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.