I started this drama out of boredom and after seeing many recommendations about it....I didn't realize this was going to turn into a 10-hour marathon with not even a food break in between episodes. This is how immersed and fascinated I was by this drama.

Highest selling point of the drama? Its plot. I was expecting kids running a good grades related business, instead I got a high school outcast who could give any gangster/killer/healer dramas a run for their money. You would think this is not very realistic and yet through the screenwriting, acting and directing they effortlessly make you believe it's real.
More impressively they make you root for our main character regardless of how immoral or unethical are the things he does.

Extracurricular offers a refreshing take on the high school genre far away from cheesy and innocent first loves and yet much closer to today's reality of high school (to a certain extent). I'm glad this is a Netflix production, in fact had it been picked up by any other channel I doubt they would have shown such mature and triggering subjects at least not at a high school level.

TL;DR: Must watch drama! Probably one of the best dramas this year.

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Rowoon MVP of the drama

I didn't know what to make of this drama when I first heard about it but I was looking forward to it because of the cast. I won't lie the set up is quite your usual one in romantic drama except it's set in an office and while the first two episodes were confusing it turned out to be an enjoyable drama.

Now, l will be honest the only thing that made the drama this enjoyable was the main character Chae Hyun Seung. In my 15 years as a drama watcher Chae Hyun Seung is one the best male characters I have seen on screen.
Despite what episode 1 & 2 can potentially show, Chae Hyun Seung is a respectful and responsible character who always put Yoon Song-Ah, his sunbae, well-being first. While he was fairly honest about his feelings toward her he never imposed it on her or forced her into anything she didn't want to. Every one of his actions has Song-Ah well-being in mind regardless of whether it will make him look good in her eyes or not. It wasn't about winning her heart or making her fall in love with him, it was about protecting and caring for the woman he loved even if it meant looking like the bad guy.
As if he wasn't already good enough, Hyun Seung was this character that kept on learning and never stopped questioning himself about his behavior and its consequences on Song Ah. His love for Song Ah was obviously unbalanced but he accepted it and embraced it. For him it wasn't a competition on who is more in love or who will hurt the most, it was about being able to share his life with the one he loved.

I can't speak about Hyun Seung without talking about Rowoon who just nailed the role. He really suited the boy in love with his sunbae type and did amazing portraying the shy, in love but also mature and responsible Chae Hyun Seung. I don't think it's a stretch to say that he carried the show on his shoulders and I'm looking forward seeing him in a new drama.

As much as I loved Rowoon as Hyun Seung I have to say I was disappointed in Won Jin Ah as Song Ah which is a shame since she was one of the reasons I started this drama. Now I don't think it has much to do with Won Jin Ah's portrayal, though I did find her quite emotionless, than it has to do with how badly written Song Ah is. She was just a very boring character, not even her conflict with her mom was interesting enough to make us root for her. If anything I felt like she wasn't good enough for Hyun Seung and it's not the last couple of episodes that made me change my mind. I can't tell if this was done on purpose to portray a normal/lambda woman or not but either way it's disappointing. It's particularly striking when all the other female characters, regardless of how small their roles were, had so much charisma personality.

The good does outbalance the bad thankfully and I would recommend this drama if you are looking for a nice romantic story that will make your heart flutter. If not with Hyun Seung you will definitely find some fluttering with the other side stories that are just as enjoyable as the main one.

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There are so many reasons why The World of The Married is probably the best drama of the year but I will only name three.

The first one is how consistently good and captivating it was throughout the whole drama. Each episode is a rollercoaster of emotions, each episode will keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting more. It doesn't give you only one major piece of the story per episode or only one cliffhanger. No each episode is the gift that keeps on giving to the point sometimes you wonder when you will have time to digest all that is giving to you.

The second one is how realistic the drama is. It's about cheating but not just for the sake of character development not. It's about cheating and how couples can destroy each other over it, it's about being cheated on and figuring out how to heal and move on from it. The show also doesn't sugar coat the still too present misogyny, the lack of support between women, the hardships of being in an abusive relationship and much more.

Last but definitely not least, is Kim Hee Ae. While the whole cast is commendable for their fantastic performances, Kim Hee Ae absolutely slayed as Sun Woo, the working mom trying to do everything at the same to provide for her son. Each of her key scenes were so powerful and raw it makes you wonder if she has ever been in such a situation (I hope not).

There are many more reasons to watch this drama but if I were to enumerate them I would probably spoil you so my best advice is just to go for it and enjoy the rollercoaster of emotions waiting for you.

Warning: The World of the Married is a drama targeting mature audiences and comes with a trigger warning for violence, abuse and sex.

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