Friendly Rivalry

Very strange drama

During the first few episodes, I was really excited. I was really enjoying the story, but at a certain point, I felt like the drama was starting to lack sense and increasingly strange things were happening. The moment I saw a teenager performing surgery, I really felt like the drama had lost all logic. At many other moments, very absurd things happened. I also feel like the characters aren't very well constructed, and the romance could have been much more than it was, or really wasn't, because it only lasted one episode and there were many confusing twists in the story. I think it was a confusing and slightly strange story, but I must say that I enjoyed watching the drama. It's not a drama I would watch again, but it really is a drama to watch if you're bored one day.

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A challenging but rewarding love story

It seems like a lot of viewers go into Friendly Rivalry expecting GL, and end up feeling betrayed or baited. I had the opposite experience. I didn’t have high hopes for the GL aspect going in, and I ended up blindsided by an intense, emotional, and very queer love story. This is now probably my favorite GL series.

If you’re expecting a traditional romance, where the characters confess and start dating, I can understand why you would be frustrated—Friendly Rivalry isn’t one of those. It also isn’t *just* a love story, so if you’re looking for romance and nothing else, you might be disappointed. I won’t lie, I had my own queerbaiting concerns in the second half, when there’s less focus on Jae-yi and Seul-gi’s relationship, and I wasn’t sure where the story was going.

But I have no idea how someone could watch this series all the way to the end and come away thinking it’s *not* a love story. Like…how? If Friendly Rivalry revolved around a het pairing there would be absolutely no question if the characters were in love or not. Why are we holding queer stories to a stricter standard? Why do we need them to be *more* conventional to be “real”? Straight love stories don’t all have to be romcoms, do they?

Okay end rant. Friendly Rivalry is one of the most impactful stories I’ve experienced in a long time. The characters completely capivated me. All the actors are perfect in their roles, but Lee Hye-ri and Chung Su-bin as the leads are phenomenal. Jae-yi and Seul-gi are my Roman Empire. Their chemistry is off the charts, and their relationship is so complex—there’s jealousy and resentment, heartbreak and betrayal, but at the bottom is pure love. (And yes it is clear that they are attracted to each other. Folks let’s be media literate please.)

Honestly the GL elements are about as straightforward as Friendly Rivalry gets. Because while it’s addictive and easy to binge, it’s also demanding. I don’t want to sound like that Rick & Morty reddit post (“To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ…”) but I think FR goes over a lot of viewers’ heads—my own included. I’ve seen it all the way through twice, and I’m starting it a third time, and I’m still noticing details in almost every episode that I either completely missed or didn’t understand. The writing is *dense* and there’s almost no handholding. Just following the plot takes effort, and almost every scene contains symbolism or some hidden clue.

I don’t actually recommend binging the series because there is just so much to absorb. It’s better to take some time to process each episode, especially in the second half when you’re expected to fill in a lot of the gaps and connect the dots yourself. It can get exhausting tbh, and the plot towards the end is probably more convoluted than it needs to be. That and the focus drifting a little too far away from Jae-yi and Seul-gi for while (mostly in eps 10-13) are the main flaws.

If you can meet it halfway, though, Friendly Rivalry is richly rewarding. I’m in awe of how much thought and care was put into every frame. The director spent about three years working on the script, and you can tell—most things that seem unbelievable at first have a logical explanation, and the characters are multilayered but consistent. The symbolism adds further layers of depth. And on top of that the show is just beautiful. I would never have guessed that this is a low-budget production because everything from sets to costumes to cinematography looks amazing, especially the underwater scenes.

Friendly Rivalry might not be for everyone, but it was definitely for me. This is exactly the kind of love story about messed-up girls saving each other from their trauma that I needed.

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My Review of the“Friendly Rivalry”

After watching Friendly Rivalry, I can honestly say it’s one of the more unique K-dramas I’ve seen recently. From the very first episode, it pulled me in with its intense atmosphere, subtle tension, and the complex relationship between the two main characters. I’m giving it an 8 out of 10, and here’s why.

The story takes place in an elite all-girls school, where a new student, Woo Seul-gi, transfers in and quickly crosses paths with the school’s queen bee, Yoo Je-yi. What follows is a twisted and layered relationship—part friendship, part rivalry, and something deeper that’s never fully spoken out loud but always felt. That blurred line between closeness and competition was one of the most intriguing aspects of the entire show for me.

The acting was excellent. Both leads were incredibly strong in their roles. Hye-ri as Je-yi had this magnetic, unsettling presence—she was captivating to watch and you never quite knew what she was thinking. Chung Su-bin did a great job portraying Seul-gi’s emotional turmoil and quiet strength. Their chemistry carried the entire series and made every scene between them feel charged and meaningful.

The plot itself was well-paced for the most part, though I’ll admit the middle episodes slowed down a bit. There were moments where I felt like certain storylines didn’t really go anywhere or were stretched longer than needed. But the mystery surrounding Seul-gi’s past and her father’s death added an emotional and even thriller-like edge that kept me interested throughout.

What really stood out to me was how the drama tackled darker themes—academic pressure, emotional manipulation, trauma, and identity—without turning into melodrama. It’s not your typical light high school romance. It’s heavier, more psychological, and at times morally ambiguous. That’s something I personally appreciated, as it gave the series more depth and weight.

One area where I was slightly disappointed was the way the potential GL (girl love) dynamic was handled. There was undeniable chemistry between the two leads, and many scenes hinted at a deeper emotional or romantic connection. But the show never fully committed to it, and that left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. It wasn’t outright queerbaiting, but it did feel like they were playing it safe by keeping things ambiguous.

Still, overall, Friendly Rivalry was a compelling and emotionally engaging drama. It was beautifully shot, the music matched the mood perfectly, and the psychological tension kept me hooked. It’s the kind of show that leaves you thinking even after it ends.

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Get ready to be hardcore queerbaited

This was originally promoted as a GL which is primarily why I was excited about starting this show in the first place. I mean I wasn’t surprised when I found out that they ended up censoring out most of the plot but it still felt so incredibly unfair that they hinted at a very clear queer relationship but then just abandoned it because of said censorship lol.

Korea, please stop taking GLs and turning them into straight passing shows.

Korea has been getting a lot more confident about making BLs but not GLs? Just straight up annoying and frustrating.

However, that aside, it was a really cool premise. Good plot and character development, I wish episodes were longer or if they kept the same duration of episodes but added more eps i would also be happy about that. Nevertheless, the actors did well and showed a lot of chemistry between each other but I can’t help but go back on my point about how queerbaiting this entire show was.

Atleast we got a kiss scene, but even that isn’t something to be happy about since it’s apparently a dream lol…but I guess i’ll take what i can get. Hopefully gls only progress from here on out.

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A unique and captivating watch

I absolutely loved this show. This is a drama that I will remember for a while.

It's definitely different from most dramas I watch. I liked the focus on the main storyline instead of just a couple going through the usual drama arc. I personally don't care for the overdone kissing and cliches, which is why this show stood out to me. This has left me wanting more of this type of production.

This is one of the few dramas that had me dying to know what was going to happen in the next episode. The cast also did an excellent job. This show had all the suspense and mystery to keep me interested, along with the hints of GL (another thing that made it unique).

I do wish the ending was more fleshed out. That is my only complaint.... or just make another season.. I'd like that even better.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama 'Friendly Rivalry' is a school drama about an obsessive relationship between two classmates and a dark secret.

The drama has impressive cinematography, especially when it came to presenting the characters. The psychological drama was also well handled and presented, and that added to the dark mood of the drama.

The plot was also enjoyable, though the finale was rushed and the twists, some of them at least, didn't make a lot of sense.

The characters were also interesting and the performances were all great by everyone in the cast.

So, overall, seven out of ten.

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Decently good watch!

TLDR BELOW!! | Spoiler safe! | Includes some character discussion but NO spoilers!

I'd like to categorize Friendly Rivalry as a perfect show for eating to/after a long day of work or school/reward episodes etc. The episodes are about 30 minutes and for the most part, they are organized well. I really enjoyed the first half of the season and it honestly had such a good hook so it's pretty easy to get in to. I also liked how many of the episodes kinda had like a flashback/context scene for different characters before the intro cut scene (it gave a lot of character context and I'm so grateful for it). Downside though, the last few episodes of the series felt a bit rushed IMO... They brought up a lot of potential problems in the middle of the season and I think it might've not been completely necessary because it made the ending seemed too rushed. For example Nam Byeong-jin AKA the drug provider thug guy TT, I was geniunely so confused with his impact. Like I couldn't tell exactly what his motives/who's side he was on besides the fact that he just wanted to be rich. Which I guess in hindsight would be his ultimate motive but for me it got a bit confusing at points. IDK might just be me though. I think this show was definitely good and enticing but it's ending failed in terms of what it could have been (based off of how good the beginning was)

Moreover, the acting in this show was phenomenal. I specifically want to point out how I LOVE Lee Hye-ri's acting (actor of Yoo Jae-i) Like her micro-expressions are just perfect. Plus her character as a whole was also so interesting. I do agree that it was more fun deciphering who's side she truly was on in the beginning as I feel like it was more obvious towards the end.

I wish there was more context behind Jae-i's father though... (ifykyk) I don't think a season 2 is necessary but if they really focus on one singular point then I think it can be executed well.

BTW If you wanted to watch this for GL I would say this specific show does not go super in depth with that so take with that as you will. However, I don't think it was overdone or anything if anything it was mostly underdone. Disclaimer: I don't watch GL's so what I say might not be completely accurate!

TLDR:
1. Easy, digestible watch!
2. Some rushing towards the end - some parts of the story not completely explained IMO
3. Beginning of the show is great, great hook, acting, plot
4. GL components are primarily tension based except for one scene that is dream based

Other notes: Good music, cinematography, camera skills etc.!

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Hoping for Season 2!

The first time I watched Friendly Rivalry, I had no expectations at all. I was interested in watching it because some people mentioned that the drama had GL elements. I also didn’t know anything about the Webtoon version or how the story would unfold.
But after finishing two episodes, I found myself naturally enjoying the story. I started liking the plot, the characters, the actors, and their acting. In my opinion, from episode 1 to episode 16, everything was a solid 10/10.

However, there are some flaws throughout these episodes that were a bit distracting. The pacing felt somewhat rushed at times. Some scenes felt incomplete, yet suddenly transitioned into another, making the viewing experience a little confusing. Oh, and the episode duration was also very short—only around 30 minutes per episode, with some even being under 30 minutes.

But this is understandable, maybe they are still testing the waters with this drama, which is why there are some minor shortcomings.

With the open ending in the final episode, I really hope they produce a second season. Hopefully, with a bigger budget, slightly longer episodes, no abrupt scene cuts, at least English subtitles, and a legal streaming platform for international fans.

At first, I only liked the actors who played Seulgi and Jay, but in the end, I found myself enjoying almost the entire cast—including Beomsu 🤭.
I hope more people become interested in watching this drama and that it gains even more popularity!

The GL scenes in this drama aren’t many—there’s only a kiss scene between Jay and Seulgi, and even that happens in Seulgi’s dream :). Compared to other GL films, it’s quite different because this drama doesn’t focus on that aspect. However, even though the GL scenes aren’t as strong as in Thai GL dramas, every interaction between Jay and Seulgi is enough to give you butterflies 😉.

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Characters and themes are so important and integral to this triller

I think it's important to note that the story/plot and the themes are very integral to the flow of the story and how it showcases each character's personality and flaws. To me the building of relationships, with each character's backstory and the complexities of it all then ties in, to why those relationships (including the GL) are how they are. So, I think every scene is important and makes sense as to why the story story is as. Also I totally understand why many people wanted the specific main characters, Jaeyi and Seulgi to be together, clearly and confirmed but to me the representation and the complexities have to be taken into consideration.

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