Study Group

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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“I Create Opportunities Even in Hellish Situations”

A struggling student is determined to improve his grades despite his track record & inability to successfully study. To overcome this “flaw”, he forms a study group at his new school. But the school hierarchy isn’t okay with this new change, so the ML finds himself constantly having to defend & protect his new friends from the countless bullies. Thankfully, what he lacks in an ability to study he makes up for with his dynamite fighting skills. Look out, suckas, there’s a new her in class!

This is a really well-made drama. From the story, to the special effects, to the cast - it was all very well done. The pacing is good as it’s constantly moving the plot forward without much time to “slack”. Only having 10 episodes keeps it from dragging in the middle or relying on lots of filler scenes. Something’s always happening or about to happen so it keeps the viewers’ focus. And the fight scenes are just… whoa. I won’t even attempt to do them justice with my messy review, you just need to witness the awesomeness of the scenes for yourself.

Be warned this is bloody & gory. They don’t pull their punches (pun intended 😉). This drama is filled with fight scene after incredible fight scene. It’s dark & disturbing because it’s realistic in the horrors of HS (though I sincerely hope no HS is as bad as this fictional one!) It delves into the horrific world of bullying & how much damage it can cause. It tells the heartbreaking stories of so many youth who don’t necessarily want to be bad, they’re simply trying to survive & made the wrong choices. I loved seeing so many of the bully figures redeem themselves in the end - proving that sometimes people just need a chance to change & someone to show them the way while believing in them to succeed (like the ML & the wonderful teacher do here).

Alongside the gritty, though, is the geeky & cheesy to shed some light & bring some balance. It’s heartwarming & freakin’ hilarious because the ML is so totally clueless about everything that you can’t help but adore him. Kudos to Hwang Min Hyun for bringing this role to life so spectacularly! And, honestly, a round of applause for the rest of the cast too because they all did phenomenal in their respective roles. Villains, heroes, & grey characters alike! 👏🏻

The study group’s motto (taken from the ML) is:
“I create opportunities even in hellish situations”

They live up to this standard. Their perseverance & determination in the face of such huge adversity is admirable. The teamwork & bonds of friendship that develop are a joy to behold, not just between the initial five, but those outside the study group as well. The teacher is included in this, too, as she fights to protect her students & seek justice for her late mentor. {And can I just say that the scenes of the students protecting her are freakin’ awesome?!}

All it takes is one single person to make a change. One small spark to start a flame. One small ripple to create a wave.

Evil can’t be left to rule the masses - these students are brave enough to stand in its way. And I heard there’s a confirmed 2nd season so I can’t wait to see what’s in store for them next….

*****As a complete side note: this cast is overflowing with gorgeousness so if the spectacular fight scenes & wonderful storyline don’t do it for you, then the amazing eye candy will 🫠*****

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Absolutely Amazing!

This drama is one of the best, filled with action, comedy and friendship goals (in a fictional setting, of course)

The Story:
Although I haven't read the webtoon, the story is fun and exciting. The end of the season is definitely hinting to another season, but the season itself is solid, introducing the main squad and their backstory, as Ga Min helps them along the way. Yes, the story is not realistic but that's what makes it amazing. Adding that almost fantasy element into it brings it back to the webtoon and makes it more comical and epic. The irony with Ga Min with his studies compared to his results is a great opener to the story, and makes him relatable to many but also makes you curious why he's so passionate (which I assume will be explained further down in the series). The direction and the cinematography of how this is done, is so great and comical. It makes you hooked the whole time.

The characters:
Everyone on 'Ga Min's' side is adorable and are such strong characters individually, that when they all come together it's a huge power moment. Even though the season was just ten episodes, the character development with each character is not rushed and makes you love the characters so much more. In saying that, there is a lot more to be discovered and something to look forward to as well. Personally, the main antagonist, Pi Han Ul, is an amazing antagonist. He's not just a smart student, but his desire to even topple his father is a great enemy character. Compared to other high school villains, it's not just the brains but also physical strength that Han Ul has, or vice versa. He has a nice character balance with Ga Min, who is pure and simple minded compared to our antagonist.

The action and the OST's:
The intro and outro of every episode brings the hype by double. the whole soundtrack is gold.
This with the action scenes are a perfect match, it's the highlight each episode.

Overall, this show isn't a full 10 out of 10 due to it's somewhat incompletion, but it's amazing. The characters, the action, the emotion, the songs, everything is great. Following it's webtoon, this cartoon/anime like show is great for people who love comical yet intense battle series', you will absolutely love this one. It's nice and short and will make you want more.

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Short and fun live action Cartoon

Things I liked:

- a drama that appeals to all ages despite being set in high school
- ML's emphasis on studying is so refreshing and honestly sets up a good precedence to most school based shows. There was also a fair bit of heartwarming and motivational quotes that aims to teach the viewers a good lesson about the importance of being motivated, studying in schools, friendship and loyalty despite violence being the main theme.
- light-hearted comedy with some mysterious tone
- excellent acting, there was no weak link, everyone played their roles perfectly
- some great background stories + redemption
- mind-blowing action choreography. The mysterious uncle and his forbidden techniques were things I was looking for during every episode. The action sequences were surreal in a good way
- perfect hip OST
- sets up nicely for another season, while giving a good resolution to this season without any cliffhangers

Things that could have been better:

- more episodes for a better fleshed out plot
- some character's backgrounds were not developed well, some were developed well but went nowhere. Some characters looked important with good background story that took a lot of screentime in an episode(s), but were completely absent from other episodes. Eg: the blonde thug had one of the most interesting character development, but he showed up too late, while Ji U's twin brother went missing for 90% of the season (understandably so) after the first episode. The main antagonist didnt play a significant part until much later and even then we hardly get to see what motivates him to act the way he does. There is also a bit of contradictory emotions I got when I see him: is he truly evil? did he kill the previous teacher? he confessed to hating his father, who seems much worse than him, so does that mean he is doing this to attain power to dethrone his more evil father? He showed glimpses of humanity when he spoke to his teachers (both former and current homeroom teacher) and I have a feeling he had plenty of chances to hurt Ms. Lee (he confessed it in the final episode) but didnt go through it. I would have loved to see him have more screentime so we can get a better sense of his character, alas maybe we see something in Season 2. The other character that bothered me was the dead teacher's son who mysteriously showed up to save Ms. Lee in the first episode and doesn't really have a huge screentime despite a good character build-up. Hopefully we see more of him in the next season too.
- Finale needed at least another 10 minutes to wrap nicely. Pacing was odd, it ended too abruptly. This was the first time the ML and antagonist fight seriously. I wished they fought a little bit throughout the show so the tension between them is more palpable and the fight in the climax becomes even more noteworthy.

Overall, I really enjoyed it and 100% recommend for those who enjoy comedy and action with wholesome characters. This is one of those shows that should have gotten hour long 16 episode season, alas, hopefully there is another season. For an action packed drama, the story had a lot of heart.

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So much fun!

This was a blast to watch! The cast was phenomenal, the fight scenes were entertaining, and overall it had a pretty great message. This is the best found family story I’ve seen in a while so that was greatly appreciated. I also really liked that the female characters mattered and we even get 2 kickass female fighters.

The show did humor really well and I laughed out loud quite a few times. The set ups for jokes were done well. There’s tons of swearing but it was done in a way that actually made sense. So, kudos to the writers for knowing how to use swear words well and correctly.

The stand out relationships to me were between the 2 girls and the number 2 student and Ga Min. But overall, I liked the group.

My only real issue was with the show was the “oh no, the study group is being broken up” plot happens like 3 times. It got a bit repetitive which was confusing because I honestly think this show could’ve either been a couple episodes shorter or a few longer.

If they’d expanded on the other members of the study group finding their own ways to help out with the gang problem and expanded on the blond guy being a part of the group, it could’ve been longer. Especially with the training sequences. I also would’ve liked some more background on the dead teacher’s son. He’s barely in the show, to be honest. If they’d cut down to maybe just 1 “oh no, the group is breaking up” plot, it could’ve been shorter.

Regardless, this was a lot of fun! I look forward to seeing these cast members again. Especially the lead actor. He did a really great job!

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