This review may contain spoilers
Very well executed
This drama doesn't have complicated plot with bunch of plot twists, everything you see is at it is. I pretty much figured the whole story line after episode 3. However I didn't enjoy the drama any less because of that. I actually liked how straightforward it was. Each concerns of the guest characters were quite simple however very relatable and they also managed to create a connection of those stories onto our main characters.In dramas I often see a large amount of characters being introduced but then end up doing nothing for the story. This drama deserves an applause for actually being able to do the opposite. Every character had a purpose and were somehow connected to each other so it made sense why they were introduced into the story. The actors and actresses have done a good job portraying their characters, Yook Sungjae has once again proven that there are idols who can act.
Some may have complained that this drama was too short as it had only 12 drama, but personally for me I thought it is the perfect amount of episodes. The drama didn't feel too draggy or too short. In the end everything has been explained and there are no remaining questions. Overall this drama is pretty lighthearted and doesn't deal with any heavy topics. It is just a story about love and misunderstandings. It is a very well executed drama. I highly recommend this drama to the beginner viewers.
PS. Special mention for production and special effect team. It is admirable how they have managed to incorporated special effects into this drama without making it look tacky like some of other fantasy dramas. I have read that they have spent 6 months working on the the sacred tree scene (kudos to them). I have especially enjoyed the fighting scenes.
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This review may contain spoilers
As a fan of similar concept, I was very excited to watch this drama. However I was greatly disappointed with the poorly done script. The writer's past work in recent years have received positive reviews, therefore I thought it was reasonable for me to expect another enjoyable drama. Unfortunately it wasn't the case. I would say this drama is a reflection of the writer's work. It contains everything we have seen in her past work. Everything was there - the funny dialogues, poetic lines and for most of us the "bromance". Sadly all of this couldn't cover up the fact that this plot was just bad. In my opinion the story was very obvious from the beginning but throughout the episodes it was getting confusing and difficult for a viewer to understand what he/she was actually watching. Editing was also a key factor here, the story is about time travelling and parallel universe, it was important for viewer to be able to instantly recognize whether the setting/place is the past, future or present. Most of the time instead of actually watching I was just pondering upon what time/place they were currently in. Whether this was a flashback or current point of drama. The only thing that made this drama somehow bearable was Yeong's and Eun-sup's interaction.
In addition of a bad story a large amount of product placement was put into each episode. Naturally no drama is free from advertisements because it is what makes the drama actually happen. However the way the advertised products were presented was just very obnoxiously in a face that even I couldn't let this pass.
Overall this drama isn't the worst thing that happened but it isn't also the best one. I would only recommend to those who don't really care much for the detailed and overthought plot or well-written characters, but are here for the cliche. (Which isn't really a bad thing)
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This review may contain spoilers
From the trailer I assumed it would be a typical drama about genius main protagonist who develops an amazing app and together with his friends he is trying to make money from it. It was so much more different from my expectations. The first episode left in shocked and I have binged watched the whole series in about 2 days. This drama follows four high school students and their struggles. Our main protagonist who seems to be a goody-shoe from the beginning turns out to have a complex personality. Despite receiving a large amount of hate due to his acting in Itaewon class when his character turned to be a "villain" Kim Donghee has shown us, that he is a very capable of playing a villain. Throughout the drama I have loved and hated every character. From the beginning I truly rooted for Oh Jisoo despite the fact that he was actually a "pimp". Through his background I could see where he was coming from and why he chose to be involved in such unethical business. However as I continued watching, I found it more difficult to understand his choices and couldn't of his actions.
Bae Gyuri's struggles come from her parents who hold high expectations therefore they pressure her into being an ideal daughter. Her stress and unwillingness to live is invisible to her parents. She joined hands with Oh Jisoo thinking that she could escape for her life. In my opinion those two are very toxic for each other, but at the same time they both rely on each other to make it through another day.
The remaining two characters who were a couple - Seo Minhee and Kwak Kitae I found the most annoying and least relatable. With Seo Minhee I found her at certain point a pitiful character. Despite being surrounded by her friends and having a boyfriend, she is very lonely. No one actually cares about her. This is why she was so attached to Mr. Lee, because in her mind he was the only one who actually cared about her. However I found it very ridiculous that she sold herself to buy her boyfriend expensive gifts. Her boyfriend was even bigger trash for playing dumb even though he knew about it. I felt very frustrated to see her and her boyfriend being angry at Oh Jisoo after finding out that he was the "pimp". The business was all consensual and it wasn't like he forced her to do anything, so why getting angry. The boyfriend knew about it but he chose to stay silent and enjoy the expensive gifts from his girlfriend. Obviously in the end Jisoo's behavior when Minhee found out was unnecessary and at that point I didn't root for anyone anymore.
The drama is very dark and not suitable for those who are looking for lighthearted school drama with romance. It shows the dark side of the students and their shady businesses. This drama makes it very hard for you to root for a certain character because each character has flaws. A lot of people are expecting a season 2 for Extracurricular, but honestly I don't want it. I am content with such open ending and I don't think it is necessary to have another season. However if there is a second season I will definitely watch it.
ps: I'm deducting one point from the ost because it doesn't have an official release. I love the opening song and I wish the production team would release it.
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