Main Cast
Park Seo Joon /박서준/ 朴敘俊 – Park Sae Royi/ 朴世路/朴全新
Kim Da Mi /김다미/金多美 – Jo Yi Seo/赵以瑞
Kwon Nara/권나라/权娜拉 – Oh Soo Ah/吴秀雅
Yoo Jae Myung/ 刘在明 – Jang Dae Hee/ 张大熙
Ahn Bo Hyun/안보현/安普贤 – Jang Geun Won/张根原
Kim Dong Hee/김동희/金东希 – Jang Geun Soo/张根秀
Ryu Kyung Soo/刘庆秀 – Choi Seung Kwon/崔升权
Lee Joo Young/이주영/李周映 – Ma Hyeon Yi/马贤伊
Chris Lyon – Tony Kim
Ratings for the Show:
Acting: 8
Storyline: 6.5
OST: 7
Overall: 7
Grade: B
“Itaewon Class”, an adaptation from a popular webtoon, is lauded for being “more than just an ordinary revenge drama”, which we can call a “励志复仇记“。It denotes an inspiring story of the underdogs’ uphill climb to success, which takes us on a self-exploration journey to work through the limitless possibilities in life.
The theme fuels motivation to conquer obstacles and striving harder to achieve your dreams. It surfaces ingrained societal problems and also “golden” quotes for us to reflect on.
Some societal issues include discrimination against ex-convicts, foreigners, and transgenders, dealing with Sociopaths (people with Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)), how the rich and influential abuse their authority to get pass the law.
“Itaewon Class” instills in us the art of “letting go” and seeking/granting “forgiveness”.
In the process of forgiving others, you are also granting yourself forgiveness. Letting go is allowing yourself to be free from the invisible chains (negative thoughts, emotions, actions) that have been holding you down so that you can move on. The characters live in bitterness because they weren’t able to let go of the past.
While some parts of the story are overly dramatic and a little draggy, I like how ALL characters are realistically imperfect. There’s a good and dark side in every character, which allows us to look at issues from different perspectives.
There isn’t always a distinctive line between good and evil since people come from all walks of life and everyone is embodied with qualities and flaws.
Many youngsters value personal interests more than moral rights and interpersonal relationships these days. Not many have empathy (同理心) and would be sensitive enough to spare a thought for others.
To quote Seung Joon in “Crash Landing on You”, “Living well is the best revenge”.
“Seeking revenge” doesn’t mean having to degrade yourself or stoop to an unscrupulous level. It can inspire you to dream bigger and strive harder, retain your principles while achieving your goals.
Sae Royi showed us how imperative it is to better your knowledge, experience, learn from repeated failures, press on and work your way through. Working along with like-minded people towards a common goal would make them your best support group.
Please be warned that this is not a romantic comedy or have a love line like “Crash Landing on You”. Love line is the weakest link here, and it may leave you more than being dissatisfied.
Park Sae Royi
This has got to be one of his Park Seo Joon’s most solemn roles, but the emotions that he portrayed in times of grief and exasperation were aptly executed.
Sae Royi is a symbol of the “underdogs’ fight against evil” aka “正义使者“, who has successfully carved a promising future.
Sae Royi is a toughie who did not despair though his world crumbled overnight but worked against all odds and climbed his way up, with the assistance of some like-minded others. He sought justice and revenge in his principled way.
Life has never been really kind to him but he did not give up. With much difficulty, hard work and effort, perseverance, determination, and support from his friends (and some really good luck in getting sponsors) whom he cherished, he rose to the top.
Just like the lyrics in “Diamond”, “Hit me harder, make me strong”, Sae Royi is stubborn and solid like a rock. He doesn’t waver or break no matter how others throw him down.
As compared to Chairman Jang who values personal gains, it is the “people” who are Sae Royi’s first priority. He knew success would never come alone.
Do not be fooled by that chestnut–like hairstyle, he’s not a simpleton and his thoughts run deep. He is in fact very witty and calculates his steps prudently.
I do not see him as being that “righteous”. Just like Yi Seo, Soo Ah and Geun Soo, he would deploy whichever possible method to attain his goals.
With a great opponent comes extreme measures, which explains why he had to resort to certain ways to deal with Jang Ga Group.
How do you defray from being too destructive when your emotions get the better of you?
When you are too bent on revenge, it can be self-destructive. However, he adhered to his strong principles and worked towards a win-win situation where it benefits his shareholders and not undermine his personal aims.
His dream was bigger than merely seeking revenge or opening a small bar-restaurant in Itaewon or the biggest food franchise in South Korea, he already had his eyes set on the global markets.
This quote sums up his definition of “Time”: “Everyone is given the same amount of time, but it is how we use it that defines who we are and how different we are.”
Sae Royi did not waste his time in jail. He knew he was lacking in terms of wealth, status, and knowledge, but he lapped it up with years of “investment”.
Even when he was at the lowest point in his life, he remained helpful to his neighboring shop tenants and protected the people around him.
Jang Geun Won
Ahn Bo Hyun has changed my perspective on villainous characters. Jang Geun Won is a multi-faceted villain, not your usual one-dimensional creep.
It’s a love-hate-pity relationship for the abhorrent yet pitiable Geun Won. I love how Ahn Bo Hyun has injected so much life and given more depth and layers to a villainous role.
In Geun Won, we see many facets of human nature: the good, bad, ugly, dark, selfish, vulnerable, desperate, helpless, disorientated, etc.
Geun Won reminded me of “The Joker”, someone who’s feared and loathed by many, but who was never loved or needed by anyone.
The sneers, sinister laughter, disdained, despised looks in his eyes would irk you and send chills down your spines, while the exasperation, desperation, and sadness in his eyes grips your hearts.
It isn’t just the body language or tone, but the most amazing is how he uses his eyes to accentuate his acting. At times, they would well up with conceit, rage, fear or even devastation and pleas.
Villains are not necessarily witty, scheming, confident or fearless. Geun Won is an accident-prone villain who’s reckless and incompetent.
To a large extent, his warped sense of reality and entitlement stemmed from the twisted ideals and principles of his dad.
He has some psychotic traits and anger management issues as he loves to resort to violence to get his ways.
Geun Won is a bully, but not downright evil. If someone showed more love and concern for him, things could have become very different. You cannot help but sympathize with him for he clearly had chances for redemption.
If you recall the infamous “chicken neck breaking” scene, he couldn’t bring himself to kill that chicken initially. It was insane and felt like a horror flick. I love how Ahn Bo Hyun enacted it so well with the transition of emotions and expressions from fear, anguish to pure berserk.
Ahn Bo Hyun’s acting revealed the inner pain that Geun Won was going through. He was never loved by anyone. There were many instances when we saw fear and longing for his dad’s recognition in his eyes, including the times when he felt lost, guilty and terribly sorry of what he had done and wanted to redeem himself.
The first embrace he ever had from Chairman Jang was the first expression of affection from his father.
It breaks you seeing him tear with much agony, solace and in disbelief.. That’s the brittle side of Geun Won that Ahn Bo Hyun has so delicately brought out to the viewers, to emphathise with his inner child.
The moment he realised the shocking truth, ran all the way back to have an eye-to-eye moment with his dad, he knew his fate was sealed. No words were exchanged, but the way his eyes welled up with resentment, despair, desperation, hurt and finally accepting his fate was an impactful and unforgettable scene.
It was a moment when you felt overflowing sympathy, empathy for him. You gotta applaud at how Ahn Boh Hyun always nailed it with his eye expressions.
He was merely a TOOL and a pawn to a game of chest that his unscrupulous father had set up.
One thing Geun Won needed to do was to man up. We shouldn’t blame others for our mishaps or misfortunes. The deciding factor is always in our hands. He still has yet to master the art of letting go.
Park Seo Joon and Ahn Boh Hyun may have limited scenes together but they ignite explosive camaraderie whenever they do.
One of the most tastefully executed emotional scenes would be the one that Sae Royi was beating Geun Won up at the hospital.
Having to channel explicit emotions with tears, rage, grief, fear and remorse in the man-made rain, requires more than mere acting skills.
We could feel the intense chemistry between one who was engulfed by anger and grief busy throwing punches, while the other weak on his limbs with fear and remorse.
Another intensified scene would be their “reunion” at the Police Station whereby how dark and amoral Geun Won had become, would send chills down your spine.
Ahn Bo Hyun must have been through much hardship to get these scenes perfected, from withstanding the rain and rolling on the floor, being “punched around”, breaking the chicken’s neck, etc. He summoned all his energy physically, emotionally in acting these scenes.
The final fight scene didn’t serve much meaning except to symbolise the final showdown between “good and evil” as a deranged Geun Won and Sae Royi exchanged punches.
Please refer to the link for a more detailed character analysis & 5 Most Memorable scenes, dedicated to Jang Geun Won!
https://www.livevizlife.com/itaewon-class-special-jang-geun-won/
Jang Geun Won received so much hate in the drama, but Ahn Bo Hyun has received much affection as an actor.
This is definitely a milestone and turning point in his acting career. The tall, hunky good-looker from “Descendants of the Sun” days has finally clinched a role that people can put his name to.
Chairman Jang & Jang Geun Soo
You’ve got to applaud the acting chops of veteran actor, Yoo Jae Myun.
Undoubtedly the biggest antagonist in Itaewon Class, Chairman Jang would made you tremble with fear, hate his unscrupulousness, yet feel that he was a pitiful old man towards the ending.
Viewers would detest him but also admire his wits and capability as a shrewd businessman.
“弱肉强食” (the weak are the prey of the stong), is his motto for success (座右铭) that he adhered to all his life. He stayed at the top, leaving no chance for enemies to retaliate for decades, but it is also this motto that led to his fall.
How could someone with such strong family morals (who would not forsake his siblings) ditch his son for personal gains?
It is a disappointment to find this powerful man being so narrow-minded and stirred a tsunami just to make Sae Royi kneel before him.
We can feel the dismay and distaste in Sae Royi’s voice too. How this powerful and capable man turned out to be such a petty wimp.
He treated Geun Soo shabbily as he is an illegitimate child, but the reverse happened when he abandoned Geun Won for a more competent Geun Soo.
The irony is, Chairman Jang preferred a capable but unfeeling Geun Soo, compared to a filial yet less competent Geun Won.
Kim Dong Hee’s portrayal of the “darker” Geun Soo lacked convincing acting chops like his “father” and “brother” though. Geun Soo’s intelligent and capable but he will not cast his future aside as Geun Won did.
We can’t comprehend why he had to expose Hyeon Yi as a transgender in order to win the competition. There are ways to do it, without jeopardising others’ reputation and causing his friend irreparable harm.
While in the department of love, our hearts go to him when he’s being treated like a spare tire, yet willingly waited for Yi Seo to change her mind.
Oh Soo Ah
I love how the female leads take great charge and full responsibility of their lives. They are bold, confident, independent, and capable.
While Soo Ah may seem arrogant and nonchalant about Sae Royi’s pursuit, some may even blame her for leading him on and hurting him by joining Jangga Group, it probably wasn’t the case.
One could debate that if she had chosen not to accept the sponsorship, things would have been different. She might have wanted to find possible ways to help Sae Royi while keeping tabs on Chairman Jang.
Soo Ah is not exactly good at expressing her real feelings, thus she kept her emotional and mental suffering in tabs by putting on an “indifferent” façade.
Soo Ah is an orphan but enjoyed some fatherly love from Sae Royi’s dad. However, she had to do things against her will since Chairman Jang sponsored her studies and gave her a promising job.
She believes in loving herself so that she will not be betrayed by anyone.
She was never genuinely happy, much less having the option to “choose”. She did what she did for the sake of survival.
It was till the moment she exposed Chairman Jang’s wrongdoings when she heaved a sigh of relief “For the first time in my life, I’m choosing what I want to do”.
While she’s torn between her role in Jang Ga Group and her friendship cum love for Sae Royi, we can’t blame her for protecting herself and putting herself first. Everyone has their priorities and way of leading their lives.
She does not open up to others easily and distances herself for fear of getting hurt. She did not reveal her feelings to Sae Royi, who’s utterly slow in catching signals.
Soo Ah’s more passive when it comes to love and does not wish to add on to Sae Royi’s burdens. She is steadfast in love in her little ways.
After all the pain she’s been through, she only wanted for Sae Royi to live happily after he has sought his revenge. His happiness matters more than them not being together.
Well, she had her own happy ending, being a lady boss of a restaurant and recruiting a delectable looking chef (role assumed by Park Bo Gum).
Who knows if Mr Chef might be her Mr. Right?
Jo Yi Seo
The best verse to sum up Yi Seo’s personality is “She’s a survivor, not a forgiver”.
She’s one of the tough cookies in the drama, has the highest IQ, but she lacks severely in the EQ department, especially empathy for others.
“Putting herself in others’ shoes” is never in her dictionary.
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Yi Seo is diagnosed with an antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), which we also call a “sociopath”.
While she may try to get away with her “wrongdoings” in the name of this disorder, her being so arrogant, blunt, lack of empathy and totally nonchalant towards others’ feelings, so long as she gets what she wants, would get you so peeved.
You would try to give her the benefit of the doubt, but when she lacks remorse for doing harm to others, especially how she thinks it is alright to “dispose” of people who are no longer of value (wanting to sack Hyeon Yi for lack of culinary skills initially), or how she can lead Geun Soo on to benefit Dan Bam, you felt like knocking some sense into her.
Only Sae Royi’s feelings matter to her, and he is the only one who can “rein” her in.
It was Sae Royi who taught her that you can gradually acquire the relevant skill sets if you have the correct mindset and put in more effort to upgrade yourself.
She has a lot of growing up to do even at the last episode when she behaved so childishly and snobbishly towards Soo Ah.
Love Line
This is undeniably the most unfulfilling chapter of the drama.
Sae Royi is extremely slow-reacting in the department of “love”. He feels he doesn’t deserve happiness until revenge is served, but his selfishness and indecisiveness has hurt the ladies over the year.
Soo Ah and Yi Seo are poles apart, including their take on love.
Yi Seo is overly aggressive and enthusiastic, determined to win Sae Royi’s heart against all odds, while Soo Ah is more passive and felt that waiting for him to mature and become stronger, is the best form of accompaniment.
Loving someone is not just waiting for him to grow up, but also getting involved in helping him to grow and be successful.
We feel more vibes between Sae Royi and Soo Ah. Perhaps Park Seo Joon’s acting is so convincing from the start that it seems too far-fetched for him to even have a change of heart.
Kwon Nara’s rendition of the subtlety of Soo Ah’s actions and behavior towards Sae Royi proves how cautious Soo Ah is and afraid of getting hurt.
We can tell Yi Seo is so head-on infatuated with Sae Royi like an idol, but it never felt like Love. It’s more like she looks up to him as a life coach or elder brother.
Even the way Sae Royi pats her head, felt more like doting on a little sister.
Sae Royi finally accepting her seemed more like a way of repaying her gratitude for spending so much of her youth in helping him to succeed.
Love is never just about admiration, adoration, or gratitude. It is an infusion of many aspects + that chemistry. It could be due to the script, but they lack on-screen appeal as a couple.
As the saying goes “Never say Never”. Sae Royi’s feelings changed after he realized that it was Yi Seo who was by his side all the way and became an indispensable source of strength and support.
Geun Won and Soo Ah would have made a compatible pair if the fatal accident didn’t occur. She would have made a positive impact on his life.
His love for Soo Ah never changed as compared to Sae Roy who did, but it was never meant to be given the circumstances.
In a way, it was a closure for Geun Won who spent 15 years on an unrequited one-sided love. He had his wish fulfilled in having a meal with Soo Ah for the 1st time in 15 years.
It was a moment of joy, happiness and heartache all in one. If only they were given more fond memories.
Redefinition of Rich Versus Poor
The generic definition of being RICH is wealth accumulated based on assets and monetary sense.
The comparison between the Jangs and Parks enables us to re-look into this definition which has been instilled in societal values as being “successful”.
A family that is filled with love, is wealthier than a family rich in assets.
The difference in their upbringing shapes their diverse personalities. The Parks may not be wealthy but they are full of love and warmth, family means the world to them, while the Jangs do not value and are more results-oriented.
One father pushes him to improve but allows him to make his own decisions, the other ignoring his son’s pleas to stop himself from becoming a monster.
I felt truly sad for Geun Won. 所谓，“虎毒不食子“, which means that a tiger would never devour its cubs, but that’s not what Chairman Jang is.
Though Sae Royi’s dad is no longer with him, he is able to live on positively and overcomes any obstacle in life, because his dad has inculcated in him the faith that “You can overcome anything as long as you are alive”.
Moral/Lessons Learnt
1) Learning to let go is not just an art of forgiving others, but also granting yourself forgiveness.
The characters took years to learn that they need to forgive themselves and others, so that they can move on with their lives eventually.
– Sae Royi who could finally let go of his unhappiness after the Jangs had their just desserts and him achieving his dreams.
– Soo Ah opened a restaurant after quitting her job for exposing Chairman Jang. She learnt to let go of Sae Royi, for it is sufficient as long as Sae Royi is happy.
Those who couldn’t let go like Geun Won, would always revolve in the vicious cycle of hate, resentment and self-wallowing.
2) Everyone is given the same amount of time. It is how we utilise it that defines and distinguishes who we are.
Sae Royi made constructive use of his time in jail to learn more about business management, and took on many jobs to save up money.
He chose to listen to his inner voice, filtering out all naysers. He attested he could become bigger and stronger as time goes by.
3) People who work consistently and conscientiously towards their goals would succeed one day.
Sae Royi went through many trial and errors and learnt from those who could help him, while Hyeon Yi doubled up the effort to master her culinary skills when Yi Seo wanted her fired.
This affirms that as long as you have the heart and determination, you will go the extra mile to get to where you are.
4) Never say Never
–> This applies to Sae Royi’s faith that he will be able to succeed in life.
This is also relevant when it comes to the ever-fleeting mortal feelings. We often thought that with perseverance, we could win the hearts of those we love. However, you realise some things change over time, including our feelings.
5) You do not need anyone’s affirmation to be yourself. Be proud and brave to be the one and only you.
It’s not just Sae Royi who lives life the way he wants it. Hyeon Yi is clear about what she wants and brave enough to face up to her gender orientation as well as going through a sex reassignment surgery.
It takes so much courage to make a life-changing decision. While not everyone may agree with her decision, she admitted that she’s a transgender readily. She did not take the easy way out but faced the situation head-on.
6) Everyone deserves a second chance
Although Sae Royi is an ex-convict, he did not despair, chose to put his abilities to good use and became a successful businessman. In turn, he has influenced Seung Kwon to be a capable assistant too.
7) Giving up without a fight is one of the most detrimental things you can do to yourself.
Luckily for this aspect, our favourite characters forged on till the end. You may meet obstacles, but never give up without putting up a good fight.
8) It’s not selfish to put yourself before others at times. It’s self-love.
While Yi Seo is being considered pragmatic for putting herself first, Soo Ah is deemed as selfish for working for Jang Ga.
It all boils down to your priorities in life and how you choose to live it. Soo Ah knows her priorities and how to protect herself.
9) Love is not about changing someone, but to be with him along every step of the journey.
Soo Ah knows it is impossible to change Sae Royi’s mind. As the saying goes, a woman should not expect to be able to change a man.
She has her way of being his pillar of support and root for him. However, Yi Seo won his heart ultimately since she was with him every step of the journey.
10) No one is perfect. There’s no distinguishable line between black and white.
Everyone has their dark and positive sides. Should Soo Ah not call the police, Sae Royi who was engulfed by hate and vengeance would have committed murder instead and his future would be totally gone. Conversely, no matter how bad Geun Won is, he wouldn’t harm his family or Soo Ah.
11) Never underestimate one’s ability.
Jang Ga did not regard Sae Royi as an opponent but more like a thorn in the flesh initially. He proved how much of a formidable force he could be.
Societal Issues
The prevalent societal issues such as discrimination towards certain minority groups that the drama has put to light, have spurred much discussion.
It all the more shows the importance of a unison resistance against unfairness in this society. These deeply ingrained prejudices have a long-withstanding history. However, with consistent and collective effort, this world can be a better place over time.
Ex-Convicts
Many still view ex-convicts in a derogatory manner, but they deserve a second chance.
It takes much more determination and effort to assimilate them back to the society. Ex-convicts would often find themselves holding odd jobs as most employers would not hire them as permanent employees.
Sae Royi had to take on many manual jobs to earn a living while Seung Kwon returned to the triad world, till Sae Royi took him in.
This drama is undeniably very motivational for many underdogs. It is heartening to see that there are many organisations which are engaged in accepting ex-offenders and re-integrating them into society.
One example is the “Yellow Ribbon Project” in Singapore which seeks to engage the bigger community in accepting ex-offenders and their families so that they can have a 2nd go in life. Some of the restaurant chains participating in this include Eighteen Chefs and Nando’s.
Who knows if there may be another “Park Sae Royi” in the making?
Foreigners
Race and colour has always been a prominent discrimination issue worldwide.
As the drama has highlighted, the South Korean society is more conservative and not so receptive towards foreigners.
Even for Tony Kim who is half South Korean and can speak the language, most would expect him to be able to converse with foreigners in English when he was not well-versed with the language.
It is difficult for him to land a job elsewhere. Nonetheless, Sae Royi’s open-mindedness gave him an opportunity to learn on the job.
Many companies worldwide are promoting diversity and incorporating more foreigners into their global workforce to get better integration of ideas. You get more diverse ideas when you embrace differences.
Transgenders
We have witnessed the public shaming that Hyeon Yi experienced when people discovered she is a transgender.
Regardless of her gender identity, her culinary skills were among the best in the industry.
Does it matter if the one whipping up your sumptuous meal in the kitchen is a grandpa, granny, young lady or man, gay or even transgender?
We patronise eateries for their food, ambience, and service. Seldom do we get to see the face of the chef who whipped up the dishes. It is the taste of the food that matters.
Many big cosmetic brands engage transgenders to be their beauty consultants or makeup artists too.
The world needs a little more love and less prejudice.
The rich and Influential Sets the Law
We have frequently heard Geun Won declare that “Jang Geun Won is the law!”
The unfair treatment towards the poor and less affluent versus special treatment to those who are rich and influential is apparent. It’s a societal issue that has been embedded since the beginning of time.
You can make people bow down to you with wealth and status, but you can never earn their respect.
Favourite Quotes
Ep 1: If one is too rigid, it will be tough and tiring to assimilate into the society.
Ep 3: “One more time, just one last time”. If you compromise this one time, this cycle will just keep repeating itself. In time, you will change.
–> Do not compromise or yield to bullies. There are certain principles that we need to uphold in life.
Ep 4: Seung Kwon: Time doesn’t stop for anyone. It is how you seize the time that you have that makes you different.
Ep 6: The magnitude of a person’s dream will determine how far a person can go.
Ep 7: It is the most important to strike before your opponents during wartime. The best strategy is to plot ahead.
EP 7: My definition of being powerful comes straight from the heart. People’s trust in me will make me stronger.
Ep 8: Nobody is able to change Sae Royi for he is formidable. Be on his side, don’t ever try to change him, but try to accompany him along his journey. I am unable to understand him, thus I am on his opposing side.
Ep 9: Itaewon Class signifies freedom. Itaewon is a place filled with many cultures and a place free from oppression.
Ep 10: Kang Min Jung: Everyone makes mistakes, but only the courageous ones know how to assume responsibility.
Ep12: There’s no need to run or hide when you did no wrong. It is unnecessary to gain others’ approval. You are the most courageous person I have ever known. No matter what they say, you are the bravest and most beautiful woman.
–> This is what we all ladies need to tell ourselves.
While Itaewon Class may have lost its grip towards the last few episodes, especially how bizarre and incomprehensible things have turned out, there are many beneficial life lessons that we can learn from.
While the cast and crew are unable to enjoy a reward vacation due to the Covid19 virus, they are awarded with experiences, love and memories that would last a lifetime.
The tremendous amount of effort put into assimilating their respective roles have created much publicity and received much love from viewers worldwide.
Thank you Itaewon Class, it has been a self-learning journey for me too.
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