Itaewon Class Korean Drama Review

Drama : Itaewon Class (이태원 클리쓰)

Screenwriter: Cho Kwang-jin

Director: Kang Min-gu and Kim Seong-yeon

Actors:- Park Seo-joon, Kim Da-mi, Yoo Jae-myung, Kwon Na-ra, Ahn Bo-hyun, Lee Joo-young, Kim Dong-hee, Ryu Kyung-soo, Kim Hye-eun, Chris Lyon, David Lee, Yoon Gyung-ho, Cha Mi-kyung, Son Hyun-joo and others.

About the Show:-

Not the one to stand by and watch ill treatment, abuse and violence, Park Sae-royi punches a bully in school and stands up for the innocent. Saeroyi gets expelled from school since the bully turns out to be famous Businessman Jang Dae-hee’s son Jang Geun-won. Saeroyi’s life turns upside down when his father gets killed in an accident. Saeroyi decides to turn his life around and following his father’s footsteps, opens a restaurant/pub named Dan Bam (단밤) in the multicultural commercial area of Itaewon. With the help of his friends and staff, Saeroyi works hard to become successful and make a name for himself in this competitive world.

(*This review may contain spoilers. If you have already watched the show, please continue reading. If you haven’t watched the show yet, you can still continue reading or you can come back to the review later.)

What the show taught me:-

Dreams, purpose, goals, ambitions, targets, destination, all these are my synonyms for Itaewon Class. The show has had a huge impact on me and on how I was going to look at my future. Was I going to ponder over my past, sit and complain all day or let my past help me and be the reason I work hard towards achieving something or rather everything I dream of? This Universe has enough for everyone. Enough opportunities, enough people, enough resources and enough dreams for everyone. I am reminded of this line from the movie Ratatouille - 'Anyone can cook'. The same way - 'Anyone can dream and anyone can work hard and achieve those dreams and goals'. Dreams and goals do not discriminate people on the basis of colour, status, race, gender, etc. If you wish to fulfil a dream which is purpose driven for the betterment of yourself and for people around you, then those dreams can be achieved. Your can accomplish your goals if you are determined and when you work hard, then the best days of your life are not far away.

This show teaches you many life lessons.

1) Success and Hard work:- I would like to quote Chadwick Boseman –“ I don’t know what your future is, but if you are willing to take the harder way, the more complicated one, the one with more failures at first than successes, the one that’s ultimately proven to have more victory, more glory, then you will not regret it. This is your time.”

For success in life, one must be willing to work hard, put in all your efforts, be patient and also be ready to take the difficult and longer route. During these times, our faith, hope and belief are bound to shake. We might end up on the verge of breaking down and of giving up. We might be tested many times in life and we might have to wait longer than others; however, if you are willing to give this journey a chance, you will end up on the best road to not just success, but to happiness and also get to experience life fully and wholly. Like it is said, if one doesn’t experience a few failures and hardships in life, then one cannot possibly enjoy the sweetness of success.

Saeroyi is willing to take the more difficult path, the one with a lot of thorns and nails. He is willing to give himself time - time to learn, time to execute, time to grow and time to succeed. That is what ultimately pays off for him.

2) Fraternity:- Often, when we are in our lowest period, we think that in this world we are alone and in times of need nobody lends us a helping hand. It is true that everybody’s journey is their own. But it is also true that when we are truly willing to ask people for help, when we are desperate and in dire need, people will always be there to lend their support. In this world, good people will always have a good life surrounded by good people, although a few tough times and in some cases a lot of tough times are inevitable.

Saeroyi has a mission and a goal that he needs to accomplish. But he is not alone. When God takes away some things from you, something precious, he makes sure to replace it with something better. Saeroyi has lost his father during the most important time of his life. His father - his role and his importance in Saeroyi's life are irreplaceable. But he has found a group of staff members and friends who are willing to support and help him through the difficult days, help him build his dream from scratch and stay by his side till and long after he has achieved all his dreams.

3) This World is unfair in a lot of ways but everyone has a place in it for themselves:- Many a time you see people being discriminated on the basis of status, colour, race, gender. But through this show we realise that if we are courageous, are strong enough to bear a few disadvantages and unfair treatments, are ready to fight back for equal opportunities then we will succeed one day. It may take time and effort but one day we will find that we all have a place in this world, we can all create a name for ourselves. Good things come to those who wait. Saeroyi is not rich and he is bullied and pushed around for having less money. But he perseveres and in the end succeeds in becoming a successful businessman and earns not just money but respect for himself. Yi seo and Soo ah (Kim Da-mi and Kwon Na-ra) have to face inequality as women in this harsh world. But they persevere and ultimately find their path and purpose by fighting for themselves and for women in general. Hyun-yi has to face disrespect and discrimination for being a transgender. But they persevere and by winning the cooking competition, earn respect and recognition for their talent and hard work and prove that everybody deserves respect and love irrespective of gender. Kim Toni (Chris Lyon), the part timer at Dan Bam, has to face discrimination for being a black man. But he perseveres and when he receives the support of his staff and friends, he realises that love and kindness still exist in this world. He learns english, earns a place and a stable job in the restaurant and above all earns himself the respect that he deserves. Lee Ho-jin (Saeroyi’s classmate) is bullied by Jang Geun-won and ill treated. He knows that he deserves to be treated well, deserves to be respected and deserves justice for the abuse that is inflicted on him. He perseveres, waits and fights for himself alongside Saeroyi and ultimately gets the justice that he deserves.

About the Actors, Characters, the Directors and the Writer :-

Park Seo-joon as Park Saeroyi is inspiring with his portrayal. He instills in us a drive for success and motivates us all to work hard for a better life.

Kim Da-mi, Kwon Na-ra, Lee Joo-young, Kim Hye-eun and Cha Mi-kyung show us what women are capable of. They are strong forces, who when they put their mind and heart at something, will fight with all their might and strive to achieve them.

Yoo Jae-myung and Ahn Bo-hyun show us what villains are like. They are so convincing in their roles that we had no choice but to dislike them. But that’s the beauty of acting I guess. Every actor was 100% convincing in their roles/characters.

Kim Dong-hee, Ryu Kyung-soo and Chris Lyon prove with that characters that there are men out there who are willing to go out of their way to support the ones around them (or loved ones). Jang Geun-soo (Kim Don-hee’s Character) takes "the willing to go out of their way" too seriously and ends up messing up his life and others’ for a little while but I am glad he comes around and changes himself for the better.

The rest of the supporting cast is excellent in their respective ways. The show wouldn’t have been this wonderful if not for their astonishing contribution.

I am in owe of the Directors and the Writer and what they have produced through Itaewon Class. I am sure it’s not just me who feels this way but many others who have watched the show, are inspired and motivated by the message from the show. The show encourages everyone to be brave and courageous enough to chase their dreams, to be kind and loving in this world full of hate, to be resilient in times of adversity, to be faithful and hopeful of the future, to patient when it’s not our time yet, and to have perseverance to make it big.

Also, I would like to use this platform to offer my condolences to everyone who lost their loved ones in the Itaewon Tragedy in October, 2022. Nobody could have imagined that the place whose beauty and grandness this show had managed to display could experience something that tragic.

If you find yourself looking for a show that motivates you to pick yourself up, to quit self-loathing, that encourages you to not give up on your dreams and goals, then I say give this show a chance.

The show also focuses on friendship, love, unity as people, belief and hope, strength and devotion towards achieving something. The show features some strong acting from an amazing cast. If you are looking for a show with content and storyline that is inspiring, excellent writing and dialogues, amazing acting and emotions, say yes to Itaewon Class.