Hierarchy

it’s okay, there’s worse tbh

I was unsure wether to actually watch this or not but I did anyway, trying to build my own opinion about it. lowkey expected to drop it after 2 episodes but didn’t, solely bc I wanted to know “why” things happened. personally, it wasn‘t that bad, it bugged me that they were all relatively young though and seemed to suddenly grow so mature in a span of one episode - which was also the end. yes the drama wrapped up really fast and ‘too easy’ imo - after nothing important to the ‘crime storyline‘ happened for most of the episodes.

Don‘t expect it to be like The Glory, it‘s full of romance and it’s a bit frustrating, it‘s set in a school full of rich hormonal teenagers that abuse the power they inherit with their family name. Since they’re teenagers, their problems are also believably for the rich and young. There’s not much brainwork to do here, all in all good enough to watch in the background while doing other stuff 🤷🏻‍♀️

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The ML falls in love with the FML because “she’s pretty”!!!!
That’s it
He doesn’t know shit about her real with her boyfriend or what she’s going through but he’s so in love with her. And oh my god weeeeping and crying for every conversation. The conversations don’t have any substance but last episode they just suddenly change. How ? Why? There’s no connection. The protagonist doesn’t do anything logical or brilliant. No suspense, build up, failure, nothing !!! And he just is going to bring down kids of billionaires just like that!!!! Without a coherent plan! The police just comes n arrest them and in 20 minutes they all apologise and change. Wowww brilliant !! Must be some alternative universe. The FML problems are so worth the non stop tears for the protagonist. They have no CHEMISTRY, it was insufferable to watch! Wth 🤦🏻‍♀️ he just got lucky n got evidence from another kid . That principals son should’ve been the protagonist. Such a garbage! Only HeRa was the interesting character but still no sense because she was already planning to seduce her best friend’s boyfriend when she was away and then forget that happened but then have the audacity to change that in last episode that they somehow really liked n cared for each other !!! When??? Just don’t watch this.

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Who needs depth when there's mood boards to bring to life

To me, the most important parts of a story are consistency in the plot and developed characters. Hierarchy had all the ingredients: the setup, the characters, the world, the aesthetics. Yet somehow it all felt empty. Like the people behind it cared more about how it looked than how it felt. Which they did, it's obvious.

They didn’t seem to understand how to give the characters real emotions or motivations. Things just happened without enough reason or buildup. They romanticized everything — the heartbreak, the obsession, the pain — but didn’t do the work to earn it.

We’re told these characters feel things, but we're not shown how in a way that sticks. And that emotional depth is what makes a story hit. They had this idea for Rian and Jaei in which they're tragically meant for each other no matter who comes between them. One scene in which they are younger running around in a house doesn't tell me about the deep unexplainable bond they're supposed to have.

But that's also the thing. I love that deep unexplainable bond they have. I saw the same in Tempted and I was happy to see it here too. Jaei and Rian had something real, and if they’d taken the time to show us the layers of their connection, it could’ve been unforgettable. Instead, it ended up being surface-level — beautiful, but lacking the backbone to really make me believe it.

That being said — the visuals? Insane. This show is visually stunning. The styling, the cinematography, the whole vibe — unforgettable really. And I genuinely liked the characters, even if they didn’t get the depth they deserved. Well, at least some of them(Jaei's father and brother, i'm looking at your evil asses).

Speaking of, it was kind of refreshing seeing just plain evil characters. Sure, it's always better if they have motives, tragic backstories and stuff but seeing pure evilness sometimes everytime Jaei's brother appeared on screen, brought back memories when characters on tv shows used to be absolute menaces with no excuses.

I do wish we got more from the friend group too. I wanted to see more of their dynamics and how their relationships actually worked — but with only 7 episodes, I get that there wasn’t much room.

And also, if you haven't noticed already, I just chose to exclude the main character from my review completely because it was clear they were trying to remake Elite's Samuel but instead, we got a main character with unclear morals, failed and I don't know if even attempted revenge story, and a love triangle with Jaei which was extremely illogical because of the whole revenge attempt. I don't even know if I can call it a love triangle really.

Hierarchy was a show I wanted to fall in love with and for a long time I thought I did. But being pretty isn't enough. Next time, I hope they focus less on creating a mood board and more on creating a story with soul.

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Hierarchy was disappointing as a revenge series but is that what it was intended to be?

If you go into Hierarchy expecting a revenge plotline, then yes, you’ll be greatly disappointed. I was too, because that’s exactly what I thought it would be about. I've read all the bad reviews and I mostly agree. This series was tea served at room temperature but I'm a tea lover so I had to ignore that fact and form my.. rather optimistic opinion.

The story follows Kang Ha, who loses his brother in an accident, only to later find out that his brother was actually bullied in highschool and driven to his death. He enrolls in the same prestigious high school under the scholarship program to find out who killed him. I’d like to point out that Kang Ha wanted to find who his brother’s killer was, not exactly to take revenge. His goal had always been to uncover the truth and make sure no scholarship student would have to go through the same bullying and discrimination as his brother did.

Rich, spoiled brats are often portrayed as irredeemable, but I’d like to disagree here. These kids weren’t just rich spoiled brats, especially Jung Jae-I and Kim Ri-An. Both had redeemable qualities because, despite their wealth, they were bound by their parents’ leash. When this happens, people often turn out more empathetic rather than becoming arrogant scumbags. That’s why it was surprising, but believable, that Jae-I and Ri-An chose to accept punishment and confess which is something you don't immediately see in He-ra and Woo-jin.

The direction this story took feels fresh. It shows that revenge isn’t going to solve everything, no matter how badly you want tit-for-tat. Even though Ri-An apologizes to Kang Ha, Kang Ha refuses to forgive him and that, in itself, is the revenge. An apology will never bring his brother back, so he isn’t obligated to accept it.

Although, Kang Ha having a crush on Jae-I felt superficial and left a bad taste in my mouth. The story could have “achieved” everything it did without forcing that aspect in.

But I absolutely loved Ri-An and Jae-I’s relationship but they literally could've done better.

While most of us wouldn’t call this a happy ending, I’d say it’s a nuanced one. Kang-Ha had a goal, and he achieved it so for him, it is a happy ending.

That said, the acting could've been better. The story dragged, it was cringe at times and I feel like even if what I said above was the true intentions of the makers, they did a horrible job at executing it.

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we have seen multiple bullying focused kdramas over they years, many of them having a uniqueness to them. even this year there was pyramid game, which was very different from usual ones and handled bullying with more care. the only thing unique about this drama was its budget.

the revenge, bullying and romance didn't feel like it held weight. all the plot twists except for the murderer reveal were boring. i thought we all assumed they were brothers. it also didn't make sense for kangha to fall in love with jaei so fast (that too for no reason).

we can see that they intend for a 2nd season and where they are going with it but it would have worked better if they didn't tell that kangha was inha's brother. they should have made this season about the core 4 rich kids and their love and friendship. if this season had focused more on romance and then kangha coming in the middle innocently it would have been great. the previous scholarship student should have been just a passing thought.it would have set up for a more interesting 2nd season if the audience didn't know kangha's personal reasons for revenge. i think there might be love triangle in the next season

the romance felt rushed but it had potential to be great. the acting was not bad like all the social media commentary. im glad that these actors are getting main roles after seeing them be side characters. we need more hera and ujin romance pls

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I hate the way these privileged kids go around expecting every lowly kids to bow down and kiss their feet and this isnt fiction this is how some elite schools act in real life. Couldn't stand the FL. It's a wonder she didn't give up on life she was that miserable. When she smiled it was a different ball game The 2 ML one a bully because he was the top dog and don't forget it. He followed Jai around like a lap dog.. A thoroughly horrible human being.. As for Kang Ha he should have been straining every Sinew in his body to find who killed his brother but instead was gooey eyed and more intent of pleasing the girl friend of Kim Rian.. What did he expect when things got nasty. He should
have stayed away from all the ones involved in his brothers death.. They were all evil.
Trouble is in these sort of surroundings even teachers are cowards.Parents are as bad. You are no good going to Jooshin high if you are not rich because equality for all doesnt come into their curriculum. I did watch the whole series but it wasn't one of the best kdramas. There were no twists or turns and it lacked action. The ending with the baby's photo was one of the high points. was OK..welldone to the actors.. You don't write the scripts..

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Hierarchy: A Letdown

"Hierarchy" contains familiar K-drama elements: relentless bullying, unsolved murder, ultra-rich high school students, a poor student seeking revenge, drug and power abuse, and inattentive parents, similar to "Penthouse," "Sky Castle," and "Revenge of Others." However, it disappoints on multiple fronts. The story starts slow and only gains pace in the last two episodes, where the rushed and lackluster revenge plot finally begins. The ending feels abrupt and unsatisfying, leaving viewers with a sense of missed potential.

The characters are underdeveloped, making it hard to invest in their journeys. Despite a talented cast and high production values, the drama's exploration of heavy themes remains superficial, used more as plot devices than for serious commentary.
Nonetheless, I liked the male leads acting. If I could complete the drama it was because of them.

Overall, "Hierarchy" squanders its promising premise, failing to deliver a compelling or engaging narrative, and ends up being a waste of time for viewers expecting a gripping drama.

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who done it mystery

Slow and dragging with story and characters.
School full of moral decay
Good cematroghpy.Flim crew gets a plus.
Spoiler
who gets bumped off in the credits , Moss? A poor attempt to revive it for season 2
The really wasn't a love triangle. The heroine did seem to still love her first love, though the script did put a couple of holes there. but overall she did seem to stay true to her first love. I'm ok with that.
The brother you wanted to wind up with someone better. But in the ending credits the story twists there too. Not really believable for his character.

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