Summary
While this k-drama series enjoys the aloof comedy, the writers have completely nailed the importance of a vibrant community.
This review of the Netflix K-Drama series So Not Worth It season 1 does not contain spoilers — the comedy was released on June 18, 2021.
This is a slight slant, but So Not Worth It was a reminder of my traveling days, more than my student years. Living in a different country and being amongst the energetic youth is a period of my life that I’ll never forget. While this k-drama series enjoys the aloof comedy, the writers have completely nailed the importance of a vibrant community.
So Not Worth It season 1 brings a group of students together. Each character offers a different but flagrant personality; the series feels like an ice cream store, with all the flavors set out, and you wonder which ice cream will stand out better for your taste buds. It isn’t easy to decide a favorite character in So Not Worth It, as they are all incredibly engaging and flavorsome.
There’s a laughing track (I don’t believe it’s a studio audience), but I did wonder if it was necessary. At certain moments, I tried to imagine what the story would feel like without the canned laughter, and I concluded that I’d find the punchlines funny anyway. It doesn’t deter from the comedy, so it’s hardly a strong criticism — sometimes laughing tracks encourage audiences to believe something is funnier than it actually is, but there’s nothing wrong with feeling amused — So Not Worth It is not a laugh-out-loud experience, but it does tickle the soul. There’s so much chaos and ridiculousness between these young characters that the only option is to enjoy the ride.
The cast is brilliant; you can tell they had a wonderful time presenting a vibrant yet sometimes dysfunctional community. The K-Drama series represents young adult life — the dramas, the missed and successful romances, the life lessons, and the innocence of the beginnings of adulthood. There’s nothing uniquely serious in the story, and even when there is, it’s humored with good comedy writing. Audiences can watch So Not Worth It with the confidence that writers understood what each character represented and why they make that representation.
Netflix’s So Not Worth It signifies the growing wealth of k-drama and its impact on the original slate for streaming services. There’s such a loyal community, and with these one-day hitters on Netflix, I hope that it brings in more audiences. Nostalgically, older audiences will feel armored by a series like this, while the young will find it oddly relatable.
I do not doubt So Not Worth It will bring in another viewership for a second season, so I cannot wait for a continuation.
