i started watching One Ordinary Day without knowing it was a remake but halfway through the first episode, i was like there's no way it's a coincidence that it is shot for shot ep 1 of HBO's The Night Of with Riz Ahmed. unfortunately that really raised my expectations for this version, and i say unfortunately bc i feel like i wanted more of a scathing commentary on the effects of social class/status in SK society, about the legal and penal systems, about drug issues, that were only touched on superficially (imo, especially compared to The Night Of which is absolutely phenomenal btw, the tension, the emotional rollercoaster, the sympathy/empathy Riz's portrayal of the protagonist)
From what I understand, both the US series "The Night Of" (2016) and the K-drama "One Ordinary Day" (2021) were based on the UK show "Criminal Justice" (2008). I haven't watched the UK or US versions. But now I'm wondering if "The Night Of" is a shot-by-shot duplicate of "Criminal Justice" and also how each countries' productions differed (and were the same). Thanks for the suggestion! I'm curious now.
i remember looking up Criminal Justice afterward to make the same comparison but it wasn't conveniently available to stream (why is that the case for so much British media lol) and eventually i forgot about it. so i'm also curious about what you find!
I get the criticism of the main characters in Itaewon Class. And I do share them. But you didn't really touch on the appeal of this show that makes me (and others, I suspect) strongly drawn to it, and that is: geography. A sense of place. I just want to luxuriate in the setting. Itaewon as a place - a *character* - in this drama, reminds me so much of my experiences living in Asia and also Europe, being young, clubbing, taking in the nightlife, flirting, and soaking in the urban atmosphere. And this is what K-dramas do so well. Did we need all the baggage - the long backstory, the father's tragic death, the prison sentence, 7 years on a ship? LOL. NO! That's all ridiculous. But I sit through it, to experience viscerally being young, stupid, and partying in a vital urban area again.
Interesting points, Jude. Music brings me back to an era (or a feeling) more than location. I am not a huge fan of Itaewon (the location) and avoid it. lol But I'm old! Thanks for sharing your valid critique!
Well I'm old too now! And I have to say, after the Halloween crowd crush tragedy in Itaewon a couple of years ago, it's hard to watch those Halloween scenes in the show.
But my favorite K-dramas always have a strong sense of place (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, When the Camellia Blooms, Our Blues, Mr Sunshine, Strongest Deliveryman, My Mister, Reply 1988, etc), where the setting is almost the main character in the piece, and I feel like that's the appeal for Itaewon Class. Of course, I do not rate it nearly as high as the others I've mentioned, which is to say, 3 stars sounds about right :)
i started watching One Ordinary Day without knowing it was a remake but halfway through the first episode, i was like there's no way it's a coincidence that it is shot for shot ep 1 of HBO's The Night Of with Riz Ahmed. unfortunately that really raised my expectations for this version, and i say unfortunately bc i feel like i wanted more of a scathing commentary on the effects of social class/status in SK society, about the legal and penal systems, about drug issues, that were only touched on superficially (imo, especially compared to The Night Of which is absolutely phenomenal btw, the tension, the emotional rollercoaster, the sympathy/empathy Riz's portrayal of the protagonist)
From what I understand, both the US series "The Night Of" (2016) and the K-drama "One Ordinary Day" (2021) were based on the UK show "Criminal Justice" (2008). I haven't watched the UK or US versions. But now I'm wondering if "The Night Of" is a shot-by-shot duplicate of "Criminal Justice" and also how each countries' productions differed (and were the same). Thanks for the suggestion! I'm curious now.
i remember looking up Criminal Justice afterward to make the same comparison but it wasn't conveniently available to stream (why is that the case for so much British media lol) and eventually i forgot about it. so i'm also curious about what you find!
I get the criticism of the main characters in Itaewon Class. And I do share them. But you didn't really touch on the appeal of this show that makes me (and others, I suspect) strongly drawn to it, and that is: geography. A sense of place. I just want to luxuriate in the setting. Itaewon as a place - a *character* - in this drama, reminds me so much of my experiences living in Asia and also Europe, being young, clubbing, taking in the nightlife, flirting, and soaking in the urban atmosphere. And this is what K-dramas do so well. Did we need all the baggage - the long backstory, the father's tragic death, the prison sentence, 7 years on a ship? LOL. NO! That's all ridiculous. But I sit through it, to experience viscerally being young, stupid, and partying in a vital urban area again.
Interesting points, Jude. Music brings me back to an era (or a feeling) more than location. I am not a huge fan of Itaewon (the location) and avoid it. lol But I'm old! Thanks for sharing your valid critique!
Well I'm old too now! And I have to say, after the Halloween crowd crush tragedy in Itaewon a couple of years ago, it's hard to watch those Halloween scenes in the show.
But my favorite K-dramas always have a strong sense of place (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, When the Camellia Blooms, Our Blues, Mr Sunshine, Strongest Deliveryman, My Mister, Reply 1988, etc), where the setting is almost the main character in the piece, and I feel like that's the appeal for Itaewon Class. Of course, I do not rate it nearly as high as the others I've mentioned, which is to say, 3 stars sounds about right :)
(Tone: Grateful) As always I’m super grateful for your insightful takeaways! 🙏💜🖤✌🏼
Thank you, Scarlett! Have a wonderful weekend!