STUDIO X+U drama ‘Good Competition’ (directed by Kim Tae-hee, written by Kim Tae-hee and Min Ye-ji) has released a provocative teaser trailer.

‘Good Competition’ is a mystery girl thriller surrounding ‘Seul-gi’, a transfer student to Chaehwa Girls‘ High School, one of the top 1% in Korea where a cutthroat college entrance exam competition takes place, about friends who reveal their individual desires, and the suspicious death of her father, who was a member of the CSAT committee. Lee Hye-ri (as Yoo Je-yi), Jung Soo-bin (as Woo Seul-gi), Kang Hye-won (as Joo Ye-ri), and Oh Woo-ri (as Choi Kyung) will portray the changing relationships of these girls amidst precarious emotions as they become addicted to competition.

The teaser trailer released on the 13th begins with an image of a character drowning in water. The scene then switches to Chaehwa Girls’ High School, the setting of the play, and shows Yoo Je-i (played by Lee Hye-ri) standing proudly in front of her students as a representative. Unlike Yoo Je-i, Woo Seul-gi (played by Jung Soo-bin) appears under the watchful eyes of other students, including Joo Ye-ri (played by Kang Hye-won) and Choi Kyung (played by Oh Woo-ri). Here, the narration, “When do you think the competition starts?” is added.

Yoo Je-i and Woo Seul-gi are then introduced as “the number one who can‘t even be jealous” and “the number one who’s a survivalist trying to survive,” respectively, emphasizing the contrast between the two characters. The scene where Yoo Je-i approaches Woo Seul-gi and asks, “Is Seul-gi preparing for Korea University?” and looks at her with curious eyes shows Yoo Je-i‘s curiosity and subtle feelings toward Woo Seul-gi. The subtitle ‘Precarious Relationship’ that appears along with this condenses their relationship into one word.


In addition, scenes that highlight the individuality of the students, such as Joo Ye-ri taking a selfie in front of a mirror and Choi Kyung nervously throwing a bundle of papers on the rooftop, are also inserted. In particular, Choi Kyung’s line, “I‘m against an unidentified kid joining our group”, hints at the conflict that is occurring between Yoo Je-i, Joo Ye-ri, and Choi Kyung due to Woo Seul-gi’s appearance.

Scenes of Yoo Je-i and Woo Seul-gi getting closer continue into a montage, and the phrase ‘Is it sincerity or obsession?’ hints at the complexity of their relationship. When Woo Seul-gi says, “Honestly, I still don’t trust you,” Yoo Je-yi holds out his hand, saying, “But wouldn’t it be better to trust me?”

The atmosphere of the video changes drastically after the two hold hands. Provocative and tense scenes unfold quickly, and the girls’ increasingly intense expressions and reactions maximize the sense of immersion. The moment Choi Kyung’s scream rings out, Yoo Je-yi laughs out loud as if she finds the whole situation funny, leaving a strong impression, and the teaser ends with that.

In this way, the teaser trailer for “Friendly Competition” quickly introduces the relationships between teenage girls in a competitive society that goes back and forth between jealousy and admiration, friendship and obsession, and definitely captures the attention of viewers. Even in the rapid scene transitions, the four actors’ eyes, expressions, and explosive emotions leave a strong impression on the viewers. Even just the teaser trailer alone makes us curious about how their amazing performances will be portrayed in the main part of ‘Good Competition’.

‘Good Competition’ will be released on February 10th through U+ Mobile TV and U+ TV.

Hong Se-young, Donga.com Reporter projecthong@donga.com