High School Return of a Gangster (2024)

great even for adults

"High School Return of a Gangster" (2024) is a thrilling, heartwarming K-drama that earns a perfect 10/10. This series masterfully blends action, drama, and comedy, following a former gangster returning to high school, a unique premise executed brilliantly. The writing is sharp with witty dialogue and unexpected twists. The lead actor's nuanced performance and the strong supporting cast create genuine and engaging relationships. Top-notch cinematography and a well-curated soundtrack enhance the viewing experience. Exploring themes of redemption and identity, this show is both entertaining and meaningful. A must-watch hit of 2024!

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The queerbaiting made me a little mad

Ok, so, the story is really good and I liked the main actors, it's just... It became very clear to me that this story was supposed to be a BL. Throughout the whole show they hint at the romantic feelings Se-kyung has for Yiheon (aka Deuk-pal), to the point they even show how upset Se-kyung becomes when he sees a girl flirting with Yiheon AND THEY EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THEY´RE JUST FRIENDS??
Ok, fine, I understand people could feel unconfortable with the fact that Yiheon's soul is 40 years old and Se-kyung is 18... BUT STILL COME ON we accepted Edward's 100yo ass dating a minor, but can´t deal with two legal adults?
IDK I'm still upset they didn't have any romantic interactions

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A Heartfelt Revenge Drama

This drama really surprised me with how much it was able to do in the short amount of time it had. Reading the description, I was a little worried with how much background and world building we might have to go through, but honestly there was the perfect amount of information given to the viewer to make things make sense, but not too much exposition where it felt like they were overexplaining things.

Song Yi Heon is a high schooler who has been horribly bullied for years, and decides to take his own life. As he is jumping off an overpass, 47-year-old gangster Kim Deuk Pal sees him and saves him - except, as he catches Yi Heon a truck drives by and kills Deuk Pal. In a strange occurrence, Deuk Pal's soul is transported into Yi Heon's body. Deuk Pal wakes up in the body of this high schooler, and decides to get back at the bullies and sort out Yi Heon's school and family life (while also attempting to pass high school classes).

I was honestly worried that we would get too much with the whole soul-switching thing, but they discussed it the perfect amount for this show. I loved how Deuk Pal's gang ended up getting involved in Yi Heon's life, and how Yi Heon's family businesses all tied together with it. The twists and messiness of this show was perfect, because they still managed to have everything tied up nicely even with just 8 episodes. I do wish we could have gotten a little more time with high school Yi Heon before his suicide attempt, and that we got more drama with some of the characters involved in Yi Heon's personal life, but overall this was a fantastic watch. The goofiness of an adult not understanding high school kids' lingo and style paired with the intense fight and drama scenes worked perfectly. I would highly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys gang/revenge/high school drama shows. It checks all the boxes and does it well.

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The ending defeated the purpose

yeah it was a good drama the plot made sense until the very end when Yi Heon decided to leave instead of Deuk Pal. the whole point of his soul being trapped in his body was to help Yi Heon be able to live life without struggling with the bullying and his family issues. I guess it just bothered me that that was the plot twist and it didn't really come full circle. The task Deuk Pal took on was supposed to give Yi Heon an better life he could actually look forward to. Of course this is just an opinion but the ending was disappointing although i loved everything else about this drama.

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Interesting drama with good pacing

was on my to watch list because of Yoon Chan Young.

With a total of 8 episodes, I felt that the drama was paced quite well, there wasn't any parts of the show that I felt bored or could be removed from the show entirely.

I personally like to watch "revengy" dramas, so this drama suited me well, as it shows how Yi-Heon slowly starts to fight back against those who bullied him (even though it was through Deuk Pal's spirit and consciousness).

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Acting wise, this is my 3rd drama of Chan Young, so I expected a stellar acting from him (which he delivered as always). I personally think Bong Jae Hyun also did a great job as Choi Se Kyung as well.

I do recommend the show if you are interested to watch some "revengy" drama that is not too heavy, though some might not prefer the fact high school bullying and domestic abuse are topics that were discussed in the drama.

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I don’t know what to feel

I don’t know what to feel about this mini serie, it certainly has good characters, good writing for a plot like this, and has funny scenes and dialogues. I like that the bullies had to face consequences, and I enjoyed the most part of the serie, but about the final scene I don’t even know if it was good or not, but at least the old guy could insist more in leaving the kid to live his life, but well, things turned right and some other people like the end of the series with that twist even though it didn’t feel like a happy ending for me. I will give it a 8. The English Korean jokes made me laugh a lot.

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BEST WAY TO FINISH...

I don't know the history of the BL in which this drama was based, however, although I criticized in previous posts that the drama should have followed the original story to the letter, now I understand and agree with the means and ends to reach this slightly exciting and simple ending. It would be very uncomfortable to have a middle-aged man have a romance with a teenager, even with the mitigating factor that he was in the body of another teenager.

That being said, it was a very low-budget drama, but it showed a well-written script and a premise built in detail. I found the last episode to be quite slow and lukewarm, but the closure was good, where the one who had the desire to live, will live and the one who was exhausted from this life, will rest. In conclusion, I commend the performance of Yoon Chan Young, an excellent protagonist.

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Fresh angle to a school bully drama

This drama is so refreshing! Going into it, I expected the usual bullying-revenge drama or bully-turned-good drama. I was wrong on both counts.

I am not a fan of high school dramas, in fact, I often avoid them. However, after watching Twinkling Watermelon and Lovely Runner recently, I decided to give this a try because I enjoyed them so much. I wasn't disappointed.

Give this a try! It's only 8 episodes and absolutely worth it! There's not a dull moment or a wasted episode or plot hole. It's too short for that! The main actors are top notch too, even the supporting baddies are a hoot.

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It Wasn't That Bad

High school is challenging for everyone, but it’s even more daunting when you’re a notorious gangster trapped in a teenager’s body, just trying to blend in.

This intriguing premise sets the stage for the new series “High School Return of a Gangster”.

The series follows Kim Deuk Pal (Lee Seo Jin), a feared thug and the vice-leader of a gang. Despite his lack of formal education, Deuk Pal is determined to change his life by hiring a tutor and studying hard. However, his efforts are hindered by his struggles with coursework and pressure from his boss to prioritize gang-related activities.

Later, while on the road, Deuk Pal encounters a high school student named Song Yi Heon, who has been relentlessly bullied and decides to end his life by jumping off an overpass. Deuk Pal tries to save him, but instead, they end up switching bodies. Deuk Pal’s body dies, and Yi Heon becomes a ghost, while Deuk Pal inhabits Yi Heon’s body and continues living.

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/06/25/high-school-return-of-a-gangster-series-review-ep-1-to-8/

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Body Swap, the Next Generation

I liked this drama High School Return of a Gangster—Science Fantasy Revenge Tragedy Drama. It is about a man in his 40s who through happenstance finds himself in the body of a teen boy who attempted suicide. The story is about bullying and depression, therefore parents may take note. However, the drama is lighthearted fare, covering the good that can be found in each individual. It has comedic moments, as this adult gangster in a teen’s body navigates teen life in the next generation.

Some have mistakenly said that High School Return of a Gangster is a Boy Love drama series. It is not. At best, this drama is a bromance, as several of the teens are drawn to this teen who is “wise beyond his years”. There are conflicts and challenges along the way. At times I thought that the drama did not know what type of drama it wanted to be. Was it just a body swap or a gangster drama? Nonetheless, I loved the story and it has a most satisfying, but maybe controversial ending.

Where did he come from?


With his deep bellowing lower register voice, child actor Yoon Chan-Young has grown up before my eyes over the past five years to become a great Korean drama actor with Male Leads. I never once saw a teen in this complex role. Yoon Chan-Young was so believable as a gangster in the body of a teen. I have seen him in the following dramas. I picked Yoon Chan-Young up early as one to watch and for which to look out.

Doctor Romantic

The King in Love

Still 17

Nobody Knows

Do You Like Brahms?

High School Return of a Gangster on Hulu


Yoon Chan-Young was in All of Us Are Dead too, but I did not see this drama. Disney + Hulu has snatched up Yoon Chan-Young again for another drama coming in 2025, Hyper Knife starring Park Eun-Bin (Extraordinary Attorney Woo).

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