Itaewon Class - Movie Review

There are series you watch and forget, and then there are the once you watch that leave you inspired and slightly too emotional. Itaewon class is the second kind. I just finished watching the series and I know that I would be thinking about this series for a long time. This is not your typical Kdrama and it’s actually more than revenge, success but of pride, love and dignity – and at the center of it all is one man: Park Saeroyi

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The Plot
The movie starts with Park Saeroyi as a high schooler. He was stubborn, honest and principled (thanks to his father). When he stands up to the school bully (Jang Geun-won, son of the CEO of a giant food franchise called Jangga Co.), it sets off a chain of reaction that leads to his expulsion from school, his father’s death and eventually prison. But instead of breaking him, all of that builds the fire that fuels his quiet rage. He gets out of prison with one goal: build a business so big that he can bring down the Jangga Group, the same company that destroyed his life.
And he doesn’t stop.

So, Saeroyi starts his business, DanBam in Itaewon and his team was actually a mix of beautiful and chaotic. A black man (Toni), a transgender chef (Hyun-yi), a rebellious smart girl (Jo Yi-seo) and a loyal ex-convict (Seung-kwon). All of them carry something broken but together, they build something strong. The inclusion of a black man and a trans woman was honestly nice to see in a Kdrama and they were key parts in the story, with real character arcs

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Okay…. I will start with Jang Dae-hee (Chairman of Jangga Group and hands-down one of the most infuriating villains I’ve seen in a movie) and his obsessions with making Saeroyi kneel. This man literally devoted his entire existence to getting Park Saeroyi on his knees. From when Saeroyi stood up against his son for being a bully, and then refusing to kneel before him tp apologize, till literally the end of the series. Like… dude. What’s with you and this obsession?

He kept on repeating his favourite twisted motto like a broken record: The strong preys on the weak. That alone tells you everything about him. He sees people as animals, livestock to be consumed, used and discarded. And he taught his son Geun-won to think the same way. at some point, I almost felt sorry for Geun-won after his father abandoned him and let him take the entire fall for Saeroyi’s father’s death. I really thought his guilt was real and that he only wanted his father’s approval. But no, he got out of prison worse than ever.

The audacity he had to ask Saeroyi if he felt guilty when he ate livestock, because he saw Saeroyi as nothing but a cow or pig. Nah. That sealed it.

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Now, let me talk about Jo Yi-seo, the real heartbeat of the show. From the moment she appeared on the movie, I loved her. Her confidence, her chaotic energy and her little grins. She brought light and madness into Saeroyi’s calm world, and while she was fierce and brilliant, she was also deeply in love with Saeroyi… and he was just so dense, lol.

Like, everyone knew Yi-seo liked him, except, of course, him. Then, everyone knew he liked her, except himself. Even when she was risking everything for him, fighting Jangga like a warrior and managing DanBam like a boss… he stayed completely oblivious. For fifteen whole episodes before he finally says it.
“I like Yi-seo. I’m not going to apologize for it” I literally squealed and curled my legs here. After FIVE YEARS of Yi-seo waiting and loving him, he finally said it.

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Then Soo-ah. I’m going to be honest, I didn’t like her. She felt like she was halfway in and halfway out. And like, did she really expect Saeroyi to keep chasing her after 15 years, while she worked for his enemy and still gave him conditions before they could be “happy”? Nah, I was done with her before she was done with herself. Yi-seo was the one who fought for him, stayed and built his dream with him.

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And here’s what broke me: Saeroyi Kneeling
From episode 1 to episode 15, he refused, countless times, to get on his knees, even when it costs him everything. But in the final minutes of episode 15, desperate, he did. He got on his knees and it wasn’t for money or success, but to save the woman he loved, Yi-seo. That hit hard

And the part where he woke up in the hospital and started crying? Yeah, I cried too, because that moment wasn’t about pain but about release. I don’t really know the exact reason he suddenly cried but it touched the deepest part of my heart, I’m not exaggerating. But I think Yi-seo would be part of the reason. The scene where he almost dies and he walks with his dad to the entrance of the afterlife, he refused to go and said

“I have a date” with Yi-seo, of course. That shook me, that’s love right there.

Still, I don’t forgive him for making her cry four years before, by telling her to her face that he doesn’t and didn’t think it was possible for him to ever have feelings for her.

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The last fight between Saeroyi and Geun-won was a satisfying beatdown, I won’t lie. I was clapping. But what was more satisfying was Jang Dae-hee (CEO of Jangga Group) the proud and condescending man, on his knees in front of Saeroyi. Roles switches, poetic justice. Lol. And what did Saeroyi do? He forgave Dae-hee, because that’s who Saeroyi is, a man with a good heart.

Okay… just when I thought I was done with the series and with feeling things. Park Bo-gum (a kdrama fan would know him) showed up in the last scene. A sweet surprise and I smiled like a fool.

Also, just one kiss scene in a 16 episode drama? One! Each episode was a whole hour, but I’ll let it slide because the emotions were kissing us the whole time

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Park Saeroyi is one of the most layered male lead I’ve seen in a while. Rating this series a 10/10. Definitely worth a watch

Aside first image, every other image is my screenshot from the movie