Review: Class of Lies (2019)

An elite high school ranked in the top 0.1%. A mysterious murder case. Will a successful lawyer working undercover as a teacher be able to expose the ugly connection between the two?

Image via Tving.

A 16-episode crime thriller broadcast by OCN about deceit, mind games and social issues, Class of Lies (alternate title Mr. Temporary) is a wonderful addition in K-Dramaland's vast garden of intriguing and fast paced dramas. In all honesty, I wasn't really that keen on watching this show at first. I only tried peeking on it a little because I was curious of Yoon Kyun Sang's projects after binge watching Rebel last summer, but the first episode sold to me like hotcakes I couldn't help but follow it through. And yeah, I was glad that I did follow it through.

❀ RAVES ❀ »•»

1) Tension, Mystery and Suspense. Class of Lies had a tightly written plot and was definitely engaging from start to finish. It was quite dark for a show set-up in high school, but the mystery and the tension build-up was fantastic. I specifically love how they upped the tension especially as the episode for the week closes, because apart from keeping me on my toes and giving me a heart attack for ending the week in such a way, it made me all the more curious and excited for the upcoming episodes too.

Probably among the most tension filled episodes that I have loved was that from Episode 8 and Episode 10.

Episode 8 was a real roller coaster ride, I was at the edge of my seat as Mu Hyeok hacks through his students' phones, trying to look for anything that might be able to help him in his investigation. Beom Jin's phone was the last he was able to hack through, and as Beom Jin finishes his exam and asks for his phone back, I can't believe how gripping yet frustrating it was to have the show end on that very scene as I was very eager to find out whether Mu Hyeok got caught by Beom Jin for what he was trying to do.

The same goes for Episode 10, which ended with Mu Hyeok being caught up in an undesirable situation with a female student who was trying to frame him for sexual harassment. The look of horror in his face, added by the judgmental looks of the students around put him in such a hairy situation I was wondering how the hell would he be able to save himself from it, and it was fantastic.

2) Acting. For a show that banks on evil characters and who's gonna be the most evil of them all, Class of Lies definitely did a great job in the acting department. For me, the most surprising actor of the lot was U-KISS' Jun who portrayed Beom Jin. This was my first time seeing him in a drama, and I have to say I'm impressed. I was even surprised to find out that he was originally an idol because he was really convincing as an intelligent yet coldly manipulative psychopath - to the point that seems irredeemable at all.

3) Prosecutor Cha Hyun Jung. Although a minor character, I really love Prosecutor Cha's role in this show. She's strong-willed and is after the truth, and even if she started off as a rival towards Mu Hyeok, I love how she has been consistently helping him uncover the truth behind Su Ah's death. She ain't a crazy bulldog for nothing, because up until the end, Prosecutor Cha did not stop until she was able to chase the truth.

Because of Prosecutor Cha's bullheadedness, she had earned the ire of Beom Jin's father and got herself hurt in Episode 11. Although Class of Lies had a tendency to be extremely dark, I didn't really expect they'd go as far as having her *almost* killed. Prosecutor Cha was a favorite character of mine, I like her even better than So Hyun. This was why I was so mad at the show for going this way, but at least in the end Prosecutor Cha did survive and was the one who got Beom Jin's father arrested.

4) Gi Hoon's Arc. Gi Hoon was a pretty evil character. Not only was he short tempered, he was also a liar and a stalker. And though it's safe to say that he really did have feelings for Su Ah, it doesn't erase the fact that he tried to rape her as seen in Episode . Despite all of this though, I appreciate how genuinely hurt he was when he found out that it could be his father buying Su Ah's services, the same way he had been angry at finding out that Beom Jin might be the true culprit. I couldn't help but think that maybe Gi Hoon wasn't inherently bad to begin with, and that his attitude and his behavior might have only been affected by his environment and the people he was constantly with. Had he met better people growing up, Gi Hoon might not have ended as bad as he was in the show.

5) Recurring Social Themes. Being a teacher myself, I appreciate how Class of Lies delved deeper into the issue of bullying and its effect to those who have been bullied. The show served as an eye opener to remind people that it is not and will never be right to blame a victim for whatever mess that he has gone through. Rather than the victim, it's the perpetrators who should be held responsible. Bystanders, who do nothing but watch, are just as guilty too. This resonates all the more in Han Su's trial during Episode , where he asked people not to judge Su Ah and understand where she has come from. Apart from this, Gi Hoon's arc poses an important societal issue too, in that a child's environment and the people he's constantly with play a great role in shaping his values and attitudes, as well as how he looks at the world as a whole. Class of Lies did great in incorporating social themes such as this in its run.

❀ RANTS ❀ »•»

1) Dark Theme. As mentioned, the show was pretty dark for something that is set-up in high school. The bullying, deceit, manipulations and evil deeds in this show go really really far than one can ever imagine. It has portrayed the evil side of human nature all too much that I sometimes find it a little bit disturbing.

2) Privileged Evil Kids. The Veritas composed of Beom Jin, Gi Hoon, Tae Ra and Ye Ri were among the most evil kids I have probably seen in my entire drama viewing. They were not only manipulative, they were a bunch of privileged jerks who thinks they have the world in the palm of their hands and would stop at nothing until they get what they want. Even if the VIP treatment in Cheonmyung High School got corrected in the end, I still think there was still something lacking-especially with regards to these kids. I would probably have preferred had the show explained things further regarding the remaining little demons, such as an arc or a subtle hint for redemption, maybe?

3) Ending. I love that after all the mystery, suspense and that pretty long journey, in the end the show did manage to tie loose ends. However, there were still some ends that remained loose and bothered me a bit, such as this:

Although I appreciate how we get to know that it was Beom Jin after all who murdered Su Ah and that his dad got apprehended by using no less his very own minion, I find it quite anti-climactic how the show chose to end Beom Jin's character by getting him killed, let alone not even reveal who got him killed. In a way, I thought it felt sort of random.  I thought it was also not quite fitting for a character as bad as Beom Jin to have an ending as easy as that. Not only was he able to walk away unscathed at court, he just died like that and yep, the end. 😒

❀ RULING ❀ »•»

All in all Class of Lies is a pretty gripping and engaging watch from start to watch. Despite being set-up in high school, it's got a quite a dark tone on that may not be quite pleasing to watch. Yet this darkness, as well as the plot twists and tension build-up, are among the thrilling things that will definitely keep you glued into the show. Above this all, Class of Lies is a show that's not afraid to tackle the evil side of human's nature; and thus makes the lessons and realizations that go along with watching it resonate all the more. Recommended watch.

TAGS: Class of Lies, Jun, K-Drama, K-Drama Reviews, U-KISS, Yoon Kyun Sang   Edit