Here's the thing. Different countries are good at portraying different things. I didn't even like Elite, but it knew what it was doing. It knew its audience, it knew its strengths. It didn't shy away from violence, sex, drugs, all that gritty jazz.

It's no surprise that Korean TV is subject to more restrictions -- it's a cultural thing, they're just more conservative, and that's not inherently better or worse. But that doesn't mean Korean TV can't have its own strengths. In the context of thrillers, Koreans sure know how to make revenge thrillers, and they know how to portray bullying and all its horrible ramifications. Look at King of Pigs. Look at The Glory. They knew what they were doing. They knew it very well, they were sure of themselves.

And that's why they were good.

This show tries to emulate Elite, but it's ultimately limited by what it can show on the screen considering its target audience. Instead of trading the Spanish flavor for Korean elements, it simply settles for a washed-out, toned-down adaptation of the original show. There is little to no shock factor in this supposed revenge thriller in a supposedly high-stakes setting. The plot is nonexistent, the characters are caricatures, the cast is miscast, and the pacing is nothing short of atrocious. The camera is always trying to find some angle to showcase the prettiness of the actors, and sure, the production, the lighting, it's all very good, but this is not an advertisement for some high-end brand. This is a TV series, and the audience expects something to actually happen. Thousands of pretty shots featuring pretty people staring into space is not adding to the story in any way whatsoever.

I was hoping to see something along the lines of Cheongdam International High School (Bitch x Rich). While that show definitely had its flaws, it also knew how to properly drive a soap opera. BxR was similarly filled with unlikeable characters, but there was a much clearer plot and all the characters had different motives and personalities. It didn't meander or fill the runtime with scenes of pretentious posturing -- there's only so much grandiose walking and emo staring a viewer can take.

A terrible drama that tries to be a teen soap set in the ultra-rich, but completely squanders its potential and wastes its obviously high production value.