Difference between revisions of "Friendly Rivalry"

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Drama: Friendly Rivalry
Revised romanization: Sunuiui Gyeongjaeng
Hangul: 선의의 경쟁
Director: Kim Tae-Hee
Writer: Song Chae-Yun (webcomic), Sim Jae-Young (webcomic), Kim Tae-Hee, Min Ye-Ji
Network: U+mobiletv
Episodes: 16
Release Date: February 10 - March 6, 2025
Runtime:
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

Woo Seul-Gi (Chung Su-Bin) grew up in an orphanage out in a province. She moves to Seoul and enrolls in Chaehwa High School, which is a school for the top 1% students in South Korea. Woo Seul-Gi doesn't get along with the other students. A student named Yu Je-I (Hyeri) approaches her and they become friends.

Yu Je-I is the most powerful student in the school. She has a high IQ, comes from a wealthy family background, and is attractive physically. She has lived as the envy of other people since she was born and she is aware of her superiority. She is also cunning enough to know how to take advantage of her position. She shows special interest in transfer student Woo Seul-Gi. They soon develop a dangerous relationship between friendship and obsession.

Notes

Based on webcomic "Sunuiui Gyeongjaeng” written by Song Chae-Yun & illustrated by Sim Jae-Young (published June 30, 2020 - December 15, 2021 via Naver).
Original manga writer Song Chae-Yun makes a cameo appearance in ep.16 as Director Song Jae-Hui.

Cast



Hyeri	Chung Su-Bin	Kang Hye-Won	Oh Woo-Ri
Yu Je-I	Woo Seul-Gi	Ju Ye-Ri	Choi Gyung



Kim Tae-Hoon	Choi Young-Jae
Yu Tae-Jun	Nam Byeong-Jin

Chaehwa Girls' High School Students



Chae Seo-Eun	Kim Sang-Ji	Na Hyun-Jin	Han Lee-Ie	Ma Hyeon-Ji
Cho A-Ra	Kim Beom-Su	Gu Chae-Ryeong	Lee Si-U	Park Byeong-Hui



Go Da-Hyun	Lim Soo-Bin	Kim Yu-Bin
Kim Na-Ri	Kim Hee-Ra	Bae Yeon-Seo

Chaehwa Girls' High School Employees



Seo Eun-O	Ha-Min	Park Ji-Han
Kim Seon-Yeong	principal	literature teacher

Yu Je-I's Family



Chu Ye-Jin	Lee Seol-A	Ki So-Yu	Lee Joo-Yeon	Oh Eun-Seo
Yu Je-Na	Yu Je-Na (young teen)	Yu Je-Na (child)	Yu Je-I (young teen)	Yu Je-I (child)



Min Young	Lee Woo-Joo	Park Si-Hyun	Kwon Hyuk-Soo	Park Gun-Rak
Yu Je-I's mom	Yu Tae-Jun (teen) (ep.11)	Yu Tae-Jun (child) (ep.11)	Yu Tae-Jun's dad (ep.13)	Yu Tae-Jun's brother (ep.13)

Woo Seul-Gi's Family



Kang Jin-A	Lee Won-Jae	Moon Seo-Hyun	Choi Ha-Yoon
Kwon Hui-Yun	Woo Do-Hyeok	Woo Seul-Gi (young teen)	Woo Seul-Gi (child)

Ju Ye-Ri's Family



Lee Na-Ra	Yoon Chae-Na
Ju Ye-Ri's mom	Ju Ye-Ri (child)

Choi Gyung's Family



Ko Seo-Hee	Joo Ye-Rim
Nam Ji-Yeon	Choi Gyung (child)

J Medical Center



Kim Geu-Rim	Lim Su-Hwan	Park Soo-Jin	Jung Yong-Hee	Kim Hak-Soo
Son Mi-Young	chief of administration	coach (ep.3)	nursing home doctor (ep.12)	security staff (ep.13)

Woo Seul-Gi's Group



Yoo Ha-Young	Lee Eun-Ju	Kim Bom	Hong Ji-In	Hong Hyun-Ho
Choi Su-Jin	nun (ep.1)	middle school bully (ep.1)	rehab woman (ep.12)	hostel manager (ep.12)

Kim Beom-Su's Group



Choi Ri-Ho	Choi Ga-In	Min Sang-Chul
Kim Beom-Su's dad (ep.10)	Kim Beom-Su's mom (ep.10)	lawyer (ep.10)

Police



Bae Hyun-Kyung	Kim Won-Suk
Park Min-Gyu	detective (ep.10)

Bubble



Seo Hye-Jin	Jung Woo-Joo
Bubble manager	Bubble hostesss (ep.13)

Others



Son Young-Soon	Park Sung-Kyun	Lee Eo-Jin	Jeong Il-Hwa	Lee Jae-Joon
flower seller (ep.1)	security guard (ep.1)	Kim Mi-Yeon (ep.2)	Choi Gyung's teacher (ep.5)	Jung Ha-Jin (ep.5)



Seo Yeon-Woo	Song A-Kyung	Jun Joon-Woo	Moon Ki-Young	Jo Eun-Ju
Im Hyeon-Ji (ep.5)	music professor (ep.5)	psychiatrist (ep.6)	doctor (ep.6)	host club worker (ep.7)



Im Jun-Hyeong	Park Sang-Hwi	Park Ki-Sun	Hong Dae-Sung	Kim Dong-Ryul
nightclub bouncer (ep.11)	lawyer (ep.14)	judge (ep.14)	mechanic (ep.14)	Park Myeong-Ho (ep.15-16)



Song Chae-Yun	Lee Dong-Kyu
Song Jae-Hui (ep.16)	anchorman (ep.16)

Additional Cast Members:

Choi Yeon-Hwa - institute teacher (ep.2)
Lim Jung-Ok - nighttime jogger (ep.4)
Lee Wang-Soo - flasher (ep.5)
Seo Eun-Seo - English teacher (ep.6)
Kim Sang-Wook - pastor (ep.13)

Trailers

Comments

Gay Apr 18 2026 9:00 pm The actors honestly did great. Honestly think Jaeyi and Seulgi should’ve gotten together but it’s Korea so wtvs. Good plot but kind of confusing story telling, had lots of potential but I personally feel like it ended kind of confusing and just feel like they dragged the story on. Honestly a 7-8/10, I would recommend to watch if you like thriller and mystery.

Gena Feb 11 2026 9:52 am Completely loved this show. Love the fact it had twists and turns and every episode a story. Easy to watch again and again. Can't wait for season 2. Love the on screen chemistry can't wait to see more.

Greg Oct 12 2025 8:54 pm The plot is potential, but the story and characters are full of inconsistent, sometime they need each other, sometime the are on each other throat, without so much reason the sudden change Even with top notch acting of hyeri, it doesn't really help, tired following the story

mnsn Jul 25 2025 11:46 am watch it for the plot i swear you'll not regret it. If you like strange vibes series this is it. Hats off to the actors and actresses damn bro even with just eyes they speak, especially hyeri so nice to see her with this kind of role also nice storyline it made me feel lots of emotions.

Friendly reviewer May 30 2025 5:43 pm The Je-i and Seul-gi relationship was probably the most unbelievable given the amount of distrust in the relationship, it would’ve been more believable if it went full blown GL story but it’s Korea and they didn’t want to go there. I agree with everyone else here that the drama started really well with all the mystery and thriller aspects, but then the writers did not know how to weave it together. I looked at the writing credits and I saw reborn rich and now it all makes sense. That writer did the same thing with that one…started off strong but did not know how to button up the story

Nullifi3d May 13 2025 10:02 am Whole drama was confusing as fyck. I don't get the hype.

Naz May 01 2025 10:14 am was such a nice drama, with lot of potential. the last couple of episodes built up to something that wasn't fulfilled, for me the drama should have had 4 episodes more. so much content was stuffed into the last episode that i really didn't like the ending. but the first 15 episodes were good! would recommend watching it. I would have liked a bit less nuanced and more in-your-face GL. but that's how it is most of the time :)

Jen Apr 23 2025 12:54 pm Haven’t watched yet, but interested. Just came here to say that it’s so odd the positive comments read like spam. So either 1. they are spam from a few individual, or 2. we have a lot of international GL fans coming here, which I already know has quite a big fan base from all over the world. Either way, this series seems like people either Love it or Hate it. Lol

Patoot Apr 19 2025 5:26 am Started off good. Then the same shit over and over and over again. The storytelling is one of the worst I've seen and I have watched kdrama since 2009. There is no coherency in the storytelling and like previous commenters have said, could be 6 episodes instead of 16.

TheWatcher Apr 11 2025 4:57 am This drama is a waste of time and energy.

The story was chaotic and does not lead to a clear direction. While it has potential due to great acting by the actors, it failed in many levels. The drama has lost its identity - it was supposed to be a high school drama where students fight their way to first rank in cutthroat exams but spiraled to becoming 20% about that, 70% drug dealing and using, and 10% about hodge-podge of everything under the sun.

The frames can be an eyesore too - there was an earlier scene that panned the students in a dizzying cinematography. There were storytelling techniques where you realize late that they walere actually flashbacks.

The storytelling was incoherent and long-winded. The entire series can be cut to 6 episodes.

Christina Apr 09 2025 4:03 pm I like this show.. However, I am a bit aggravated as I have been waiting week after week for 2 episodes on Viki Rakuten... This morning I wake up and the Entire series is on Netflix!!! What??? Not cool! But it's whatever . I will finish this show on Netflix and watch another on Viki...

Jung Ah Jung Apr 03 2025 6:50 am Just a bit of information... Park Se Young is 30 in School 2013. Some of the girls are even older. Btw, it's a very good drama.

i'm just a girl Mar 22 2025 3:21 pm Ok lmao, so I had the same thought as "Hotshot" at the first time i saw this drama, until... i give it a try and boom! It was actually a great drama! I've always wondered why would hyeri be in school drama lol, but you guys.. she actually was born for the character! she ate bro!

Overall the story 10/10 you wouldn't regret it! And i want to give a rised for Choi Kyeong charater, cuz she is my favorite! She was funny when she didn't even try! I love her sm!

V Mar 17 2025 3:20 pm Just wasted my time in watching this movie Didn’t really understand the movie

Heeran Mar 15 2025 7:14 am my favorite Kdrama of 2025 I hope hyeri and subin won an award causes they really did a great job they give life to JaeSeulgi The best character ever please give us season 2 or at least Special episode or Another project of them This drama is the best I rate 100/100 the cast of perfect and the Plot is amazing congratulations to all in charge of this drama Friendly Rivaly always have a space in my Heart

Hotshot Mar 12 2025 11:27 am That is too much to be a high-school student when you are 30... ha ha ha

Klyng Est Mar 10 2025 7:19 pm I’m still hoping for season2. Both mail leads are awesome and very talented as well as supporting roles. The castings are great, the story are Great, the ending was okay. But i’m still at the restaurant ! this sounds greedy, but i needed more Jaeyi-Seulgi moments at the finale. How to move on please . Anyway, God Bless to this team and more project to come (Hyeri and Su-bin as ML)

seeheart Mar 08 2025 11:45 pm i love this drama!! so Much so that i became so attached to it. i love the whole Unique plot and their story speaks so much volume!! Pleaseeeeee We Need Season 2 Or At Least A Sequel !

Jill Mar 07 2025 1:56 pm I hope there will be season 2. It may sounds impossible, but a lot of viewers were still hoping—hyeri, your role as jaeyi will always carved in everyone’s heart, that’s how good actress you are. You portrayed jaeyi so well. You and subin deserves so much respect for being brave for taking that role knowing knetz are conservatives.

eli ezra Mar 06 2025 10:52 pm i love this movie bro!! friendly rivalry X pyramid game ahh

jhody Mar 06 2025 10:07 pm Brooooo this is such a great drama because what do you meannnnn Jaeyi only gave Seulgi vitamins instead of other medicine before the midterms?? goshh that just shows how much trust and love she has for Seulgi, that whatever she does is she does it great, just like ace-ing the test and so she did! gosh i love them both, great actors and great plots! kudos to all the actors and actresses. Hyeri and Subin did a really great job indeed! the ending got me sobbing y'all they're so cutee. Rooting for a Season 2! A job well done, Friendly Rivalry! lots of love from the Philippines! <33 1000/10!!

lynaa Mar 06 2025 7:57 pm this show was a ! and the story really blew my mind. From start to the end there's no moment of let down. the pace is really good and climax made me cry ngl. This is the first time I really love GL kdrama this much and friendly rivalry did that.

Thanks to the cast, director and production team to make this possible. I'm looking forward to more growth in GL series for korea. would definitely recommend this to everyone that want to experience something unique and thriller kdrama. 10/10

Angie Mar 05 2025 8:43 pm Actors were good plot was good but I felt like the director could have done a better job, like focusing on seugi and jay story more and how it progresses and their individual stories overall great job for the actors but director could have done a better job

Iris Mar 01 2025 12:27 pm It's been a long time I'm not this much obsessed by a K-drama until Friendly Rivalry. They know how to make us feel the days of waiting for the next episodes pass like many years lol. Not only stop at watching it, I also read the comments and discussions on social media and realize that I'm not alone. Damn, how could they find these casts??? Each of them understands their character and nails it so well, from appearance, gestures to their eyes when acting. The drama has no sponsor but this whole team deserves to be recognized for their ability.

Skylove Feb 26 2025 8:42 pm One week left and im very worried about the finale .if ever the writer reading comments by the viewer please dont break my heart hoping for a happy ending for my Seulgi and Jaeyi. ..

Rene Feb 25 2025 9:53 pm Need more scene for trio working together. I just hope they close the ending phase nicely even they have plan for next season. I just worried knowing their previous work everything good exept the closing.

Alykinss Feb 21 2025 5:00 am Damn, I Loveee Thisss Dramaaa! Ackk! Hoping for more drama of this two in the future! Hehe

Kdramaalover Feb 19 2025 3:08 pm If you can't stand GL, do not watch it, but if you can then I highly recommend this drama!!! So many mysteries surrounding the characters and all of the actors/actresses fits their characters so well.

Personally I think that it's silly when people say this drama doesn't fit the highschool theme,,, Just the fact that this drama being a GL is already enough indication that it's targeted towards mature audiences, and also they only rolled this drama when it's night time in specific platforms only. No kids are going to watch this show, so you shouldn't worry about that. The genre is also thriller/ mystery with very serious dialogues, which Obviously is directed towards a more mature audiences.

Kate Feb 19 2025 12:24 pm I want to know more especially about Jin ah

Guavamia Feb 17 2025 3:13 pm There is a reason why this series only airs on some specific platform at midnight. It is targeting exclusively for mature viewers, not at those who lack common sense and constantly misinterpret what they see.

waiting Feb 17 2025 11:48 am Almost halfway through the show and I have no idea what direction it is going tbh. Still enjoying it though because I love Hyeri and it is interesting. I probably just have to wait.

WIZ*ONE Feb 17 2025 4:30 am As long as Hyewon is still straight I’m still watching it till the end ? it’s fun to watch.. mysterious and GL in weird way but looking forward for the ending

Movie fan Feb 16 2025 11:53 pm The series is very interesting and intriguing. You will not predict what will happen in every episodes the actresses are great and promising! They are amazing in handling each characters. It’s not a typical Korean love story, which I really like. It’s unique and a masterpiece series. Love is love . No matter what the gender is. Don’t hate the actresses , they are just doing their job. Which is they are doing their job well as an actresses!

Citadel Feb 16 2025 6:25 am This ain't a gl series, it's just part of the "obsession" and to attract views. This is Korea!

Kdramaalover Feb 15 2025 5:17 pm I'm straight but if I were in the bathtub with Hyeri I would also blush like a tomato

Kdramaalover Feb 15 2025 5:12 pm I watched this drama blindly because I thought it would just be a normal high school rivalry drama... I didn't know what I came into at all lol. So far, ep 1-4 is pretty exciting, sure there are moments when it felt to slow, but the overall pacing is good. And also the acting of the female leads are so good and you can definitely feel the tension between them. I would still continue watching this even though it's GL.

Skylove Feb 15 2025 10:19 am @Shanon at this point,we can only guess and hope that this is GL..but don't expect much cz it's korea if it was made by Thailand we are sure its a GL. I'l be heart broken too if they don't pursue that gl storyline but that kiss is a big consolation to us right.

Stephen Feb 15 2025 8:10 am The characters are so incredibly well-developed. Yoo Je-i, the seemingly perfect top student? Don't let that fool you. She's complex, vulnerable, and surprisingly relatable. And Woo Seul-gi? The mysterious transfer student who throws everything into chaos? I'm still not over her! Their relationship is the heart of the show, a captivating blend of competition, attraction, and unspoken feelings that kept me guessing until the very end. Seriously, the chemistry between the actresses is electric!

Boundlesslove Feb 13 2025 8:37 am "Friendly Rivalry" is a bold and refreshing K-drama that fearlessly explores love between two girls, showcasing the intense emotional journey of Jaeyi and Seulgi. From twisted obsession to unwavering devotion, the story takes viewers on an emotional roller-coaster, proving that love knows no limits. Adapted from a Webtoon, it beautifully captures their struggles and triumphs, leading to a well-deserved happy ending together. A must-watch for those who appreciate deep, twisted and obsessive storytelling!

Skylove Feb 13 2025 8:14 am After watching episode if the writer and director wont pursue the gl story,im fine after watching that kiss..This is korean series and when it comes to gl on mainstream i dont get my hopes high but im hypocrite if i wasn't wishing and hoping that its a gl story cz they have that insane chemistry..i hope this time my fantasy for this will come true. But that kiss is a great console to my gay heart. And i became Hyeri fan here..

Doma Feb 12 2025 1:57 pm I think the story isn't about girls love (GL). They try to make it like it was gl but actually not. More like obsession that leads to dead. Let's see how far the story goes.

Frog Feb 12 2025 5:39 am Omfg finally a gl with big names ? uhh and hyeri is so hot in this like can I be next in her yandere life will be reading this webtoon too I need my fix fr

ana Feb 11 2025 1:03 pm omgosh im on ep 3 and am in love. this high school drama is full of mystery and gripping scenes that literally make you feel emotionally disturbed watching is from behind the screen. also, hyeri is looking beautiful in that long hair. cant wait to see the entire series!

Skylove Feb 08 2025 9:54 pm I hope these time that girl to girl relationship wont be just a clickbait for fans who love that kind of plot..the trailer looks promising..

Gyn Feb 07 2025 8:22 am Omg finally something to look forward to

luna Feb 07 2025 1:56 am im gonna watch this, omg girl to girl series <3

Yurihan Feb 06 2025 3:27 am I'm exited for this can't wait to watch it I love this already

Xoxo Jul 18 2024 6:28 am Omg finally I would watch her in drama again ❤️❤️❤️❤️.

Sseuregi Jul 17 2024 9:37 am Queen hyeri is Back!!!!!!

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 ==Notes==
 # Based on webcomic "Sunuiui Gyeongjaeng” written by [[Song Chae-Yun (1987)|Song Chae-Yun]] & illustrated by Sim Jae-Young (published June 30, 2020 - December 15, 2021 via [https://series.naver.com/comic/detail.series?productNo=5254560 Naver]).
+# Original manga writer [[Song Chae-Yun (1987)|Song Chae-Yun]] makes a cameo appearance in ep.16 as Director Song Jae-Hui.
 ==Cast==
@@ Line 51: / Line 52: @@
 ===Chaehwa Girls' High School Students===
-{{CastPictures7-5
+{{CastPictures8-5
 |1picture=File:Friendly Rivalry-Chae Seo Eun.jpg
 |1name=Chae Seo-Eun (1998){{!}}Chae Seo-Eun
@@ Line 73: / Line 74: @@
 |7name=Lim Soo-Bin (2000){{!}}Lim Soo-Bin
 |7charactername=Kim Hee-Ra
+|8picture=File:Friendly Rivalry-Kim Yu-Bin.jpg
+|8name=Kim Yu-Bin (2001){{!}}Kim Yu-Bin
+|8charactername=Bae Yeon-Seo
 }}
@@ Line 284: / Line 288: @@
 }}
 '''Additional Cast Members:'''
+* [[Choi Yeon-Hwa (1983)|Choi Yeon-Hwa]] - institute teacher (ep.2)
 * [[Lim Jung-Ok (1968)|Lim Jung-Ok]] - nighttime jogger (ep.4)
 * [[Lee Wang-Soo (1988)|Lee Wang-Soo]] - flasher (ep.5)
@@ Line 290: / Line 295: @@
 ==Trailers==
-{{AsianWikiPlayer3|url=2025A/Friendly_Rivalry-t6.xml}}
+{{AsianWikiPlayer3|url=2025A/Friendly_Rivalry-t16.xml}}
 ==Comments==

Difference between revisions of "Friendly Rivalry"

Latest revision as of 04:17, 26 June 2025

Contents

User Rating

Profile

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

Notes

Cast

Chaehwa Girls' High School Students

Chaehwa Girls' High School Employees

Yu Je-I's Family

Woo Seul-Gi's Family

Ju Ye-Ri's Family

Choi Gyung's Family

J Medical Center

Woo Seul-Gi's Group

Kim Beom-Su's Group

Police

Bubble

Others

Trailers

Comments

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