'Good Competition' has concluded amidst positive reviews.
On the 6th, the final episode of the STUDIO X+U drama 'Good Competition' (Planning: STUDIO X+U / Production: YLAB FLEX, STUDIO X+U / Director: Kim Tae-hee / Screenplay: Kim Tae-hee, Min Ye-ji) was released through U+tv and U+mobiletv. The drama captivated viewers with suspenseful events surrounding the mysterious death of the college entrance exam question committee member Woo Do-hyuk (played by Lee Won-jae), depicting the ever-changing relationships among the characters. In the final episode, all the truths of the events were revealed, and the stories of Yoo Jae-yi (played by Lee Hyeri), Woo Seul-ki (Jung Soo-bin), Joo Ye-ri (Kang Hye-won), and Choi Kyung (Oh Woo-ri) living a new future away from the entrance exam war were portrayed.
In episodes 13-15, Jae-yi and Seul-ki were depicted failing to find evidence that Yoo Tae-jun (played by Kim Tae-hoon) killed Do-hyuk while working together. Consequently, Jae-yi attempted to carry out the remaining plan alone before Seul-ki became more dangerous and demanded Tae-jun to provide another killer question for the exam. Seul-ki was distressed to see Jae-yi suddenly distancing herself.
In the final episode, Seul-ki intervened to stop Jae-yi, who was planning to risk her life. Seul-ki teamed up with Byeong-jin (played by Young-jae) to kidnap Tae-jun and steal the killer question. As Jae-yi tried to stop this, Seul-ki swallowed the problem, causing Jae-yi to faint her and perform the surgery herself to retrieve the question. While Byeong-jin sold it to students and parents, Tae-jun handed Jae-yi the real killer question, allowing her to achieve a perfect score on the exam. However, Seul-ki could not wake up and missed the exam.
After the results were released, while Tae-jun was being interviewed, Jae-yi jumped off with her sister Jena (played by Chu Ye-jin). The sister, wearing a life jacket, was safely rescued, but Jae-yi disappeared like smoke. Consequently, various charges against Jena, including covering up Tae-jun's death, entrance exam corruption, and murder, surfaced. After such a stormy time, Ye-ri received a scouting offer from the entertainment industry, Kyung went to law school, and Seul-ki continued to live with her stepmother Hee-yoon (played by Kang Jin-ah). Despite various crimes, Tae-jun continued to search for Jae-yi after serving a short sentence.
During this time, a package containing shoes and a photo of the sea, seemingly sent by Jae-yi, arrived for Seul-ki, and the screen concluded with a scene of Jae-yi skateboarding freely in the sea from the photo. Jae-yi's happy appearance, having succeeded in her revenge against her father and gained freedom, provided healing to the viewers. Additionally, the open ending hinted at the reunion of Jae-yi and Seul-ki, imagining a bright future ahead for the two girls who grew through this incident.
'Good Competition' is not just a simple school drama but unfolds a tense narrative centered around the mysterious death of a college entrance exam committee member and various desires related to the entrance exam. The meticulously structured story and stylish direction provided viewers with high immersion. In particular, the relationships among characters, fluctuating between friendship and solidarity, trust and suspicion, longing and jealousy, left a strong impression.
Moreover, 'Good Competition' is regarded as a work that marked a turning point in Lee Hyeri's acting career. She perfectly embodied the cold and rational character Yoo Jae-yi, breaking away from her previous bright and bubbly image, leaving a strong impression. Lee Hyeri proved her new potential as an actress by perfectly portraying Yoo Jae-yi, a type of female character not seen in Korean dramas before, leading viewers to praise her with comments like "Lee Hyeri has found her life character," "Lee Hyeri was Yoo Jae-yi," and "I saw a new side of Lee Hyeri."
This work also firmly established the presence of new actors. First, Jung Soo-bin, who played Woo Seul-ki at the center of the mystery, heightened the drama's immersion with her solid acting skills. Kang Hye-won, who perfectly absorbed the role of Joo Ye-ri, demonstrated a diverse acting spectrum, while Oh Woo-ri, who made a mark as Choi Kyung overcoming the second lead complex, also delivered stable performances and gained attention. Additionally, Kim Tae-hoon (as Yoo Tae-jun) and Young-jae (as Nam Byeong-jin) contributed to changing the atmosphere of the drama and enhancing the suspense, enriching the drama's enjoyment.
Thus, 'Good Competition' concluded, leaving a strong aftertaste. With its whirlwind story, stylish direction, and the passionate performances of the actors, 'Good Competition' has been praised for pioneering a new genre of 'mystery girl thriller.' As a well-made genre piece that was perfect in every aspect, it is expected to be remembered by viewers for a long time.
