Kdrama Deep-Dive Review: Finding Connection in a Complicated World
Study Group has many charming moments, but one of my favourites is what I like to call the sweetest-ever wedding bouquet catch—with a ramen bowl.
This scene happens near the end of the drama, after the study group has fallen apart for a while. But now, they need to come back together—not just to study, but to fight. And they need Jiwoo back. At this point, she’s working at a convenience store, and Heewon is sent to persuade her.
Heewon, being cute: I want a friend to go on group blind dates with me. Sigh…really, I won’t make friends in college since I’m a loser. And no group blind dates, either…Gee, how sad. Aigoo…It’d be so fun to hang out with our boyfriends. We have different ideal types, too. You care about the face, and I care about the physique.
Jiwoo, cut and dry: I don’t get to go to college or have a boyfriend.
Heewon, surprised: Why not? There’s nothing wrong with you.
Jiwoo, dejected, then annoyed: Yes. Let’s say I go to college and go on blind dates. How will I introduce myself, then? “I’m an orphan who was born with nothing. I have a twin brother, but he’s in jail. I work to death to feed him in jail. Do you want to visit him with me?” Should I say that?
Heewon, sheepish, then pointedly: I suppose you have a point…But someone might think this. “She’s an orphan who struggles…and her brother is in jail, but…she works so hard and goes to college. She even takes care of her brother. She’s really cool and impressive.”… If you marry him, I’ll—catch your bouquet! (throws a ramen bowl up and catches it gleefully—remember, they’re in a convenience store and isn’t she absolutely adorable?)
I could watch this scene again and again because it makes my heart feel so warm. Isn’t it lovely to have a friend who encourages you like this? Even if life isn’t ideal, even if things don’t magically fall into place—so what? I have this good friend by my side, and that’s, as the Koreans would say, 충분해 (chung-bun-hae), “full enough” to feel complete.
That’s what Study Group does so well—it brings out the depth of relationships. The friendship between the five of them has this natural, unspoken sense of togetherness, something that makes them instinctively trust each other. Wouldn’t it be perfect to find a friend like that, someone you just click with from the start? Have you ever had that kind of experience—meeting someone and just knowing, deep down, that they’ll be there for you?
But when the drama delves into parent-child relationships, the tone darkens. I suppose that’s natural—family relationships can be complicated. There can be a disconnect in dreams and expectations, a lack of time spent together, and, at the most basic level, broken communication.
Gamin is mostly at peace with his mom. She isn’t overly concerned about his academic performance—she provides for him, guides him, and understands his limits. She doesn’t dictate how he spends his time, except for one firm rule: he must be home by 10:00pm. And Gamin knows that whatever his mom says, is. So he simply obeys—a stark contrast to the unrestrained chaos in the recent UK-based Adolescence, where a lack of parental boundaries leads to devastating consequences. (If you haven’t seen Adolescence, the difference in parental standards is striking—one home by 10:00pm, the other with no curfew at all, leading to a horrific act of violence.)
Sehyeon, on the other hand, has a much harder time with his father. There’s a complete disconnect between them. His father fails to see his intelligence, insisting he quit school, learn a vocational skill, and start working to support the family. This frustrates Sehyeon, but he obeys—until he finds a way to get through to his father. So, he does exactly what his father wants. He joins him at the construction site. Maybe he’s given up convincing him, or maybe he’s just biding his time. Either way, he goes to work. Then Gamin, ever the loyal friend, joins him—and together, they beg Sehyeon’s father to give him a chance to prove himself. Gamin even quips that one day, Sehyeon will own the very building they’re working on.
Then there’s Hanwool and his father. And this is where things become even more distant—something most of us might not even relate to unless we come from a family where relationships are less about love and more about business.
Whether or not you relate to the people in Study Group, navigating relationships is rarely straightforward. And when you factor in the myriads of relationships we encounter—family, friends, colleagues, bosses, mentors—it can feel like manoeuvring through a labyrinth, full of uncertainties, expectations, and emotions.
They are complicated. Every relationship carries unspoken rules, expectations, and emotional weight. Study Group doesn’t just explore the warmth of companionship—it also reveals the distance, the misunderstandings, and the struggle to bridge gaps.
But at its heart, the drama reminds us that even in the messiness of it all, having just one person who truly understands you can be enough.
충분해.
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