La faune d'Itaewon (2020)

The typical story of a poor main lead who defies all odds to battle a bad, rich antagonist.

There are a few key differences though:

1. The character of the male main lead - a very morally upright person that "does what he believes in". This may lead to socially indifferent situations, some logically questionable decisions, and also some superbly heroic ones, and while it isn't necessary different from a lot of main chacters in dramas today, the intricacies in his character development, and the way its acted out is superb to say the least.
2. The character of the female main lead - a exceptionally smart and good looking girl who may seem socially cold, her character is not something you would often see, especially in Korean dramas where they would simply be there just for emotional support.

The first half of the drama was exceptional, beautifully directed and shot. The pacing was on point, along with the character development of the team, but then, as with a lot of successful Korean dramas, it got popular, started getting littered with product placement, and the effort, character development, and everything that made it great got lost with it.

TLDR: The writing and key plot points were very clever and well thought out, and I'll be sure to give the webtoon and any of his future works a look. But the lack of execution from direction and production towards the second half of the drama was disappointing to say the least.

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This drama is one of the best dramas I have ever seen. I personally prefer thriller, crime and action drama. Therefore, for romance it should be very good to catch my fancy, and above that it should be an epic to make me write a review praising it. This drama is one of those.
Firstly, acting is superb and either of the male or female leads are specially great and bring forward their persona completely, either in their facial expressions or their dialog they build characters that the viewers can connect with. The male lead is a very talented and known actor that does not need much introduction but what surprised me was the acting of the female lead. It was breathtaking. The personality of the female lead and her acting is so strong that in the most scenes her role feels more important to me than the male lead. Sometimes the acting of an actor or actress is so natural that you feel like they were born to take that role and no one will be able to do better; this was one of those times.
secondly, direction is good and the flow of the story is always appealing.
thirdly, music complements the dialog and events completely. Specially in important scenes music is like a third dialog that helps transfer more emotions and meaning and completes the scene.
As for the rewatch value I would say definitely and without doubt. Actually I believe this drama is gonna be one of the classics in a few years.
The only complaint that I have about the drama is the logic problems in the story. maybe it is a problem with the webtoon and not the drama itself, but never the less it exists. Some events seem too far-fetched to occur in real life which make the story feel like a fantasy and something that is never gonna happen. I'm specially talking about the phase of development for the male lead and his teem. Another matter is that in some specially important scenes, the reaction of the characters to someone or some events are unrealistic and sometimes too strong, it seems that they react in this way just to make story move forward and make something -usually romantic- happen between the characters.

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What can i say about this drama?
For one i absolutely loved it. For me i literally couldn't find a fault in it. This drama is a breath of fresh air. So unlike other dramas. It tackles so many issues of modern day problems. Being racism, and the harsh opinions on those who want to live as a different gender. These components are rarely introduced into Korean dramas. And i especially like how they were involved with this drama. The actors were amazing. Park Seo-Joon did a great job playing his character. He was strong, and caring. Never wanting harm to those he loved. And Kim Da-Mi also did a good job in playing her character so badass and protective over the ML. You could easily tell how much she loved him. These main leads were perfect for the role. The whole cast were amazing. The story line was great to. I found it easy to follow without getting bored at all. And with the music as well. It made it so much better, and with some scenes, was very intense lol. This is definitely a drama i would rewatch. I'm sad that it is over because now i don't know what to watch next. For anyone who is thinking about watching this. Don't hesitate. Watch it. You will not regret it. Its soooooo good! And for those who are wondering if this drama has a happy ending... it doesn't.... Nahhh i'm joking. Best ending ever!

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Itaewon Class Is Fun But Not Special

As far as Kdramas go, Itaewon Class does nothing to distinguish itself from any other Kdrama that relies on tired tropes, sibling and romantic rivalries, and overarching themes of revenge. Still, the characters are likable enough and the performances are pretty solid and manage to maintain a consistent energy throughout. There's even an attempt to address hot-button issues like racism and transphobia but they seem to resolve too easily and in an unsatisfactory way just to score some quick social justice points. And I'm not sure why Chris Lyon's character, Toni, would be the only staff member at Danbam to be required to learn English. But I did enjoy the cinematography, the fashions, and the overall David v. Goliath vibe of the show.

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i really liked so
this show was really so emotional and pure love
it made me feel warm many times

except few things in it like the timing, it wasn't right during the last episodes in many scenes
such as when (ahn bo hyun) was chasing them with his car (park seo joon) was telling the FL about his feelings
far away from being incorrect time for this confession the car took so long to reach them although it was very short distance
and many other flaws like this during the end

it has also a great messages
like..
*under any circumstances you should never abandon your principles
because once you abandon one time the rest will be easier

*and away from whom you love, even if for long years
only situations & supporting can make you continue loving him or not


what bothered me much.. i felt the ML was senseless many times, he even discovered his feelings too late
and i couldn't feel sympathy at all with (ahn bo hyun) the whole drama although he was victim for his father

and (Nara) was a real selfish, coward B***h

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Inspirational Park Saeroyi is worth 16+ hrs of your drama watching time

At first, I was not that into the show, just finished Sweet Home, and here's yet another show where there is nonsense bullying, a corrupt parent enabling their child's evil deeds, turning the child into a mini-version of themself, and the evil cycle continues on. But Park Saeroyi (Park Seo Joon). It's impossible that he will not grow on you. He's just so decent (How to be you?), which is so rare nowadays. Itaewon Class is a great inspirational underdog (revenge) story.

As the world becomes more and more chaotic, it's becoming much harder to be a stickler for the right morals and principles, as people struggle to survive in a 'dog eat dog' world. It's so easy to conform, and take the easy path. Saeyori knows the righteous path is usually the harder path, but he knows no other way.

I appreciate that the writer veered away from the usual 'Candy' heroines, both Soo Ah and Yi Seo (Kim Da Mi) are complex and driven characters, but the romance has to be the weakest part of Itaewon for me. The idea of a Romeo and Juliet type of romance between Soo Ah and Saeroyi felt more drama epic, I wished the writer showed more of Soo Ah's struggles along the way. For Yi Seo, it was hard to understand her very frank ways at first, I'm also not comfortable about the fact that she risked it all for Saeyori. Maybe I'm more forgiving in fantasy dramas than real-life setting lol.

Itaewon has an unforgettable OST that's just perfect for the motivational message of the drama. Good cast, I watched Ahn Bo Hyun in Kairos first, but he's a phenomenal villain here that comes off a little unhinged. All in all, Itaewon is more than a classic revenge story in a modern setting, it also tackles struggles of the youth and life lessons, including timely issues like transgenders, racism, business startup, and that there is no single path to success. Saeroyi is definitely worth 16 hours of your time.

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This series was very interesting! The story of this series was very empowering and motivating! The actors and actresses displayed a lot of powerful emotions and persistence in terms of displaying each roles emotions and actions with passion and care. I was immediately drawn to this series after watching the first episode! After each episode, my interest remained throughout the entire series! I was impressed by Park Seo-Joon and Kim Da Mi’s exceptional deliverance of their roles! Their on screen chemistry was admirable and adorable - waiting out til the last few episodes was a different approach but the long awaited blossom of love til the end was worth the wait! Full of passion, persistence, competence, hard work, determination and exceptional acting! What more could you ask for in K-Drama Series! :)

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This was definitely a fresh drama with a beautiful storyline that almost seems real and surreal at the same time. Inspiring, lively and unbelievable at times, is what I would describe this series. Personally, the first part of the drama was more my style, as it kept me coming back for it. Iteawon Class is a lot about Korean culture, and lets you into the newer emerging culture about business and nightlife in Seoul. A lot of viewers were quite disappointed with the ending, which is totally understandable with the whole shift in dynamics and the main point of the story. However, I dare to disagree, as the characters and the overall aesthetics are what made me fall in love with the drama. On top of that, the side characters got their little own screen time + there was an emphasis on Korean food, which looked amazing. Yes, some character development was disappointing, but it is not something major. Lastly, I found the OST very dreamy and uplifting, and now some songs are on constant repeat.

Although I thought it would not be your typical drama, it did have those cheesy Kdrama moments. I do believe that this drama is worth a watch if you are into vibrant, inspiring slice of life series!

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I think those who are giving this show a low rating were the people who were expecting a romantic comedy. Please you guys should stick to watching crash landing on you . I admit that I only started to root for the main couple during the last three episodes but the main focus is not on the romance. It's about the life struggles of a guy who lost everything and had to fight his way to the top. The side characters are also amazing and I loved how each female character was empowered and had an important role to play.

The show never gets too dark or dreary that it would make it unwatchable , the colorful streets of Itaewon and the glamorous restaurant scene of Seoul just added enough fun to balance out the sad parts. There was no scene which felt unnecessary and this show had my focus from start to end. Considering how important romance is to me in a drama the fact that I managed to enjoy it without the main focus of the show being on the love story shows how amazing this drama is.

This show had some amazing messages and I feel that I have actually learned a lot of things about life from it. The soundtrack featured more rock songs which made it different from the usual cheesy stuff we are used to hearing in kdramas. Park Seojoon outdid himself here and the actor who played the villain did an amazing job. Please do give it a chance.

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I’ve decided to write this review because this is the only way through I can express what I’m feeling right now. This drama was just one of the best k-dramas that I’ve seen in 2020 until now.

Before it was released I was very excited for this drama because of Park Seo Joon and Nara. After this aired, I’ve waited to be complete because I wanted to watch it on Netflix, and after it was complete I’ve read some reviews, which -I must admit- it made me to not feel as excited as I was at the beginning. But I told myself that whatever people say, I will watch it. And I tell you – I don’t regret anything.

Of course, I know that everyone has different tastes, which is very normal, because this is the reason why there are so many genres of dramas. And normally I don’t write reviews, but I don’t know why, this drama had a big impact on me.

I think that one of the best parts was that I didn’t feel when this drama ended. Time flew so fast, I didn’t feel it at all. It all went so smoothly and it was a pleasure to watch it.

Saeroyi was my favorite. Watching him throughout the 16 episodes has made me to reflect about my life. No matter how much hardships he has forced to endure – he was a strong and ambitious character until the end. His story it was just brilliant from the beginning to the end. His perseverance and stubborness were the best things in this drama. Park Seo Joon never disappoints me.

This k-drama is a life lesson, and I’m very grateful that I could learn something from it. I literally loved every actor and character.

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So, I just finished watching this drama and I am really impressed with how Park Seo Joon portrait 'Park Seoroyi". This is definitely a new role that he has never done before and I really loved it. I'm more into a romance-comedy show but this drama really gave me new inspiration to focus on other genres. The moral lesson was really captivating, it gave me the motivation that we shouldn't feel hopeless or say that Life is useless because 'Your life may seem repetitive. But no one really knows what could happen tomorrow. Not a single day was predictable. Some days were tough, and some days were sad. But something fun always came along every once in a while. Every day is full of excitement. Who knows? One day, your boring life might turn into an exciting one."This quote really helped me to think thoroughly about life. This drama is not mostly about romance and more into action, thriller..ish and revenge?? I really love how they made 'Lee Joo Hyung' into a transgender even though she is a female. xD In 'Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo' she's also like a mix of bi...?? And I like how they made her do the same sort of character. I find it funny and pretty cool. I am also shook about how they added a fi=ioreigner in the drama, in Korean dramas, they don't really add ykow foreigners and such... only as a cameo and this hopefully gave the viewers a change that everyone is welcome into the show and there shouldn't be any discrimination against other nations. This drama is mostly about the moral lesson of life, and that we shouldn't do stupid things. We tend to do stuff but we should always think of the consequences that you will get with your action. I am proud that 'Kim Dong Hee' is part of this drama, at first... I couldn't recall where I saw him but I was amused that he's getting there towards his acting career. I first saw him on A-TEEN and that short film was really Inspiring because I am as well in High school. But overall, I loved the cast, the chemistry of the actors and actresses, and I wish to see them more on future dramas. Thank you IC team!!!
People inspired me to watch this drama because I keep seeing it LITERALLY EVERYWHERE and, I am thankful because it changed me and gave me inspiration that no matter what happens in your life, always have hope, faith and TRust and that's what Park Seoroyi did!!!
<3 <3
4:38PM 3/30/20

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