K-Drama Review: 'Itaewon Class'

Picture a bustling neighborhood in Seoul, South Korea, filled with artisanal shops, eccentric and diverse nightlife as well as young adults filled with aspirations and meaningful goals. That neighborhood is called Itaewon.  

The main character of “Itaewon Class,” Park Sae-ro-yi, became one of those young adults after a very tumultuous and traumatic childhood following the death of his father.  

After a stint in prison for trying to kill the man who killed his father, he decided there was another way to get his revenge: success. The character who killed Sae-ro-yi’s father was business mogul Jang Dae-hee’sson, Jang Geun-won.  

After his failed attempt at murder and his release from prison, he reconnects with the female lead and eventual love interest, Oh Soo-ah, and finds she accepted a scholarship from the Jangga Group, owned by Jang Dae-hee.  

Upon opening his own restaurant in Itaewon called DanBam, he meets another woman he eventually hires to be his second in command, Jo Yi-seo.  

A love triangle ensues as themes of corporate greed, fraud, violence and generational curses surround the entire show like an umbrella refusing to close.  

“Itaewon Class” is one of the best k-dramas I have experienced in quite some time, as someone that has been watching them for a while.  

It is one of the first dramas I have seen that dives deep into the incarceration story of the main character as prison is normally not a topic that is popular in Korean storytelling, or from what I have seen thus far.  

Ultimately, it is a story about revenge, unconditional parental love and overcoming obstacles in the face of adversity. 

I would also like to note this is the first k-drama I have seen where race and the topic of blackness are mentioned. As a person of color myself, I found this to be a huge step for Korean media, as race is often ignored and portrayed negatively.  

Itaewon is a real neighborhood in Seoul, South Korea, and it is known for being a melting pot of culture since a lot of foreigners tend to live there.  

I recommend everyone to go watch it; it is still currently streaming on Netflix, and you will most definitely cry, laugh, get angry and feel almost every single emotion imaginable because I certainly did.  

Rating 10/10