#danbam

[jihuxblog]

Itaewon Class (2020)

[creatingnikki]

Itaewon Class

I love how this show had 2 strong female leads instead of the typical two strong male leads. And by strong I mean they were both solid characters and had their own development and redemption and honestly until the very end if wasn’t quite sure which one was the first female lead and which was the second (though I was rooting for Yi Seo from the very beginning). 

Park Sae Ro Yi. How can I articulate what I feel about him? Other than he is now my top 3 kdrama male leads right up there with Captain Yoo Shi Jin from Descendants of the Sun and Ryan Gold from Her Private Life. I am going to write a whole list of why later! 

Edit/gif by @sclcncsblog​

I love how the newer kdramas are really talking about issues that matter. In Her Private Life they navigate homosexuality so very well with Ryan Gold’s view of it. In Itaewon Class Hyun-yi being trans was one of my highlights. 

Then with Toni and racism and with Choi Seung-kwon being from the background he is thinking is life is done for but how seeing Sae Ro Yi’s outlook on life and self-worth really turning his life around - oh my gosh. 

I like how by the end of it Park Sae Ro Yi truly becomes a businessman while keeping his values and dignity in place. How he doesn’t treat Chairman Jang in a mean or harsh way - rather makes him soft tofu stew and talks politely - but he doesn’t let his weeping and pleading change his mind about the takeover since that’s a business decision. 

Also I mean can we just acknowledge how the first actual kiss in this kdrama is right at the end of it? And how it could - like most other kdramas- make us feel so much without having to have intense kiss/sex scenes. I mean that is true art. 

I love how Sae Ro Yi takes his time to realise and confess his feelings for Yi Seo. And when he finally tells her - that intensity, that sincerity, that sureness - you can never doubt a man like Sae Ro Yi. 

Edit/gif by @thingskateknows​

Yi Seo was, of course, my favourite character - right after Sae Ro Yi. She is strong, a little crazy but pure-hearted and a perfect match for Sae Ro Yi. She isn’t weak. She isn’t a coward. Yes, she can be a little too harsh but in the moments that matter, she always rises up to the occasion. Whether for Hyuni-yi or Toni. Her final conversation with Geun Soo where she apologises to him and acknowledges his feelings and how she’s treated them - that was her redemption. 

Edit/gif by @kdramanewbie​

I really didn’t like Soo Ah. I get that her background wasn’t privileged and that she was at a disadvantage but still...she was just no match for Sae Ro Yi. The kind of man he is, he needs a woman like Yi Seo rather than Soo Ah. But of course, by the end by being the whistler blower and not asking Sae Ro Yi for anything but just to be happy...she redeemed herself. And I love her ending too - starting her own cafe, looking so happy and elegant and pretty and maybe falling for hew new chef (Park Bo Gum!)? I was genuinely happy for her. 

You know what I really liked about Itaewon Class? The fact that Sae Ro Yi wasn’t above it all. The fact that he let revenge fuel him. And in the end, he got what he wanted but he also admitted that it didn’t make him feel happy and that it had been really fucking tough living life that way. I like how irrespective of how perfect he was, he had his flaw because it’s honestly only natural to have such flaws. Him kneeling down before Chairman Chang to save Yi Seo - I love how he didn’t even have to think about it for a second and how easily it came to him. 

The show truly was about people. And trust. And bonds. Lee Ho-Jin becoming Sae Ro Yi’s friend and then financial manager - loved that. Toni’s grandmom being the badass investor - loved that. I love how all the characters in the show are SO majorly flawed but in the end, mostly good at heart and have their own special/unique set of strengths. In the end, the key to a person’s support, trust, respect and love is sincerity. It really is that simple. 

And the fact that someone can be important to you but not all the time. That’s something Yi Seo understood and Soo Ah didn’t. Like when shit went wrong with the 10 billion investment and Soo Ah told Sae Ro Yi to leave everything and come to her and they could be happy...how could she! Despite knowing, despite actually being right there when Sae Ro Yi’s life fell to pieces back in school. That, along with 100 other reasons is why Yi Seo and Sae Ro Yi always made sense. 

Edit/gif @kdramatelier​

But the point isn’t that. The point is that everyone has their priorities and people - no matter how much you care about them - they can’t be your constant priority. Hence, you have to be strong enough to be there for yourself. 

In the end, all I can say is...

How did it taste?

Image by @maricisthebest​

It was SWEET. 

Edit/gif by @dramaintherain​

[koreaisliiifeu]

[alright-3]

이태원 클라쓰/Itaewon Class (2020): Episode 12

[kim-lexie]

itaewon class.

overview. 

this drama was absolutely incredible an absolute gold mine. i was originally interested because park seo-joon is a part of the cast and let’s be real every drama he touches turns to gold. i loved how dynamic the characters and plots were present throughout. i loved that it attempted to touch various topics including racism and class structures. it had a little bit of everything. 

this drama follows sae-ro-yi, a steadfast and determined individual. it starts with him going to high school and protecting a fellow classmate. which ends him up in a debacle with the school bully, jang geun-won who is the son of the great jang ga group, jang dae-hee. this is the company whom sae-ro-yi father helped build from the bottom up. sae-ro-yi holds to his beliefs as he was protecting a fellow student he doesn’t bow in apology, and he ends up getting expelled and his father losing his job. through all this, his father continues to encourage his son and saying how proud he is of his son for standing for what is right. shortly after, his father is killed in a hit and run accident. when sae-ro-yi comes to find that it was all geun-won’s doing he violently beats him ending him up in jail. while in jail he desires to finish opening his restaurant that his father and himself started dreaming. it leaves him with a 10 year plan landing him in itaewon, where he comes to open danbam pub with a close knit group of soon to be lifelong friends. 

i would highly recommend this drama it was dynamic and i never knew what to expect coming from the various characters we had the pleasure of following. i thoroughly enjoyed the duration of this drama from seeing how he overcame his time in prison, and raising money to get to a place to open his pub it was great.

*spoilers ahead * you have been warned.

characters. 

sae-ro-yi. this man was incredibly steadfast in the pursuit of his dream. at first it was interesting, because it appeared to be a revenge plot to get back at jangga group. but by the end he realized that he had more to fight for. he went through years in prison, and a fishing boat, to make it to a place to raise enough money to open a pub in itaewon. he grew this pub with trusting those around him and learning the world of investments and stocks to then eventually be able to buy out jangga group after their countless scandals. it really came full circle for him. and it was because he was unwavering in his goal of making people the priority. 

jang geun-won is at the center of the incredible character development of sae-ro-yi. this kid. i am still conflicted on how to feel because at the center i feel that a lot of his evil qualities stem from his raising. his father made him kill a chicken and consider all the people around him livestock as the only way to get through life. then when he did screw up and ran away from a hit and run, he got it covered up by someone else. when one is taught with that perspective how can you not be a completely and utterly twisted human being. but then again he had many opportunities to switch his direction. when he was talking with soo-a all those times when she was like nah you’re not great, get it together. but then he went and kidnapped yi-seo because he knew it would get sae-ro-yi out so he could kill him. like that’s messed up. sooo yeah i take it back he was a horrible person. terribly twisted character. 

jang dae-hee. his man is messed up and i find it difficult to find that he was so thrown off by sae-ro-yi. it may be because he found a bit of his old self in him. because sae-ro-yi was steadfast in his beliefs where as the ceo wavered and changed with the times to further the company. i also need to add, that this man is an incredible actor especially as they had him age dramatically throughout this show. 

soo-a this woman was also messed up and worked for jangga group even though she knew that sae-ro-yi’s dad was killed by the son and covered up by the ceo. what a crap friend. i did not appreciate how in the last few episodes they wanted me to like her character because she did finally develop a conscience and payback sae-ro-yi’s dad two fold and turned in jangga group for all the crap they’ve done over the years. but sae-ro-yi pursued her for so long and then when he developed feelings for yi-seo is when she got woke and was like wait hold the phone. ya know what sister, you lost your chance, so good bye felicia. 

yi-seo. this girl. *insert slow clap* i came to truly love this character. she was crazy and still is crazy but she has her lovely qualities as well. sae-ro-yi needed the balance in his life, and he was living his life in a deep revenge scheme, she was there to advocate for the best for him. she had no regards for herself in some instances, when she recorded geun-won confessing to killing sae-ro-yi’s dad, and how she got slapped dang. i appreciated that he finally got woke and realized that all this time he had feelings for her. when it came time to try and find her after geun-won had kidnapped them and the ceo jang was the only one who knew where they were, he easily got down on his knees because he knew that he needed to save her and that he had something worth more than his pride. 

i’m willing to do it thousands of times. 

there’s nothing easier than this. 

i love how sae-ro-yi also kept her in line, because she could never hold her tongue. and she hurt those around her without realizing the consequences of her actions. (also his little head pat thing TT)

jang geun-soo. this kid should have been majorly twisted at the start, having the same raising as geun-won, but he was a sweet precious bean who found a friend in yi-seo. however, she never saw him in the same light he saw her. and that twisted his outlook and pursuit of his goals. he easily threw her feelings for sae-ro-yi under the bus and exposed her, and then went off to work for jangga to take over the company and win her heart. in the pruusit of his he released information about hyun-yi to the media during the cooking competition. and he became a different person. then at the end he came to his senses and went to apologize to the crew at danbam. i must also add i loved the hyung relationship that sae-ro-yi had developed with geun-soo even before he knew his family. and this lasted throughout the drama he was always there to offer advice and stand up for him, as well as forgive him when need be.

the danbam crew. choi seung-kwon went through major character development in the time he knew sae-ro-yi. he woke him up and showed him that he can change his perspective and elevate himself. he didn’t need to be a gangster even if that was his past self. and this was insanely prominent after yi-seo was kidnapped and he went to his previous gang to find out where they were, and he ended up calling the cops to solve the issue rather than doing so with his fists. he also developed in his perspective of those around him, especially in his growing feelings for ma hyuun-yi. she was the character who experienced a gender transformation in the early episodes of the show. her character was so great (and i must say that i love lee joo-young ever since ‘weightlifting fairy’). her character was insanely strong and went through so much as a part of her that she wished to be kept personal and secret was released to the public. she was strong and continued to hold her head high through it all. toni kim this boy brought light to the issue of racism and how deep set it is in the culture. i love that he started working there and how kim soon-rye, the investor and someone opposed to him, ended up being his grandmother. i found that all the members of danbam really enhanced each others qualities whether good or bad. and if bad they grew and developed to overcome them. 

sae-ro-yi’s father, park sung-yeol. this man was such an encouraging force for sae-ro-yi. he helped him finally realize what life was and how it should be lived. 

i’m going to embrace my yearning heart and continue tot love my life. 

you finally got it that is what life is. you can overcome anything as long as you’re alive. 

and the whole drinking alcohol thing, when it had been bitter tasting for so long and how it ended up being sweet in the end because he had the joy from those around him. i wept. 

plot & themes. 

i felt that they attempted to tackle large issues from transgender, racism, and social class structures. i found that they were are lightly touched and resurfaced every once in a while. i appreciate that they brought it to light, however i was disappointed that it was never fully addressed, but then again they did a lot considering other dramas don't even try. 

sae-ro-yi went through so many hardships and it really developed his character. being thrown in jail. having to work on a fishing vessel to raise funds. from having jangga company taking over his original building, to having to buy his own building to continue danbam. and all the twists from the cooking show they participated in and how even geun-soo realized information about hyun-yi in hopes of deterring their win. then as time went on they grew the company, our yi-seo ends up in the hospital and gets kidnapped. when sae-ro-yi goes to find her he gets run over just like his dad, another hit and run. then when he goes to ceo jang to find their location he gives him the go around and makes him bow to him. then when they find out where she and geun-soo are they get beaten up again. literally his bean went to hell and back again. i am glad that we saw them in the last clips as they found joy in their day to day, and he finally confessed to her as 

my head and heart are all filled with you. 

i love you. 

and how yi-seo now goes around asking him, ‘do you like me?’ and he makes the clarification nah i don’t just like you ‘i love you.’ i really appreciate this distinction because he followed soo-a around for years saying he liked her, and that this is different. 

there were so many favorite moments (sad happy and everything in between) throughout the drama so here are a few in no particular order:

yi-seo determining that she wants to help sae-ro-yi overcome everything and anything in his path

when sae-ro-yi opens up to yi-seo about his past and she sees all his scars and she cries while he holds her. 

when sae-ro-yi encourages hyun-yi to do what she wants even though it would throw their investment opportunities if they failed the best pub cooking show. but if it was best for hyun-yi that is what he was going to back.  and then how she is an incredible boss and says...

yi-seo finally confessing to him, and all he has excuses as to why it wouldn’t work. when we all know he loves her but is too stubborn to see anything but soo-a. even though i knew her feelings weren’t reciprocated at the moment my heart still shattered into a millions billion pieces when he said he never had feelings and when she confessed saying she loved him and he made up excuses  and told her not to love him. 

when toni finds out that the investor ahjumma is his grandmother, and that they are family and she welcomes him in with open arms. 

when sae-ro-yi finally cries. because dang was this a moment. when he wakes up after being run over and realizing that he didn't save yi-seo and that he is at a total loss. it’s a breaking point for him, and really everyone in the room felt it. 

park bo gum being that handsome chef in the end at soo-a’s cafe. 

i hope everyone enjoyed this drama as much as i did, and as always i am sure i missed things, and it just ended so i am still processing. but dang this one was really good, and i’d rate it a 12 out of 10. 

[sdikinom]

please leave a ♥ if you save/use.

[jar-of-moonshine]

I made this bc I'm obsessed with Itaewon Class atm and I'm probably gonna make more fanart pretty soon

[clearrinq]

Me after finishing the last episode of Itaewon Class: