Itaewon Class: Review and Comments

Itaewon Class - Korean Drama

With the rise of Korean pop culture driven by BTS and BLACKPINK, Korean comedies are also becoming more popular and sweeping the world. According to data from Netflix, Itaewon Class is the top 2 most watched Korean drama. Netflix is a well-known OTT service provider (a streaming service provided directly to viewers through the Internet) that originated in the United States and provides online video-on-demand services across the world. It is not only ranked 46th in the Forbes Global Top 100 Digital Economy, but also the largest media and entertainment company in the world. Thus, through the broadcasting from Netflix, Itaewon Class has become famous worldwide.

What is Itaewon Class?

Itaewon Class is a business Korean drama series starring Park Seo-joon, Kim Da-mi, Yoo Jae-myung and Kwon Nara. Itaewon Class is based on a comic of the same name. It mainly tells the story of the actor's father who was hit and killed by the man after a fight with the eldest son of the business giant Jangga Group. Due to the fact that Jangga was rich and powerful, there was no case in which his father was killed. After being dealt with by the cops, he was sent to prison instead. The actor is a very vindictive person. After he was released from prison, he opened a tavern called "Honey Night" in Itaewon, a downtown area in Seoul, and launched a revenge on Jangga. He aspires to surpass Jangga's enterprise and finally realizes his dream and established his own corporation. On the road to success for the male lead, he also gained friendship and love, and they united together to help him tide over the difficulties.

How is the Drama?

First, the tone of the whole drama of Itaewon Class is enthusiastic. Everyone is full of confidence and enthusiasm for their goals. Even if they are faced with many pressures and problems, they will respond optimistically and actively solve them.

Second, it allows us to have a deeper understanding of Korean food and beverage culture.

Third, it reflects the problems of many social strata, and shows us that there are still many problems of corrupt society even in today.

Forth, this Korean drama is very inclusive and open-minded. There are black people looking for grandma in South Korea, gangsters who have become better, and transgender people who are brave to be themselves. Although these people are still discriminated against by a small number of people, they are still accepted by most people.

 Itaewon Class Neon Sign - K-POP Neon Sign - Polaris Sign

Worth Watching or Not?

Itaewon Class keeps the whole Korean drama feel but not everything about love and romance. The drama put the spotlights on various issues including the imbalance of power, social inequality, diverse characters; gender and sexual discrimination and racism. The drama left me with thoughts like money and power are always there to corrupt you, only if you can bear in mind your dream, and your pure promise to yourself.

If you like handsome guys, power struggles, various social issues, I highly recommend you to spend time watching Itaewon Class.