Our take
High school can be an incredibly cruel place, but it’s not as systematically cruel as the Baekyeon Girls' High School of the Pyramid Game K-drama. It’s a terrifying twist to regular high school bullying, as it doesn’t just allow kids to bully less popular kids, it creates accomplices, encourages bullying and also gives concrete numerical proof that there’s literally no one there that would root for you, including the adults that are supposed to do better. Creator Lee Jae-gyu writes this intriguing premise, crafting a mystery surrounding the beginnings and creation, as well as the stakes each student has with playing the game, which the cast plays with their roles in such a subtle, sinister way.
Synopsis
Every last Thursday of the month at an all-girls high school, the students of Class 2–5 cast their votes in a popularity poll. The results classify them into Grades A, B, C, D, and F. If they fall into Grade F, they become legitimate victims of school violence.
Storyline
In Baekyeon Girls' High School, every girl is graded through popular vote. Being a transferee, Seong Su-ji finds herself with the least amount of votes, leading to her being bullied. However, with the social skills she’s learned from having to transfer multiple times, Su-ji claws her way up to top in order to end the pyramid game.
TLDR
God, I’m so glad I’m not in high school anymore.
What stands out
The reveal of the real creator of the game was so unexpected, but it’s such an interesting choice as anyone else would have had straightforward motivations.