La faune d'Itaewon (2020)

Amazing show.

Just finished the show. In general I’m not a fan of kdramas, but I felt that Itaewon Class was completely different. The revenge plot and romance sub plot were great, but the best part was that all the characters were flawed, which made the show much more realistic and enjoyable. Plus the acting. Wow. Park seo joon as always put on a great performance, but I was extremely surprised at Kim da mi. I never heard of her before this drama, but she did a fantastic job at playing the character of yi seo very closely to the source material. Will definitely check out her future works as well (wouldn’t mind another park seo joon/Kim da mi drama in the future-their chemistry was off the charts). Maybe the acting also covered for a few weak plot points in the show lol. Overall I am very impressed with Itaewon Class, only drama that lived up to the hype for me this year. Well Deserved 10/10.

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Probably my favourite drama

Itaewon Class is... well, insane. It will take you on an emotional rollercoaster and have you bawling your eyes out and cheering within the space of 5 minutes. When I watch dramas, I don't really detect good or bad acting, so I can't really say anything about that, however, the actors make you hate their characters and love them.

I really struggle with giving low ratings to shows, but this show really deserves all of the stars I gave it. Itaewon class is not a cheery show. It has it's cheery bits, but things *do* go wrong, but it makes you cheer all that much harder when something good happens.

All in all. Watch. Itaewon. Class. You won't regret it.

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One of Park Seo Joon's best performances. And Kim Da Mi, never disappoints.

Jo Yi Seo was such a complex character that stole the show whenever she was on screen. It was honestly hard to look at anyone else with the kind of energy she brought to the table. There are things that I didn't like about her character, like her first instinct is to always look out for herself and who she values in a way that may harm others. She doesn't care about collateral damage at all. Initially, she is always intolerant of other beliefs and preferences (relatable for all I'm sure), saying cruel things to anyone who doesn't fit the mold. Which is quite surprising, since she is someone who doesn't fit it at all.
What I do like is, she does apologize and her apologies always appear sincere, even though they might be due to the scolding she has received from the ML. But what can you do, when your mother doesn't care about such things and just cheers you on no matter what you do. Even with her sociopathic tendencies, she had a little heart and she needed someone to guide her. While that be one excuse we can use to defend the character, its just that. Her character was fun to watch and kept things interesting.

Out of all the Park Seo Joon's Drama, this happens to be the one that I'm impressed the most with. It is easy to act all goofy, but the emotions he brought to his characters were simply great. His character was also pretty solid and someone who stuck to his beliefs no matter what. Surprisingly, he was one of the characters that was more open to change as well. What he didn't knew, he learned and wasn't ashamed of learning from someone younger that him.

The Romance:
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There were times when it seemed like it would be natural for Park Sae Roy and Oh Soo Ah to end up together, especially with the way he noticed only her even when Yi Seo was in the room and his stubborn insistence that the he liked Soo Ah, despite anything.

But being with Oh Soo Ah wouldn't have helped him achieve the success & revenge that he was so thirsty for. Without Yi Seo, he probably would have had a very hard time and might have taken additional years to achieve those goals. What Oh Soo Ah achieved through her years of patience is just as important. She was just as lonely as Sae Roy, so in a way, it seemed a bit sad that they didn't end up together. Rather than both of them spending their time apart and alone, they could have worked together, helped each other grow but they each made a choice that separated their paths, ultimately leading to different destinations.

Coming to Yi Seo, she was kind of saint when it came to the romantic aspect. She fell first and everything she did was for Sae Roy (Of course that doesn't negate the satisfactions she received from helping him achieve things no one else could). That is my problem with her romance arc. She was one that was more in love with him. It took him so many years to actually realize what he felt for her. While Yi Seo has sociopathic tendencies, she is not a full on sociopath. She has the capability of understanding & empathizing when taught. So, she must have felt the rejection time and again, especially when he chose to go to Soo Ah. Her pursuit of him was sometimes fun to watch and others just sad. The level of patience she showed for someone so young was commendable. But initially, her feelings were somewhat of a burden to Sae Roy. We did see him reject her, but from his face it was so easy to see he was conflicted and confused whenever she expressed her feelings.
Sae Roy needed to much prodding to come to his senses about his feelings for Yi Seo. Had there been a SML wo could have swayed Yi Seo a little, it could have been much more fun to watch. While Jang Geun Soo tried, he just was an adorable character that seemed a little too young for Yi Seo. Yi Seo was simply someone too old for her age. It was only before she was kidnapped when he was on a date with Sooh Ah that we were finally able to have a clear idea of his feelings for her. Even then, it took a kidnapping.

The worst part about this drama is the the final time skip to 4 years later. They just missed showing us the gradual growth not only regarding the romance but also the development of their brand (IC). It was such a missed opportunity. Even thought they had limited episodes to put that all in, they could have shown us bits and pieces of how things unfolded in those 4 years.

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Worst haircut of 2020

When I started watching Itaewon Class I didn't care for it. Not even one single bit. That's why me and my best friend with whom I was watching it gave up on it after only seeing three episodes. It's been almost a year since I stsrted this and only now was I finally in the mood to pick this up again. Surprisingly, I didn't dislike Itaewon Class as much when I started watching it. It's definitely not as bad as 2020 Emma thought it was. It's, however, not the masterpiece other people say it is. It's actually a pretty decent, entertaining, and thought provoking show but it is nowhere near as good as other kdramas I've seen (which is of course a matter of personal taste).

I definitely think that Park Saeroyi was the heart of this show. He is what made me like Itaewon Class. I honestly saw so much of myself in him, but with a better haircut. He truly wins the award of most relatable fictional character of 2021 for me. He and I are both people of principles, which isn't something people always understand. Not only did I think Park Saeroyi was a breath of fresh air, he also made me feel less lonely. A lot of times people didn't understand why I stubbornly stuck to my principles while I could have chosen an easier route. I, therefore, felt seen by the portrayal of Park Saeroyi. Besides, my heart fucking ached for him too. I truly wanted to wrap him in one huge bear hug because man did he suffer.

I also lowkey shipped Hyunyi with Seung Kwon. I thought the actors had great chemistry together and I liked how the show ended with them going on a date. That somehow felt like a full circle moment. Besides, I may be the only person on the plan who thought this but I actually thought Hyunyi was even prettier with her blue hair.

It's pretty funny how this show went from 5 stars to 8 stars to 9 stars. If I'm being honest I cried whole damn rivers when Park Saeroyi told Hyunyi she could walk away even though she didn't do anything wrong and also that she didn't have to prove to anyone who she is. That moment alone is worth 9 gold stars, right there. I mean how can you not sob because of that? As a queer person I just love this message and I simply applaud the show creators for doing this because you have no idea how many transgender people still need to hear this. I also thank them for letting Hyunyi win the contest because we need more happy queer stories.

I'm not really sure how I feel about the budding relationship between Saeroyi and Yi Seo. In the beginning I wasn't feeling them at all but slowly I started to think they might be really cute together. This was however ruined by the jump in time. I felt like that the show was finally establishing and hinting at a future romance between the main leads to suddenly talk about 4 fucking years later where they still aren't together. This Jump in time really ruined any set up the kdrama had for these two leads as a romantic pairing. I'm really upset by this. Their romance could have been so great if it wasn't for the fucking fast forward in time.

Furthermore, to state it simply: I OVERALL FUCKING HATED THE FOUR YEAR TIME SKIP. WHY... DO... KDRAMAS... KEEP... DOING... THE... TIME... JUMPS??? SERIOUSLY WAEEEE? *Insert Yeonjun from TXT going like WAE WAE WAE AWEA AWAEEEE*

Oh wait... it now went from 9 stars back to fucking 8 stars again because I'm salty as hell and fucking hate fast forwards in time. I've realised that jump in times are my most hated, loathed, disliked tropes EVER. I believe I've only liked it twice out of the bazillion times I've seen it happen (one of them was CLOY which is just overall a masterpiece and the other was weightlifting fairy).

Also, Lee David my man you truly deserve different roles. Like both in Law School and Itaewon Class you were out for revenge and helped the main characters in their quests for revenge. I mean you nailed both roles but I would like to see you portraying a different kind of character.

And don't even get me started on every characters' growth. Each one of them grew so much as a person, which I absolutely loved, but Yi Seo's personal growth was definitely the cherry on top of the cake.

Puppy Jangga Co. son was so much better as a pushover like Jo Yi Seo said. He truly became the definition of a shitty, heartless person. He truly went from adorable uwu to omg you should burn in hell person in such a short amount of time. I really wanted to see his and his family's downfall. So when that actually happened I felt like a little kid receiving s lollypop because damn those people 100% deserved to be ruined. They are the core example of why I never want to go into business and fucking hate capitalism. I truly love how vicious Saeroyi's revenge was.

Okay... in the end geun soo wasn't as bad as his father and brother. I will also never ever get iver how Yi Seo was like on three we fight and then fucking left Geun Soo. That's gold star quality right there. The same goes for the just die line.

However, what surprised me the most is that I actually didn't hate Soo Ah. I thought she was a pretty fascinating character, even though she needed to grow a freaking spine/backbone. In the end, she did grow one and became a whistle-blower. I'm honestly impressed by her now.

Jo Yi Seo was so much more prettier with the short dip dyed hair than with her boring basic black long hair. However, nothing beats Park Saeroyi's haircut. That's still the worst haircut ever.

The park bo gum cameo though, that was CUUUUUUTEE. I love how they both had cameos in each others kdramas last year, which is just the CUTEST thing ever.

Lastly, Kim Toni is the most underrated, underappreciated character ever since his smile could light up a whole freaking room. I hope I will see him in another drama soon.

Truly at last, the Taehyungie OST song had me in tears.

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Must watch

OMG, "Itaewon Class" is such an amazing drama! I loved how it had a really unique and captivating storyline that kept me hooked from start to finish. The lead actor, Park Seo-joon, was absolutely fantastic in his role as Park Sae-Roy and I couldn't help but root for him throughout the entire series.

The drama had such a great mix of romance, action, and drama, and it tackled some really important themes like social justice and discrimination. The supporting cast was also amazing, and I really enjoyed seeing how all of the characters' stories intertwined and developed over time.

Must watch!

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He’s not just a mediocre man, I will turn him into something amazing - Jo Yi Seo

নতুন স্কুলে বদলি হওয়ার প্রথম দিনই দূর্বল এক স্টুডেন্ট এর উপর অন্য আরেক স্টুডেন্ট এর অত্যাচার মেনে নিতে না পেরে তাকে আঘাত করে বসে কঠোর নীতিবান ছেলে Park Sae Ro Yi. সেই আঘাত এর প্রতিশোধ নিতে হাজির হয় সেই ছেলের বাবা Jang Dae Hee, যে কিনা কোরিয়ার সবচেয়ে বড় ফুড কর্পোরেশন Jangga এর মালিক। চেয়ারম্যান Jang Dae Hee, সে-রোয়ি কে হাঁটু গেড়ে বসে ক্ষমা চাইতে বলে তার কাছে, না হলে তাকে স্কুল থেকে বহিষ্কার করা হবে। নীতির সাথে কখনো আপোষ না করা ছেলেটা কোনো ভাবেই রাজি হয় না বিনা কারণে ক্ষমা চাইতে। যার দরুন চাকরি হারাতে হয় তার বাবাকে এবং স্কুল থেকে বহিষ্কার হয় সে।
কোনোরকম আশাহত না হয়ে বাবা ছেলে সিদ্ধান্ত নেয় ছোট্ট একটি রেস্টুরেন্ট খোলার। সবকিছু ওলোট পালোট হয়ে যায় যখন সে-রোয়ির বাবা হুট করে একটা এক্সিডেন্ট এ মারা যায়। এবং জানা যায় এরজন্য সেই চেয়ারম্যান Jang dae Hee এর ছেলে দায়ী।রাগে, দুঃখে, হতাশায় সেই ছেলে কে মারতে গেলে পুলিশ তাকে Attempt To murder এর কেসে জড়িয়ে ফেলে এবং ৩ বছরের জন্য শাস্তি হয় তার।
এপিজে আব্দুল কালাম এর একটা কথা আছে "স্বপ্ন সেটা নয় যেটা তুমি ঘুমিয়ে দেখো,স্বপ্ন সেটাই যেটা তোমাকে ঘুমাতে দেয় না।" এই ড্রামার জন্য,বিশেষ করে সে-রোয়ির কাছে স্বপ্ন তাই ছিলো যা তাকে ঘুমাতে দেয় নি। মানুষ চাইলে কি না পারে! দরকার শুধু ইচ্ছাশক্তির। ইচ্ছা আর স্বপ্ন থাকলে কোনো কিছুই যে অসম্ভব না তার জ্বলন্ত প্রমাণ Park Sae Ro Yi এর চরিত্র। যতই বাঁধা আসুক সামনে, সব কিছু উপেক্ষা করে এগিয়ে যেতে এটাই এই ড্রামার মূল বক্তব্য।

চরিত্র বিশ্লেষণ:
Park Sae Ro Yi: বাঁটিছাট চুলের অসম্ভব নীতিবান ছেলেটা এমনিতে খুব চুপচাপ ইন্ট্রোভার্ট হলেও স্বপ্ন দেখায় বিশ্বাসী সে।দূরদৃষ্টি, বিচক্ষণতা, পরোপকারীতা তার চরিত্রের অন্যতম ভালো গুণ।
আমার কাছে সম্ভবত পার্ক সে জুনের সবচেয়ে ভালো একটা ড্রামা এখন পর্যন্ত। তেমন কোনো গ্ল্যামারাস লুকে না এসেও কিভাবে শুধু এক্সপ্রেশন আর অভিনয় দিয়ে তাক লাগিয়ে দেয়া যায় তার সবচেয়ে বড় উদাহরণ হয়ত এইড্রামা টা!
Jo Yi Seo: এই চরিত্র টা একদম ই অন্য রকম। কম বয়সী, তুখোড় বুদ্ধিমতী, সোশ্যাল মিডিয়া স্টার আর একি সাথে রুড, স্যাভেজ। প্রথম দেখায় বয়সে এত বড় একজন কে পছন্দ করে ফেলা আর তারপর তার সাথেই থাকার সিদ্ধান্ত নেয়া আপাতদৃষ্টিতে হাসির বিষয় হলেও সে কিন্তু সফল হয়ে দেখিয়েছে।

এই ড্রামায় আমার সবচেয়ে পছন্দের একটা ডায়লগ হচ্ছে Yi seo যখন বলে- I Have To Be Someone Who He Needs. মানে সত্যিই তো! আমরা কেনো সবসময়ই ভাবি যে আমার জন্য সে-ই সব কিছু করবে। সে-ই আমার স্বপ্ন পূরণ করবে। অথচ এমন স্বার্থপরের মতো চিন্তা না করে এমন টা হয় না যে আমি সেরকম একজন হবো যখন তার প্রয়োজনে সে আমাকে পাবে, দুজনে মিলে দুজনের স্বপ্ন পূরণ করবো, তার স্বপ্ন আমারও স্বপ্ন হবে। আমার কাছে মনে হয়, যখন একটা সম্পর্কে এই মনোভাব থাকে সেই সম্পর্ক পরিণতি পেতে বাধ্য!
এই ড্রামার বেশির ভাগ OST সুন্দর। Gaho এর Start Over টা শুনলেই মনে হতো- হ্যাঁ হয়তো আসলেই সব নতুন করে আবার শুরু করা যায়। পুরোনো সব ভুলে নতুন ভাবে একটা দিন সাজানো যায়।

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Itaewon Class had a very promising start it already got me crying at the first episode. I thought the story was brilliant but unfortunately was not executed so well. What I hated the most was the unrealistic time skips, It was totally OVERUSED and I also hated the romance, this drama did not need a romance to it. Personally I preferred So ah's story more than Yi seo just because I think So ah and Park Sae royi’s relationship goes on a deeper level. For Yi seo her liking him started way too early and all the good she did was literally only in favor of Park Sae royi. If you hate So Ah then you simply don't understand her character, I wish the writer could have reviewed her intentions earlier. The revenge plot was interesting at first although it seemed impossible to destroy Jangga, I was definitely still eager to see how he would go about it but then it started dragging and it became a tiring watch.

The irony is that he did not end up destroying the company but did the latter. I don't know how to feel about that. Kim To ni's story was just so messy like what in the world, next time I see an African in kdrama it should be of a decent role. There was literally little to no character development, the leads had as little chemistry as a mustard seed. I hated how they tried to shove their romance down our throat towards the end. The best thing about this drama is the ost its so good, I still play it. This drama is very different from usual kdramas, it pointed out all the negatives about Korea. Overall it was not too much of a bad watch, if you are gonna watch, watch for Park Seo Joon because he literally carried the show and to me this is his best work (acting wise).

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IC

producing a business story drama is challenging, because professionals who will watch this series will compare it in real life even if they don't realized it.

Story: not a typical series, and it covers the other side of the food business, sure food business will require taste like the series GOURMET but IC tackles more on the side outside of the customer peripheral view and that is the decision making that a food business take (could be personal or could be purely related to emotions)

Acting: First drama series could not even imagine other actress taking the role of the pub manager,

Music: excellent soundtrack

Rewatch: series could help inspire people who are in the food business

Overall: watch it, rewatch it and watch it again, hahahha If you are into series which focus on business, this series should be on your list,

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I had conflicted feelings. I like and hate it at the same time.

It’s crazy how people ship Sae Ro Yi with Oh Soo Ah.I understand that it was his childhood crush and that he liked her for 10 years (just because of some high school memories, made absolutly no sense to me), but there’s a reason for why nothing happened in 10 years. If they really liked each other they would’ve made it happened. First of all, accepting the job at the company was a huge betrayal, and working for someone who made Sae Ro Yi’s life a living hell is disgusting, even though she admitted that it hurt her. She had good grades, opportunities but she chose the easy way out. I found it weird that she rarely visited Sae Ro when he was in prison and that they didn’t keep in touch with each other for 7 years, She could’ve helped him save money for the pub and contributed and supported to help him achieve his dream. But she did nothing. Only watched, never gave anything and accepted things from him. She had a lot of power and could’ve made Geun won confess and THE WORST PART she should’ve submitted the evidence she collected from the beginning instead of waiting 10 years. She was just selfish and cowardly and did not deserve to be with the male lead. She was like “Poor me, save me” I hate character that only complain, and do not take matter into their own hands.

Let’s talk about Jo Yi Seo. I didn’t like how she was obsessed and selfish with him, and every choice and action were for Sae Ro Yi. For example: She started to do business for him and gave up on college, took advantage of Geun Soo, worked for only him. Where are her personal dreams? It was too much. She was too depended on him and rarely had a life on her own. I hated how she kept pushing her love for him when he told her not to. She had been forcing her love on him for years. It was weird, annoying, and childishly whiny. She didn’t respect his choice, and got mad at him when he was with Jo Yi So. She has no right to make him feel bad. Its more than enough to confess your feeling once, and then you must keep it for yourself since it’s your problem. You don’t have to flirt with him. tell him that you love him and make it awkward when he just wants to be friends. This tells me that she has no respect. Her “I don’t take a no for an answer” mentality was bad. I liked how brave, independent, and smart she was. But her IDGF attitude was rude, and nothing can justify that she had no compassion and only cared about herself (except for Jo Yi Seo) , (the only reason why she « changed » with the others is because Saeroyi told her to change)
But a good person isn’t only good to a specific number of people, but to people around them without an ulterior motive. She was a bad friend to Geun Soo from the beginning, I felt bad for him.

From the very beginning, I knew Sae Ro Yi was going to end up with Jo Yi Seo. Not because she is the first female lead, but because of the depth in their conversations, how they support each other and how he looked at her. The show had many great moments between these two, but when she got that voice recording for him, i can’t describe the feeling. The other girl Soo-ah never tried. Never did anything for him and he wasted time liking her.
I also liked the scene where Seo Ro Yi opened the safe and went through what Yi Seo wrote and realised his feeling for her. It was emotional and cute that he realized that she been there all along, how he wouldn’t be where he is today without her and how much she helped him. But I wish their romance was a slower process and that Ro Yi` sudden focus on romance was slower too. And that Yi Seo developed herself more before their relationship started. For starters I wish she realized that forcing your love on someone isn’t going to make them yours, and that you should respect when people don’t reciprocal your feelings.

Other things that bothered me: the transgender was female, I was really confused since I thought she was a female from the beginning. Levi and the grandma’s story were unrealistic. What’s the chance for them to have a connection? And her living in the neighbourhood and at the same time be filthy rich. Weird, just weird. I also felt like the other characters didn’t contribute much to the business and that it wouldn’t make a huge difference without them.

I hated how the CEO got sick in the end and was going to die. It was a cliché twist to move the plot forward. I really wanted him to suffer, he doesn’t deserve to die after 6 months. I wasn’t a huge fan of the kidnapping; the villains were lame, and the issue could’ve been resolved if they called the police from the start. Sae Ro Yi lost every sense and jumped at it without a plan or a weapon. And when they ran from the gangsters, he suddenly confessed to DaMi. That was so stupid and made no sense. Not romantic since i couldn’t enjoy the scene, i was focused on the gangsters. Poor writing. It was like they tried to squeeze everything in one scene. Another example of poor writing was how he had a long conversation with the chairman when she was captured? I was like, hurry the fuck up. It’s not like you have all the time in the world. But I liked that he kneeled at the end. He finally understood that revenge and pride isn’t everything. He regretted devoting and wasting his life to follow the footsteps of someone who wasn’t worth it. It was a powerful scene. He was the one who kneeled, yet he held all the power. He was composed and crushed the CEO with his words. Even though you don’t agree with me about the character development. It still wasn’t out of character because a life was at stake and that can’t get compared to the beginning when it was only education and a job.

This drama is so charming because the protagonists do not come from some filthy rich background. Instead they work their butts off for success despite the obstacles. (Not to mention it questions what is “success”) It also shows that success is made with the trust among people. I found myself cringing when the drama forced itself to be unique/original and the whole Itaewon, foreigners’ concept was a bit cringey. But it was a fun watch with interesting/different character (Some needed more development, since I felt like they were statues) It was predictable at times, repetitive and boring. Especially the last episodes, they felt out of place. The OST fit the scenes, and I really liked the piano melody/music. There were some scenes that made me squeal of joy, and some scenes that me emotional. The feels hit me hard. I felt anger towards the people who made his life a living hell. I really loved Sa Ro Yi and he felt like a real human being. His traits, habits and reactions felt real. I hope he’s happy and finds true happiness. (I know he isn’t real)

Overall, I enjoyed following the journey of the main character and I was excited for the next episode. I watched the whole thing without regret and that itself is a good thing.

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Park Seo Joon is Awesome

This was a really good series for the most part. I enjoyed the diverse cast and atmosphere. I was glad to see a character like Kim Toni and Hyun Yi.

I watched b/c of Park Seo Joon and I was not disappointed. His face emotes so well. I felt all of the pain of his character Saeroyi. I understood his single minded focus once he made up his mind to get revenge. Loved when he finally realized that living to hate someone is not living at all and only existing.

I really loved the cast and everyone played their roles well. I love the actor that plays Chairman Jang. Such a ruthless and manipulitive guy. Leading by fear and power. Very different from other roles he's been in that I've seen. He was in Hwarang and he was one of my favorite people. Here he was the worst. Rasing his oldest son, Geun Won to be that way never teaching him right from wrong and pitting him against his younger brother, Geon soo... WOW!!! Geun Won never accepted responsibilities for his actions.

I really liked the actor playing Seung Kwon too. See what a little faith can do for someone.

I really didn't like either FL and didn't want either to be with Saeroyi but it is what it is.

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Revenge is sweet

Likes:
1. Park Saeroyi's dad must have been one amazing man to be able to make a huge impact to SRY and Soo ah.
2. PSRY finally realizing what life is all about and smiling (i missed those eye wrinkles)
3. Danbam reaching the top after a lot of hard work
4 i disliked Soo ah for the most part of the show and she proved me wrong and redeeemed herself in the end. She totally deserves Park Bogum in her life.
5. Love that this show wasnt the typical kdrama and tackled a lot of social issues even though eps 13-15 felt like a different drama with the sickness, kidnapping, and gangster showdown.
6. Yiseo getting her man and still being a badass
7. Park Seo Jun can start growing back his hair!

Dislikes:
1. Chairman Jang and Jangga. I could never understand why everyone thinks he is so great when all i see is a pathetic and petty old guy trying to prove to the world that he is still powerful and relevant. I loved the ending when PSJ finally realized that he wasted a lot of years over nothing. I felt the same way and i could have told him that 5 episodes ago. Lol.
2. So what happened to Geun Won? I guess it doesnt matter now. I was still hoping he would change and be a better person but he was so far gone.

Rating: 8.5/10

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