Itaewon Class by Kwang Jin follows youth Saeroyi Park as he makes a name for himself in Seoul, Korea. His adolescence is filled with tragedy, but he strives to live by his principles and ideals, just as his late beloved single father wanted. Along the way, he encounters Sooah Oh, a high school classmate whom Saeroyi develops a crush on and who continues to make sporadic but meaningful appearances throughout his life. This series reads like a K-drama, and has been adapted into a Netflix show.

There is a lot packed into Volume 1, which reads like Saeroyi's origin story. The pacing, which does time skip at several points, is well-done, and the story is straightforward and easy to follow. K-drama fans will easily note the plot twist signals, but will remain sympathetic to Saeroyi's hero-archetype character. This is a coming-of-age story that is cinematic on the page as well as the screen, and I, for one, will be bingeing the Netflix drama as I wait for future volumes. From the beginning to the end of this book, I was hooked! Saeroyi Park is a man with a mission, and I intend to see it through. It seems like it will be a very action-packed hero's journey-type story.

Readers who enjoy this series may also like: Alice in Borderland by Haro Aso, Bastard by Carnby Kim, and possibly After School Lessons for Unripe Apples by Soonkki.

I am looking forward to future volumes of this series. I will be recommending it to other adult readers.

Interessant für Fans des K-Dramas, typischer Webtoon-Zeichenstil. Die Serie hat mir dann aber doch besser gefallen, vielleicht auch weil sich mit der Geschichte ein bisschen mehr machen ließ :)

Heard loads about the drama but never watched it, but no better place to start than the source material.

This was an entertaining read with pretty art, though not the most engaging since I kept getting distracted and pausing despite the short length. The book highlights various social issues but I wasn't a fan of all the big time-jumps in the storyline.

That said, I was left wanting more and will definitely be eagerly devouring the rest of the volumes.

A really intriguing introduction to the story! This definitely needs the next volume to start to dig into the nitty gritty, and the art isn't my absolutely favourite on the planet, but it's interesting! I liked all the characters, and the story is going cool places.

An angular style that fits the tale of Park Saeroyi who moves to a new town with his dad's new jobat Jangga Group, but he stands up to the school bully who is the son of the CEO and sets off a chain of events that end with Park in prison. He held onto his crush on Sooah and followed her to Seoul and he admits to a plan to start a restaurant. There's a lot of great plot and intrigue because it became a hit tv show. I want to read more!

I'm a huge fan of the K-drama from 2020 so I knew I would like just as much. It is exactly what happened in the show just in a manga. It had been 4 years since I watched the show so it was nice read the manga. I am very much due for a re-watch! really great art style as well! can't wait to finish off the other volumes as they come out!

Itaewon Class Volume 1 is a gripping start to what promises to be an intense and emotionally driven story. I remember watching the Korean drama on TV and thoroughly enjoying it, so being able to read the manhwa now is incredibly exciting. The manhwa captures the same spirit of revenge, ambition, and social justice that made the show so engaging. The artwork is clean and expressive, perfectly complementing the narrative’s emotional depth. While the plot might seem somewhat familiar to those who have seen the TV adaptation, the raw emotion and moral dilemmas keep it compelling.

Character development is a standout aspect of this volume, particularly Park Saeroyi’s journey from tragedy to resilience. His determination to stand by his principles, no matter the cost, is inspiring. The pacing is well executed as it explores Saeroyi's backstory and his initial challenges. The volume ends just as the restaurant he promised to open begins to take shape, creating a sense of anticipation for what's to come and building excitement for Saeroyi's future struggles and triumphs.

Overall, Itaewon Class Volume 1 is a strong introduction to a story about perseverance and justice. If you’re a fan of character-driven narratives with a touch of rebellion against corrupt systems, this is definitely worth reading!

Summary:

Saeroyi Park’s life is changing forever. First, he and his father have been uprooted, moving to a new town for the sake of work. It could have been a fresh start, especially with such interesting neighbors.

Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse when Saeroyi Park couldn’t sit idly by watching a bully do his thing. It doesn’t matter if the bully is the big boss’ son. It just isn’t right. This choice kicks off a series of events that cannot be undone.

Review:

I was recommended Itaewon Class, Vol. 1 because it’s a highly emotional and compelling tale. I can certainly see the emotional side of that argument, but I didn’t really end up being too captivated by it.

Let me take a step back. Saeroyi Park goes through hell and back in this volume. I won’t explain how because that would spoil it all. But we do see him come out swinging. Sort of. I think the whole point of the story is about moving up and letting go…but it sort of felt more like Saeroyi Park gave up.

I know that isn’t actually what happened. To be clear. It just felt that way because of all the time skips. The characters ended up appearing passive to what happened around them. So, while I did enjoy some elements of Itaewon Class, Vol. 1, I didn’t love it.

Highlights:
Revenge Story
Coming-of-Age
Touchingly Human

Trigger Warnings:
Class Privilege
Familial Death

Will I continue the series? Maybe

It’s not every day I find myself absorbed into a Korean manhwa but this one really caught my attention and sucked me in with each chapter. Right off the bat, we meet our main character who is trying his best to be an upstanding citizen and make his father proud. But after an explosive event that honestly left me really sad for him and thinking, ‘yeah, I don’t blame you, kid’, he ends up serving time in jail and planning his revenge. Which I am very much on board for him to accomplish his goals and dreams.

I found his character really fascinating and well-rounded. It was his very ethics that caused him his downfall, which is something you don’t see except in really well-written stories. His character development was really good and solid. I also love how he was quite adamant about his crush on his neighbor, but like, in the most serious and non-blushing way possible.

I don’t know how much I can say without spoiling the plot, but I really want to see him succeed in opening his restaurant and getting a new start. This is definitely a series to keep an eye on and I will be anxiously waiting for the next volume!

NOTE: I received a complimentary copy from the author for review purposes only. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Der Zeichenstil war für meinen Geschmack ein wenig zu flach. Der Manhwa endet auf einem Cliffhanger, der definitiv dazu anregt, weiterlesen zu wollen. Der erste Band hat sich ein wenig wie ein Prolog zur eigentlichen Story angefühlt, was für mich aber kein Problem darstellt. Da der Manhwa ja von dem gleichnamigen Kdrame entspringt, verspricht die Reihe noch interessanter zu werden, als Volume 1.

This volume felt mostly like a set-up for the future story - so far there wasn’t a whole lot of plot - and I’m still not sure which direction it’s going to go. However, I’m curious about what’s next and plan on reading the sequel.

**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

Itaewon Class, Vol. 1 by Kwang jin felt like the set-up or the prequel for the main part of the story. This volume basically follows the sad story of this son and his dad and the trouble they got involved in with the rich and powerful family in town, eventually leading to the son's long term vengeance plan on them. It was a fairly dark and sad story, though I'm not sure if the following volumes would be as such that directly. I might enjoy reading more, but I'll have to be in the mood for drama possibly.

Thank you Yen Press and NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a full color graphic novel with very cool illustrations!

We follow a 19 year old guy called Saeroyi Park, who is moving from Seoul with his father, because of his father’s job. They end up living next to a pretty girl called Sooah Oh, who goes to the same school as him and they even end up sitting next to eachother in class.

Saeroyi’s first day at his new school ends with him getting expelled, only 5 minutes after it started. He stood up to a bully who ended up being the son of the boss of the company his father works for. This sets things in motion with eventually a tragic ending and consequences for Saeroyi while the one who should actually face them, gets away.

Saeroyi wants revenge and I think we will see his plans unravel further in the next volume!

I loved that Saeroyi and Sooah kept finding eachother and how mysterious and engaging this was. But I wish we got to see a little more of Saeroyi’s revenge plans and maybe a little romance.. in this first volume.

NetGalley ARC Review

Star Rating: ★★★★☆

I liked reading this much more than I expected. It's an interesting story, has some cool characters that you get invested in and the plot kept me reading until the very end. Different than I expected, but I needed something to read requested a few, got this one and was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it!

Follows the story of Park and how he stands up for what is right. First he does it correctly and with a level had. Then certain situations arise that cause him to lose control just a touch and he stands up for what is right, but not as correctly as he did the first time. Spends a little time with some close roommates. Then finally comes home to start a business and move on with his life!

P.S. - I hope after you read it you remember my roommates comment and chuckle quietly to yourself.

Like always read it and decide for yourself!

I looked forward to the book after having seen the k-drama and now I don't know which I should like better. They somehow feel quite different... But since I saw the series first I tend to like that one better.
Except from that, the story itself is quite interesting and feels unique the way it's made.

A good story, however I still don't get the meaning of print editions of webtoons. The drawings seem to be very simply done, perfect for quick online consumption for free.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this and will be picking up a copy as soon it releases. 💕
It was well written and I really enjoyed my time reading it.

Rating 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had heard of this series because there's a popular Korean drama adaptation. Webtoons love doing flashbacks so it did take a second for the reader to figure out what is happening. I did find the main character likable and I am interested in seeing what happens next. I would recommend this to high school students who are interested in Korean dramas.

After having watched the kdrama I needed to read the webtoon and I can finally do it. What a joy!

The Kdrama was one of those that does not allow you to watch it without empathizing with certain characters, feeling their joys, sadness, anger and thirst for revenge. It doesn't let you remain indifferent and you really stay connected to the story after finishing it.

The beginning of this story in the comic is also very intense and different from what I remember in the kdrama. That's why I want to see what the differences are. Not to criticize it, but rather to be able to analyze how many things had to be cut or changed in order to adapt it to the great series that it was.

In itself, the beginning is strong... it shows us Saeroyi's path from adolescence to having his establishment in Itaewon. The first scene is very good and I loved the impact it has.

Without a doubt I want to continue reading because it catches you and the pages fly by.

Thank you Yen Press for the ARC I read through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.