Hierarchy

"Hierarchy," a Teen Romance Korean Drama directed by Bae Hyeon-jin, is a gripping seven-part series set in the elite Jooshin High School. The series stars Roh Jeong-eui, Lee Chae-min, Kim Jae-won, Ji Hye-won, and Lee Won-jung, and delves into the lives of the top 0.01% of students who attend this prestigious institution, highlighting issues of bullying, excessive drug use, and the abuse of power by the wealthy elite.

Plot and Execution:

The story revolves around the lives of students at Jooshin High School, where scholarship students are often treated as outsiders and the children of the elite wield their power without consequence. The narrative explores themes of revenge, crime, drama, and romance, weaving a complex tale that is both engaging and thought-provoking.

While "Hierarchy" doesn't break new ground in the genre, it effectively captures the essence of similar series such as "Elite" and "13 Reasons Why." The series addresses the serious issue of bullying and its devastating consequences, a recurring theme in Korean dramas like "Revenge of Others," "True Beauty," and "The Glory."

Characters and Performances:

The cast delivers strong performances, particularly Roh Jeong-eui and Lee Chae-min, who bring depth and authenticity to their roles. The characters are well-developed, allowing viewers to empathize with their struggles and triumphs.

Strengths:

Engaging Storyline: The series offers a compelling narrative that keeps viewers hooked from start to finish, with its blend of drama, crime, and romance.

Strong Performances: The cast, especially the leads, delivers powerful performances that add depth to the story.

Relevant Themes: The exploration of bullying, drug abuse, and the abuse of power resonates with contemporary issues, making the series both relevant and thought-provoking.

High Production Value: The cinematography, set design, and overall production quality are top-notch, enhancing the viewing experience.

Weaknesses:

Predictable Plot: The series follows a familiar formula seen in other dramas of the same genre, making it somewhat predictable.

Inspired Elements: "Hierarchy" feels heavily inspired by series like "13 Reasons Why" and "Revenge of Others," lacking a unique identity of its own.

Conclusion:

"Hierarchy" is a well-executed drama that effectively tackles important social issues within the setting of an elite high school. While it may not be groundbreaking or particularly innovative, it provides a gripping and engaging viewing experience. The strong performances and high production value make it worth watching, even if it sometimes feels derivative of other popular series.

With a teaser hinting at a possible second season, "Hierarchy" is likely to maintain its popularity and continue to make noise globally. It stands as a solid entry in the genre, offering a mix of drama, crime, and romance that will appeal to fans of teen romance and revenge dramas.

Everything is very boring. The plot is practically non-existent, we only see how some rich people interact with each other and how the poor are mocked. There is nothing else. Also, these "high school teenagers" behave as if they are full-grown adults, actually I can't see them as 17-18-year-olds, but 25-30-year-olds because they behave very mature as if they have a thousands of responsibilities and secrets and it's not realistic at all. I don't know, maybe if it was a college drama, their behavior would still work, but not here. Some of the actors act well, but others have the same facial expression for three whole episodes, like they're confused vegetables. I had high expectations, but it's not worth your time.

Why in the heck did I watch all 7 episodes in this (thankfully) short series? It started off really interesting but it lost me somewhere around episode 3 1/2. I guess I kept watching because I thought that at least some of the monstrously entitled characters: Jae-Ri, Kim Ri-An and their coterie of sycophants would somehow CONVINCINGLY tranform into better human beings. But that never happened. And the one decent character, Kang Ha just got less interesting because of his joke of a dumb crush on a girl with the allure of a designer doormat. The finale/Episode 7 was the worst episode of all. A coda of inconsequential duhhh-like-we-didn't-know-all-this-already moments, hollow mea culpas and the obligatory throwing of a posse of nobodies under the bus. Our series' unloved hero, Kang Ha just fades into the background while the 2 characters (who I couldn't stand) take over the series' final scenes. Side notes: Jae-Ri is disturbingly weak both physically and mentally, yet still manages to be consistently imperious around her sassy so-called best friend. How Kang Ha fell in love with her at first sight was unfathomable-unless maybe in Korea it's normal to worship ice queens with blank stares. And why did the drama feature most of the rich kid's parents but scholarship student KangHa is presented like some parentless possibly homeless nobody from nowhere? I sort of wondered if it would turn out that this was a clue that Kang Ha wasn't real- that he was a revenging ghost figure. (Think Clint Eastwood in Pale Rider.) Now that would have been a worth sticking around for twist. And Yo Netflix! Don't order another season of Hierarchy unless you can fire the Season 1 writers. They totally dropped the ball.

I had high hopes ....kind of 2nd tier KDRAMA actors as leads and honestly only a couple seemed to define their characters....typical Chaebol belittling the underclass - with violence in the extreme.... Just none of the characters were likable ......beautiful settings as befitting KDramas where the super rich and powerful rule....i would have loved to know the budget for the one of a kind fleet of cars they used!!!

When I see movies like this - and this made me realize this will be my last like this!! - it makes high school cliques in America and other countries look like kids play.....and It makes me wonder how much truth there is to the class system in Korea.....Asia ...... I would only recommend if you are totally bored - have nothing better to watch (?) - but then again if it gets down to that - take a walk or read a good book!!!!

I'm a huge fan of the Spanish show Elite ( till the 3rd season atleast ) and I expected something similar with Hierarchy. To an extent it was and that's why I rate this 5/10.

The best part of the show was it's only 7 episodes and wasn't dragged out. The suspense and the end to it was satisfactory.

The two male leads are the saving grace of this show. In my opinion they're not great actors yet, still young and raw, but they're okay enough to carry a show.

The female lead playing Jung Jae I needs to eat something. Hopefully then she will have the energy to act and give different expressions.

Worth one time watch and would watch if there's a season 2.