Short, Surprising, and Perfect for a Weekend Watch
Starting Friday, June 26, Netflix subscribers gained access to Le Garçon du dernier rang (The Boy in the Back Row), a new Korean series. Fans of K-dramas know it's common for shows from South Korea to run 12, 16, or even 20 episodes, demanding a significant time investment. What sets this Netflix original apart is its compact format: the series consists of only six episodes—a true rarity for Korean dramas.
From Spanish Stage Play to Korean TV Screen
Le Garçon du dernier rang arrived on Netflix on June 26 and is one of the streaming platform’s latest originals, following the success of Que ça vous serve de leçon, which has remained popular. The show is adapted from the Spanish play El chico de la última fila by Juan Mayorga. The series was directed by Kim Gyu-tae, recognized for his previous work on K-dramas such as Iris and Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo.
A Psychological Game: What’s Real, and Who’s Sincere?
Two decades ago, Heo Mun-oh (Choi Min-shik) wrote a novel, but never managed to publish another book. Now a university professor, he teaches writing fundamentals to his students. Jaded by his stalled career, he often vents his frustration on his class—until one student stands out. Lee Kang (Choi Hyun-wook), an engineering student, demonstrates a real talent for storytelling. Impressed, Heo Mun-oh offers to mentor him.
The Boy in the Back Row quickly establishes an unsettling mood: its subdued direction and sometimes anxiety-inducing soundtrack set a tone of ambiguity and discomfort. This extends to the characters themselves. While Heo Mun-oh’s motives are fairly clear from the beginning, Lee Kang remains mysterious. Even after two episodes, it's not obvious whether he’s simply naive or actually a skillful manipulator.
The series makes you question Lee Kang’s intentions, as well as where the line blurs between the stories he tells his professor and what is real. A twist at the end of episode 2 only adds to the uncertainty, highlighting the show’s knack for playing with perception and reality.
Rather than racing through plot points, the series leans into exploring the psychological depth of its leads, thanks to strong performances by the cast. Viewers get slower, more reflective moments instead of relentless action, setting a different pace from something like Que ça vous serve de leçon.
Standout Performances
Choi Min-shik, widely recognized for his roles in films like Old Boy and Exhuma, is present in almost every scene of the opening episodes. His performance brings out the complex sides of Heo Mun-oh—a professor who’s both exhausted and strangely euphoric in his search for inspiration.
Choi Hyun-wook, previously seen in Twinkling Watermelon, takes on a darker, more ambiguous role here. His portrayal as Lee Kang is both unsettling and compelling, revealing a new side to the actor that fits the show’s tone perfectly.
