Second chances and box tissues.
» [Review # 13] «
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High School Return of a Gangster is a story about friendship, acceptance, and self-love, but beyond that, it's a story about second chances. What seemed at first just a school-setting comedy with a sprinkle of supernatural elements soon turned out to be an emotional, profound slice of life of modern South Korean society.
There is no room for shallowness.
▶︎ The frustration of a middle-aged gangster turned high schooler ◀
The first portion of the drama is, without a doubt, funny and enjoyable. Witnessing the struggle of a middle-aged gangster in the body of a high schooler is something else. Everything is new to Deukpal: slang, high school, different body shapes, and so on.
But all these comedic intercourses still bear the weight of a suicide attempt. I loved how the drama never tried to minimize the struggles of Seong Yiheon and his will to die.
▶︎ Difficult topics ◀
This drama deals with various sensitive topics: bullying, suicide, parent strictness, lack of aspirations, and self-love, just to mention a few.
None of them is approached inappropriately, and each gets the attention needed.
High School Return of a Gangster doesn't sugarcoat these issues. It presents them only as they are and tries to show how one could handle them.
Wrongs can be forgiven but never forgotten.
The protagonists, as well as the rest of the main characters, emerge more mature and aware.
▶︎ Final considerations. ◀
High School Return of a Gangster is a symbol of redemption. The gangsters, the bully, and even the bystander Choi Sekyeong get to redeem their wrongdoings.
What first seemed just a comedy turned out to be a heart-wrenching story about wrongdoings, emotional scars, and lack of help from adults. All from the teenagers' perspective.
The finale is a ray of hope, a joyful anthem to friendship and life.
PROS:
- Reincarnation/second chance at life tropes are what I live for;
- Difficult topics addressed properly;
- Mental illnesses and struggles of the main characters are a major plot point and are addressed properly and with the care they need;
- Deukpal/Yiheon are such cuties.
- I'm all in for more than a bromance between the gangster-turned-high-schooler and Choi Sekyeong > BL drama Gods you know what you should do.
- The redemption arc of Hong Jaemin was coherent and believable;
- The gangsters were better Justice Heroes than the society itself (parents, police, prosecution, etc.)
CONS:
- No BL (jk, kinda);
- NOT a no-tissue drama > be prepared;
- Topics mentioned throughout the story might be too much for sensitive people
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