Dramas, whether Japanese or Korean, have been popular lately. From Alice in Borderland to Sweet Home and Squid Game, many series have been talked about. However, other equally interesting series are also available, such as Extracurricular for example. Attention, sensitive souls, abstain – PEGI 16
Extracurricular
Extracurricular is a Netflix original drama available since April 29, 2020. Directed by Kim Jin Min and directed by Jin Han Sae, the series addresses the taboos of society through the daily lives of several teenagers.
"A model high school student involved in criminal activity has his double life threatened when one of his classmates begins to take an interest in his secrets."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKI8uzJfn4U
A reflection of society!
Extracurricular brilliantly addresses the problems of today's society. The first and not least is prostitution. Indeed, although our high school student is not really a mac, he is still part of this environment by renting protection to young women participating in paid appointments. Indeed, sex is a taboo subject in several countries, including South Korea. Despite this, it is not uncommon to find "host and hostess bars" in Korean cities. It is a glimpse of this world that the series Extracurricular shows us through its 10 episodes. Indeed, we follow more particularly a teenager studying in the same high school as Oh Jisoo. The latter regularly finds herself in motels with unknown men, all for a few tickets. However, this is not without risk. Indeed, violence is also very present. Whether it is related to paid appointments or not, it holds an important place in society. Some scenes, which may be considered shocking, show us a reality that we would all like to ignore. Indeed, we quickly understand why the rental of a security service is necessary. As mentioned earlier, women in this network usually meet strangers and they do not always have very laudable intentions. And to solve this issue of violence, nothing better than violence itself. However, it is also found in an environment where it does not belong, schooling. It is not uncommon to hear stories of children being bullied at school. Several series have also denounced them in recent years, such as 13 reasons Why to name just one. Here again, this drama shows us bullying at school, which can unfortunately push young people to suicide. And the saddest thing seems to be that everyone sees what's going on but they all prefer to look the other way rather than act. What would you do if one of your comrades was humiliated day after day in front of you? Would you defend him? That's the kind of question this drama makes us ask ourselves. Finally, we will discuss the pressure that society places on the backs of adolescents. This pressure seems to be stronger in Asian countries. Indeed, to have the best possible results, all while practicing sports activities, clubs and having a fulfilling social life. In this drama, this pressure is shown to us, in part, by the future of Bae Gyuri, who must take over the family business. And for that, his parents are authoritarian, strict and do not give him respite. Our high school student must have a perfect outfit, perfect grades, all without creating a problem. However, we quickly realize the suffering in which Gyuri is plunged and the desires that come to his mind.
Deep characters
One of the strong points of this drama is the casting. Indeed, the actors are very competent and offer us a show that plunges us into the scenario from the first minutes. Take Oh Jisoo, played by Kim Dong Hee, who is a complex character. Indeed, he is a brilliant student, who wants only one thing, to join a prestigious university. However, for that, he needs money. We discover a teenager using an illicit business to pay for his studies. And again, nothing is simple. Indeed, combining school life and extracurricular activity is not always easy. Although our high school student manages his business anonymously, the arrival of Gyuri will complicate his task somewhat. And thanks to Kim Dong Hee's acting, we discover a teenager with a double face. Shy and reserved at school, but charismatic and self-confident outside. We also get attached very quickly to this character. Whether thanks to a complicated past or a life full of danger, Oh Jisoo did not leave us indifferent. However, although this character is endearing, nothing excuses the behavior he may have. Let's tackle the character of Bae Gyuri now, played by Park Ju Hyun. She is, contrary to what one might imagine, a bad girl. Indeed, the latter does not hesitate to blackmail a classmate even if it means putting upside down all his life. Does she regret it? We doubt it. Bae Gyuri is a strong, charismatic character, who does not mince his words to express his opinions. And this, to the detriment of others whom she hurts without any remorse. And here again, the acting is brilliantly interpreted. Indeed, Park Ju Hyun manages to transmit to us the emotions and resentments that his character experiences. Although we must admit that we had some difficulties to follow it at times. However, his character has continued to evolve over the episodes and has revealed a facet that we did not expect. The duo Oh Jisoo and Bae Gyuri is also very interesting. Our two characters, whom everything seems to oppose when we look at their past, are finally not so out of tune. Indeed, Oh Jisoo lives in complicated conditions and Bae Gyuri comes from a rich family. However, when we observe our two high school students more closely, we quickly realize that their personalities are similar. Indeed, Oh Jisoo is presented as a reserved and outcast; Bae Gyuri is presented as a connected and aggressive person. It is therefore questionable what the result of such a collaboration can be. In addition, over the episodes, we also see their relationship evolve. From classmates, we evolve to blackmailer/victim to finally end up with partners. As they unfold, we also witness the rise of their respective feelings. It is quite nice to see our two high school students evolve despite their relational difficulties. Other characters are just as interesting as our two protagonists, such as Mr Lee or Seo Minhee. We see them becoming aware of their situation and opening their eyes to a cold and cruel world. In addition, the way their relationship evolves over the episodes is also very pleasant and allows us to appreciate two characters who could be sidelined in society.
Fast-paced episodes
Finally, it seems important to us to address the scenario of Extracurricular. This series, with sometimes disturbing themes, does not lack action and twists. Indeed, each episode includes its share of adventures and surprises. The pace of the episodes is sustained, without being too fast. In addition, the suspense is present and does not fail to keep us in suspense. Finally, despite a rather dark background, some scenes are full of emotion and make us smile. There are also scenes where we would like to intervene ourselves. Who has never dreamed of joining a series in order to change its course? Well, that's exactly the case here. Some injustices really revolted us. However, we really advise sensitive people not to immerse themselves in watching this drama. Many violent scenes are present, especially when the end of the series approaches. Fight, blood and settling scores are at the rendezvous. Finally, we'd like to talk about the last episode. Rest assured, we will not reveal anything that could spoil this mystery series but it still seems important to us to evoke it. The end of this series is not explicit and allows us to imagine the sequence of events. Everyone is free to choose how our two protagonists cope. Extracurricular is therefore a drama that we strongly encourage you to discover. He brilliantly mixes an interesting scenario, an immersive acting, all on a sometimes confusing psychological background.
