Misfit heroes of Itaewon class

Film Name- Itaewon Class (Based on the webtoon by Jo Kwang Jin.)
Director-Kim Seong-yoon
Year-2020
Place- South Korea (channel JTBC and Netflix)

The story revolves around Park Sae Ro Yi, a socially maladjusted but responsible young man raised by a single father.
On his first day of school in his new hometown of Panji, Park Sae RoYi witnesses bullying and notices how ignorant his classmates and teachers were, unable to see injustice he involves into the fight were the bully (Jang Geun Won) turned out to be the older son of Jang Dae-hee, the chairman of South Korea’s largest pub chain, -Jangga. When confronted Saeroyi refuses to do anything wrong, which not only resulted in him being expelled from school, but his father, who had served faithfully for 20 years, lost his job at jangga. A few days later, while returning from the market late at night, Park’s father’ motorcycle was run over by drunken Geun-won, who died on the spot.
Jang Dae-hee covers up his son’s crimes, bribing the police into accepting flawed evidence and making others confess to their crimes.
Sae-ro-yi hunts down an injured Geun-won in the hospital, leaving his father’s funeral unfinished.
When he tries to kill Geun-won, the police stop him (alarmed by Oh Soo-Ah) and arrest Sae-ro-yi, who ends up serving a three-year prison sentence for attempted murder.
Oh Su-ah, whom Sae-ro-yi falls in love with at first sight, receives college funding from Jang Dae-hee and begins her career at Jangga.
His usual calm but stern demeanor is driven by a single goal: to avenge wrongdoing and overthrow Jang Dae-hee from power.
Early out of prison, Park Sae-ro-yi begins a 15-year plan to reach his goals.
The series takes interesting leep of 7 years, where the protagonist is able to check a tick by opening a new pub named DanBam (Honey Nights) in on the busiest and merriest places in Itaewon. The series holds the nerves of the audiences by introducing people from that strata of society who are often, neglected, misunderstood or ill-treated, thus ‘misfitting the societal norms.
Seung-won was a former gang member who was inspired by Sae-ro-yi to leave this world. Like his colleagues, he believed that society’s labelling him as an ex-convict and criminal determined how far he could go. His loyalty is unwavering once he believes in Saeroyi’s philosophy that no one but himself can define his worth. Over time, he has become a trusted ally, a sympathetic friend, and a pillar of strength.

As a transgender woman, Hyun Yi is not the typical character we see in Asian films, she was the chef of DanBam, but her role fits seamlessly into the story as if it were breathing. Her brave demeaner when outed, society’s reaction to that courage, to her love for her chosen family, her wit and compassion to normalize life in the transgender community were vivid through her portrayals. It makes her a beautiful character on so many levels. Actor Lee Joo-young played this role brilliantly.

It’s great to see a male writer portray a strong and confident character like Iso. A woman who is labelled as a sociopath by society but is a multi-talented high school girl who has a great IQ and is also a social media star with great insight into business fundamentals, marketing and advertising. Seo was raised by a tolerant single mother who understands Iso’s magnificence but pushes no discipline boundaries to let her shine through whatever she chooses to do. Thus, Iso lives his life in apathy because no one challenges her enough. Her sense of justice for social norms are expressed in brutality. One can admire her and be angry with her at the same time. In her unforgettable encounter with Sae-ro-yi, she becomes fascinated by him and recognizes him as the first adult to speak to her on the same level. She likes his sincere personality, calm demeanour, and her desire to do something about the painful cards dealt to him. Following her instincts for Sae-Ro-Yi she without hesitation left the typical college, job, and marriage path and joined his team as Dunbam’s manager.

Yi Seo’s best friend Jang Geun Soo, who has loved Yi Seo for many years, is Jang Dae Hee’s illegitimate son and is trying to build his own life away from his family’s influence. He joins the DanBam team as a part-timer. In the course of the series however, we find that Jang Geun Soo finds himself in a dilemma, and joins Janga co. after he finds his family suffering from huge backlash. His soft character gradually vaporises in Jangga in order to prove himself capable and competent enough.

Toni, a Guinean-Korean who is in South Korean is depicted as someone looking for his lost father, also joins the team as a server. At first everyone assumes that he speaks English and can handle Itaewon’s international clientele well. His character serves as a plot mechanic that explores the issue of diversity while being an integral part of the team. His appearance depicted the cosmopolitan nature of Itaewon itself. Lee Ho-min is a classmate whom Sae-Ro-Yi saves from being bullied, and the event changes the course of her life. Ho-min has grown into a financial genius and is one of Saeroyi’s closest allies.
The series acts as a fresh air on how viewers saw K-content, rather than going for a unrealistic plot, the creators chose desires wrapped by reality.
The series from time to time tests the relevance of Asian values, as one aspect associated with Asian values is the importance of filial piety and respect for elders Protagonist Park Sae-Ro-Yi shows loyalty and devotion to his father’s memory and strives to obtain justice for his father. This reflects the Confucian ideal of honouring ancestors and fulfilling family obligations, but at the same time sae-Ro-Yi doesn’t finds him obliged to respect and Jang Dae Hee’s (Antagonist) ideals and his offer to give up on his morals. Another element associated is the emphasis on perseverance and determination. Despite numerous challenges and setbacks, the Itaewon Class characters display resilience and a strong work ethic consistent with the cultural values of discipline and hard work, be it Hyun -Yi’s fearlessness after her identity as a transgender was leaked. Additionally, the drama touches on themes of social hierarchy and the pursuit of justice, good/s right, emphasizing the desire for justice and equality, social cohesion and the pursuit of a just society by going out of the way for their ethics.
The series can be viewed many times with different ideals. The gradual character development and perseverance to keep in touch with reality make this work a special place in the hearts of viewers. Despite tackling different issues like racism and transgender issues, the series offers more than cynical remarks and manages to tie the knots in a meaningful way. Because Itaewon Class focuses on the characters’ process of self-discovery, there’s no denying that the series features some of the most inspired screenwriters watching recent Korean dramas., with 8.5 IMDb ratings, the production features deep cinematic scenes punctuated by core dialogue, and a cast of actor’s ability. A comprehensive cast of characters embarking on a nuanced exploration of life themes centred around interpretation, morality, revenge, love, ethics, ambition, power, purpose and forgiveness.

References
Seong-yoon, K. (Director). (2020). Iteawon class [Motion Picture].

Lee, e. (2020, april 9). Review | K-drama review: Itaewon Class – Netflix’s underdog revenge epic sees Park Seo-joon make amazing climb up social ladder . Retrieved from my news: https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3078986/k-drama-review-itaewon-class-netflixs-underdog-revenge-epic
Pakpahan, p. (2021, march 11). Denotation and Connotation in Korean Drama Titles of 2019-2020. Retrieved from knowledge e: https://knepublishing.com/index.php/KnE-Social/article/view/8691
Tada-amnuaychai, M. (2022, april 22). K-Drama Series and Social-constructed reality in 2020 . Retrieved from siam communication review: https://so05.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/commartsreviewsiamu/article/view/258787
Yoo, K.-e. (2012). Itaewon, “The Global Village”:. Situations Vol. 6(Winter 2012) © 2012 by Yonsei Universit. Retrieved from 56.

Purnima Prasad
Intern, Asia in Global Affairs

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