Excellent story-telling and character development.
I read True Education years ago, right when it got cancelled on (English) Webtoon due to a string of controversial storylines by the author, revolving around reverse racism and the like. Before that point, the manhwa was wonderful at crafting a unique spin on school violence. Instead of being an underdog student, it is a vengeful teacher as the main character, whose craziness and believable mastery of fighting make for a much more enthralling story.
The show naturally gravitates away from the webtoon when it comes to certain characters and plot points. Ten episodes is not enough time to adequately develop them all, but in the little time that is given to characters each episode, the storytelling provides a great characterisation. Moreover, given the wide variety of cases that the ERPB deal with, we will likely see a second season of the show that addresses more complex situations in detail.
Story:
I truly enjoyed the story. They provided us with a heartbreaking backstory for both Hwa-jin and Han-rim that fundamentally characterises them for the audience. The show tackles modern school violence, the use of social media, the corrupt education system, the lack of guidance for students and teachers, each providing a satisfying conclusion. My personal favourite are the four juvenile delinquents sent to prison as a taste of their possible future. It is this type of punishment that draws the audience to TYAL as it handles school violence outside of the realm of the classroom too.
The character Deputy Director Bong is a new character made for the show and as much as I enjoyed his theatrics, I did find the romance with Han-rim unnecessary. Han-rim's character should have been used to circumvent the criticism a male teacher might receive for their handling of female school violence, as well as discussing the backwards stereotypes over female teachers and soldiers. Bong is an outsider perspective, mirroring the audience, as we follow the main characters.
Additionally, the concept of a "final enemy" didn't really bode well for me at the end. I found Gyu Cheol's character interesting but not enough so to warrant so much screen time to him as some ominous final boss.
Acting:
This show has some BRILLIANT acting. In fact, I am writing this review rather late, but I still think about Gyeom Ma's actor in Episode 6. The infamous "Bully Killer" when they describe him in a flashback, showing the actor, tormented by his decision, wrapping a pen into his hand and then charging into the classroom. We don't see the violence but we hear it. Visceral. The blood pools and spills outside of the classroom door. The bodies fall onto desk. And Gyeom is screaming. The blood is all over his face. And we, as the audience, can truly feel the despair he must have felt to take the lives of his bullies. Similarly, Jin Ki Joo's performance as a teenage Ha-rim being beaten bloody and teary-eyed before receiving help from Hwa-jin is a moving scene, that does well to help situate Ha-rim in the audience's mind as a great character. The actor for Gyu Cheol has a distinct, porcelain face. His down-turned eyes always give the impression he is never giving the person his full attention, like he is innately above them, and I love it, it magnifies his arrogance for the audience to see.
The fight scenes were punchy and classic. Overall, I enjoyed this show plenty, and it acts as a redemption to alienate itself from the source material's original controversy, yet remains consistent and familiar through the characters and the cases that the EPRB investigate.
Hoping for a second season, based on all the reception, we will likely see one, and I am interested in the direction they will choose to take, as I want the show to examine Korea's education system rather than singling out certain individuals.
The show naturally gravitates away from the webtoon when it comes to certain characters and plot points. Ten episodes is not enough time to adequately develop them all, but in the little time that is given to characters each episode, the storytelling provides a great characterisation. Moreover, given the wide variety of cases that the ERPB deal with, we will likely see a second season of the show that addresses more complex situations in detail.
Story:
I truly enjoyed the story. They provided us with a heartbreaking backstory for both Hwa-jin and Han-rim that fundamentally characterises them for the audience. The show tackles modern school violence, the use of social media, the corrupt education system, the lack of guidance for students and teachers, each providing a satisfying conclusion. My personal favourite are the four juvenile delinquents sent to prison as a taste of their possible future. It is this type of punishment that draws the audience to TYAL as it handles school violence outside of the realm of the classroom too.
The character Deputy Director Bong is a new character made for the show and as much as I enjoyed his theatrics, I did find the romance with Han-rim unnecessary. Han-rim's character should have been used to circumvent the criticism a male teacher might receive for their handling of female school violence, as well as discussing the backwards stereotypes over female teachers and soldiers. Bong is an outsider perspective, mirroring the audience, as we follow the main characters.
Additionally, the concept of a "final enemy" didn't really bode well for me at the end. I found Gyu Cheol's character interesting but not enough so to warrant so much screen time to him as some ominous final boss.
Acting:
This show has some BRILLIANT acting. In fact, I am writing this review rather late, but I still think about Gyeom Ma's actor in Episode 6. The infamous "Bully Killer" when they describe him in a flashback, showing the actor, tormented by his decision, wrapping a pen into his hand and then charging into the classroom. We don't see the violence but we hear it. Visceral. The blood pools and spills outside of the classroom door. The bodies fall onto desk. And Gyeom is screaming. The blood is all over his face. And we, as the audience, can truly feel the despair he must have felt to take the lives of his bullies. Similarly, Jin Ki Joo's performance as a teenage Ha-rim being beaten bloody and teary-eyed before receiving help from Hwa-jin is a moving scene, that does well to help situate Ha-rim in the audience's mind as a great character. The actor for Gyu Cheol has a distinct, porcelain face. His down-turned eyes always give the impression he is never giving the person his full attention, like he is innately above them, and I love it, it magnifies his arrogance for the audience to see.
The fight scenes were punchy and classic. Overall, I enjoyed this show plenty, and it acts as a redemption to alienate itself from the source material's original controversy, yet remains consistent and familiar through the characters and the cases that the EPRB investigate.
Hoping for a second season, based on all the reception, we will likely see one, and I am interested in the direction they will choose to take, as I want the show to examine Korea's education system rather than singling out certain individuals.
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