Extracurricular

Grades, Guilt, and the Grind of Survival: Extracurricular Has No Heroes

Extracurricular doesn’t waste time trying to be your average high school drama.. and thank god for that. From the first episode, it sets itself apart with a premise so bold, it almost dares you to keep watching. And you should. Because what unfolds is one of the most tightly written, morally complex, and emotionally charged korean dramas in recent memory. Somehow, against all odds, it gets just about everything right.

Let’s start with the premise, which might sound insane on paper, but is executed with surgical precision. Our main lead, Oh Ji-soo, is your typical straight-A student. Quiet, friendless, virtually invisible in the school hallways. He’s also running a clandestine security operation for a sex trafficking ring which involves a minor, under the moniker “Uncle” (삼촌). So, yes… not exactly your run-of-the-mill after school job.

Things spiral rapidly once his rich ( and miles “cooler” ) classmate Bae Gyu-ri discovers his double life. Their toxic dance of co-dependence, ambition, and imploding morality is one of the show’s most fascinating throughlines. There’s no neat hero-villain binary here. Everyone’s just trying to survive, clawing their way through the collapsing architecture of youth and society’s expectations.

What truly elevates Extracurricular above its peers is its characters. They’re painfully real, infuriating, vulnerable, and often walking contradictions. Ji-soo is particularly magnetic. A quiet kid with a mind like a steel trap, unraveling in slow motion. Despite being the mastermind of an exploitative criminal enterprise, you still find yourself rooting for him… a feat that should be morally impossible, and yet here we are.

Much of that is thanks to Kim Dong-hee’s phenomenal performance. He plays Ji-soo with a kind of jittery restraint that makes every twitch of his expression feel like a page turning in a much darker book. It's a portrayal so good, it almost makes you forget you’re empathizing with a teenage cyber-pimp. Almost.

The rest of the cast holds their weight, too. With insane chemistry and a level of emotional authenticity that never veers into melodrama. The show’s actors handle intense, morally thorny material with a maturity that puts many veteran performers to shame.

Visually, Extracurricular is a standout. The cinematography is sleek but not over-stylized. Those dreamy, almost surreal sequences where we’re pulled into the characters’ inner worlds? Gorgeous. They strike that balance between introspective and cinematic without looking like someone just discovered Instagram filters. The time jumps, often a narrative minefield, are handled with elegance, adding urgency without ever feeling like a lazy plot shortcut.

Thematically, this show bites off a lot. child exploitation, class disparity, systemic neglect.. and it chews every bit of it thoughtfully. It never feels like the writers are moralizing or turning trauma into aesthetic. Instead, the show pulls you in with a critique of how the world lets kids fall through the cracks and then wonders why they turn into monsters.. or worse, entrepreneurs.

If I had to dock points (and I do, because no work is perfect), it’s for the soundtrack. While the music does the job most of the time, there are moments, especially during more intense sequences, where a poorly chosen track saps the tension like a bucket to the head. It's not a dealbreaker, but given how well everything else is executed, it's a missed opportunity.

Still, if you’re looking for a high school drama that’s gritty without being “edgy for edgy’s sake” , emotionally complex, and just straight-up smart, Extracurricular should be at the top of your list. It's bold, disturbing, and unrelentingly honest. a K-drama that doesn’t want to be liked so much as it wants to be remembered.

And trust me.. you will remember it.

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Masterpiece

I really liked this show.
It was really exciting and had the binge-factor.
The ending was really open, i do not know till this day if Jisoo is dead or not. But I especially liked the actor of Jisoo, he portrayed the emotions really well.
Gyuri was a cool character, many people disliked her but I think she was a very important role and was special for Jisoo. Even if she brought him a lot of trouble, they were into this together.
I recommend this show to people who like action, because there were scenes that could trigger people, like a lood of blood.
The OST‘s were sooo good, I liked them a lot and still listen to them like to normal music.
I would‘ve wished for a second season but it doesn‘t look like there will ever be one.

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Usual Netflix stuff

This drama took a weird thought very seriously and conceptualized it into a drama. As much as interesting and bizarre the idea of a high schooler being a pimp, some things didn't quite add up. But it's all fictional so okay. It did keep me on edge of my seat, with all its violence especially the climax violence scene was just for the hype and chills. The first half was very interesting with discovering each character and the second half went high voltage with its brutalities. The ending pretty much was usual Netflix style. One time binge but I didn't binge it so the effect wasn't rewarding. FL's character was quite complex and I liked how she was portrayed. As for actors, it was nice to see the actress in this type of role. I liked the music and intro title track of this drama. I won't be rewatching this one.

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a 50/50 series

I just picked this up because I randomly remembered it existed and was wanting more of a thriller / school drama after all the romances I've been watching lately, and this, in a "sometimes" fashion, did not disappoint

things I didn't like
- the detective???
- the random plot dropping and introducing
- kitae's character status?? is he not supposed to be a main character???
- gyuri being really annoying (I will never understand her)

things I liked
- THE ACTING !!!!
- the music/ost !!! I felt that every scene was made with whatever ost they used
- seo minhee !!!
- the last episode
- the emotions !!!
- the open ending!!

I don't think I can call this "one of the best shows" I've seen, but it was definitely a fun watch, and the entire last episode had me genuinely screaming and gasping at the reveals, especially with the cinematography and "freak" by kim sawol . . . beautiful

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the female lead ruined the show

the plot and story are actually really good and entertaining. it was really interesting to see how the main character dealing with his situation and how a high school student can fake his life that no one even suspects him. but everything ruins when the female lead gets into the picture. like i understand its the plot but she was so annoying. like idc she ruined the show for me. without many spoilers- she wanted to show her parents so bad that she’s not what they’re expecting her to be and that she’s a rebel that she ruined what the main character was basically living off. he just didn’t deserve it. that’s why I hate her. also the ending was really weird and that also effected the enjoyment of the show for me

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Good drama but lacks characterisation!!

I freaking love this drama, but i have quite a few criticisms.

The actors were great and the storyline was engaging. There was a lot of tension and high intensity scenes, and even episodes.

The characterisation fell flat, however. There should have been more of a background story for the characters. It would have been interesting to know how the ML started the whole job and why exactly he did it. In a way, it sort of doesn't make sense; he explains that he wants to lead a normal life without drawing too much attention to himself but his "job" is the opposite and can get him into a lot of trouble. If he wanted money, he could just get a job that regular kids his age got like at a convenience store.

The FL was the same; she wanted to make money but had no motive. They tried to give the storyline that her parents wanted her to pursue the same thing as them and she didn't want to, but how exactly is doing what she was going to help her get out of her parents' desired plan for her? Also, why is she willing to risk getting in trouble for managing a sex work business just to not be a ceo - it's not equivalent.

Another thing about the fl was that she was annoying. She clearly hadn't set her priorities straight, as evident in the previous paragraph. But, from the first episode we see that she's a pretty shit person. She went out of her way to take the ML's phone so she could go through it. When she didn't know the passcode, she watched him enter the passcode for his other phone and used that to get into his phone. The invasion of privacy is not cool and I'm pretty sure she doesn't apologise. I don't like how the writers chose that as a catalyst for how the FL had to find out about everything. Other than that, she's purely fucking annoying. She is constantly putting everyone in danger and she feels no remorse. As soon as she is introduced, she fucks everything up. And luckily for her, she has the money to buy herself out of trouble because her parents are rich, whereas the ML has to suffer more.

Mr Lee was such a g bro. I love him. I also liked the homeroom teacher.

Did the second leads even genuinely like each other? He was pretty shitty towards her and relied on her for her money. But, he was able to get his homeboys to trash the karaoke bar for his GF. The scene was pretty iconic though.

With most of these characters, there was no clear motive for most of their decisions *cue motive by Ari and Doja* which i think is the biggest flaw in this drama.

But I did genuinely enjoy my time watching it. I'm really into high school dramas that are dark like 'Class of Lies'. Both of these dramas, along with 'How to Buy a Friend' have all been compared. Personally, my favourite would be 'Class of Lies'. Because there were only 10 episodes in extracurricular, they might have not been able to develop the characters as well.

I know some people want a second season after the last episode but i don't really think it would be as good. I'm not sure how they would add another 10 episodes without dragging out and ruining it. I think people need to start being okay with dramas where the ending is unclear.

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I wanted to watch a Thriller series after enjoying Weak Hero and decided to watch Extracurricular which I have been wanting to watch for the past few years but never got round to it. I really enjoyed this drama, however the ending did have a some-what cliff-hanger as if there was supposed to be a second season. However I doubt there will be a second season now. So, the series ends in an open-ending setting which I usually don't really like. If there was ever a second season, I think a storyline set in Australia would be a great series, something similar to the American series "You", which each season is set in another country.

Besides that, I watched the series extremely fast and I do not regret watching it. I think the series was executed greatly and I looked forward to every second wondering what was going to happen. Despite the open ending, I believe it is a must-watch for those who like action dramas. It was a ride of different emotions, feelings, and curiosity - but overall I did enjoy the series.

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Dreams are expensive

I had been putting this one off for a long time thinking that I had to be in the right mood to handle something so heavy. It turns out, however, that it wasn't as dark as I expected and I realized I was wishing that it was. The entire time it felt like the drama was going at 70% intensity; it amped up a little during the climax but not for long.

It's interesting because I think this drama teeters between being character-driven and plot-driven and it probably could've gone deeper on both aspects — I found myself wanting to explore the character backstories and original lives more, and I also found myself wanting the plot itself to be a little more intense and harrowing.

Overall, I still think this was a great watch; the writing is solid and the performances are great, and I also think there are great moral questions to ponder. You find yourself rooting for anti-heroes and I always love that.

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ExTrAcIrRcUlAr

(^^lol the title is a joke with my brother's friend) I started watching this because my friend already saw this and recommended it, so I tried it. Y'all the plot is one of the most addicting plots I've ever seen. I really want a season 2 because the ending was really vague, but I feel like a lot of things would change throughout season 2, and therefore would ruin the original plot. Maybe they should have a movie sequel to further explain the ending.

Oh Ji Soo, if someone told me that he was the most innocent person in the class without telling me he ran something illegal, I'd believe you. At such a young age, he was forced to learn how to survive, and he was really good at surviving on his own. Bae Gyu Ri was the worst female lead I've ever seen. Like I understand she's not happy with her life, but that doesn't mean you practically shove yourself into someone's life just because you want a thrill in your life. He was right when he said something like "You think my life is a game to you", she's done nothing but interrupt everything Ji Soo's worked hard for. Seo Min Hee was pretty unlikable, but in the end she's just a girl who just wants to please her boyfriend through money, which she gets through Ji Soo's business. I kind of wish she had a better ending, but it's whatever I guess. Kwak Ki Tae was a pretty unnecessary character, considering Min Hee could've have had another person in mind to make money for. Lee Wang Cheol was a good character, why did they do him dirty like they did. They also should've added a backstory as to how he was found by Ji Soo and how he became the "shadow boss" as I refer him as. Choi Jin Woo reminds me of my teachers that I was close with; they were caring, and were willing to listen and cover for me. He's the kind of teacher we all need if we want school to be a happy place. Officer Lee Hae Gyung was like the older version of Gyu Ri; she was annoying. She always thought she was entitled to look into everything, and was even willing to break the standards of what an officer was supposed to do. Like ahjumma, leave the main cast alone.

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Worth a watch if good writing is not your priority

If you are a fan of good writing this show is not for you. At least for me, it's a huge disappointment.
1. Lack of motives, the show doesn't have enough backstory to explain why they do the things they do
2. Lack of character development (They even become stupider lol)

However, if good writing is not your priority, it's worth a watch for these reasons:
1. Actors/ actress are good looking
2. The production is quite nice, the mood and pacing etc
3. Exciting plot

(Your review must be at least 500 characters in length. Your review must be at least 500 characters in length. Your review must be at least 500 characters in length.)

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Not a typical high school kdrama!

I was looking forward in watching a psychological/thriller. I must say Extracurricular delivered! It was very eccentric and intriguing. I absolutely loved the character's development.
Actor Dong-Hee Kim did an amazing job; portraying his character's 2 sided personality, every time he turned evil I always got goosebumps. As well as him, Park Ju-hyun's acting skills really payed off, her playing as Bae Gyu-ri really stood out, her desperation to escape her parents and the pressure she was under was presented fantasitcally!
The cliffhanger ending fitted well, as it leaves you questioned with what may happen next. Apparently there will be a season 2 coming out in 2023, my hopes are high!

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