High School Return of a Gangster

Struggles and Redemption

I’m not usually into gangster-centric shows, but High School Return of a Gangster completely hooked me. The chemistry between the leads, especially their bromance, had me thinking of Weak Hero, it’s raw and believable. The action scenes? Perfectly shot—not too shaky, but intense enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. What I really love is that the main character doesn’t just breeze through fights; he actually learns and struggles, making every win feel earned. The way they blend high school drama with the gritty underworld of gangsters and corporate families is so unique and refreshing. The actors really bring it all together, making this one a must-watch.

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The storyline made me even angrier than when a BL genre gets turned into bromance

When I watched the first few episodes, it felt exactly like The Dude in Me. Honestly, I had high expectations. But starting from ep 3 onwards, it just stopped making sense. The character Kim Deuk Pal in Yiheon’s body is way too naive. How can someone that naive, dumb, and kindhearted be a gangster?? It really doesn’t make sense. Kim Deuk Pal, are you seriously not aware that Hong Jaemin and his gang are the bullies who caused all of this?? How can a gangster character be so stupid? Giving them chances like that almost feels like romanticizing bullying.

Choi Se Kyung’s character is the same—hey, you’re also a victim of abusive parenting, so why would you say things that push Yiheon toward suicide? It just doesn’t make sense. The plot also felt like it completely lost direction. I was really hoping for a twist by the end, but there was nothing that lived up to my expectations. The plot and ending felt forced. And the fact that Se Kyung and Jaemin could see his ghost out of guilt just made me even more frustrated. There was no revenge that matched what Yiheon went through.

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↪↔↩OG & the SAT↪↔↩ °7° °Good°

Deuk Pal is a gangster. That doesn't mean he can't get his GED and take the college entrance exams. He has a tutor and he's working hard. His boss wants him to quit school and take over the gang. Song I “Heon” is much younger, but he's already given up. He's jumping off the foot bridge to the highway below. Deuk Pal sees and rushes to stop him. They collide. Heon dies, and somehow, their souls switch. Deuk Pal's soul ends up in the kid's body. Deuk gets to attend his own funeral.

At first, he makes weak, ill-informed attempts to get back into his old body. That just isn't going to work. Next, a rude woman (Lee Mi Kyung played by Hwang Bo Ra of Vagabond-8 & What's Wrong with Secretary Kim-6.8) drops by and appears to be his stepmother? His father's aid? (He doesn't know anything or anybody in Heon’s life). She drops off some school books after complaining about what a pain he is and that he couldn't even kill himself “properly”. He pulls out the tablet and reads the diary of the kid whose body he's taken. This kid's been picked on his whole life. He decides he'll go to school and set the bullies straight.

Deuk quickly learns that he doesn't have the mentality, vocabulary, or fashion sense that the other kids do. But he does have his strength-of-mind; gangsters aren't pushovers. He's also got a credit card with no limit, since he's the illegitimate son of the CEO of one of Korea's top 3 construction companies.

Heon had worn his hair long and over his eyes in order to hide from the world. In Heon's body, Deuk immediately gets a haircut. It's truly shocking what a difference a hairdo makes. Like a coat of paint, a change in hairstyle is an instant makeover. His classmates don't even recognize him. Deuk-Heon is a middle-aged man in a kid's body, but he is very much a middle-aged man. He's constantly told he sounds like an old fogey. He also takes responsibility, as an adult, for what goes wrong and encourages the kids to be their best and do their best. It's played for laughs and warmth.

Yoon Chan Young (All of Us Are Dead) portrays ML, Heon, who gets possessed by Kim Deuk Pal. This kid is great. He has the middle-aged man walk, stance, expressions, & the standing-casual-with-hands-in-pockets. He's got that vague, ever present exasperation. Bong Jae Hyun (Crash! & Insignificant Roommates) plays Choi Se “Kyung”. They are friends, though their relationship isn't simple. Kyung knows enough to know that this dude ain't Heon. Lee Seo Jin (Marriage Contract) opens the show as the real OG, Kim Deuk Pal, looking real gangster. Ko Dong Ok plays the rotund thug, Jong Cheol. He's very amusing. This is the acting debut of singer, dancer, and model Joo Yoon Chan as Hong “Jae” Min, the school's worst bully, and the cause of Heon's ep1 suicide. Deuk Pal isn't much for bullying. He pulls his banger moves and soon Jae is more like his flunky and nothing like his oppressor. Jae ends up being pushed by two opposing sides and has a difficult choice to make.

I can't tell if this is a romance or a bromance between the 2 male leads. It's open-ended enough to read either way. They don't seem the least bit interested in girls until the last two episodes and that felt tokenish or tossed in. The past friendship is vague, poorly defined and looks more like it was an attraction. With Deuk on the scene, the friendship is real and true, and it's the centerpiece of the show.

“Why do you try so hard?” “If we don't do anything, bad people will continue to get the upper hand, and everything will just get worse. That's how the world works.” The only thing Deuk Pal is afraid of is exams and teachers, whether he's in Heon's body or not. He feels for Jae and wants to clean up the mess that is Jae's life, but Deuk-Heon is already balancing bullies, gangs, his dad's assistant (perhaps the most gangster character in the show), teachers, friends’ parents, and his own sick mother. One thing he doesn't have to deal with is dad. Daddy's always been absent.

Toxic parents who push kids too hard or ignore kids for their own agenda are, once again, front and center. Kyung is pushed cruelly by a rigid father. Bullying and suicide are also in the mix. Those are the big, ever present 3 Kdrama themes along with hyper-competitiveness and gossip. It's obvious that their society runs on toxic pride. Every human society does, to a certain degree, but they keep it at a whole different level.

Can people change? Deuk thinks so, as long as they decide to. “Even if you give up on me, dad, I will never give up on you. I'm going to grow up to be an adult who is respectable, confident, and upright. So you just watch me.” Kyung finally stands up to his father. People can change once they face truth. Once truth hits an individual, it's hard to continue to live in lies. Sadly, truth doesn't even brush by most people. Most people exist in lies all of their waking hours. The first and biggest lie is telling ourselves we're doing pretty good. All of us need more improvement than we could accomplish in a lifetime, and it seems that none of us are humble enough.

HSROG is a 2024 release that is rated 90 on AWiki. It is 1 season consisting of only 8 55-minute episodes. The first sign that this is a lite piece, and the creators weren't adverse to taking shortcuts, is the fact that they give us no reason for the soul switch. Maybe I looked away for a moment and missed it, but I don't recall any basis. We just have to accept it. Nevertheless, I took to it fully, rather quickly. I looked forward to each episode and was sad when I got beyond the halfway mark. The show is fun to watch.

It does lose steam and get goofier in the 2nd half. The villain is Heon's father's aid. She's much worse than the good-at-heart gangsters. It's alittle much, but not so far out of line. The show opted for simplicity not complexity. It is on the teen level, and for that level, it's good.

The heart-of-gold gangster is as easy to find as the heart-of-gold rich person. They are urban legends borne of our projection. Sure, some must exist, somewhere, but there's not many of them. I could never understand the appeal of gangsters and thugs in entertainment. Apparently, audiences love them because they do whatever they want to do. I still don't get the appeal of lowlife thugs, murderers, rapists, drug dealers and cruel pimps. I never will. It's different for someone truly apologetic. Bad guys who turn a new leaf are an inspiration. Jae has a genuine turnaround and experiences forgiveness and genuine human connections for the first time.

Despite the fact that this is less than half the length of a typical k-drama, they still have a wonderful last episode with a thorough and satisfying wrap-up. It's shocking how rare that's been, though they seem to be breaking that trend and improving of late.

As the show reinforces good values and is relatively clean and tame, it's perfect for teens who will relate to the pressures that these kids are grappling with. It reinforces personal responsibility, strength, and forgiveness. It's the opposite of gangsta.


QUOTES🗣

Play stupid games and win stupid prizes.

It's an adult's job to help kids avoid misery as much as possible.


IMHO〰🖍

📣7.4 📝6.5 🎭7.7 🎨6.5 🎵/🔊7.3 🔚6 🤗4.7 ▪ 🌞5⚡4.5 😅2.5 😭3.5 😱2 😯3 🤢2 🤔4.8 💤0

Shazams: GO by LUCY

Age 12+ Language: weak@$$, @$$holes, violence, bullying, Rated TV-15: Parents Strongly Cautioned. However, this show is on a teen level. It's more a kid's show than an adult piece.

Re-📺?
This one's in the good-to-pass-the-time category, but I may never pass this way again….

In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may also like:
Flex X Cop-8.5,
The Miracle-7.7,
Another Miss Oh-7.5,
Glitch-8,
Missing: The Other Side-8.3,
Alchemy of Souls-7.9
When the Camellia Blooms-8,
Uncanny counter season-1 only °S1-8.4 S2-4,
Vagabond-8,
Familiar Wife-8.5,
Law School -8,
Why Her?-8,
The Golden Spoon-8.1,
Revenge of Others-8.1,
SKY Castle-9,
Blood Free-8.5 ,
Sisyphus 8 (give it 2 episodes, ep1 is confusing),
Tunnel 8.5,
Anna-8.1,
Moving-8.5,
The Cursed 8.3,
Flower of Evil 8.9,
Squid Game-8.4,
Awaken-8.7,
The Man from Nowhere 8.9,
The Wailing-8.8,
Black 9,
Sweet Home 8.4

Originally 〰️🖋 3/2025


~11/2025 After thoughts~

I'll never let AI write my reviews - I'm definitely too old school for that. However, Ive just discovered Grok in the last couple weeks and I'm having the best conversations of my life with him on filmed entertainment. Grok is the collective hivemind of human existence, and he's extremely entertaining. Here's what he says about our ML:

100% YES. Yoon Chan-young in High School Return of a Gangster is one of the most insane acting flexes I’ve seen from a Gen-Z actor in years.He’s 19 in real life playing a 49-year-old ex-gangster whose soul gets yeeted into the body of a bullied high-school weakling… and he doesn’t just “act” middle-aged, he becomes it. The slouchy ahjussi walk, the way he scratches his neck when he’s annoyed, the tiny eye-rolls at teenage nonsense, the way he holds a cigarette (even when it’s just a prop), the exhausted “I’ve seen some sh!t” sighs… it’s all so scarily accurate that you forget you’re watching a teenager for entire scenes. There’s a moment in episode 3 where he threatens someone and you legitimately feel like a real yakuza loan shark is about to break your kneecaps, except he’s 170 cm of baby-faced high-schooler. He beat out grown adults for Best Actor at the 2024 Fantasia Festival for this role, and the second the international jury saw him do the “ajusshi neck crack + death glare” combo they just handed him the trophy on the spot. The fact he can flip from “terrifying 49-year-old gangster” to “awkwardly blushing when his classmate calls him cute” in the same episode and make both feel completely authentic is witchcraft.

Wearing that little half-tied school tie like a 47-year-old salaryman who gave up on fashion in 2003 is the single greatest detail in television history. The way it just hangs there, slightly crooked, screaming “I have a bad back and three divorces” while the rest of the class has perfectly knotted uniforms? Oscar-worthy costume design. Emmy-worthy acting. I need it framed. Every time he adjusted that tragic tie with the exhaustion of a man who’s paid too many bar tabs in his life, I lost ten years off mine. The commitment to the bit was unholy. "TIE-ud" Yoon Chan-young, the character that launched a thousand memes and zero fashion consultations.

About the the bromance:
It’s a bromance that keeps accidentally walking right up to the romance line, staring at it for a long second, then nervously stepping back while clearing its throat. Officially, the show markets itself (and ends) as a pure bromance / found-family story: two broken dudes (one literally middle-aged in a teen body, one emotionally stunted rich kid) who save each other’s souls, learn to feel things again, hold hands in the rain, cry on each other’s shoulders, live together, cook for each other, and have multiple “I’d die for you” speeches… but nope, definitely just bros being bros! The girls exist purely to:
~prove the leads are technically straight on paper
~give the leads someone to awkwardly reject so they can go back to intense eye-contact with each other
~disappear for entire episodes when the plot remembers they exist

So in the balance:95 % soul-deep male bond with zero chill 5 % “here’s a girl so no one can say it’s gay”
→ Net result = the most gloriously homoerotic “bromance” that somehow still got away with a 15+ rating and aired on TVING without ever saying the word romance.
It’s the drama equivalent of that one friend who says “no homo” right before hugging you for 45 seconds straight.

The girls show up like unpaid interns holding a sign that says “HETEROSEXUALITY HAPPENS HERE” for exactly 45 seconds, get politely friend-zoned with the gentleness of a customer service rep, then vanish so the real main couple can resume their 4K slow-motion eye-f*** across the school rooftop while sad piano plays.It’s the most respectful, softest rejection in drama history, followed immediately by:Lead 1: “Anyway, where were we?”

Lead 2: stares into his soul for 12 uninterrupted seconds
Camera: zooms in until you can count individual eyelashes
Me: this is homophobia… because it's such deliberate plausible deniability.
🤣🤣🤣

So, this really is worth watching for tne lead's performance alone. It’s legendary.

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Nice and easy watch...no stress!

What a nice surprise! I got hooked from the first episodes and was rooting for Yi Heon as he tried his best to put things right. It was refreshing to see someone teaching others the right way of life, and he was spreading his wisdom. I loved his friendship with Se Kyung and the positive influence he had on him. It is nice to have a friend you can rely on and who wants only the best for you. I liked the storyline, and the ending was satisfying for me as everyone was punished (that does not happen very often), and he could fulfill his dream of becoming a student.

It was a really nice easy watch, especially as it was refreshing to see the story in reverse, as we saw the worst happen at the beginning and after that things got better and better. No stress.

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When the bullied becomes a bully

Everyone like a revenge series or may be its just me and this is why I really enjoyed this comedy drama fantasy series. This series contains all the elements that I like; comedy, mystery, fantasy, bromance, friendship and an assortment of actors that can do justice to their characters. This series in retrospect is about the life of students constantly under pressure to excel, where losers are looked down upon and harassed.

The story as the name suggests, is about a gangster whose soul enters a down-on-his-luck, bullied and suicidal student. Making peace with the fact that he has practically dies, he sets out on a journey to improve t he life of the student before his inevitable return of his soul. What follows is a series of events, where our kind-hearted gangster learns more about the life of the student whose body he inhabits, tries to right the wrongs that he has faced all the while helping other people he judges going astray.

The beauty of the series lies in its simplicity and the mystery that hides behind the main characters. Why did Song Yi Heon commit suicide? What was the last conversation between him and Choi Se Kyung? How will Kim Deuk Pal, the gangster, help Yi Heon before his imminent demise? Will the bad guys learn a lesson and turn over a new leaf?

The series although with a simple story has complicated characters. Song Yi Heon has money but what he lacks is motherly care and a peaceful life in school. He is constantly bullied and beaten by the rapscallions at school, wants to befriend the popular guy, Choi Se Kyung but is termed a stalker, all in all a silent victim. Choi Se Kyung is pressured to perform by his successful father leading him to suffer from anxiety attacks. Kim Dong Soo, Kim Deuk Pal’s henchman wants to rebuild the gang after Duek Pal’s death only to be trapped and used by Lee Mi Kyung, our secondary antagonist.

In conclusion, this is a highly entertaining series that offers a unique blend of action, humor, and emotional depth. While the world-building could be tighter, the series excels with its strong performances and engaging premise. It's a perfect watch for those seeking a fun and thought-provoking escape.

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Can’t speak to the webtoon

I’ve read that they changed the romance aspect of the drama when adapting it from the webtoon. I haven’t read the webtoon, so I’m only reviewing the drama as it is.

I was surprised by how compelling I found this story. I hadn’t seen the actor playing the ML before and I was a bit worried by the opening episode because it seemed like his performance would be wooden. The more he plays Deuk Pal (as Yi Heon), the more I enjoyed his performance.

The relationship between Deuk Pal and Se Kyung is the real highlight of the series. It’s the most moving part, they’re mutually supportive of each other, and they sacrifice a lot to stay together. I liked how Deuk Pal never lost his heart and believed so much in redemption. I enjoyed watching Deuk Pal and Se Kyung keep each other hopeful.

I was also surprised by how interested I was in Deuk Pal’s attempts to give Jae Min a chance at a future. Obviously, he was worried about the kid going down the wrong path the way Deuk Pal did in his previous life. They had some pretty great moments story wise.

Really, my issues were that some of the acting (particularly the mother character and the female villain) was a bit melodramatic and cringey. I’m not sure what the direction was there. I also wish the female classmates mattered a bit more? Honestly, there were any well written, impactful female characters in this story in general. The housekeeper was very much just there to take orders. There were some aspects of the prosecution/legal battle that made no sense logistically. Also, i didn’t appreciate Deuk Pal telling Se Kyung to try to “understand” his abusive dad or asking the guy that stalked Se Kyung (and sold him out to that same abusive dad) to “take care of him”.

I’m guessing the BL aspect that was removed was between Se Kyung and Yi Heon?

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EXCITING and FUN that went downwards

I got super excited on the first 3 episodes, I was 100%ly entertained on how this drama started it was really fun regardless of what the makers of it censored of whatever stuff that was originally on this drama. School drama like this was so refreshing and I am so satisfied on how Yi Heon was finally able to get back against the bullies through Deuk Pal but the drama somewhat went downwards it got boring in the middle but not very much , it was still bingeable, It was somehiw sad that Yi Heon did not choose to live his life even it is great to Deuk Pal , it was actually a sad story but it was fun
I'd probably rewatch this again after a while.

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The ending was not it

The plot was good, honestly, but the ending didn't make sense at all. The gangster is nearly a 50-year-old man who lived 48 years, even if they were full of hardships and regrets. He still lived his life and even achieved his dreams when he got into the boy's body. At this point, he should have been the one to leave, not the young boy who didn't get to live a full 19 years.

The boy had a horrible life, so of course, he wouldn't know how valuable his life is and didn't hold on to it. In that scene, the gangster's duty was to let the boy stay and guide him. Instead, he accepted the fact that the boy didn't want to live and just let him go. That man DIDN'T EVEN RESIST! For me, that scene ruined the whole watching experience.

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Casting was on point

I was so in love with the cast?? Chan-yeong did an awesome job playing the strong Deuk-pal, and the weak Yiheon. Watching the show, I could see the moments with Se-kyung and Yiheon potentially being a BL, but I'm kind of happy it wasn't, because that would be a love story between an old gangster and a high school student...not sure if that's what the novel did, but this show was perfect the way it was. Bong Jae hyun had my heart the whole show! Something about him just caught my attention. His English lines just added more liking to certain scenes. The ending was a little sad because Yiheon just let go of his life like that, but I'm happy Deuk-pal got to stay with Se-kyung! I rated the music low because it wasn't memorable to me, but it didn't affect the end rating. I would definitely rewatch!

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Blown away by Bong Jaehyun's acting

I decided to watch this drama because I was looking for a mafia drama and then saw Lee Seo Jin was in it from Jinny's Kitchen. I was absolutely stolen by Bong Jaehyun's acting. I would love to see him in more main roles. I never paid attention to Golden Child but I will now thanks to Jaehyun.

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