I was absolutely blown away by this drama. It's the first full length show I've given a 10. With an incredibly unique story and satisfying romance, with interesting and diverse characters with multiple and changing dimensions, with setups and pay offs executed perfectly and just the right amount of unpredictability, I was drawn in from the beginning and gripped until the end. I fell in love with every character, loving the enemies while also hating them, and rooting those who were trying to change or overcome hardship. Every emotion, I was along for the ride. When the characters cried, I cried. When they cheered, I cheered. When they loved, I loved. It's perfectly done, and I wish every show I watched from this moment forward were just like it.

It's not something to be taken lightly when I say I liked all the characters. In almost every other show I've watched, even the good ones, I tend to find a single character I care about above all others, and so my enjoyment of the show hinges on their experience and actions and plots. This time around, I cared about everyone. Not only did every person feel real and developed, they each were reaching towards their goals, all of them pushing past their own hardships. Instead of feeling for the characters through their attachment with the protagonist, I felt each one of them as a person, through what I knew about them and what I knew they valued. Because of this strong empathy, I was able to experience strong vicarious emotions in every situation. No moment felt unjustified or unearned. This one element is, in my opinion, the most important aspect of any show, and what makes or breaks whether you even decided to watch it, and whether it is memorable and exciting. These detailed and empathetic characters are exploited to their full extent, producing moments that lift you into the sky or crush you into the ground or set you on fire with rage, all while maintaining a balance of conflict and resolution that isn't too taxing on the viewer. Even better is that each character changes throughout the show, completing arcs which are believable and well-earned. I could easily name each internal flaw they all faced, although this is a spoiler free review and so I cannot (you can bet if there were spoilers the whole review would just be me ranting about every specific detailed that I loved). Long story short, the characters are perfect, and that's what's really important.

Let me quickly mention the diversity, which was extremely welcome amidst the generally homogenous production of Asian dramas. Perhaps there still isn't as much as we're used to in the west, but you have to admit they're making great strides. Obviously I'm referencing the Afro-Asian character Toni (although this could have been handled a tad bit better in certain areas), but what I'm really impressed by is the transgender character, Hyun Yi. She, after helping the other protagonists overcome their own preconceived judgements, manages to overcome her own flaws and learn to be confident about her identity, and the show fully accepts this identity in a mature way. Especially considering the often biased views of many other kdrama regarding even homosexuality, transgender representation is just great to see.

I loved the plot. Holy cow. I won't say it's the most genius plot, I've definitely seen shows that are smarter, but this plot embodies all that a drama should strive for. A clear set of values, a core message or two, and a thorough and interesting exploration of all these things wrapped into an intense and exciting main storyline. Where other shows might drop the ball while trying to subvert expectations, and others still might crank out something mind-numbingly predictable, Itaewon Class toes the line between the two effortlessly, leaving you without a clue as to where it'll end up but still being satisfying, justified, and most importantly gripping. This is one of the few long-form shows which have managed to keep me interested enough to binge it in a few sittings.

I hope I've said enough to convince that this is well-worth a watch. Don't judge it by it's premise like I almost did and just give it a chance to snag you and pull you along. I one hundred percent love this drama and implore you to watch it, as soon as possible.