Boyhood (2023) K-Drama Episode 1

Nov 28, 2023

Episode 1 of Boyhood titled ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon The Legend Begins’ begins in 1989, Onyang. Three bullies are beating up some classmates for laughing at them. Jang Byeong-tae is one of the victims and all he dreams is to avoid fights.

His family keeps moving as the father, Hak-su constantly gets in trouble. They have to move again as Hak-su is caught running an illegal dancing school. But the only reason Byeong-tae cries is because he had finally figured out his bullies’ pattern to avoid them. And now he has to start all over again at the new school.

The Jangs move in with their friends, the Parks in Buyeo. Their daughter, Ji-yeong used to beat Byeong-tae up as a kid but now tries to play nice with him. Byeong-tae’s first venture into town is to buy rice for his mom but he gets distracted by the local arcade.

Meanwhile, the top 3 of the local school pick a fight with another new boy. However, they are easily defeated as the boy wins.

As for Byeong-tae, he ends up picking a fight with 8th graders and ends up running off. As he cycles home, a fumigation truck drives by and due to the smoke he doesn’t see the boy smoking off the road. They crash and the boy hits his head. Jung Gyeong-tae, the poor boy is taken to a hospital in the city while Byeong-tae’s biggest problem is getting the rice he lost in the crash.

He ends up borrowing from Ji-yeong who says they are even for all the times she picked on him.

Buyeo Agricultural High School is rife with a new rumour as the boys discuss the White Tiger of Ansan, a new guy who singlehandedly beat up several classmates and even got rid of the top 3 of their school. His catchphrase is that a bloody cigarette always tastes good and his name may be Jung Gyeong-tae or…Jang Byeong-tae. They are just not sure. Ji-yeong overhears and scoffs at how anyone could ever think of Byeong-tae as the White Tiger.

At home, Byeong-tae is scolding his father for making them move when Hak-su comes up with a plan. He befriends their cop of a neighbour who ends up dropping Byeong-tae to school in his cop car. Everyone is stunned and wonders if the new kid is the White Tiger. Byeong-tae has other plans as he suddenly confronts the whole class.

In a flashback, we see his dad’s plan – to pick a fight with the weakest thug so that way at least Byeong-tae is not at the bottom of the food chain.

However, it doesn’t go as planned as his confrontation has everyone assured that he is the infamous and powerful White Tiger. No one fights him and Byeong-tae thinks he is ruined. Another classmate recognises him from the arcade but the rest of the boys shush him so that he doesn’t get on Byeong-tae’s nerves.

While Byeong-tae wonders when the bullies will start picking on him, the thugs of Buyeo Agricultural High School corner him in the bathroom. It turns into a comedy of errors as he kneels and is super defensive. But the thugs just think of him as an extremely disciplined martial artist and decide to throw him a party. All this irks the arcade student but no one pays him any heed.

Byeong-tae is still wary at the party but the kids just drink and eat. He decides to go with the flow when a couple of girls arrive at their karaoke room. Kang Seon-hwa, the prettiest girl is intrigued by him and the thugs’ leader, Cheol-hong hypes up Byeong-tae. At the end of Boyhood Episode 1, as Cheol-hong introduces him as the White Tiger, a drunk Byeong-tae finally puts the pieces together and realises they think that he is Jung Gyeong-tae.

The Episode Review

Boyhood Episode 1 is extremely hilarious from the get-go and sets the tone of the K-drama. It seems like a black comedy from the way Byeong-tae starts crying that he has to change schools because he finally figured out the bullies’ patterns to avoid getting caught. The dark humour takes one by surprise and continues with that momentum from Byeong-tae’s awkwardness in scary situations to the mistaken identity scenario.

Im Si-wan is perfect as the naive bumbling Byeong-tae whose only dream is not to get into a fight. It feels like Big Mouth but a comedy version as he becomes the kingpin of his high school. We also have to talk about how the K-drama’s scenic cinematography adds to the nostalgic feel of 1980s South Korea.

Tags: #Boyhood 2023; #The hidden dragon; #K Drama; #Im Shi Wan; #Lee Sun Bin; #Kim Jeong Jin; #Kang Hye Won; #Lee Shi Woo; #Dramacool; #Dramanice; #소년시대;

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