viking
Finally, an actually interesting thriller.
(No spoilers.)
I was so excited to see the adaption of one of my favourite webtoons The Pyramid Game coming to the live screen, even more when it was announced with only 10 episodes. (No episode was filler. It was all just so brilliant and tightly woven.) And now, after finally completing it, I can confidently that this IS the thriller of 2024.
This drama actually captures the themes of social hierarchy and the bystander effect so well. It left me anxious, crying from joy and both shock, on the edge of my seat with how each episodes end, and deep in contemplation.
We are able to examine the other characters through the lens of the outsider/new student, aka our main character. Because of this, this show is able to do things that other "psychological dramas w high school students" can't.
We actually do have morally ambigious characters. We get to root for them. Pray for them. Watch them suffer. Watch others suffer. Watch the complex relationships unravel. And its all done so succinctly in 10 episodes.
The antagonist is a fresh face: one can argue her acting is a little stiff, but it's actually her microexpressions that deepen her character even further. She becomes the bane of the show, the bane of the main characters' existences. She's truly a 'villian' - her presence feels eerily untouchable, and that's because of how the drama cleverly portrays her to us, the audience, and to the main characters.
I think the acting and the choice of cast was also extremely clever. They felt so real and young, and thats what we NEEDED. They are teenagers - they are still learning, still maturing. They're going to be selfish, they're going to make stupid, impossible decisions.
I seriously reccommend this. Unlike the other dramas that try to capture this level of thriller and drama amongst high school students, this one creates a contained level of world-building that doesn't rely on typical misunderstandings or miscommunication tropes to prolong the suffering.
The only fault I can find with this is the difference between the webtoon and the drama in terms of the climax at Episode 9. The webtoon properly evaluates and expands on the world-building in a way that 10 episodes can't.
And yet, 10 episodes was enough to do it all. Definitely going to give this a rewatch.
--
Additionally, as this drama is set in an all-girls school, we can enjoy the complexities of girlhood and lesbian relationships without the interference of men and the male gaze. So happy omg :]
I was so excited to see the adaption of one of my favourite webtoons The Pyramid Game coming to the live screen, even more when it was announced with only 10 episodes. (No episode was filler. It was all just so brilliant and tightly woven.) And now, after finally completing it, I can confidently that this IS the thriller of 2024.
This drama actually captures the themes of social hierarchy and the bystander effect so well. It left me anxious, crying from joy and both shock, on the edge of my seat with how each episodes end, and deep in contemplation.
We are able to examine the other characters through the lens of the outsider/new student, aka our main character. Because of this, this show is able to do things that other "psychological dramas w high school students" can't.
We actually do have morally ambigious characters. We get to root for them. Pray for them. Watch them suffer. Watch others suffer. Watch the complex relationships unravel. And its all done so succinctly in 10 episodes.
The antagonist is a fresh face: one can argue her acting is a little stiff, but it's actually her microexpressions that deepen her character even further. She becomes the bane of the show, the bane of the main characters' existences. She's truly a 'villian' - her presence feels eerily untouchable, and that's because of how the drama cleverly portrays her to us, the audience, and to the main characters.
I think the acting and the choice of cast was also extremely clever. They felt so real and young, and thats what we NEEDED. They are teenagers - they are still learning, still maturing. They're going to be selfish, they're going to make stupid, impossible decisions.
I seriously reccommend this. Unlike the other dramas that try to capture this level of thriller and drama amongst high school students, this one creates a contained level of world-building that doesn't rely on typical misunderstandings or miscommunication tropes to prolong the suffering.
The only fault I can find with this is the difference between the webtoon and the drama in terms of the climax at Episode 9. The webtoon properly evaluates and expands on the world-building in a way that 10 episodes can't.
And yet, 10 episodes was enough to do it all. Definitely going to give this a rewatch.
--
Additionally, as this drama is set in an all-girls school, we can enjoy the complexities of girlhood and lesbian relationships without the interference of men and the male gaze. So happy omg :]
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