Lee Chae-min dismantles Noh Jung-eui’s Hierarchy

by solstices

“A school where a perfect order exists. Either one envies it, or disdains it.” So goes the tagline for Netflix’s upcoming revenge mystery Hierarchy, where students are ranked on more than just their grades. Reputation forms the spiral staircase of this ivory tower, and nepotism crafts its gilded windows — until a transfer student steps in to burst its bubble.

Noh Jung-eui (Our Beloved Summer) stars as Jung Jae-yi, the queen at the apex of Jooshin High. The epitome of refined sophistication, she’s matched only by Kim Jae-won (King the Land) as Kim Ri-ahn, the heir of Jooshin Group and the school’s indisputable king. The elite elegance — or elegant elitism, perhaps — of Jooshin High has been perfectly tailor-made for their ilk, serving only the top 0.01% of privileged youth. Between classes, the students partake in extracurricular activities such as ballet, football, and fencing, padding out their résumés with credentials sponsored by their parents’ wealth.

Enter Lee Chae-min (See You in My 19th Life) as Kang Ha, a transfer student hiding a secret. Alas, Jooshin High doesn’t look kindly upon outsiders, and the students don’t hesitate to make that clear. “Crazy scholarship bastard, how dare you lay your hands on me?” snaps musical actor Yoon Seok-ho (Bare: The Musical), who roughly shrugs Ha’s hand off his arm.

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Already, the picture-perfect facade of Jooshin High is beginning to crack, revealing the scandalous gossip of illicit affairs. Lee Won-jung (My Perfect Stranger) plays Lee Woo-jin, the charming flower boy who attracts no shortage of attention. From the looks of it, he’s been sleeping around, and someone appears to have photographed him in the act. Yoon He-ra — played by Ji Hye-won (My Perfect Stranger) — may be interested in Woo-jin, given the way she cups his face and leans in seductively, but how long will that last? On paper, the son of a politician family and the daughter of a top trading company may seem like a match made in heaven, but they could just as well bring each other to ruin.

Threatened by Ha’s presence, Ri-ahn winds up grabbing him by the lapels and slamming him against the lockers, warning him to watch his step. Still, Ha is no pushover. At a fancy event that seems to be celebrating Jae-yi’s birthday, Ha heads straight for her, pulling her into a kiss that she reciprocates. As the daughter of Jaeyul Group, the rival conglomerate to Jooshin Group, will Jae-yi defect from the hierarchy and topple it with Ha? After all, there’s the matter of that body the teaser opened on, and his bloodied student ID card that shows he shares the same surname as Ha — I don’t doubt that Jooshin High has covered up the incident, and presumably, Ha’s about to bring it to light.

Helmed by PD Bae Hyun-jin (Alchemy of Souls 2) with scripts written by Chu Hye-mi (About Time), Hierarchy is slated for a June 7 premiere.