Friendly Rivalry (2025)

A Chaotic, Twisty Drama Where Everyone Needs Therapy or Jail

Everyone in this drama either needs therapy or jail. And honestly? I enjoyed it.
This drama is about high schoolers doing things they normally wouldn’t—crossing moral lines, making impulsive choices, and spiraling into chaos. It starts when Seulgi transfers to an all-girls school in her final year before the CSAT exam. There, she meets Je I, a rich girl who is dangerously obsessed with her.

From the start, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a simple school drama. It had an intense atmosphere, filled with mystery, psychological tension, and a sense of unpredictability that kept me hooked. I won’t pretend I fully understood everything that was going on, but the drama was undeniably entertaining. It threw in countless twists, and the characters made so many drastic U-turns that some of their actions stopped making sense. Still, I kept watching, trying to piece everything together.

➽Cinematography & Symbolism: The Art Behind the Chaos
One of my favorite parts was how each episode introduced the characters—it was so cool and stylish. The cinematography was visually stunning, and the metaphors were clever and fun to analyze. One of the best examples was the way they portrayed drug use—particularly the scene where Seulgi was studying "underwater." The imagery perfectly captured her struggle, making it one of the most memorable moments for me.
I also loved the use of water symbolism throughout the drama. It played a significant role in representing emotions, escapism, and control. Je I’s room, with its sea theme, was such an interesting detail—almost foreshadowing how water would eventually become her final escape.

➽The Storytelling: Messy But Addictive
The storytelling was good but chaotic. At times, it felt weird and rushed, as if the drama was trying to do too much at once without giving enough time for proper closure. Some plot points were hard to follow, and a few character motivations didn’t entirely make sense. But despite all of that, I couldn’t stop watching. Even when things felt confusing, the intensity and unpredictability made it gripping.

➽Relationships: Obsession, Love, and Moral Ambiguity
The dynamic between Seulgi and Je I was one of the most intriguing parts of the show. There was no clear, straightforward explanation for their relationship, but one thing is for sure: they looked at each other in “lesbian.” The tension, the obsession, the unspoken emotions—it was all there.
Then there’s Yuri and Choi Kyeong, who were a surprising but welcome addition to the story. Their relationship and interactions brought an unexpected layer to the drama, and I really liked how their storyline unfolded.

➽Acting: A Standout Cast
One thing I have no complaints about is the acting. Every single actor did an amazing job. The intensity, the emotions, the psychological depth—it all came through in their performances. Whether the characters were unhinged, desperate, or manipulative, the actors made every moment feel real.

➽ Je I’s Father: The Real Villain of the Story
If there’s one character that deserves to be called truly evil, it’s Je I’s father. He wasn’t just strict—he was a full-blown control freak who locked up his own daughter and treated her like a puppet. He was so obsessed with power and perfection that he completely broke both his daughters, pushing them to the edge of sanity.
The moment Je i finally escaped him by throwing herself and her sister into the sea was both tragic and symbolic—water became her final act of defiance, her way of taking back control.

➽I thought the ending was fine—beautiful and fitting for the drama's vibe. Honestly, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. It felt somewhat closed yet still open.


➽Final Thoughts: A Wild, Messy, Yet Engaging Ride
This drama was far from perfect. It tried to do too much, leaving some things confusing and unresolved, but despite its flaws, I enjoyed the ride. The psychological depth, the symbolism, the intense relationships, and the cinematography made it a compelling watch.
It might not be for everyone, but if you enjoy dramas with complex characters, psychological tension, and a touch of chaos, this one is worth checking out.

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Expected more...

I'll start from the beginning - the main reason why I started to watch this kdrama is because based on trailer, it was supposed to be mix of genres - school, detective, thriller, maybe GL. I know that GL series and movies in SK..well, very rare. And even if the series based on GL webtoon, then probably all GL stuff will be cut out from the series/movie. The only good, popular GL drama which I can remember is Handmaiden. I didn't expect from Friendly Rivalry something similar, but trailer looked promising. BTW, I'm not a big fan of LGBT series, but if they have a good story, I'll watch them...and probably because I'm a guy, I prefer GL movies and series. And as far as I know, GL in SK is much less popular than BL. So... I was hooked.

First 8-9 episodes were good. Not great, but good, interesting, with small detective parts, and mind games between Jey and Seulgi. You basically didn't know what to expect from Jey, what's on her mind, and this fact made the whole story even more interesting. So, the first half of the series, I would rate with 8. Pretty good story for its genre.

But after episode 9....I don't know how to describe it properly, maybe because of my bad english, but in simple words - story became overcomplicated, characters change their behavior almost every episode, transition between scenes became less fluent, more random. everything felt rushed, and the story's main theme changed completely. All gl stuff like in episode 4( I know it was a dream but still) and how ML look at each other in episode 8( don't tell that this how best friends look at each other, because it's not) was almost removed. Episodes 13-15..and especially 16 have too many strange, stupid, absolutely unrealistic scenes. I would rate the second half - 4 out of 10...but because ending wasn't as bad as I thought, I will rate the whole story with 5. It doesn't mean that I like the ending - it just not the worst, considering where story went. Below few thoughts about particular scenes, especially ending.

SPOILERS( BTW, I'm new here, so if anyone knows how to hide spoilers in review, please tell me)

I'm not a big fan of open endings, especially like in this series.
1). Box from Jey. If this a farewell gift( considering her words about shoes), why would she sent the photo? It's like - "Good Luck with your exams. I'm in your hometown. Farewell!" It's strange in my opinion. And who brought the box??
2). Jey's dad. Basically, this man has nothing to lose now, and he's stalkering Seulgi like some maniac, waiting for her to reveal Jey's whereabouts. Even if Seulgi would like to go to Jey, if we consider that gift means "run away to me" how would she do that, if even her step-mom said that they can't move to another place, because Jey's dad is watching them?
3). What happened to Jey's sister after the events of the final episode? Everyone knows that she's alive now, but what's next? Where is she now?


Also, Ye Ri interactions with Byeong Jin. In first half there were plenty scenes, where she looked at him in a special way, but then they had only few interactions between each other. What was the point of those scenes in the first half?

It looks like as if in the middle of the series, screenwriters decided to change the script completely. And those changes weren't good.

I don't believe in theories that in the final scene it was Seulgi who was riding on skate, because proofs to that is similar to proofs when GoT was airing, and after some teasers there were lots of theories like "Oh look, this shadow reminds of the character who died in the first season, so he's alive". Basically, I don't think that this series needs second season( even though there are a lot of events from the original webtoon which wasn't in series, but considering how the series script differs from the webtoon's story, and considering the ending...it's gonna be hard to make a proper story ), but maybe special episode or at least Q/A with the main cast about some scenes.

SPOILERS END

So, after all this why did I rated this series with 7? Because of acting and chemistry between cast. All four girls nailed their roles, especially Hyeri. I never watched anything with her, but I heard that here she played completely different character, not like her previous roles. And she nailed it. And her chemistry with Chung Su Bin is something not from this world) To be honest, I watched every new episode almost immediately after it aired, not because of the story, but because of their interactions. Also, Oh Woo Ri...amazing job. Interesting character, great acting, awesome chemistry with Kang Hye Won and Chung Su Bin.

I assume that, if there was another cast, and actresses wouldn't be as good as thoses four ( although Kang Hye Won was the weakest in terms of acting among them, in my opinion), this kdrama would receive much worse reviews and reception. But because of the acting. dedication of Hyeri and the whole cast, good cinematography, and considering that this series had very low budget, I can't rate it less then 7. Unfortunately, because of the second half of the series, even though there were great scenes, I can't rate it higher.

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