Study Group

I loved it!

"Korean Drama 'Study Group' is an absolute delight, offering viewers a delightful escape into the world of a high school that is as entertaining as it is heartwarming. The storyline centres around an eclectic group of students who form a study group, but what unfolds is far more than just academic pursuits. Each episode is peppered with humour, making it a light-hearted journey through the trials and triumphs of teenage life.

The series expertly crafts a narrative that is both engaging and relatable, bringing to life the colourful personalities of its characters. From witty repartee to laugh-out-loud scenarios, 'Study Group' maintains a playful tone that makes it a joy to watch. The chemistry among the cast members is exceptional, and their comedic timing enhances the overall fun factor of the show.

Beyond the laughs, 'Study Group' also offers touching moments of friendship and personal growth, creating a depth that resonates with audiences. The beautifully crafted scenes and engaging dialogues make it an addictive watch, ensuring viewers are hooked from start to finish.

The drama's light-hearted approach is complemented by a vibrant soundtrack that perfectly captures the youthful spirit of the show. The upbeat music enhances the viewing experience, adding an extra layer of enjoyment to each episode.

Overall, 'Study Group' is a wonderfully entertaining drama that provides a much-needed dose of joy and laughter. It's a feel-good series that leaves viewers with a smile, making it a perfect choice for anyone looking for a charming and fun-filled drama adventure."

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A Brutal, Brilliant Clash of Brains and Brawls

If you’ve ever judged a K-drama by its title, Study Group might sound like a slice-of-life school romance with a few emotional lessons sprinkled in. But let me stop you right there—this isn’t a drama about flashcards and midterms.

This is a visceral, high-stakes action drama disguised as an academic pursuit, and it’s one of the most underrated action dramas of 2025.

The fight choreography in Study Group is not just good—it’s cinematic, grounded, and brutal. Every punch lands with weight. Every fight scene is emotionally charged. Whether it’s Ga-min standing alone in a hallway against five attackers or an all-out brawl in a classroom, the action isn’t just about violence—it’s storytelling in motion.

Despite the intense action, Study Group has heart. At its core, it’s about agency, transformation, and defying labels. Ga-min doesn’t want to be the guy people fear—he wants change, and he wants to lift others up with him. That goal is never cheesy. It’s earned through each episode as the stakes rise.

One of the biggest emotional anchors is Lee Han-kyeong, a teacher with her own complicated past, played brilliantly by Han Ji-eun. She’s not a damsel, nor is she a cookie-cutter mentor. Her relationship with Ga-min is layered, respectful, and filled with unspoken emotional tension—never romanticized, but incredibly powerful.

Hwang Min-hyun proves he's more than just an idol-turned-actor. He brings nuance, physical presence, and vulnerability to Ga-min.
Cha Woo-min as Pi Han-Wul is unpredictable and charismatic—playing the “is-he-friend-or-foe” card with flair.
Supporting cast members aren’t just background—they get mini arcs that add flavor and realism to the story.

Study Group is the rare school drama that balances emotional depth with pulse-pounding action. It’s about redemption, friendship, survival—and most surprisingly, hope.

If you’re into gritty high school dramas with a strong narrative backbone and fight scenes that actually serve the plot, this one deserves a spot on your watchlist.

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Decent show that didn't delivered as it could have done

NO SPOILER PART: The start was great, it makes you go into the story, describe well the 2 main characters, Ga-min and Se-hyun and make you understand how the school works. The first part of the story is all about creating this study group and going through all the difficulties that the school rules give to our heroes, but all start to go worse in the second part when they focus more on showing off how the villains use their authority and how much power they have in the society and this all because they fail in that goal. (Read the spoiler part to undertand what i mean)
Nothing to say to the acting because all of the main actors delivered, especially Lee Jung-hyun wich was the first time i saw (Minhyun and Cha Woo-min were awesome but i already knew them before). The best part of the show were the fight scenes, full of special effects to be honest but they succeded in their missions, give a high-boost of adrenalyne.

SPOILER PART:
Said that, the drama didn't have nothing more, starting from the writing of the villains. You known almost nothing of them, especially of Min-hwan so i can't see how you can be threatened by someone who you don't even know why he behave like this. Talking about Han-wool it seems like they wanna draw him like a completely sadic person with no specific reason of being evil, for example the overused reason of being forced by the situation of having a bad family, and that is reinforced by the only discussion Han-Wool and his father have in the drama when the son demonstrate to have no fear of his dad, and for me that isn' a problem itself because i'm pretty bored with the same annoying backstories of the villains to show their problems and insecurities before their redemption so you can empathize. The problem is when at the end you see Han-wool have a deja-vu of the professor he killed while looking at Han Ji-eun character and almost start crying like he magically understand in 3 seconds all the bad things he did and starts to feel guilty.

Basically it was a show that uses the easiest things to hype you like good fights with rap music in background but when it comes to characters (especially the villains but for me also the 2 girls) and plot building fails miserably and that is a shame

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a successful adaptation?

This review is from the perspective someone who read and knew about study group before the adaptation. I started the drama very invested and enjoyed it for the most part but felt rather unsatisfied with the ending. This might be because of my love for the Webtoon and having been reading it since I first found it about 3 years ago but I do think my issue can be applied in general.

Starting from the intro the series immediately had me hooked. Study Group thrives on its cartoonish and humorous depiction of the plot and the characters. Even when the plot thickens and the suspense is building up the drama doesn’t fail to make you laugh. Gamins character plays a big part in this. Though he might appear to be smart and even calculated he more often than not is very unaware of his surroundings, his desire to study being his focal point in life. This is a personal opinion but I particularly appreciate the female characters. Different from other shows of this genre there are multiple female characters deeply involved in the plot and not just on the side lines. All of them are able stand their own and fight for themselves and others. Additionally, there is no unnecessary romance added. The general plot stays mostly to the source material, though it was heavily shortened. Cutting out a lot of the drama is an understandable means to creating a coherent and not overbearing adaptation, especially since the original has more than 200 chapters. reason why the drama was able to match the vibe of the Webtoon so well, was because of the editing of the camera work. Adding a lot of slow-motion and effects certainly helped create a comic-like and entertaining vibe. I usually never watch the intro of a show but, I think a lot of people would agree, the really nice animation complimented by the catchy music had me watch it every single episode. I also want to give the actors and the casting team their credit. All the actors fit the characters incredibly well and are delivering a solid performance. Especially, SeHyeon’s actor had me deeply involved in the character and his storyline.

*disclaimer: this part contains spoilers for the drama and Webtoon*

As I said, my biggest issue with the drama was, that the ending left me feeling unsatisfied for multiple reasons. The first being the character of Pi HanUl. I loved his character in the Webtoon because he wasn’t your generic one-dimensional villain. Admittedly, I don’t remember all the details from back when I read the Webtoon but HanUls and the stories surrounding his chracter stuck with me. He never got a redemption arc but you learned about his backstory and motivations. Something you never get to do in the drama. For one, he had a deeper connection to the former teacher than it might have seemed like to others. Different to the drama it wasn’t him who had her killed. Though the drama hints at their relationship and his backstory one or two times, the scenes are left to be ambiguous and never explained. I was waiting for a deeper exploration of his character but felt disappointed when he got arrested and was left as a rather surface-level character who was simply kind of a bad guy. I think the feeling of there being more to him than just a horrible person isn’t exclusive to people who know the Webtoon. There are moments when he talks with his father and it seems like there is more to their relationship but it never is brought up. It is also never explained why he does the things he does. On the surface it seems like he is a recruiter for his father’s gang and therefore established the ranking system among students, putting himself at the top. But is that really all there is to him? He never really loses his cool or shows emotions leaving the viewer with only a surface level of understanding.
The other issue I have is connected to the storyline of the former teacher who died, or more specifically her son. There isn’t any closure to the story and the involved characters, especially Geonyeop. Originally, he is a morally ambiguous and inscrutable character. It is difficult to tell where is priorities lie and if he actually is a friend to the study group. This made him very interesting to read about. I was excited to see him come to life but was left disappointed. His character was more of a tool to the plot, coming to the rescue whenever needed and disregarded otherwise, than his own person. The best example might be his ending which doesn’t really exist. Though it was his mother who got killed, he doesn’t get the chance to show his anger, grief or confront the perpetrator. When arrested HanUl and GeonYeop do look at each other but it’s nowhere near an appropriate end to the son finally finding and arresting the killer of his mother. There is barely any attention on his character outside of his ability to fight, which I find really sad as he was one of the most interesting to read about originally. As he is a side character I understand that he won’t have as much screen time as others but I still think that he should have gotten more attention from the writers as he is the most involved in the backstory.

* spoiler end *

While I acknowledge that knowing the source material might have made make me overly critical, I do believe it also helps highlight the dramas shortcomings. Things that maybe don't really stand out when casually watching but become noticeable when paying attention. All the shortcomings considered, I still very much enjoyed watching study group and I believe it is an amazing watch for people looking for light action and enjoy a comic-like touch. The charm of the drama definitely lies in its characters and ability to lighten the mood without taking away from the action. The story could have been tied up better with two or more episodes and more attention to the side characters and their backstories. Especially, since these sidestories were included or at least hinted at a deeper exploration could have added a lot to the complexity and general flow of the series. Despite it's shortcomings, the series is able to convey the essence of the chracters and the story of Study group.
If there is a second season, I hope they explore all the characters a bit more and give them their own purpose and backround outside of their relation to the study group. Still, I enjoyed watching Gamin and his friends fight for their right to study and a chance at a better life than what might be expected of them and would call this a solid adapatation.

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Delivers a fresh mix of action, comedy, and strong group dynamics

Study Group offered an interesting blend of action and comedy within a high school setting—a mix I haven’t seen often.

The drama maintained a solid pace without any moments that felt unnecessary. It was hilarious watching Yun Ga Min’s relentless efforts to keep his study group together, staying completely unfazed by everything except his studies. Each member of the group also had their own moment to shine through individual subplots, adding depth to the story. The strong chemistry among the group members made their dynamic even more enjoyable to watch.

The casting was well done, with Hwang Min Hyun anchoring the drama as Yun Ga Min. The rest of the study group—Lee Jong Hyun, Shin Su Hyun, Yoon Sang Jung, and Gong Du Yu—also delivered solid performances, contributing to the drama’s charm.

Would highly recommend this!

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Good but Different from the WebToon

As some who read the webtoon I couldn't help but feel like they rushed through everything. I had high expectations and as some of them were met I can't help but think this show could've been better. Of course it could have a lot to do with the fact that Korea refuses to pursue more the 1 season of a show but I believe this show could've maintained a good audience for multiple seasons. There were many little details and quick fillers that they could've explored but failed to realize or just ignored that would've either furthered the plot or expanded the character development. Again it was good but it could've been better if they followed the original content. If you read the webtoon you'll know that even if they make a second season it'll be a bit confusing introducing the many characters that are in the webtoon. Still if you don't know the original content it is a very fun watch that most would enjoy, especially if you're a fan of old school kung fu style movies.

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