

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I don't even know where to begin.....

How does one ruin a show that's starring Park Seo Joon, Kwon Nara, and Kim Da Mi? Well we have to give it to the writers of this show


Story

TRASH. Straight up fucking Trash. A story that looked beautifully written in the first 2-3 eps, and just went on a downhill spiral from there. The closest I can compare the quality of the story is to Bride of the Water god's: a fucking joke.


Acting

The show had good actors, even the supporting ones. I'll give them a pass: They all played their characters right, the story just brought them down. This is definitely Park Seo Joon's worst drama up to date


Music

The saving grace of the show (if there is anything left to save lmao). Good OSTs


Rewatch Value

No, I will not re-watch 16 hours of trash.


Overall

If you want a drama that's not sci-fi, but as unrealistic as a sci-fi is, then watch this shit show

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Worth your time, but not very memorable

This show will leave you with mixed feelings. It's both brilliant and disappointing, poignant and underwhelming. There are moments charged with emotional intensity sandwiched between scenes of unreal cheesiness. Sometimes the show trips up over its own habitual need to make the characters look cool. Other times, it sells a human story of how grief and vengeance can share an unhealthy relationship with each other.

I should start, perhaps, with the things that I enjoyed. The highlight was always going to be Park Seo Joon because how could it be anyone else? I watched him in Fight for My Way and he is even better here. His character is a sympathetic one, struggling to hold onto his principles because that is the only way he can honour his late father. Their relationship seemed interested but would have been better had it been fleshed out over an episode or two. Understandably, a lot needed to happen so this could not be done.

Kim Da-Mi as Jo Si-Yeo grew incredibly on me. Her character was the heart of the show in that as the story did, so did she as a person, learning to see the way as Park Saeroyi did. The show wrote her character - for the most part - really well and the scenes with her never disappointed.

I also appreciated how the show tackled tropes both in the social sense and how a kdrama show is meant to be. It delved into what it was to be transgender, as to whether ethnicity constituted nationality, rather too simply sometimes but quite well. The humanity of the protagonists shone through here. I also liked that the first love isn't the one he ends up with - although I'll get onto the problems of this later.

The music also complemented the show's tone quite well and bears similarities to Start-Up. But now, let's get onto the problems of which three existed:

1) the show moves too fast. A single episode can sometimes cover years. It leaves characters seeming static. Or sometimes a problem is encountered and then resolved too efficiently. Other things are not actually shown but swept alongside too quickly. How did they first fare as a new pub with customers was sped along. The business plan to go global wasn't shown but just told through an accelerated process. His time in prison. Throughout the show, there was this nagging sense of things rushing at a ludicrous pace while the characters themselves didn't change much.

The next problem is the love triangle. I liked Soo-ah's character at first. As an orphan, her need for survival as an independent woman was understandable. But we never saw her backstory so it was a case of telling rather than showing, which this show suffered from. The whole thing about her joining Jagga Co never added up to me and it culminated in her becoming increasingly hard to sympathise with. Had she joined to protect Park Saeroyi, it would have sufficed as an explanation, considering her own affection for both him and his father. But it was done by her need to survive. Which seemed strange because she could have done that anywhere else.

The show's rapid progress through time actually worked worse for her too. While others around her changed to some extent, she never did. She remained the quiet, silently suffering secretary of a boss she hated, a deeply immoral man who she wouldn't break away from. And so you come to realise that the love triangle wasn't really a triangle because there was no way she could have ever deserved Park Saeroyi. She never did anything for him, but instead for years waited, made him suffer, continued to wait, continued to serve a man who covered up the murder of someone who looked after her, and became increasingly difficult to sympathise with. Her conversation with Yi-Seo towards the end of the show highlighted this: whereas Yi-Seo was doing everything for Saeroyi, she did nothing. She might have been there with him from the beginning but she wasn't there for him. This was the underlying difference between both the women and why the love triangle, though done with nuance, became clear as to who would deserve him.

The final problem, which I'll keep brief is the conflict of the last couple of episodes. It was an unnecessary way to tie up everything because it didn't fit in with what the show had been doing. It was ridiculous and damaged my view of the show.

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Enjoyable, rewatchable and I love it for the daring social representations

The story of a wrongfully-accused young man’s journey in realizing his 17-year business plan to avenge his father's death. He recruits his trustworthy friends and acquaintances to run a pub in Itaewon.

Life lessons are learned right away, we got introduced to our protagonists and villains. A lot happened to our male lead Park Saeroyi. I got invested and rooted for his life in every aspect: from his dad to his first love, to his dreams. He doesn't give up although unfortunate events happened to him. I also respect these villains characters, they’re smart and driving the plot significantly, keeping us guessing how Saeroyi can win.

Park Seo Jun did so well portraying Park Saeroyi. His calmness has a certain charisma that brought his friends to trust him as their leader. I appreciate the uniquely written DamBam staffs. Each of them has their unique background and motivations, which is not often portrayed but needed. We need more positive highlights on social diversity. I love all their stories, especially Jang Geun So.

There’s also a character briefly shown on the 1st ep but appear again later in the 3rd ep, Jo Yi Seo. She is quite hard to describe and you need to just watch her. Her mannerism, face expressions, fashion, her abrasiveness fits perfectly together. She’s tired of the socially-expected life of studying hard, going to university, work as hard as possible until you die. She even wish for the world to end so she wouldn't have to live that routine. Kudos to Kim Da Mi for carrying Yi Seo as a very authentic female lead.

My quibbles are, the ending was overdramatic, the car fighting scene was too long. Also, I never believe the romance as they’re perfect as friends, why can’t man and woman be friends? Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed Itaewon Class, it’s a great underdog story, with uplifting and awesome OST!!

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BEST KDRAMA EVER

I had no idea what to expect before coming into this kdrama, but I was blown away. By far the most entertaining show I have watched this year. I loved the revenge plot, romance subplot, tremendous acting, ost, etc. Surpassed all my expectations, such a different and refreshing show. Just amazing, deserves this high review from me. I especially liked the main two actors, Park Seo Joon and Kim Dami. Park seo joon is usually the rom com king, but I really liked his performance in Itaewon class, he had lots of emotion in his acting. Now Kim Dami was equally amazing. I had never heard of her before this show, but I am excited to watch her future works based on her performance in this work.

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I really recommend watching this series for many reasons:

All the actors and actresses are great and they fit the characters so well. They all made me cheer, cry, hate and love them.
Even if the main lead, Saeroyi, was annoying at times, the actor, Park Seo-Joon, is amazing in the role. My favorite character, one of the main female lead; Jo Yi-So, who is played by Kim Da-Mi is a perfect fit too.

The music is one of the best in any kdrama I've ever watched, so many good ones, and it worked with the story as well and never felt like an odd choice.

When it comes to the story, I loved to watch the story of how cruel life can be, and how we never should give up fighting for what we believe. I love how our main character learns what's important in life. The only thing that makes me not give the story a higher score is because of all the love triangles I realized I didn't really care about. It made me annoyed many times how characters kept loving people that clearly wasn't good for them. When watching, I felt like a lot of the love didn't make sense. Why does she/he loves this person? It felt like they just loved for the sake of it, to cause drama. But other than that, this series is a roller coaster, and I loved every episode.

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