Some people smoke. I don't; I think it's gross. But some people smoke IRL, so some people smoke in movies. Actually,…
So, even though you know it is stinky and gross and bad for you, if you moved to France, you would start smoking? When you see a murder mystery film, do you feel tempted to go murder someone?
If someone tries smoking because they saw it in a film or drama, they were probably going to smoke anyway. That's on them.
No other women on Earth can shriek like Korean women can shriek. Not even close. :) I've needed an excuse to mention this for a very long time. The female ERPB officer is hilarious, the way she can finish off a shouted command with an ear-piercing high tone...ouch!
The computer nerd on the ERPB gets more entertaining with each episode. I sense romance in the air.
I'm blown away by the performances of the actors playing students. In this episode, the bullied girl and the lead bully do some gobsmackingly powerful work. I hated him intensely but at the same time admired the actor who was portraying him. The actress playing the girl had me in tears with her realistic performance. Outstanding.
To this point, all the actors playing parents have been great, too. B*st Kdrama I've seen in a long time.
I thought Korea was #1.What country occupies that spot?
Sorry. :P I was totally joking. See the little winking/smiling symbols right after that statement? Yes, the last thing I would do is give that asshole the satisfaction.
I thought Korea was #1.What country occupies that spot?
Sorry. :P I was totally joking. See the little winking/smiling symbols right after that statement? Yes, the last thing I would do is give that asshole the satisfaction.
Although, for about 3 weeks after he won the election in 2024, I was a bit of a wreck as were many, many other sane people. I didn't sleep for three nights. It was horrible. We are such a f*cked-up country.
I thought Korea was #1.What country occupies that spot?
Oh my gosh, yes. That show was powerful.
I just looked, and the US suicide rate is #5 out of 38 OECD nations. Obviously, we have plenty of problems here that drive people to extreme measures. :(
I thought Korea was #1.What country occupies that spot?
Oh, usually Korea is ranked #1 among OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) nations. Several countries in Africa and SC Asia have higher rates of suicide than Korea, but OECD rankings are a more accurate picture, comparing Korea to its peer nations.
I'm American. I'm curious why you thought the US would have a high rate of suicide. I've considered it myself since Tr*mp seized power 18 months ago. ;)
This is an emotional watch for me. I've watched many Asian films and dramas about bullying, mostly in Korea. I've seen so many kids bullied relentlessly, and frequently, the stories don't end happily. Seeing the ERPB deal with bullies the same way the bullies deal with those they persecute is incredibly satisfying. I'm vicariously living through The Man as he brings justice to the victims of bullying.
The use of violence on these kids, and they are kids, gives me pause now and then, but seriously, how else would you deal with such sociopathic people, other than to give them some of what they have dished out? It's also satisfying to see the enabling, amoral parents being taken down.
There have been bullying cliches here and there that could have been handled differently, but overall I'm enjoying this show.
"At several points, it felt closer to a parody than a serious school drama."My take, after two episodes,…
I don't know...Over the last seven years, I've really loosened up in my perceptions of what's acceptable in a live-action production. A dear MDL member whose opinion I fiercely respect helped open me up to all sorts of things in dramas and movies that I wouldn't have put up with before that. Seven years is the time I've been near-obsessed with Asian film and drama.
Maybe seven years ago I wouldn't have liked this show, I don't know. What you said about characters not being developed struck me because I feel the key characters are well-presented. With this one-school-per-episode structure in mind, I felt I got a solid idea of who and what certain characters are, given that we're operating within a 50-minute time limit.
There's not enough time in an hour to develop every character and show their background and circumstances, though that was done well with a couple of students in episode 2. And we're learning over time more and more about The Hero, his military and marital background, and his connection to the guy who put together the anti-bullying organization.
You express yourself well. It's clear you're no dummy. :) I'm not either, so we are at an impasse made by personal preferences, I suppose.
Maybe I'll let you know what I think after I finish all the episodes. :D Thanks for the discussion.
The awesomeness continues. I love how the series is combining action, drama, and comedy to make social commentary and entertain at the same time. We even have some Wuxia stuff going on in fight scenes! How great is that?
I had high expectations for this drama because of the cast, the director, and especially the premise. While some…
"At several points, it felt closer to a parody than a serious school drama."
My take, after two episodes, is that the series is meant to combine parody/drama. It's an action/comedy/drama. The unrealistic, "fairytale" elements are deliberately written that way, which adds to the fun, and allows the show to make points it otherwise doesn't have the time to make in a serious, drawn-out way. I mean, do you actually think the director/writers intended for the audience to take as real the over-the-top parts of the action/fight scenes?
For example, in the second episode, where our hero takes on about 45 Yakuza wannabes, at the climax of the fight, it became extremely stylized, with the action, complete with exaggerated back-flips and broken bones, taking place under harsh light from above in a pouring rainstorm and an all-black set. It was a beautiful few moments of creative film making and made the scene ten times more dramatic.
We had dudes flying through the air doing somersaults like Chinese Wuxia characters, and you thought that was meant to be taken as real? No.
The supporting cast, mostly students, is both hilarious and heartbreaking at different places. We have The Three Stooges, and I Saw the Devil in the same show, and it's truly great.
This show combines drama, comedy, and action successfully so far, and delivers some strong social commentary at the same time. Likewise, the over-the-top reactions from teachers/whomever are entirely intentional, and have worked as both comedy and drama, depending on which moments we're talking about. I have laughed, cringed, and cried through two episodes, and I hope the rest are as powerful.
You seem to have a definition in your mind of what a show containing cultural/social commentary has to be to be taken "seriously." Thus, you don't know how to process a production like this, which challenges your preconceptions.
Wow. This is the show the Korean educational, political, and social establishments have needed for a very, very long time.
I am thrilled to see Netflix get behind a production like this, which is being shown around the world, and it tcan't be a thrilling thing for the Korean powers-that-be to see. I'm hoping that additional public pressure on the issue of school bullying will arise as a result of this show.
Of course, the powers that be will likely turn their guns on the Korean company that produced this show, but with Netflix behind it, I don't imagine that would be a wise move. However, never underestimate the slimy ways of the Korean elite. They nearly always find ways to make their adversaries pay.
As for episode #1, I was wondering how the story could keep this momentum going through all episodes. Now that it appears the ERPB Man will move on to another problem school, and I assume that will happen with each episode, I get how this will go.
Kim Mu Yeol - Outstanding in this role. He has impressed me elsewhere, but this feels like a character he was born to play. Lee Seung Gyu - This young man has a career ahead of him, I think. After what his bully character did throughout episode 1 that had me wishing for his destruction, it is quite a feat that at the end of the episode, I was feeling some compassion for him. People aren't generally born monsters, they are made into them. It was nice to see some bullies held to account and pay a real price. Lee Bong Joon - As the bullied student lead in episode 1, this guy was impressive as well.
Bravo to all!
On to episode 2. I want to see some more bullies get what's coming. :)
Holy shit. I'm only 1/3 of the way into the first episode, and had to come here to comment:
This is amazingly CATHARTIC!!!
I have watched countless Korean school bullying movies/shows, because I'm into that shit and love rooting for the underdogs, which means I also watch those underdogs take unbearable physical/mental/emotional abuse from bullies. Watching these first 15 minutes has already partially healed my wounded heart, broken for all those victims.
I hope this can maintain its momentum thru all episodes. After #1, that is definitely a challenge.
I don't understand why Se Joon raped the girl at the end... Was it out of jealousy or what? I honestly didn't…
He was obsessed and infatuated with Yoonjae, but he came to believe that the girl was hot for Yoonjae too, when all the way to the end she was hot for Sejoon. He never saw the milk carton with love note that she had left for him, he only saw the "will you forgive me" one she left for Yoonjae at the same time.
He didn't know that, though, and being his deeply troubled self (home life was a nightmare), and unable to express his affection for Yoonjae openly, he turned his frustrations and anger on the girl. To punish Yoonjae, he raped the girl that Yoonjae liked as revenge.
Deeply twisted I know, but that's what makes it a good flick. :)
It's a mostly one-sided love/obsession thing with lots of romantic/sexual tension between the male leads, all from one side, which is what feeds the story to its climax.
1 
1 
When you see a murder mystery film, do you feel tempted to go murder someone?
If someone tries smoking because they saw it in a film or drama, they were probably going to smoke anyway.
That's on them.
Best. Episode. Yet.
No other women on Earth can shriek like Korean women can shriek.
Not even close. :)
I've needed an excuse to mention this for a very long time.
The female ERPB officer is hilarious, the way she can finish off a shouted command with an ear-piercing high tone...ouch!
The computer nerd on the ERPB gets more entertaining with each episode.
I sense romance in the air.
I'm blown away by the performances of the actors playing students.
In this episode, the bullied girl and the lead bully do some gobsmackingly powerful work.
I hated him intensely but at the same time admired the actor who was portraying him.
The actress playing the girl had me in tears with her realistic performance.
Outstanding.
To this point, all the actors playing parents have been great, too.
B*st Kdrama I've seen in a long time.
I was totally joking.
See the little winking/smiling symbols right after that statement?
Yes, the last thing I would do is give that asshole the satisfaction.
I was totally joking.
See the little winking/smiling symbols right after that statement?
Yes, the last thing I would do is give that asshole the satisfaction.
Although, for about 3 weeks after he won the election in 2024, I was a bit of a wreck as were many, many other sane people. I didn't sleep for three nights. It was horrible. We are such a f*cked-up country.
Another stupid, made-up "controversy."
That show was powerful.
I just looked, and the US suicide rate is #5 out of 38 OECD nations.
Obviously, we have plenty of problems here that drive people to extreme measures. :(
But, wow, Korea really is in a league of its own.
https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/suicide-rates.html
I'm American. I'm curious why you thought the US would have a high rate of suicide.
I've considered it myself since Tr*mp seized power 18 months ago. ;)
This is an emotional watch for me.
I've watched many Asian films and dramas about bullying, mostly in Korea.
I've seen so many kids bullied relentlessly, and frequently, the stories don't end happily.
Seeing the ERPB deal with bullies the same way the bullies deal with those they persecute is incredibly satisfying.
I'm vicariously living through The Man as he brings justice to the victims of bullying.
The use of violence on these kids, and they are kids, gives me pause now and then, but seriously, how else would you deal with such sociopathic people, other than to give them some of what they have dished out?
It's also satisfying to see the enabling, amoral parents being taken down.
There have been bullying cliches here and there that could have been handled differently, but overall I'm enjoying this show.
What country occupies that spot?
Maybe seven years ago I wouldn't have liked this show, I don't know. What you said about characters not being developed struck me because I feel the key characters are well-presented. With this one-school-per-episode structure in mind, I felt I got a solid idea of who and what certain characters are, given that we're operating within a 50-minute time limit.
There's not enough time in an hour to develop every character and show their background and circumstances, though that was done well with a couple of students in episode 2. And we're learning over time more and more about The Hero, his military and marital background, and his connection to the guy who put together the anti-bullying organization.
You express yourself well. It's clear you're no dummy. :) I'm not either, so we are at an impasse made by personal preferences, I suppose.
Maybe I'll let you know what I think after I finish all the episodes. :D Thanks for the discussion.
The awesomeness continues.
I love how the series is combining action, drama, and comedy to make social commentary and entertain at the same time.
We even have some Wuxia stuff going on in fight scenes!
How great is that?
My take, after two episodes, is that the series is meant to combine parody/drama.
It's an action/comedy/drama.
The unrealistic, "fairytale" elements are deliberately written that way, which adds to the fun, and allows the show to make points it otherwise doesn't have the time to make in a serious, drawn-out way.
I mean, do you actually think the director/writers intended for the audience to take as real the over-the-top parts of the action/fight scenes?
For example, in the second episode, where our hero takes on about 45 Yakuza wannabes, at the climax of the fight, it became extremely stylized, with the action, complete with exaggerated back-flips and broken bones, taking place under harsh light from above in a pouring rainstorm and an all-black set. It was a beautiful few moments of creative film making and made the scene ten times more dramatic.
We had dudes flying through the air doing somersaults like Chinese Wuxia characters, and you thought that was meant to be taken as real? No.
The supporting cast, mostly students, is both hilarious and heartbreaking at different places. We have The Three Stooges, and I Saw the Devil in the same show, and it's truly great.
This show combines drama, comedy, and action successfully so far, and delivers some strong social commentary at the same time.
Likewise, the over-the-top reactions from teachers/whomever are entirely intentional, and have worked as both comedy and drama, depending on which moments we're talking about.
I have laughed, cringed, and cried through two episodes, and I hope the rest are as powerful.
You seem to have a definition in your mind of what a show containing cultural/social commentary has to be to be taken "seriously." Thus, you don't know how to process a production like this, which challenges your preconceptions.
That's too bad, because this series is excellent.
This is the show the Korean educational, political, and social establishments have needed for a very, very long time.
I am thrilled to see Netflix get behind a production like this, which is being shown around the world, and it tcan't be a thrilling thing for the Korean powers-that-be to see. I'm hoping that additional public pressure on the issue of school bullying will arise as a result of this show.
Of course, the powers that be will likely turn their guns on the Korean company that produced this show, but with Netflix behind it, I don't imagine that would be a wise move. However, never underestimate the slimy ways of the Korean elite. They nearly always find ways to make their adversaries pay.
As for episode #1, I was wondering how the story could keep this momentum going through all episodes. Now that it appears the ERPB Man will move on to another problem school, and I assume that will happen with each episode, I get how this will go.
Kim Mu Yeol - Outstanding in this role. He has impressed me elsewhere, but this feels like a character he was born to play.
Lee Seung Gyu - This young man has a career ahead of him, I think. After what his bully character did throughout episode 1 that had me wishing for his destruction, it is quite a feat that at the end of the episode, I was feeling some compassion for him. People aren't generally born monsters, they are made into them. It was nice to see some bullies held to account and pay a real price.
Lee Bong Joon - As the bullied student lead in episode 1, this guy was impressive as well.
Bravo to all!
On to episode 2.
I want to see some more bullies get what's coming. :)
I'm only 1/3 of the way into the first episode, and had to come here to comment:
This is amazingly CATHARTIC!!!
I have watched countless Korean school bullying movies/shows, because I'm into that shit and love rooting for the underdogs, which means I also watch those underdogs take unbearable physical/mental/emotional abuse from bullies. Watching these first 15 minutes has already partially healed my wounded heart, broken for all those victims.
I hope this can maintain its momentum thru all episodes. After #1, that is definitely a challenge.
GO Kim Mu Yeol!
What is "trad?"
He didn't know that, though, and being his deeply troubled self (home life was a nightmare), and unable to express his affection for Yoonjae openly, he turned his frustrations and anger on the girl. To punish Yoonjae, he raped the girl that Yoonjae liked as revenge.
Deeply twisted I know, but that's what makes it a good flick. :)
Also, how does falling for someone put you at fault for anything?