Itaewon Class

Inspiring Pinnacle Of Hard Work

Introduction To Korean Drama

K-dramas are television series in the Korean language, created in Seoul, South Korea. Their popularity is not just restricted to the East, rather it’s popular around the world. They have recently taken the world by storm increasing its number of viewers greatly.

Popularity Of K-dramas

There is an efflux of k-dramas and Korean culture worldwide. People all over the world are falling in love with k-dramas. The foreign audience is attracted by the elements of curiosity and interest in different cultures and settings. The main component of the K-dramas is the cute and alluring chemistry between the lead characters of the story. Apart from this, the industry caters to all kinds of genres. The bright, cheerful, and opulent setting, the steady pace and the skill of compacting the series in a few no. of episodes adds to the prominence of the dramas. The availability of the dramas on various streaming platforms makes it easy for the audience to watch. Some of the famous K-dramas are Boys over flowers, Goblin, Crash landing on you, and many more.

Target Audience and Prominence

The k-dramas and the movies reach out to all kinds of audiences, of every age and ethnicity. It has productions for the heart-touching story lovers to the audience who like action, suspense, and horror. The art of cliffhangers and the happy satisfactory ending is what keeps the prestige of the dramas alive. The appearance, narrative, and cinematography add to its popularity.

Introduction To The Drama- ‘Itaewon Class’

Summary

Itaewon class is an engaging underdog revenge story with a vibrant setting. It is a story about socially inept Park Saeroyi and his journey towards achieving his dreams. The story begins with Park Saeroyi punching a bully in the school who turns out to be the heir of the leading food company, Jangga Co. This led to the change of events which eventually lead to the death of Saeroyi’s father and him becoming a convict. Hence, this is a story of a group of flawed yet genuine individuals, led by an ex-convict Park Saeroyi set to make a mark in the food industry and take revenge. Saeroyi liked Oh Soo-ah, who used to work in the orphanage regularly visited by his father and later goes to become an employee of Jangga. Saeroyi starts with a small pub, Dan Bam in Itaewon, and then goes on to achieve his dreams from there. A complicated love brew between Jo Yi Seo and Park Saeroyi. The story is spread through the time span of 15 years. A lot of other stories go around the show with a story of a trans woman, a black Korean looking for his father, and a high school-going, sociopath. Success is shown to be a gradual process with overcoming a lot of difficulties and not just it being a miracle. The show is vibrant, inspiring, fun, and lovable.

Details, Episodes, And Production

Itaewon Class is a South Korean television series that aired from January 31, 2020, till March 21, 2020, on Netflix. It consists of 16 episodes, starring Park Seo Joon, Kwon Nara, and Kim Da mi. Based on the webtoon of the same name, it is the first television show produced by the film production company Showbox. The OST, ‘Sweet Night’ by BTS V broke many records globally.

Themes Highlighted

Racial Discrimination And Transgender

The show showcased many issues faced by people of color. It talks about the racist ideology set in people’s minds even today. Kim Toni, a black Korean looking for his father faced restriction while staying in Korea. He was rejected entry in a Pub because of his color. The show portrays the issue well and talks about resolving it.

Lee Joo Young plays a trans woman character, Ma Hyeon hi. She faces prejudice and hate because of her choice. Without her consent, somebody reveals in the media about her being a trans woman. With the support of her friends, she stands up for herself and fights back, and wins the cooking competition. The show represents the stereotype related to these issues perfectly and goes beyond to change the conservative mindset of people.

The Love Triangle

The high school crush of Saeroyi, Oh Soo-ah becomes an employee at the rival company, Jangga. They never date due to different circumstances and conditions. Jo Yi Seo, Dan Bam's manager falls in love with Saeroyi and stays by his side through thick and thin. She bets her life on him and helps him achieve his dream and understand all his sentiments. Yi Seo pursues Saeroyi throughout the show. These three lives continue to get tangled with each other throughout the run of the show.

Ambition And Dreams

The story inspires and motivates people to work hard towards their dream. No dream is big if you work towards it diligently. The show amazingly represents how with the support of loved ones, one can achieve success. It is one’s passion and determination that leads a person to the top. It negates the idea of achieving success overnight and focuses on persistence. It rightly presses on the point that hard work really is the key to success.

Good Vs Evil And Second Chances

The show represents the old saying of “triumph of good over evil”. It surely takes time but eventually the good comes out victorious and the bad goes down for their misdeeds as in the case of Saeroyi and Jang Dae Hee(CEO of Jangga). Through Oh Soo Ah, it throws light on the relative nature of good and evil and how nothing is absolute and is a matter of perspectives.

The theme of second chances in life is explored through Saeroyi and Choi Seung-Kwon. Even after being an ex-convict, Saeroyi didn’t restrict himself and made a successful career for himself. He even helped other people to find their voices and change their lifestyle. One of those people was Seung-Kwon who was the cellmate of Saeroyi in prison. He went back to being part of a gang. But meeting Saeroyi after seven years, he decided to quit his gang and started working for Saeroyi. The drama highlighted how one can change their lifestyle at any point in their life as it is in their hands. Everybody deserves a second chance in life and wiser is the person who accepts that and change for good.

Personal Review

At first, the show came to me as just another revenge drama with the magical power of the lead and yet another cliché love story. But the show turned out to be so much more than that. Unexpected elements were added to the storyline of the show which made it intriguing and inspiring. Park Seo Joon enthralls you with his acting as the cute, strong-headed determined socially inept character who doesn’t budge from his morals with a buzz cut. The characters make you cry with them for their failures or inability to change fate, give you immense joy with their dialogues and actions, and motivates you with their speeches on chasing your dream. I loved how the show throws light on the stereotypical and racist ideology. The character of Oh Soo-ah might be the most misunderstood in the show. She represents the reality of the world and how it crushes you even if you did nothing wrong in the first place. She gets most hurt between the revenge plot but stands strong. As Oh Soo-ah said, “Everybody cannot live like Saeroyi, but one can learn from him.” The moment when Saeroyi gives up his revenge agenda which refrained him from loving and living his life fully is so serene and makes you feel so many emotions. The duo of Yi Seo and Saeroyi is powerful, hardworking, and real. You are left with no option other than to root for the duo in the entire show wanting them to succeed. The OST’s of the show are motivating and soulful. The OST ‘Sweet Night’ is a melodious song that immediately transports you to the world of Euphoria. (It’s my personal favorite) This remarkable show is worth watching and leaves you high spirited, motivated, satisfied, and happy.