With new spices : Not a fairy tale
This drama got me here because of the actor choi min so from the drama lawless lawyer (LL)! what a great performance again!! You will feel the long lasting impression from him. This drama has a very new unique story, very creative, i would say! I enjoyed every episode with thrilling and suspense. The whole drama was a roller-coaster ride. Director did very well justice to the whole plot. I have watched " live (2018)"before, so I also know how police service cant act rashly on sudden demand in south korea. So its very logical if someone finds the police-involvement is not proactive! The teen are getting corrupted at early age which is inevitable because of the whole social changes around us which is also truly sad. This drama tried to bring up such dark side of the society too. I feel so sad watching kids getting their innocent carefree life totally destroyed, totally robbed off due to social circumstances. Even it is a fictional drama but still it is very applicable in real life, i think. Almost 70% casts are from lawless layer and every casts are totally in different roles with respect to the role they played in LL except Choi. He was bad ass thug as before but made us like him till the end, lol. Love his fighting scenes, damn suits his figure and gesture! Would be lovely if a sequel drama can be produced highlighting the life story of that role.Overall, very impressive production with very very creativeness! After a long time I found a story which is so creative and cleverly written. No copy-paste-edit feeling. An entirely unique story line! Its directed by the same director of LL but LL was kind of " old wine in new but crooked bottle" while this one is brand new in every essence! Just enjoyed every bit of it. Of course, its not a fairy tale with pinkish romance aura, absolutely loved it! Not for weak heart either! Ending is little disappointing but it deserves 10 from me. However, suspense-thriller plots often relatively tend to lose "rewatch-values", cant really help it. Especially when in drama land with so many available dramas, its rare that a drama can earn a place to have a rewatch value 10! May be after 10 years, I can rewatch it again, till then bye! It was really nice to come across to this master piece ;)
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Darker School Drama
An interesting drama which includes discussions on illegal businesses, underage escorts, s*x trafficking, the rights of workers & the need for security. This drama really had me hooked.▹ Jisoo's character
He was presented as a straight A, quiet, shy school boy at the start. Later, it's revealed he runs an illegal security business in the backdrop of his perfect school life. He is different when he is "Uncle" and then when he is Jisoo in school.
▹ Illegal Business
Depending on individual views on escorts, the business Jisoo runs provides security for escorts. The business is illegal and he also allows underage Minhee to use the service. If one is being "equal", "protective" they wouldn't allow underage girls to do this.
▹ Dark but real
It was interesting to see how dark but real the show was. It’s common to see something like this in Asian cities, the motels/compensated dating etc. This drama feels raw and different. Not the typical school drama
▹ Gyuri's impact
People have moaned and said that "it's gyuri's fault". Yes, it is. She took Jisoo's phone but how else did you expect the drama to even start. Something had to go wrong, since they're all high school kids. They don't know any better.
▹ Minhee & PTSD
Her character was always shown to be smart-mouthed and stubborn. Yes, she should have listened to others to not go to the motel that day but she experienced something brutal. She was left traumatised and couldn't work.
▹ Police officer
For some reason, the show wrote the police officer in such an annoying way. Perhaps this was intentional. We are seeing the officer, the way the high school kids are. She did the right things but she was doing them in the wrong ways possible.
▹ Ending
The last 2 episodes were basically game changers like American tv shows and movies. The good turn bad and the bad turn good. I do wonder why they chose to pursue this root instead of sticking with what they had. But, I understand. The shock factor outweighs consistency in this situation.
OVERALL
Really good kdrama, it's not the typical school drama. It's dark and real. It opens up discussions about the dark side of Korea. The underage escorts, the money problems and the need for good parental figures. The last two episodes could have been a bit better in terms of the story and I find that the episodes stand out/ are different in terms of consistency with the rest of the series.
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This review may contain spoilers
I wish there was a second season for this otherwise its such a waste!The character development, the storyline, literally everything is so well done
This show will no doubt have you hooked immediately. So many heartwrenching moments in here and the ending actually shook me to my core ngl, I really wasnt expecting on of the most prominent characters to die but now it left me intrigued and I can't help but wish for more seasons and episodes ;;; please i wish there will be another season!! I also really liked the chemistry between the main characters, I hope their love blossoms if there is gonna be a new season.
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An Exciting Thriller..
The drama [ Extracurricular ] takes a different aspect from typical school dramas, like a struggling male lead who manages trafficking businesses. It ( his work ) can be troubling at times because things frequently get away from his control and he is unable to deal with his unexpected situations. So, despite the dark atmosphere, the story was well-constructed and captivating to the end.As a kdrama lover I'm not defending bullying, sexual assault, or whatever else they shown in this drama, but what i liked is how the K-drama ( Extracurricular ) subtly unveils the depth of a crime-filled plot with teenage school story line. Let's appreciate that Netflix work brought a different subject theme this time allowing the writer Jin Han-Sae and Director Kim Jin-Min to move away from the common Korean high school storyline, cut off the classic love story element, and brought the crucially dark topics such as school bullying, payed dating, online sex work, and a variety of other issues navigating young adolescents in today's online world..
You will most certainly feel a wide range of emotions from sadness to love to frustration to anger to excitement through the main characters. And those emotions help add what can be an incredibly enlightening view of today’s youth and crime.
Kim Dong Hee is a brilliant actor and one of the young korean talents, After receiving prominent status for his supporting parts in the two biggest dramas, Kim Dong Hee jumps into leading roles & conveys an emotionally intense performance that will leave us question ourselves what you stand for at the end of the drama, Park Joo Hyun another talented young actress, no word how to appreciate her work, A Perfectionist. She really gave her 10/10 performance here, Portraying raw emotions with parental pressure and like a deep hurting inside daughter she perfectly played her role. Jung Da Bin did an excellent job giving her character depth.
Both ScreenWriter & Director were given a good thriller by showing the School Bullying, harassment, social norms, and parental pressure are all aspects of the life of a high school student in South Korea.
Cinematography and Soundtrack two are top quality that they capture us into a thriller mood.
Still waiting for season 02..
I enjoyed the drama and thanks to the Kdrama Judge who was given[ recommendation ] to me one of the best Kdramas. If you’re looking for an exploration in Korean highschool thriller with an engaging plot then this is definitely a must-watch..
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It is about a typical intelligent boy who has monetary issues and who secretly has an illegal business. Things get super complicated when a rich girl comes into his life.
I liked the adrenaline and that Bae Gyu Ri wanted some action in her life, something to change and so she puts in movement all of the story. There were always something happening and this drama didn't bore me one bit. It also accentuates the hard life of teenagers.
I liked the relationship between Min Hee and Mr. Lee because it reminded me of a protective father-troubled daughter one. And the main leads had wonderful chemistry.
This is not an easy watch and it's a very sad drama, but it is a must-watch. It has a nostalgic feel to it.
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Best drama i’ve ever watched
Extracurricular is beautiful- i could rewatch this for days. It perfectly encompasses a dark concept without being overly gory and conveys an edging romantic plot without making everything about romance. Extracurricular is fascinating- the plot is constantly interesting and i remember every moment vividly, and the duality of a school but crime and dark genre will always be my favourite combination. I watched this a year ago and rewatched a couple of months ago, but i came back here specifically to write a review just to help people experience the joy i did when watching this. Also kim dong hee come back pls i miss uWas this review helpful to you?
What I liked about this is you're always waiting for what might happen next. Some scenes were a shocker. The grittiness makes it feel different from your usual kdrama.
What made it weird was how some decisions the characters make doesn't sit right with you. For example, I didn't really like the FL at first. But I slowly got accustomed to her and some things made me like her more. (She be really pretty though). Currently waiting for season 2 cause the ending was wow.
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The price of being normal..
Being normal or ordinary might be a bore to most of us but for somebody who has no one and has nothing it’s quite a challenge.The ML had a very simply dream to be normal and be like everyone else but given the circumstances it was hard for him. Making ends meet is difficult and it becomes doubly hard when your alone that is probably why others tend to take an easy way out doing something illegal or immoral to make easy money. But there is no such thing as easy money it requires hard work, sacrifice, persistence, and probably a little luck.
Sooner or later you just become unlucky.
This is a sad drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
-> The story a.k.a the strongest point of this serie from my opinion.
The story evolves around "poverty", "psychology", "money", "teenagers/minors", "trafficking, sextrafficking, gangs".
At first, it sounds old and common but, the way the story is told makes this drama unique in its genre. The story telling of this drama is a work of art. I am not exagerrating, it is brilliant. The episode 1 is echoing the last episode (ep 10). The first episode set the atmostphere since the first scene and that scene is directly connected to the last scene of the last episode which resumes everything. The introduction is also the conclusion. It is very brilliant. Also the sentences that the professor told him are all so important to understand the psychology of the main characters especially Jinsoo. For example in the first episode, he told him if he endure everything now he will face the consequences all at once at the end. The professor is such an important character. Also there are many details which are very important as well, they seems like "nothing" but they are crucial like the animal that Jinsoo take care of and the cap Minhee has brought.
I truly appreciate how unique this drama is, how uncommon it is, how unpredictable and predictable it is at the same time, how it makes sense but doesn't makes sense at the same as well.
The four main characters were to blame, they were not saint and not evil either, they have taken the wrong path to achieve their goals and the consequences were tragic (Even MrLee is to blame). The two main characters especially are to blame, they are anti heroes. The story tellins is great because the way it is told will makes you want to support them even if they are wrong.
In addition, I also like a lot the fact that they truly portrays two kind of trafficking : the "old" kind of making money through illegal trafficking and the "modern" way to make money through illegal trafficking with modern technologies (smartphones, by distance). With mordern techologies, a lot more people with different backgrounds can dive into this illegal world "more easily".
If you like the movie "Parasite" you will love this drama. "Extracurricular" truly follows the same "concept", the same unique, new genre. I was really not into "Parasite" but with "Extracurricular" it is different. So if you haven't enjoyed "Parasite", this drama "Extracurriclar" can reconcile you with the concept.
-> The cast
The cast is very good, the acting very great. I'll not say I was complety amazed by their acting to be very honest but they are very good especially the main actor who is portraying Jinsoo.
-> The music a.k.a the only weak point
From my opinion, my personal tastes, the choice of the osts were not always good but that's my personal tastes who is speaking because I am aware the choice of some songs for some scenes were intentional to makes this drama "unique". But imo it is was unecessary "unique". The osts are good to listen, but they doesn't fit with this drama particularly. I only like a lot the "opening theme", it was the only ost that fit the drama. The others musics doesn't fit.
-> The rewatch value
I found myself wanting to rewatch again this drama because the story telling once again is brilliant.
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A VERY addicting drama that'll make you finish it the same day.
I was bored scrolling looking for some kdramas the other day and I stumbled upon this one. It was in twitter where literally everyone was recommending it. The tweet was something like, "What are some really good kdramas to watch?" So I just looked in the comments under it. To my surprise, the name of this drama was said in multiple people's comments. The story is really good, but at the same time very ANNOYING.I loved the whole drama except for Gyu-Ri literally annoying the heck out of me. It was really interesting but also infuriating. LOL. Anyways definitely recommend watching. 9.47/10!!
I'm not gonna lie about the title either, I myself really DID finish it the same day. ㅋㅋㅋ I still have a lot of time these days. Anyways if you still haven't watched it, what are you doing? Goooo!! ;)
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Enjoy the Downward Spiral
My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.After reading the synopsis, I was hesitant to watch this drama because I didn't want to see minors in sexual situations and engaged in very serious criminal activity. I was worried it may glamorize these kinds of lifestyles. Once I finally decided to give it a try, I almost dropped the drama after the 1st episode. It just didn't grab my attention and I felt the male lead's character and his motivations were boring and typical. Eventually, I gave it another shot and watched episode 2 and from then on, I was hooked.
Acting/Cast: I think this is my 1st time seeing most of these actors... at least in major roles (except for 남윤수 Nam Yoon Su). They all did a great job. Watching the male lead's personality unfold, stood out to me the most. I also liked watching the interactions between the female lead and her mother. 9.5/10
Writing: This category can be broken into 2 parts - character writing/dialogue and story writing. I feel that the character development was the strongest aspect of this drama. The psychological genre is my favorite when it comes to Korean dramas because of their ability to write compelling characters that grow or change in realistic ways during the course of their experiences. This drama is great example of that, especially in regards to the male lead's character. Unfortunately, with how great the character writing is, I felt the actual story writing was lacking in comparison. There were storylines that I was really interested in learning more about (mainly more about the female lead's mom and that industry and about Mr. Lee's background), but they were left unexplored. The ending was also done in a way that seems as though they were setting it up for a 2nd season, which would make sense as to why some major details of the story felt unfinished. Regardless, I'm typically not a fan of endings like that. It feels incomplete and I'm left wanting more. If they're not doing a 2nd season, then 10 episodes weren't enough to really flesh out this story. On a positive note, the things that I was worried about before even beginning the drama, turned out not to be an issue. However, I could see some potential for criminal activity/prostitution being glamorized (for instance, prostitution didn't seem like a big deal until it was an underage girl doing it.) But every time the characters started to seem "cool" or too much like protagonists, something horrible would happen that would put everyone back where they belong. That reminds me, It was difficult watching a drama with no real protagonist. I felt bad rooting for anyone. I would just feel resigned and I would say "well...that's what you get for engaging in criminal activity." I'm not going to feel bad rooting for Mr. Lee though. 7/10
Direction/SFX/Music: The production was great; it felt very high quality. There were some clever dream sequence scenes that I really enjoyed. They didn't feel like your typical dream sequence. I usually can't stand them. The music really added to these strange scenes, as well. I don't care about music so much, but I do take notice when it heightens the experience for me (or worsens it). I think the OST played a huge part in giving this drama a very captivating vibe. 8/10
Entertainment Value: After I got past that 1st episode, it was a crazy ride. It was like watching a train wreck (but in a good way?) So much anxiety...very unpredictable. A fun but scary, stress-inducing ride. I don't want to say anything more about it because I don't want to give anything away. 8/10
It was difficult to give a final rating for this drama - it's either an 8/10 or an 8.5/10. I chose 8 more for personal preferences, which I don't want to expand on because it may be a bit of a spoiler.
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It was fine
I think it's really good, however certain characters really got on my nerves which made it a little harder to get through. The acting was amazing, the plot was really interesting and the cinematography was good, which I definitely appreciate but I just couldn't get beyond the way the plot relied on one specific thing which ultimately was somewhat flimsy. It is still a good show but I personally prefer shows that rely a little less on one specific thing but rather a lot more things so that even if one falls flat the plot still stands, aside from that one personal preference thing, it was ultimately good overall!Was this review helpful to you?
