High school shenanigans, the death of a student and a brother with revenge on his mind — Netflix’s new K-drama series Hierarchy, trending at No. 8 in Top 10 TV shows in India, is an arresting mix of lies, secrets and romance though it doesn’t quite hit the high notes.
Inspired by the Netflix Spanish drama series Elite, the seven-episode Hierarchy directed by Bae Hyeon-jin centres around Kang Ha (Lee Chae-Min), a scholarship student from a disadvantaged background who enters the opulent world of Jooshin High School and is quickly pulled into the secrets and rivalries of the school’s elite students. There’s Kim Ri-an (Kim Jae-won), the heir apparent to a conglomerate, and his ex-girlfriend Jeong Jae-i (Roh Jeong-hui). Among the supporting characters are Jae-i’s best friend Yoon He-ra (Ji Hye-won), who has a crush on Ri-an, and another student Lee Woo-jin (Lee Won-jung) who starts an affair with teacher Han Ji-su (Byeon Seo-yun).
The story unfurls with the hit-and-run death of Kang In-han (Kim Min-chul), Ha’s brother, who too was a scholarship student and a close friend of Jae-i. Their friendship had caused a rift between Jae-i and Ri-an, and Ha suspects him to be his brother’s killer. Jae-i has her own problems to deal with — apart from a domineering father at home, an anonymous person on social media constantly threatens to expose her for an undisclosed thing.
A love triangle between the three main leads pushes the narrative forward. While Ri-an has feelings for Jae-i, she keeps a distance from him and blames herself for In-han’s death. Ha too is drawn towards Jae-i, which she is aware of but chooses not to acknowledge.
Visually, Hierarchy is a treat. The high production values combined with stylish cinematography reflect the wealth and glamour of a world that thrives on intrigue.
The lavish setting of Jooshin High, complete with luxurious classrooms and extravagant student parties, is in stark contrast to Ha’s humble background. The sense of entitlement among the privileged students and their ruthless competitiveness gives an edge to the plot that the series doesn’t make the best use of. Ri-an, for instance, is initially presented as the quintessential rich boy bully but the character development remains stagnant. And the love triangle between Ri-an, Ha and Jae-i lacks emotional resonance and feels forced.
With Ha seeking retribution for a past injustice, Hierarchy aims to delve into the complexities of revenge but loses steam midway. The show also doesn’t provide a clear moral compass, leaving viewers unsure about who to root for.
Despite these flaws, the young actors carry the show on their shoulders. Lee Chae-Min is memorable as Ha, capturing his determination and resilience in the face of adversity, and Kim Jae-won is adequately charismatic as Ri-an.
