Anime Live Adaption Turned Kdrama
Okay. So let’s start at the very beginning—Study Group episode 1. My expectations? Decently high. My feelings by episode 5? Flop era. I genuinely debated dropping it because it felt like the characters were aimlessly walking through an edgy webtoon backdrop with the emotional range of wet cardboard. But then… THEN… the drama pulled out a sneaky little Uno reverse card on me and episodes 6 to 10 came in swinging like Gamin's kicks—aggressively, illogically, but undeniably effective.
• EPISODES 1-5: THE “WHY AM I HERE” ARC
This was Study Group’s weakest stretch, and honestly, I was bored. The character introductions felt scattered, the stakes felt low, and the only thing being studied was my patience. Characters like Heewon felt undercooked, the “study group” aspect felt weak and goofy, and the fights were already reaching anime-level dramatics with zero emotional weight to justify them.
Rating for these eps? 6.5/10 at best. It was like being promised an intense academic-turned-battle drama, and instead being handed anime filler episodes with mid pacing and teen rage.
• EPISODES 6-9: THE “WAIT THIS IS KINDA FIRE??” ARC
Then something miraculous happened. Episode 6 hit, and suddenly I was invested. The pacing picked up, the character arcs deepened (finally), and the fights? Still ridiculous—but now they had emotional context, which made them 10x better.
Characters like Sehyun got fully fleshed out. Jiwoo became more than just a pretty face (though she still deserved more depth), and even Heewon, annoying little gremlin that she was, had a moment of comedy gold with the “I have Gamin’s baby” line. Give her a tiny slay for that.
Oh, and let’s not forget: Yun Gamin's plot armor is literally made of vibranium. Like bro broke down a digital security door with some light cardio. I don’t care if he trains like Saitama, that door should’ve held up. Plot convenience was served hot and fresh every single time.
Rating for these eps? A solid 9.2/10. They carried the whole show.
• EPISODE 10: THE “LIVE. LAUGH. ANIME LOGIC.” ARC
I have so many feelings. Let’s be real: the ending was satisfying for what it was. If you weren’t super invested, it gave enough closure to walk away happy. It tied back old characters, delivered emotional climaxes, and wrapped up arcs in a clean way. But if you really cared about the characters and needed resolution to some of those unspoken things (cough Jiwoo and Lee Jun cough, I was robbed of their dating era), then you’re left staring at the screen like: “That’s it???”
Also. We need to address the final fight scenes. The punches-colliding-breaking-windows trope? The walls crumbling from impact like we’re in Dragon Ball Z?? I get that it’s supposed to be stylized, but sweetie, this is high school. These are students. Why did a classroom wall collapse like someone summoned a Jutsu?
Still. There was something kind of heartwarming about the ending. Heewon's entry with all the characters of past episodes was insanely cold. Everyone showed up for that one big dramatic happy moment. It gave that classic “we’ve targetted eachother throughout the whole show but gotta come together to save our teacher" camraderie, and I ate it up.
Rating? 9.5/10 for vibes, 7/10 for logic.
THE MAIN CHARACTER MISSING HIS DEPTH?? YUN GAMIN.
This needs to be said: Yun Gamin, our protagonist, seriously lacked backstory. I’m talking zero family dynamics, no clear insight into his past, and no clear reason for his desperate want to ace his studies. Why does he have a 10 p.m. curfew? Why is studying his only personality trait? What drives him? None of it is explained. He was reduced to this “I fight for my friends” + “I love studying for mysterious reasons” + “I’m too dumb to get into college but I still try” blueprint. And like… that’s not a character, that’s a motivational poster.
I’m sure the webtoon probably did him more justice, but for first-time viewers like me, Gamin felt like a hollow lead—especially when surrounded by side characters who had actual arcs. His development was more implied than explored, and that’s a major miss.
THE ACTUAL BEST ARC? SUN-CHEOL SUPREMACY.
Listen. Blonde Boy ate. His entire arc—trying to prove himself, fighting to study and succeed for the sake of his grandfather’s pride, to become a great man for him—was genuinely moving. It’s the only part of the show that made me cry, and I don’t mean like a casual sniffle. I mean I was bawling. That scene hit so hard because it was grounded. Relatable. Human. His struggles weren’t about absurd fight scenes or anime logic. They were about wanting to be enough for someone you love. He deserved every minute of screentime, and honestly? He carried emotional depth for the whole cast.
SHIPS THAT SUNK BEFORE THEY SAILED: JIWOO x LEE JUN
The slow-burn, the DIALOGUES, THE LOOKS—everything was giving “rivals to lovers.” Lee Jun literally lived rent-free in Jiwoo’s mind during her final battle. His words were her motivation. His words were her anchor. Her epiphany. And you’re telling me… NOTHING came of that? After all that flirtation?? I feel robbed. Like genuinely pickpocketed by the writers. Just give me a hand-hold or something. A shy smile. A nod. ANYTHING.
This was such a missed opportunity, and I will never not be bitter about it.
FINAL VERDICT
Study Group started off like an underwhelming school fight drama and transformed into a full-on live-action anime experience. Once you accept the absolutely bonkers logic and lean into the over-the-top style, it actually becomes… fun. Heartfelt. Even powerful at times.
BUT. It’s also flawed. The plot armor is real. The group dynamic never really fully came together. It was pretty endearing but I would have liked to see them hangout once in a while outside the study group, maybe a small montage would have nice. The romance was non-existent despite all the baiting. And let’s be honest—there’s still too much left unsaid.
If it gets a Season 2 (which seems unlikely as far as I have read), it could fix a lot. But even if it doesn’t, I’ll remember this one as a messy, ridiculous, unexpectedly gripping drama that made me yell at my screen multiple times.
Rating: 8.0/10
Vibes: 11/10
Physics laws broken: 78
Deserved ships sunk: 1
Emotional whiplash: Severe
Would I recommend it? Only if you're ready to watch a drama that lowkey thinks it's One Piece.
• EPISODES 1-5: THE “WHY AM I HERE” ARC
This was Study Group’s weakest stretch, and honestly, I was bored. The character introductions felt scattered, the stakes felt low, and the only thing being studied was my patience. Characters like Heewon felt undercooked, the “study group” aspect felt weak and goofy, and the fights were already reaching anime-level dramatics with zero emotional weight to justify them.
Rating for these eps? 6.5/10 at best. It was like being promised an intense academic-turned-battle drama, and instead being handed anime filler episodes with mid pacing and teen rage.
• EPISODES 6-9: THE “WAIT THIS IS KINDA FIRE??” ARC
Then something miraculous happened. Episode 6 hit, and suddenly I was invested. The pacing picked up, the character arcs deepened (finally), and the fights? Still ridiculous—but now they had emotional context, which made them 10x better.
Characters like Sehyun got fully fleshed out. Jiwoo became more than just a pretty face (though she still deserved more depth), and even Heewon, annoying little gremlin that she was, had a moment of comedy gold with the “I have Gamin’s baby” line. Give her a tiny slay for that.
Oh, and let’s not forget: Yun Gamin's plot armor is literally made of vibranium. Like bro broke down a digital security door with some light cardio. I don’t care if he trains like Saitama, that door should’ve held up. Plot convenience was served hot and fresh every single time.
Rating for these eps? A solid 9.2/10. They carried the whole show.
• EPISODE 10: THE “LIVE. LAUGH. ANIME LOGIC.” ARC
I have so many feelings. Let’s be real: the ending was satisfying for what it was. If you weren’t super invested, it gave enough closure to walk away happy. It tied back old characters, delivered emotional climaxes, and wrapped up arcs in a clean way. But if you really cared about the characters and needed resolution to some of those unspoken things (cough Jiwoo and Lee Jun cough, I was robbed of their dating era), then you’re left staring at the screen like: “That’s it???”
Also. We need to address the final fight scenes. The punches-colliding-breaking-windows trope? The walls crumbling from impact like we’re in Dragon Ball Z?? I get that it’s supposed to be stylized, but sweetie, this is high school. These are students. Why did a classroom wall collapse like someone summoned a Jutsu?
Still. There was something kind of heartwarming about the ending. Heewon's entry with all the characters of past episodes was insanely cold. Everyone showed up for that one big dramatic happy moment. It gave that classic “we’ve targetted eachother throughout the whole show but gotta come together to save our teacher" camraderie, and I ate it up.
Rating? 9.5/10 for vibes, 7/10 for logic.
THE MAIN CHARACTER MISSING HIS DEPTH?? YUN GAMIN.
This needs to be said: Yun Gamin, our protagonist, seriously lacked backstory. I’m talking zero family dynamics, no clear insight into his past, and no clear reason for his desperate want to ace his studies. Why does he have a 10 p.m. curfew? Why is studying his only personality trait? What drives him? None of it is explained. He was reduced to this “I fight for my friends” + “I love studying for mysterious reasons” + “I’m too dumb to get into college but I still try” blueprint. And like… that’s not a character, that’s a motivational poster.
I’m sure the webtoon probably did him more justice, but for first-time viewers like me, Gamin felt like a hollow lead—especially when surrounded by side characters who had actual arcs. His development was more implied than explored, and that’s a major miss.
THE ACTUAL BEST ARC? SUN-CHEOL SUPREMACY.
Listen. Blonde Boy ate. His entire arc—trying to prove himself, fighting to study and succeed for the sake of his grandfather’s pride, to become a great man for him—was genuinely moving. It’s the only part of the show that made me cry, and I don’t mean like a casual sniffle. I mean I was bawling. That scene hit so hard because it was grounded. Relatable. Human. His struggles weren’t about absurd fight scenes or anime logic. They were about wanting to be enough for someone you love. He deserved every minute of screentime, and honestly? He carried emotional depth for the whole cast.
SHIPS THAT SUNK BEFORE THEY SAILED: JIWOO x LEE JUN
The slow-burn, the DIALOGUES, THE LOOKS—everything was giving “rivals to lovers.” Lee Jun literally lived rent-free in Jiwoo’s mind during her final battle. His words were her motivation. His words were her anchor. Her epiphany. And you’re telling me… NOTHING came of that? After all that flirtation?? I feel robbed. Like genuinely pickpocketed by the writers. Just give me a hand-hold or something. A shy smile. A nod. ANYTHING.
This was such a missed opportunity, and I will never not be bitter about it.
FINAL VERDICT
Study Group started off like an underwhelming school fight drama and transformed into a full-on live-action anime experience. Once you accept the absolutely bonkers logic and lean into the over-the-top style, it actually becomes… fun. Heartfelt. Even powerful at times.
BUT. It’s also flawed. The plot armor is real. The group dynamic never really fully came together. It was pretty endearing but I would have liked to see them hangout once in a while outside the study group, maybe a small montage would have nice. The romance was non-existent despite all the baiting. And let’s be honest—there’s still too much left unsaid.
If it gets a Season 2 (which seems unlikely as far as I have read), it could fix a lot. But even if it doesn’t, I’ll remember this one as a messy, ridiculous, unexpectedly gripping drama that made me yell at my screen multiple times.
Rating: 8.0/10
Vibes: 11/10
Physics laws broken: 78
Deserved ships sunk: 1
Emotional whiplash: Severe
Would I recommend it? Only if you're ready to watch a drama that lowkey thinks it's One Piece.
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