Although it features teenagers as the main characters, it overtly emphasizes the hierarchy within the school and, despite being rated for 15 and over, it includes high levels of violence and sexual content. Given the recent phenomenon of mimicry after the broadcast of “Pyramid Game” on TVING, there are also concerns regarding “Hierarchy”.
Debuting on June 7, “Hierarchy” is set at Jooshin High School, which boasts of providing the best high-quality educational service in South Korea and where the most talented 0,01% of children gather. In this prestigious private high school, an exciting story of love, friendship, revenge and compassion unfolds among eighteen young people.
Even before its release, “Hierarchy” was compared to “Pyramid Game” because both feature hierarchical structures based on family origin, wealth and social status within the school, and the arrival of a transfer student causing disruption. Director Bae Hyeon-jin said: “While I enjoyed Pyramid Game, Hierarchy is very different. While Pyramid Game deals with the struggles of wielding violence, Hierarchy should be viewed through emotional fluctuations and character growth. »
Regarding concerns about the impact of these provocative K-dramas on teenagers, director Bae explained that “Hierarchy” addresses conflicts between social classes and highlights the message of growing up. The explicitness has been toned down, with a greater emphasis on the emotions experienced.
The trailer suggests that ‘Hierarchy’ features a love triangle similar to ‘The Heirs’ and a mystery comparable to ‘Bitch X Rich’, while the overall atmosphere is reminiscent of the Spanish series ‘Elite’. However, it does include some very explicit scenes for a 15+ rating, such as scenes on the bed with high school boys and girls undressing and sharing intimate moments, as well as scenes where hidden camera video for adults is shared in a discussion group.
The latest school K-dramas have evolved from innocent romance to depicting miniature versions of social issues. They cover not only school violence, but also social hierarchies and even drug distribution. The problem is that these explicit K-dramas might negatively influence teenagers.
In the case of “Pyramid Game”, despite being classified as not suitable for adolescents, it gained great popularity, which led to cases of collective harassment imitating the game in some high schools. This situation led the education office of the Jeonbuk provincial government to send a letter of cooperation for the direction of student life to prevent the spread of the “Pyramid Game”, and schools also urged parents to guide actively their children to prevent this gaming culture from becoming the seed of criminal behavior.
In this context, there are serious concerns about the potential influence of the negative elements of “Hierarchy” on adolescents, due to the violent and sexual scenes involving young students. After “Hierarchy,” we are also planning to release “Weak Hero Class 2,” which follows a top 1% student model who fights against bullies to survive. This suggests that the television industry continues to be concerned with concerns about imitation and its impact on viewers.
What do you think ?