Itaewon Class, review

«There are many motivating dialogs in this series and that’s awesome…«

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First of all

This review has no spoilers.

This drama didn’t catch my attention at first sight because I thought it was about kids’ gangs, which is not among my favorite plots, that’s why I didn’t check it when it came out. Besides, and I don’t want to sound superficial, but I did wonder: What was the drama team thinking when they gave that beautiful main actor a haircut like that one?

That was my first impression. As it usually happens, I was so wrong!

I few days ago I read a random comment on Instagram where someone wrote how much she loved this drama, her enthusiasm made me feel curious about it so I gave it a chance.

Itaewon Class is a Korean series distributed by Netflix and released on January 2020. It’s based on a webtoon of the same name. No, it’s not about kids’ gangs, it’s a story that I loved and I will tell you why.

Synopsis

Itaewon Class tells the story of ex-con Park Saeroyi, who’s life takes an unexpected turn after being expelled from high school for punching a bully and later losing his father in an accident. Years later, and following his father’s footsteps, he opens a Bar-restaurant called DanBam in Itaewon. Along with his manager Jo Yi-seo and his staff, they fight for success competing against a big conglomerate.

In general terms

This series got me from the start because it reminded me of The Count of Montecristo by Alexandre Dumas, my favorite book since I was a teen and I’ve read many times (just in case: I am not comparing them both because the book is another level). If you haven’t read this masterpiece, it’s about Edmond Dante, a young, good and noble man wrongly accused of treason and sent to prison for life without a trial, leaving his father and fiancée behind. While he is locked up, Edmond prepares mentally and physically to escape and seek revenge from those who imprisoned him. The book is quite long, but it’s amazing (I highly recommend it).

The experiences that Park Saeroyi goes through are not the same as Edmonds at all! But the concept is alike, and what I liked the most is that both characters’ personalities are similar; their serenity, kindness, determination and focus. I’d like to know if the person who created Saeroyi based him on Edmond, maybe he/she did…

I you watched the movie The Count of Montecristo, doesn’t count. The movie has nothing to do with the book.

Why do I recommend Itaewon Class?

The Plot

Park Saeroyi is sent to prison for three years. Just before that, his father dies on an accident caused by the recklessness of a kid whose powerful family decides to protect by hiding his crime. The things that Saeroyi goes through are very touching, many things that happen are very emotional. He has a plan, but also has a lot to learn. His values, principles and being surrounded by good friends are key to keep him on track.

I liked his focus and determination to achieve his goals; he worked very hard and prepared really well, no distractions.

Park Saeroyi’s personality

This is one of those characters you get to appreciate a lot. He has a huge heart, he believes in people, and people around him feel motivated by him. In a business, for him the most important thing is not the money but the people. He is like the ideal boss and friend to have.

The characters

All the characters in this drama are well developed. For instance, Saeroyi’s group of friends; this is the first time I see such a diverse group in a Korean drama. I like how inclusive it is, it was quite refreshing to see that. His friends are: an ex-con who was with him in prison, a transgender chef he met when he worked at a factory, an African man who arrived to Itaewon to find his Korean father, a famous and shallow fashion blogger and a very shy kid, son of a rich man and born outside of marriage.

The rest of the characters are also well written. They are so complex that sometimes it’s hard to decide whether you like them or not, if they have good intentions or not. It’s hard to figure them out and I liked that a lot.

It’s motivating

There are many motivating dialogs in this series and that’s awesome. If you want to achieve something in life you have to learn, work hard and do things with passion. You must have faith in yourself and in people around you; also take good care of them and work as a team. That’s the idea of this plot.

The clothing

I really liked the costume design on this series, specially the style of Jo Yi-seo, Kang Min-jung, Jang Geun-won and Jang Dae-hee. As I mentioned above, the only thing I didn’t like was Saeroyi’s haircut, I tried to like it until the end but it didn’t happen…

The locations

I loved the Itaewon neighborhood, the colors and the ambiance. All the coffee shops and restaurants that were on the drama were cool. I really wanted to be there eating or having coffee or wine.

The OST

The music did not disappoint, very motivating, powerful and also moving when it had to be. Perfect for the drama and its characters. Mi favorite song is Diamond by Ha Hyun-woo, and my favorite instrumental song was I’m always grateful, you can listen to it here, minute 00:23:34.

A little ending note

Why didn’t I mention the love story? Ok… There is a love story, it’s just that Saeroyi does not allow himself to think about love until he fulfills his goal. Yes, there is a girl he likes, and there are two girls who like him, so there is a love triangle which in theory cannot be called that way because he does not move a finger about it. That part of the story takes place later on.

I don’t know if you will like who he ends up with, I honestly liked it, let me know your thoughts.

I read many negative comments about the last couple of episodes but, ok… The last episode might be a bit slow, but I can’t be disappointed of a drama that I loved from episode one, just because they took their time on the last couple of episodes. So, I have nothing negative to say about that.

I highly recommend this drama, let me know your opinion about it!

Hugs,

All pics taken from Pinterest

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