Itaewon Class (2020) 이태원 클라쓰
Directed by Kim Seong-yoon, starring Park Seo-jun, Kim Da-mi and Kwon Na-ra.
In this underdog story, a young bar owner must fight to hold his own against the corporation that destroyed his family. As he tries to build up his business, he finds himself surrounded by a strong group of friends. Together, they must face the betrayals and hardships that test their mettle. (Source: Dramabeans)
Thoughts so far (finished episode 6):
*I love a good underdog story and so far I really like this show. It’s a very popular series so I probably would have watched it anyway but it comes highly recommended by my two sisters who are avid K-drama fans, so I decided to prioritise it.
*Not familiar with the leading couple Park Seo-jun and Kim Da-mi but I immediately loved Park Seo-jun. His performance, his looks, his very likeable character who lives by his strong beliefs and principles. I also like Kim Da-mi and her feisty character, but there were also instances where she annoyed me. The scene where she wants to fire the chef, a transgender woman played by Lee Joo-young (I’ve seen her in The Ghost Detective), didn’t sit well with me at all. I especially love Kim Da-mi when she just silently observes the other characters.
*Kwon Na-ra (seen her in My Mister) does a good job portraying the conflicted character of Park Seo-jun’s first love. In the first episodes before the time lapse she’s very likeable, standing by Park Seo-jun. And even though her actions later on are morally dubious, she still elicits sympathy, also because of her backstory. Hers is a grey character, she’s not the full-fledged villain (yet). I know Park Seo-jun eventually ends up with Kim Da-mi, so either Kwon Na-ra’s character will become really bad or she’ll side with the Danbam team and stays friends with Park Seo-jun. I actually hope she will become a nasty villain, so I don’t have any mixed feelings about our male hero sharing a happy ending with Kim Da-mi.
*There’s a strong feel-good vibe (with the Danbam team members sticking together) and I’m excited to see where this sweet revenge story will lead us. The series can actually do without a romance subplot (the main story/theme is strong enough to stand on its own), but I’m happy there is a romance incorporated and curious to see how the love between Park Seo-jun and Kim Da-mi will develop. Yet at the moment Park Seo-jun still has feelings for Kwon Na-ra and he doesn’t treat Kim Da-mi as a love interest.
*Love the other Danbam team members, an eclectic mix.
*Ahn Bo-hyun (seen in Kairos) takes his villain role a bit too far, he’s overdoing it and is annoying. I do like the fact that he also seems to have feelings and lets them shine through occasionally.
*Excited for the next 10 episodes!!!!