Friendly Rivalry (선의의 경쟁, 2025) Drama Review

『Monopoly and Solidarity, Obsession and Understanding Entwined in a Mysterious High School Narrative』

🎥 Drama Overview

🎬 Title: Friendly Rivalry (2025)
🌍 Country: 🇰🇷 South Korea
🎞️ Genre: Mystery / School / Psychological / GL Subtext
🗓️ Production & Broadcast: Studio Genieworks / U+ Mobile TV Original, 1 season with 16 episodes
⏳ Runtime: Approx. 30 minutes per episode
📢 Director: Kim Tae-hee
🖋️ Screenwriter: Kim Tae-hee
📖 Original Work: Naver Webtoon 《Friendly Rivalry》 by Song Chaeyoon, Shim Jaeyoung
📺 Platforms: U+ Mobile TV, TVING, Watcha, Netflix (to be released)

👩‍💼 Cast: Jung Soobin – Woo Seul-gi, Lee Hyeri – Yoo Je-i

🧩 In-Depth Story Exploration (Spoilers)

🔎 Woo Seul-gi and Yoo Je-i, a Fateful Encounter and Subtle Fractures

Transfer student Woo Seul-gi rises to the top of Chae-hwa Girls’ High School as the number one student, armed with both her orphanage background and exceptional academic abilities. Yoo Je-i, an elite constantly pressured to be perfect at school and at home, feels threatened by Seul-gi’s presence but gradually finds herself drawn to her. Their relationship begins with rivalry and wariness, but as they come to see each other as beings who truly “understand,” an intricate swirl of emotions emerges.

💬 “I Need You” – The Desperate Assertion of Existence

Je-i’s emotions surpass simple friendship. For her, Seul-gi becomes the only person who sustains her very being. Consequently, Je-i’s obsession and possessiveness deepen over time. Her inner conflict between a desire for monopoly and an instinct to protect causes their relationship to become tense and conflicted.

🧠 Psychological Conflict and the Interplay of Mystery

The drama skillfully incorporates psychological mystery elements, weaving together inner conflicts with external suspense. Crimes tied to Je-i’s father’s greed and corruption, including murder, heavily impact the two girls’ relationship. Gaslighting and hidden revelations create the drama’s central tension and sense of unease.

🔥 Jealousy and Solidarity, Intensifying Conflict

Shared study sessions, secret conversations at school, and shocking revelations push the emotional line between the two young women to its limits. Je-i’s obsession escalates into both restraint and a protective instinct, while Seul-gi’s inner wounds and competitive drive intertwine, constantly amplifying the psychological tension.

💔 The Crossroads of Ruin and Hope

In the finale, Je-i appears to abandon everything and disappear, yet a final photograph hints that she still remains by Seul-gi’s side. This open ending leaves the audience with a powerful afterimage, preserving the unresolved conflict between reality and emotion in their relationship.

🦋 Emotional Resonance and Thematic Significance

🎨 Genre Appeal: A New Horizon for School Thrillers

Friendly Rivalry is grounded in the school drama format yet elevates itself with mystery and thriller elements, creating a sense of tension distinct from traditional school narratives. Beyond academic competition, the story grippingly exposes hidden desires and secrets. True to the label of a “girls’ thriller,” it portrays the delicate yet ruthless psychological battles among young women with striking detail, garnering critical praise.

🎭 Powerful Performances and Character Immersion

Leading actresses Hyeri and Jung Soobin carry the emotional weight of the drama’s core. Hyeri successfully breaks free from her typically bright and cheerful persona, embodying the multifaceted character Yoo Je-i with nuance, earning acclaim for her transformation. Jung Soobin likewise conveys Seul-gi’s unease and layered emotions with delicacy, heightening immersion. Supporting cast members such as Kang Hyewon and Oh Woori add vitality to their roles, enhancing the drama’s overall completeness.

⚖️ Profound Themes and Social Commentary

As its paradoxical title suggests, Friendly Rivalry illustrates how competition, seemingly fair on the surface, can in reality be cruel and ruthless. By reflecting modern society’s hierarchies of grades, appearance, and wealth in the microcosm of teenage girls’ world, the drama portrays a survival war even fiercer than that of adults. Through complex backgrounds and motives, it explores the human psyche in depth, resisting a simplistic division of good and evil.

🌈 A New Chapter for Korean GL Dramas

Sensory direction and rhythmic editing stand out as major strengths of Friendly Rivalry. Symbolic mise-en-scène that mirrors the characters’ inner states and thought-provoking visual motifs deepen the drama’s resonance. Faithfully capturing the distinctive mood of the original webtoon, the adaptation has been highly praised. With kiss scenes and emotionally intimate moments, the series demonstrates that domestic GL content has reached a new stage of maturity. It expands the diversity of minority narratives, marking an important step forward in Korean storytelling.

🎯 Personal (Taste-Based) Rating

💕 Love Scene Intensity: ♥
⭐ Rating: ★★