‘Title: 이태원 클라쓰 | Itaewon Keullasseu | Itaewon Class
Genre: Romance | Melodrama
Episodes: 16
Broadcast Network: JTBC
Broadcast Period: January 31, 2020 to March 21, 2020
Synopsis:
Park Sae Royi wanted to be a cop once he graduates in HS. He respects and holds dear the teachings of his beloved father about principles in life. He’s been tagged as socially inept by his classmates as he mostly keeps to himself and only speaks out when he feels someones needs help. So, when he transferred to his new school and witness the bullying of one of his classmates, he can’t help himself but intervene. This good deed caused his father’s job, him being expelled and even worst, he found himself incarcerated for 3 years. All of this because he dared to stood up for his principles against the owner of the top food conglomerate, Jangga Co. He vowed that he will do his best to get justice to what had happened to him and his father. He went through all hardships and followed the business plan of Jangga Co to build his own Itaewon Class or IC Co together with his young, fierce and talented manager, Jo Yi Seo and his team. Together with his team, he went through a difficult journey of choosing between fighting for his principles and the possibility of finally having happiness in his life.
Characters:
- Park Seo Joon as Park Sae Royi
- Kim Da Mi as Jo Yi Seo
- Choi Myung Bin as child Yi Seo
- Yoo Jae Myung as Jang Dae Hee
- Nara as Oh Soo Ah
- Ok Ye Rin as child Soo Ah
- Kim Ji Young as teen Soo Ah
- Kim Dong Hee as Jang Geun Soo
- Ahn Bo Hyun as Jang Geun Won
- Kim Hye Eun as Kang Min Jung
- Ryu Kyung Soo as Choi Seung Kwon
- Lee Joo Young as Ma Hyun Yi
- Chris Lyon as Tony Kim
- Lee David as Lee Ho Jin
- Yoon Kyung Ho as Oh Byung Hun
- Kim Yeo Jin as Jo Jung Min
- Kim Mi Kyung as Kim Soon Rye
- Choi Yoo Ri as Oh Hye Won
- Yoo Da Mi as Kim Sun Ae
- Kim Ik Tae as high School Principal
- Han Ye Ji as Kook Bok Hee
- Ahn Sol Bin as Sae Roy’s classmate on Episode 1
- Son Hyun Joo as Park Sung Yul (Sae Roy’s father on Episode 1–2
- Won Hyun Joon as Kim Hee Hoon on Episode 2
- Hong Suk Chun as himself on Episode 2, 4, 9
- Yoon Park as Kim Sung Hyun on Episode 3
- Cha Chung Hwa as bureau chief’s wife on Episode 3
- Im So Eun as Bok Hee’s friend on Episode 5
- Jung Yoo Min as Geun Won’s blind date on Episode 6
- Seo Eun Soo as part-time job applicant on Episode 6
- Kim Il Joong as himself on Episode 11, 13
- Jun Noh Min as Do Joong Myung on Episode 11–12
- Lee Joon Hyuk as Park Joon Ki on Episode 11–13
- Park Bo Gum on Episode 16
My Review:
If you follow my blog, you know I don’t like melodrama genre and most of the time, I end up watching most of them because there’s no other alternative I’m interested in. That’s the same with this k-drama wherein I have nothing else to do due to the worldwide pandemic CoVid-19 lock down. So, I guess, if there’s one thing to be grateful for on this disease, I can watch K-drama series to my heart’s content without feeling guilty that I should be doing something more productive. I can say I’m glad this is one of the K-dramas I’ve chosen to waste my time during enhanced lock down for it was worth the 16 hours.
So, What do I Like About this K-Drama?
(1) This K-Drama tackled many social issues that’s prevalent in society and some topics even more so in a conservative country like South Korea. It presented slightly the plight of transgenders or homosexuals and Korean children of mixed race in this country which generally you can hardly see nor discuss extensively in K-dramas. This is one of the very few K-dramas that I’ve seen which broached these subjects, though still not fully explored so as not to create too much controversy, but, at least delivered a decent message against discrimination due to sexuality and race.
(2) The thing that I love most about Korean dramas in comparison to its American counterpart is that they are more visceral rather than visual. They are focus on making the audience truly feel the emotions rather than see the event. Thus, after watching such long episodes for hours, your heart ends fully satisfied rather than your mind. This K-drama is not an exception.
(3) I also love the fact that this K-drama provided a stage of showing women to have the right to choose the way they want to live rather than just follow the dictates of their parents and society’s demands of what’s normal and right. It gave a platform to show that people are evolving and changing. That the sense of true freedom to choose your principles rather than follow the powerful factors around ones environment or situation for fear of losing everything can be achievable. You just have to be brave to stand up and begin all over again if you fall. As what Park Sae Royi said as his aspiration, “I want my words and acts to have power, so no one can mess with me and my people. I don’t want to be swayed by anyone or any injustice. I want to live a life where I make my own decisions and I don’t have to pay for my principles.”
(4) The cast in general were superb. Park Seo Joon as Park Sae Royi and Kim Da Mi as Jo Yi Seo did an excellent job and because I didn’t read much about the cast, it was good that I have to wait to figure out who was really the woman in the heart of Park Sae Royi at the end.
(5) There are so many life lessons on this K-drama, in fact, having “Class” on its title is very apt because it seems to be teaching the audience about choices in life and even though with all our flaws there’s a choice on how we live our lives and in the belief that if you put your heart into it, one can certainly achieve ones goals. There are also words of wisdom and there’s one that many may not agree, but, there’s one that stayed with me because I can relate to its full meaning, “Sympathy is a distasteful emotion where you look down on someone and get comfort from it.”
What I do Not Like About this K-Drama?
For a melodrama there’s not much I can say I didn’t like about this k-drama. Although, it is a typical revenge drama like all the rest on this genre on k-dramas, I have fully enjoyed it from start to finish.
Would I recommend this K-Drama? Yes
My Rating to this Drama
( See My Rating System: ) 5/5 Stars
OST:
01. You Make Me Back – Kim Woo Sung of The Rose
02. Start – Gaho
03. Still Fighting It – Lee Chan Sol
04. Maybe – Sondia
05. Our Night – Sondia
06. Forward – The Vane
07. The Kid Back Then – Kim Feel
08. You Make Me Back (Instrumental – Kim Woo Sung of The Rose
09. Start (Instrumental – Gaho
10. Still Fighting It (Instrumental – Lee Chan Sol
11. Our Night (Instrumental – Sondia
12. Forward (Instrumental – The Vane
13. The Kid Back Then (Instrumental – Kim Feel
14. Rock – Ha Hyun Woo of Guckkasten
15. Sweet Night – V of BTS
16. Say – Yoon Mi Rae
17. Are We Just Friends – Sondia
18. No Words – Crush
19. With Us – VERIVERY
20. Brand New Way – Damon
21. Start Over (CD Only – Chris Lyon
22. Rock (Instrumental – Ha Hyun Woo of Guckkasten
23. Sweet Night (InstrumentalV of BTS
25. Say (Instrumental – Yoon Mi Rae
26. Are We Just Friends (Instrumental – Sondia
27. No Words (Instrumental – Crush
28. With Us (Instrumental – VERIVERY
29. Itaewon Class – Kim Joon Suk
30. I Wanted To Be A Policeman – Noh Yoo Rim
31. I Have A 15-Year Plan, Brace Yourself – Goo Bon Choon
32. DanBam Kitchen – Kim Jung Wan
33. IQ 162, City Girl – Kim Hyun Do
34. That’s My Goal – Shim Hee Jin
35. Sociopath – Goo Bon Choon
36. The Story – Noh Yoo Rim
37. I’m Always Grateful – Jung Hye Bin
38. A New Morning – Kim Tae Jin
39. My Bittersweet Night – Park Hye Min
40. Crush – Shim Hee Jin
41. Operation – Kim Joon Suk
42. You Think You Can Act Like A Jock Only Because You’re The Son Of A Billionaire? – Son Sung Rak
43. Tragedy Of Success – Kim Hyun Do
44. The Winner Takes It All – Noh Yoo Rim
45. I Am The Powerful Ruler – Son Sung Rak
46. The Beginning Of Revenge – Shim Hee Jin
47. You Can’t Do This To Me – Goo Bon Choon
48. Unforgettable Past – Kim Hyun Do
49. Don’t Feel Sorry When Eating Pork Or Chicken – Shin Yoo Jin
50. I Will Be Stronger – Kim Joon Suk
51. False Tears – Shin Yoo Jin
52. It’s All For Jangga Co.’s Sake – Goo Bon Choon
53. A Hit-And-Run – Son Sung Rak
54. Defence – Studio Curiosity
55. Impressive Day – Studio Curiosity
56. His Night – Studio Curiosity
57. A Word Of Love – Studio Curiosity
58. You Are Always Shining Too Bright To Me – Studio Curiosity
59. I’m Gonna Crush You All – Studio Curiosity
60. It’s Still Bitter – Studio Curiosity
61. I Don’t Mind That You Don’t Feel The Same Way – Studio Curiosity
62. It’s Funny I’m Feeling This Way At My Age – Studio Curiosity
63. IC, Inc. – Studio Curiosity
64. Truth Game – Studio Curiosity
65. I Look Forward To It, Partner – Studio Curiosity
66. I’ve Changed Quite A Lot – Studio Curiosity
67. I Don’t Have To Convince Others About Who I Am – Studio Curiosity
68. You Have No Idea How Proud I Was – Studio Curiosity
69. All You Need Is One Word – Studio Curiosity
70. How Does The It Taste? – Studio Curiosity
71. Still We Are – Studio Curiosity
72. We Can Do It – Studio Curiosity
73. Fresh Start – Studio Curiosity
74. I Want To Know More About You – Studio Curiosity
75. So Why Can’t The Earth Just Explode So This Can All End? – Studio Curiosity
76. Because I’m Korean – Studio Curiosity
77. An Unreasonable World – Studio Curiosity
78. All Invested In The Jangga – Shin Yoo Jin
79. Tenacity, Bravado – Shim Hee Jin