Hierarchy

Hope the writers have a sense of "noblesse oblige" & not make Season 2!

This drama fails on so many levels, the only reason I endured as I wanted to know whether my theory on the culprit was right or not. Otherwise this drama has no arresting factor on why you should watch. When it was announced, I called that it seems like a cross-over of Elite, Gossip Girl, Penthouse, Glory & related shows. But this more like watered down version, where the writers picked bits and pieces from all of it and made this total HOT MESS of a show.

The plot was shallow - it depicted the glamour/bullying but had no substance/depth to keep the audience engaged. The acting was "cardboard" stuff, no character arc was built & their motives had no logic - running around the 7 episodes like headless chickens. I literally fast forwarded episodes just to get to the end to know the culprit & whether justice is served. But neither the show throughout nor the finale had any power/impact to wow me at any given second.

The genre/theme is already saturated but clearly this is one of the worst dramas of 2024 so far. Nobody gave it much thought and probably banked on marketing alone - as people would watch it for the hype. Calling it an average drama, is me being kind & for the sake of the artists who took a risk to act in this HOT MESS!

✘ Highly Recommend to SKIP IT & watch other shows in this genre/theme! Remember: Your drama time and braincells are precious ❤️so think carefully before watching!

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it’s not what you would expect!

anyone going into this show watching the trailer please be prepared to be shocked,because the show might feel at the beginning that everything going to be predictable and the characters will just be annoying. But it’s everything but that this show showed how characters do the more dehumanizing things when they are that desperate. And I believe that was show so well because of how well the main cast worked together also the way the script was. I also want to point out who were the standouts in this show which were Hera and Woojin. Hera was so captivating to watch any time she was talking, and Woojin was so mysterious it will keep you curious about him.

Lastly I suppose I should say if there was anything bad and the only thing that bugged me a little bit was a reveal of a character who was a lot to play in this show. But then again I don’t have the biggest problem with it because the dialogue that goes with the reveal really makes it connect. (sorry I don’t want to spoil to much I would say watch you won’t regret it!)

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HE RA ACTOR BACK HURTS FROM CARRYING

Story
was bad how is going to parties making out w sone random girl helping solve his brother death? And even after finding out he stills 'loves her'? Bc I genuinely dont know ML acting wasn't great. At first I thought the ML and using the FL which was interesting then he confessing the next episode so he genuinely liked her why? Bc she smiled at a dog as has a drop of sympathy in her compared to her friends. The whole plot if rich kids in school made them look dumb. Why wasn't a background on the ML done from the start?, why didn't the FL/SML parents know they were dating? But they decide everything for them right.


Characters
Ive got no sympathy for the FL shes so boring its crazy the actress doesn't even try to give her character ANYTHING shes not a 'cold hearted queen who develops' and she doesn't change, no walls are broken down, no expressions, 'my live sucks so bad im rich and have to marry this random and im scared of my father oh no~' then she runs away because shes pregnant like girl nobody cares her man could've helped her they seemed SO happy in those flashbacks which were lackluster bc i didn't care about either of them SML was just there i view his character much like the FL i just didn't care he could've died. He would've been better if he tried to move on from the FL and find who he was without her. The FL and SML were too dependent on each other before. The TML? The rich one was just there to fill in no real character just a 'plot ' device. ML was a scumbag who cared more about a girl he likes than his dead ass brother even when learning what happened he still likes her 🤦‍♀️the only good thing he did was not accepting the SML apology and now for the saving grace the only thing that carried the show HE RA

HE RA actress is great she gives exactly what you expect from a rich spoiled girl who isn't drunk on a power high like the majority of side characters. Her manipulations could've been more subtle but did what needed to be done. She was bitch with no sympathy to anyone but her friends, I believe she cared about the FL after breaking up their friendship the flashback was sad because she SHOWED some emotion once the FL left. He ra was the best character the show had because she knew what she was, he wanted to date the SML, she wanted her father to get connections, she wanted revenge for the was the FL treated her -not as a friend- more like a servant, the only scenes they have together are when the FL asks her to do something. I felt no sympathy for the FL once He Ra asked her to do something for her ahe didn't because she was jealous?! Could tell tbh, (after helping her keep her whole has pregnancy under wraps) And her Father found out about the ML imo she deserved that I was on He Ra side here because really? She couldn't help her out this once. Now He Ra isn't a good person, i mean she had her friends sloppy seconds, shes an instigator, a bully too but she's a good character the only redeeming one in the drama.

Music was good definitely added a few to my Playlist.

Extra Notes
The Fl smiled 5 times in the whole show. SML/FL deserve each other both are overall disappointing.
ML was the worst main lead ive ever had to watch i genuinely dont know how its possible to like someone who ignored your brother's bullying for so long just sat on the side lines watching even in the last episode he hugged her the FL doesn't want you. You've been rejected twice. 😐 No chemistry between the 'love triangle' everything was so stiff with any scene the FL was in.

Positives
HE RA, production was good loved the school but it just makes it sadder because they cast had everything they need to be good but the acting and script ruined it. Music, FL dad a great actor love his works, the principals son, the 4.5 acting is for He Ra alone.

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A thought-provoking series that critiques society and delves deep into self-discovery

‘Hierarchy’ is a hidden gem that requires analysis to understand its message and appreciate how it’s presented on screen. The characters are presented to viewers the same, stereotypical way they are perceived by others in the series. Jae-i is portrayed as someone who doesn’t easily get influenced or bothered by others as she leads a perfect life. Kang Ha, as someone who’s so optimistic and new to the school that he’s naive to its dark truths. When pushed to their limits by the vulnerability of their regrets from the past and fear for the future, the main leads slowly unravel their facades. They reveal themselves to be the total opposite of how they seem at first glance. Viewers can only guess what they’re thinking, which adds to the intrigue and plays a big part in capturing the audience’s attention. This is an engaging series that’ll pull one in with just enough information to make them want to see where it's going and understand the leads’ motives behind their actions.

The show follows the story of two individuals who are both victims of the harsh world, regardless of their differences in social class. Despite having problems that seem contradictory, Jung Jae-i and Kang Ha provide each other with strength and solace. Their shared support enable them to overcome their struggles, even though they're on opposite sides of the conflict. By prioritizing understanding, they use past tensions to become stronger than the problem and move on from what once held them back.

It shines light on the important aspects people often neglect in life, such as letting go and its impact on both ourselves and those around us. The female lead’s mindset is split in two parts parallel to the plot and highlights the changes that letting go can make. She becomes a better version of herself after she is shown reflecting on her thoughts with the only source of light being a strike of colour. Rainbows signify hope and new beginnings. It's following this scene where she reconciles with the lost part of herself and lets go of her unnecessary burden, represented through her lost baby, that the events take a turn for the better.

Eight teenagers are under a crushing pressure to stay fit into the roles society and their own families cast them in. They want to break free, but their fierce desire to escape their predetermined futures remains confined between the walls of Jooshin highschool. Run by two of the country’s most influential chaebol families, its goal is to provide the heirs of the top conglomerates with the best education. With important reputations to adopt from their rich and demanding parents, the successors of these groups have grown in hiding. Jung Jae-i and Kim Ri-an’s true, imperfect selves are locked behind flawless facades that push them to become people they don’t want to be and blind them from the real world and its injustices.

Jooshin’s recent death was driven by the desire to keep concealed what they wanted to hide the most within the school’s walls; which is the importance of fame and influence rather than the focus on actual studies and the well-being of students. When someone of lesser importance in society brings light to the case the school tried to cover, the students whose reputations are at risk of being tainted try to push him out and stop him from discovering the truth. Because at the stem of the reasoning behind the student’s death lies the school’s dark reality.

When the scandal threatens to reveal the truth among their concealed lives, all the top scholars struggle to find a place to stand ground, aware that only one can remain at the top of the hierarchy.

With the support of other scholarship students who have been victims of disrespect, Kang Ha orchestrates a scheme to destroy the school’s unjust and toxic hierarchy. He believes that change is necessary because the students of today are those who will determine society’s future. Kang Ha predicts that the social classes will limit those who are of less wealthy families. By stringing together clues from the past, he plots to bring down the school and give justice to those who have been wronged. Wanting to be the hero in the story, Kang Ha fights to differentiate the good from the bad and balance the consequences in a way that’ll only hurt those responsible for it. But with the close and conflicted bonds within the school, achieving that goal proves to be more complicated than anticipated. He’s forced to step back and reflect on what it is he truly wants.

Jung Jae-i and Kim Ri-an’s love for each other is stronger than anything else. It’s only a matter of time until the two leaders of the school will be forced to sacrifice their secrets to a case that threatens their reputation and the school’s. Even with the possibility of losing each other’s hand down the road of lies, secrets, and rivalry; they continue caring for each other with the same love they wish they could give their own selves. This dependency they shared with one another formed the base of their relationship and proved to be unhealthy. It ends up serving to Jung Jae-i as evidence of how unfit her current life was for her, resulting in their break-up and eventually prompting the start of her new life. It was only after letting go of the opportunity of what they could be together by giving up their future as parents that Jung Jae-i not only managed to see what was right for her own self, but also gained the maturity to set things right with those around her whom she caused harm.

What He-ra and Kang Ha have in common is that they both are in positions that set them up to seek revenge on Jae-i. However, the growth they underwent through the friendship she provided them with enabled them to realize the true source of their problems. For He-ra, it was her selfishness and greed. She wanted to have Ri-an by her side to give disillusion to her family’s monetary problems and assert her power as it progressively grew uncertain. Her numerous attempts fell flat and ultimately led to her disliking Jae-i; whom Ri-an claimed was the only one he had an eye for, even though those feelings of his remained unreciprocated following their break-up. It took Woojin, someone equally selfish and greedy, to make He-ra realize it was her own selfishness that caused her hatred for Jae-i. She came to the realization that it was her own self that held her back from coming to a resolution to her problem—a problem that could only be resolved with Jae-i’s help. By only caring about gaining enough money to stabilize her family’s financial state and wanting revenge on Jae-i for taking away that possibility, He-ra was blinded by her own pride. Had she overlooked her own problems and favoured understanding between friendships and societal classes, she would have had the opportunity to solve her worries. Before her family’s financial crisis, the only things He-ra possessed was money and power. She ended up going from being chased after for her power to being the one doing the chasing. Somewhere along the journey she took to get through her highest and lowest point in life, she gained a trustful and understanding personality.

As for Kang Ha’s situation—his strong desire to find the reason for his brother’s death—its cause was actually the teacher that was initially portrayed as a good and caring individual. What led to In-han’s death was her selfish desire to become part of the ones of more importance and authority, by dating Woojin. When the killed scholar had posed a threat to her reputation, her desire to stop him drove her insane and she chose her chance at being at the top of the hierarchy over his chance at life. This highlighted a greater problem within the school, because it meant that the teachers, who are supposed to be guardians for the students and protect them, were influenced by the hierarchy. So in the end, the problem for Kang Ha and He-ra was the hierarchy and it was by succeeding in bringing it down that Kang Ha got the revenge he wished for.

Kang Ha loves to care for those who are victims to the cruelty of the world. Thus, him going to Jooshin high to get justice for his bullied brother and consequently falling for Jae-i, who was struggling to carry the weight of her regret and guilt. This is the reason why, in the end, he's simply content with knowing that she shared the same feelings for him as he did for her. Seeing her give him one of her happiest of smiles, which he wanted to see all along, was the only closure he needed to their relationship. Kang Ha sees In-han, his deceased brother, through Jae-i because of how they share the commonality of being treated unfairly and feeling hurt. So through the smile he put on Jae-i’s face, it was as if he was also able to make his brother feel better and see his smile. As for Jae-i, who felt that she failed to protect In-han in the past, she sees him through Kang Ha. So although she let In-han down by not standing up for what was right or being by his side like she was for him, she ended up protecting Kang Ha. This happened following Kang Ha’s sentence that she started living by, which was to protect, no matter what, who you care about and love the most. This allows viewers to make the realization that between both male leads, it was clearly Kang Ha who had won over her heart; bringing an end to their love triangle. In the end, it was Kang Ha who got what he wanted most, which was seeing Jae-i smile at him and getting closure to In-han’s struggle through her, as well as ensuring the school a better future and having the bullies acknowledge their wrongdoings.

The series closed off Jae-i’s path to self-discovery, which she paved with her own sweat and tears, by leading her to her mother. This reunion showcased her immense character growth since Jae-i grew up in fear of her father throwing her away like he did with her mother; whom he deemed worthless. She let that fear control her life and hold her back from living the life she actually wanted, feeling obliged to live by his expectations. In the end, she made decisions based on her own will and was able to face her new life with a smile because she was no longer scared of being a failure in the eyes of those around her.

Through his decision to attend Jooshin and get revenge on those responsible for his brother’s death, Kang Ha used the traits he shared with his brother (caring and understanding) to carry on his brother's legacy. Not only did he solve the school's mysteries and get it punished for its insensitivity towards scholarship students (something In-han always wanted to achieve but did not have the chance), but he also transformed the ruthless students into better people. It was through Kang Ha that Jae-i was able to gain the courage to face her problems instead of running away, like she had done in the past after discovering her pregnancy. By caring for her and providing her with assistance, she ended up facing her struggles head-on and setting things right. She embraced her struggles as part of who she is, permitting her to move on from the many things that had been holding her back (her guilt of In-han’s death, feeling like she wasn’t able to tell Ri-An about their baby, her unhealthy relationship with her boyfriend) and lead her life with the best version of herself that she found through Kang Ha’s love for her.

Though Kang Ha got his revenge in the way where the school itself had to acknowledge its mistakes, the ending scene sets up an enthralling conclusion to his journey in uncovering Jooshin’s wrongdoings by implicating the others. An immobile student (suspected to be Jae-i’s brother who caused her much torment) is laying on the ground and yet the focus is placed on the top students, highlighting how someone is a killer. Just like how Jae-i ends up facing her fear, they all might have to relive the torment of a student’s death and face it with a better approach.

07/14/2024

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Dropped

Everything is very boring. The plot is practically non-existent, we only see how some rich people interact with each other and how the poor are mocked. There is nothing else. Also, these "high school teenagers" behave as if they are full-grown adults, actually I can't see them as 17-18-year-olds, but 25-30-year-olds because they behave very mature as if they have a thousands of responsibilities and secrets and it's not realistic at all. I don't know, maybe if it was a college drama, their behavior would still work, but not here. Some of the actors act well, but others have the same facial expression for three whole episodes, like they're confused vegetables. I had high expectations, but it's not worth your time.

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We had enough of this plot already.

Hierarchy (2024): A Disappointing Climb Up the Social Ladder

The tired trope of "poor student at a rich school seeking revenge" returns in Hierarchy, a forgettable addition to Netflix's K-drama library. While the official poster and synopsis initially sparked my interest, the show quickly fell flat. The casting, despite featuring fresh faces like Lee Chae-Min (looking sharp in "High Class," 2021) and Kim Jae-Won (chillingly stoic in "King: The Land," 2023), ultimately felt off. Even Roh Jeong-Eui, who surprised me with her transformation from "Badland Hunters" (2024), couldn't elevate the series.

Unfortunately, all three leads delivered stiff and uninspired performances. The first two episodes were enough to convince me to abandon series entirely. The execution felt poorly done, lacking the punch of similar dramas like "Bitch X Ritch" (2023). The predictable plot offered no surprises, leaving me with zero anticipation for future episodes.

While Lee Chae-Min's visuals hold promise, his acting needs further refinement to truly resonate with audiences. Kwon Eunbin would have been a more fitting choice for Jung Jae-I, potentially imbuing the character with greater strength and edge. Here's hoping Mr. Lee receives roles that better utilize his talents.

Despite topping Netflix PH's charts, Hierarchy's hype is ultimately unjustified. The show fails to deliver on its initial intrigue.


P.S. I am clearly new to movie and show reviews. I aim to become better. Grace and Peace. Follow for more movie and Korean drama show reviews. My main interests are Korean dramas and contents.

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a mystery thriller turns out to be cheap comedy show.

for me it was a lame comedy show bc you are telling me that kang ha really liked Jae i that deeply? his actions were hilarious to me as he was more focused on saving fl's ass than taking revenge.

i didn't like any of the main 3 leads as they were--

Kang Ha: a simp who is also incompetent in taking revenge.
Ri An: a toxic simp who is also a bully and a crybaby chaebol.
Jae I: a victim of blackmail, daddy issue. an unreliable,toxic lover.try to act as a goody two shoes when it's too late.
......
i know in the most of characters redeem themselves(even it was Forced, rushed and absolutely unbelievable)but whatever.
......
i gave it 6.5 i would have given it 7.5 if ONLY ONE the leads had their characters come a full circle. in that case i liked the supporting character more bc they at least had a good character development or they were actually good in their acting.

He Ra: i know she was a two faced b*tch but her acting was better and a character development
Woo Jin:his acting was good but his character was really a wasted potential.
the Student President: like he was doing most of the work and liked the actor too.

hera,woojin and the president are bad i know but thought that they were more convincing as a character than the main 3 leads.

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