Floki

The idea behind Get Schooled is a great one, as it points a finger at several issues that continue to plague schools in Korea as well as in other countries. Its central premise is deliberately controversial: if students listen to words, you teach with words; if they only listen after being beaten, then you teach by beating. It’s an uncomfortable approach, but one that exposes our inability as a society to make schools truly safe, protect victims from bullies, and prevent those same bullies from eventually becoming criminals.

The drama mixes the darker aspects of school violence, corruption, and delinquency with lighthearted, over-the-top comedy and action. The contrast can feel a bit much at times (and I am not particularly fond of that extreme), almost anime-like, but considering the subject matter, I still found the balance surprisingly effective. The lighter moments also keep the drama from becoming relentlessly bleak.

The characters are interesting enough, and the main storyline is strong enough to carry the series. That said, I wish we had gotten more episodes focused on different cases. As the story progresses, it starts circling around similar themes, while there were plenty of other issues that could have been explored.

Get Schooled is far from perfect, but it handles its premise well and is solidly produced and delivered. Its controversial approach won't work for everyone, but beneath the exaggerated violence and comedy is a genuinely interesting examination of how schools deal with violence ~ and how often the systems meant to protect students fail them.