Guess who’s back with a new drama? The one and only Park Seo Joon!
I am a huge Park Seo Joon fan and have watched all of his projects, movies, and dramas. I think he sometimes chooses great projects while sometimes he chooses projects that aren’t necessarily that great, regardless, he always does his best and amazes me with his dedication.
In 2019, Park Seo Joon focused on his movies. He didn’t come back with a drama following the success of “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim.”
If you read my blog regularly, you’ll know that I liked that drama but I personally found it predictable and a tad repetitive. I always thought Park Seo Joon could’ve picked better. I was happy about the drama success which was in part due to Park Seo Joon and Park Min Young’s chemistry.
I was looking forward to Park Seo Joon’s next drama and when it was confirmed he’s coming back with JTBC’s “Itaewon Class” I was happy. The drama is based on webcomic “Itaewon Class” and I heard great things about it. He’s playing the underdog in this drama and I personally find him amazing in such types of roles, it’s somewhat similar to his role in “Fight My Way.”
So I went in with great expectations and oh my god, I am so happy right now. I was so happy after watching the drama; I had to write a review about it.
“Itaewon Class” is up to a solid start and honestly if JTBC keeps up the pace, it’ll end up overtaking tvN and all other channels as well. They’re choosing many interesting projects and have many more lined up for 2020, I seriously think they gamble the most with their drama picks among all current TV channels.
Back to “Itaewon Class,” the first episode was good. I liked the pacing, I liked how they introduced each character and let me tell you something, I despise voiceover narration that tells u everything we need to know about the characters, I seriously think that’s the easiest way writers use to begin a kdrama but I find it boring, lazy and uninteresting.
While I did find my elements that are repeated in kdramas that are about underdogs, I am still glad he’s not playing the hot-rich guy.
I like Park Seo Joon’s character so far. I like that he’s shy and slightly awkward around other people. I also like that he’s not into studying or being perfect. He’s just your average Joe and I find that refreshing because often times lead male characters have to be ‘perfect’ in a sense, Park Sae Ro Yi seems like the type of guy that actually exists in real life.
The introduction to Kim Da Mi’s character didn’t feel necessary to me but I get it, they have to do it because she’s the main lead. To many of you, you’re probably not aware of this actress. She recently started acting and I’ve seen one of her projects alongside Park Seo Joon’s good friend Choi Woo Shik. I thought she was a good rookie actress. This is her first drama and she’s already sharing the screen with some of the biggest actors, I have high expectations.
I like Nara’s character already. Park Sae Ro Yi interactions with Soo-A were some of my favorite scenes in episode 1. It made me blush; I think they’d make a good couple. The father character was so warm and I wished he had stayed longer, at least for a couple more episodes, but I understand why he had to die so early on.
Yoo Jae Myung is playing the villain here, he’s honestly one of my fav ahjussi actors, I believe he’ll make the most out of his character but for now he seems two dimensional, I am sure we’ll see more of him as the drama progresses.
I can’t wait to be introduced to the rest of the characters of “Itaewon Class,” which feature some of my fav underrated actors. The first episode was fun and it didn’t feel long at all, I feel like I will be enjoying this drama a lot this year. I have even higher expectations now. I like kdramas that are about growth stories, stories about young people and their struggles as they navigate the world and take on challenges.
However, there is one thing I found highly unnecessary and that is the fact that the same actors play the young and old version of themselves. I found that difficult to believe, none of them looks even close to the age they’re trying to portray. It’s not that they’re bad actors but their faces and demeanor doesn’t indicate they’re 18 years old. I would’ve preferred young actors to play these roles instead.
I feel that “Itaewon Class” will be this type of story and I honestly can’t wait to see how it progresses from now on. Park Seo Joon has chosen the right project and I like his acting in this series so far.
So what about you guys? have you seen the first episode of “Itaewon Class” yet?
