Itaewon Class, a spoiler-free review~
A brief summary: 🗯️
It-ae-won- Cu-lass-uh. Where do I even start? It’s a breath of fresh, crisp air on a chilly night as you look down upon a twinkling city. A phenomenal story? Check. Equally incredible cast? Check. Outstanding performance? Check. Breathtaking direction? Check. Beautiful soundtrack? Check (Hello, Kim Taehyung, Kim Feel, & Woosung). Every single synonym for ‘amazing’ wouldn’t be enough to describe this show. If you want to watch a drama that is guaranteed to hit every emotion and leave you feeling ambitious and ready to live life to the fullest (a little cringy, I know, but bear with me I’m emotional about this show), watch Itaewon Class. You will fall in love, experience heartbreak, be happy, laugh with friends, party, face betrayal, seek revenge, be knocked down, get back up, fight for your principles to make your dreams come true, and much, much, more- all along the side of the Itaewon Class.
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✨Rating: 10/10! 🎇
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Detailed review: 💭
Firstly, the story and its timespan are simply remarkable. I was astounded by how the producers were able to unfold the intricate story with such a long timespan (don’t worry, it’s not tiring or chaotic at all) in just 16 episodes. The story and its characters are developed with intense care and complexity, such that it leaves you feeling breathless at the end of it all, pondering the epic journey you just witnessed.
The characters. Spectacular actors and actresses portraying equally impressive characters. You will feel heart-wrenching love towards some, and passionate, pure hatred towards others. You will punch the air (hopefully not the screen) with frustration but will also clap and dance or do whatever it is that you do when you’re filled to the brim with joy at other times. Also, the diversity of the characters is not something you usually see in most K-dramas: a transgender character, a black character, a character with diagnosed sociopathic tendencies, ex-convicts, and more. You will follow the rocky journey of these characters and others as they try to live their truths and achieve their goals, facing the harsh reality, criticisms, and barriers of the society together. That being said, Itaewon Class provides a unique and realistic lens into the hesitant, yet changing, sociocultural approach South Korea (and many other parts of Asia) still have towards the LGBT+ community and minority racial groups. The show does an excellent job highlighting the real issues such groups face in the nation and the resulting consequences without it completely consuming or distracting from the story.
Itaewon Class’ several unique, strong, independent, and boss female characters deserve their own paragraph. This may be debatable, but I have never loved a character more than I loved Kim Da-Mi’s portrayal of Jo Yi Seo. She’s difficult to grasp at times but you can’t help but be dazed by her sheer unpredictable, fierce, and commanding nature. I say this with the utmost confidence when I say that you’ve never seen a character like Jo Yi Seo, for the better or worse. She’s. Simply. Daebak. And characters such as Oh Soo-ah, Ma Hyun-yi, and Kang Min Jung are truly a testament to female resiliency, strength, and courage- again, whether you end up liking them or not is up to you. They are all awe-inspiring and shine brightly on their own, without dependency on any other characters to do so.
To wrap things up because you probably (hopefully) want to start the show now, there are a multitude of other aspects that make Itaewon Class deserving of a 10/10 rating. As mentioned before, the OST is flawless, composed of incredibly talented artists and producers whose work complement the drama perfectly. Withal, the direction will leave you wanting to pause at certain moments just to appreciate a truly scenic shot or two. Thus, this show is simply perfect, to say the least, and those appreciative of unique and complex stories will love this work of art when they watch it.
p. s. Park Bo Gum’s cameo though. That’s it.
Thanks for reading my review! I hope it gave you real reasons behind my perfect rating and to watch the show along with a jist of what Itaewon Class is all about! See you next time with another review! ~🌼












