A Very Well Crafted Drama
I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this series. I have huge respect for series that are written well with a clear vision for its characters, its story and what it’s trying to say. Even more so when these aspects are executed to a high degree.At the start of this series, it had a really ominous ‘Stepford Wives’ feel to it. I thought there might be a supernatural or Twilight Zone element to it. Every character was suspicious to me and I couldn’t shake the feeling that all was not as it seemed. The series does really well at sustaining this feeling of mistrust and second guessing. It adds to the mystery and intrigue of the school and it’s characters.
The actress who plays Ha Rin has the most incredible micro-expressions. Figuring out what her deal was kept me on my toes as a viewer.
I come away after completing this series thinking of that famous speech by Charlie Chaplin about oppressive regimes. He talks about how the power that is taken from the people can be returned to the people through revolution. These lines come to mind,
“dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people…don’t give yourselves to brutes - men who despise you - enslave you - who regiment your lives - tell you what to do - what to think….don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men - machine men with machine minds and machine hearts……don’t fight for slavery…fight for liberty….you the people have the power to make this life free and beautiful….let us use that power - let us all unite!”
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The ending CARRIED
So I went into this show with high expectations, because I'd seen everybody hyping it up and even comparing it to THE weak hero class 1. Of course I was let down from the start. It didn't come close to the latter show, but that's okay. I thought the concept was really interesting. The cast was just okay at first (I'm not the biggest fan of the fl). The pacing was also my biggest issue with the show. It was only 10 episodes, but honestly it should've been 6... The story was simple but stretched out for no reason, so it wasn't super entertaining. I was ready to give this a 5-6/10 but thank god that ending came and saved this thing. Every loose end got connected and all of the characters had a satisfying end to their story. By then I also came to appreciate the characters and their motivations more!Story/characters: 16/20
Acting: 7,5/10
Music: 7,5/10
Visuals: 7/10
Replay: 5/10
Entertainment: 12/20
Pacing: 12/20
Impact: 22/30
Overall: 7/10
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Addictive & Powerful: Must Watch show that addresses social hierarchy & its impact
The drama addresses the themes of social hierarchy and school violence that is carried out via a game, against the backdrop of a girls high-school. It explores how the powerful trample on those who go against them, or keep them as their sidekicks for fun and favor, while the powerless strive to climb up the social ladder. The story focusses on the main lead - a new transfer student who aims to break free from this oppression and the 10 episodes capture how she plans to make friends/allies and break the pyramid.⪼ Best Parts:
♥ Acting: I am seeing most of the actresses who are students and central focus of this drama for the first time - and each one of them owns their character. They each bring their own personality into the role - crazy, naive, psychopaths, kind, unbothered, sly and more. It is very interesting to see the dynamics of the students as well as the supporting cast - staff and others related to school and students. Already have taken note of these fine artists - and eager to see their next work!
♥ Plot: I binged this straight in 10 hours after work hours. Was dog-tired but the show's cliffhangers were placed so well, that I just could not keep it down. The story builds up really well and ties it up with a nice explanation on why the characters behaved in a specific way and why the Pyramid Game exists. Every character gets their due - in a realistic way, which was very satisfying and not many dramas can claim that.
♥ Music: Shows like these need to be supported well by a good, haunting, suspense and powerful BGM. Needed as it complements the twists and reveals perfectly, and when there is no action but a mind game happening on screen - you need the right music to convey the feelings of that scene and character back to the audience.
The acting and music go hand in hand - that make you love/hate the characters, plots and eventually the drama, overall - hence this was also done very well. Blended it well with the direction/cinematography that keeps us on our toes - giving us some information, but then revealing the big picture later from the same scene - is an art, and was well delivered here.
⪼ Weakness:
Honestly, there are no weakness to be honest. The reason I am not calling this a 10/10 drama is solely cause of the fact that am familiar with this genre/plot theme and hence it did not blow me away, as it would to someone watching such plot for the first time. And if I have to be extremely critical - I would say the ending though it explained things well - felt rushed compared to the earlier 8-9 episodes. But this is me being overly critical and working very hard to find faults.
⪼ Overall:
"Pyramid Game" is well-crafted drama across grounds of plot, pace, acting, music and a powerful message that will resonate with you as it is something you see in real life - the grassroot of rich vs poor, powerful vs powerless and the never-ending fight to be free! Recommend it as a must-watch for those who enjoy fast paced survival game plots, suspense, thrills, revenge.
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Good Enough
Korean Drama '' Pyramid Game '' is a drama about school bullying and social classes.The drama has a strong start, with the viewer being introduced to the characters and to the pyramid system. It was interesting to follow the main lead, as she was trying to understand her new position and how to change things. It was also nice that she wasn't all good and innocent, rather, she was a grey character who was selfish and manipulative. Hence, her character development was enjoyable to follow.
On the other hand, the drama had a weak second half. It felt anticlimactic and the ending was a let down.
At least, the performances were all strong by everyone in the cast.
So, overall, six out of ten.
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Pyramid structure of bullying
First of all this drama was awesome. Ost , acting, director all was good.1) this story involves a pyramid structure of bullying.Though our antagonist says this is everyone's game but Those who are from powerful family, are popular will end up getting grade A . And from grade A to grade D is allowed to bully grade F . 3 grade A , 3 grade B , 6 grade C , 12 grade D and 1 grade F .
2) I liked the fact Sung Sooji isn't a pushover , like everyone she tries to avoid problems or bullies. But end up getting grade F and tries everything to get rid of this game . And she ends this game .
3 ) the thriller is great, like--- mind games , violence, betrayal everything is top notch.
But..........
1: Getting everything on her side was a little weird like Woori's brother as helper and hacker( it's okay cause psychopath like Harin is uncommon too ). Though the video was published, they never revealed the rules or published something extreme. the violence except kim Dayeon beat her classmates wasn't shown in the video/ live stream, It was easier to get rid of the accusations of Baek Harin through Baek group's power and influence.There are always some violence in school but without knowing that pyramid shaped ranked bullying why would the reporters will report ? ( Baek Harin never bullied or did something extreme in front of camera so people should have been called Kim Dayeon psychopath instead! ) It's okay though, the drama was outstanding .
2: what about Kim Dayeon's domestic abuser dad ? I know it's satisfying to see her get beaten up but she became violent bully cause of constant abuse .
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Hierarchy at its finest
This show was super satisfying. Not one episode was boring at all. I love that fact that all the girls stick to the end and became friends. It started out depressing since all the girls had to figure out who they are and understand their inner self. However, the FL was able to guide them to understand each other and make them feel like they love the school. The status is very rigged but in the end the show gave a vibe that it's all about effort and giving out the genuine connection to others.Was this review helpful to you?
Perfect drama!! Definitely Watchh!!
I thought I wouldn't be attached to another kdrama after Night has come but this drama is doing very well every episode, and I loved it. I fell in love with the group of four. I also admire Soojin's intelligence, and Baek harin is failing it no matter, I like it. Now I'm thinking about how to look forward to the week. i love this music that I listen to a lot these days(ava grace - higher)
If you're watching a Chinese drama, you can also look at 19th floor, which was very good.
Greeting from Turkiye
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배신을 하면 공멸하지만 협동을 하면 모두에게 이익이 되는 심리게임.
Were you a strategic mastermind in high school? Intelligent enough to build and maintain your own little North Korea in your class and astute enough to instigate a rebellion and tear the empire down? Was your entire school full of lesbians? I don't think so. And that's why we have K-dramas - to see these wild exciting plots come to life!Since the emphasis on the "game" is stated right in the drama title, I felt compelled to compare just how much of a game was the bullying system that Baek Ha Rin created. If we take Johan Huizinga's play theory, the first element of the equation doesn't seem to match. In his definition, a play:
1. Is a voluntary activity.
2. Separated from ordinary life.
3. Has a distinct location and duration.
4. Demands absolute order.
5. Connected with no material interest.
But weren't you free to not download the Pyramid Game app? Myeong Ja Eun automatically becomes one of the victims when she declines to participate in the voting. If you're punished for not playing, that's not really a game anymore, is it? If Pyramid Game was never a game in the first place, it means that Ha Rin's superiority to the rest of the class was superficial, she wasn't even a charismatic leader. This imitation of freedom is often executed in authoritarian and totalitarian states, and all of them are held up by fear, not the mythical "respect" for the dictator.
Rather than having to deal with a consolidated cult, Seong Soo Ji parachutes in a fertile soil for a coup d'etat, and it makes her task in the drama easier. The main part of the story is Soo Ji navigating her way through the new class in the all-girls school that she transferred to. The whole drama is one big trigger warning for violence and school bullying, and you should consider that before watching. The scenes of violence evoked such primary rage in me, good thing they are only on screen. The scale of violence is almost equal to The Glory, and the eerily smooth intro with cool colors and definite shapes is certainly inspired by it.
The best part of the drama is THE GIRLS. Literally every communication between any of them is low-key or high-key sapphic. Our fantastic couple Lim Ye Rim and Shim Eun Jeong steal the spotlight every other episode. Bona's fiery eyes were a whole another character on their own, but my favorite actress is Oh Se Eun playing a firecracker Song Jae Hyeong with a thing for muscular shoulders. She's such a playful and bright little fox, she caught my attention earlier with her memorable performance in Duty After School.
There are many things that felt off in this drama, including the superficial introduction of the prisoner's dilemma, and there's a lot I can't put my finger on. But I don't feel the need to emphasize the bad parts if this beautiful lesbian world is spinning and making us happy!
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A Fine Chess Match Between Two Masterminds
A series where a new schoolgirl tries to overcome the class hierarchy under the shell of a great game of chess where Song Soo Ji has to beat Baek Ha Rin who is the queen and the rest of the students are her pawns. Show full of betrayal, bullying, violance but also frienship that captivates the viewer until the last momentStory: Phenomenal
Acting: Most of the times solid but there are moments where it's exaggerated
Music: Amazing and what's more important it fits the drama very well
Characters: Everyone was ok, except of course Song soo ji, she stood out quite clearly in a good way, and Bona's acting certainly helped with that. The second character who stood out was Go Eun Byul because she was just sooo annoying
The only criticism I have about the Pyramid Game is that any scene where they're not in class is a little boring. Other than that the show is a must watch.
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Unique storyline
The plot is very unique reflecting the higher artist system of society.Mainly I like the story because the acting of the main protagonist and others they made it look more reflective .
This story has many twists and an satisfying ending.
You must give it a watch if you like thiller , mystery and school bullying types of shows.The actors are certainly new to us but their acting is all good.
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With such an excellent cast, every second of this thrilling show slays
Sincerely there's nothing better than when a show has a lot of characters, all of them possessing diverse, remarkable qualities and you just know that no matter how long their screentime is, they contribute to the plot heavily and you end up being fond of all of them, no matter how black or white each individual is. (although most of them fall into the grey zone)Personally my 11/10 thing of this show is the OST (especially the songs "Higher", "In the Dark", "The Judgement"). Not just because it's gripping and intriguing but also because it never fails to do the trick, always appearing at the right time in every episode. Hearing just a bit of the OST makes the whole story unfold in front of me again, feeling all the emotions I felt while watching it.
As for the actresses (and the few actors of course), they did an exquisite job. I can't believe it's the first time acting for Jang Da A and Shin Seul Ki, they're very talented and portrayed their characters well, I hope to see both of them again, whether in season 2 or other dramas!!
Sung Soo Ji is an amazing protagonist. I love that she isn't a monotonous character and goes through changes, fitting into the already mentioned "grey zone" and almost falling into the pit of being the same as the other classmates at first. When you finally start climbing the pyramid scheme, of course you don't want to go back down there and being a bystander is alright as long as you aren't a bully, right? Luckily the lead gets to know better and decides to put an end to the insidious Pyramid Game altogether.
The story also didn't disappoint, 10 episodes of 50 minutes each was just good enough, it dragged only minorly, most of the time it was thrilling and kept me hooked as I was excitedly waiting for the next Thursday to watch another two episodes. And how I will miss these Thursdays!!
In conclusion, if you haven't watched this drama yet then I assure you, you won't be disappointed!!
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My most favourite 2024 kdrama
First of all, my ratings for every kdrama based on plot and how not dumb of most characters are. Because the dumbness of characters' action really make me irritable and ruin the mood to keep watching, but this kdrama has none. They are very smart!!Every actresses act so well!! They have a very good chemistry. They are the best and so into their characters either main role or support role, my favourite is baek harin.
The only complain I have that make me rated 9.5 instead of 10 is the story behind baek harin why she want to harass jaeun, kinda too weak for me because they nerfed it from the webtoon version. Would be perfect if it's more impact and make me feel the even higher violence harin have faced.
A very picky little complain is they kind of overused the song on some scenes (not The Judgement one, this song is the best and so harin's coded). Would be even better if they produce more song to use in more specific scenes of this drama.
This is very worth rewatching because you might not understand what harin says to jaeun and why harin does that to jaeun at first watch. But if you already know the background, you understand everything.
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