I, a Gangster, Became a High Schooler (2024)

I haven’t cried that hard in a while…

as the title suggests, I haven’t cried that hard watching a drama in a while (probably when i watched Weak Hero Class for the first time). The drama was phenomenal. The story was a good concept, there werent any holes in my opinion, and it felt like the perfect pace (not too rushed, not too slow). the acting was also *chef’s kiss.* the character arcs are also amazing. the themes of overcoming obstacles, facing challenges with friends, fighting for justice, and overall friendship/brotherhood were present. If you enjoy Weak Hero Class, you’ll probably love this too- I certainly did.
Also, the band LUCY contributed to the OST, so it was great to hear their song come on since ive been a fan of their’s for a while.
Overall, this drama is definitely worth your time, and remember to bring some tissues.

Lire davantage

Reseña sencilla

Que gran serie, la disfrute de principio a fin, incluso me hizo llorar y la vd yo no esperaba llorar con esta serie, la trama es genial el como Kim Deuk Pal se tiene que adaptar a que ahora el es Yi Heon y tiene que retomar sus estudios, hacer amigos etc y enfrentar los problemas que tenia Yi Heon en el momento, se que es una adaptación del manwha pero dudo mucho leerlo so me voy a quedar con lo que esta serie me ofreció "SPOILERS" siento que la serie te deja con un final agridulce pq si bien te encariñas mucho con Deuk Pal conforme te muestran como era la vida de Yi Heon antes del cambio de cuerpos tmb lo haces con el, en lo personal yo si quería que Deuk Pal se quedara (que justo fue lo que paso) pero se que existe gente que no quería esto, ame al grupito de las 3 amigas que suelen aparecer recurrentemente y tmb ame a Jae Min que si bien no empieza de la mejor manera creo que sus acciones hablar por el mismo y uno ya no tiene pq defenderlo, solito se gano el perdón, y yo una vez que tuve su contexto si sentí penita por el como que quería darle una abrazo y cuidarlo para siempre, ahora tmb hablemos de Choi Se Kyung que su trasfondo esta bn turbio y todo por culpa del papa, tipo si hacemos una lista de papas mas culeros ese wey va en los 1ros tops, tmb Choi Se Kyung se merece lo mas bonito después de haber sufrido tanto que yo la vd quedaba en shock con las escenas de su infancia, los personajes de Kim Dong Soo y Han Jong Chul son joya lit le agregan mucho a la serie, me hubiera gustado ver un poco mas en general de todo, por decir que paso con Hong Jae Min, la mama de Yi Heon pudo retomar otra vez su vida, Kim Dong Soo y Han Jong Chul que paso después de que se despidieran, alguien mas a parte de Choi Se Kyung sabe que Deuk Pal se quedo con el cuerpo de Yi Heon etc son muchas cosas ojala una 2da temporada pero lo dudo demasiado por las polémicas que tuvo esta serie, 1ra que esta serie en el manwha es un BL y según la producción menciono que el género BL no garantiza el éxito de la serie y la producción podría fracasar (algo asi como que el BL no vende) y como si eso no fuera lo bastante malo (pq todos sabemos que el BL si vende) la 2da polémica es que no se ha pagado a los actores incluso cuando la serie ya se termino de estrenar, so son muchas cosas y aunque me hubiera gustado ver mas lo mas seguro es que esto sea todo, de todas formas la disfrute mucho y en un futuro estoy seguro que la voy a volver a ver:)

Lire davantage

Excellent drama that accomplishes what it set out to do

I am blown away by this drama. I give the most props to the young actor, Yoon Chan Young, who plays a VERY convincing middle aged gangster in a high schooler's body.

The drama do touch on sensitive topics, such as extreme bullying, suicide, domestic violence, and some drugs/alcoholism. While these topics are the main plot points, the focus is more on the characters, action to resolve issues, and some comedy. There is a good pace for progression, so I never felt bored. Even the side characters are entertaining to watch.

I had no idea it was from a BL story, and I didn't feel more than bromance/besties from the 2 MLs. Sometimes it felt like our ML can be a father/adult figure to the kids around him, which makes sense for this story.

Would highly reccomend!!

Lire davantage

Nice and easy watch...no stress!

What a nice surprise! I got hooked from the first episodes and was rooting for Yi Heon as he tried his best to put things right. It was refreshing to see someone teaching others the right way of life, and he was spreading his wisdom. I loved his friendship with Se Kyung and the positive influence he had on him. It is nice to have a friend you can rely on and who wants only the best for you. I liked the storyline, and the ending was satisfying for me as everyone was punished (that does not happen very often), and he could fulfill his dream of becoming a student.

It was a really nice easy watch, especially as it was refreshing to see the story in reverse, as we saw the worst happen at the beginning and after that things got better and better. No stress.

Lire davantage

When the bullied becomes a bully

Everyone like a revenge series or may be its just me and this is why I really enjoyed this comedy drama fantasy series. This series contains all the elements that I like; comedy, mystery, fantasy, bromance, friendship and an assortment of actors that can do justice to their characters. This series in retrospect is about the life of students constantly under pressure to excel, where losers are looked down upon and harassed.

The story as the name suggests, is about a gangster whose soul enters a down-on-his-luck, bullied and suicidal student. Making peace with the fact that he has practically dies, he sets out on a journey to improve t he life of the student before his inevitable return of his soul. What follows is a series of events, where our kind-hearted gangster learns more about the life of the student whose body he inhabits, tries to right the wrongs that he has faced all the while helping other people he judges going astray.

The beauty of the series lies in its simplicity and the mystery that hides behind the main characters. Why did Song Yi Heon commit suicide? What was the last conversation between him and Choi Se Kyung? How will Kim Deuk Pal, the gangster, help Yi Heon before his imminent demise? Will the bad guys learn a lesson and turn over a new leaf?

The series although with a simple story has complicated characters. Song Yi Heon has money but what he lacks is motherly care and a peaceful life in school. He is constantly bullied and beaten by the rapscallions at school, wants to befriend the popular guy, Choi Se Kyung but is termed a stalker, all in all a silent victim. Choi Se Kyung is pressured to perform by his successful father leading him to suffer from anxiety attacks. Kim Dong Soo, Kim Deuk Pal’s henchman wants to rebuild the gang after Duek Pal’s death only to be trapped and used by Lee Mi Kyung, our secondary antagonist.

In conclusion, this is a highly entertaining series that offers a unique blend of action, humor, and emotional depth. While the world-building could be tighter, the series excels with its strong performances and engaging premise. It's a perfect watch for those seeking a fun and thought-provoking escape.

Lire davantage

Can’t speak to the webtoon

I’ve read that they changed the romance aspect of the drama when adapting it from the webtoon. I haven’t read the webtoon, so I’m only reviewing the drama as it is.

I was surprised by how compelling I found this story. I hadn’t seen the actor playing the ML before and I was a bit worried by the opening episode because it seemed like his performance would be wooden. The more he plays Deuk Pal (as Yi Heon), the more I enjoyed his performance.

The relationship between Deuk Pal and Se Kyung is the real highlight of the series. It’s the most moving part, they’re mutually supportive of each other, and they sacrifice a lot to stay together. I liked how Deuk Pal never lost his heart and believed so much in redemption. I enjoyed watching Deuk Pal and Se Kyung keep each other hopeful.

I was also surprised by how interested I was in Deuk Pal’s attempts to give Jae Min a chance at a future. Obviously, he was worried about the kid going down the wrong path the way Deuk Pal did in his previous life. They had some pretty great moments story wise.

Really, my issues were that some of the acting (particularly the mother character and the female villain) was a bit melodramatic and cringey. I’m not sure what the direction was there. I also wish the female classmates mattered a bit more? Honestly, there were any well written, impactful female characters in this story in general. The housekeeper was very much just there to take orders. There were some aspects of the prosecution/legal battle that made no sense logistically. Also, i didn’t appreciate Deuk Pal telling Se Kyung to try to “understand” his abusive dad or asking the guy that stalked Se Kyung (and sold him out to that same abusive dad) to “take care of him”.

I’m guessing the BL aspect that was removed was between Se Kyung and Yi Heon?

Lire davantage

EXCITING and FUN that went downwards

I got super excited on the first 3 episodes, I was 100%ly entertained on how this drama started it was really fun regardless of what the makers of it censored of whatever stuff that was originally on this drama. School drama like this was so refreshing and I am so satisfied on how Yi Heon was finally able to get back against the bullies through Deuk Pal but the drama somewhat went downwards it got boring in the middle but not very much , it was still bingeable, It was somehiw sad that Yi Heon did not choose to live his life even it is great to Deuk Pal , it was actually a sad story but it was fun
I'd probably rewatch this again after a while.

Lire davantage

The ending was not it

The plot was good, honestly, but the ending didn't make sense at all. The gangster is nearly a 50-year-old man who lived 48 years, even if they were full of hardships and regrets. He still lived his life and even achieved his dreams when he got into the boy's body. At this point, he should have been the one to leave, not the young boy who didn't get to live a full 19 years.

The boy had a horrible life, so of course, he wouldn't know how valuable his life is and didn't hold on to it. In that scene, the gangster's duty was to let the boy stay and guide him. Instead, he accepted the fact that the boy didn't want to live and just let him go. That man DIDN'T EVEN RESIST! For me, that scene ruined the whole watching experience.

Lire davantage

Don't Miss This

Really enjoyed this show overall! 2 day binge! Excellent cast and story. Such a different take on the body swap genre but not sure how I feel about the ending though. I’m a bit torn. I wanted Yi Heon to get a 2nd chance but also wanted Duk Pal to stay. I really liked Jae Min's arc and redemption as well.

Se Kyung’s father the worst until the end! Wished on some level we could have had the mother’s reasoning behind why she allowed her son to stay there.

ML was absolutely phenomenal throughout. This was my first experience with him and I am very impressed with his acting skills. Bravo! 👏🏾 👏🏾

I needed this show. Put me is the best mood.

8/25/24

Lire davantage

Logical Ending

I watched this drama and the other one ( can't remember the name right now). These are my thoughts. This drama had moments that were very sad, darker, and more serious than the other one. Not going to lie, I shed a few tears in certain scenes. The other one had a mostly lighter tone. I never shed a tear when watching that drama.
This drama had okay fight scenes with the male lead BUT I loved the fight scenes in the other drama. It gave me more satisfaction for the bullied main lead.
I think this ending fits the story. Yeon Chan Young (the 18 yr old who was bullied) was never friends with Jae Yung? Sure he wanted to be friends but Jae Yung had his own problems. So the personality of YCH being friends with JY would have never worked. They were both hiding and weak. JY needed a strong " personality" to teach him how to be strong and to be a good friend.
So leaving the gangster soul in YCH made sense. Like he said he was tired. He has been through a lot in his 18 years. He would never be able to take over the life the gangster already set in motion.

Lire davantage