Study Group (2025)

Iconic and not just for "deh childryn"

This series to me exudes quality and ambition for stellar smack in the face entertainment. This is not just "for kids" - this is graphic violence and hilarious comedy for any appropriate age group for the rating of 18+
There was never a dead moment and every episode grabbed my tired old attention span right center. Some aspects even gave me some Clockwork Orange wibes, without any obvious nod per se. Yes, the old ultra violence thrilled this ahjumma.
Caracter development excellent and interesting as well as the storytelling. OST needs mention, especially the Backpacker opening track. I haven't had this much fun watching "yet another teen drama" for a long time.
Highly recommend for young, middle and old alike. I suspect the genx world population may enjoy this especially well. Thank you study group. Keep on keeping on and create opportunities even in hellish situations! 🤘🫰🤙👏

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one of those that reminds me why i love kdramas

so much fun. not perfect but this just has that classic kdrama feel with a group of lovable misfits that you're just going to root for and of course, a compassionate teacher that would fight tooth and nail for her students. a straightforward story with so much heart and a humor that just works. fun action scenes with a lot of moments that tug at the heartstrings. i broke my "avoiding dramas with bullying" thing for this one and i'm glad i did because as much as those scenes are hard to watch, the joy these characters gave me was greater. although, a suspension of disbelief is definitely needed. just trust that those 10th graders are doing all this lmao gamin basically has superpowers and you just gotta let go and enjoy. and also believe these aren't grown GROWN adults lol

ultimately, the narrative was about kindness and friendships. the gamin-sehyeon dynamics is just one of my favorite things ever. despite having a shorter running time than the usual kdramas, i think they did well exploring those two's similarities and differences. the other characters are also so much fun to watch. i think this ensemble has so much chemistry together. i do wish the villains are more interesting and complex i guess than what we got but, hey, they were definitely getting the negative emotions out of me so it still worked. just thought there could be more. nothing groundbreaking with the ending but i don't mind. (are they hoping for a season2? i haven't read the source material so i assume there's more to it. honestly, i'm not a fan of kdramas having season two's now but hey if ever, i will be tuning in for this one)

so yeah, i had a great time with this one. this was so fast-paced and just entertaining. these are my children! :)

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VERY GOOD LIVE ACTION!

this series is like the less serious version of ‘Weak Hero Class 1’!

Ga Min wants nothing more than to excel in his studies and eventually get into university. he’s diligent, but he struggles with taking effective notes and studying properly. to overcome this, he decides to form a study group where members can motivate and teach one another. the problem? his school is overrun with thugs and bullies who care only about violence.

core story: the study group tries to fight against the system.

what i like:
- the fight scenes are very well-executed! the action is exciting, and it really feels like the webtoon has come to life.
- there are moments of humour and warmth that keep things from feeling too heavy.
- Hwang Min Hyun is surprisingly good in this role!!! i watched the behind-the-scenes, and he actually did all the stunts himself. his acting doesn’t look awkward at all— and even if it does at times, it fits the genre of this drama.
- the cast is wonderful! i love the members of the study group and the teacher. they all have different personalities and don’t feel one-dimensional. the bullies actually look and act like bullies, and the crazy ones really seem crazy.

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Korea's Clark Kent who is a studious One Punch Man | Best of 2025

High-school dramas about bullying and injustice are common, but "Study Group" stands out with its larger-than-life fights and overpowered (OP) character. Though I haven't read the webtoon, I love the shonen-style action and comedy. What sets it apart is the depth it offers through a larger universe, unique characters, and their motives, adding layers to the main story. These narratives are special because, while we can't be OP characters in real life, it's immensely satisfying to see underdogs win and just characters triumph over injustice.

In Short: "Study Group" follows GaMin, who trains his body to enhance his brainpower. He forms a study group at his new school, constantly tested by a gangster-like student who runs the place. GaMin and his group showcase their resilience and win the respect of other students by "Creating Opportunities Even in Hellish Situations."

From acting and action sequences to comedy, deep emotional backstories, suspense, and the overall vibe of good vs. evil, this drama is entertaining from start to finish. I've seen Hwang Min-Hyun before, but this is his best role yet. The drama, while complete in itself, leaves us hoping for sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and more. If they maintain this style, I guarantee those would be masterpieces too.

Special shoutout to the main OST: Back Packer (https://youtu.be/7gb8xOAPX3Y?si=nUg8fw7fF7dkueqa) - an epic, un-skippable opening theme that I'll probably overuse in everything! 🎶

2025 has started great and is setting benchmarks one after the other. First came Truama Code which though a different story has the same vibe of action/larger than life characters, and now Study Group - both entertaining in every minute of its runtime & highly recommended for watch and rewatches!

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Fun-Packed Action, topped with Friendship and Resilience — a 10/10 watch

"I create opportunities even in hellish situations." Yun Ga Min

I binged all eight episodes the day before the final two dropped and let me tell y'all, I've never had this much fun binging something, to the point that I regretted not watching this on air, cause I'm going to miss them so much now that it's over.

Study Group was so much fun to watch. I was touched by the friendships, their fight to improve their school, and the sheer want to study. It was fast-paced, with no boring moments, hence I binged all eight episodes all in one day, lol, which is a rare occurrence for me nowadays. The fight scenes were pure cinema, so fun and dynamic. They could look a bit over the top, but it worked perfectly in this drama. I loved how the camera work and angles were in symphony with what was happening in the scenes; it made it more immersive.

The cast was brilliant, no matter the role everyone was so good at portraying their character. We had a bunch of talented up-and-coming actors, as well as some established actors. I adored the friendship that blossomed between our Study Group members, it was so organic and I loved their interaction and banter. I have no words for these kids, they made me so happy, emotional and proud at the same time, especially Se Hyeon. Although I keep telling myself I have no favourites, Se Hyeon managed to score that special place. My beautiful boy, I'm so happy he and Ga Min found each other.

The character arcs in this drama were some of the most beautiful ones I've seen, especially Sun Cheol's with his grandfather. I found Pi Han Ul to be a fascinating villain, he had this aura to him. I usually straight up hate the bullies but he made me question him right till the end. Cha Woo Min is that actor, I'm always so fascinated by his versatility.

The final episode was my favourite, I loved how even most of the bad students came together at the end, that scene with Hui Won screaming and swearing was hilarious to watch.

Special mention to the OST, which was phenomenal. I love every single track, and the rap and hip-hop went so well with the fight scenes, making them more exciting to watch.

Study Group is about resilience and the power of getting back up no matter how many times you fall or fail. It's about building friendships and standing together no matter the circumstances or consequences. It was about how hard it is to have dreams and hopes, but still never give up on them. Yun Ga Min is such a strong, resilient and admirable character. Honestly, to have that much passion to be good at studying even after all the setbacks and failures he had was so admirable. Even I would have given up, honestly, anyone would, but he inspired us to do even better and not let small things feel like the end of the world. Hwang Min Hyun, I love seeing your growth as an actor!

A 10/10 watch. Please watch it, and I hope you have just as much fun as I had. Even if it's not everyone's cup of tea, I'm sure everyone can find something they relate to or can take away from this. 🙂

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Unrealistic ? Yes. Entertaining ? Absolutely !

This is one of the rare times when I loved a drama from start to finish and managed to follow it weekly, eagerly waiting for new episodes to drop, without ever losing interest, even slightly ! That’s how much I loved it !

Honestly, I wasn’t even planning on watching this drama at first (as usual for me), but my curiosity got the best of me. I ended up watching the first two episodes, and I was blown away. (Yes, I know I might be exaggerating, but I really liked them that much).

The storyline was fun yet engaging and interesting, the characters were really likeable with really entertaining personalities, and the fight scenes were amazing. Sure, they were totally unrealistic, and our MC was clearly overpowered, but that’s exactly what made it so enjoyable, in my opinion. They kept that webtoon/anime vibe in the story, which I think many viewers who hadn’t read the webtoon weren’t expecting. That made it stand out from other similar dramas and just so much fun to watch ! The humor in this was also great and felt really natural, as if the characters were unintentionally funny and I absolutely loved that.

Honestly, this was such a great show, I had way too much fun watching it. The only significant "downside" for me is that, since it was quite short (only 10 episodes of 40 minutes each), at times, the story felt a bit rushed. We would quickly jump from one plot point to another, and I wish we had more time to explore certain aspects, especially the backstories of some characters introduced along the way. It didn’t significantly bother me, but I do hope that if we get a second season, we’ll have the chance to dive deeper into these elements.

Aside from that, this drama was amazing from start to finish and has definitely earned a spot on my rewatch list. If you’re expecting something realistic and deeply emotional, like Weak Hero Class 1 (mentioning this one because I believe many viewers came in expecting something similar), keep in mind that this is not really that kind of show. However, if you can turn off your logic for 40 minutes and just enjoy a fun ride, you’ll probably love it as much as I did !

Side note : This drama is really similar to Mashle anime but in a high school K-drama form. I really enjoyed Mashle, so it’s no surprise that I loved this one too ! Also, the OST is fantastic !

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Stay in school

Study Group is likely to be remember as one of the best dramas that South Korea release in 2025. I am not kidding. The entire premise and the situations these kids face in school it's outlandish but the narrative it's told in such a fun way, the viewer gets hooked immediately.

Our lead, Gamin, is a nice person. He doesn't have problems at home, he doesn't struggle financially and it's, overall, a happy and healthy teen. His only problem is that he sucks at studying and needs help ASAP because no matter how hard he tries, he never achieves his goal of going up in the school's ranks. This is obviously an issue because he dreams of going to University. He has always dreamt of creating a Study Group. A community of peers with his same goal to better themselves and grow as people, and that's what he sets out to do in high school. If only it was that easy.... Gamin and his friends have to fight tooth and nail in order to study.

This kdrama is all heart and style, which I love. The story is compelling, the script cohesive and coherent, putting an emphasis on the the characters' development as teens learning to be good people as they grow into adults. The viewer gets to see the kids go through growing pains, laugh and cry with them.

The camera work and special effects are outstanding, creating some of the best action scenes you will see this year, and going on hand with the incredible performances delivered by the cast. Nothing is amiss in this production, and I would go as far as to put it among other great kdramas like MOVING and Weak Hero Class 1.

My one, tiny complain would be that I wish we would have find out more about our main antagonist and another mysterious character, but the ending of this kdrama leaves room for a possible second season. So, considering the big hit this kdrama has become domestically and internationally, I would not be surprised if that's exactly why there wasn't more information about them. Either way, I had a really good time with Study Group and I highly recommend it.

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I´ll add this into the category of “Short & fun”

This was the perfect show to watch whilst I was in bed with a cold. Overall, it´s a very fun show with likeable characters and a simple plot. Don´t expect a masterpiece from this one but I´m still happy I watched this and I´m looking forward to a continuation of the show.

What I Liked:
- I genuinely liked a lot of the characters, including some of the villains. Would like to see even more of the side characters backstories.
- It did not drag, and the second half of the show is as good as the second half, which is not always the case for Kdramas.
- Yes, it´s unrealistic but to be honest I didn´t mind it at all? Its not trying to be realistic and grounded. Its clearly supposed to be a bit goofy. I usually don´t like when live action shows are shot like the webtoons (or Animes) but I didn’t mind it here.
- The intro slaps!

What I liked less:
- The show does not really have any emotional weight to it. The stakes are very low and it´s to a certain extent predictable. This makes the show lack an emotional punch (jokes) and ends up a little bit flat.
- I´m writing this after S2 has been announced. However, I finished the drama prior to the announcement so I will still add this point here: I feel like the ending was too open ended? I do think a S2 makes sense for this drama because there are quite a few characters that was a bit underdeveloped that I would love to see more of. The end also felt a bit rushed, and I ended up being a big confused to be honest.

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Review

Okay, so i finished watching this drama. I have also read it's webtoon. first of all I would give straight 8.5 ratings even though everything was nice. it was apt with the webtoon and according to a drama this should be perfect. if this was not based on a webtoon I would have definitely rates 10. I was expecting more of study group's fight and anticipated ga min's and pi han ul's fight to be more intense than shown. they have missed many major plots. first they have not shown the geon yeop's part of revenge and actions. second they have not included the orphan Chinese guy who also fights against the yeonbaek people. these people fight against them in a ring and gm coming back from airport and supporting them in the end. then the construction sight there's a guy who also fights on par with ga min. and his energy drink. i remember these major points. I hope they bring S2 and s3 focusing on these.
Thank you!


I would recommend everyone to watch it and I am not disappointed with this direction and writing of script. worth the watch.

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"if society were like this school..."

So says one of the characters in Study Group. Is Korean society in some ways like that school?

The biggest hindrance to upward mobility - the ability of a person born into poor circumstances to improve their financial situation - is corruption. As the baddie in drama says, "I can give them anything they want, money or connections." Using this ability he controls all the students at school, as well as the administration who run the school, as well as the police who try to investigate his crimes. He can do this, because he is the son of a chaebol, who also controls all the resources.

In books I have read coming out of Korea at the moment, there is a growing sense of despair among young people about their future. They work so hard to get an education, and then they struggle to get a job. The job market is competitive, and the system favors networks and connections, so for an outsider there is little chance of breaking in. Once in, they face long hours and bullying bosses. There is a sense that there is no hope for young people to achieve anything of value in their lives.

This is the backdrop to this drama. However, the drama tries to instill hope. If you work hard, you can make progress. Corrupt people can be called to account. Getting good grades is not everything, but helping your friends, supporting each other, you can have a worthwhile life. This is the message of hope this drama would like to spread.

For this reason, it is uplifting, as well as funny and a very entertaining watch.

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