Itaewon Class review : A tale of Revenge, Friendship and Determination| krama review

Itaewon Class is a revenge drama (directed by Kim Sung-yoon) and is comprised of talented actors like Park Seo-joon who stars as the main character Park Sae-ro-yi, Kim Da-mi who is the fiery and independent Jo Yi-seo, Jang Dae-hee by Yoo Jae-myung as the archenemy and chairman of Jangga and Oh Soo-ah, played by Kwon Nara as former classmate of Park Sae-ro-yi and later employee of Jangga.

This drama talks about all kinds of problems in the society. It talks about class disparities, greed for power and climbing up from rock bottom. Our hero, Sae ro yi is a student who doesn’t waver from his ideals and does not stray from his path. However his entire life is upturned when he stops Chairman’s son, Jang Geun-won (Ahn Bo-hyun) from bullying a student, who later kills Sae ro-yi's father in an accident. Instead of justice being served and Jang Geun-won being punished, Sae ro-yi, a victim ends being convicted and sent to jail instead.

Itaewon Class does not shy away from addressing non-accepted topic like LGBTQ+. One of the pubs is a transgender woman. Ma Hyeon-yi(Lee Joo-young) is not treated as a comedic relief or just added for sake of some representation but is a 3 dimensional character who has her struggles, talents and a great personality. She is one of those no business woman who will tell you the truth no matter what. But on the other hand, she is unable to come out to her friends easily and fears being accepted.

Also the drama brings out casual racism, with the character of Kim To-ni(Chris Lyon) who despite being Korean is considered as an black American in spite of not knowing how to speak English and him repeating again and again that he was in South Korea and his passport is Korean too. This shows how character grows and overcome the prejudices and racism installed in one’s brain since birth.

Strong suits

1) The pacing

One of the things to appreciate in this drama is the pacing. The revenge does not happen overnight. It takes time, planning and most important of all patience. It also doesn’t have barely 18 year old kid dismantling a billion won company. Sae-ro-yi bids his time before he takes on his nemesis and prepares ahead, also he is not afraid to accept help from the ones around him.

2) Well-written Female leads

One of the best things about this series is Jo Yi-seo (Kim Da-mi), a social media celebrity who promotes restaurants. She is confident about her looks and has a bit of a violent streak. She has many badass scenes like where she slaps a lady or throws hot coffee on Jang Geun-won (Ahn Bo-hyun). She isn’t afraid to confront others about their misdeeds. Honestly she is a well rounded character who character development in the end. She isn’t a one dimensional woman who just breaks noses but also someone who falls in love, dedicated to make her man successful and loyal till the end. She decides to help Sae-ro-yi after repeated encounters and seeing his dedication and honesty. She plays a major role in the success of Park Sae-ro-yi’s revenge and making his business successful.

The second female lead, Oh Soo Ah (Kwon Nara) gives the female lead a tough competition for Park Sae-ro-yi’s affections. She is a childhood friend of Park Sae-ro-yi who was also close to his father. She is also Sae-ro-yi's first crush. Her backstory really puts her on the advantage. However she ruins her chance by being passive and waiting for the right moment to ask him out and also succumbing to pressure from the chairman of Jangga.

3) An Amazing Villain

It would be unfair if we didn’t acknowledge how good of a villain the chairman was. He was the perfect opposite in ideology and status to Park Sae-ro-yi. He made him suffer, cry, almost give up hope and did all this ruthlessly. Their standoffs make one get on the edge of their seats to see who will triumph over the other. Yoo Jae-myung plays his part so well that you can’t just help, wish him get ruined.

4) Good use of all scenes

One of the greatest strengths of this drama is how everything comes in full circle. Every action, every line isn’t wasted and used to its full potential.

5) Equal screentime

The main cast isn’t deprived of their screen time to give more time to the main couple. Everyone gets equal screen time and all of theirs’ backstories and them overcoming their challenges is written well too. This makes it hard to pick favourites from the cast. And if you have a favourite, then you wouldn’t need to worry about seeing them less on screen.

At last what makes this drama realistic is not just its script but also the raw shooting making feel like it a story coming to life.

Shortcomings

1) Less Romance

It’s not exactly a minus but if you are expecting some cute romance between the couple then this drama is not for you. It is a plot driven revenge drama and stays true to it. Sure there are some cute moments here and there, that makes you want to ship them but it’s not the focus.

2) Last Episodes

Considering how engaging and unique all the episodes are in this drama, the last episodes fail to live to the expectations. The plot at end becomes cliché and bland. I had expected a more impactful and logical ending. It like having a delicious full course meal but the dessert falls short.

3) Unnecessary introduction of second villain

The first half of the drama has two villains the chairman of Jangga and his first son. Though after 6-7 episodes, Park Sae-ro-yi’s primary villain, the one who killed his father is removed from the scene and loses his importance. It leads to the emergence of another antagonist who is the second son of Jangga’s chairman and friend of Jo Yi-seo. This emergence feels rather forced and unnecessary and ruins his character growth and his entire backstory.

Final Verdict

Itaewon Class really is a class amongst itself with an amazing storyline, a great direction and a stellar performance by the entire cast. It is a must watch for any kdrama fan.

It would shame if we forget the brilliant OSTs which give this drama life. Whether it’s Start by Gaho and Still Fighting For by Lee Chan Sol to make you feel inspired or Say by Yoon Mirae that makes you fall in love and let’s not forget Sweet Night by V.