Noh Jung-eui hides a secret in Netflix’s Hierarchy
by lovepark
A school for the elite, a secret taken to the grave, and a mystery waiting to be uncovered — welcome to the world of Hierarchy. The upcoming Netflix show stars the students of Jooshin High, and at the top is Noh Jung-eui (Our Beloved Summer) as the school’s queen Jung Jae-yi. Not all is well in this bubbled shelter for the rich and powerful as the teaser opens with our heroine confessing to murder right before pulling a trigger. The scene cuts to a crash, and blood seeps into the road.
We’re then introduced to the other players in this twisted scandal: Kim Jae-won (King the Land) as the heir of Jooshin Group Kim Ri-ahn and Lee Chae-min (See You in My 19th Life) as transfer student Kang Ha. An outlier in a space designed for the top 0.01% of society, Kang Ha sticks out amongst the glitz and glam, but nothing will stop him from exposing the truth. It appears a student has died, and there’s more to this death than meets the eye. However, Ri-ahn won’t sit by idly and let things crumble because of some “scholarship punks.”
The precarious ecosystem within the walls of Jooshin High shows cracks as Jae-yi dumps Ri-ahn and struggles with online bullying. She receives texts, asking if she’ll kill this person next, and the laughs of her peers suffocate her. Jae-yi, though, isn’t the only one suffering through all this since her classmates hold secrets of their own as well.
The teaser reveals a different pair of elite students Yoon He-ra and Lee Woo-jin — played by Ji Hye-won (My Perfect Stranger) and Lee Won-jung (My Perfect Stranger), respectively — both in the throes of a heated argument as well as a passionate night. She frantically asks him how he could do such a thing, but he reminds her that she made him choose.
For these teens, friendship and love seem to hold little merit as they claw over each other to protect themselves and their social standing. The powerful step on the weak, and everyone looks out for their own interest. They all have skeletons in their closets that they will fight to the bitter end to guard, but Kang Ha isn’t scared of their money or threats. He vows to keep going even if it costs him his life, and Jae-yi stares at him, her expression unmoving.
Directed by PD Bae Hyun-jin (Alchemy of Souls 2) and written by Chu Hye-mi (About Time), Hierarchy premieres June 7.
Via 10 Asia
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Tags: Hierarchy, Kim Jae-won (2), Lee Chae-min, Noh Jung-eui
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1 panshel
May 28, 2024 at 6:14 AM
I plan to watch, and while I love the leads, I expect that Lee Won-jung will steal the show.
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2 Seon-ha
May 28, 2024 at 6:28 AM
That is the worst photo manipulation/"enhancement" I've seen in a LONG time on that poster! Prince Flight Attendant (Kim Jae-won, yes, I
looked upknow his name) is barely recognizable.It's like (a) they're trying to make this drama look more like a webtoon or (b) there's ZERO budget.
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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
May 28, 2024 at 1:56 PM
I had to go back to look for him as I didn't see him until you said that.
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3 Diana Hansen
May 28, 2024 at 7:09 AM
messed up teens in adult scenes? I don't think I'll be there to watch.
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hacja
May 28, 2024 at 8:57 AM
Usually, since all of the high school kdramas have mid-twenties-mid thirty year olds playing students, its messed up adults in teen scenes.
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Elin~auditor
May 28, 2024 at 10:59 AM
Sometimes I can overlook the actors' ages and sometimes not, but in this case I've already seen almost all of them in adult roles and they're not going back to school in my head. The promos do nothing visually to convince me these are teens, the bullying-at-elite-school premise has been done to death, and I'm suffering from Chaebol Burnout Syndrome.
Sexually active teens seem like the only believable part of this show from what we can see here. I wouldn't mind a drama that took that seriously and explored that aspect of teenaged development for a change. Of course, then we'd have to have actors who are 20+ for legal reasons, so never mind.
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mindy
May 28, 2024 at 11:09 AM
This is kind of tangential, but I used to be one of the people who bemoaned the constant use of actors in their 20s and even 30s for high school roles. I thought it was better for young people to see those who looked more like themselves, rather than adults, on the screen.
But the recent focus on Nickelodeon, Dan Schneider, and the many dangers that children in the entertainment industry face has me changing my tune. I have heard horrible things about what the Skins kids went through as well, so it’s definitely not just Hollywood. I’d much rather have more roles go to adults who are better equipped to handle the pressures of the industry than risk more and more children being exploited and abused (not to say adults don’t get exploited and abused as well, but, again, they are usually better equipped to handle it all and aren’t being pressured into the profession to make their parents/family rich or whatever).
Completely removing minors from TV and film is, of course, impossible, but using adults instead when feasible no longer seems so bad to me.
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hacja
May 28, 2024 at 11:33 AM
Yes, its been a problem in Hollywood all the way back to Judy Garland. But for Korea, its not dramas where the problem lies, its in the music industry. Kpop teen exploitation is always talked about, but as far as I can see, has not been addressed at all.
As for kdramas a good solution to this genuine dilemma, and one that I would FULLY support, is not to have so many shows about high school.
mindy
May 28, 2024 at 11:47 AM
@hacja I wouldn't say it's not dramas where the problem lies. Just because it also exists in K-pop (and is more apparent) does not mean that it is not a problem in other aspects of the entertainment industry, especially considering how closely intertwined everything is.
Britney
May 29, 2024 at 1:49 PM
I remember when I discovered Degrassi: The Next Generation. I felt SO seen seeing real teens portraying real teen issues (some of which I related to) and it felt SOOO novel because as an American ALL I saw was adults playing teens (okay, that's a skotch of an exaggeration because I just remembered Family Matters & Boy Meets World had child actors who grew into adults onscreen but they were older than me haha. Degrassi: TNG was my age)
I was grateful that the show existed and I thought it was so cool.
Similarly, I felt that about the Dan Schneider shows. While I wasn't as attached to those shows, it was still cool seeing kids about my age doing kid things.
It's disgusting and sad that kids can be/are exploited but I see the benefits of having kids/teens playing kids/teens.
Nowadays, I don't think that's a thing even more than in the past (and I don't even know of any teen focused shows) but given the type of content that's being made nowadays, I think it's just logical to have adults portraying those things
hacja
May 28, 2024 at 11:27 AM
One of the things that has always struck me about the innumerable high school kdramas is that they are almost inevitably violent, many to the extreme. Has there been a high school show that does NOT have a bullying incident? I can't remember one.
Whereas in the U.S. all the high school movies, at least into the 21st century, are mostly about sex.
Now, I am not defending raunchy high school sex comedies over brutally violent bully shows, but I frankly find it a little disturbing that most kdrama young men would rather spend all their spare time humiliating and physically torturing a male classmate, rather than devoting their efforts to getting to first base, as we used to say.
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LaurenSophie
May 28, 2024 at 12:34 PM
So. Much. Word.
4 Bunny Sonaki
May 28, 2024 at 8:21 AM
Netflix takes things to an extreme. So, I doubt I will tune in.
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5 hacja
May 28, 2024 at 8:59 AM
I'm hoping that this will be that rare high school drama that features the problem of teen bullying. Its about time that crucial social issue gets the attention it deserves.
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6 Kafiyah Bello
May 28, 2024 at 11:02 AM
So Gossip Girl or that Spanish show, but make it Korean.
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jillian
May 28, 2024 at 11:24 AM
I have seen both so not tuning in for this one.
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7 LaurenSophie
May 28, 2024 at 12:33 PM
It seems like every scene of this drama should come with a trigger warning.
Hard pass for me.
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8 Kathryn51
May 28, 2024 at 3:49 PM
I don't know about any of the others, but Lee Chae-min is only 22 (probably 21 when this drama was filmed). He was actually OVER-aged for "See You in my 19th Life") where I believe he portrayed someone in his mid-30's (professor at a college).
He's the only reason I will give it a try. It's 7 episodes, all released at once on Netflix.
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Britney
May 29, 2024 at 1:28 PM
I think he's 25
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9 Soyesterday
May 28, 2024 at 5:59 PM
Typical Netflix garbage, hard pass
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10 Britney
May 29, 2024 at 12:13 PM
I just saw an interview with Lee Chae Min & Kim Jae Won and my, oh my aren't they charming haha. Particularly Chae Min. He seems comfortable and confident so now I'm curious about the character he plays in this.
I'd never even seen or heard of him before but now I kinda feel like he would be on my watch out for list.
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panshel
May 29, 2024 at 9:12 PM
Are you talking about Hong Seok-cheon's Jewel Box?
I thought that you saw See You in My 19th Life for some reason. Lee Chae-min is adorable. His best role is definitely Crash Course in Romance.
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Kurama
May 29, 2024 at 9:20 PM
He was good in Love All Play too but he was a support character.
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Britney
May 30, 2024 at 3:37 PM
That's exactly what I saw them on, the Jewel box show. And no, I've never seen either actors' work
I've seen clips of Chae Min from dramas (after watching his Jewel box appearance) and his hair is always short. I think he looked WAY better with the longer hair. I honestly he could give Song Kang a run for his money in terms of appeal. Why did I think of Song Kang when I've only seen one of his project (Navaliera), I have no idea but he came to my mind haha.
Maybe cause they're in a similar age range (I think; I don't know how old Song Kang is haha)
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11 🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸
May 30, 2024 at 2:26 AM
I like the cast and PD-nim but the subject seems not my cup of tea. I'll stay happy in my corner with "High School Return of a Gangster" thank you very much.
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12 lillamy
May 30, 2024 at 11:24 AM
My gosh, this trend of violent high dramas really makes me yearn to rewatch Reply 1997.
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