With TREASURE premiering their second web drama The Mysterious Class tomorrow night, we take a look at their first web drama from earlier this year, It’s Okay, That’s Friendship.
It was the runaway success of this first web drama – which received more than a million views within twenty-four hours – that led to the creation of their upcoming drama next week.
The drama is a loving parody of some of the most popular K-dramas of all time. Its title, It’s Okay, That’s Friendship, was a direct reference to the popular drama It’s Okay, That’s Love. And it’s main characters, the T5 (Treasure-5), are an almost direct reference to the F4 in Boys Over Flowers.
- Main Cast: Choi Hyun Suk | Park Ji Hoon | Kim Jun Kyu | Yoshi | Mashiho | Yoon Jae Hyuk | Asahi | Bang Ye Dam | Kim Do Young | Haruto | Park Jeong Woo | So Jung Hwan
- Streaming Site: YouTube
- Thrill/Addictive Meter:
- Overall Rating:
- Rewatch Value:
- Dramas of Similar Vibe: It’s Okay, That’s Love | Boys Over Flowers | The Boy Next Door
Ford Carter watched It’s Okay, That’s Friendship on YouTube
It’s Okay, That’s Friendship Quick Plot Recap
Identical twins who aren’t so identical – Junkyu and Doyoung – arrive at their new transfer school. However, it soon becomes apparent that new students aren’t the center of attention, but rather the amazing T5 (Treasure-5). When neither Junkyu nor Doyoung recognizes any of the members of the T5, the other students at the school (consisting of Hyunsuk, Jihoon, Yoshi, Mashiho, and Yedam) are willing to fill them in.
The first member of the T5 is Jeong-woo. He is acknowledged for his stunning good looks and tan skin tone. Some say he ate too much chocolate and got his dark complexion. Either way, everyone is star-struck by his good looks.
The second member of the T5 is Jaehyuk. He is the son of a popular delivery food app creator and is known for his wealth. And his undying love for banana-flavored milk.
The third member of the T5 is Asahi. He also belongs to a wealthy family, who owns a well-known global beer company. And he’s the mysterious member of the T5 as well.
The fourth member of the T5 is Haruto. He is the heir to the Hilteum Hotels fortune and their roughly 5.5 trillion hotels around the world. He also has the looks of someone worthy of a global presence.
The fifth and final member of the T5 is Junghwan. He is the son of the secretary of the Hilteume Hotels chairman. But not everything is as it seems, as his father is more interested in the wellbeing of Haruto rather than him.
There are two main relationships of focus throughout the episode, both surrounding the newly transferred students and members of the T5. The first is between Junkyu and Haruto, and the other is a love triangle between Jeongwoo, Doyoung, and Jaehyuk.
“I don’t want you to leave. It’s amusing with you here.”
As Haruto appears as the bad boy in the episode, he rudely refuses to share his textbook with Junkyu at the beginning. That is, until Junkyu threatens to move to another table, when Haruto pulls him back in his seat, puts his arm around him, and tells him that he isn’t going anywhere.
But a jealous Junghwan – the son of Haruto’s father’s secretary – decides to pick a fight with Haruto in an attempt to claim Junkyu as his own. Sick of being second-best to Haruto, even by his own father, he’s decided that now is the time for him to stand up for himself.
“Other than me, don’t call anyone by their first name.”
The intense love triangle between Doyoung, Jaehyuk, and Jeongwoo, also takes center stage as the main plot element. Doyoung creates a friendship with Jaehyuk over their shared love of banana-flavored milk. Over this, Jeong-woo becomes intensely jealous and possessive of his friend.
When Jeongwoo comes over to surprise Jaehyuk with a bottle of banana milk, he notices him in the arms of Doyoung. Enraged and heartbroken, he drops the milk and walks away. It turns out that Jaehyuk was turning Doyoung down in favor of Jeongwoo for a date on Valentine’s Day, but that he hadn’t been there to notice.
After following Jeongwoo and assuring him that he is his one true best friend, Jeongwoo asks him only to call him by his first name, and no one else.
It’s Okay, That’s Friendship Peak Points
A few moments come to mind as incredibly memorable from this short, twenty-minute drama.
First of all, Jihoon’s acting. He plays the role of several characters, including as a student, multiple teachers, and even Junghwan’s father. And he does an incredible job in all of these roles.
Second off, the character of Asahi, and his intense mystique and quirkiness. He provides exposition occasionally to the story, eats popcorn at the front of the class as people argue, and even claps from the middle of a basketball court alone.
The character of Yedam just constantly having a guitar with him at all times was rather amusing. And, from behind the scenes, actor Mashiho messes up his one line throughout the entire episode.
Haruto’s bad-boy act is done very well, and the moment he pulls Junkyu towards him is memorable. And the moment Jaehyuk falls into the arms of Doyoung will also not easily be forgotten.
It’s Okay, That’s Friendship Musings
For a single-episode one-shot web drama, It’s Okay, That’s Friendship does an amazing job at debuting the twelve TREASURE members as actors. Its intense popularity secured millions of views in just hours. This has led to TREASURE premiering their own eight-episode web drama starting tomorrow night.
YG Entertainment is doing an amazing job at showcasing the multitude of talents of their large boy group. And the surprise of a web drama in the middle of the group’s ongoing reality show was great fun.
I would highly recommend It’s Okay, That’s Friendship for people who aren’t even fans of the group, simply for the enjoyment they would get out of watching it. Its satirical take on other popular K-dramas is done in a loving and caring way, and the “gay but not gay, BL but not BL” element was just an added bonus for me.
Image source: YG Entertainment
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