Kdrama Deep-Dive Review: What happens when the strongest fighter just wants to study?
Study Group is one drama that, from the very start, makes you feel delighted with its tone—especially with the god-like abilities of the main lead. You might then find yourself unsettled by the excessive violence, but once you realize it’s basically a manhwa brought to life, you’ll end up simply enjoying the ride, thrilled by all the exaggerated, over-the-top fights.
The drama features seven main characters, along with a few notable ones who must not be left unmentioned.
First, we have Gamin, a bespectacled, innocent looking young man you’d never expect to fight like Hercules or Saitama. But all he really wants is to study and excel in school. The only reason he became such a skilled fighter is that he believed training his body would sharpen his mind, so that he will succeed academically in school. Yet, no matter how hard he tries, he always remains at the bottom of the class rankings.
Then there’s Sehyeon, the brain of the group—someone Gamin immediately identifies as having what he calls “study-eyes.” While Gamin struggles academically, Sehyeon faces his own battles—both in school, where he’s frequently beaten up, and at home, where he also suffers under his father, who wants him to give up studying and focus on vocational skills to support their family. And while Gamin is a genius in combat, Sehyeon is his intellectual counterpart, ranking second in school behind Hanwool, the main villain.
Hanwool, unfortunately, doesn’t get as much screen time as I would have liked. With his cold, stern, and sinister expression—occasionally accompanied by a sneer—he commands attention whenever he appears. As the son of a high-profile businessman and gangster, it’s unclear whether he holds the top academic position because of his intelligence or simply due to his power and influence.
Then we have the three other sidekicks: Jiwoo, Heewon, and Jun. Jiwoo, surprisingly, can fight almost as well as Gamin. She has a confident demeanour and is always ready for a fight. Heewon, in contrast, is a quirky girl with a dorky smile and a naturally sweet appearance. She’s an idealist, yet she chooses to stick with this chaotic group—likely because of Jiwoo. And finally, there’s Jun, the guy with dyed red hair who wants to fight but isn’t great at it, and wants to study—or at least it was Gamin who convinced him to—but isn’t great at that either. But because of Gamin’s fighting abilities, he eagerly jumps in, wanting to be part of the group.
The Catalyst for Change
Of course, we can’t overlook Ms. Lee, the teacher who serves as the catalyst for change in the school. Unlike the other teachers, who prefer to turn a blind eye to corruption to protect their jobs, she actively supports Gamin and his friends, giving them the space to challenge the unfair system. And in this school, the real “boss” isn’t the principal—it’s Hanwool and his gang, backed by his father’s influence.
The Setting & The System
The drama is set in a technical school, a place that Gamin overheard his middle school classmates discussing as a school that Gamin can gain a special entrance to college. Ironically, Jun overheard the same school being described by the same classmates as a place where fighting is the key to success.
That’s because Hanwool established a power-ranking system, complete with an app that ranks students based on their fighting skills. Win a fight, and you move up the rankings. This system keeps the school in constant competition with a focus on brute strength rather than studying.
Then comes Gamin, disrupting the system by forming a study group—something he was never allowed to be part of in middle school because no one wanted a weak student on their team. But now, in this school, he gets to create one with Ms. Lee’s support.
At the same time, Hanwool is building his own system—recruiting students into his gang, complete with trainers and bodyguards. But his plans go beyond schoolyard fights. His father’s gang uses these young recruits as scapegoats for serious crimes, from assaults to even murders.
The Core of the Drama
This drama is then about power and control, but with Gamin who just wanted to study and do well in school, and yet he had to fight in order to study.
At its heart, Study Group is a drama about power and control—who holds it, how it’s used, and what it takes to challenge an unjust system. Gamin just wants to study, to succeed academically, yet he has to fight in order to do so. It’s a story of resilience, defiance, and the struggle between intellect and brute force—all wrapped up in an action-packed, manhwa-style high school setting.
And oh yes, there are also the few other notable characters: Geonyeob, the strong but conflicted classmate—is he in or is he out?; Suncheol, whose transformation made the day; Hyeonwoo, Jiwoo’s twin brother; and even Minhwan, who plays the sidekick villain role so well.
It’s a wild ride, but one that leaves you thinking: Is knowledge really power if you have to fight for the right to use it? And we certainly hope to see more of it with a very much hoped for second season.
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